The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-06-04 00:00:00

TUE uvERP.OL

SUSPECTED MURDER AT BIRKENHEAD.

A man named James Sennett, who lived in the neigh.
bourhood of the Birkenhead docks, at which he was em-
ployed as a labourer or " navvy," was found lying across
the path in Conway-street, dead on Saturday night. In-
formation of the circumstance was conveyed to the police,
and subsequently a fellow -workman with the deceased, of
the name of Cox, and who lives at No. 11, Byrom Street,
was apprehended and placed in Bridewell on the charge
of mu's:ler. Cox, who is an Irishman, apparently between
thirty and forty years of age, was examined yesterday be-
fore Messrs. Shaw and J . 'Jackson, at the Birkenhead
police-court. At the examination the following facts re-
lative to the case came out. About midnight of Saturday
the Ist June, Mrs. Helen M'Call was proceeding along
Conway-street, when she observed the body of a man
lying across the path in a dying state. On the opposite
side of the road she saw another man standing against the
Scotch Church, who, as it turned out, was Cox, and the other
who was lying across the path was Sennett. The young
woman told Cox that there was a man lying dead ; but the
fellow, who was evidently the worse for drink, ased her
what she had to do with it, or something of that sort.
Bernard Brady, constable 22, in the Birkenhead police
force, stated that about a quarter past twelve o'clock on
Saturday night, be was on duty in Watson-street, where
he saw Cox, whom he had known for a considerable
period, hastening in the direction of his own home from
that of Conway-street. (Byrom-street is a street leading
out of Watson-street) he was hurrying along, though not
running ; when be came near the witness, he asked him,
" If it was likely he was to be imposed upon," to which
witness replied " No." He then said he had been
knocked down and abused in Conway-street, and re-
quested witness to " take them to bridewell," upon which
Brady asked him whom he meant, but he said he did not
know the men who had ill-used him. He was tipsy and
was bleeding at the mouth and nose. Witness advised
him to go home. James Birnie, inspector of police, was
the next witness; he deposed to the following particulars:—
That havingheard sometime after midnight of Saturday last
that an outrage had been perpetrated in Conway-street, he
hastened thither, and found a crowd of persons surround-
ing the body of Sennett. Among others present was Mr.
M•Dougall, the surgeon. Witness bad the body imme-
diately conveyed to the Birkenhead Hospital, under the
direction of that gentleman ; and having previously ordered
Brady to go to the house of Cox, he now followed himself.
When he entered the house, he found Cox seated on a
chair, and resting his arm on the table; his head, on
which he wore a cap, was reclining on his hand. Witness
asked him where his bat was, and his wife said he had lost
witness asked him where the hat was that
ht home, and the woman, pointing to another
" There." This hat (which was produced)

it; upon which
he had broug
table, replied

I to the deceased 1 but Brady-,
the constable, declined to swear to it. In answer to other

was alleged to lr

queries put by Mr. Birnie, the prisoner stated that he and
Sennett had been drinking during the early part of the
night at 'Solomon's beer-house, in Back Chester-street,
where Sennett and another quarrelled in consequence of
the former having sung a song. They afterwards left the
beer-house, and went to the Conway Arms, where they
had more drink. They then left the place ; and as they
were going towards their home, they met a party of men,
by whom they were attacked. In answer to the question
as to where he left his companion Sennett, the prisoner
replied he did not know ; for having been knocked down
himself, he made the best of his way home upon reco-
vering his feet. He acknowledged that the hat was not
his own. These statements were made to the inspector
after Cox was taken into custody ; and, upon hearing
them, he told the man the heavy charge on which he
might consider himself 'under arrest. Cox, who was
under the impression that he was apprehended simply
for disorderly conduct, began to express his desire to be
set at liberty, saying that lielnew nothing of the murder
Of Sennett, but that, if allowed, he could produce the
.man whom he suspected of having committed the
'deed ; but as he was 'unable to give the inspector
any information as to 'his name and address, wish
was not complied with. Tne prisoner, on his exami-
nation, persisted in the statement, that he knew some
of the party which had attacked him and Sennett, and
said he had told the constable Brady the setae •, Brady
denied that he had ever made any allusion to-a third per-
son, but added that a man was without the court who
had been drinking with the two men ; but 'there did not
appear to be any implication attaching to him. The de-
ceased man's wife was introduced into the room, for the
purpose of identifying the hat found in the prisoner's
house. The poor'creature exhibited proofs of suffering
the most intense mortal anguish ; she was accommodated
with a chair, and, from her incoherent remarks, it appeared
as if she was not in the perfect possession of her facul-
ties. Probably`from feelings of humanity, the magistrates
declined to receive her testimony at that stage of the pro-
ceedings. They instructed the police to use every effort
to obtain soma further evidence respecting the prisoner's
movements on' the night in question, and to act on thein-
formation he might give relative to the men he had refer-
red to : they considered in the present state of the case,
there was no evidence on which they could convict, though
snfficient had transpired to warrant their remanding`him.
The prisoner, accordingly, was remanded to eleven o'clock
on Wednesday morning.

