The Illustrated Usk Observer and Raglan Herald

THE NEWS BUDGET. The Cotton Trade and the Distress in Preston.-Within the past few days a downward tendency has manifested itself in the cotton trade of Preston, and it is apprehended that, from the present until next spring, there will be a decrease rather than an increase in the employment of the operatives. Two or three mills which have been worked during the whole of the cotton famine will, in a week or two, be either wholly or partially closed, and it is understood that others will be placed on the same footing. Last week a. number of operatives were thrown out of full time, and this week there has been a similar change for the worse. Horrible Death.—A terrible accident occurred to a youth named Matthew Cornish, aged eighteen years, son of a contractor and builder at the Isle of Dcgs, Poplar, who met with his death by falling into his father's lime-kiln while in the act of supplying it with a fresh supply of stone and coals. The fact of his not returning home the previous evening led his father to suspect some accident had occurred to him, and, upon examining the kiln, he found the half-censumed re- mains of his son lying on the burning fuel. So com- pletely had the fire done its work that only a portion of the body remained; the legs, arms, and head had disappeared, the benes alone being left to tell the melancholy tale. The accident, in all probability, occurred from the inhaling of carbonic acid gas while stooping over the kiln. Three Accidents on the Great Northern Railway.—On Wednesday three accidents, all of a very serious nature, and one of which is expected to terminate fatally, happened on the great Northern Railway, within a short distance of the terminus at King's-cross. The first case was that of the driver of the parliamentary train which leaves the terminus at King's-cross at half-past seven o'clock. The train, it appears, had just passed the Hornsey station, when the driver, James Ellis, who was passing round the side of the engine, was precipitate d with great force on to the line. The train was at once st pped, and the unfortunate man was picked up in a perfectly in- sensible condition, and conveyed without delay to King's-cross, and thence to the Royal Free Hospital in Gray's-inn-road. It was there found that he had sustained most severe injuries, his face being fright- fully cut and bruised, and his skull badly fractured. On application the next day at the hospital it was ascertained that the poor fellow was progressing favour- ably.-The second case was that f a boy of sixteen, who, while at work, had occasion to get under a truck attached to others which were rendered stationary by a block of wood placed under one of the wheels, when, from some unexplained cause, the train moved, and displaced the block, and two of the wheels went over the poor fellow's leg. As soon as what had happened was ascertained, the youth was picked up and con- veyed to the Royal Free Hospital, where it was found necessary to amputate the leg.—The third case was that of a man in the employ of the Great Northern, who sustained most severe injuries through the falling of a pair of shear legs. In this case, also, the sufferer was conveyed to the Boy-1 Free Hospital, and the three injured persons are all in the same wa: d. A Prison Outrage.—At Spike Island convict depot, a desperate attempt was made by one of the convicts to mortally wound a warder named Reilly. It was at a time when the prisoners underwent the weekly operation of shaving, and one of the razors in use was intrusted to this particular convict. Appa- rently contemplating the outrage which he subsequently committed, he fastened, unobserved, the half of the razor to his wrist by means of a string, and watching his opportunity as the warder was leaving the apart- ment, he crept stealthily after him, and from behind drew the razor across the right side of his throat. A wound four inches in length was inflicted, but the fortunate fact of the instrument glancing off the jaw- bone prevented its penetrating to a sufficient depth to be immediately fatal. A serious scar, however, was inflicted, and it is impossible yet to pronounce the warder's life out of danger, though hopes are enter- tained of his recovery. The convict was, of course, at -once placed in close confinement. He is said to be an old offender, and is at present undergoing a period of fifteen years' penal servitude. We have not heard any definite motive attributed to him for his daring act. Strange Presents.