The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-09-11 00:00:00

SAND AND SAWDUST SOLD FOR SUGAR

Two elderly females, Catherine Burns and Mary Tobin,
were placed at the bar, under the following charge :—Ann
Cammack, the wife Of a cowkeeper, in Thomas's-street,
stated, that the prisoner Burns came into her kitchen on
Tuesday morning, with a sample of brown sugar, and asked
her to buy a little, saying she had about fifteen pounds weight
of it, for which she wanted sevenpeuce a pound. Witness
looked at the sample, and agreed to take six pounds weight.
The prisoner went away, and returned in about half an hour.
She then said she had, a parcel .of seven or eight pounds
weight at home, and witness agreed to take it. In the after-
noon the other prisoner, Mary Tobin, called with a parcel
made up in a bag, and said that her sister-in-law had made a
bargain with witness fcir some sugar, and she (Tobin) had
brought it, and it was eight pounds and a half weight. Wit-
ness said it was too much ; but agreed to take it for 4s. Bd.,
which she paid, the half-pound being knocked off. She
opened the bag, and found sugar at the top. The prisoner
went away. In the evening witness opened the bag, and
found that it contained sand and sawdust, with only about
an inch in depth of sugar at the top. Witness's servant knew
where the prisoner Burns lived, in John's court, Oriel-street.
Both prisoners were afterwards foun4 togethei in the street,
and were apprehended. It appeared, they were not sisters-
in-law. The bag containing the sand and sawdust was pro-
duced. The prisoner Tobin said she sold it as she had bought
it ; and that she had bought it at the bottom of Oriel-street.
Burns said she was quite innocent, and that the other prisoner
had given her the sample to show to Mrs. Cammack. Both
prisoners were committed for trial at the sessions..

THE LATE ATTEMPTED 11{URDER AT LUDLOW,
COMMITTAL OF MISTERS, THE PRISONER.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) W
Ludlow, Wednesday Evening.
This morning the prisoner, in custody on a charge of
attempting to • murder Mr. Mackreth, ax the Angel nn,
Ludlow, was brought up for final examination, and committed
to take his trial for the offence.
The prisoner, since his examination on -Monday last, has
in a great measure discontinued reading his Bible, and seems
more thoughtful; his spirits are very low, and he does not
sleep well at night Underneath we give a verbatim copy of
the prisoner's writing on the back of a tin plate, off which he
ate his dinner on Monday last ; it is written in a neat hand,
and it is supposed that it was written with a bit of glass :

