The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-01-29 00:00:00

HI LiIiERPOOL STANDARD.

A clerk in the Jedburgh Savings' Bank has just de-
camped with £5OO. He is supposed to have sailed for
America by the same vessel which carried his brother
delinquent from Aylesbury.
Robberies have frequently been committed in London
by individuals entering shops. throwing pepper in the
eyes of the party behind the counter, and running off
with money or whatever valuable had been previously
fixed upon.
The son of the Rev. F. Close is honourably mentioned
in the Official despatch conveying to government an
account of the gallant and successful attack made by H.M.
ships Columbine and Fury on the Chinese pirates on the
Bth of October.
BLACK POACHERS.—A few days since, as the game-
keeper of W. J. Watts, Esq., of Teignmouth, was shoot-
ing, at Kingsteignton, two partridges flew across the
road, and immediately afterwards two_crows. Each crow
killed his bird, and the keeper picked them both up.
The bullion. in both departments of the Bank of Eng-
land has increased from £16,814,043 to £16,816,330,
being a difference of £2287. The paper in actual circula-
tion had increased from £20,241,909 to £20,513,864,
being a difference of £271,955.
It was stated by Mr. Portal, M.P., at the Basingstoke
agricultural meeting, that the Bank of England, with its
£17,000,000 of bullion, pays only £l5O per annum to the
poor rates, a less sum than is paid by many tenant-farmers
with holdings of from £4OO to £5OO a year.
The dispute which has existed between the masters and
men in the Staffordshire Potteries, by which twelve large
factories were at a stand, has been happily adjusted. It
was left to the arbitration of a gentleman unconnected
with the trade, and his decision was in favour of the men.
Mr. sheriff Nichol, of paletot celebrity, has forwarded
a cheque for £525, to be appropriated as a prize to him
who shall produce the best piece of woollen cloth, excel-
lent in every quality of texture and dye, at the great ex-
hibition in 1851.
Two boys in London were playing with naptha last
week, when it ignited and set the premises on fire. Both
boys were dreadfully burned, the flesh being literally
roasted on their bones. One died immediately ; the
other lies in a hopeless state.
On Saturday week, a heroine under sentence of trans-
portation made a furious attack on one of the warders of
Milbank penitentiary. The warder was greatly injured,
and would probably have been killed had not his cries for
assistance been promptly responded to.
SINGULAR ACCIDENT.—LateIy, as some gentlemen
were coursing a hare, at Whitleigh, near Plymouth, one
of the greyhounds ran, in its rapid and eager course,
against a thin iron fence which was between it and the
game with such force that its breast-bone was broken,
and death ensued a few minutes afterwards.
There is much controversy on the question whether the
passport system has been abolished in France, as asserted
by the Times, or whether it still remains in full force.
The Times and some of its correspondents maintain the
affirmative. Many declare that the system in all its
annoyances yet exists.
A young commercial traveller from Leeds fell into the
hands of sharpers at Nottingham the other day. Having
failed in their endeavours to induce him to play at cards,
they fell upon him, covered his mouth, and forcibly
robbed him of two £lO bank notes, two sovereigns, and
some silver. The rogues have not been apprehended.
It appears from proceedings taken within the last few
days at Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, and other places,
that government are resolved to put a stop to those sys-
tematic swindles termed " Building Lotteries," which
have been carried on for some time all over the country,
in direct and open defiance of the law.
A county meeting, convened by the high sheriff, was
held on Saturday, at the Shire-hall, Bedford ; but, in
consequence of the conduct pursued by the Free-traders
of preventing by clamour the Protectionist speakers being
heard, the meeting had to be dissolved without any reso-
lutions being passed, or even an amendment proposed.
THE RUSSIAN LOAN.—The banking-house of Messrs.
Stone, Martin, and Co., was besieged yesterday by parties
who had to pay upon the Russian loan, and the amount
which the firm passed through the clearing-house is stated
at more than a million sterling. It should be borne in
mind that the deposits were paid freely also on previous
days.—Observer.

