The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-04 00:00:00

?vLOST EXTRAORDINARN STORY.

. _
The folio:, iog strange story, relating to a supposed series
of horrible attacks upon a young lady at Bradford, York-
shire, is detailed in a letter to the editor of the Bradford Ob-
server :

On one evening in last January the heroine of this tragic
narrative had occasion to go up stairs with some linen. After
pa..sittg through her mother's bed-room and dressing-room,
the furniture of which she noticed to have been somewhat
discomposed, she passed across into another chamber. Upon
entering this she was surprised to observe, among other signs
of confusion, that all the drawers of a chest were open. This
in some degree alarmed her, but being, though a very mild,
gentle, yet an equally courageous young lady, she proceeded
to scan the room more closely, when she perceived a man
partly crouched under the bed, but with his head protruded
somewhat towards the window. At the sight of him she
quietly put down the linen, which she had in one hand, on a
chair, and, walking to the door, took the key from the inside
and locked it on the out. She then gave the alarm, but as
there were none but women and children in the house, some
minutes necessarily elapsed before assistance could be pro-
cured, and in the mean time the man made his escape by the
window, and over the yard wall, taking with him some of
Miss Rigg's dresses, nor was he afterwards taken.
One Wednesday evening, about a month ago, at the hour
of nine o'clock, the Rev. Mr. Rigg being absent from home
on ministerial duty, Miss Rigg, who had been sitting in the
back parlour with her mother and brother, had occasion to
leave them for a few minutes. In about six or seven minutes
a candlestick was heard to fall, and there ensued an unac-
countable scuffling and noise, then a stifled scream, followed
by one louder. Mrs. Rigg thinking that the noise came from
upstairs, and that one of the children, who had just retired
to rest, must have set herself on fire, directed Mr. H. Rigg
to run and see what was the matter, and she herself hastened
after as fast as her feelings of alarm would allow. She had,
however, just reached the door leading down to the cellar,
which she had to pass in order to go up stairs, and which
was standing partially open, when Miss Rigg came out pale
as a corpse, and bleeding about her neck, though from what
particular parts the blood proceeded was not at first easily
seen, her neck and shoulders being covered with blood,
and her white dress from her shoulder downwards presenting
a frightful appearance. "Mother," she cried, " a man
in the cellar has stabbed me." Her agonized and agitated
parent laid her on the sofa, and sent immediately for her
medical attendant, afraid herself to look on what was done.
On the arrival of Dr. F., it - ss found that she had been
mercifully preserved from st lions injuury. When the mis-
creant attacked her, she was n. ..,.e act of mounting the cel-
lar steps., and consequently, on that narrow ground he could
only assail her from behind, in which position her long and
thick curls interposed between his blade and her neck, and
there can be little doubt saved her life. She had, howeier,
one deep cut, four inches long, on the shoulder, with four
smaller ones near it, and a slight wound on her breast. In
making his brutal attempt, the ruffian hid held her by one
shoulder, but her dropping the candle prevented him from
seeing precisely where to strike. He bad, however, besides
inflicting the above-named wounds, severed a large portion
of her hair, which, from its great profusion and strength of
curl, must have required a very vigorous and determined
stroke, or perhaps a succession of strokes. Miss Rigg dis-
tinctly heard her mother direct her brother to see what was
the matter, as her assailant must also have done, and this
made him quit his hold. Retreating by the front cellar, or
under kitchen, be made his escape by the back door, and
over the yard wall. He had been in the upper rooms, had
ransacked the drawers, and secreted some articles of value,
among other things some silver spoons, and had taken the
razor with which he attempted Miss Rigg's life from her
father's dressing-room. In his alarm he secured nothing;
the silver spoons he attempted to take with him, but dropped
them in getting over the wall, and the razor was found crusted
with blood on the other side of the wall.
What was the reason of his brutal attempt is known to
himself and to God. It is not easy to conjecture it. It may
have been that he thought Miss Rigg hal seen him, and he
feared through her means discovery. He may have been the
same man whom she had previously encountered. and in that
case with the fear of discovery may have been united the de-
sire of revenge. Still, that the men, unmolested, apparently
unobserved, should either from fear of discovery go the very
way to insure discovery, or should so harbour revenge as to
determine to attempt the life of an innocent, unoffending
girl, seems at first incredible. Yet subsequent circum-
stances render it almost certain that the latter is the true so-
lution.
At any rate, the attempt must be admitted to have been
one of the most cruel, unprovoked, and brutal, that was ever
made; and one would have thought that every heat t would
have swelled with indignation against the perpetrator, every
hand have been ready to seize and consign him to justice,
and that all would he inspired with one common feeling of
sympathy with the sufferer.
But, sir, our magistrates are wonderful people, wonderfully
clever, wonderfully profound, wonderfully subtile ! They,
it seems, have discovered (marvellous penetration) that
Miss Rigg was frightened and fancied there was a man !
This, with her seamed shoulder in evidence before them !
Astonishing discovery, this I Unequalled solution of this
difficult case I if in all affairs that come before them, they
show equal penetration, equal acumen, equal power of ima-
gination, how blessed is our good town of Bradford !
Did any ever before conceive of fancy wounding a person,
cutting off hair, pilfering silver spoons, and throwing a razor
over a wall? Fancy, forsooth! No doubt it was fancy,
too, in the person of Dr. Farrar, who dressed the wounds ?
This, sir, would at any rate be a very active fancy !
And what has been the consequence of this conduct of
these magistrates? Listen, sir. Last Sunday evening, du-
ring service time, as Miss Rigg was going into the back
parlour for a book, a roan followed her and struck her vio-
lently on the arm twice with some heavy instrument. She
fell shrieking to the ground, and her cries brought assistance,
which frightened away the incarnate fiend who had attacked
her. He left the house without taking or attempting to take
anything. Her arm exhibits a dreadful contusion from above
the elbow nearly to the wrist. Is this fancy, too, Messrs.
Magistrates?
What, Sir, are we to make of all this? Here seems an in-
fernal plot against the life of this young lady, than whom
there never lived one gentler or more amiable. It can scarcely
be doubted that it is one and the same man who has been con-
cerned in all three attempts. It is remarkable that the last
time he had his face blackened, as though determined not
again to run the risk of having his features recognized. Al-
low me to ask, Sir, what is the amount of responsibility which
the magistrates have incurred, if, when he was once in their
power, they have again let loose upon the public, through cul-
pable and selfish indifference, so desperate a wretch, and one
apparently so bent upon the destruction of his unfortunate
victim? It is a subject, Sir, to wring tears from the most
hardhearted. Who can conceive the agony of the parents,
the terrible and ever-present apprehensions of the child, the
deep distress of the whole family ? Who can estimate the
effect that such occurrences arelikely to have upon the nerves
and constitution of the agonized parents and the suffering
child? the latter, too, just entering life. I forbear, Sir, in
consideration to the feelings of all connected with the family,
to carry out this harrowing thought. But I would ask, for
how much of the inevitable amount of suffering are our ma-
gistrates responsible ? I will hope, however, that our worst
fears may not be realized.
I have finished my exposure, and I beg, Sir, to sign myself
yours, respectfully, VINDEX.
Oct. 19.

