The Illustrated Usk Observer and Raglan Herald

r- '> ESCAPING FRONl THE BAILIFFS. At the Central Criminal Court, on Friday, Alfred Towers, Pierre Le Rois, and William Charles Alien, three well dressed young men (the first-mentioned being the son of the lessee of the Royal Victoria Theatre), and Agnes Eliza Towers, a fashionably-attired but delicate-looking young woman, were indicted for an assault upon William Henry Herrick, an officer of the sheriff of Surrey, and on George Waller Reeves, and George Rayment, two of his assistants, while in the execution of their duty. Mr. Lilley and Mr. Rigby conducted the prose- cution Mr. F. H. Lewis, Mr. Montagu Williams, and Mr. Kemp conducted the defence. William Henry Herrick said he was one of the officers of the sheriff of Surrey. He was a servant, and not the partner of Mr. George Seal, who was also an officer of the sheriff. On the 13th of the present month he went to the Victoria Tavern, Waterloo road, to execute a writ of capias on Frank Towers, the landlord of that tavern, who knew him well, as he (witness) had arrested him before. He had with him his two assistants, George Walter Reeves, and George Rayment. He went into the bar, and knocked three times on the counter and called for some brandy and at this time, he (witness) saw Frank Towers, against whom he held the writ, sitting in the bar-parlour. On seeing witness Frank Towers got up to leave, and witness went round the bar just as Towers was on the stairs leading into the back par- lour. He said to Towers, I want you and the latter replied, What for ? Witness said, For a larger sum than the last time." He then took Towers by the arm and they went into the back parlour. Towers was in a very excited state, and witness, thinking it would be best to have a cab, directed his assistants to obtain one. Towers then threw himself in a chair, and called to his wife (the female prisoner) to give him a knife, that he might stab himself or cut his throat. The witness turned again to call his assistants, when he heard a scuffle and a shriek, and on the instant he saw Towers escaping through the window, the female prisoner having by this time seized witness by the collar -aid held him back. At the moment the other three pri- soners came into the room, followed by about a dozen other persons, and she said to them, These men have come to take Frank again." Witness then produced his staff, and the prisoner Le Rois asked him if he was a police-constable, and took the staff from him. Witness was then thrown down, and the female prisoner fell on him, holding him down. Frank Towers at that time was in the back yard, where he had fallen, and witness could have taken him if he had not been knocked down and held as he had described. There was a great con- fusion, and the whole affair did not last above a minute. He (witness) was very much bruised, and had been ill ever since. The witness described the confusion which prevailed, and stated that when the police were called on they refused to act, and in the interim Frank Towers made his escape. George Walter Reeves was next examined, and gave similar evidence, corroborating the testimony of the witness Herrick, as regarded the first part of the occurrence, and said that when Herrick directed cab to be fetched, he (witness) saw Frank Towers getting out of the window, and he caught him by the tails of his coat. Mrs. Towers caught hold of him (witness), and the tails came off the coat. She then flung witness right across the room with great force, and he fell against the table, on to which he 11 was then thrown by the other prisoners. Witness was very much hurt in the chest. Cross-examined There were no cries of "Mn for there was no murder being done. The shrieking was not continuous, it was one shriek -a good-sized one (laughter). The magistrate at the police-court did not say that he did not believe me but he was very angry with me for not telling him about the catching hold of the coat-tails when Towers stuck hisself hup at the winder." I do no. know where the tails of the coat are now. There was no one whatever on the floor. George Rayment having been examined at some length, Mr. Montagu Williams and Mr. Kemp then spoke for the defence, urging that the witnesses contradicted each other, and were unworthy of belief, and stating that it was evident that the offi- cers were afraid to follow Towers, and had taken these steps to relieve the sheriff, who had not insti- tuted these proceedings in protection of his officers. The Recorder, in summing up, said the jury were not to pay any attention to the remarks of counsel as to the responsibility of the sheriff, but confine themselves to the question really before them. Much had been said as to the variance in the statements made by the officers, but he did 'not see that they contradicted each other so very materially. The jury must recollect the whole affair was a scene of confusion which lasted only a very short time. He then pointed out to them that owing to an infor- mality in the indictment, the only question left for them to decide was, whether by their aid the pri- soners had prevented the capture of Frank Towers, leaving the question of assault undecided. The jury, after a few minutes' consultation, re- turned a verdict of" Not Guilty."