" Josiah Misters was
charged with an attempt of cutting
Mr. Mc Reath's throat on Thursday, the
20 day of August 1840, at the Angel Inn
Ludlow. In my defence which that Almighty
and Great God knows that 1 urn innocent and
gives me that fortitude to support myself in this
time of Trouble, and I am well aware that He will
not let the innocent suffer for the Guilty, I trust in
my Maker for he judgeth the heart, and I am sure
that man cannot be greater than God in judgment
and false witnesses may try to find me guilty but
that Just One will make his testimony of no
avail ; therefore Reader trust in God
when you are in trouble and He
will be ever your supporter. •
Josiah Misters
Birmingham."
Mr. Mackreth, after describing himself as a traveller in
the house of Christopher George and Co., at Bristol, and
the circumstances of his arrival at the Angel Inn, Ludlow,
on the 19th August, said,—l retired to bed between eleven
and twelve o'clock. I took my travelling box with me. My
bed-room was No. 17. I spoke to the chambermaid once,
and she then left the room. I locked my bed-room door. I
am positive of that. My window blind was down, with the
exception of about four inches. I then retired to rest. 1
heard no noise during the time I was undressing. My large
box was on a chair on the right-hand side of the bed, and my
travelling box was on the dressing table. I put out the can-
dle before I got into bed. I awoke in a kind of half con-
sciousness. I felt fingers on my throat, and the blood run-
ning, but felt no pain. I became alarmed, and uttered these
words, " Good God, what is this ?" At that moment I
felt a person's hand on my chin. I jumped out of bed,
and shrieked. I felt pulled back by the shoulders, on
the opposite side of the bed. I fell down with my legs en-
tangled with the bed-clothes, in consequence of the struggle.
I heard a person in my bed-room. He made a rustling noise,
as if he was escaping from the room. I immediately made
for the window, and dashed through a pane of glass with my
hand. I called out as loud as I could, " murder," and
" fire." After I cried out several times, I looked round the
room, afraid some one was near me." It was just getting
light. The window-blind was still down. I attempted to
raise it, but could not, and I dashed through another pane of
glass. I saw no one in my room. I heard some one go
down stairs, and I then attempted to find my bed-room door.
The door I found open about four Inches. I was still endea-
vouring to alarm the house. I heard a person below stairs,
and I immediately went down holding by the banastres. I
got to the landing opposite the kitchen-door. I saw a young
man in the kitchen, whom I afterwards found was the post-
boy. I attempted to speak to him, to ask him to send for a
surgeon, but I found that-I had lost the power of utterance.
Mr. Cooke, the landlord, then. came to the kitchen-door.
He seemed dreadfully alarmed, and said, " go back to your
bed-room, pray." I returned up stairs, with Mr. Cooke
with me. I stopped on' the stairs to speak, but could not.
Mr. Cooke again desired me to go to my bed-room. , I was
bleeding profusely from my throat. I put my hands to my
throat, and discovered for the first time that it was cut. I
stood a little at my bed-room door, endeavouring to speak to
Mr. Cooke, but could not. I recollect then going into My
bed-room
persons came in. I stood at the
bottom of when several
the bed. I heard some person say, " Who is he ?"
" Where doei he come from?" Hearing theie words, I
went to my dressing-box, and unlocking it, I gave out seve-
ral cards of our firm. I did this to let the persons know
whom I was. I then felt very weak. I held out my hands,
and a Mr. Peach came to support me. I did not know Mr.
Peach at that time, but since I have ascertained that it was
him. I recollect nothing more but going on the bed. 'Every
one seemed to stand aloof from me. About ten minutes to
a quarter of an hour I think elapsed from the time I was first
awoke to the time I returned into my bed-room. I am posi-
tive I never went in any other direction than down stairs.
This I will positively swear. I recollect some observations
which led me to believe that the persons around me thought
I had committed suicide. Mr. Cooke exclaimed, " Good
God ! what made you do it?" I endeavoured by motions
and signs to make them believe otherwise. One sign I made
was pointing under the bed. The surgeon then arrived, who
began to dress up my wounds. The opinion being still en-
tertained that I had committed suicide, I gave signs that I
wanted pen and ink. On their being brought I wrote some
words. The paper produced is my writing';—" Some villain
has done it—is the windpipe cut—is there danger—the per-
son stood on my left—l grasped his hand—he escaped. Is
the man found—W. M. Mackreth." That is what I wrote.
It was in answer to questions put to me. I had one wound
across the throat, and another across my cheek, leading to
my mouth. There was another wound on.the surface of my
tongue, and a slight one on my finger. I am certain that I
felt being pulled back in bed. My night-shirt was torn in
the strugee, from the shoulder down the back. When I
broke one pane of glass I attemeted to raise the window. I
found I could not do it, and I broke another. I am not
aware that I have lost any property. I have no recollection
of having ever seen the prisoner. I recollect seeing a per-
son at the foot of my bed inquiring for his stockings ; he was
assuming a great levity of conduct. I think it was the pri-
soner. The surgeon was then standing near me, I pointed
to the prisoner on the morning, seeing leviq of conduct,
and said, " Who is that man ?" I was induced to ask the
question from the manner of the man. I will not swear po-
sitively that the prisoner is that man. I have no recollection
of ever having seen the prisoner on the evening previous to
the attempt upon my life. I was perfectly .sensible the
whole of the time my wounds were being dressed. I had
two razors in my own possession. One was in my large box,
and the-other in my smajl box. had no other in my pos-
session. I am positive I locked my door, I am quite posi-

..o-room.
The water presented a dirty appearance, and on applying
chemical tests to it, they found that it contained a strong so-
lution of alum. The prisoner had in his possession a lump
of alum, which from its appearance had been recently used.
4 him hoe r•nesn.v4sr ose A. • n

--Latin Has toe property of onuterating blood stains from linen,
whilst the water will not possess that red colour which it
would otherwise do if the blood was washed out with mere
soap and water.

