Glasgow Courier. — 1846-12-26 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

LONDON-MURDER AND SUPPOSED SUICIDE.  Between the hours of ten and eleven on Monday, two boys, who obtain a living by dredging along the water side, whilst passing ' along the bed of the river nearly opposite to Waterloo dock, found a human body firmly imbedded in the mud; on towing it near i hey discovered that it was the body of a female, with a child Cid round her waist by means of a piece of rope yarn. The arms of time woman were both pressed round the neck of the child, leaving one to suppose that in the agonies of death she was firmly press_ i lg. the little innocent to her breast. The two bodies were immediately iemovel to the vaults of St. John's Church, in Waterloo Road, where a more minute examination was made. It was there &rind th.,t the chill was of the wale sex,appareutly about fourteen month+ old; the feinele seemed to be between XI and 30 years of age. The latter was dreofed in an old black stuff gown, black inuckitii,N, and side-lace-up bouts. The rest of the apparel appeared very old and ragged. The child, a fine-looking boy, wore (Wall appearance) a black frock, long worsted socks and calico under-clothing. The dress of the two denoted extreme poverty. The bodies of the unfortunate woman and child were on Tuesday morning identified by a sister-in-law of the deceased woman; their names are Hannah Reid, aged $2; and William Reid, a remarkably handsome child, aged 11 months. The female was unmarried, and for a length of time had no settled residence. She had been in a state of the greatest poverty and destitution. There is every reason to suppose that it was an act of self-destruction on the part of the woman, and It is also thought that she did not precipitate herself and child from any of the bridges, but went into the river from on, of the wharfs in the Belvidere Road. From the appearance of the bodies, it is linagined they could not have been in the water more than six or seven hours at the time they were discovered. • •  The Weather.—Frost continues to prevail, with occasional slight relaxations not materially affecting the temperature, which has been throughout of the most wintry character during the last few days. .  _ The Glaagow Skating Club meet to-day, on their pond at Petershill, at 12 o'clock.  Glavow Share List—Yesterday being Christmas no share liBt was published.  Christmas.—Yesterday being Christmas-day, the whole of the banks and public offices were closed as usual, and divine service was performed in the various Episcopal places of worship throughout the city. The Linlithgow and Stirlingshire fox-hounds meet on Saturday, Dec 26, at Cathlaw Gate; on Monday, at Dunipace Bridge; on Tuesday, at Armadale Toll Bar; on Thursday, at Kinneal House; on Saturday, 2d January, at Bathgate Toll Bar—each (lay at half-past ten o'clock. The Ayrshire fox-hounds meet, on Saturday the 26th, at Rosemount.  Melancholy Accident.—On Wednesday last, the wife of a labourer, of the name of Peter Flyn, residing in Union Street, Perth, had occasion to go out for a short time, cud left a girl of about five years of age sitting in a child's arm-chair, before the fire. On her return, after an absence of less than ten minutes, she found the child still in the same position, but with every particle of its clothes burnt off—a blackened corpse! Narrow Escape.—About 12 o'clock on Friday evening week, one of the most miraculous escapes occurred on the Ardrossan line of railway which has ever been known in this neighbourhood. The Londonderry steamer, which was due on the morning, did not arrive till a late hour in the evening, and the passengers had to be conveyed to Glasgow Iby a special tram. On the signal given by the engineer, I two gates have to be opened at the crossing on Raise Street. I The keeper, not expecting it to pass through, went away and left the gates closed, when the train came up and carried off gates and posts. The crash, which resembled thunder, did not in the least discompose the passengers. Happily no lives were lost, nor was any one bruised. All went away merry, u if uuthing had bappened,—Nihnarnook ,