CORONER LANKESTER ON CRINOLINE. An inquiry of a painful nature was held on Friday by Dr. L master, coroner for Central Middlesex, at the White Hart Hocei, Welbeck-strect, Cavendish-square, touching the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Anne Lindsay, a widow, and the landlady of the above establishment. Hannah Haigb, a servant of the deceased, deposed that between two and three o'clock on Tuesday morning last she was awoke from a sensation of suffocation from smoke. She immediately jumped out of bed and went out on the landing, and seeing flames of fire issuing from her mistress's bed-room door, she awoke the barmaid and called the barman. The barman and herself went into the room and saw her mistress lying on the floor rolling about against the door on the carpet, with frantic efforts to Toll the carpet round her. They directly extinguished the fire as well as they could, and placed Mrs. Lindsay (fearfully burnt.) on the bed. She was quite sensible then, and told witness that the accident occurred from her cap-string catching fire. She was dressed. By the Coroner: Witness could not say whether she caught fire from her crinoline, though indications might lead one to suppose so, as her person was more burnt below and her clothes were totally destroyed to her waist.' She had crinoline on at the time. Francis Clarke, M. R C.S said he was called to attend the deceased, and did so immediately, and found a. very strong smell of burning (,n arriving at the house. He foun'i pieces of steel crinoline on the stairs, and on enter- ing her bedroom found the hapless woman lying on her bed with a sheet over her, burnt all over her body. arms, 'and legs in a dreadful manner. She was sensible, and explained how the accident occurred. She said that, while in the act of undressing, a light muslin dress which she had on caught fire from her candle. She ran out of the room, downstairs, and back again, finding slib was I unable to make anyone hear. She was so severely burnt that there was no question as to the cause of death. The burns were so extensive that in taking a ring off one of her fingers the flesh came off with it, and there was not an unburnt spot on her body scarcely the size of a shilling. The Corcner said there was an important question raised by the evidence in ihi3 case as to the cause of these burns, from which the deceased met her death. The two statements, one that her cap-string caught fire, and the other that it was her dress. seemed inconsistent. The fact that there were proofs of burns in the larder, all up the stairs, in the drawing-room, and past a door where two servants were sleeping, led to the supposition that she was confused in her statements.. There seemed to be very strong evidence that crinoline-that absurd article of .dress now worn under women's clothes—was the real cause. A fearful number of deaths from crinoline were continually taking place. He alone held two inquests in a month on women destroyed by fire from crinoline among a population of a millien souls; that would make, it may be supposed, an average of six deaths from that cause alone per month in London. Such a ratio through the whole of England made the sacrifice from crino- line very alarming, and he hoped would make some imr-ression on society- But the sacrifice did not end there; that objectionable and dangerous style of dres3 was carried into the factories. It was only the other day the wife of ac engineer was drawn into the machinery and frightfully injured. On several occasions gills bad been so destroyed or injured in fac- tories. In Austria some distinguished ladies appeared to be determined not to receive any lady who wore crino- line. -Someinnnential ladies here should set their faces against it. If women would not abandon that. dress, it was as well for him to state that crinoline could not be made anti-combustible. He had been written to on the subject by philanthropic ladies. One lady in Brighton wrote to him the other day, stating that for one shilling in the pound dresses could fee secured from inflamma- bility, Then there was another preservative from igni- tion from fire-places by the invariable use of wire tire- guards. He thought it important for juries to take the subject into their serious consideration, though it may not be clearly shown, as in this case. He made these remarks hoping they might make a beneficial impression. Steel crinoline he looked upon as the most dangerous, because not so compressible. Verdict—"Accidental death from fire."