J-osiah Vaughan, John Humphries, Richard Hance, and
the Town-clerk of Ludlow were then examined, but the sub-
stance of their testimony has already been published.
The TOWN-CLERK then asked the prisoner if he had any
statement to make ?—The Prisoner said that there was one
decided proof that it was not him who committed the deed—
the cook in her evidence stated, that when she lighted Mr.
Mackreth to bed, she saw his (the prisoner's) door closed,
Mr. Mackreth also states that helocked his door, it appeared
clear, therefore, that the room where. Mr. Mackreth slept
must have been forced ; if not forced, it appeared equally
clear, that he (the prisoner) could not be the ¶arty who com-
mitted the deed, seeing he was in his own bed-room according
the cooks evidence.

The Magistrates having consulted for a short time, the
Mayor stated, that they considered they had ample evidence
to justify them in committing the prisoner to take his trial at
the ensuing Shrewsbury assizes.—Committed accordingly.

THE LATE FAILURES IN MANCHESTER

tive I did not go near the right side of the lobby leading to
the stairs neither in going down nor in returning. I made
no examination of my room previous to going to bed. I had (From the Manchester Guardian of Wednesday.)
about £9O in my desk, in notes and gold. lam a very sound 'Since Friday last, much excitement has been caused upon
sleeper; I generally go to sleep immediately on retiring to our Exchange, by 'the occurrence of three failures, one of
bed. I never was in Ludlow before Wednesday the 19th. I which caused great surorise. as well as alarm. amnn7At. all
have travelled for the firm nt 11.4.1,0 _

rasu I. u. tab Li LISWL aoout one year and classes of persons • the party being generally considered a
eight months. I was in their employ previous to that for
man of considerable property, and having maintained his
six years, but not in the capacity of traveller. credit in the market unimpaired, down to the very day when
The Prisoner then cross-examined Mr. Mackreth with con- he stopped payment. Owing to these failures, it was fully
siderable acutenss, but without impeaching any part of his expected that the market yesterday would have' exhibited a
testimony.
Dr. Lloyd stated that.he and others had made an analization
of the slops whie`

with that of

!though the i

.ueuce of t

nts was felt to some-extent in the morning, the
state of business in the afternoon was decidedly better than
might have been reasonably expected ; and, upon the whole,
a fair hosinpo.s tV.I. thln • •

aL previous prices,—a tact a
under the circumstances just mentioned, shows great
ticity in the market.

We think it right to state, with the view of correcting soma
very erroneous statements which have been made in the I
don newspapers, and elsewhere, that the extent of the prin-
cipal.failure, that of Mr. Forth, has been very greatly ex-
aggerated. Instead of £400,000 or £250,000, both of which
sums have been mentioned, as the amount of his engagements,
we are assured, on the very best authority, that they will cer-
tainly not amount to X 60,000, and will most probably not
exceed £50,000. The effect of this failure on the London
stock market has been (as will be perce,ved from our usual
extracts from. the London newspapers) great to an extent
which would be ridiculous, were it not attended with severe
loss to many parties. Amongst other consequences produced
by it in the metropolis, was a fall of £ll in the shares of the
London and Birmingham, and £5 in those of the Great
Western Railway, on tho alleged ground that Mr. Forth was
a very large holder of those and other shares, which would
necessarily be thrown upon the market by his failure. The
fact is, as we are well assured, that Mr. Forth was not the
owner of a single share in either of the companies named;
and the entire amount of railway stock, of any kind, standing
in his name, or belonging to him at the time of his stoppage
(chiefly in undertakings of small importance,) did not exceed
£lO,OOO, which, even if offered all at once, would not pro-
duce any very serious effect upon the market.
With respect to the other two failures that have occurred,
they are of minor consequence. The debts of one concern
are said to amount to £25,000, and of the other to X 5,000 ;
but neither of them is likely to be productive of any serious
consequences in the neighbourhood.

We think it ;right t,17 add, that several reports of further
failures circulated yesterday (and amongst them that of a fo-
reign house here) were altogether destitute of foundation.