Alice Lowe, the young female charged by Lord Frankfor
with having stolen various articles of jewellery, his property,
whilst she was living under his lordship's protection, took
' her trial at the Central Criminal Court on Monday, and
was acquitted, to the evident satisfaction of a densely crowded
court.

DARING ROBBERY OF WILLS, DEEDS, MONEY, AND
JEWELLERY AT BATTERSEA.—On Friday last, a most
daring robbery was committed at the residence of Mr. Ash-
ness, an independent gentleman, living in Battersea-rise,
and the circumstances under which it took place leave but
little doubt that it was planned and executed by a dishonest
servant. It appears that on Friday night, about 11 o'clock,
Mr. Ashness had entered his bedroom with the intention of
retiring to rest, when his attention was attracted to the win-
dow, which was wide open. This, being a most unusual
circumstance, induced Mr. Ashness to look out, and to his
dismay he saw a ladder placed against the wall directly un-
derneath the window ledge. The idea that he had been
robbed flashed instantly across his mind, and his suspicions
were soon confirmed by discovering that two tin boxes had
been taken from the room. These boxes were two feet in
length, and eighteen inches wide. One was filled with wills,
deeds, and other valuable documents, and the other con-
tained, in addition to a number of papers, between £5O and
£6O in gold, a diamond ring of great value, and a mourning
ring set with hair, encircled with pearls, and engraved
" Anne Ashness, died April 8, 1832, aged 81." Information
was immediately sent to the Clapham and Wandsworth
station-houses, and Serjeants Emmerson and Burchett, of
the V division, were employed to investigate the circum-
stances, and if possible to trace out the perpetrator or per-
petrators of the robbery. On Saturday and Sunday the pre-
mises underwent the strictest search. Outwardly there
were no signs of any person having got over the garden walls
and fence, and no footmarks in the soil ; therefore, although
a ladder was planted against the window of Mr. Ashness 's
sleeping-room, which looks into the back garden, it was
pretty evident that the thief had neither entered nor quitted
the premises that way. During the rigid search the police
were making in the garden and fields in rear of it, they found
one tin box embedded in the mud of a ditch. This had been
forced open, and it was soon ascertained that it was the one
which was filled only with w ills, deeds, and securities. Some
idea of the value of the papers may be formed, when one
which was lying exposed on the top of the others was a bond
for £40,000. It may be well imagined with what pleasure
Mr. Ashness received back this box and its valuable con-
tents. The other hoz, containing the money, &c., being
still missing, it was determined to search the house tho-
roughly, and ultimately it was found upon the top of the
house. The papers that were in it previously remained, but
the gold and rings were gone. These circumstances tended
to confirm the suspicions of the police that some one em-
ployed on the premises was the thief, and the %alole of the
servants were strictly examined, but nothing was elicited to
fix the offence upon any of them.