IMPORTANT EXPERIMENTS AT SHOE- BURYNESS. A number of officers and scientific gentlemen met at the old practice ground at Shoeburyness on Thursday to witness further naval experiments. It will be remembered that the preceding week Mr. Whitworth's 12 and 74-pounders were tried at 200 yards' range, with shell, against iron plates of various thicknesses and sizes, and always with the most astonishing effect, the 74-pounder shell, with a comparatively very light charge of powder, being driven through the mass of 4-inch iron, apparently with the greatest ease. No breach, however, was made in the target so complete as to satisfy the Ordnance and Iron Plate Committee that the same astonishing effects could be obtained with a larger gun when tried at a greater range than 200 yards, and against a target constructed of the same strength as the broadside of the renowned Warrior. It was to set at rest whatever doubts existed in the minds of those who thus disbelieved in the powers of Mr. Whit- worth's gun and its flat-fronted shot and shell that the most important of these last trials were made in the presence of Lord Clyde, Sir W. Armstrong, Mr. Whitworth, the members of the Iron Piate Committee, and a very large assemblage of artillery and naval officers. The gun on this occasion was an ordnance muzzle loader, manufactured at Wool- wich on Sir. W. Armstrong's wrought iron coil principle, but with the beautiful hexagonal bore of Mr. Whitworth's mode of rifling. Its weight was 7 tons 8 cwt., its length about 12 feet, and its calibre a 120-pounder, though, in fact, capable of and quite equal to throwing shot of at least double that weight with perfect safety. It was placed on a platform at a distance of 600 yards from the section of the Warrior target, a longer range by 400 yards than any gun has hitherto been laid at Shoe- buryness to penetrate such a formidable mass of iron and teak. At a distance of 800 yards the great Horsfall or Mersey gun was also levelled at the same target. This gun, on the previous occasion, at 200 yards' range, sent its shot through the target, on the last occasion, making a huge ragged hole in the very centre of the plate, and crashing through all beyond it. The admirers of this now very old-fashioned smooth-bore gun maintained that what it had done at 200 yards it would do again with the same ease at 800. Accordingly, after the Whitworth experiments were over, this huge and most unwieldy piece of ordnance (its weight is no less than 24 tons) was tried at the same mark, but, as will be seen, with very different and most unsatisfactory results. The target aimed at on this occasion was a built- up section representing the Warrior's side. It was a new target, specially made for these experiments, 21 feet long by 15 high, with 41 inch iron plates, 18 inches of teak beams laid transversely, and an inner sk n of iron 5ths of an inch thick, supported by massive upright angle irons, at intervals of 18 inches apart. Some few 11 shots were first fired from the Whitworth with low charges, at a wooden target, to get the range, though even these were not. without interest, as illustrating the wonderful precision with which it threw its projectiles. The first experimental shot was fired with a charge of 231b. of powder and a solid hexagonal shot weighing 1291b., the piece being laid at half a degree of elevation. It struck the left centre of the target within an inch almost of the white spot at which it was aimed, and at the instant of the tremendous concussion of the metals, a bright sheet of flame was emitted, almost as if a gun had been fired from the target in reply. This shot passed completely through the armour plate, shattering the teak beyond into minute splinters, and fell full upon one of the massive vertical angle lines we have mentioned, which it tore in half as if it had been paper, sending its screw bolts and rivets in all directions. The shot, however, did not pass through the target, but remained buried in the teak with its flat. head resting against the broken angle iron. But the fracture it made was much worse than a mere penetration. It was a smash, not a bole, and the inner skin of the ship was bulged and torn wide in many places, so that in the case of an actual vessel such a shot striking on the water line would have made a leak which nothing could have stopped. As regarded the effect of those flat- fronted shot on iron ships, the experiment was con- clusive. Such a missile against a wooden ship would have gone through both sides, making a clean hole and doing little damage, but the iron, without protecting, ottered only sufficient resistance to make the fracture, if below the water line, an irremediable mischief. The next experiment was with a live shell loaded with 31b. 8oz. of powder.. The total weight of this projectile was 13 lib., and it was fired at the same range and elevation with a 251b. charge of powder. The effect of this shot astounded every one. The previous solid shot, at 600 yards, was for Whitworth nothing very extra- ordinary, but to get a shell through the target at the same range was regarded as almost an impos- sibility. Yet the shell went completely through everything, bursting apparently when it encountered the last resistance of the inner skin, which the ex- plosion blew completely away, lighting for a moment the timbers at the back which supported the target, and sending the bits of shell onward and over what, had it been the Warrior, would have been her main- deck, and therefore right in the midst-of her crew. Than this experiment nothing could possibly have been more conclusive. Not only was the armour- plate pierced, but the piece opposed to the actual stroke of the flat-headed shell was driven through .teak and inner lining, and, in truth, became another shot of some 30lb. weight. In fact. this last shell might have destroyed the whole of one side of the target had the shell been only capable of containing an adequate burning charge- say 101b. or 121b. of powder. This latter most im- portant requisite, however, the Whitworth shell, from its peculiar construction, is as yet unable to accomplish, and until it is brought about nearly all the advantages gained by its enormous powers of penetration will be comparatively lost against iron frigates. Once, however, that the shell is made to hold a powerful charge of 101b. of fine powder, iron vessels will probably become almost as much at the mercy of these ordnance as wooden ones now are to the terrible shells of Armstrong.

