Monmouthshire Merlin

A FATAL LOVE AFFAIR. On Tuesday morning, Mr. Richards, the deputy- coroner, held an inquest at the Royal Oak Tavern, Galway street, St. Luke's, respecting the death of John William Bishop, aged twenty-two years, who poisoned himself through a love affair. Mrs. Louisa Anne Bishop, of 97, Central street, London, the wife of a machine ruler, said that the deceased was her son. He was formerly a gold pencil case maker. He had been in love with a young girl for fire years, and he was engaged to be married to her. That engagement was very suddenly broken off. He was a very steady young man, and he was a teetotaller. At seven o'clock on Saturday morning deceased was found lying dead on a bed in his room. There was a paper marked "poison" and a glass near his side. On the table was a letter, the con- tents of which were as follow :—Read this, and be careful of the glass, dear brother. Oh, Ted, may God bless you for ever and ever.-Dear mother, may God receive you and bless you when you die.-Dear father, may God grant you everlasting life.—My dear brothers and sisters, God bless you, and be jour guiding star through this life, and graut you all aweet life everlastiug.-God be ever with you, dear Clara Spratt. Ted, you may have my sword and my guitar.—When God calls us we cannot disobey him. Good by for ever and ever. Amen."—The Coroner said that he would not call the young woman as a witness. He would do all he could to spare her feel- ings.—It appeared she was the daughter of respect- able parents, and 19 years old. She was much at- tached to the deceased, but her parents objected to her marrying a young man whose mind had become affected. On Good Friday it was resolved to break off the engagement. In the evening, when deceased called on her at her house to take her to a concert at the Britannia Theatre, her parents refused to let her go out, and told him that the match was broken off. He left and went to the theatre alone. After that he returned home and went to bed.—Dr. Kav said that the deceased had poisoned himself with atrychnine.-The jury returned a verdict of Sui- cide while of unsound mind."

Sir Charles Louther, of Bantry, has offered JE1,500 a year to further the system of teaching the blind to read throughout the country. DISSOLUTION OF THE BEEFSTEAK CLUB. The furniture, plate, oil portraits, and prints of the mem- bers of "The Sublime Society of Beefsteaks wili in a few days be disposed of by auction. This society, consisting of 24 noblemen and gentlemen who, in rooms of their own behind the scenes of the Lyceum Theatre, partook of a five o'clock dinner of beef- steaks every Saturday from November till the end of June, which was founded in 1735 by John Rich, the patentee of Covent Garden Theatre, and Geo. Lambert, the scene painter, is now dissolved. A STARTLING OCCURRENCE AT PRESTON.—The Preston Gas Company are now erecting in Ribbleton- lane an enormous tank, intended for the reception of one of the largest, if not the largest, gas-holder in the kingdom. On Tuesday last, Mr. Green, of the Preston Gas Company, having been informed that the walls looked to be in a rather dangerous con- dition,immediately proceeded to the spot, and upon arriving there, just had time to order a gang of 11 navvies" off, who were working on the wall at the moment, when instantaneously as the last man had just sprung off, the whole gigantic structure of brickwork, to the extent of some twenty yards, fell inwards with a deafening crash. No one is injured but had it not been for the prompt measures taken by Mr. Green, there is not the least doubt but that serious loss of life would have ensued. The damage done is estimated at about £ ],000. A ROYAL ELOPEMENT.—The Irish Times pub- lishes the following story from Queenstown An elopement of a Bourbon prince with a supposed Cuban lady has come to light here. On Wednesday, the 3rd inst., there arrived in the train which brought the American mails two ladies and a young gentleman, as passengers by the outgoing steamer. They were mentioned in the passage ticket which they had provided themselves with as Mrs. and Miss Hamil, and Mr. Louis Bourbon. In the tender, whilst on the passage to the mail steamer, Palmyra, they attracted much notice, especially the youngest of the ladies, owing to her peculiar beauty and much speculation was put forward as to who they were, one gentleman asserting it was a runaway affair between a French count and a Cuban lady. However, no further notice was taken of the oc- currence until a day or two ago, when searching inquiries were set on foot by a gentleman acting as consul for a South American republic, and it now turns out that the supposed count was no less a personage than Prince Don Louis de Bourbon, but of the identity of the lady there is nothing divulged at present. SIR JOHN BURGOYNE AND LORD JOHN LAW- RENCE.—Sir John Burgoyne and Lord John Law- rence were among the guests at a banquet given by the Lord Mayor on Monday night.—In returning thanks for the army, Sir John Burgoyne said the armed forces that were now habitually raised and maintained by the great military powers of the world were of enormous magnitude, and were kept in a state of readiness for action whenever they might be required and those who had the control of that immense power had shown no want of in- clination to turn it to account against the states which, however inoffensive they might be, happened to be wanting in the power to defend themselves. It was the old fable of the Wolf and the Lamb, and was quite as applicable in the present times as it was in the days of iEsop. Under such circumstances, the natural course would be to provide increased preparations for the increased danger. But such was not the case. It seemed that we were to act on a directly contrary principle, by the great reduction in the military expenditure now taking place. He knew there were many who held that the two were quite reconcilable, and many. an ingenious device had been suggested to the public. Let them hope that they might succeed. Let them hope, at all events, that the country would be always kept in a condition equal to defend itself, and at least to pre- vent any encroachment on its real and vital interests. —Acknowledging the toast of his health, Lord John Lawrence said :—I candidly confess that I felt very much honoured, and perhaps a little elated, when I was selected to be Governor General of India, bat if I went there with pleasure, I can assure you that I was very happy and contented to resign the in. signia of office, and to lay down my staff and return to my native country, and I can assure you that the welcome which I have received from every class of my fellow-countrymen and the welcome you have given me here this evening has enhanced that feel- ing. I need hardly tell you that India is a bound- less country. It is filled with many great races which are antagonistic to each other in many re- spects, in their wishes, and feelings, and aspirations. I need scarcely tell you the difficulty of governing that country, of reconciling them to a foreign rule, and raising a sufficient revenue in the country to maintain the supremacy of our rule, and at the same time make the people satisfied and contented with their lot. I may remark that that is a task which a man might without disgrace shrink from—a task which, though the philanthropist with high aspira- tion might attempt, the statesman might be for- given if he failed altogethw tu accomplish.

