The Express. — 1847-07-05 (London, England)

DIATIAUCTIVE FIRM AT HALIFAX.—A destructive fire oocured at Halifax on Thursday evening, at the mill of Meters. James Akroyd and Son, at Bowling Dike. The fire originated in the garret, which was used fur reeling purpmes, and was first discovered a little after nine o'clock, and in the short space of little more than an hour the whole was in flames. The mill is entirely gutted, and we understand contained from 70 to 100 spinning and drawing frames. One of the engines was preserved entire that was detached from the mill. The other is considerably damaged. The property is partly covered by insurance. It is almost impossible to estimate the amount of damage, which is thought cannot be less than 30,0001. The number of bands thus thrown out of empl tyment met be very considerable.  AT A Patna-Floor. —At the police court, at Cbanda•-house on Saturday, two men named Maurice Perry and Samuel Crawlty, were committed by the county magistrates for the wilful murder of one of the liathAmpton police, under circumstances of great brutality. On Monday last, early in the evening, two navigators employed in the neighbourhood, on the Wilts and Somerset Railway, had • quarrel, and, failing to settle it by means of words, adjourned to an adjoining field, at Bathampton, to fight it out; the prisoners and two others acting as seconds. An organised ring woo formed and a large mob collected, when, after a few rounds, John Bailey (the deceased) and another policeman forced their way between the combatants and desired them to desist fighting and disperse. The prisoners immediately pushed the officers back, where they held them, the men still fighting. The constables again attempted to interfere, when they were instantly knocked down, the prisoners kicking them unmercifully about the head and body. Bailey almost immediately expired. Several witnesses clearly identified the prisoners as the parties who committed the outrage, Crawley being described as holding the unfortunate man down by kneeling on his chest, whilst Perry kicked him about the head and stomach. The deceased told them on entering the ring that he wu a police constable and was bound to put a stop to the disturbance. Tho prisoners, who made no defence were committed to the county gaol, on the capital charge. A verdict of " Wilful murder" had been returned at the coroner's inquest, held on Friday. The deceased constable has left a wife and large family.— It appears that the brutal practice of prize-fighting is again becoming frequent in some parts of the country. The Le 4e Mercury of Saturday says ' We should not allude to such an exhibition, but to make one observation. A prize fight took place on Wednesday, on Baildon Moor, between Donnelly, of Manchester, and Askey, of Birninshau, when, after 32 rounds, occupying one hour and eight saismiss, the latter proved the victor. Now, although this light, and the place where it occurred, was known some time previous, foe a constable of Baildon or anywhere else interfered. Of lap several prize fights have taken place unmolested by the authorities on Bandon Moor. We call the attention of the magistracy of the district to the culpable neglect of the conI 'tabular,. Above 1,000 pumas were present, most of them  the lowest operatives, whom it would have beseeated better to have ben at their work."