The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-04-12 00:00:00

Wednesday, was repeated and reduced to writing.
The testimony of Mrs. George, of the George and Vul.
ture, having been read, Mr. Rushton, by desire of Mr. Da.
venl►ort, asked her whether Mrs. Clayton did not say to her,
that they had tat en her into the room, at Gretna, and kept
her there against her will. She replied in the negative, and
adhered to her original statement.

The witness alluded to by Mr. Snowball having arrived.
aer examination was taken.

Susan Ralton sworn.—My husband is an innkeeper. No.
40, Great Nelson-street. I know Mrs. Chainley. She lives
opposite to me. I cannot swear to any of the prisoners at
the bar except Mrs. Jones. She was at my house one after-
noon, about a fortnight or three weeks ago. She was with a
little man who used to be seen walking up and down the
street, and he would come in occasionally and take a glass of
ale. lie asked me to take down the blind, saying, ha wanted
to watch a person who was across the way at Mrs. Chamley's.
lle remained and watched some time. Three gentlemen
came in the afternoon while Mrs. Jones was there, and they
asked for the man who was watching, but he had gone. They
asked for a room up stairs to watch from. I said I had not a
room up stairs. They said they would rather forfeit £5O
than miss her. One of them said his brother was a doctor,
and the person they were watching owed him some money.
They said she was a very singular character, as she seldom
slept two nights together in the same house, and that she
carried her night-clothes about with her in a bag. One of
the party said they wanted to see her without Mrs. Chamley,
for she was a d—d old bad one. The three gentlemen ordered
the man and woman to sit, one at the one side of the window
and the other at the other, and she was to let them have
whatever they pleased to drink, and they would pay for it.
The gentlemen went out at the hack door, on a sudden.
Mr. Rushton asked what rank of life Jones was in ?

Mr. Davenport.—He is by trade a stone-mason. He un-
dertakes contracts, and he has lied, I believe, the manage-
ment of something in the paving department for the parish.
Mr. Rushton.—lt is my intention to commit all the pri-
soners for trial, the greater part of them on a charge of
felony, either as principals or accessaries. Some of them
‘vill be committed, also, for conspiracy, which commitment
will, of course, be in default of bail.
The prisoners M`Gill, Quick, Rogerson, Jones, Mrs.
Jones, and Duval were severally asked, after the usual cau-
tion, if they had any thing to say. They replied," Nothing."
Mrs. Clayton was reminded of her former statement, and
asked if she had anything to add, or if she wished it to
stand in the depositions. She said she would leave it en-
tirely to her legal adviser.
Mr. Davenport said, if it were left to him, he should say,

no.
Mr. Rushton asked Copeland, alias Martin, if he had any
thing to say.
Copeland.—l shall leave it to my legal adviser.
Mr. Rushton, (addressing Copeland.)—The charge against
you differs from that against the others. You are charged
with having cheated and defrauded Miss Crellin of the sum of
.12250. I have to inform you, therefore, that you will he en-
titled to bail. You will, therefore, be released on giving two
sureties in £lOO each, and entering into your own recogni-
sance in £2OO, to appear at the next Assizes to answer any
indictment that may be preferred against you. and you will
have to give forty-eight hour's notice of the bail. All the
other prisoners will be committed for felony, and as I said
before, some of them will also be indicted for conspiracy.
Those who are committed for conspiracy would be entitled to
bail ; therefore, the only way in which they can be committed
is in default of bail. _ _

Is Rogerson

Mr. Grocott.—Do I understand you, sir?
to be committed for felony?
Mr. Rushton.—Undoubtedly.
Mr. Grocott.—Do you not think, sir, there is a shade of
difference in this case?
Mr. Rushton.—l think not a shade. They will be commit-
ted as principals and accessaries.
Mr. Snowball said it had just struck him, that Copeland,
who was to be admitted to bail, might have the £250. of
which he had defrauded Miss Crellin. in his pocket. He
might procure bail by giving one hundred pounds to each,
and walk away with the other fifty.

Mr. Rushton said, if Copeland had any money in his pocket
the bridewell keeper would know of it. The Legislature had
intrusted the Justices with the power of fixing bail, and it
was his duty to order such bail as was not excessive. He
had in the case of Mr. Dunlevy, ordered the sureties to be
seventy-live pounds each ; and, in the present instance, he
thought the bail he had named was sufficient. If, when the
bail was tendered, Mr. Snowball could show that the parties
had been indemnified, he would not accept them.
Mr. Snowball said he had an observation to make, which
knowing Mr. Ruslitons determination, he did merely as a
matter of form. lie had already retained counsel to conduct
the case at the next Assizes. He knew Mr. Rushton's opi-
nion on the subject of a public prosecutor ; but at the request
of Miss Crellin, be had to apply that that lady should be
bound over to prosecute.
Mr. Rushton said he could not depart from the rule obser-
ved in other cases. The plan laid down and followed by his
excellent predecessor, Mr. Hall, he fully approved of, and
he believed it was the best, for the ends of justice, that the
Commissioner of Police should, in all cases, be bound over
to prosecute. It was an excellent system from which they
never deviated, and it prevented all tampering with the pro-
secution.