THE EASTER REVIEW AT DOVEB. LOSS OF HER MAJESTY'S SHIP FERRET. Whatever may be the incidents attending any future anniversary "fathering of the Volunteers, the Dover Review of 1869 cannot fail to rnnk as one of the most memorable. On land there was disappoint- ment, at sea disaster for a ship of war was boating out its life against the Admiralty Pier, and the in- tention to hold the Review, at first abandoned, was re-asserted and carried into execution only by the determination and personal exertions of the Com- mandcr-in-Cliief. Soon after 7 o'clock on Mondany morning special trains with Volunteers from London began to arrive by both the South-Eastern and the London, Chat- ham, and Dover lines. By nine o'clock ban/is wrrrj playing in all directions, and some fifteen or sixteen thousand Volunteers were already preparing for t!.o muster on the various points oE rendezvous along the beach. But at nine o'clock the aspect of the clouds became more than threatening, and in an- other quarter of an hour rain and sleet were falling, and the wind had risen to a hurricane. The tide, too, was then rapidly rising, and an alarm from the Admiralty pier caused every one to run in that direction, where a grand but sad spectacle was witnessed in the total destruction of Her Ma- jesty's ship Ferret. The Ferret and the Marten, companion training brigs, had come round front Portsmouth on Saturday to take part in the naval operations at the Review. Tuey were moored to buoys on the east side of, and not far from, the Admiralty pier. The Ferret carried eight guns, and had a crew of 17 men, seven or eight stewards, and 86 boys. She was commanded by Lieutenant Carre. Soon after midnight of Sunday the wind, which had gone round from south-east to east-north- east, began to blow with much lury. The Breeze, one of the Dover and Calais mail boats, was des- patched from the latter port at half-past one with passengers, of whom there was a large number, principally excursionists, another steamer waiting behind to carry the mails. All across the Channel the Breeze experienced very bad weather, and be- fore arriving at Dover, which she did about half- past three, a considerable portion of one of her paddleboxes and some of her stern bulwarks had been carried away. The Breeze brought up on the west side of the pier, where she made fast, her crew—most providentially for the officers, men, and boys of the Ferret—remaining on board. Both the training brigs rolled very heavily during the gale, and at 20 minutes past 4 o'clock the Ferret was driven inwards with such violence that her mooriugs were carried away, and, escaping from the Admiralty buoy, she was borne rapidly towards the pier, the water being then very low. The Com- mander at once gave orders for her anchor to be let go. She, however, fell astern, and was brought up against the pier. The boys were at once called up and told to lose not an instant in preparing to get out of the ship. Some of the lads monnted the rigging, and from the yards got on to the pier but the greater number of them and the men were haulc d up by the crew of the Breeze. They were then all taken away to the Sailors' Home. For some timeic had been feared that one of the 86 lads had perished, but on the muster roll being called over all of them answered to their names. At the time when every one was rushing to the pier the Ferret was fast be- coming a total wreck. A dreadful sea was rushing in from the north-east, and the waves made terrific sport of the brig. She lay, or rather was spun about on her beam ends. The waters rushed into and over her every other instant. For a second or two occa- sionally, as the waves receded, she appeared to be making a desperate effort to right herself, and her two masts rose above the pier in a nearly perpendicu- lar position but in another instant the muzzles of her guns on one side were pointed to the sky and her masts were almost dipping in the raging waters. To stand on the landing pier was now impossible. The waves washed clean over it, and the spray drenched the hundreds of people who stood on the second or promenade pier about 10ft. higher up. The Ferret was still a ship up to ten o'clock, though she had over and over again been thrown with tre- mendous force against the pier-wall but at about 10 o'clock her mainmast smashed near the deck and went clean overboard with an appalling crash. In a few minutes more about 20 feet of her remaining mast were carried away, and portions of her hull were shivered to atoms against the solid granite with which it was every second coming into con- tact. Drifting in under the landing stage, all that remained of her seemed to be fast sinking, when the remnant of the mast got fixed in a crane and ex- tended for some distance across the pier railway, just as a passenger train was arriving at the spot. The crane, however, gave way, and carried all that was left of the mast with it without doing damage to life or limb. This was the last struggle of the Ferret. Her gnns then sank to the bottom, and her hull was broken into fragments, most of which were not larger than firewood. For the next hour the waters all along the pier and the beach were covered with spars and other portions of the wreck. A hasty military council was held of all the com- manders of brigades who could be got together, and it was determined to submit to what then looked like necessity, and to abandon the review altogether. With the double object, however, of collecting the men for the return journey, and of taking advan- tage of a gleam of fine weather, if any such should present itself, it was announced that the Volunteers were to reassemble at 3 o'clock, and to march past the commanding officer, weather permitting. Mean- while the men were dismissed, and left to their own resources. In little more than half an hoar, however, the weather, though still threatening, moderated, and his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge arrived at the Lord Warden Hotel. With the Commander in-Chief came his Royal Highness Prince Arthur, His Serene Highness Prince Teck, Lord Granville, and a mounted escort. They had ridden across from Walmer Castle, encountering the storm on their way, and the first inquiry of the Duke was as to the cause of the scene which met his eyes — Volunteers not under arms or in forma- tion, but wandering about in all directions. Ex- planations were offered he was assured that the step taken had not been adopted without consideration, and apparently had met with general approval. The Duke, however, was plainly of opinion that the re- view ought not to be postponed, and eliciting corro- borative expressions from those whom he addressel, he issued peremptory instructions to hisStaff to cause the brigades to be re-formed. As soon as two or three bands had been got together, and the steady tramp of a battalion en route for the Heights was heard, indecision and conflicting currents came to an end, and three-fourths, or possibly four-fifths, of the Volunteers in Dover instinctively fell into their places. Taking all the circumstances into account, the weather and consequent state of the roads, the sudden dispersion and still more unforeseen recall, it is to the credit of the force, as military men cheer- fully admitted, that within two hours and a half from the time the Duke of Cambridge issued his orders at the Lord Warden the head of the colnmn -not taken indiscriminately in the order of arrival, but arranged as nearly as possible in accordance with the original distribution in the War-offre returns—marched pass the flagstaff in rear of the Castle-hill Fort, two miles and upwards away from the town. On leaving the Esplanade the troops, headed by their bands, marched past the Obelisk, and on to the Castle Heights. The passage of regiments before the Commander-in-Chief was sustained with as much regularity as circumstances permitted. The march past concluded shortly before 4 o'clock. Of the artillery corps present, the majority were despatched to Dover Castle. The engagement was supposed to begin at some distance from the Castle between the rival lines of skirmishers, but it gradu- ally drew nearer to the walls, and then the fortress took its part in the fray. The cannonade was briskly sustained both on land and at sea for a considerable time, and the shades of evening were failing when the final signal was given, and besie- gers and besieged ended their differences amicably. In the course of the review and the field operations the following casualties occurred :-One of the 94th Foot fell dead on parade of heart disease; William Haghae, of the 9th Essex, sprained his knee; James Datson, of the 2nd Surrey, sustained some, not seri- ons, contusions of the head and Robert Sheriijo-- ham, of the 28th Kent, met with a similar accident. At night the Castle and the ships-of-war were illum- inated with the magnesium light.