CHARGE OF FELONY AGAINST A BANKER'S CLERK.—
A case which has excited the most lively interest in the minds
of the inhabitants of Flnddersfield and its vicinity was finally
heard on Thursday last before 11. R. Batty, Esq., at the ma-
gistrates' office in that town. Mr. John Robinson Eastwood,
as clerk in the bank of the Huddersfield Banking Company,
was charged with stealing at variors periods the sum of £BO5,
the property of the company. The investigation had been
going on in private and public during the preceding twelve
days ; but the young man had only been in confinement since
Friday last; thus every facility had been afforded him for
escape if such had been his wish. The investigation on
Thursday lasted six hours. The only evidence which could
be adduced against him was his expensive way of living,
which, it was asserted, had cost nearly £9OO since February,
1811, the period stated in the charge. Mr. Wm. Barker,
solicitor, appeared for the defence, and in a speech of one
hour and a quarter's duration, he clearly pointed ont that,
notwithstanding the young man's expensive habits, there was
not the slightest foundation for the charge of dishonesty
against him. He proved that, in addition to his salary, on
account of which he had, since January, 1841, received two
hundred and twenty-seven pounds ten shillings, he had from
other sources received nearly to the amount of the sum for
which be was araigned. A host of witnesses were examined ;
among them Mr. Ramsay, inspector of missing letters from
the General Post-office, London, but no case of stealing, em-
bezzlement, or dishonesiy could be sustained. It appeared
that on an average, no less than 46,000 letters passed daily
through the Huddersfield Post-office, excluai;re of newspapers.
Mr. Batty, in giving his decision on this most interesting
case, observed that the prisoner had had a most able defence,
and that had he been sent to another place he could not have
had a better advocate. Unassisted as he was by his brother
magistrates, although there were some circumstances of a
suspicions nature, yet as it was the privilege of Englishmen
that every one must be presumed to be innocent until they
are proved to be guilty, be could come to no other decision
in the nres.ent case than that the prisoner was innocent, and
must therefore be discharged. This decision was received
by the spectators sviio crowded the court with the most cheer-
ing marks of satisfaction which'continued some time. The
interest and anxiety occasioned by this investigation was most
intense, and although the young man's habits have lately been
of an expensive kind, no charge of dishonest conduct could
be sustained against him : but, as the worthy magistrate
observed, the bulk was fully justified and exonerated in the
course it had pursued ; and although there were some circum-
stances of a rather suspicious nature, he yet hoped the
prisoner was in fact.perfectly innocent. Mr. Eastwood then
left the court amid the congratulations of his numerous
friends.—Leeds Intelligencer.

IIF,TROSPECT OF Tl 7. GRAIN TRA.DE.

(Ffoin flee Londou Journal of Commerce.)

The anticipations of an improvement in the corn trade,
which have tur some time beeu indulged in, seem as far from
being realised as ever; indeed, additional languor has pre-
vailed at all the leading provincial markets, and though no
very material decline in prices has taken place, the value of
nearly all species of grain, as well as prices of flour, &c.,
h lye everywhere tended downwards._ Rain has fallen since
0 ir last in different parts of the country, and where the seed-
,g of the land was ln•eviously interrupted by a want of suf-
ficient moisture, all is cow again activity ; it appears likely,
therefore, that the sowing of wheat will this autum❑ be
finished unusually early, and in first-rate style. Various out-
door labours have engaged the greater portion of the farmers'
tithe, and supplies have rather fallen off than increased ; still
much anxiety has becu displayed to sell, the continued dull
accounts fron► the large consuming towns having influenced
the minds of all holders of wheat, whether merchants or
growers.
How long this state of things is to last, is not easily deter-
mined ; but as it would be impossible to import from any
part of the world at anything near the prices at which sales
have lately been made in this country (particularly at Lon-
don and Liverpool,) we are more disposed to look for a rally
than a farther depression. Much, however, will depend on
the position of the money market and the extent of accom-
modation afforded to holders of foreign wheat at the different
maritime ports, where large stocks are still remaining on
hand. . _ _ .