Catherine Wilson, aged 40, a good-looking woman, described as a widow, was indicted at the Central Criminal Court, on Thursday, for the wilful murder of j Maria Soiines. Mr. J. Clerk and Mr. Beasley conducted the prosecu- tion, instructed by Mr. Pollard, the assistant solicitor to the Treasury; Mr. Oppenheim, Mr. Montagu Williams, and Mr. Warton, were counsel for the prisoner. This charge was one of a very extraordinary character. The prisoner was tried in this court a few sessions back for the offence of attempting to commit murder by poison, but upon that occasion she was acquitted. In conse- quence, however, of certain facts that became known the Government felt it their duty to direct, further proceed- ings to be taken, and the result has been t.h t the pri- soner now stands committed upon two charges of wilful murder by poison. The prisoner was seated in the dock during the trial, and she appeared to listen to the evi- dence of the various witnesses who were examined with deep interest and anxiety. Mr. Clerk, in opening the case for the prosecution, said the case was one that, would peculiarly demand the must serious consideration of the jury, because the offence was alleged to have been committed several years ago, namely, in the month of October, 1856. The learned counsel then proceeded to give an outline of the evid- nee he proposed to briftg forward in support of the charge. The following witnesses were then examined. Mr. S. W. Barnes said I am the half-brother of the deceased, and reside at Holloway. The deceased was a widow, and resided at No. 27, Alfred-street, Bedford- square, and she died on the 18th of October, 1856. I saw her at my house on the 15th of October, in the after- noon. She was then perfectly well, and had her dinner with my family. Her health was generally very good. She borrowed X9 of me, and I think I gave it her in gold. I had paid her some more money a short time before this for a legacy. I saw her again on Friday, the 17th of October, about half-past nine in the evening. She was in bed, and complaiaed of great pain and sick- ness. I remained with her nearly an hour, and when I left, she was in the same state. I saw the prisoner in the bed-room of the deceased at this time, and she appeared to be attending upon my sister. I was sent for again on the following morning, and informed that my sister was dead. I went to her house, but I cannot recollect whether I saw the prisoner. A coroner's inquest was held on the following Monday or Tuesday, at my instance. I remember a letter being received on the Monday, It was given to me by Miss Rowe. The letter was put ia and read. It was as follows, but bore neither date nor address, nor iname:- Dear Maria,—I hope you was not very hurt at my not being at home on Friday. I was surprised to hear a lady in black wanted me. I can't let you have the £80 now, but if you will let me have ten more., i will by next Monday come into the corner—don't say anything of what you are going to do 10 any body—send me word if you was not well after you got home on Wednesday, as you was unhappy in the afternoon-direct this letter as the first used to be for the old postman found fault in the.street-be cheerful and.conie on Wednesday—i will be there —write by return. Your, Mrs. Anne Naacke said: I am the eldest daughter of the deceased, and at the time of her death I and another sister lived with her. I remember the prisoner coming to lodge at my mother's house, No. 27, Alfred-street. It was about Christmas, 1855. She occupied the first floor, unfurnished, and a man named Dixon came with ber whom sh" represented to be her brother; and they each occupied one of the rooms on the first floor. A Mr. Stevenson and his wife lodged on the second floor. The prisoner became very intimate with my mother soon after she came, and my mother frequently went to her room. I recollect my mother going to see her brother on Wednesday, the 15th of October. She came home between four and five o'clock, and we all had tea together, and my mother appeared quite well. The prisoner came in while we were at tea, and told my mother that she wanted to speak to her, and she went up to her room. I did not notice any sickness or illness in my mother before I went to bed; but at six o'clock the nex' morning she came to mo, and said she was very ill with a bilious attack, and she must go to bed again, and she did so. I SIlW her soon afterwards, and she was very sick, and com- plained of great pain in her chest, and she vomited while I was in the room. During the Thursday I saw the prisoner in my mother's bed-room, and in my presence she gave something to drink to my mother, but she did not tell me it was brandy and egg. My mother continued very ill during the whole of the Thursday, and I pro- posed to her to sit up with her, but I did not do so. On Friday morning, the 17th my mother was still very ill, and always complained of the Stckue s and pain in her chest, and she vomited every ten minutes or quarter of an hour, and appeared to be getting weaker. Dr. Whidborne was a cut for during the day, and some medicine came to the house for my mother, and I saw the prisoner give her a portion of the medicine, and she then took the medicine bottle away with her; and she did so every time she administered the medicine. My mother did not appear to be getting any better of the sickness and pain until just before her desth. I sat up with her on the Friday night, and she died about five o'clock in the morning. About an hour before this my muther said she felt, better, and