Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1859-12-03 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

FEARFUL MURDER.— On Saturday evening, slier:ly after eight o'clock, the quiet village of North Nibley, near Parsley. I iloueestershire, was thrown into a great state of excitement, by the fact becoming known that a 3oung man, named John Sheppard, had murdered a young woman, named Mary Smitham. It aprars that Sheppard had for some time been in the County of Gloucester police force ; from that force he joined the Monmouth force, which he left about three months no, and went to reside at North Nibley. For some taw, he had kept cotnpany with his victim, and on Saturdy had some words with her about another young man, who resided close by. The poor girl said she wished to have no more to do with him. and they parted. She then went home. :shortly after eight o'clock the prisoner managed to get into the garden, and seeinr, the girl throtigh the window, levelled a gun and sriot her dead. At the time the !occurrence took place the tleceased wus standing at a table ironing her father's shirt. She saw prismer outside the window and pushed the curtain aside, exelaiming, " You are come, then, are you ?” No sooner were the words said than she fell a corpse. filer father and mother were sitting each side the tire at the time. Immediately the gun u, DR fired the father went out into the garden, but the murderer had made his escape —[The murderer afterwards shot himself, and died during the time the ingu,st was being held on the body of his unfortunate victim  .MIRACULOUS RESTORATION OF SPEECII To A DUMB MAN —A few mornings since, a man went to the liar of a publican residing in Church Street, and presented a card, which purported to show that he was born deaf and dumb, and had condoned so, and that he was in great dii tress. Perceiving that he could neither speak nor hear, the landlord obtained a slate, and thus for some tinie held a conversati 111 l with the peor " fellow in writing. the stranger by signs and gesticulations having intimated his abi.ity to do so. After a while, he had occasion to leave his customer to go up. stairs: but he bad not been absent long s, hen a dreadfill noise attracted his at and on drscending to learn the cause he found that his bull-dog, which had &en watching the stranger's singular actions, hail firm hold of the seat of honour of the dumb man, ult.', to the astonishment of the kotdloril, was miraculously restored to speech, and was swearing and bellowing for mercy, declaring that he would do thr the brute before the evening. He then slunk ntr, and nothing Was heard of him till the evening, when lie had the impudence and imprudence to intrude himself into the tap-room, where was the pot. boy, who had seen the miracle performed by the sagacious doctor, the dog, in die morning. Imagining that he had come to have his revenge on the really dumb animal, the boy loutud tho door. politely told the impostor that he had been itt filo hinise that morning, and that it was his intention to have another specimen of his vocal powers ; at the same time squaring up to hint, and delivering such manifestations of his &tic powers as to black both his eyes, draw from his nose a bountiful supply of what in ring phraseology, is termed 's claret," and exact from him the utterancc of words which implored mercy, and were the assurance that he would never come to the house any more. Ile was then liberated, and soon wade a „clean belt 91 it.— Lltiyht(iti ()Godly,  Messrs. T. and W. Smith, of St. Peter's Quay, Newcastle, have entered into a contract with the Govermnent to build three gunboats. They will be of a larger size than those built by dm same firm a short time ago.  long-rumoured feet that the Emprces Eugenie has determined to abolish crinoline, was announced On lgoliday in a quasi-official wanner 11 the lady who sign.: the " Courrier de la Mde"of the Paris Rito'c, the Viscountess de ltenneville.  In the Court of Common Pleas, on Saturday, Mrs. Wright, wife of the celebrated comedian, ob!ained a verdict for DA) 3s. 31, for necessaries supplied to her since her separation from her husband, uho was, of course, the defendant. An application for speedy execution was granted.