SOMETHING NEW IN GAS-HARING.—We are informed
that a Mr. Wilkinson, of Grimesthorpe, near Sheffield,
has invented a gas-making apparatus, that will produce
9,000 cubic feet of gas from one ton of coals, and is so
constructed that any steady labourer can manage it with
as little trouble as trimming the oil-lamps required to
give the same amount of light. Mr, Wilkinson says, that
good gas may be obtained at less than 2s. per 1,000 cubic
feet.

HIGH FARMING.—Seven vessels, 85 tons burthen,
have this week discharged their cargoes of Liverpool
manure at Crossens, North Meols ; and as many more
are shortly expected. High farming and judicious manage-
ments, aided by the counsel and advice of their generous
landlord, Squire Scarisbrick, are here in full requisition
amongst these industrious people to counteract the effect
of the present low prices of farm produce.—Preston
, Chronicle.

SUICIDE OF A LADY OF FORTUNE.—Miss Harriet
Carter Ambridge, aged 33, a lady of fortune residing at
Notting-hill, destroyed herself, a few days since, in her
bedroom. She was found suspended to the cornice of her
bedstead, quite dead. It appeared by the evidence at the
coroner's inquest, that on the morning of the day on
which she committed the fatal act, she had seemed more
cheerful than usual, though for some days before she had
been in rather a desponding way.

It may not be generally 11'norvi that by the Income Tax
Act, 5 and 6 Victoria, every parish or township is liable
to make good any loss occasioned to the revenue by the
default or failure of the collector to pay over the moneys
he has received. An instance of this kind has just occur-
red at Maryport, where a supplementary assessment has
been made, levied, and collected upon the inhabitants in
consequence of the collector having mis-appropriated
some of the moneys received by him.
I A very singular suicide has occurred in the Edinburgh
nfirmary. A man of intemperate habits, suffering from
an aneurism of the femoral artery, struck himself on the
temples one night with a metal jug. A surgeon dressed
the wound, and the patient afterwards quietly talked with
the occupant next to his bed. Fluid being heard falling
from his bed, a search was made, and the nurse discovered
that the unfortunate man had perforated the aneurism
with a pocket corkscrew which he had concealed in his bed.
Ere medical aid could arrive be was in a dying state.
FALL OF NEW BUILDINGS.—A portion of the exten-
sive erection for a model lodging-house for families in
George-street, Bloomsbury, fell down on Thursday even-
ing, just before the men left their work. The building,
which is four stories high, is raised on a series of arches,
one of which on the top of the building having suddenly
given way, the falling mass caused the arches immediately
under it also to fall, burying three men, who were working
in a lower apartment, under a mass of bricks and rubbish.
They were found to have received severe injuries, one of
them being of so frightful a nature that not the slighest
hopes are entertained of his recovery.
EMIGRATION TO CALIFORNIA.--The barque John
Calvin, of London, sailed from Plymouth for San Fran-
cisco, California, on Tuesday. She is crammed full with
an assorted cargo of general merchandise, and British
manufactured goods, including several iron houses, canvas
tents, &c. About 104 passengers go out in her, 40 of
whom embarked on the Thames, and the remainder at
Plymouth. They include merchants, mechanics, carpen-
ters, blacksmiths, coopers, &c. Sir Henry Huntley, for-
merly governor of Prince Edward Island, goes out in the
John Calvin, with twenty or thirty miners, forming an
expedition for the purpose of working mines in Upper
California.

RESCUE FROM THE GRAVE.—A remarkable instance of
preservation from premature interment is mentioned by a
valued and esteemed correspondent of ours in this day's
paper. Of the fact there can be no doubt, for he himself
was the medium of accidentally, or rather providentially
defeating the common enemy of his prey before the time.
The case was that of a farmer, in a quiet parish of the
neighbouring county of Radnor, who, twenty-three years
ago, was supposed by the old women attendants to be
dead of typhus fever, and was being laid out for inter-
ment, when a physician came in and entreated a delay,
which ended in the patient's complete recovery. Instead,
therefore, of having been nearly a quarter of a century
in the grave, our sturdy agriculturist was a few months
ago walking about among his native hills in robust health.
—Hereford Journal.