the prisoner said it was time to take her medicine again, and she gave her some. My mother was very ill and in great pain immediately, and said she would not take any more of the medicine, and the pri- soner said she must do so, and that it would do her good. I went for the doctor, and when I returned my mother appeared very much worse and in violent agony, and she diedin about half anhour. Alady named Miss Emma Rowe lodged at the" other house, and she came in just after my mother died. Soon after the funeral the pri- soner told me that my mother had borrowed £ 1 0 of her, and I told her I was surprised at it. I had never heard of it before. The prisoner showed me a piper which she said had been written by my mother, and I believe it was her handwriting. It was a promise to pay the bearer £ 10. I and my uncle afterwards paicl the prisoner that sum. My mother always paid her bills regularly, but at the time of her death the bills were a few weeks in ar- rear. I had never heard anything about my mother going to be married again.. Sarah Soames, a sister of the last witness, corroborated the above evidence in some particulars, as did also the next witness, Miss Emma Rowe. Several other witnesses having been examined, Mr. G. Whidborne, a surgeon practising in Guildford- street, Russell-square, said :—I attended the deceased on Friday, th& 17th of October, and found her suffering from great sickness and pain in the bowels there were also spasms and great restlessness. I heard that she had vomited, and there had been a great deal of purging before I came. The deceased looked very dejected, and in consequence of the state I found her in I inquired what she had taken, and she said she had taken some pork pie, which she supposed might have disagreed with her. The prisoner was present, and she appeared very kind to the deceased. She said the pork pie was verj' good, and she showed me the remainder of it. I prepared some medicine, which contained a mild preparation of opium, and it was sent to the deceased's house immediately. On the Friday night I remember a statement being made by the prisoner to the effect, that the deceased had got into some trouble and anxiety on account of her connection with some man she had met in an omni bus. I was at the house of the deceased at a very early hour on the Saturday morn- ing, and the deceased was then alive, but as ill as she possibly could be, and I considered that she was near her end. After the death had taken plice an application was made to me for a certificate as to the cause of death, and I refused to give one. I was afterwards examined at the inquest, and made a post-mortem examination of the body, and to the best of my recollection the mucous membrane of the stomach and bowels was inflamed, and I atttributed the death of the deceased to that inflammation. An overdose of colchicum would produce all the symptoms that ware exhibited by the deceased, namely, vomiting, purging, sickness, and pain in the chest and bowels. I was satisiied at the time that the inflammation in the stomach of the deceased had been produced by some- thing she had taken, and any vegetable irritant pcison would have produced all these appearances; and colchi- cum, if administered in brandy and egg, or brandy and water, would certainly have done so. I also have no doubt that such a poison might pass out of the system without leaving any trace. On Friday the prisoner was again placed at the bar, when the following additional evidence was given:—Dr. Whidborne was cross-examined at_ great lepgth. In answer to questions put to him he said:—My impression in the first instance was that the deceased was suffering from an attack of choleraic diarrhoea, and I administered the usual medicine for that complaint without any loss of time. When I found that it had no effect I increased the strength of my medicine, and also ordered an embro- cation and mustard plasters. The symptoms were the ordinary ones of choleraic diarrhoea. I have never known of a case where persons attacked with choleraic diarrhoea, or English cholera, have died within forty-eight or fifty hours. To the best of my belief the administration of an irritant poison would be likely-to produce an appearance of anxiety and dejection in the person who had taken it. The time that elapsed between the death and the post- mortem examination would account for not discoverint; anv vegetable poison in the body. Considering the state I of the patient, her previous good health, and the other cir- cumstances, and the suddenness of the death, I cannot acnount fo4r it bv natural means. Dr. Alfred Swavne Taylor, the eminent professor of medical jurisprudence at Guy's Hospital, was next ex- amined. He said: I have for a great many years paid much attention to the subject of poisons, and I am of opinion that after a body had been buried five years it would be impossible to find any trace of vegetable poison. I also believe that if such a poison was administered in a fluid state it would not be discoverable five days after death. Vomiting and retching are symptoms of English cholera, and sometimes they are accompanied by purg- ing. I never heard or read of death occurring from English cholera in forty-eight or fifty hours. Dis- tortion of the features and clenching of the hands are not. usual symptoms after death in cases of English chtlera.- Cross-examined; I made a post-mortem examination of the remains of the deceased after they were exhumed inJulvlast. 