A man was charged at Bow-street on Saturday with having committed a robbery at the official resi- dence of the Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing-street. The accused had managed to park up a quantity of wearing apparel worth about £:W, and belonging to the Premier's private secretary, when he was met on a landing and pursued by one of the housemaids, who seized him by the collar, and detained him un- til assistance was rendered. He was remanded. On Saturday last, a platelayer, named Carew, and another man, were carrying an iron clamp on the line near the Waterloo Station of the Soutli-Wes- tern Railway, at the time some carriages were beinc shunted. Mistaking, it is supposed, the line of rails on which the carriages were running, they made no eftort to get out of the way, and the engine came upon them suddenly round a curve before they could get clear of the rails. Both of them were knocked down, and Carew was killed on the spot, The other man escaped unhurt,

TRIAL FOR WIFE MURDER. At the Norwich assizes, on Saturday last, Francit Howard Clare (42) was charged with murdering Ann Frant as Clare, his wife, at Norwich, on the 16th of October.—Mr. Reeve, in opening the case, said the prisoner had been a soldier. He came to Norwich about five years since, and married a young woman named Ann Frances Howard. He lived with her until the 16th of October, 1868, and during the course of their married life they had three children, J one of whom lived. It was said, and possibly with truth, that the loss of these children very much affected the prisoner. The last child had died twelve months since. On the 16th of October an old man named Howard, the prisoner's father-in-law, went into prisoner's house about ten o'clock in the morn- ing. Howard left the prisoner's soon after ten, and went back to his own house, close by. About half- past twelve Howard went into the lower part of the prisoner's house again he saw no one on this oc- casiou, but he heard someone walking about in the room above. The prisoner's wife was lnst seen alive at ten o'clock in the morning of the 16th. She was then apparently in very good health. She had been suffering from a scalded leg, but she was getting well again. At eleven o'clock in the morning the prisoner was seen at the entrance of the yard in which he lived, and nothing extraordinary was then noticed in his conduct or behaviour. At about ten minutes to one Clare was again seen in the yard, and lie spoke to a lad named William Slipper, and asked him to go with him to a public-house, called the Palace Tavern, and take some beer. Young Slipper accepted the invitation, and went with the prisoner to the public-house, where the prisoner ordered a pint of porter, and invited a lad named Gathercole to partake of it with Slipper. The prisoner did not drink any of the porter himself, but after the lads had drunk it he went away. The prisoner was next seen about a quarter past one; he was then seen sitting upon some steps by a woman named Amelia Stitnnions, who noticing that there was a great deal of blood about him, went and asked him if he had cut himself, upon which he said that he had not. Two factory girls, named Playford and Bradfield, passed the entrance of the yard shortly afterwards, and saw the prisoner sitting upon the steps they also noticed blood upon his dress. The theory of the prosecution was that the deceased woman was murdered by some one about one o'clock, and that the murder was not com..iitted at ten minutes to one, because at that time the prisoner was at the public-house and no blood was observed upon him. Nothing unusual occurred until shortly after four o'clock the prisoner then came out of his house into the yard, (Slipper's yard), where he saw young Slipper, the boy to whom he had given the porter, and asked him to go into the house with him. The boy did so, and was beckoned up by the prisoner into the bed-chamber, where he saw Mrs. Clare lying between an arm-chair and the bed with her throat cut. The terrified boy made his exit from the house as quickly as he could although asked by the prisoner not to leave him. The matter was soon very much noised abroad, and Mrs. Slummons and Slipper and his grandfather went again into the prisoner's house, and moved the body of Mrs. Clare from the floor to the bed, the prisoner rendering them some assistance in doing so. Mr. Allen, a medical man, was sent for, but found that the poor woman was quite dead. The prisoner was taken into custody, and was removed to the police-station, where, on beingcharged with the rnurderof the de- ceased, he said in substance that he had not been with her for more titan ten minutes all through the day, and that she must have killed herself. He also said that he knew who her murderer was, for she had said that if he did not give up drinking she would destroy herself. When Mr. Allen was giving his evidence before the magistrates the prisoner in- terrupted him by asking whether the deceased could not have killed herself, judging from the appear- ance of the wounds. There were four wounds on the deceased's neck-one was a comparatively slight one, but there were three other wounds from left to right from the depth and appearance of which it seemed impossible that the woman could have in- ilicted the fatal injuries upon herself. A razor covered with blood was found lying in the folds of the woman's dress when she was lifted on the bed. Evidence was adduced at considerable length on t he part of the prosecution. The jury, after a long. thened deliberation, acquitted the prisoner.