PORiIIKERRY.-HORRIBLE OccußßENCE.—About 30
years ago, a watch-house was built by government for the
preventive-service men ; and it was lately occupied by a
man, his wife, and three children, aged six years, three
years, and nine months, all very poor. The mother-left
the house last Monday about one o'clock p.m., for the
purpose of going to a neighbouring village, and locked the
three children in the house, where there was a fire burning
in the grate. She did not return till nearly six o'clock
the same evening; and on reaching her habitation, she
was horror struck to find it in flames ! The children were
inside ! She says that she vainly endeavoured to open the
door, and then ran to the nearest house for assistance—a
distance of at least half a mile. When she returned, with
others, the little headless and limbless trunks of the
hapless innocents were falling through the upper floor to
the ground. Heads and limbs had been consumed.—
Bristol Journal.

WOODEN BOILER.—Our attention has been drawn to
the above novelty in mechanics, which, we are informed,
is in operation in several parts of the United States. The
boiler, which is morticed, is 6 ft. long, 2 ft. wide, and 2 ft.
deep. A piece of iron piping, about 4 in. in diameter, is
inserted in the box at one extremity, about 11 in. from
the base : this, by means of an elbow, is continued within
in. of the side, so that the interior circuit of the box is
made : on the protruding end of the pipe, an elbow is
fixed, from which the chimney appears somewhat above
the top of the box. Corn cobs, placed in the entrance of
the pipe, are used as fuel, and, from the great draught,
the water is soon brought to a boiling heat, having free
access to the pipes, which are placed on small supports of
wood. It has been used in farming purposes for some
period, and has been found to combine, at the same time,
considerable utility with economy.

INTERESTING TO NATURALISTS.—On Monday the fe-
male brown Russian bear presented the Royal Zoological
Gardens of this city with cubs. The number has not yet
been ascertained, as the mother savagely resents any in-
trusion upon her privacy, and seems much devoted to her
progeny. This is the first instance, so far as we know, of
the bear breeding in captivity. The history of this animal
in the Zoological Gardens is interesting. On the voyage
to this country the vessel was wrecked, and the crew with
difficulty saved by the life-boat. In the hurry to save
themselves poor bruin was left to the mercy of the waves.

After the crew were warmed and refreshed the cries of the
poor bear, which they distinctly heard on shore, attracted
their attention. To their credit they begged the use of
the life-boat, resolved to save their companion in distress ;
on approaching the wreck they found the poor creature
nearly exhausted, on the stump of the broken mast, and
the waves dashing over her. On coming alongside she
at once crawled into the boat, and was saved.—Glasgow
Mail.

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.—A public meeting was held
at the Mansion-house, London, on Friday, to forward
this important event. Among the speakers were Lord
John Russell, Lord Robert Grosvenor, Earl Granville,
Right Hon. H. Labouchere, Baron Rothschild, &c. The
subscriptions already received amount to more than
£lO,OOO.
At the Carmarthenshire sessions, it was decided to re-
dace the salaries of the county officers ten per cent., but
the county trumpeter is to be wholly dismissed. Earl
Cawdor suggested that the salary of the trumpeter might
be saved, as that official was of no earthly use • and when
the office was abolished, they might be safely left to
" blow their own trumpets."
The great chess match of one game between London
and Amsterdam, for 100 guineas, has just terminated in
favour of London—the Dutch resigning at their 50th
move. Nearly two years have elapsed since the game
was commenced. We understand that the two most
active members of the London club conducting this
match, were Messrs. F. Slous and Harrwitz.
COUNTY EXPENDITURE.—A meeting of deputations
from the poor-law guardians in the West Riding of York-
shire was held in the Railway Hotel, Normanton, on
Wednesday, for the purpose of adopting ,measures to
obtain the establishment of elective county expenditure.
Deputations were presented from Halifax, Huddersfield,
Rotherham, Bradford, Keighley, Wakefield, and Dews-
bury.