—The Eldorado, which has arrived from Alexandria, has brought a large collec- tion of wild animals presented to the French Govern- ment by the Kings of Siam, as well as two enormous chests full of valuable seeds and vegetables. Among the beasts are several which are said to be the first specimens of their kind that have reached Europe. These are a Thibet bear, a Camboge monkey, a Mon- golian pheasant of extraordinary size and wonderfully beautiful plumage also a miniature doe from Pegu, a magnificent Malacca tiger, a black Siamese panther, remarkable for its size and ferocity; a Burman pea- cock of singular beauty, two hooded pigeons, of which the fecundity is so extraordinary that it is expected to. make the fortune of the fancier who may be able to acclimatise them in Europe, and a black water-serpent, the bite of which is said to produce the same effect as a violent attack of apoplexy. To the above are to be added two Siamese buffaloes, which in that strange country are trained to run races, as horses are in England and France. A Cochin-Chinese State carriage completes the list of these very original presents. An Extraordinary Escape.-At the Boscas well mine, Cornwall, the other day a young man named John James was about to ascend the 120 fathom level to the 100 fathom. By some means he fell through the perpendicular slide shaft to a depth of two fathoms below the 140 fathom level, in all 22 fathoms, or 133 feet. Being at once missed a search was made for him by his comrades, who discovered him at the foot of the skip road, below the 140 fathom, insensible, and lying doubled up over an aperture, which proved not sufficiently large to admit of his body going through, and which leads to the 160 fathom level. He is now almost restored to health. Suicide of a Neglected Wife.-The Liverpool coroner held an inquiry on Friday into the death of Bridget Mamix, the wife of a cabinet-maker, residing in Poplar-lane, who destroyed herself by hanging on Thursday afternoon. About eighteen years ago Mamix deserted his wife, and consorted with another woman, by whom he has four children. His wife was so affected by this desertion that though she worked hard for many years, and tried to get her own living, her mind ultimately gave way. A short time ago he returned to his wife, and they lived occasionally on comfortable terms, though at other times Mamix behaved very cruelly, and threatened to leave her again. He used to remark that the woman he left was a silver cup compared with her (the wife), and taunted her so much at times that she again fell into a desponding state of mind, and at length committed suicide by hanging herself from a hook in the ceiling of her bedroom. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide under temporary in- sanity, but denounced the conduct of the husband as having been indirectly the cause of his wife's melan- choly end. Fall of a Building in the City.-On Friday morning, between one and two o'clock, the inhabitants of Lime-street Ward were greatly alarmed, for the second time this week, owing to being aroused from their sleep by hearing a tremendous noise similar to a clap of thunder, or some dreadfal explosion. A general turn out of the residents of Lime-street and Leaden- hall-street immediately took place, when it was found that the walls and remaining portions of the premises destroyed by fire had, owing to the high wind which prevailed at the time, been blown down. There being, as is usual after a conflagration of such magni- tude, a number of firemen left in charge of the ruins until the sufferers have made out their claims against the insurance companies interested, it was at first feared that every one of them had been killed, more especially as they were anxious to recover from the ruins some fire-proof safes, so as to enable the barnt- out persons to recover their books, in order to make out their claims. Fortunately, at the moment the men had left that part of the premises, and were examining a safe they had hauled out of the ruins. Now that the walls have fallen, it will be some time before the other safes can be recovered, as they are embedded several feet under the debris. This fire has unfortunately been attended with a far greater destruc- tion of property than was at first anticipated,, and a Mr. Strongaligar, manufacturer, who occupied a por- tion of the build in", has lost over < £ 70-3 worth of pro- perty, and unfortunately he was not insured for a single farthing. It seems a miracle that no lives were lost. Close of the Salmon Fisheries. Salmon fishing for England and Wales, except by angling, has now closed. The fence time commenced on the same day that partridges came in season-on September 1. The fishings in the estuary of the Severn have far ex- ceeded anything ever remembered by the oldest in- habitant, taking the district from the mouth of the Wye up to Tewkesbury—i.e., as far as the tide ex- tends. Above the tidal-way, owing to the low state of the river from the long drought, the fishings have not been so good. The fishing in the tidal-way is carried on by means of fixed engines (putts, and putchers), draught nets, and lave nets-small nets used at the end of poles. One occupier of putchers in the estuary took at one tide upwards of a ton weight of salmon in his putchers, and a draught net fisher took upwards of 50 fish at one draught, weighing together between 5 and 6 cwt. So plentiful were the fish that recently the skilled mechanics at some tin- works at Lydney, in Gloucestershire, all left their work to take to fishing with the lave