1 found no trace of any poison whatever The cholera disease of 1854-55 was a peculiar malady, and combined the symptoms of Asiatic and English cholera, but the latter disease was ceitainly rendered much more malignant. In the case where a vegetable irritant poison has been administered, the pain generally continues until the last moment, and when once the noison is absorbed by the blood it is impossible to expel it. Some vegetable poisons would, after this, leave a trace in the blood, but that is not so with colchicum, which never has been discovered after a certain period has elapsed. Dr. Nunnelev was the next witness—He said: I am a felJow of the Royal College of Physicians, practising at Leeds. I have paid great attention to cases of poisoning, and having heard the evidence of Dr. Taylor, I agree with him in the opinion be has given in reference to this case Elizabeth Hill said In the year 1855 I lived with the prisoner as her servant at Boston, and I accompanied her to London and went to live with her at Mrs. Soames's. At, Christmas, 1855, the prisoner was in want of money, and she sent me to borrow a sovereign of Mrs. Soames, but she could only let her have half a sovereign. The prisoner also pawned some of her things about the same time, and she likewise endeavoured to borrow some monev from a loan society. This cloied the case for the prosecution, and the court was adjouraed for a short time. Mr. Opp-nheim then proceeded to address the jury on behalf of the prisoner. The jury would not, he was sure, forget in the outset that the death of the deceased took place six years back, and that there was a full inquiry at that period when all the facts were fresh in the recollec- tion of the witnesses, and that the coroner's jury had ex- onerated the prisoner from any guilt in the transaction. After a long interval it had been thought advisable that tha body should be exhumed, and the feelings of the family had been harrowed by being again com- pelled to come forward and give their evidence, but he submitted that the evidence given after so long a period could not be implicitly relied upon, and that it was not entitled to so much weight as that which was given originally, and they ought to pause long before they re- turned a verdict the effect of which would be to consign the prisoner to an ignominious death upon evidence that was so given. He then proceeded to comment upon the other facts that had been given in evidence, and he con- cluded a very able speech by stating that, altho-igh there might be some suspicion against the prisoner, still that the evidence was not at all conclusive, and that the prisoner was therefore entitled to an acquittal. The learned judge postponed the summing up until the following morning.

Loss and Supposed Robbery of £ 25,000. — On Friday information was forwaraed to the different police stations that a gentleman, in passing through the City, had either lost or been plundered of his pocket-book, containing 25 Peruvian scrip certificates, each for Ail.000 paid in full. and other valuables. The scrip is numbered C 305 to 329 inclusive, and their payment has been stopped at Haywood and Kennard's, the agents of the Peruvian Government. A large reward is offered. Two Dead Infants Found in Hyde Park. —Mr. Langham, the deputy coroner for Westminster, held an inquest at St. George's Vestry-room, M-aint- strcet, Grosvenor-square, on Friday evening, touching the death of two female infants found in Hyde Park on Tuesday morning last. John Carter, a labourer, residing at 50, Grosvenor-mewi, said that, on Tuesday' morning, a few minutes past 8, he was passing at the back ot the Queen's Lodge, opposite the Exhibition, liyde I ark, when be discovered a parcel wrapped round with black cloth. He opened it,, and found it contained the bodies of two children. He called the park-keepers attention to it. Henry Martin said he was called by the last witness to the parcel containing the bodies of two children. They were wrapped in a child's bedgown, and a piece of black. cloth enveloped the whole. There were no marks on the bedgown, or anything calculated to throw light on the matter: William Bloxam, 21, Mount-street, Grosvenor- square, surgeon, said on Tuesday morning he exandned the bodies of the two children in the dead-house of St. George's Workhouse, They were much decomposed, and be was unable to say whether they were born alive or not. He thought they were twins. The Coroner, in summing up, observed that this was one of those cases, unfortunately too common, in which no light, could be obtained, and it only remained for the jury to return an open verdict. The Jury returned a verdict of v Found Dead." -e

SUICIDE OF MR. COHEN. We have to record, says the Sheffield Independent the death, by suicide, of Mr. Ben Cohen, of High- street, jeweller, who, our readers will recollect, was arrested on Wednesday last on a charge of feloni- ously receiving gold and silver watches, stolen from Mr. Raynor, of Swansea, jeweller, nearly five years ago. The premises of Mr. William Reuben Raynor were entered by burglars during the night of the 11th December, 1857, and watches and jewellery taken away to the value of £1,200, the loss compel- ling Mr. Raynor to give up his business. No clue could be obtained to the stolen property until about ten days ago, when information reached the Sheffield police that several of the watches were. in the possession of Mr. Cohen. The information was communicated to Mr. Raynor, who came over to Sheffield, and, armed with the authority of a war- rant, searched the premises of Mr. Cohen, in com- pany with detective officer Brayshaw