The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-08 00:00:00

GREAT FIRES.—One of the most extensive and destructive
fires which has occurred for many years took place on Thurs-
day night at Messrs. Pooley and Son's mills, Bradford-road,
Manchester. A range of buildings about 80 yards in length
and eight stories in height have been completely destroyed
with all their valuable contents—not a vestige of anything
saved. Had not the other part of this splendid concern been
what is called fire-proof, the entire property must inevitably
have fallen a prey to the flames. The loss is etimated at
£30,000. Upwards of 1,000 hands will be thrown out of
employment by this calamity, many of them for a long period,
even should the property be rebuilt. Six men have lost their
lives, besides many seriously injured.
THE ELEPHANT AND THE TURNPIKE GATE.—Last week,
as Mr. Van Amburgh's elephant was going to Wellington,
ready for the next day's performance, on coming to the turn-
pike-gate, which was shut, the gateman refused to open the
gate unless the conductor paid extra toll, which he refusing
to do, went through the side-wicket, saying to the elephant,
" Jack, I must go without you." But it was not to be so,
for Jack would be as good as his master ; so, without any
ceremony, Jack applied his proboscis to the gate, and just
eased himself of the hindrance by prostrating the gate in the
road, to the no small amazement of the gatekeeper. We
understand there was some injury done to the gate, and the
expense of which the keeper cheerfully paid.—Salopian
Journal.

RAILWAY CAPABILITIES AT NEXT ?—The longi-
tudinal bearings and cross sleepers, required for the Hull and
Selby Railway, were kyanized in two large cylindrical
wrought-iron tanks, each seventy feet long and six feet in
diameter; and not being now required for the use of the
company, they have been sold to an eminent railway con-
tractor, to be used for a similar purpose at Gloucester or
Bridgewater: last week each tank was placed on two of the
company's goods waggons, each having six wheels, and on
Friday night they were forwarded by the luggage train to
Birmingham, where they arrived in safety on Saturday after-
noon, at three o'clock ; the weight of the two tanks was
about twenty-eight tons. This is a convincing proof, that
goods, however bulky and heavy, may be forwarded by rail-
way without the least risk or inconvenience ; and the charges
for carriage being very low, cheapness and expedition are
also combined.—Hull paper.

AWFUL CATASTROPHE AT LEITH.—On Tuesday after-
noon, at five o'clock, an old dilapidated building of three
stories, situated between Tolbooth Wynd and the Coalhill,
suddenly gave way, burying in its ruins twelve individuals, of
whom three were got out unhurt, six others were more or
less injured, and two were taken out dead. There was one
still missing late at night. The house was tenanted by a
blind man of the name of Gardener as a lodging-house; and
at the time the accident happened, it was chiefly occupied by
a part of a ship's crew, belonging to Shetland and Orkney,
returned two days ago from London, per the Royal Adelaide,
after a long cruise in pursuit of the fur trade. The names of
surviving sufferers at present in the Casualty Hospital are,
Alexander Langscails, William Bryce, Hugh Cormack, and
Hunter Thomson. Drs. Patterson, Bryce, and Jackson,
were in immediate attendance upon the unfortunate sufferers.
It is feared that some of those enumerated will not survive.
—Glasgow Courier.

BLOSSOMS IN NovEmnEn.—Those who are deeply studied
in the mysteries of inanimate nature and meteorological
science have given their opinions, from correct observations,
we believe, that during the last 10 or 15 years there has been
a visible mutation in our seasons and climate—namely, that
the winters are not of such long duration, and the frost not
so severe, whilst the springs are more early, and the sum-
mers generally are not so genial and warm, and the autumns
less dry and seasonable for the purposes of agriculture.
Probably there may be some ground for supposing that the
observation is correct; for in the counties of Cumberland
and Westmoreland, and in other districts of the north of
England, there are several apple and other trees which in
this improbable month (November) are now in their second
blossom. This account may seem somewhat incompatible
with the statement of the state of the weather in the north
we gave on the 29th ult., but our correspondent is prepared
to testify that the above observations are founded in truth.