net. The quan- tity of fish in the river, which were prevented going upwards for want of a "fresh" in the Severn, raised quite a farore of excitement along the banks of the river. The price at the water's edge at one time was as low as 4d. per lb., but this low rate soon induced a number of agents to arrive from different parts of the country, some as far off as Liverpool, when the price rose to 7d. A railway runs on each side of the river between Gloucester and Bristol—viz., the South Wales on the one side, and Midland on the other, so that fish could be conveniently dispatched to distant parts. The quantity of Severn salmon brought into Gloucester alone for many days was two tons a day. A good many fish have been destroyed by some deleterious substance from chymical works near Gloucester, which has been allowed to flow into the river. This and the extreme dryness of the season have deterred the fish from ascending upwards, but there can be no doubt about the large increase of fish in the river this year, which may fairly be attributed to the operation of the Salmon Fisheries' Act, to carry out the provisions of which an association, formed many years ago at Wor- cester, has been actively at work. Count de Paris and the Working Men.- The working men of Twickenham have presented an address to the Count and Countess of Paris, complain- ing that they had not been allowed to assist at the reception of their Royal Highnesses, and that a tri- umphal arch which they had erected had been removed by order of the vicar. His Royal Hiehness, in reply, expressed his pleasure at the kind wishes of the work- ing men of Twickenham, and was sorry that anything should have occurred to cause ill-feeling. He trusted that he should live long among them to enjoy the good wishes expressed for the happiness of himself and her Royal Highness the countess. Tremendous Haul of Fish.—One evening last week the seine of Tagummina, near Skibbereen, was shot, and so great was the number and weight of shad enclosed therein that all the men of the neighbourhood, who were collected for the purpose, could not draw in the net. Their efforts were continued for three days and three nights, but without success. In the mean- time, however, four boat loads were taken out of it by means @f baskets and other contrivances, and, in the end, they had to cut the net. On the third day the fish began to die in great numbers, to such an extent that the air for some distance along where they have been cast by the action of the waves is very disagree- ably impregnated with the odour arising from their decomposing bodies. Had the fishermen succeeded in drawing in the seine, it is thought that forty boats could not have held all the fish it contained. A 11 along the coast large quantities of shad have been seen within the past week The Knife Again.-A man named Williams was charged before Mr. Paget, at the Thames-street Police-court, with stabbing a female with a knife, under the following circumstances :-It appeared that, on Saturday afternoon, the prisoner (a seaman) met a female, Lizzy Hart, and induced her to take him to No. 6, Palmer-hill. There was another woman in the room. After he was there a short time a disturbance took place. In the course of the confusion the pri- soner took a knife out of his pocket, with which he stabbed her in the arm. The other female attempted to take the knife away, when the prisoner raised his arm, and gave her a blow with it. The prisoner ob- served that he thought the complainant was going to rob him, and that he accidentally hit her.—Com- mitted for trial. Gloomy Aspect of Affairs at Blackburn.— The prospects of the operatives at Blackburn for the coming winter appear Arery gloomy, and a recurrence of the distress for several months to come is dreaded. Already there are many cotton mills, weaving sheds, iron foundries, and other large establishments closed, in consequence of the long-continued drought, and the stoppage of the supply of water for trade purposes. The water in the canal has also become so low as to cause many of the establishments dependent on this source for-their motive power to close; and all heavy traffic on the canal is now stopped. To this has to be added the depressing fact that several of the establish. ments in the town have given notice of their intention to begin working short time. Stockport as an Assize Town.-The muni- cipality of Stockport are about to memorialise Govern- ment in favour of the removal of the Chester assizes from the ancient capital of the county to their own town. In support of this proposal, it is alleged that Stockport is the largest town in the county, and that it would be a more convenient place for the inhabi- tants of Cheshire generally. These allegations may or may not be true, but it certainly cannot be said that Stockport is a central place and if the sugges- tion for the removal of the assizes to the extreme north-eastern corner of the county is at all seriously entertained by Government, Birkenhead and the towns in the Wirral Hundred may have something to say in the matter. Fatal Omnibus Accident.