A: few mornings since, the wife of a labouring man, at
Kinnersly, Shropshire, went to fill the tea kettle to pre-
pare her husband's breakfast, when the covering of the
well suddenly fell in. In her descent, she fortunately
happened to lay hold of one of the stays of the pump-
tree, and thus remained banging by her hand until her
cries aroused her husband, who instantly obtained a lad-
der, by means of which she was relieved from her perilous
situation.

A NAVAL RACE.—The Admiralty have determined to
try, in a long run, the qualities of a pure sailing vessel
against a steamer. The Indefatigable, new fifty-gun fri-
gate, and the Terrible, steam frigate, left Devonport
together on Tuesday for Lisbon, and they are to make
the best of their way to join Commodore Martin's squa-
dron in the Tagus, perfectly independent of each other.
The steamer will not use her coals if she has a fair wind,
but she is always to keep a forward course.
A provincial paper mentions that a few days since a
party of gentlemen, who were shooting in the preserves
near Compton House, Berks, filled a large wheelbarrow
with the game they had killed, and left it outside a plan-
tation, while they went to have a few more shots before
going home to dinner. Shortly afterwards they returned
to the spot, but were confounded by discovering that
during their absence some one had stolen both the game
and the wheelbarrow ; and nothing has since been heard
of either.
CHLOROFORM.--The women Higgins and Smith have
been again examined and remanded for the atrocious
chloroform robbery of Mr. Jewett. The prosecutor
remains alarmingly ill. A witness swore that Higgins
told her that a man named Gallagher, with whom she
cohabited, had undergone an operation at the London
Hospital, where they had given him some stuff to send
him to sleep, and that he had contrived to bring some
of it away with him from that institution.
On Friday week the lady of the Rev. C. B. Leigh,
rector of Goldhanger, near Cheltenham, was walking
along the road when she met a cow with a calf, and a lit-
tle dog which Mrs. Leigh had with her barked at the
calf, on which the cow, irritated thereby, ran at the dog
which fled to its mistress for protection, and before it
could be prevented the cow struck Mrs. Leigh, driving
her with considerable force against a wall. She received
such injuries that paralysis set in, and there is no hope of
the recovery of the lady.
On Sunday morning the smack Intrepid, of Barking,
Essex, was wrecked on the Ship Wash, in a snow storm.
About eight o'clock the crew of the smack Mary, in pass-
ing the shoal, observed the wreck, and a man clinging to
her rigging, and with much danger and difficulty took
him off. He proved to be master, (Walsh,) and was
quite insensible, clinging with all the tenacity of a death
grasp. Every effort was made to restore him, but ineffec-
tually, ss he died in a short time. The crew of the Intre-
pid (number as yet unknown) were all drowned.
DRUNKENNESS IN' THE NAVY. The number of
punishments for drunkenness in the navy during the
three years 1846, 1847, and 1848, was no less than 1449—
equal to about 34,000 lashes. The total number of
punishments for all other offences was 1514. What a
blessing it would be to the service—what an achievement
for humanity, if any remedial measures could be found
for such bitter and revolting cause and effect ! Could
not the Admiralty afford a larger allowance of bread,
beef, and pork to the seamen, and less rum ?—United
Service Gazette.
THE BIRMINGHAM MAGISTRATES.—The deputation
appointed to wait upon Government with respect to the
recent appointment of magistrates on the nomination of
Messrs. Geach and Thornton, bad an interview with Lord
John Russell and Sir George Grey in Downing-street, on
Friday last. The Premier and Home Secretary declined
to interfere, and questioned the power of town councils
to nominate borough magistrates. They referred the de-
putation to the Lord Chancellor. After an interview of
some length with the noble lord, the deputation were in-
duced to hope, if not believe, that the recent commission
will be superseded.
SINGULAR ACCIDENTS.—TWO fatal accidents of an
unusual character have occurred in the neighbourhood of
Romsey during the past fortnight, and on two adjoining
farms. In both cases the men were leading horses with
halters round their heads, and, in consequence of the se-
verity of the weather, had fastened the other end round
their arms, and put their hands in their pockets to keep
them warm ; when the horses, taking fright, started off,
and the men, being unable to extricate themselves, were
dragged along at a fearful rate far a long distance,before
they could be stopped. The bodies were shockingly mu-
tilated, and both expired within a very short time.
MURDER.—On Monday, a shocking murder was com-
mitted at Sutton-in-Ashfield, near Nottingham. The
perpetrator of the crime, a man named John Berry, who
is about fifty years of age, some eight or nine years ago
separated from his wife, in consequence, it is said, of her
dissolute habits, and went to live with a woman named
' Hallam, by whom he had one child, a girl. On Monday
morning, about half-past eight o'clock, Berry returned
to his residence after a short absence, and, having locked
the door, proceeded up stairs to his daughter's room,
taking with him a butcher's cleaver. With this weapon
he attacked the poor child, and inflicted many wounds
upon her head and neck. The neighbours, being alarmed
by the shrieks of the unhappy victim, broke into the
house and secured the murderer. A surgeon was called
in, but the poor girl survived only a few minutes.
SINGULAR ACCIDENT.—On Friday, as Mr. James Mil-
ligan, hosier, was walking down Buccleuch-street, his foot
slipped on the frozen pavement, and he lost his balance.
One of his hands consequently came in contact with the
iron railings in front of the houses, and the whole weight
of his body being thrown in the same direction, the spike
of one of the bars entered with great force between his
little finger and a ring worn upon it. The ring, being a
mrssive one, did not break, but was drawn out like a
loop, and the portion of the finger to which it was at-
tached was torn off by the sudden wrench, and the tendon,
to the extent of eight or nine inches. actually extracted
and coiled round the bar. Mr. Milligan lifted off the
off the part of the finger severed, and with great forti-
tude, though he must have suffered dreadfully, walked to
the house of Dr. Blacklock, and get the wound dressed.
A portionspf the finger has since required amputation.
—Dumfries Standard