MELANCHOLY CATASTROPHE AT RIIFFORD.-It iS our
painful duty this week to record a melancholy event, which
has brought two unfortunate creatures to an mitirnely grave.
George Brooks, waggoner to the Right Hon. the Earl of
Scarbrough, and Ann Brooks, his wife, resided in a cottage,
near the mansion of the noble earl, at Rufford ; and it ap-
pears, that, on Monday the 24th ult. Ann Brooks had been
whitewashing one of the bedrooms, up stairs, in which she
and her husband usually slept; and, in order to dry it the
sooner, she placed an iron pan in the room, into which she
put some sticks, and set fire to them. This was during the
course of the day. At night, when they went to bed, they
took the warming pan up stairs to warm the bed ; and, it is
supposed, either the woman or her husband incautiously re-
cruited the embers, and shutting the door close, went to
bed. About four o'clock the next morning, Brooks not
coming to look after his horses as usual, one of his fellow-
servants went and rapped at the door • and, supposing that
would be sufficient to awoke him, he went away. Five
o'clock arrived, but still Brooks did not make his appear-
ance ; on which his fellow-servant went again, and knowing
there was a boy sleeping in an adjoining chamber, he rapped
until the boy got up, and ordered him to go and see if any
thing was the matter with George. The boy accordingly
went, and opened the chamber door, and, entering the room,
was almost suffocated with the smell of sulphur. On looking
towards the bed, he was horror-struck to find Brooks partly
on it, but with his face on the floor, surrounded by a pool of
blood. He was quite dead and cold, and his wife also was
also laid in bed beside him a cold and lifeless corpse. He
immediately opened the door ; and, the melancholy fact hav-
ing been more fully ascertained, medical assistance was im-
mediatly sent for, but it was altogether unavailing, for the
vital spark had evidently been extinct for some hours. On
the Wednesday following, an inquest was held before P. R.
Faulkner, Esq. coroner, when the before-mentioned facts
having been deposed to, the jury at once returned their ver-
dict that the parties had died from suffocation.—Doncaster
Gazette.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OFFORGEP.Y.—COLISiderabie

excitement has lately existed in Cheltenham, in consequence
of certain rumours being afloat, to the effect, that the will of
the late Sir R. T. Ricketts had been forged upon by his lady
and others. These reports assumed somewhat of a substan-
tial form on Tuesday morning, at the police-office; when
Dame Rebecca Ricketts (widow of the late Admiral Sir R.
T. Ricketts,) Thomas Wright (her medical adviser,) George
Buckman, and Edward Cousens, were brought up by virtue
of a warrant, dated October 29, under the hand of R. M. P.
Wall, Esq., one of the magistrates ; to answer the informa-
tion and complaint of Augustus Newton, Esq., who conducted
the case for the prosecution. The information, containing
the nature of the charge, was to the following effect :—That
Joseph Cooper Straford, one of the attornies of her Majesty's
Court of Queen's Bench, at Westminster, Dame Rebecca
Ricketts, Thomas Wright, surgeon, George Buckman and
Edward Cousens, labourers, and clerks to the aforesaid Jo-
seph Cooper Straford, did, during the lifetime of Sir It.
Tristram Ricketts, conspire, combine, confederate, and agree
together, to forge and counterfeit the proper signature and
name of Sir R. T. Ricketts, to a certain document purport-
ing to be his last will and testament ; and that the defendant
George Buckman did actually forge, counterfeit, and affix
such signature and name to the paper writing, purporting to
be, &c., on the 30th of July last, with intent thereby to cheat,
spoil, and defraud the next of kin of Sir R. T. Ricketts, par-
ticularly Augustus Newton, Letitia Frances Newton, his
wife (heretofore Letitia Frances Ricketts,) of their share of
the personal estate, valued at £60,000, and to which they
wauld have been entitled had Sir Robert died intestate. And
that Dame Rebecca Ricketts and Joseph Cooper Straford
did also actually utter a probate of the will to William Pitt,
Esq., one of the managers of the county of Gloucester bank,
on the 21st of September last, with intent to defraud the be-
fore-named parties of certain: moneys in the said bank, the
deceased Sir R. T. Ricketts having been of unsound and im-
becile mind for three months prior to his death. Mr. Stra-
ford not being present, the magistrates adjourned the case
until Friday, binding the defendants in their own recogni-
zances to appear then—Lady Ricketts in £lOOO, Wright and
Buckman in £5OO each, and Cousens in £100; and the par-
ties then left the office. Mr. Newton was described in the
information as " Augustus Newton, Esq., of Rose Cottage,
in the city of Ripon, in the county of York, barrister-at-law."
—Morning chronicle.

