The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-08-01 00:00:00

ntstrirt ACIOS.

The Rev. W. J. Ripley, one of the curates of the parish
church of Warrington, died last week of fever caught
whilst vising the poor.
The mayor of Preston, Thomas Birchall, Esq., was last
week initiated as an Odd-fellow amidst great rejoicings
among the members.
On Thursday, the iron roof in course of erection at the
mill in Bowling.dyke, belonging to Messrs. Akroyd, fell
in with a tremendous crash, and is completely destroyed.
Fortunately the workmen employed at its erection was
eneazed at another part of the premises at the time.
POTATO DISEASE.—There seems to be much contra-
d'c or'Y opinion about the existence of this disease. In
Lancashire and Yorkshire there is certainly very little,
and there is no doubt many of the statements, in the
London and other journals, of the crops being much
affected in other parts of the country, greatly exaggerate
the facts of the case.

BOWLING MATCH AT LYTHAM• A bowling match
took place last week, at the Clifton Arms Green, at Ly-
tham, for a silver snuff-box, value.£s. There were about
twenty competitors, including gentlemen from Preston,
Bolton,Blackpool, Liverpool, and the neighbouring towns.
Mr. Prest, of Aighurth, and Mr. Critchley, of Lytham,
bowled up for the prize, and the former gentleman became
the winner.

EMPLOYMENT IN MANCHESTER.—The official rgport of
the state of trade confirms the decided improvement which
has taken place, so far as the borough extends. Three
more mills have resumed employment. Three are 14 mills
working full time, with a full complement of hands, more
this week than last.; there are 1,298 hands more em-
ployed than the last return showed, and 1000 more
working full time. The total numbers are as follows :
Number working last week, 38,236, this week, 39,534 ;
number working full time last week, 34,891, this week,
35,800; number working short time last week, 3,345, this
week, 3,734.
COUNTY SESSION.---The adjourned county session was
Lehi at Preston on Thursday, respecting the arrears in
the county rate. The arrears of West Derby were stated
as being of a considerable amount. The Treasurer said
that Mr. Cleaver, the clerk to the West Derby Union,
had now proposed to pay him the rates due, amounting
to £2366, at three instalments, a third on Wednesday,
and a third on each of the two following Wednesdays.
The money ought to have been paid on May 29. The
townships (Bootle and Fazackerly) were stated to be three
rates in arrear. The costs of the warrants, &c., were
ordered to be paid by the union.
FESTIVITIES AT NESTON.—The clean and neat little
town of Neston was very much enlivened yesterday week,
on receiving Dr. Braid, after his wedding trip from Scot-
land, who had joined in the silken banns of wedlock, Miss
Banks, only child of the late and well-respected J. W.
Banks, Esq., surgeon. The day was ushered in by a splen-
did band from Liverpool, playing through the different
parts of the town, which was responded to by a merry
peal of bells. The amusements commenced at 4 o'clock,
when upwards of fifty good old English women were well
refreshed with that whole.ome beverage "tea." A num-
ber of sheep were afterwards cut up and given to the poor.
Forty-five gentlemen dined at the Nag's Head. After
paying all due honours to the wedded pair, both in toast
and sentiment, the party all mounted on horseback, joined
by a tremendous crowd of spectators, to meet the happy
couple on their arrival, when they took the horses from
the carriage and drew them in, the band playing in front
—" See the conquering hero comes."
MURDER AT MANCHESTER.—A most cold-blooded
murder was committed at Manchester on Tuesday, by a
man named Wiiliarn Adams. The victim is Maria Thomas,
who was employed in a factory in London-road, and was
on the way to her work on Tuesday morning at 5 o'clock,
when she was murdered. Some time ago she had baen
married to a man of the name of Thomas, who, soon after-
wards was convicted of felony, and sentenced to ten
years' transportation ; she then, more than three years
ago, married Adams, but left him a few weeks ago. and
went to reside with her father, a man named Clare, resi-
ding in Oldham-road, Manchester. Adams, it would
seem, was much disturbed in his mind by their separation,
and made several fruitless efforts to effect a reconciliation.
The woman, however, was resolute, and refused to live
with him again. He rose early on Tuesday morning, de-
termined to meet with her, and took out with him the
two pistols found in his possession. He saw her in New-
ton-street, on her way to work, and urged her to go home
with him. She declared she would not go with him,
when he took a pistol from his coat-pocket, and levelled
it at her head. It missed fire, but he pulled out another
pistol, pursued the young woman, and fired at her, when
she fell. A police-officer, named Craven, was immedi-
ately on the spot, and apprehended Adams. The priso-
ner, it is discovered, is also married to another woman,
who haaiwo children by him, and who is living in Chorl-
ton-upor-.Medlock, an adjoining township. He had been
employed for several years as a weaver at a respectable
small-wares establishment in Manchester, but fur some
time past had been out of work. The coroner's jury
returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder."-

LOVERS FOUND DROWNED.—On Monday morning, the
bodies of a young couple were taken out of the canal be-
longing to the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and
Canal Company, at Whitacre Bridge, about two miles
north-east of Huddersfield. Their names are, respec-
tively, David Carter, aged twently-four years, son of and
employed by John Carter, of Colne Bridge, who carries on
a whitening mill, near Whitacre Bridge ; and Elizabeth
Sykes, an orphan girl, who was employed at one of the
cotton mills at Colne Bridge. An attachment had existed
between the two for some time previous, and it lead beep

August 1,1848.

an. aged" week that their marriage should take Plae
nye weeks hence. They spent some time to.
gether in company at the Peacock Inn, on the Leeds'
road, about one third of the distance between the place
where they were found drowned and Huddersfield. The
landlord states that, whilst there, they were in good SO'
rits, and the youn man in particular was in a joking hu"
mour. They left there about a quarter to eleven o'clockt
and it appears that they had intended to take the road
home to Colne Bridge by the towing path of the canair
that being the nearest way. The father of the young marl
was surprised to find, on Monday morning, that his son
had been absent all night ; and on inquiry, he found also
that the young woman had been absent from her lodgings'
~
and it was supposed from this circumstance that they Mu
gone to be married. On Monday morning, a hat and a
bonnet were found on the banks of the canal, near to the
place above stated ; and on drags being procured, the
body of the young woman was drawn ou of the watel
and shortly afterwards also that of the younman, boi..
from the same place. The arms of both wereextendedin
a position to indicate that, previous to the drags
being
used, they were clasped in each other's arms. The bodies
were taken to the White Horse Inn, a short distance from
the place, when hundreds of persons, especially females,
visited the house to view the bodies. It appeared fromthe evidence at the coroner's inquest, that the partie!
lived on the best terms, and had no quarrel with anyone'
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict o
" Found drowned, without any marks of violence." „.11
Wednesday, they were coined—both coffins being
near alike as possible—and one grave received both their
remains. They had kept company for four years, and l!ha
ordered the wedding dinner to be prepared at "
Peacock Inn.