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF A POLICEMAN.--011 Mon-
day night, policeman Stamford, of the Notts rural police
force, left Cotgrave, a village about seven miles from Not-
tingham, in a cart, along with a prisoner, who had been
apprehended on a charge of robbery, and. whom he was
directed to convey to the Nottingham police station. At
eight o'clock in the evening, Mr. Thos. Smart, of the
Trent Bridge, when proceeding on the Cotgrave road, ob-
served the policeman in the cart alone, with his head
reclining on the seat. Mr. Smart, and a man who came
up at the moment, supposing the policeman was asleep,
endeavoured to arouse him, but were horrified to find
that he was lifeless. The body was conveyed to the Trent
Bridge Inn, and a surgeon was sent for, but his services
were of no avail. There were no marks of violence on
deceased's face, but the surgeon refused to examine the
body until he received instructions from the coroner. The
man who had been in deceased's custody has not been
recaptured.

CURIOUS OCCURRENCE AT A WEDDING.—A laughable
occurrence lately took place in the parish church of a
town in Somerset, not a hundred idles from Taunton.
The bridegroom, with his sister, who was to perform the
part of bridesmaid in the ceremony, arrived some little
time before the bride and her friends. The clerk, on
perceiving the bridegroom and his sister approaching,
immediately told the clergyman, who asked of how many
the party was composed, and was told only the happy
couple, and consequently the clerk was told he must give
away the bride, and the necessary preparations were im-
mediately commenced, the clerk standing by in readiness
till his services should be required. The clergyman com-
menced reading the marriage service, and went on until
asked for the ring, before the bridegroom was at all aware
of the mistake. The clergyman and the young couple
then withdrew to the vestry, there to laugh at the ludic-
rous error, and to wait until the bride and party arrived.
It appears that both bridegroo,t4 and his sister were en-
tirely ignorant of the marriage riVoice, and considgred
that the clergyman was only reading just to fill up the
time !