. .
attorney, which I gave her ; the interest was, however,
suffered to run in arrear, and having got into the hands of a
person' who had formerly been sheriff of the county of Down,
a lawsuit was instituted for its recovery, and after three
years' litigation my wife recovered about £l3O of the money,
some of which, I believe, was expended on the education of
my children. Having recovered the interest, and tasted
some of its sweets, they imagined it would be a comfortable
thing to get the principal into their hands ; but I could not
afford this, and having no means to support myself in Cana-
da, I was obliged to resort to my pen. I accordingly wrote
works on astronomy, philosophy, the prophecies, and other
subjects, which no other person but myself was capable of
doing, and by this means I supported myself respectably for
some years. At the time I resided in Dublin, I lost a watch,
and shortly after my wife and daughter left me, some persons
were sent to me, as they said trom Dr. Harty, under the
pretence that they had found the watch, but it was only to
entrap me, as it afterwards appeared. Those men said they
were police-officers, but on my questioning them they went
away. Shortly after, they came and brought me to a house
in Dorset-street, where they said Dr. Harty was, and that he
wanted to speak on particular business with me. Iwent there
accordingly, and saw Dr. Harty, who told me Major Brown
was most anxious to see me. I asked who Major Brown
was, and he said he was the chief of the Dublin police, and
that my wife and daughter had been telling him that I was
very extravagant in laying out my money on books, prints,
and other things, and he (Major Brown) should see me on
the subject. I told him (Dr. Harty) I had spent no money
except my own—about £2o—and that no one had any right
to interfere with me on the subject, nor would I suffer any
man to question me about the money. Dr. Harty then in-
sisted on my going before Major Brown, and said that if I
did not go quietly he would call in the police and take me by
force, as my wife and daughter were waiting for me.
Mr. Duffy.—Was that the first interview you had with Dr.
Harty ?
The Rev. Mr. Hayden.—lt was. I never saw him before
that time. I asked him where Major Brown lived, and he
said in the Lower Castle-yard, and that I had better go at
once, and quietly, to prevent any unpleasantness. I stepped
quietly into a covered car with Dr. Harty, and asked him
" how long the business would last with Major Brown, what-
ever it was about ?" He said, " Not long," and then told
the carman to drive off. We went on for a short time ; but
instead of going to the Castle-yard, I observed some trees
and fields, and on looking out I at once perceived we were
on the Circular-road. I told Dr. Harty he had made a mis-
take, when he replied, " Oh, no ; the major has a country
seat about three miles from town, at Finglas, and it is there
you are to see him : he is a very hospitable man, and will
treat you well." I said, " I did not require any of his hos-
pieality, and when the business is over 1 will go home." 'We
then went on, and on arriving at a house the doctor got out,
and walked very smartly for a man of his age up to the door,
at which he knocked, and said, with a wink to the footman,
" Here is a gentleman who has come on a visit to Major
Brown." I was then thrust inside the door, out of which I
never put my foot for seventeen months and one week. and
during that time I was treated most barbarously. Several
lawyers and attorneys came to me, and before I could pro-
cure my liberty, they compelled me to sign deeds conveying
all my property to Colonel Chester, my wife's brother.
Mr. Duffy.—And was it Dr. Harty did all this to you—all
you describe ?
The Rev. Mr. Hayden.—lt was, sir.
Mr. Studdart.—And what is the object of your present
application?
The Rev. Mr. Hayden.—My object is to have him bound
over to keep the peace, for if he discovers that I am about to
take law proceedings against him, he may entrap me into
that house again, and it would be more than my life is worth
to be confined there any more, for I was treated barbarously
and cruelly while I was there.
Mr. Duffy.—How were you treated ?

The ftev:kr. Hayden.—l could not tell you half of it,
but it was most brutal treatment I received, for which I am
resolved to have satisfaction.

Mr. Studdart.—You can get a summons for Dr. Hartyt
and when he is present you can make your charge agains
him.

The Rev. Mr. Hayden.—Can you not now bind him to the
peace, for I am seriously afraid of my life ?
Mr. Studdart.—From what has appeared you have good
grounds for a summons—at least sufficient has been shown to
us to grant you one. You can tell this story when Dr.
Harty will be present to make his defence to the charge.
Mr. Duffy.—We feel bound to grant you a summons, and,
in the meantime, an application can be made to Major Brown,
to ascertain the fact if he authorised Dr. Harty to use his
name on the occasion.

Mr. Studdart.—Allow me to ask where you came from

The Rev. Mr. Hayden.—From Kilkee, in the county of
Down.