Mr. Snowball repeated, that he made the application
merely as a matter of form.

Mr. Rushton said there could be no objection to the appli-
cation ; and, if Mr. Snowball wished to found any thing on
it in the way of appeal to a higher quarter, they would take
it as formally made. _ _ . .

Mr, Davenport said that he was requested to apply for
bail on behalf of Mrs. Jones.
Mr. Rushton said lie could not comply, as it was evident
th It Mrs. Jones had been most active in this affair, inde-
pen hint o f her husband.
All the witnesses, with the exception of the married women,
wh-He husbands will have to be bound for them, enter into
ec ignisances, in the sum of £lOO each, to appear at the next

- - -
Assizes to give evidence.
The prisoners were removed from the bar, and the exami-
nation terminated at a quarter before seven o'clock.
The prisoners M'Gill, Quick, Jones and Mrs. Clayton are
committed for felony, as principals in the abduction : the
the prisoners Rogerson, Mrs. Jones, and Duval are also
committed for felony, as accessaries. All the above priso-
ers will be indicted for conspiracy, which is a bailable offence,
but, as they cannot be bailed for the felony, except on ap-
plication to one or more of tha judges, they must be com-
mitted on this charge as in default of bail. Copeland, alias
Martin, stands committed for having defrauded Miss Creliin
of the £250.

THE REV. HUGR MNEILE ON MESMERISM.

The mesmeric exhibitions which are taking place here and
elsewhere came under the review of the eloquent minister of
St. Jude's, in his sermon on Sunday last. The view which
he takes of Mesmerism has so much justice in it, and tLe
objection he urges against it, in its present state, at least,
is put forward with so much plainness, that the readily ac-
cede to the request of several readers to report that part of
the reverend gentleman's discourse. Whether he be right
or wrong we shall not stop to enquire ; but we must say that
the position he has assumed displays the boldness and
sincerity of his ministerial character in a new and prominent
light.
The text selected was the 2d chapter of St. Paul's 2d
epistle to the Thessalonians, verses 9 and 10.—" Even him
whose coming is after the workings of Satan with all power,
and signs, and lying wonders, and with all the deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish."
The reverend gentleman gave first a short digest of the
scriptural evidence for Satanic agency among men ' • and then
a brief exposition of the kinds of agency which we have
reason to expect from the devil in these latter times till the
second coming of Christ; and he then applied these scriptural
truths to some exhibitions now going on.
The Rev. Gentleman having, with his usual power, dis-
cussed the two first topics, proceeded to the consideration of
the third nearly as follows :