—On Saturday morn- ing Dr. Lankester held an inquiry at the Middlesex Hospital, respecting the death of Mr. James Rees, who was killed by being pitched off the top of an omnibus.—Mr. Sydney Garrett, 43, Great Wild-street, said that on Sunday evening last, between eight and nine o'clock, he was walking with his wife down the Marylebone-road. He saw an omnibus standing at Gloucester-place, setting down passengers. It then went on, and witness's wife called out, Oh dear, look at that!" She saw the deceased turn a somersault, and fall from the top of the omnibus on to the ground. Witness saw the deceased lying on the ground. He ran after the omnibus, and called out Stop ¡¡,10n t you see what you have done ?" The conductor came back. He said that he heard some money drop, and something touched his shoulder, but he did not see anything. It was rather dark at the time. Witness carried the deceased to the hospital in a cab.—Mr. Fergusson, house surgeon, proved that the cleceased's, spine was fractured by the fall. His head was cut open. He died almost immediately.—The coroner ad- journed the inquiry for the attendance of some of the passengers by the omnibus. Frightful Death by Machinery.—An inquiry was held by Mr. Richards, deputy coroner, at the White Lion Tavern, King-street, St. George's-in-the- East, last week, respecting the death of Daniel Kearney, aged fifty-two years, who was crushed to pieces by a steam-engine. P. Kearney, 8, King-street, the son of the deceased, said that his father was em- ployed at the Eagle Wharf Granary, Wapping, a build- ing six storeys high. It appears that a painter was being drawn up outside the building by means of ropes to the top storey. Deceased had to make fast the end of the rope to a wooden beam, but in throwing it he pitched it over the iron shaft of the steam engine. He called out, Stop the engine and seized the rope to cut it. He was instantly whirled around the shaft, and he was bound fast and crushed to it by the rope, which coiled around his body twenty times. His fingers were cut off, and sent flying about the room. The engineer called out, "He is killed," and stopped the machinery as soon as possible. Deceased was removed apparently quite dead. The people said, He is gone," but he then shook his head, and said to them, "Stop my son crying. Tell Dora I am all right." He then died. Dr. Wood said that deceased was in a manner crushed to pieces, one of his arms being broken in four places, his ribs being crushed in, and all his fingers torn off. The jury returned a verdict of Accidental death." 1tfysterious Occurrence.—A shock of "n earth- quake was distinctly felt in the neighbourhood of Hankelow, Cheshire, last week, the inhabitants feeling it so distinctly as to be shaken in their beds. On the following morning a farm servant, passing with some horses, heard a noise in a small plantation, and, in going to the place from whence it proceeded, he dis- covered a large volume of water issuing from an orifice in the ground in a spot where there had never been water before. The opening was twelve or fourteen inches in diameter, and the water spurted out to about six inches from the grotmc and ran into an adjoining uvulet, which, inconsequence of the grea" drought, had been dry for some time. The water still, on, tinues running. Attempted Suicide.—William Davis, described as "a waiter-no home," was charged before,, Mr. Tyrwhitt, at Marlborough-street, with attempting to commit suicide at the Long Water, Kensington- gardens. In the prisoner's possession three phials- each having contained laudanum-were found. Park constable 44 said that prisoner jumped into the Long Water of Kensington-gardens and attempted to drown himself. He dragged the prisoner out after he had gone under the water by means of the drags, and took him to the receiving house, and on searching him he found in his possession three bottles, each of which had contained, according to the prisoner's statement, a pennyworth of laudanum, which he had purchased at different chemist's shops, and taken. The prisoner said he had been driven to attempt to destroy his life through starvation, and that he had no home. In answer to the magistrate, the police-constable said the prisoner was afterwards taken to St. George's work- house. The prisoner said he had no home, nothing to eat, and no money. Mr. Tyrwhitt said the prisoner should have applied to the parish if he was in want. He would remand him for a week, when no doubt he would be in a better frame of mind. The prisoner, who seemed very dejected, was remanded. Suicide by a Lady.