The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1865-04-08 (London, England)

EXTENSIVE FIRE AT BERMONDSEY.—About five o'clock on Friday morning a fire broke out on the realises of The to was discovered by a police-constable of the M division by seeing a ted light in a large building used as a dtying house, and adjoining the extensive stores in which property valued at several thousands of pounds was deposited. The officer gave the alarm, and in a short time assistance arrived, together with Conductors Williams and Swain, with the Royal Society's escapes. Three land steamers, several manual engines of the brigade. Hodges's steamer Ocean Wave, and the engines of the Surrey volunteer brigade, followed in rapid succession. By this time the immense drying house was one vast sheet of flame, threatening destruction to the stores containing so much valuable prop.:rty. The steam and manual engines were set to work with a good supply of the Sent hwark Company's water, and the men with their usual intrepidity and skill directed their attention to' arresting the 118 toes from communicating with the stores. They succeeded in their attempt, and eventually confined the fire to the building in which it originated, but which, however, was entirely destroyed. During the progress of the flames the whcle of the southern district was brightly illuminated. The stores were considerably damaged by fire and water. The loss sustained is very considerable, but fortunately the business, owing to the extensive space occupied by the works, will be but briefly retarded. The property is insured, but in what offices could not be ascertained.  WIFE MUnDER.--At the Taunton assizes, on Thursday, Henry Fisher, shoemaker, was indicted for the wilful murder of his wife, Mary Fisher, at Bath, on the Bth of January. Tho circumstances of this case were of a very painful character. The prisoner and his wife had lived happily together for many years, and their affairs had been tolerably prosperous. In consequence, however, of the introduction of machinery their circumstances bad become somewhat depressedand the prisonerhad persuaded himself that he should come to poverty. He resolved therefore to tako a dose of laudanum in order to destroy himself, and persuaded his wife to do the seine. Having obtained the laudanum, Fisher prepared it, and gave his wifo eight tea spoonfuls, and took a rather greater quantity himself. On the next evening, as neither of there bad been seen during the day, the neighbours suspected that something had happened, and the atention of the police having can called t the circumstances the house was entered by them, when Mrs. Fisher was found in a state of insensibility, and although medical aid was instantly obtained, and every means used to save the woman's life, she died a few hours afterwards. The draught had not taken such a deadly effect upon the prisoner, who was removed to the hospital, and after a few days perfectly recovered from the effects of the poison, though he expressed his deep regret, as he wished to die and lie beside his wife. It was admitted that the prisoner had at one time been an inmate of a lunatic asylum, but the learned counsel for the prosecution said he had now recovered, and that there Was no foundation for the suggestion that he was not aster° of t peroirldiernauitxtedm.—adAeftaervethry able speech on the part e evidence e nature b aodf of the prisoner, contending that he was a person of very weak mind; that he was entirely under the control of his wife; and that it was at her inhtheeen chreted, heMr.h ad stigation, and not at the prisoner's, that they resolved g to destroy- themselves. The jury found the prisoneruilty, and the learned judge passed sentence of dee' in the usual form.