With this scriptural state of things before us, appealing to
these facts, knowing by the sure word of God that such a
power (as Satanic influence over the bodies of men) is abroad
in the world, and that we are liable to be assailed by it—
knowing that many signs and wonders, some true and some
lying, may be exhibited by this power along with men who
deal with familiar spirits—l say, with all these before us, we
come as furnished Christians to examine into one particular
work or power or pretence, or sign or wonder. For this
purpose I have drawn out this scriptural information for
you ; and I ask you to consider what is now going on, in this
very town, and occupying within the last few days, as I per-
ceive, a portion of the public press, which is put into all your
hands to read. First, I institute the enquiry—is there any
real power, any supernatural power. in this Mesmerism, or is
it nothing but fraud ? Is it nothing but human fraud for
gain-sake, or is there anything in it beyond the power of un-
assisted man to accomplish ?
In forming a judgment upon this, I go, of course, upon
what I have read. I have seen nothing of it, nor do I think
it right to tempt God by going to see it. I hold in my hand
a very remarkable paper, taken from a late number of Cham-
bers Edinburgh Journal, which professes to give an account
of some circumstances which the writers themselves beheld.
The reverend gentlemen then read a description of the
exhibition of animal magnetism, by Mons. Lafontaine, on
the young gentleman who appeared with him on the occasion
of hls last visit to Liverpool, the phenomena in which we
described fully at the time. Here, he proceeded, is one of
the cases set forward by apparent authority. Ido not vouch,
of course, for the facts of this case as here stated : there may
be some misapprehension ; there may be some collusion. But
supposing the effect took place as here stated, then, beyond all
question, it is beyond the force of nature. It is not in na-
ture, so far as we have yet learned (and I shall speak of this
a little further presently), for any one to be so tortured in
sleep without being awoke out of that sleep. Here is some
power then. It may be lodged in nature : there may be some
secret operation, the discovery of which is now being made
for the first time ; something like the power of compressed
steam, which did exist in nature long before its discovery
took place ; or like electricity. But if there be, those who
pretend either to have made the discovery, or are making it,
will ascertain the laws upon which those operations of nature
are carried on ; for it is a part of all nature's laws that they
shall act uniformly. And I would say to the professors of
this science, if they call it a science, that they should come
boldly forward, and state the law of nature by the uni-
form action of which this thing is done, and not confine
themselves to experiments in a corner, upon their own
servants, or upon females hired for the purpose. The
uniform action of the properties of matter can be stated,
and it becomes the philosophers who are honest men, and
make discoveries of this kind, to state the law—to state
its uniform action. But this is not done at present.—Mr.
M`Neile then read another paper extracted from the re-
port of the magnetic experiments made by the Committee
of the Royal Academy of Paris, detailing an operation for
cancer upon an old lady, aged 64, whilst under magnetic
influence. Not only was the cancer, which was upon the
breast, removed whilst she was is this
.state, but it was
dressed and redressed without her feeling any pain, and
what is equally singular, whilst she was calmly conversing.
The operation lasted ten minutes.—lf this be a falsehood,
Mr. M`Neile proceeded, then certainly there is something
almost supernatural in the effect, and we have a whole
academy joining to tell and publish this he. If it
be the truth, if the fact be so, then here, beyond
all question, is something out of the range of nature, out of
the present power of man, unless this is a new science., We
know what sleep is, and we know what pain is. e do not
know all the properties of matter certainly ; and there may
be some occult property in matter which these men have dis-
covered, and which may have the effect, when applied to the
human frame, of rendering it, insensible to pain. if there be
such a property in matter, it will act uniformly, for
that is
the character of nature's acts. There is no caprice in na-
ture. All the laws of nature act uniformly. Let these
scientific gentlemen remember this—if this be a science, let
us have the laws upon which these properties of matter act.
When the science of compressed steam was sent forth among
men, the law of its acting was given, and its power always
appears in proportion to the pressure or to the compressure.
It is the same in every science. Every physical science is
subject to a rigid examination of its law ; it can be stated as
well as the uniformity of its action. So the shock of the
battery is always proportioned to the charge. Observe,
I am not running down, as they accuse us who take the
Bible for our standard, of running down science. We are
not running down science at all. We ask, if it be a science,
for the law, the uniformly acting law. Let it be remem-
bered that until this is given we are at liberty to reject it

as a science.
The Rev. Gentleman then proceeded to express his belief
that tne pretended miracles related by Lord Shrewsbury, as
having been seen by him on the continent, the etatiea and
the adolorata were nothing but exhibitions of mesmerism.

They were entirely explained by it. In conclusion, he cau-
tioned his hearers against occult science. Science, said he,
if open and above board, I would examine it ; it courts ex-
amination ; but not so long as it is kept secret, so long as it
is a passing of the thumb, and a movement with the lingers,
and signs, and talismanic tokens without any intelligible law
laid down, without stating some property in matter, and how
it acts, the nature of its action upon human flesh, how it
stops the circulation of human blool, how it arrests the sen-
sibility of the human frame, how it prevents the delicate
touch being felt in the cutaneous veins. Let them put forth
a scientific statement with regard to the nature of the
operation of matter upon human flesh, the laws by which it
operates ; and if it be in nature it will act uniformly
and not capriciously. If it operate capriciously there is
some mischievous agent at work, and we are not ignorant
of the devices of the devil.
The discourse of the reverend gentleman occupied au hour
and twenty minutes, and was listened to with profound
attention.

CHESTER ASSIZES.

CROWN COURT.—MONDAY, APRIL 11.
(Before Mr. Justice MAI:ME.)

(From our own Correspondent.)