—On Saturday last a most determined act of self-destruction was committed on the Bristol and Exeter Railway, near the Taunton station, by a married lady. The particulars, so far as they have yet transpired, are as follows:—The de- ceased was named Mary Spooner, and was about thirty-five years of age. She had been on a visit of some duration to her relatives in Taunton, accompa- nied by her husband, who is an accountant, residing in London. On Saturday morning, about ten o'clock, they left home together for the purpose of going to market. Having reached the town, Mrs. Spooner said they left home together for the purpose of going to market. Having reached the town, Mrs. Spooner said she could not go to market, but would go and see her aunt, who resided near the railway station. She accordingly left her husband, and proceeded in the direction of her aunt's, but instead of going there she went to a foot-bridge which crosses the railway about a quarter of a mile from the station, and was observed to stand there more than ten minutes. On the approach of the train from Exeter, due at Taunton at 11.10, she crossed the line, took off her bonnet and some other articles of dress, and deliberately walked on to the line. In a moment the train came along nearly at its full speed, the lady bowed her head, was struck by the "guard," and instantaneously killed, a large por- tion of her face being torn away in a most frightful manner. The train was pulled up as soon as possible, and the guard ran back, but as death had already I ensued, his assistance was of no avail. The body was afterwards removed to await an inquest. Mrs. Spooner has left a large family, and it is said that after the birth of each child she has been subject to fits of nervous excitement, during which she has sud- denly, in the most unaccountable manner, and without giving the slightest intimation of her intention, left her children and her husband, and come to her friends at Taunton, being afraid to return to her children until her health was restored. Railway Accident.-A rather alarming railway accident occurred the other day at Leeds. The first, second, and third class passenger train of the Great Northern Railway Company, which left the central station, Leeds, for Bradford, at 12.10, ran into a Viest Yorkshire Company's train of empty coal wagons at Wortley Junction, near Leeds, where the West York- shire line branches off from the Great Northern, and runs towards Ardsley and Wakefield. The passenger train consisted of five carriages, and the shock was so great as to injure 14 of the passengers more or less seriously. The partitions in two of the carriages were broken, and the Great Northern engine lost its buffer plank, but the West Yorkshire engine and train were so little damaged that they proceeded to their desti- nation. The injuries of the passengers consisted principally of contusions in the face or knees, and only one case was considered serious. That was a young woman, named Mary Addey, who had come from Beverley to pay a visit to her mother, whose name is Wilson, living at Stanningley. She was taken in an insensible state to the Leeds Infirmary, but the real nature of her ailment could not be immediately ascer- tained. She had only lately given birth to a child. She and all the other sufferers were attended most promptly by Mr. G. Bulmer, surgeon to the Great Northern Company, and Mr. Samuel Smith. All except the woman in question were without much delay able to proceed to their own homes. The enginemen and stoekers of the two eiag-ines were not at all hurt. The accident is alleged to have occurred through the negligence of the driver of the passenger train. Death on the Treadmill. -On Monday after- noon Dr. Lankester held an inquiry at the House of Correction, Coldbath-fields, touching the death of George Williams, a black man, aged fifty-seven, who had been sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment for an assault. Annette Williams, who said she was the wife of the deceased and had no home, stated that her husband was a carpenter by trade, but that they used to get a precarious living by going about selling books which she bought in Paternoster-row.. He was a run- away slave, and was a very great drinker. He some- times had palpitation of the heart, and complained of pains in the head. Henry Hymes said he was the master brushmaai of the yard, and was attending at the bottom of the wheel last Friday when deceased fell off. On going to him he heard the rattles in his throat, and he died immediately. The prisoner had to go on the wheel fifteen minutes each turn, and deceased was on his last turn when he fell off, at half- past one. The deceased did not complain to him of being ill, and he 'seemed to work at the wheel as well as any other man. He had been in the prison seven days, but he had not been put to work on the mil until the day on which he died. William Smiles, M.D., surgeon to the House of Correction, said the prisoner-was admitted last Friday week, when he complained of his heart, on which he was excused the wheel. He ordered that the prisoner should not be put on the wheel on account of his feeble heart. Con- trary to these instructions, he was placed on the wheel on Friday last. He was of opinion that the deceased died from the effects of an effusion of blood on the brain. The Coroner having summed up, the jury returned as their verdict-" That the deceased died from the effusion of blood upon the brain, and expressed their opinion that the conduct of William Davie, the warder, in not examining the relieving sheet before sending the deceased to the wheel was highly reprehensible." The Coroner said he would report the result of the inquiry to the Governor of the prison. Shocking Cruelty in a Workhouse.