The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-09-27 00:00:00

DIABOLICAL CONTRIVANCE.

On Saturday night, about nine o'clock, a circumstance oc-
curred at our Post&flee which had nearly proved fatal to one
individual, and might have been productive of severe injury to
manivvi,dainftiLe full intention of the contriver of the wickedness had
taken effect, th,mgh who Nvere.the intended victims it is impos,
sible to say. We need not inform our commercial readers, that
letters for foreign countries require that the postage should be
paid, or they are never forwarded, but, instead, are sent to the
Dead-letter-office, in London, there to be stamped, opened, and.
returned, if practicable, to the writers. On Saturday a number
of letters of this description were put into the office; which after
being made up in packets for the inspector of dead letters were
handed over to a man named Barnard, Tor the purpose of being,
stamped,, previously to being forwarded4o London by the. mail.,
Amongst these was a packet containing three large letters, seven
of the same description having bechposted,..all directed in the
same hand, andit is ,believed to official persons at Matanzas,
liavana,&c. The stamp is a heavy steel implement, with which
the letter is struck with some violence. Ile had got through
nearly all the letters but this particular bundle, and they had
been removed as he operated upon them. The package con-
taining the other four similar letters had been previously stamped
without any result, but on striking the packet containing the
three remaining, the percussion produced an explosion which
shook the whole building. Every clerk irf- the once; 'even
those at the greatest distance, was stunned, and one who stood
within a few yards of the spot was thrown violently to the
ground. When they recovered, in some measure, from the
'shock, they looked round for the poor man Barnard.
The floor around him was completely covered with the frag-
ments of the letters, for all the three letters had exploded, aud
he lay upon the floor bleeding and insensible. He was found
to have been shockingly injured, his hands being torn almost
asunder, and portions of the flesh and skin -fleeted from them,
His face appeared as if it bad received a.charge of sinall,shot.
and his left eye had received with such violence so much of the
paper and other matter that its use as an organ of vision is lost
irrevocably. Ends of small brass tacks have been found, with
which the letters were charged. Theihumb-nail of the left hand
was torn off, and, what is more extraordinary, was shot through
the left cheek.. ,The poor 'nen is in a very dangerous stare, al.
though hopes ate entertained of his recovery. The packet
which contained the other four letters, having been previously
made up, was despatched by the mail during the consternation
incident to the disaster. After it was discovered from the exa-
mination of the fragments of paper what letters had exploded,
Mr. Banning immediately forwarded an express to the General
Postoffice; informing the parties there of what had occurred,
and warning them to be careful how they opener! these letters.
It is to be hoped that they may be found to contain seine clue
which will lead to the discovery of the contrivers of a'seheme so
diabolical. .The explosion was so violent that it put out the
lights and blew out five panes of glass.

MR. HESKISSON'S STATUE.—This fine piece of sculpture
was on Thursday last placed in the building prepared for its re-
ception in the Cemetery.
FANCY BALL—We are happy to see the, public exerting
themselves on the aboeg charitable occasion, and amongst the
many. preparations just in progress, we refer our friends to E.
DelVm and Co.'s splendid Fancy Dresses, as they have spared
no expenSe to procure for the public a magnificent wardrobe.
IMPORTANT TO TRADERS TO THE BAHAMAS AND GULF OF
FI.OR I DA.—The now revoking lights erected by the late Capt.
.Ritson, of the Royal Engineers, on the S., E., point of the
Island of Abaco, and at the south end of the Coral Ridge, called
Gun Cay, in the Florida channel are now in use.
REFORMED COP.PORATIONS.—One of the reform magistrates
of Leeds has been accused through the local press of obtaining,,
by means of his influence as a magistrate, a publican's licence
for a house, in the name of his clerk, and which turns out to be
his own property. He is also further accused of endeavouring
to traffic and make money by it.
TOXTETII-PARK BAZAAR.—We invite the attention of our
readers to an advertisement in another column, announcing the
projected bazaar, to be held 'at Toxteth-Park, for the benefit of
-the schools in connexion with the established church. The
highly respectable patronage under which it will be held, we
hope will contribute to further the object in view.
Tun FESTIVAL.—The commiitee, we understand, are making
every exertion to repair, as far as possible, the severe loss which
the 'death of Malibran has occasioned, and the inability of
Signor de Beriot to fulfil his engagement. Expresses have
been sent off to Worcester to secure the services of Madame
Caradori Allan, and to London to engage, if possible, OHI
Bull, the celebrated violinist We have not yet heard With what
success.

Ma. SMlrus NEW LECTURES.—We.-are happy to find that
this gentleman purposes delivering his new series of lectures in
Liverpool shortly. The subject which he has chosen for illus-
tration, is," The Beauties of Geography." Nearly 100 splendid
views of the wonders of creation, are to be exhibited. We have
no doubt that,the superior talents of Mr. Smith, conjoined with
the facinating study itself, will procure a full attendance. For
further particulars we beg to -refer to a very copious syllabus
which Mr. Smith has published.

' ST. ANNE'S WEST DERBY DAY AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS.—
On Friday last 40 girls belonging to these schools bud a rich
treat. Through the kindness of Mr. Atkins, a free admission
into the Zoclogical. Gardens was procured for them, and, after
seeing every thing in that attractive place, they returned to the
residence of the Rev. T. Gardner, where they were received by
his lady and several others interested in the school, and regaled
with tea, buns, &c. TIM girls had -new bonnets on on the oc-
casion, and had a remarkably' neat and healthy appearance.
SUDDEN DuaTn.—An inquest was held on Friday. before
Mr. Curry, on the body of a man named ,James Bailey, who
died very suddenly. It appeared from the evidence that a young
man named Allen, who is in the employ of Mr. Ellis, carpet-
Merchant, Byrom-street, had gOne to deliver a parcel in Regent-
street, on Tuesday evening last, about eight o'clock. Near the
-north end of the Prince's Dock, he saw the deceased lying on
his back, with his head bent down upon his breast. He asked
the deceaSed what was the matter, but could not understand
what he said in reply. Some persons gathered round, and some
wine and water and a bun were given to' the deceased. The as-
sistance of Timothy Donovan, a policeman, was then obtained,
and he was carried to the Northern Hospital, where he soon '
after. expired. From the extremely miserable appearance of
the deceased, Mr. Blower, the house surgen, was induced at
first to apprehend that he had died of starvation • but on open-
ing'the body he found, from the state of the vessels of the brain,
that he had. died of apoplexy. A verdict-to that effect was ac-
cordingly returned.-

Au instance of the fatal effects of terrifying children occurred
last week at, a ladies' seminary near Hackney. A little girl,
between the age of six and seven, for some act of childish dis-
obedience, was thrust into a dark cellar at some distance from
the house, and suffered to remain there throughout the night ;
the dreadful cries and screams which the child uttered produced
no effect upon her inhuman perceptors, and when the door was
opened in the morning the poor child was an idiot; a medical
man, who was instantly summoned, has pronounced her re-
covery extremely doubtful.—Times.
The Gloucestershire Chronicle draws attention to the subjoined
new trophy of " Whig wisdom :"—"By one of the clauses in
the new newspaper act, we find that newspapers may be put into
the postoffire without covers; but there is to be no writing or
marks on them. Query—how are they to find their destination?
Another clause imposes triple duty as a penalty for fraud; that
is, his Majesty's Solicitor for Stamps is' to bring an action to
recover THREE PENCE. Oh, rare whig wisdom!'