THE MURDER AT TILSTON

Ann Edge, who—wasacquitted on Saturday, was again
placed at the bar this morning, charged with the wilful mur-
der of her brothertJames Edge, a little boy eight years of
age, on the 23d of June last.
It appeared, that on the day in question the prisoner went
home to see her parents, being at the time living a servant in
the neighbourhood ; that she took her brother and sister into
the garden, and afterwards the deceased accompanied her
part of the way home. On his return he was taken
ill, vomited very much, and next day died. The prisoner
visited him during his illness, and desired a medical man
should be sent for, but none was called in. The prisoner
about that period sent to Mr. Hooper's shop at Malpas, for
twopennyworth of arsenic, which she said was to poison a
dog with, but on being apprehended, she admitted purchas-
ing arsenic from Mr. Hooper's' shop, but said it was for a
woman at Bolesworth, whose name she 'did not know. In
consequence of the sudden death of the prisoner's sister,
supposed to be in consequence of having had arsenic admi-
nistered, the body was exhumed on the 12th of August, but
decomposition had commenced, so as to preient the features
being known'., The coffin was removed to the Rectory Court-
house, at Tilston, for the purpose of a post mortem exami-
nation beingimade, and the counsel for the prosecution was
about to identify the coffin, by the inscription on the plate,
when

Mr. TEMPLE, for the prisoner, contended that the dis-
cription on the plate could not he given in evidence, as the
plate itself might be produced.
On this the learned JUDGE directed an acquittal, ruling
that as the'contents of a piece of paper could not be given
in evidence without the production of the paper itself, he did
not see any thing in the present case to make it an exception
from the general rule.
[The trial of the Stockport rioters was proceeding last
evening, when our reporter left Chester, at eight o'clock.]

FATAL COAL-PIT ACCIDENT.

SEVENTEEN LIVES LOST, AND EIGHT SEVERELY

INJURED

MANCHESTER, SATUATIAT NIGHT.
It is our painful duty this day to relate the particulars of
one of the most melancholy accidents attended with the sa-
crifice of human life that has occurred in this part of the
country for many years. It took place in the extensive coal
mines of Messrs. Swyne and Lees, known b the name of
" Flowery Fields," situate in the township of Newton, Lan-
cashire, a small village about, six miles from Manchester.
and about three miles from the borough of Ashton-under-
Lyne.
The number of miners employed in the various
meats of the mine is said to be'about 50 or 60.
It appears that about eleven o'clock on Friday morning the
men in the mine, aud the banksmen if the first entrance to
the mine, were, thrown into the, greatest state of alarm by
bearing a rumbling noise, accompanied by a tremendous
depart-
shock, which was quickly followed by an explosion and aue
emission of ignited inflammable air. It was known that there
were 26 persons in that part of the mine where the exprlos,
took place. Meantime Mr. Potter and Mr. F. Tinker, two
medical
surgeons in the neighbourhood, arrived to rend
aid. After the lapse of some hours the medical
gsufferers,
deemed it safe to proceed in search of the missing,taey succeeded
and after a protracted and dangerous s
earcbunfortunately, all
in finding eight of the missing colliers, bat,iou cated, and others
render
rentlemen
quite dead, some of them having been s
n discovered that it
much bruised and burned. It
was on this spot the air first ignited,
place, but also dead.
seven more were found near tbei
d snaabout an hour afterwards
The search was prosecuted, and
at ex end of the
the remaining ten were discov
safety, being about 200 yards
gniwteadsii,:a°n°d sbortly afterwards
mine, where they had ru
1 Bowker, was in the last
of them, a verson named J
others in a pitiable state of ex-
an distant from the place
and the named Grimshaw. John
agonies of death, .
the man
G • h
haustiou, especiallY
fter he was found, and runs aw was so
wh;rfeyorothine damp first exploded. One
Bowker died soon a
to preserve his life proved fruitless.
farHeof one of his fellow workmen. Four.
much exhausted as their cm—
! of the eight
weresnonnwhat recovered they were conveyedi
; rades, and being
the
pit,
and thereby afforded the remain-
-1 to the mouth 0!
td a better supply of fresh air, b*
spent expired that
iin allt
h eeaffrlntrtssso
and their a
ing four
opetions of the surgeons were much facilitated-
' which the.

BoWLING GREEN.—This delightful green,
KKAD
Willoughby's hotel, opens for the season in
week. The co
the course of the w
from Liverpool and this side the water was numerous, but,
from the increase of subscribers, it will be touch larger this
season.
attached ro Mr.

CONSERVANCY OF THE CHESHIRE SIDE. OFTHEMERSEY.
—A petition, signed by the most influential landed proprietors
•
in this neighbourhood, was last week forwarded to London,.
to oppose the application of the Liverpool corporation for an,
act of parliament to obtain the conservancy of the Cheshire
shore of the river Mersey.
WOODSIDE FERR.Y.—The bill to authorise the commissi-
oners of Birkenhead to purchase Woodside Ferry, has passed
through committee in the House of Commons.
MADAME L&FrA,RGE.—It is mentioned in the French
journals, that this unhappy person has beccme lunatic, and
that an a
asylum.
PPlication has been made for her removal to an