Mr. Duffy.—Are you now apprehensive that you, being in
Dublin, and Dr. Harty in the vicinity of it, that personal
violence will be resorted to against you in consequence ?
The Rev. Mr. Hayden.—l am, most undoubtedly, sir.
Mr. Studdart.—How long have you been in town ?
The Rev. Mr. Hayden.—Since Friday, at two o'clock.
Mr. Studdart.—bid anything happen to you since your
arrival here ?

The Rev. Mr. Hayden.—No; but I fear there will. I
was treated most cruelly before.
Mr. Studdart.—Very well, sir ; as I said before, you have
grounds for a summons, and you shall have one. If you at-
tend here on Monday, at twelve o'clock, the whole matter
will be investigated in presence of Dr. Harty. In the pre-
sent instance it is an ex parte statement, and it is right that
the accused should hear it all, in order to meet the charge.
The reverend gentleman thanked the bench, bowed respect-
fully, and retired.
The investigation was resumed at twelve o'clock on Mon-
day, when, after a brief inquiry, the bench dismissed the
complaint. Mr. Hayden announced his intention to have
recourse to proceedings in another court.

The write-r, on making inquiry relative to the Rev. Mr.
Hayden, obtained the following particulars respecting him :
He is the son of a gentleman fumed Hayden, who was for-
merly in partnership with a gentleman named Rivers. They
kept one of the most extensive and flourishing establishments
in Ireland at that period, and carried on business at Water-
ford, under the firm of Hayden, Rivers, and Co. The rev.
gentleman was remarkable for his learning and research in
literary and philosophical pursuits, and also for his exem-
plary life and conduct. He went some years ago to Canada
on the mission ; but our informant lost sight of him at the
time, and knew nothing whatever about himself or his cir-
cumstances since that period, nor did he ever see him since,
till he made the above strange application at the police-court.

ANNitAt, Tilltif,t-rsra- ClitLbßEN.—The distressing ac-
cidents of this nature, which, for the most part, begin and
end with the winter months, we Perceive by the different
journals have already commenced. It is calculated that more
children perish annually in England by the excruciating death
frocci fire, than the average of females formerly immolated in
India by the horrid Suttee rite. The cause of the majority
of the accidents is poverty, poor women being compelled to
leave their children whilst they go and endeavour to earn the
means to provide them with food. Again, the cheapness of
flimsy cottons, which easily catch fire, causes them to be used
as clothing by the poor, whilst the slight degree of warmth
which they impart doulies the danger by causing the shiver-
ing children to draw towards the flame. The Cornwall
Gazette states, that when the dresses of the poor are com-
posed, as in South Wales, of a coarse woollen cloth manu-
factured in that vicinity, accidents by fire seldom occur.
Though these woollen cloths are cheap, yet the greater cheap-
ness of the cotton fabric will, it is to be feared, cause the
children of the very poor to be clad in the inflammable
material, notwithstanding its known danger. We cannot,
therefore, imagine a more beneficial channel through which
the kindness and philanthropy of the ladies of Bristol and
other cities might flow than in providing cheap clothing for
poor children during the coming winter. We have many ex-
cellent local societies, but we are sure that an association of
benevolent females for the special purpose of endeavouring to
prevent the frightful annual destruction of children by fire
would be attended with the happiest results. The imme-
diate benefit, too, arising to the poor children from more
comfortable clothing, would of itself justify the formation of
such a society—a society which, more than any other, would
be likely to appeal to the sympathies and feelings of wives
and mothers. It has ever been a complaint against ns, as a
nation, that our charity does not begin at home, but that we
go abroad in search of objects of benevolence, to the neglect
of those we encounter in our daily paths. We should not
like to be considered nationally selfish, but there is some
truth in the censure. If statistical accounts were published
of the deaths of children by fire in India or Africa, duly gar-
nished with moving incidents by " eye-witnesses," and if it
could, at the same time, be shown that such deaths were, in
a great measure, preventable, we have no doubt that the
ladies of England would never rest until they had formed so-
cieties, and auxiliary branch societies, in every city and vil-
lage, in order to avert such calamities. The children of our
own poor, it ought to be borne in mind, in burning to death
do not suffer less than little Indians and Hottentots, and are
at least equally worthy objects of humane consideration. In
cases where the deaths of children by fire occur in conse-
quence of the gross and wilful neglect of parents, the censures
of juries cannot be too strong, nor, where opportunity is af-
forded, the punishment awarded by magistrates too severe.—
Bristol Mercury.