The inquest was held at the George Inn, Grange Lane,
yesterday afternoon, before H. Churton, Esp. In addi-
tion to the evidence adduced before the magistrates, Mr.
Macdougal stated that the wound on the head of 'the de-
ceased, which caused death, might have been produced
by a fall. It was also shown that the deceased and Cox, the
person in vastody, left the house of Mr. Salmon, in Back
Ch-ester-street at half-past ten,-and not at the hour stated
in the Minion; that on their way home they called at the
Conway Arms tap, Conway-street, and were drinking there
until twelve o'clock, when they left in company with other
persons, two of whom stated that they went along Con-
way-street with them, to near the Scottish kirk ; that at
that placeochich was near where the body was found,
there were five or six men standing, making a noise ; that
Cox, the man in custody, said to the deceased, " Let's
go across-and raise a row ;" that Cox crossed the street to
the five or six men, followed by the deceased, and a row
commeneed_: but the two men, finding that they were
likely to be attacked, ran home. Under these circum-
stances the jury, after heating-the coroner's-summing up,
found the following verdict :—" That the-deceased was
found dead in Conway-street; that his death was the
result of- a wound upon the lett temple, but as to how that
wound.wasinflicted no evidence appeared before the jury."

THE STEEL TRADE

Every. interest in the kingdom is fallingleefore our in-
.sane'legislation. The following report, from the Meadow
Steel Works, at Sheffield, dated the Ist instant, is melan-
chaly, but it-ia true :—" We 'have to report rather un-
favourably -of -the present state of the Sheffield trade, as
regards that portion of it which relates to the manufacture
of goods for-the home market, and chiefly in the agricul-
tural districts. From our own personal observation, and
from-information received from individuals of undoubted
integrity, well versed in commercial affairs, and whose
occupation leadethem into various parts of the country,
it is apparent that trade is nearly annihilated in those dis-
tricts, so far as a demand fer Sheffield articles is con-
cerned; and it is much to be feared that a-continuance of
it may react upon our manufacturing interests, and thus
deprive the manufacturer of thteetle and -profit, and the
artisan of the employment and remunerative wages,
which the home trade has, on -the average, afforded to
them; which may result in a fall of the-prices of goods
and labour, to the-serious detriment of all concerned ifi
this branch of the trade. As a natural consequence of
such a lack of business, the prices have a downward tee-
dency, and without some improvement, .manufacturers
supplying this market will be subject to very great risk
beforethe close of the year. The best prices have always
been obtained by Sheffield manufacturers= in-this market,
one cause of which -may be fairly assumed- to be the ab-
sence of imposts, in the shape of heavy dutieseas are ex-
perienced in introducing our manufactured :goods into
foreign countries, by which a great portion- of-the profits
ere sacrificed in competing against their manufacturers,
protected as they are by such a system, -which operates,
in reality, as a tax upon our labour. The practical
working of it may be fairly traced by a short investigation,
especially as applicable to the treatment which we experi-
ence at the -hands of the Zollverein, or German Customs'
League, and to which we adverted in our trade circular of
February last. The rate of duty charged upon heavy
steel goods, of the most simple manufacture,• that is,
where the least labour is applied to the material,--npon
steel goods imported into Prussia, is six dollars,,_ or 18s
per cwt. The result has been, that we are driven out of
the German market, within the=jurisdiction of the League,
while they obtain our steel at a low rate of duty ; and-they
are importing into this country articles of hardware, of
elaborate finish, at mach lower rates than ours, which may
be found in some of the shops either in Sheffield and-Bir-
mingham ; and of -which any quantity may be easily
obtained, and ordered from samples shown by com-
mercial travellers from Germany, .on their periodical
jouraies here. This arises from the cheapness of labour
about the district of Remseheid and Solingen, the Sheffield
of Germany, which does not average .one half the rates
paid here ; and it has been amatter often debated amongst
the Sheffield manufacturers, whether .such a state of
things should not be met by an adequate export duty on
Steel, in-the production of which we have great and un.
doubted advantages, and for which the Germans are greatly
dependenteapon us, to enable them to enter into compe-
tition with-our first class manufactured articles. The want
of union amongst the German operatives causes such a
cheapness of _labour to exist, and when they follow the
example of the Sheffield artisans, and unite for mutual
assistance, we shall doubtless experience less competition
in prices, both in their own and in neutral markets ; as
snob a system of centralization as exists here amongst
trade unions will result amongst them in an enhancement
of the prices of goods, from advance in wages •, although
doubtless accompanied with improvements in the quality
of their goods, from that subdivision of labour which it
produces."

THE POSTDFFICE AND THE SABBATH.—The inhabitants
of Drayton, Steventon, Sutton Wick, Milton, Harwell,
and Chilton, in the county of Berke, have signed a memo-
rial to the Postmaster-General, praying for a discontinu-
ance of the post in those villages on the Sabbath-day ;
only three persons out of the population of 3372 refused
to sign it. The memorial was forwarded to the Marquis
of Clanricarde, who has complied with the wishes of the
memorialists, and discontinued the mail.
SETTLING THE DIFFERENCE.—Professor Simpson, of
Edinburgh, has been lecturing before the medical men of
Paris, on the advantages of chloroform. The harmony of
one of the meetings was disturbed by a dentist, " who
appeared," says the correspondent of the Medical Timer,
"tobe a trifle infilterated,' as the French say. This
person endeavoured to prove that children delivered un-
der its influence were extremely liable to become idiots.
The Professor retorted, ' that perhaps he was right, and
his mode of reasoning inclined one to think that the gen-
tleman's mother must have labowed;under the influence
of chloroform.' "

LATEST INTELLIGENC

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

LONDON, Monday Night,

LEGAL NEws.—The ovun says a rumour was very current
this morning of the resignation of the Chancellor Wigram in
consequence of continual indisposition.
A fire broke out this morning at the east London Water
Works at Bow ; it was extinguished without damage to the
machinery.