-The Nottingham county magistrates have been investi- gating a case against Mr. Rhodes, master of Basford Union, and a man named Bruton, doing duty as assistant schoolmaster, who were charged with ill- using and beating one of the paupers, a boy about ten years of age, named Fletcher. The boy stated that on Saturday morning he was ordered to assist in making the beds, but refused to do so in conse- quence of there being only two boys to help him in- stead of four. Mr. Rhodes was called, and the boy having again refused to do the work, he commenced beating him with a thick stick about the head until he could scarcely move, Bruton holding him meanwhile. He managed to crawl away to the police-station, how- ever, from whence he was taken before a magistrate. Inspector Vaux deposed that the lad's back presented such a spectacle as he had never before seen. It was one mass of blood, weals, and bruises. His head also bled from a severe wound. In defence it was con- tended that the boy was very disobedient and morose. The beating was not denied. The magistrates con- victed Rhodes in a penalty of M5, and said the Board of Guardians ought to take cognisance of the convic- tion. Bruton was discharged. Determined Suicide at Newcastle.-A melan- choly case of suicide was on Thursday night the subject of a coroner's inquest in Newcastle. The author of the rash act was William Keith Murray, a young man about twenty-seven years of age; and what adds to the painfulness of the affair is the respectable position occupied by the deceased, Sir P. K. Murray, Bart., of Oehtertyre, Perthshire, and who was present at the inquiry, being his brother. The unfortunate gentleman was an officer in the 60th Rifles, but had latterly been undergoing a course of instruction at the works of Messrs. Palmer, ship- builders, at Jarrow. On Tuesday evening he visited the billiard-rooms attached to the Central Exchange Hotel, Newcastle, and while there called for a glass of gin, with which he mixed some prussic acid, which he carried in a small bottle in his pocket, and, swallowing the fatal draught, he soon manifested symptoms of illness. He was promptly removed to the infirmary, but it was found impossible to counteract the effect of the poison, and the poor fellow died in about twenty minutes after his admission into that institution. By those with whom he had come closely into contact Mr Murray was described as of a strange and reserved disposition, but as to the motive which prompted him to commit the unhappy deed no evidence was adduced. An open verdict was accordingly returned. Extraordinary Scene in the Streets.-George Smith and John Murphy, two hulking lads, were charged a,t the Marlborough-street Poiice-court with behaving in a disorderly manner in Wardour-street. Fisher, 334 A, said that about nine o'clock on Friday night he saw the two prisoners quite naked running in Wardour-street, pursued by about two hundred persons. He took the prisoners into custody.—Mr. Knox inquired whether the prisoners were sober and quite naked, and the constable said they were both sober, and only had a piece of rag tied round each of their loins.-Harry James Bristow, the gate porter at St. James's Workhouse, said he was called on Friday evening to the gate, and told that tramps were tearing up their clothes. He went to the police station to ask what he was to do, and while there the prisoners were brought in.—Mr. Knox inquired whether they had applied to be admitted ?—Bristow could not say. He had admitted twenty-six persons to the casual ward. Every night a number of tramps were in the habit of coming and lying outside the workhouse, and amusing themselves by singing indecent songs.— Mr, Knox said it was absurd to suppose that two great hulking fellows like the prisoners could be per- mitted to run naked through the streets. Ha should order them to find one bail each for £ 5 for one month. Weston's Retreat.-A charge was brought at the Marylebone Police-court against Mr. Kent, of 21, Highgate-road, better known as Weston's Retreat. The gravaman of the charge which he had to answer was That he did procure and produce, or make use of a certificate, the matters or things therein certified, or some of them, being false; and particularly that he, the said William James Kent, was the real resident, holder, and occupier of the dwelling-house and pre- mises in Highgate-road (some other person being, in fact, the holder and occupier thereof), and that he did make use of the certificate for the purpose of obtain- ing a licence for the sale of ale, beer, and porter, on the said premises, knowing the said matters, or some of them to be false." Mr. Gordon, solicitor, who ap- peared for Mr. Copestake, said Mr. Kent had agreed to leave the