The low range of the value of wheat has had the usual effect
on all other species of corn, and prices of barley, o;.ts, &c.,
are now relatively lower here than at the near Continental
ports. Last week, between three and four thousand quarters
of the latter grain were shipped from London to Dunkirk
and Rouen, and a little parcel of barley to Rotterdam ; there
is consequently little chance of importations from those
quarters ; and if we look to more distant countries, we still
arrive at the same conclusion, namely, that prices must ad-
vance here, or recede materially abroad, before any benefit
can accrue from business in corn between this and foreign
countries. _

This will be made more manifest by giving short extracts
from our foreign advices :
At New York, on the Ist instant, good brands of canal
flour were still held at 84 d 015.56-1 per barrel (about 23s 6d,)
and °the- descriptions at proportionate rates. Letters from
Montr al of the 26th September, inform us that though the
demarn f e flour was very dull both there and at Quebec,
nothir4 c uld be had below 22s 6d, and that many holders
insisted un 24s per barrel for fine brands. Freight thence to
London was 3s 9d per barrel, which, with other expenses,
would bring The price considerably above the value of the ar-
ticle in bond here.
Shipments from the Mediterranean arelquite out of the
question ; the better kinds received from that quarter, such
as Ancona, Barletta, &c., being now obtainable, duty paid,
in the London market, at 425. to 455., much below the rates
at which importations could be made.
In the Baltic prices are somewhat more reasonable, though
still relatively higher than in this country.
Advices from Dantzic of the 11th instant inform us that
occasional purchases of wheat continued to be made there for
Dutch account, mostly of the quality denominated mixed, at
about 305., whilst superior high mixed verities were held at
38s. per quarter free on board. At Stettin, on the 11th of
October, Silesian wheat might have been bought at 30s. per
quarter; but this price, with freight, expenses, and duty ad-
ded, would stand in too high to yield a profit. At Hamburg,
on the 15th instant, there was scarcely sufficient wheat offer-
ing to supply the town millers, and quotations were conse-
quently high.
At Mark Laue, on Monday, we had a scanty show of wheat
from Essex, and only a moderate arrival from Kent and
Suffolk ; the trade opened dull, however, and though a few
choice samples were selected early in the morning at about
previous rates, purchases might easily have been made later
in the day at an abatement of Is. per quarter ; notwithstand-
ing which factors were unable to effect a clearance, and
several runs from Keut and Suffolk remained undisposed of.
On Wednesday we had scarcely anything fresh up, but the
quantity left over from previous receipts proved fully adequate
to the demand, and sales were with difficulty made at the de-
cline above noticed. Many of the holders of foreign wheat
have evinced great anxiety to realise, and in some instances
very low terms have been accepted, others have remained
tolerably firm, and on the general sales the reduction acceded
to has not exceeded Is. to 2s. per quarter.
The duty remains stationary at 18s. per quarter, but a, the
averages are still receding, it is not improbable that Ulf, Juty
may rise to the highest point.
We have been pretty liberally supplied with ship floor d • -
ing the last week or two, which has interfered a .cior' eal
with the disposal of town manufactured; the lattk-u.a, how-
ever, been held at previous prices, but Norfo ve been
selling from on board at 355. to 365. per sac -
The arrivals of barely have increased, .d ti - demand
having rather fallen off, sellers have been (ler t. necessity
of submitting to an abatement of Is. p•jf elan; ou all ex-
cept the very finest malting qualities. Id mal has excited
very little attention, but fine new has .und buyers at com-
paratively high prices.
In addition to a fair arrival of oat- coastwise, we have re-
ceived a large supply from Ireland, and our market now
affords a good choice of quality ; dealers have neverthe-
less acted with extreme caution, and the value of most de-
scriptions of corn has receded 6d. to ls. per quarter.
The transact; ns in beans and peas have been on quite a
retail scale, tnd n , variation deserving notice has taken place
in prices of these articles.