CAPTURE OF HIGHWAYMEN.—For a considerable time
past the neighbourhood of Bristol has been infested with a
notorious gang of highwaymen, known to the police under
the appellation of the " Hanham and Cock-road Gang."
To such an extent have their depredations been carried,
more especially in the rural districts of Brislington and
Keynsham, that many of the farmers were unwilling to
attend, as usual, the corn and other markets. A Mr.
Thomas White, farmer, of Balcombe, was attacked the
other day within a few hundred yards of a farm-house on
the Freme-road, by two armed men, who demanded his
money or his life ; they dragged him off his horse, and
commenced rifling his pockets. Heshouted for assistance,
upon which they stuffed his mouth full of dirt, and robbed
him of all his loose cash"; his notes, which he had:placed
in a private pocket, fortunately escaping their notice.
Mr. Joseph Wyatt, farmer, of Wick, was attacked in a
similar manner near Lansdowne, and robbed of his watch
and all he had about him ; the highwaymen also cut his
bridle-reins and stirrups to prevent his pursuing them.
Mr. Wilkins,' of the Bell-inn, Chelwood, Somerset, was
waylaid by five men at the bottom of Knowle-hill, who
robbed him and then made off in the direction of Keyn-
sham. About an hour later the same evening, Mr. Bar-
row, a blacksmith and farrier, who carries on business at
Keynsham, and, although he resisted till he was nearly
throttled, the blood gushing from his mouth and nostrils,
he was robbed of £5. Six of the gang named have been
apprehended. One of them has turned approver, and
some bludgeons have been found by the police at a spot
indicated by him. The prisoners were remanded.

( SINGULAR OCCURRENCE BEFORE A CORONER.—An
inquest was held before Mr. J. Parrot, one of the coro-
ners for Bucks, on the body of a female infant, of which
the mother, Sarah Evans, the wife of a labourer, had
been recently confined, and which, it was supposed, had
died shortly after its birth. After the surgeon and the
mothet's nurse had been examined, the jury returned a
verdict to the effect that the child bad died from natural
causes. The jury had not been long dismissed when it
was discovered that they might have been saved all in-
quiry on the subject, for the infant was found to be alive,
in good health, and likely to live longer than many of the
jury who returned a verdict that it had " died from natu-
ral causes."
DREADFUL SHIPWRECK AND Loss OP LlFE.—lnfor-
mation has been received of the loss of the transport
Richard Dart, Captain Porter commander. The Richard
Dart, in addition to the officers and crew of the vessel,
had on board a detachment of the Royal Sappers and
Miners (twenty-eight men), under the command of Lieut.
Liddel, with Dr. and Mrs. Fitton and child, Dr. Gale,
Mr. Kelly, four women (soldiers' wives), and nine chil-
dren. The ship left Gravesend on the sth of April for
Auckland ; and about the 14th or 15th of June, when to
the southward of the Cape of Good Hope, thick and
rainy weather was experienced, which continued till the
19th. when she struck on the north side of Prince Ed-
ward's Island.
THE BLASPHEMER'S DEATH.—On Sunday last, a
married woman, residing in the Friars' Fields, named
Sarah Morgan, was observed with an infant in her arms,
near her own house, disputing with a woman named Eli-
zabeth Vohm. A quarrel of a very violent character, so
far as words went, shortly afterwards ensued, and in reply
to an observation made by the woman, Sarah Morgan
exclaimed that she hoped that God Almighty would
strike her blind, deaf, dumb, and stiff, if she did not
revenge herself upon her in a particular manner. Almost
directly she staggered, let her child fall from her arms to
the ground, and would herself apparently have fallen but
that her neighbours immediately assisted her into the
house. From the moment that she was thus mysteri-
ously stricken to the hour of her death, on Wednesday
morning, the only words she uttered, and just after she
was borne in, were, " Lord, have mercy on my poor soul
—have mercy on my children ! " and then her voice
failed her, and she became dumb ; her sense of hearing
was destroyed ; her eyes became glassy and sightless ;
and in about sixty hours from the moment in which she
was struck down, death placed his icy hand upon her,
and she became a corpse.—Monmouth Merlin.
SNOW STORM IN THE NORTH.—The winter, already
set in here with so much severity, has been much more
severely felt in the north. In Aberdeen, Banff, and
Morayshires there have been very heavy falls of snow ;
and the week before last, in many of the more exposed
situations in these districts, the snow lay to the depth of
16 or 20 feet. In the beginning of the week some deten-
tion occurred on the Aberdeen railway, in consequence of
the snow wreaths which covered and obstructed some
portion of the. line. At the end of the week all the
coaches north of Aberdeen were stopped, the roads being
next to impassable. One of the Defiance coaches, after
passing Keith, on its way southward, was fairly blocked
up in the snow half-way between Keith and Huntly, and
the passengers were obliged to pass the night in a small
inn by the roadside, amusing themselves in the best way
they could till the dawn of day brought them relief. On
Friday week upwards of 100 men were at work near
Keith, on the Great North-road, clearing away the snow.
No accidents bad happened, but considerable inconveni-
ence was felt from the detention of the mails, which,
when the coaches were stopped, were carried on horse-
back, and were generally 20 hours behind time. The
mail between Aberdeen and Banff, a distance of 47 miles,
was 30 hours on the road, and on Thursday week had to
he carried part of the way by men, the road being, for a
very considerable distance, quite impassable even by
horses.