SHOCKING CATASTROPHE AT SEA. The Waterford Company's steamer Leda, Captain William Coveney, which left Oporto on the 19th March, with a cargo of fruit and cattle, for London, put into Plymouth at 11 o'clock on Thursday night, Near Cape Finisterre on Saturday, the 20th March, at about 2 p.m., she followed for some distance a four-masted screw steamer, which appeared to be in great distress. This vessel was very deep aft, and suddenly went down, the stern foremost. The Leda steered up immediately, and found a number of the c ciew floating about and eudeavouring to sr.ve them- selves. Two quarter boats (one in charge of tiie chief officer, Mr. Pratt) were at once lowered, and each succeeded in rescuing five men; three were picked up by the ship. Of those saved, three were on the bottom of one lifeboat and three on the bot- tom of another. They were large, serviceable boats, which turned bottom up when the steamer went down. There was no time to lower them by the ordi- nary mode. The other men saved were floating on spars. The body of one man was found in a life- buoy, with his head underwater. While the crew were in the water, a clipper schooner, name un- known, and showing no colours, sailed close to them, but passed on without rendering any assistance the schooner was so close that she was hailed by one man in the water, who was answered by those on board she appeared to steer for the harbour of Moroso. The vessel which sank proved to be the Italian, 1,500 tons, Captain Patrick Urquhart, be- longing to Messrs. John Bibbyand Co., of 21, Water street, Liverpool, from Trieste, March 5, with gene- ral cargo. It appears that she struck on a sunken rock about five miles off Cape Finisterre, and went down in ten minutes wind, N.E., moderate. The steamer had five hatchways, and the water poured in by the fourth and fifth, which were abaft the engine-room. When she went down she had on board a crew of so that 26 have perished, besides three passen- gers-the steward of a yacht, who had paid his pas- sage from Corfu, and two distressed British subjects sent home by the Consul, one of whom was a car- penter named George Wilkinson, belonging to Hull, the other a seaman belonging to Harwich. The names of those saved are Patrick Urquhart, master John Howard, the chief officer John Harris, second officer Roger Barry, third officer John Sullivan, Andrew Smith, William Mooran, Patrick Kenotty, and William O'Neil, seamen George Murray, Pat- rick Laughlin, and Charles Sequin, firemen and Tl omas Walmesley, boy. The rescued men received every comfort on board the Leda, and on landing at Plymouth were sent to the Sailors' Home. With the exception of the mas- ter and mates, they were, early on Sunday morning, despatched by rail to Liverpool through the agency of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society. The master and mates left by the Bristol mail train at 12 30 p.m.

Farl Cowper has been appointed a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. The Bombay Post-offire has been totally destroyed by fire, and goods to a considerable value, stored in sheds behind the Post-office, iu connection with the Custom House, were also lost. I In conseqnence of the late attack by the Bezootees on a tower at Kohat, a number of villages belong- ing to that tribe were surprised on the night of the 24th February by a party of 400 men of the Kohat garrison, under Lieutenant Colonel Keyes, and the enemy punished—our troops suffering a loss of two killed and 25 wounded. The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise and Prince Arthur, drove out on Saturday afternoon, and Her Majesty drove in the grounds in the morning with the Princess Louise. The Princes and Princess Beatrice also went out. The ceremony of the church- ing of Princess Christian took place on Saturday morning in the private chapel within the castle. The Dean of Winsdor officiated. Her Royal Highuess afterwards visited the Queen. DISTRESSING GUN ACCIDENT.—On the 26thMarch, a shocking gun accident happened at the residence of Mrs. Brookes, of Hamilton Lodge, near Doncaster. It appears that Frederick Brookes, about 14 years of age, had come from School at York for a few days holiday. He had been in the habit on such occa- sions of shooting with a small gun, but his mother, fearing lest he might do some harm with it, had given it to a Mr. Burton (her son-in-law). The ser- given it to a Mr. Burton (her son-in-law). The ser- vant girl, Fanny Ellison, about 18 or 19 years of age, told the lad where the gun was, and he went and borrowed it, and a little after breakfast time went out shooting. He shot three sparrows and a black- bird, and returned to the house much elated, and showed his game to the girl, with whom he was on friendly terms. He took the gun up into the bed- room, but it was subsequently fetched down by a younger brother, who went to the door and shot a wren. The other brother (Fred) then took up the gun and loaded it, and whilst he was doing so Fanny Ellison, the servant, was in a chair reading, op- posite him. Whilst he was putting on the cap, the gun suddenly discharged, lodging its contents inthe poor girl's head. The girl could not possibly recover. She is the daughter of Mr. Ellison, a composite

EXECUTION AT SALFORD. The execution of Michael James Johnson, for the murder of Patrick Nnrney, took place on Monday morning, within the Conntv Prison, Strangeways, Salford, at eight o'clock. The scaffold, which was the same as that formerly in use in the New Bailey, was erected in the south wing of the prison, close under the walls of the Assize Courts. It was en- closed with a black curtain, but not to the same height as was usual at the New Bailey. A small shed had been attached to the prison wing to enclose the drop, which was raised 8ft. or 9ft. from the ground. There was nothing facing the drop but the high outer wall of the prison, which is about 20ft. from the scaffold. The condemned cell is within a few yards of the drop, and thus there was an avoid- anre of that long melancholy procession which al- ways took place on the occasion of executions at the New Bailey. The convict, with two warders, mad., his appearance on the scaffold as the prison bell tolled eight, accompanied by Calcraft, Mr. Wilson, the tinder-sheriff, and the Rev. Mr. Clarkson, Roman Catholic chaplain, the convict being a member of that church. Mr. J. T. Hibbert, M.P., the chair- man of the risiting justices, was also present. The