and Inspector J. Wood. Nineteen silver and nine gold watchas, of the value of about £200, were positively identified by Mr. Raynor as part of the stolen property, and a further number of from 50 to 60 watches were be- lieved also to have formed part of the booty, but could not be identified, being watches spnt to Mr. Raynor for repair. Mr. Cohen was apprehended, and was taken before Mr. Dunn at noon on Thurs- day, on the charge of being in illegal possession of the 28 watches identified. The case was adjourned to give the prosecution an opportunity of completing their case. Mr. Cohen appeared in a greatly excited state, and at the intercession of his advocate, Mr. Broa,dbent, Mr. Dunn agreed to release him on bail to the amount of £500, secured by two sureties, as well as the prisoner's own recognisances. Mr. Cohen remained in custody until Friday evening, when substantial bail being tendered, he was re- leased and returned home. His excitement had greatly increased during his detention. He fre- quently said it was utterly impossible he could out- live the prosecution, and we are informed that from the time of reaching home he was confined to his bed, and persistently refused to take any food. Though he gave such emphatic expression to the opinion that he could not outlive the prosecution, and though he was evidently in a state of the greatest excitement, his friends seem not to have been under any apprehension that he would attempt to take his life. He was nevertheless closely watched. Mr. Henry Jackson, surgeon, was called in, and attended Mr. Cohen regularly. During a brief absence of his family and nurse on Tuesday morning, about seven o'clock, Mr. Cohen succeeded in possessing himself of his razor, which would appear not to have been removed from his room. With this implement he inflicted terrible gashes in the abdomen. Consider- able reserve has been maintained as to the nature Qt these wounds. We are assured, however, that the principal wound extends in great part across the ab- domen, and that there are three other gashes at right angles with it, each of a fearful kind, some of the wounds severing not only the skin and flesh of the ab- domen, but the peritonitis, or inner lining, andliterally letting out the bowels. Mr. Cohen appears to have made lio communication to his attendants, but his writhings and the profuse issue of blood quickly revealed what had taken place. Mr. Jackson was immediately sent for, and attended along with Mr. Tinsley, who was also called in. The medical gen- tlemen attended to the wounds with the utmost skill, care, and promptitude, but they were of so terrible a character, that from the first no hope was enter- tained of Mr. Cohen's recovery. He lingered, how- ever, until a few minutes before ten o'clock in the evening, when death put an end to his agony. The case is an extremely melancholy one, whether viewed in relation to the wealth and position of the deceased, or his tragic end. The case against him was necessarily much weakened by the great lapse of time, but against this was the large extent and value of the property, and the consequent necessity of giving a very clear explanation of the manner of becoming possessed of it. Mr. Cohen's explanation was that he bought the watches of a man who rore- spntorl himself ac TU- wl SwunSea, Stating that he had purposely come to Sheffield to dispose of his jewellery for Sheffield goods preparatory to going to Australia. This story received some con- firmation from the fact that the watches still bear the name of Mr. Raynor and other evidences of his ownership, which one would have thought Mr. Cohen would have removed had he suspected the honesty of the person from whom he purchased. Be that as it may, he so shrank from the ordeal of a. prosecu- tiou as to take his own life.

THREE LIVES LOST IN A WELL. On Wednesday morning a catastrophe, resulting in the death of three men, and a narrow escape of another, occurred at Rush-hill, a hamlet about two miles from Bath, and in close proximity to the Coombe Down Quarries. It seems that Mr. George Love, of Bath, having purchased some cottage property at Rush-hill,-en- gaged a Mr. Roles to sink a well for water upon it. Roles sub-let the contract to Mr. James Scott, of Widcombe, who entered upon the work about a month ago. A fortnight since evidences of foul air were apparent, and Mr. Roles advised Scott to suspend the work. He still went on, how- ever, and had reached a depth of about 60 feet, without finding water. About nine o'clock on Wednesday morning, he resumed work, and des- cended the well as usual in the presenco of an assist- ant named John Dyer, and a man named Richard Short. Before the. full extent of rope had been let out the men at the shaft felt a slackness, which caused them to think fome accident had happened but although the well was so misty that they could not see to the. bottom, they seemed to have had no suspicion of foul air. They called to Scott, but receiving -no reply, Dyer, who thought his em- ployer had had a fit, was let down, and it would appear that he also had become insensible, for no- thing more was heard of him, and Short, who was standing over the top of the well, felt so ill that he retreated and called for the assistance of the neigh- bours. Only two women were at hand, but they, finding they could do nothing, at the. well, sent off messengers in all directions for assistance. Pre- sently a mason, named Rapsay, and a man named Lambert, who were going to their work at the quar- ries, ran up, and Rapsay instantly thrust