EXPLOSION OF GUNPOWDER.—On Friday evening, the
18th instant, as David Williams and his haulier, from
Newport, were taking a tram containing 30 cwt. of gun-
power up the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Com-
pany's Line, to Brynmawr works adjoining, they thought
they heard an engine coming down the incline by Aber-
beeg. Mr. Williams having gone to ascertain what it
was, he saw two Crams coming down full speed. He ran
back, calling out to his haulier to extricate the horse from

the tram, which he did, when the next minute two trams
loaded with iron rails came in violent contact with the
tram containing the powder, and drove it back about
twenty yards, when it exploded with a tremendous noise,
scattering the tram in fragments in different directions,
and breaking three of the wheels to pieces. Part of the
axle was found about two hundred yards off, stuck in an
upright position in the ground. No one was hurt. Mr.
Williams' haulier's cap was burnt in two places on the
crown, but he sustained no personal injury. It appears
that at a little distance there were a few cottages, of
which most of the windows were blown in, and one of
the roofs lifted out of place. It is curious to observe that
there were ten quarter barrels of gunpowder left unex-
ploded, but the bags they were wrapped in were all burnt.
We are told that the two trams of iron came from Ebbw
Vale, and ran down the incline ; by some accident the
connecting iron by which they were fastened to a train
having broken. The value of the powder and tram is
I supposed to be nearly £54.
JUVENILE DEPRAVITY.—At the Middlesex sessions on
Tuesday, William Anderson, a sharp-looking boy, aged
fourteen, was indicted for the following robbery. At
about mid-day on the 10th instant, he entered the shop
of Mr. Cooper, baker, Stepney, and asked Mrs. Cooper,
who was serving behind the counter, for a half-pennyworth
of bread, at the same time laying down a penny. As she
was about to give him the difference, he threw a handful
of pepper in her eyes, and jumping upon the counter, pro-
ceeded to help himself to the contents of the till, but,
becoming alarmed, he retreated, having got but three-
pence into his possession. Mr. Cooper pursued, and,
having overtaken him, he very coolly turned round, and
presenting Mr. Cooper with the threepence, said, " It's
only threepence, so its not worth running for, and I gives
in ; but you wouldn't have nabbed me if it had been
more." He was then handed over to a policeman. The
boy was convicted. A police officer informed the Court
that but two days before this transaction the prisoner was
liberated from Ilford Gaol, where he had been imprisoned
for highway robbery.—The Judge: For what ?—Police-
man : Highway robbery, my Lord. The prisoner and
three others stopped a chaise on a turnpike-road, and one
of them—not the prisoner—fired a pistol at the driver.
They robbed the chaise, and made off.—The Learned
Judge said this case presented a most extraordinary in-
stance of juvenile depravity. The best course that could
be taken would be to send him to Parkhurst, but, unfor-
tunately, he had not the power to pass such a sentence as
would have the effect of sending him there. The sentence
was that he be kept to hard labour for six calendar
months.

