The Press. — 1853-07-09 (London, England)

►ttiDcnxs AA Offtncts.  A DARING BURGLARY, accompanied by an attempt to murder, was committed last week near Bristol. at the house of an aged gentleman named Williams, Four men, finding a ladder on the premises, entered the house by an upper window, and found their way to the old man's bedroom. One of them, who had his face covered with a mask, jumped on the bed, seised Mr. Williams, gagged his mouth, and threatened to murder him if he did not at once disclose where his property was, or made the slightest disturbance. The others began rifling the house, searching every spot where they thought it likely property of any kind might be concealed, and succeeded in possessing themselves of a gold watch worth twenty guineas and some money. Meanwhile the man with the mask stood over Mr. Williams and beat him several times with his fist on the face and head. Upon his struggling, all four villains commenced ill-treating him, until he became insensible from their blows and violence, when they quitted the house, no doubt supposing that he was dead. As the bandage was kept over his eyes, Mr. Williams could not give a full description of the men, but he recognised four different voices, and believed that the man with the mask was a rough fellow, but the others had the appearance of gentlemen. The burglars must have gone cautiously to work, for they had removed all the bells from the fastenings to lessen the chances of alarm, and opened all the doors so as to admit of easy flight.  A FRIGHTFUL. SUICIDE was perpetrated by Mr. Frederick Cope, jun., the only son of Mr. Frederick Cope, of Chorlton, near Manchester, yesterday week. On the previous Wednesday his eldest sister was married, and amongst the guests invited was a young lady to whom the unfortunate gentleman was engaged. Since that day he had been observed to be very melancholy, and on the Friday went up into his bedroom, and shortly afterwards shot himself through the heart with a gun. A Coi.r.mtv F.xetosrox, followed by the loss of eighteen lives, occurred at Oldham on the Ist inst. There would appear to have been no neglect on the part of the men, or disorder in the ventilating system adopted in the pit, which was always considered sate and admirably worked. At three in the afternoon, however, a sudden explosion of firedamp took place, while nearly eighty persons were at work in the various shafts, and eighteen were either found dead in the workings, or have died since froni the injuries they received. A SUICIDE, with some affecting circumstances, was committed by Jane l'apson, who at the same tune destroyed the life of her illegitimate infant. The bodies of mother and child were found in the River Thames. On the police inquiring at the address written on a paper found in the woman's pocket, they learnt that she had suffered long and severely from distress. For some weeks she had lived on  el uty 9, 1853.  bread and water, and had complained bitterly of being deserted by the father of her child, a man named Metcalfe. She had pledged all her clothes for rent, after endeavouring in vain to earn a support by shirtmaking. Three letters, written in anticipation of the act afterwards committed, were found in her room. One was to the man Metealfe—in these terms :  " the time you receive this I hope to be no more. It is you that has brought me to this—you bad, wicked man. 1 know that I was greatly in fault In giving way to you, and bitterly I have had reason to repent it, which 1 do from the bottom of my heart. But had you never have promised things which you did, it would never have happened ; end then, as soon as you saw how things turned, because I would not leave my dear baby at some workhouse, nor to the mercy of the world, you thought proper to leave us to starve and die. Oh! you bad, bad, winked man, hanging is too good 14 you. Ih repent, before it is too late. I will say no more for to-night. I hope, please the Lord, to be in heaven and my baby as well, and may our blood rest upon your head, for it is you that is the reuse of it; but my kind love, for as I look for forgiveness, so do I forgive you. Farewell, farewell! -JANE PALPSON."  Two other letters were also found, written in the same incoherent 'meaner, the one to deceased's father and mother at Folkestone, and the other to a cousin at Finchley, praying that should the baby be found alive it might be taken care of; and suiting the wretched state of her mind. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict that the child was wilfully murdered by Emma Jane Papson, and that the said Emma Jane Papson did commit self destruction whilst in a state of mental derangement, brought on by destitution and want. 

Article type: Incident