unhappy man took his place under the beam with a firm step, repeating audibly and fervently the "Lit- any of Jesus" during the time that Calcraft was com- pleting his preparations. He interspersed with the ejaculations of the Litany fervent prayers for his parents, and after the cap was put over his head he still continued praying in a loud voice, and never showed the least sign of faltering. Calcraft shook hands with him, the bolt was drawn, and the body fell. It remained perfectly rigid for a few seconds, then it began to struggle violently, but after a few convulsive gasps life appeared to be extinct. The priest continued for some minutes to recite the Litany. The only persons present besides those above named were the Rev. Wm. Caine, the Protes- tant chaplain, Mr. Thomas Wright, the representa- tives of the press, and a few of the officials. The absence of the accustomed crowd and the con- fined area of the scene appeared to concentrate the attention of those who were present, and to render the spectacle overpowering to witness. The convict, who was 20 years of asre—his birthday being the day of his conviction-appeared on Monday in the or- dinary dress which he wore during the trial, and seemed unchanged in any respect by his confine- ment. When the drop fell a large black flag was immediately hoisted above the prison, as a signal to the public that the sentence had been fulfilled. The circumstances of the crime are quite fresh in the minds of the public. The scene of the murder was a small beerhouse in Regent Road, Salford, and the victim was one Patrick Nurney, a fiddler, who was a frequenter of the beerhouse. On the 26th of December the prisoner wished to force himself in the beerhouse against the wishes of the landlord, who had to call in the assistance of the police to turn him out. He went away, but subsequently re- turned, and on the landlord refusing to draw him any liquor he challenged him to fight. The deceased who was standing at the bar when this altercation took place, gave no provocation to Johnson, but, on the contrary, advised him to go away quietly. The deceased then went to close the door, upon which he was stabbed by Johnson, who was seen by some of the bystanders to draw his knife, and was heard to say he would be hanged for some of them. The unfortunate man, who was in the act of closing the door, was stabbed in the leg, the femoral artery was severed, and lie died in a few minutes. After John- son "tas in custody, on passing the New Bailey, he pointed to the place where the Fenians were hanged and said he saw them, and he supposed it would not be long before he was hanged too. The prisoner attended to the spiritual ministra- tions of the Rev. Mr. Clarkson with great assiduity, and appeared quite resigned to his fate, although to within a few days of his execution he had seemed rather buoyed up by hopes of a reprieve. He passed a quiet night, and in the morning received the sac- rament of his church. The body continued hanging for the usual time. The body was buried in the precincts of the pri- son, close to the new graves of the three Fenians who were executed for the murder of Sergeant Brett. The corpses of these and the other three murderers at different times executed at the New Bailey have all been removed and re-interred at the new goal in Strangeways. "——„ _i

THE ABERGELE DISASTER. At the Liverpool Assizes, on Monday, before Mr. Justice Brett, the case Silk v. the London and North Western Railway Company came on for hearing. It was a claim for compensation for personal injuries received in the frisrhtful accident that occurred at Abergele, on the 20th of Angnst last, under cir- cumstances which will be still fresh in the recollec- tion of our readers. The negligence of the com- pany was not disputed, and the only point left to the jury was the amount of damages which the plaintiff should be awarded. Mr. Henry Cole Silk, who is 47 years of age, was the clerk in charge of the Post-office van, which was placed about the centreoftho train. He was performing his duties as the train was in motion, aud when the collision happened he was thrown with great violence on to the floor. He was considerably stunned, but he re- covered himself just in time to get out the mail bags before the flames of the burning paraffin oil had reached to the van. The plaintiff sustained severe injuries, and was now totally unfit to resume his former duties. Some years ago he suffered from nn affertion of thelungs, and was obliged in 1868 to winter at Torquay, owing to the delicate state of his health. It was alleged, however, that for two years before this accident he had been in a much better state of health than he ever enjoyed before, and what was still more remarkable was that, notwith- standing the severe shock he sustained in this colli- sion, he was not now suffering from any active di- sease of the lungs. The plaintiff had been injured in two other collisions, one in May, 1866, and ano- ther in 18C7, on account of which the railway com- pany paid him jEaf) and 930 as compensation. He was a widower, having lost his wife in 1866, and was left with three children, the youngest of which was four years, and the eldest nine. He had been in the service of the Post-office since 1847, and his present salary was £240, together with five shillings a journev for what was known as "trip money," so that h's income amounted to about jE300 a year. He would have been entitled to promotion until his salary reached £400 a year, when the trip money, which would have been an additional source of in- rome, would have been 15s. a journey. According to rules of the Post-office he was now entitled to a pen- sion of about jESO a year. Mr. Britton, the medical gentleman who had attended upon the plaintiff from the time of the accident, and whose entire charges amounted to about £ 30, gave it has his evidence that the plaintiff would recover to a certain extent, and that some months hence lie might bo capable of following stationary or sedentary employment. Dr. Bickersteth, of Liverpool, then stated that the plaintiff was suffering from nervous prostration and weakness, and he did not think he would ever be able to resume his previous employment. With proper treatment he might recover, but in all pro- bability he would not be so well as he was before the accident.—After a speech from Mr. Davis in mitigation of damages, and the summing up of his lordship, the jury gave plaintiff £ 1,000 damages.