PRICES OF SHARES, NOVEMBER 7
Prices within the last seven days. This day
RAILWAYS, &c. Per Share. Prices
Bolton and Preston
Birmingham and Gloucester
Ditto quarter
Birmingham and Derby lOO .. 0 0 0
Bristol and Exeter 7O .... 0 0 0 ...
Birkenhead and Chester
Ditto half
Ditto, new, issued at £33 dis. 1 2 6pm
Dublin and Drogheda
Eastern Counties
Ditto new Shares.... 8 6 8 0 0 0
Ditto, Debentures
Edinburgh and Glasgow
Ditto new shares 5 . 4 17 6
Ditto Leigh and Newhaven 20 paid 0 0 0
Glasgow, Paisley, & Greenock 25 paid 0 0 0
Half Shares 9 .... 0 0 0
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmar l
Greenock, and Ayr 5O paid
Grand Junction
Ditto half shares 5O .... 86 10 0
Quarter 25 43 5 0
New ditto.... ......... 10.. 24 15 0
Great Western .. 83 10 0
Ditto new shares 50.... 61 5 0
Ditto Fifth Shares 4 .... 7 15 0
Great North of England 100 55 5
Hull and Selby
Lancaster and Preston .. : 47 10 0 0 0 0
Ditto Junction, new — 0 0 0
Leicester and Swannington 5O .... 0 0 0
Leeds and Selby
Liverpool and Manchester IGO 175 0 0
Ditto quarter shares
Ditto half shares
London and Birmingham 9O 180 0 0
Ditto quarter shares
Ditto new shares

0 0 0

Ditto new
London & Brighton
Ditto new
London and South Western

Ditto, 10th shares
Manchester, Bolton, & Bury
Manchester and Birmingham 4O .... 0 0 0 ....
Ditto and Ditto Extension .. 7 .... e o 0 ....
Manchester and Leeds 7O o 0 0 ....
Ditto half shares
Ditto quarter shares 2 0 0 0 ....
Midland Counties
Ditto, quarter
Notch Midland lOO .... 0 0 0 ....
New North Midland 4O .... 31 5 0 31 10 0
One-third Shares
North Union
Newcastle and Carlisle lOO .... 0 0 0
Ditto quarter shares
Ulster 25 .... 0 0 0
Paris and Rouen 2O .... '22 10 0 22 10 0
South Eastern and Dover 5O .... 22 17 6
New shares
York and North Midland 5O paid 0 0
Half Shares l5 .... 0 0 0 ....

BANKS.
Bank of Liverpool ........ 412 lOs paid 18 2 6 ....
- Borough Bank lO .... 14 0 0 ....
- Commercial of Liverpool 10 .... 0 0 0
- Commercial of England. 5 ... , 0 0
- East of England lO .... 0 0 0
- of Manchester lO .... 0 0 0 ....
- M'chester & L'pool Dsct. 15 .... 0 0 0
- Northern and Central
- North and South Wales lO .... 0 0 0 ....
- Royal of Liverpool 500 0 0 0
- South Lancashire
- Albion
- Liverpool Union lO 0
- Liverpool Banking Co lO 0 0 ...
- Wilts and Dorset 7 10s. 0 0 0 ....
GAS, WATER WORKS, &c.
Exchange Buildings
L'pool and Harrington Water
}Stock .. 00 0 .

Bootle Ditto
L'poo Gas Light Company.
(Original Stock) 105 „ 0 0 0
Ditto new Shares.... 100 .... o o o .
L'pool New Gas & Coke Co. .t'loo 0 0 o
Ditto new shares arc now paid up.
ASSURANCE COMPANIES.
M'cliester Assurance Company. 10 .... o o o
Liverpool Fire and Life 2 10s, 2 7
Ocean Assurance ..........
Liverpool Marine Assurance 10
paid
0 o U ....

0 0 0

t;omptuly
DOCKS, FERRIES, NEW COMPANIES, &c
Anderton Carrying Company .. 16 Is. 0 0 0
Rock Ferry
Steam Tug Company lO .
i 10 a
Harrington Docks 100 •••• 60 is 0
Apothecaries' Company . '') •• • • 3 1 6
Asphalte (Liverpool)
•-•—•—• (Polonvoan)

0 0 0