The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1826-01-04 (London, England)

CALLAN, DEC. 26, 1825. With feelings of the deepest regret I have to acquaint you of a most melancholy and fatal accident that happened this day in the Convent Chapel here, about the hour of eleven o'clock, and in which fourteen human beings lost their lives. A few minutes be. fore mass a rumour spread through the congregation that the gal. lery was giving way, and that the kitchen under the chapel was on lire. In consequence of these reports a terrible rush was made to the door, where the pressure was ao great that the poor sufferers were trampled to death, and many narrowly escaped it, with severe injury. In the number of the dead are the wife of Pat Shea, and a fine boy, his son, about eight years old ; Pat Shelly's sister, the mother of eight children ; and a fine young woman, the daughter of a farmer named William Cross. There were five bodies brought by my door before five o'clock. The town has been in the greatest alarm.  An inquest was taken before R. Carter, Esq. a few days ago, at the Barley Mow, public-house, in Paradise-street, Rotherhithe, on the body of a young man named John liernshaw, who was killed in consequence of the following accident. The deceased had been at work on board a vessel called the Fanny, lying in the Commercial Docks unloading her of timber, when the accident by which he lost his life happened. It appeared from the evidence, that the deceased, and another man, were assisting each other in launching a huge piece of timber out of a pott-hole in the vessel under the bowsprit. The greater part of the beam having been launched through the tackle by which the end that projected out gave way, the other end of the timber suddenly flew up, and the unfortunate deceased, who was standing with his body slightly bent over it, received a tremendous stroke under the chin from such a heavy piece of timber, that killed him upon the spot. The man with whom the deceased was at work nearly shared the same fate, being within an inch of the deceased when the latter lost his lite. It appeared that there was no blame attributable to any cne on board, and that the accident was as unforeseen as it was fatal. The Jury immediately returned a verdict of " Accidental Death." DREADFUL MU RDE a.—A trial for a most dreadful murder has just terminated at the Court of Assizes, at Aix-al. Chapelle. William Sieben, aged 25, and his sister, 24, were in. dieted for administering poison to their mother.in-law, 70 years of age, to her son, aged 40, and to her daughter, aged 30. These three individuals expired n the most dreadful agonies. A con-1 siderable quantity of arsenic had been mixed up with their soup, and in less than two hours after partaking of it, the stomachs of these unfortunate victims were completely destroyed. It appeared from the testimony of the witness, that the prisoners were led to commit this shocking crime for the purpose of becoming possessed of some property, but which they never would have been masters of, but after the death of the above individuals. It was proved that the female had been heard to dissuade her brothers from doing so bad an act, but the witness did not hear to what particular circumstance it referred ; she was at the same time made to promise that she would not reveal her brother's secret, nor prevent him from doing what he deemed necessary to get possession of the property. An apothecary proved that Sieben had purchased several ounces of arsenic the day previous to the murder; he had frequently told small quantities to him before ; the plea for buying the poison was, that his premises were infested with vermin. The trial lasted three days, a great number of witnesses were heard, and their evidence was so corroborative of the crime of Sieben, that he was unanimously found guilty and sentenced to death. His sister was acquitted and immediately set at liberty. Sieben heard the sentence of death without showing the least emotion.