The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-07-18 00:00:00

FATAL ACCIDENT TO A CHILD.—On Thursday even

ing last, while some children were playing in and :about a
four-wheeled cart, or float, on some vacant ground in
Grafton-street,- the wheels of which were scotched, some
of them lifted the shafts, and then letting theni go, the
float, which was on a brow, ran down, and a child named
Edward Gaskell, who was standing a few yards off, was
knocked down by it, and one of the wheels passed over
him, and finally his head was jammed between the bottom
of the float and the ground. The accident was witnessed
by several parties. The deceased, a little boy of seven
years of age, was himself seen to take away the stones
from under one of the wheels. When lifted up he was
quite insensible. He was taken to the Southern Hospital,
with an injury of the skull, and died on the same evening.
On a post mortem examination several fractures of the pel-
vis were found. At the inquest on Saturday a verdict of
accidental death was returned.
COMMITMENT.—A young man of suspicious appear-
ance, named James Brown, was yesterday committed, at
the Police-court, for trial at the Sessions, under the fol-
lowing circumstances. A little timid boy stated that the
prisoner had come up to him when he was sent an errand
with two shillings in copper in his pocket, and after tak-
ing him into an entry, had induced him to give up his
money on givinghim two shillings in silver for it, After
Some parley the man said he had some things to redeem
from the pawn-shop close by, and after expressing some
well feigned doubts of trusting the witness, gave him what
the latter took to be a sovereign, carefully wrapped in
paper, but which turned out to be only a farthing. In-
spector Savage' happened to pass, and thinking all was not
right, made enquiry of the prisoner, who said he was only
employing the lad to go to a private house for him to
transact some business for him with a female. This of
course the boy denied, and the fellow was apprehended.
TAE LATE FIRES. —To the Mercantile Associated
Bodies for the Prevention of Fires, and Insurance
Companies.—The undersigned beg most respectfully to
call the attention of the Association of Mercantile Bodies
for the Prevention of Fires, as, also, the Insurance
Companies, to a fact, connected with their business,
which they think has been overlooked in searching for the
causes of the late conflagrations. A great number of the
warehouses, the skylights of which have been glazed with
bull's eyes or bullions, which, from their form, act as a
powerful lens, and, consequently, ignite cotton. This
seems more than probable from the circumstance of
several warehouses, the fires in which have commenced in
the top story. Some other kinds of glass are liable to the
same objection, and which the undersigned will be happy
to demonstrate to all interested parties.—FOßßEST and
LLOYD, Glass Merchants and Paint Manufacturers, 19,
Old Haymarket.
MR. W. J. HAMMOND'S BENEFIT.—The sudden close
of the Theatre-Royal, and the pressure of certain large
claims from Manchester, which debts Mr. Hammond had
no share in contracting, forced that gentleman to a speedy
winding up of his affairs. Numerous friends :have ral-
lied round him, with the determination of providing
" the sinews of war" for his future campaigns, which, in
whatever fields they may be pursued, we hope will be more
successful than those in which he has latterly been en-
gaged. A committee has been formed with a view of en-
suring for Mr. Hammond a successful benefit at the
Theatre Royal. The benefit, which is formally announ-
ced in another part of our paper, will take place on
Monday evening next. We feel confident that the in-
fluential and wealthy of this community will, with alacrity,
give their countenance and support to a measure, the
object of which is to do justice to a gentleman who has
expended much pains, labour and anxiety in the service
of the public without adequate reward. Mr. Clarke has
behaved in the most handsome and friendly manner, and
Mrs. Clarke, though she had determined to appear no
more in the mimic scene, will, nevertheless, on this par-
ticular occasion, tread the stage once more, and for the
last time. Our old favourite, Mr. Baker, who happened
to be in Liverpool, very kindly tendered his valuable ser-
vices. Mr. Aldridge and the members of the orchestra
with Miss Cleaver, Mr. Shrivall, and Miss Gardner have
all very kindly come forward on this occasion.
THE LIVERPOOL COTTON MILL.—We have but one
cotton mill in Liverpool—situated on the canal, at the
north end of the town. It gives employment to about 800
persons young and old, in the spinning of cotton, chiefly
of the coarser kind. It is so seldom that we are called
upon to say anything in favour of millowners, that it is to
us a grateful duty to point out some traits in the conduct
of the proprietors of this mill, which we consider espe-
cially worthy of commendation, as an exception to the
general rule. Some time ago the principal manager, (not
a partner,) being himself a dissenter, carried on the day
school for the children, and also the Sunday school for
both the children and adults, on the strict principle of his
own faith as a Methodist, enjoining the attendance of all.
On his leaving the employ some months ago, the mana-
ging partner, who was bred for the Church of England, and
is represented to us (by some of his workpeople with whom
we chanced to converse) as a considerate and worthy
man, called the hands together, and questioned them as
to their views in religion. The result was, that he found
there were but ten or twelve dissenters among the whole
body of the workpeople. He accordingly and
immediately made the school of the Church of England,
and has since himself delivered brief most impressive ser-
mons to the attendants. He has since engaged a new and
competent schoolmaster, of the Church of England, from
Edge-hill, to teach the children, and conduct the wor-
ship on occasions when he cannot himself attend. The
machinery of the mill requires some repair, and the hands
will consequently be out for a fortnight or three weeks •,
but he has not forgotten them. An allowance of food will
be given to all of them during the time, and to-morrow
(Wednesday) he has invited them all to a rural fete at
Eastham—providing steam-boats for their accommodation
there and back, and a good treat to young and old when
there, for which he has made liberal arrangements. We
shall have great pleasure in noticing this rural entertain-
ment next week.