ACTION FOR LIBEL BY A PRIEST. An action for libel, in which the Rev. P. Lavelle, of Partrv, a litigant of some notoriety, is plaintiff, and Mr. Proudfoot, agent of the National Building and Land Investment Company, is defendant, was tried last week, at the Galway assizes. The issue involves most of the subjects of fierce contention arising out of the relation of the tenant to the priest on the one hand, and the landlord on the other. The facts are these A letter to the plain- tiff, dated St. Stephen's Day, 1863, and addressed to the shareholders of the company, publicly com- plained that a cow worth £7 or £ 8, the property of a poor man named Hannagan, had been distrained by the defendant's bailiff for £ -5 7s. 6d. for a year's rent due on the 1st of last November. The letter severely commented upon the management of the company. The defendant published a reply, in which he declared that he never would have had to pro- cess or serve a notice to quit on the tenants if it had not been for the plaintiff, who, as he alleged, pro- claimed from the aUar if any of them gave up pos- session he would put them out of the chapel, and had turned out 20 families, numbering 100 persons, who for 18 months were deprived of religious instruction. He was also charged with excluding the constabulary from the chapel, fearing that be would be reported for his language, and with having used his influence to prevent the prosecution of his chapel clerk, who brutally assaulted a poor woman who remonstrated with him for forcibly taking awavsome of her crops which he claimed for the priest. These charges were denied by the plaintiff and pronounced by his coun- sel, Mr. Robinson, Q.C., to be scandalous libels. The lefence was a justification, and the defendant, Mr. lefence was a justification, and the defendant, Mr. Brett, a surveyor, some members of the constabulary force, and tenants were examined to support it. Their testimony was to the effect that since the company obtained possession of the Port Royal estates they had expended £2,000 upon it in drain- age and in other improvements. The entire estate comprised 5,400 acres,of which about 1,000 were pro- titable land and the rest bog. The valuation in 1860 was £ 980, and the rental was £1,190, was stated to be a fair sum. Tne land was parcelled out in strips for the purpose of giving leases. The tenants were all satisfied, and their condition was better. There are now meadows where formerly there were mo- rasses, and land now worth 15s. an acre was formerly not worth 5s. The improvements were fairly carried out, although there were some complaints. The com- pany is building slated houses, and charging, in some instances, 5 per cent, in others 2i percent, upon the outlay. Hannagan, the tenant who was distrained, had refused to pay rent because he was going to America. He was not in the distressed circumstan- ces which had been represented. It was sworn that the plaintiff told the people not to sign any agree- ments to give up possession to the company, and that persons were turned out of the chapel. One of them, named Mr. Handley, deposed that he was turned out before mass by Father Lavelle because he was seen on a car with Proudfoot. Sergeant Coneys, of the constabulary, was turned out on the 22nd of September last. The plaintiff said he would not celebrate mass while he was in the chapel and told him, I will give you a moment to retire from this chapel." The sergeant, who was on his knees at the time, got up and walked out with his wife and young children. He had sent his children, con- trary to the priest's prohibition, to a school which had been built by Sir R. L. Biosse and placed under the National Board. At the communion, on the previous Sunday, the plaintiff told him that if he sent his children to the school he was no better than Judas. There are from eighty to a hundred children in the school. The teacher is a Roman Ca- tholic. The books in use are those approved by Arch. bishopM'Hale. After leaving the chapel the sergeant knelt down outside in the chapel yard, but Father Lilvelle came to the door with part of his vestments on, desired him to leave, and got a servant to shut the gate after him. A constable, named Costello, swore that having heard the plaintiff preaching against Bible readers and others, and reported the observations to the government, the police were not allowed to remain in the chapel after mass to hear the sermon, which was delivered at the end, so that the police might hear the mass. Patrick Carr, another constable, deposed that he heard Father Lavelle say that the company and Proudfoot were acting like robbers and tyrants. Another witness stated that he had heard the rev. gentleman declare that he "would skin Proudfoot the way a butcher would skin a sheep—that is, by the law of the land." John Hannagan swore that the plaintiff prevented him from sending his children to school, and that he and most of his family were prevented from going to chapel. At the close of the evidence, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff-damages, one farthing. The plaintiff denied having refused the rites of the church, but admitted that he ordered persons out of his chapel for sending children to the national school.

The bishopric of Labuan, which has lone be"n vTicmt in conseqnence of the resignation^of Dr. M'Dougall, is likely to be filled by the appointment of the Rev. Walter Chambers, the senior missionary of the diocese. BLOOD POISONING FROM A SURGICAL OPERA- TION.—Mr. Maurice Collis, of Dublin, died on Sun- day. He had, says Saunder's Newsletter, suffered only a week's illness, caused by his having inflicted a slight wound upon his finger while he was engaged in extracting a tumour from a patient's neck in the Meath Hospital on Monday before. Although the wound appeared at the time a very trival one yet in a few days it resulted in a disease produced by blood poisoning, which, notwithstanding the efforta of his medical friends, terminated in his death. THE HULL CONVENT CASE.-We heard a great deal of the "vow of poverty" while the case of Sanrin v. Star and Kennedy was being tried, but it is an engagement which seems compatible with the command of large sums of money for purposes of litigation, and, it would appear, with the desire for more. It was rumoured a fortnight ago that the result of that trial would probably be brought before the Court of Queen's Bench in banco for review. Be. fore, however, any proceeding of that kind can take place, Miss Saurin has filed a bill in Chancery against the whole of the nuns in the Hull convent with the view of compelling a distribution of its property. It is very likely that the sum which, under an equal distribution of that property, would fall to Miss Saurin's share would exceed the amount — £ 300—which she paid into the Dublin convent when she was professed, and the return of which was awarded to her by the recent verdict. What it would be after the common fund had been dimini- shed by a Chancery suit it would be hazardous to predict. Perhaps the way in which the Hull sisters could best defend the property of the convent and the existence of the institution itself would be to pay Miss Saurin at once the largest amount which she could receive on any possible division of the estate.-Dailu News.