MISERABLE FATE OF AN ARTEST.—A coroner's inquest
was held at Walworth, on Wednesday, respecting the
death of William Harris, aged 73 years, an artist, who
died in a caravan. The jury proceeded to an old caravan,
situated in the corner of a filthy place, called Davy's Cow-
yard, Upper Brandon-street, where they found the body
of the deceased in a very emaciated state. The interior
of the vehicle was quite unfit for the residence of a human
being. Martha Harris stated that the deceased was her
husband. He was an artist, and they bad been married
47 years. They formerly were in a large house at the west
end of London ; but being reduced in circumstances, the
deceased completed a collection of oil paintings, which he
exhibited in the caravan at the various fairs round the
country. They had lived in the same vehicle for the last
thirty years ; but her husband for a considerable period
had been unable to get about, and therefore their means
of obtaining a livelihood had been stopped. The only
money they got was by his painting sign-boards, window-
blinds, or anything he could get to do. He occasionally
executed the paintings that were exhibited outside the
shows, but the remuneration was very bad. On Sunday
morning he was in the act of lighting the fire in the
caravan during her absence, and when she returned he
was lying on the floor of the vehicle. She obtained
assistance, but he died in a few hours afterwards. The
surgeon who attended him was of opinion that he died
from an attack of apoplexy. Mr. Cooke, the summoning
officer, said that when he visited the place on Sunday
morning the only money the poor woman had was one
penny.

ELOPEMENT IN " Low" LIFE.-A great sensation has
lately been excited in the village of Spittal, near Berwick-
upon-Tweed, by the unexpected and sudden elopement
of two persons who have hitherto borne an unsullied
character. For several years Mr. A— has been a
Sunday-school teacher ; has conducted and addressed
prayer and revival meetings, and during the present win-
ter has himself maintained a prayer meeting in different
houses in the village. The female was also a Sunday-
school teacher, and a constant frequenter of religious
assemblies. The " gay Lothario" has been married for
many years, and is now in the prime of life. The woman
is not yet thirty, and was unmarried. On Saturday week
a medical gentleman declared the lady to be enciente, and
on the following Monday Mr. A—, carrying with
him the cash belonging to the firm with which he was
connected, took his departure, accompanied by his Dul-
cinea, for Edinburgh : from thence they went to Glasgow
and Liverpool, where he and the woman were entered as
emigrants to America. Letters have since been received
from the man, in which he announced his resolution of
never visiting Spittal again, and of going to America.
The ancient custom is still obierved in the villages of
Tweedmouth and Spittal of slwwing the public contempt,
or indignation, against any individuals by burning them
in effigy. A figure, resembling the person, is constructed
of cloth, wood, tar, and straw, and, late at night, is car-
ried in the principal streets, and is finally set on fire. On
Monday evening week three effigies were thus constructed
and consumed—those of the above parties and of another
person who assisted in facilitating the elopement. A—
wes represented with two faces' one of which was looking
at a prayer book which he held in his right hand, while
the other, which was painted black, was grinning at Miss
--. She, too, was represented as delivering religious
tracts, which were clasped in her right hand. About
eleven o'clock the effigies were brought out, and set on fire
in the presence of hundreds of spectators. The relatives

• V.
of the three persons having obtained the assistance of the
police, the figures, when half burned, were torn in pieces,
and consumed in various parts of the village. The affair,
altogether, has excited great attention.
THE PREVAILING SYSTEM OF EMIGRATION.—At the
present time there are no less than fourteen vessels in the
London and St. Katherine,s Docks, bound for Australia,
New Zealand, and Port Natal, for the most part with
passengers. The gross tonnage of these fourteen vessels
is 9182, and they are all advertised to sail in the present
or during the next month. It is calculated that they will
take away from this country not fewer than 1200 emi-
grants to the distant colonies mentioned. A few words on
the manner in which these vessels are fitted up for the
accommodation of passengers may not be uninteresting at
the present time. Of course it is not necessary to mention
the cabin passengers, as their comforts are attended to by a
regular steward ; steerage or immediate passengers, as
they are called, depend to a great extent upon their own