CuARGE OF BIGAMY.—At the Police Court yesterday,
Mr. Joseph Newton, one of the oldest established fish-
mongers in the town, and who has long held a standing
in the principal market, was brought iu custody before
Mr. Rushton, on a charge of having married his present
wife; he having a former wife still living, in Ireland.
Mr. Davenport and Mr. Todd, appeared for the prisoner.
The evidence of the alleged second wife was about to be
received, but Mr. Davenport objected until the first mar-
riage was proved, and Mr. Rushton consented. A Mr.
James Bolter (as we understood the name) was then
sworn. He stated that he was an architect in Ireland ;
that he knew the prisoner, as Joseph Nujent (not
Newton) ; that he had married his (witness') sister in
May, 1820, in Dublin ; and, after living with her 18
months. left her and came to this country ; that he then
lost sight of him till May last ; that his (witness's) sister
had since been supported by him, and had in consequence
of his desertion been bed-rid for the last 15 years. He
produced a copy of the certificate of the marriage, but
there was no one to attest it. He could not find the
prisoner until the time stated, in consequence of his
having changed his name to .A ewton When he did find
him, he said be was married in 1820 as a Catholic (which
it appears he then was ;) but he was now a Protestant,
and again married as such, to his last wife. Witness, on
cross-examination, said he bad lost sight of him for 23
years, and had had to support his sister during that
period. When he found him, he accosted him relative to
the maintenance of his first wife, and his reply was, that
he had enough to do to support himself, and that he (wit-
ness must support her, or she must support herself.
Witness made a demand upon him of £6OO for her keep,
which he sought to recover, but he (prisoner,) refused,
saying he was not rightly married then, but was now.
Witness understood he was an able man. Mr. Daven-
port took objections—first, that it might be that one
was all the time a Protestant and the other a Roman
Catholic, and another, as to the time that had elapsed
from the prisoner being found till he was committed. He
did not, moreover, consider the admission stated suffici-
ent. Mr. Rushton said, it appeared that both parties
were Catholics when the first marriage took place, and
the admission he considered valid so far as he was con-
cerned as a magistrate, in the enquiry. The complainant
said, the reason he did not proceed against the prisoner
immediately on finding him was that he could not get his
witnesses and the certificate sooner, but that they should be
forthcoming. Mr. :Rushton said, there was so far
evidence of the first alleged marriage, that he should
swear the second wife. Martha Roberts (now known as
Mrs. Newton) was then sworn, and at first said, she was
married to the prisoner, but gave her testimony reluc-
tantly, stated that she did not recollect at what church,
or precisely when. She afterwards said, she was not
married to him, and Mr. Rushton cautioned her, as the
fact might be proved by the parish clerk. A certificate
was then produced of this marriage in this town, but the
witnesses to it were not present. It was sworn to be in
the band-writing of the parish clerk of (we think) St.
Nicholas's. Mr. Rushton, under the circumstances
remanded the prisoner, until further evidence of the
offence could be obtained.