SINGULAR RECOVERY OF A LOST CHILD. At the Citv Police Court, Manchester, on Monday, Margaret Smith, a strolling beggar, was charged with having stolen a child, about two years old, named Mary Anne Welsh, belonging to Anne Welsh, a hawker, residing in Milton-street, Liverpool. It appeared that the prosecutrix and the prisoner had known each other previous to the alleged offence, and that one day about seven years ago the prose- cutrix, who then, as at present, resided in Liverpool, went out to make some purchases, taking with her her child, which was about two years old. On her return with some loaves of bread in her apron, she met the prisoner, who complained of hunger and asked her for a piece of bread. The prosecutrix, who was the.i accompanied by her child and the prisoner, went into a vault that was close by for t",td purpose of getting a knife to cut one of the .oaves, and while there called for a pint of ale. When she turned away from the counter she found the prisoner had slipped away, and apparently taken the child, which had also disappeared with her. The poor woman made all the inquiries she could for seven long years, with the view of discovering where the prisoner was, and so regaining her child, but up to a day or two ago she had been unsuccess- ful. In June, 1867, a little girl—now identified by the prosecutrix as the one she lost—was taken into custody in Manchester upon a charge of having stolen a bottle of scent; and it appeared that at the time she committed the theft the prisoner was in the immediate neighbourhood, as if waiting for her. The girl, then seven years old, was sent to the Ardwick Industrial School; where she was several times visited by the prisoner as her child and, finally, on Christmas-day, 1867, the prisoner obtained leave to take her out for an hour, promis- ing to return with her. She did not bring back the child, however, and the next that is known of the latter is that in the following March it was found deserted in the Liverpool workhouse, and was taken back to the Ardwick Industrial School, where it has remained up to the present. In the meantime the mother pursued a persevering search for her child. At the time she lost it she kept a stall in one of the Liverpool markets, but she gave that up, and commenced the business of a hawker about the country, in the hope of encountering the prisoner somewhere on her travels. She made the circuit of several counties, going as far as Birming- ham, and also making inquiries of any tramps she met as to the whereabouts of the prisoner, the latter being well known among that class by the soubriquet of Liverpool Peg." Repeatedly she got informa- tion from one or other of these strollers, as to where she might come upon the object of her pursuit; but when she got to the place indicated, the prisoner had gone elsewhere. Finally, she heard that the I. prisoner was in Manchester, and, hastening to that city, she found her on Saturday last, in a beerhouse in Spear street. The prisoner, when charged by the prosecutrix, stoutly denied her identity but the prosecutrix was not to be deceived, and she called in the aid of the police, when the prisoner was taken into custody by Police Constable 59 A. On inquiries being made, the fact was ascertained that a child supposed to belong to her, was in the Ardwick In- dustrial school, and the prosecutrix, on seeing the child, at once claimed it as hers, mentioning, as one of the proofs of her knowledge of it, that there was the mark of a burn on the lower part of its back. The child itself, of course, could give no help in the matter, not being able to recognise a parent from whom it had been parted seven years before, at the age of two years but the mark of the burn, which really was ou its back, evidenced the truth of the mother's claim. The prisoner still claimed the child as hers, and stated that she had been confined with it at the Bridge street workhouse, Manchester but this story, on inquiry, turned out to be false.—The prisoner was committed for trial.

Platinum has been discovered in several samples of Scotch quartz. The latest duel in New Orleans was between an Englishman and a Frenchman, about a promissory note; the weapons were rifles the result a pair of torn pantaloons. It is said that the Pope had applications made him from the most influential quarters to allow female artists to take part in the performance of Rossini's "Petite Messe," during Holy Week, at St. Peter's, as it was the wish of the great composer that such should be the case. The Holy Father, however, answered by an inflexible Non possu- mus," alleging that he could not capriciously abro- gate the apostolic In ecclesia taceat mulier," I SIR JOHN T,AWRENCE.-The Gazette notifies the I elevation of Sir John Lawrence to the Peerage, under the title of Baron Lawrence of the Puujaub and of Grateley, couuty of Southampton. An avalanche suddenly fell a few davs ago on the Simplon road, near the Galerie des Eaux-Froides, and buried thirty Italian workmen coming from Domo d'Ossola, and their two guides. The latter and ten of the former have not reappeared, only twenty having succeeded in saving their lives. On Monday a return was published of the number of Public-houses and beerhouses, the number pro- ceeded against and convicted of offences against the tenor of their license, and the number of persons proceeded against, convicted, and discharged for drunkenness showing also the amount of indictable crime committel, and the number of known thieves, in the following cities and boroughs :—Brad- ford, Derby, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester (City), Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Salford, Sheffield, Stockport, and Sunderland, for the year ending the 29th day of September, 1868. THE ELECTIONS.—In three constituencies the pol- ling took place on Tuesday, to supply the vacancies caused by reason of the late members having been unseated. At Blackburn, Messrs. Hornby and Feil. den (C), sons of the two unseated representatives, were elected by considerable majorities and at Hereford, Messrs. Clive and Hoskyns, the Liberal candidates, were returned, Messrs. Arbuthnot and Baggalay (C) being again defeated. At Dumfries, the contest was a very close one. At three o'clock Mr. Waterlow (L), who lost his seat in consequenee of having been interested in a Government contract had polled 1,061 votes, and his opponent, Mr. Walker (C), 1,109. At the close, the latter headed his oppo- nent by 34 votes, the numbers being for Mr. Walker 1,115, for Mr. Waterlow, 1,081. COMMISSION FOR SELLING STEAMERS.—At the Liverpool Assizes, on Tuesday last, before Mr. Justice Brett, the case of Moss i,ersus Boult was tried. The plaintiff sought to reeover from the defendant, who is the managing director of the Liverpool and Lon- don and Globe Insurance Company in Liverpool, the sum of jE2,500 for commission on the sale of three steamers, lately chartered by the Government for the Abyssinian expedition. The plaintiff alleged that the sale was effected through him to Mr. Fer- nie, manager of the Merchants' Trading Company, for £ 5,000, and that it was agreed between himself and the defendant that the commission should be 5 per cent. The defendant had pleaded no agreement, and that the commission was excessive also, that the steamers were sold thronsyh a London broker. The jury found for the plaintiff, and awarded dE850 as the value of his services. FURTHER ATROCITIES IN WESTMEATH.