Retreat, and therefore Mr. Copestake, who had taken out the summons, wished to stay all further proceedings. This was acceded to by Mr. Mansfield, and the summons was withdrawn. The Royal Busts. — The Edinburgh Council Chamber was open last week for the exhibition of the marble busts of the Queen and the late Prince Consort, presented to the city by the Lord Provost. That of the Queen, by Mr. Noble, represents her Majesty at a comparatively youthful period. The countenance is animated, and the expression highly pleasing; and the bust is at once a beautiful work of art and a highly satisfactory likeness. The bust of the Prince Consort, by Mr. Theed, is also an admirable likeness, and re- presents the lamented Prince in the very prime of life, just as he was taken away. The countenance is calm, thoughtful, and dignified, and the head bears the im- press at once of wisdom and benevolence. One cir- cumstance which must in the minds of everybody add to the value of the gift is that the esteemed donor was honoured by the gracious intimation of her Majesty's pleasure in the choice of the bust, and that, acting upon that intimation, the artists above-named were commissioned to execute copies of works which had already received the Royal approval. Distressing Accident.-On Friday afternoon an accident occurred at Herne Bay, by which a child belonging to Mr. Surtees, M.P., was killed. Mrs. Surtees sustained very serious if not fatal injuries, and Mr. Surtees himself was severely bruised and shaken. It appears that Mr. Sartees has been staying some time at Broomfield-house, Herne, and on Friday after- noon he started for a drive in a pony phaeton to Herne Bay, accompanied by Mrs. Surtees and the child, with a footman in attendance. When between the turnpike gate and the King's Head public-house the pony shied and ran into an adjoining field, upsetting the vehicle, and throwing the occupants into the road. Both Mrs. Surtees and the child were taken up in a state of in- sensibility, the former having pitched heavily on her head. The child, though not dead, did not long survive. Every assistance was rendered to the sufferers, who were removed to Broomfieid-house. The precise nature of Mrs. Surtees' wounds is not known, but it is feared that they include fracture of the skull and total destruction of the sight of one eye. A "SToungr Hero.—We have pleasure in recording- an act of exemplary courage and generosity by a young gentleman, a native of Dublin, as we find it related with warm and deserved expressions of admiration in the Vigie, a Dieppe journal, of the 30th of August. The lad, only 14 years of age, who gallantly rescued the child from drowning, was Master Isaac D'01ier Lees, second son of the late Dr. Catlicart Lees, of Fitzwilliam-square. Yesterday," says La Vigie, at four in the afternoon, a boy named Nothias, who was looking at the fishermen on the pier, fell into the Daquesne basin, where the water is deep. Listening only to the voice of pity, another child, aged 14, Isaac D'Olier Lees, native of Dublin, threw aside his fishing rod and sprang resolutely into the water from a height of thirty feet. The child was nearly exhausted when the generous boy succeeded, not wibhout much effort, in holding him up in the water till they wore both taken into a boat. This noble act was performed in the presence of an enthusiastic crowd. What adds greater honour to the young hero is that the wall was quite smooth, and there was nothing to hold by." The Mayor of Dieppe has announced his intention* to present a silver medal to Master Lses, who certainly well merits that distinction. Funeral of Sir John Katcliff.—The late Sir John Eatcliff has been buried in the buryir.g-ground attached to Edgbaston old church, where a new vault had been constructed for the reception of his remains. An enormous crowd of people assembled in the neigh- bourhood shortly before noon on Sunday, which was the hour fixed for the interment, and remained until the melancholy ceremony was ended. The procession, which comprised, in addition to the hearse, eight mourning coaches and five private carriages, left Wyddrington at about one o'clock, and proceeded slowly to the church. After the service many persons who had known and respected Sir John during his lifetime crowded round the grave to take a last look at the coffin. Remarkable Escape from Drowning.—On Sunday evening, about nine o'clock, a servant girl of Mr. Forth's, photographer, Bridlington Quay, and another servant girl, living at the Quay, being on the south pier, and looking at the lights of the numerous vessels in the bay, Mr. Forth's servant somehow missed her footing and fell into the harbour. While in the act of falling she caught hold of the shawl of her companion and dragged her also into the water, which was deep. Their cries luckily attracted the attention of the captain of a vessel moored near the spot, who with great presence of mind instantly dashed into the water, and, being a good swimmer, succeeded in reaching them, and conveyed them to the pier steps.