his foot into the loop of the rope, and catching it with his hand called to the others to lower him. A woman near implored him not to go down, or at least to see that the rope was properly secured round his waist _i u ur_ _» „n v_ -i first, observing, We women shall then be able to do something in drawing you up but the unfortunate fellow in his anxiety insisted upon being let down for <l the poor fellows." Before he had descended half-way he was seen to loose his hold of 'the rope, and, toppling over, to fall headlong to the bottom of the well. Lambert at once at. tached the rope to his waist, but he had only descended a short way when he felt. the air so oppressive that he made signals, and was drawn back just in time, being very nearly insensible when he reached the surface. Water and fire were then thrown down for the purpose of making the well accessible, and every five minutes the condition of the aperture was tested by lighted candles, but it was not until after 12 o'clock that it was found safe to venture down. An old well-sinker named William Wilcox, assisted by a man named Burchell, then descended, and succeeded in raising the bodies of the three unfortunate men to the surface. Sheets hav- ing been procured from the adjoining cottages, the bodies were wrapped in them and conveyed in a cart, amidst a crowd of solemn spectators, to the Red Lion Inn, Odd Down, to await the coroner's inquest. Scott was a widower, about fifty years of age, and has left several children, some of whom, however, are married. Dyer, who was about twenty-five, has left a wife, but no child; and poor Rapsay, who went to their assistance, a wife ,and five small children.

Third Day.—The Verdict. On the re-assembling of the jury on Saturday the pri- soner was placed at the bar. She appeared to be in a very depressed and nervous state. Mr. Justice Byles then proceeded to sum up the evi- dence in a most clear, succinct, and perspicuous manner, prefacing his address by saying that the case was now almost ripe for the decision of the jury. They had heard the statement of the counsel for the prosecution, which was instituted at the instance of the Government, and had been conducted temperately, fairly, and in a perspi- cuous manner; and they had also heard the statement of the learned counsel for the prisoner. He (the judge) had most anxiously considered the evidence, to ascertain what were- the points most favourable to. the prisoner, and he could not find any one of those points had escaped the notice and observation of the learned counsel for the priso er. He was happy to say that the decision was no oart of his duty it was that of the jury and the jury alone. If they believed the case fairly made out ae«*nst th« p.io"<> 4 twi. dmy to convict the prisoner, but. on the other hand, if they did not think the evidence bora out the case, they ought to give the prisoner the benefit of any doubt they might have. The learned Judge then proceeded to go through the whole of the evidence, after which the learned Judge said it was his duty to tell the jury what, in his opinion, was the effect of that evidence. It was not necessary, in point of law, to show what was the nature of tbe poison of which the deceased died; if that were so, a person more advanced in medical skill and knowledge than the rest of mankind might go on poisoning with impunity. The first point for their con- sideration was,-did the death of the deceased arise from natural causes, or poison? Now, what sort of person was the deceased ? It appeared from th9 evidence that she was vigorous, healthy, robust, a woman in the prime of life, of a chesrful disposition, of even spirits, and in the possession of sufficient means for the comforts of life in the receipt of a legacy to a person of her station .c Kf JXZ 4. 4- hn. nnfo r\' 4>ha n.f -wwrorxt- on el or lite eumcient to place ner ouT. 01 tne reacu 01 want, aim one material question for the jury was to consider how she was on the last day of her life, and the two or three days beforo. She was described as being in full health until the last illness, after she bad taken the medicine that had been administered by the prisoner; and the case came before them whether death arose from natural causes. Having referred to the letters alleged to be fabri- cated by the prisoner to throw suspicion from her and toshowthattbedecaased died by her own hand, the learned Judge instanced a case in which a man wad charged with the murder of a child that had disappeared, and he was told unless the child was produced he would be charged with the murder. Theman,at his trial, at the next assizes, produced a child which he fabricated as the one lost. The deceit was discovered, and the man condemned, whet it afterwards turned out the real child was living, and had secreted herself, owing to her uncle's ill usage, and the man was not a murderer. He alluded to the case to illustrate the cause of the fabrication of the letters. After some further general remarks, the learned judge said the duty of the jury lay between the public and the prisoner, and they were bound not to swerve from their duty. If upon the evidence they believed the prisoner guilty, they were bounds to say so, whatever were the consequences. On the other hand they were bound to give her the benefit of any reasonable doubt they might entertain. The jury retired to consider their verdict at one o'clock, and at a quarter to three they teturned to court, with a verdict of" Guilty." Sentence of death was passed, the learned judge hold- ing out no hop< of mercy.