-Awful and impious notices are being served oa landlords and teuants in this country, of which we give the following as specimens :—(Addressed to a Landlord) —"Notice. March, 1869.-Sir,-You have let to a heretic, or Protestant, a farm in this part of the country, but he shall never put his foot upon it, or he will never leave it alive. We will never allow a heretic to live amongst us. So if lie puts his foot on these lands lie will be shot dead. The ball is ready for him. This is no idle threat, so help me God.—ONE OF THE PEOPLE."—(Addressed to a Tenant Farmer.)-" Notice.- March, 1869.-Sir,- Take notice you must give up the lands be- longing to If you do not you may prepare your coffin, for you shall-be shot before the end of this month (March). The bullet is prepared for you. Therefore prepare for eternity, as nothing, not even God in Heaven, can save you. The land belongs to the people now. Give it up and save your life.—ONE OF THE PEOPLE." PALM AND EASTER SUNDAYS IN ROME.—The ceremonies of Palm Sunday were celebrated with great pomp in the cathedral of St. Peter's, the at- tendance being exceedingly numerous. Amongst those present in the tribunes were remarked the royal family of Naples, Prince William of Baden, the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia; Prince Eugene and the Countess de Beauharnais, son and daughter in-law of the duchess the young Prince of Parma the heir of the Principality of Monaco the Duke and Duchess de Mouchy, &c. The Pope descended from his apartments at nine precisely to the chapel of La Pleta, where the Pontifical cortege was or- ganised. The Holy Father, preceded by the clergy and escorted by the Swiss and noble guard, was then carried in the sedia gestatoria to the altar of confession, and afterwards to the raised throne at the bottom of the Presbytery, whilst the clergy and the cardinals ranged themselves on each aide. There the Holy Father blessed the palm-branches, supplied in virtue of a very ancient privilege by the family Bresca of San Remo. The Pope kept one for himself, and gave the others to the cardinals and members of the clergy, to the various prince;) and foreign ministers. Afterwards the procession was again formed, and filing along the nave stopped under the vestibule, where the central gates were closed they were opened to the sound of singing and a flourish of trumpets on the Apostolic sub- Deacon striking the door-posts with his crozier. The whole ceremony was most imposing, and is intended to represent the entry of the Saviour into Jerusalem. The Holy Father then heard the mass. A telegram from Rome, dated Monday, states that on the pre- ceding day the Pope celebrated mass in St. Peter's with the usual ceremonial, in the presence of the foreign princes, cardinals, diplomatic body, and a numerous assemblage. His Holiness pronounced then from the upper portico of the cathedral the solemn benediction Urbi et Orbi. Although the weather was threatening, the crowd was immense. ANOTHER FATAL ACCIDENT IN THE HUNTING FIELD.-Another accident in the hunting field is reported. On Monday, Mr. Meynell Ingram's hounds met at Egginton, eight miles from Derby, and drew a blank. They then trotted off to Hilton, with the same result; and from thence to Foston, near Tut- bury. Here again no fox was found. Tom, the huntsman, decided to go to Forest Bank, situate on the Staffordshire side of the river Dove, but, as the weather was cold, several gentlemen present from Derby and the neighbourhood decided to return home. Amongst these were Mr. Joseph West, che- mical manufacturer, of Derby his brother, Mr. Eli West; Mr. James Haywood, Derby Mr. Hickman, Derby Mr. Cowlishaw, veterinary surgeon, Derby and others. As soon as they got into Foston Park they began cantering across the grass land, Mr. J. West being in the rear. The party pulled up in front of the hall, and Captain Levett, of Barton Fields, shonted out "I am sure there is a man killed." The party then turned to look, and saw the body of Mr. Joseph West lying at the foot of the tree. They rode up, but he had died instantaneously, the front of the head and face being fearfully battered in. It appears there were only two trees in this part of the park, and the impression is that the poor fellow.was riding his horse along the park without taking no. tice where he was going, and that he then struck the trunk of the tree with such force as to cause his instantaneous death. The head of the horse he rode was also very much bruised. Mr. West's body was put upon a hurdle and carried by the gentlemen in the field to the residence of John Broadhurst, Esq., Foston Hall, and later in the evening it was removed to Derby. The deceased's brother, Mr. Eli West, although in the park, did not witness what occurred, and it was not until Mr. Hickman, of Derby, rode after him and told him what had occurred that he became aware of the sad fate of his brother. Do- ceased was only twenty-seven years of age. An in. quest was held on Tuesday, and a verdict of "Acci- dentally killed returned. THE VICAR OF ROCHDALE AND THE CHURCH- W ARDENS.-OnTuesday afternoon last a meetingwas held in the vestry of the parish church, Rochdale for the purpose of appointing churchwardens and sidesmen. The Rev. Dr. Molesworth, the vicar occupied the chair. The room was crowded to ex- cess, inasmuch that a large number were obliged to remain outside. Dr. Molesworth, in opening the meeting, observed that there wore several gentle- men present who had not a right to vote. Mr. Mellor, who was a churchwarden for St. Clements last year, questioned whether he had not a right. The business proceeded smoothly in electing Mr. Abraham Brierley, and Mr. Hartley, solicitor, as the churchwardens and Mr. Samuel Brierley, and Mr. John Priestley, as sidesmen. Mr. Hartley, who was the parishioners' warden last year, made some re- marks about the "high" and "low" parties in the church, and objected that persons wishing to leave the church before the choristers reached the vestry should be stopped.. He regretted that the vestry was not at the east end of the church and though Dr. Molesworth reminded him that this was not the business of the meeting, he still proceeded with his objections, and expressed his disapproval of certain customs adopted in that church. Dr. Molesworth asked would it not be better for a court of law to decide what was lawful and what was not ? Gener- ally speaking, the clergyman had the order of the service. He had always found Mr. Hartley gentle- manly in his conduct, and he was confident Mr. Hartley did not approve of the interruption of the service in the way it had been; but in some respects he did not think that Mr. Hartley had done his duty as a churchwarden ought. Scenes had taken place in the church which might have led to outrage had not the sanctity of the place prevented it. If the order of the ceremonial was wrong, Mr. Hartley should prepare a case and lay it before the bishop.- Mr. Hartley said he had nothing personally against Dr. Molesworth, and that he would not blame him, because he believed the "she-bishops" at the back of the doctor were the responsible parties.