The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser for the Principality

ATTEMPT TO MURDER A WIFE. William Moore, a tailor, about twenty-nine years of age, living at Trafalgar-street, Walworth, has for some time past been leading an idle dissipated life, and as a natural consequence has been in the habit of brutally ill-treating his unfortunate wife. On Wednesday morn- ing she remonstrated with him on his bad conduct, when he told her to prepare for her death, as he meant to kill her. This she regarded as an idle threat, bnt half an hour having passed in sullen silence, he rose and took a sharp table knife from the cupboard, approached his wife, and plunged the weapon into her breast up to the handle. He then deliberately drew it out, and made off rapidly, without hat or shoes. The poor creature could just cry Murder." The neighbours came and found her on the floor in a pool of blood. The police and surgical aid were called, and the woman was removed to Guy's Hospital, where she lies in too critical a state to permit questions to be put to her. The police are on the traces of the guilty husband.

The Earl of Derby will give a Parliamentary faH-Oress dinner party on Monday, the 6th of June, at his official residence in Downing-street. Destructive Storm in the Red Sea.—Aden, May 4.- A terrific storm of thunder, lightening and rain, burst upon Aden on the night of the 30th of April and morn- ing of the 1st May. It lasted in its full strength three hours. There are 187 stone houses in ruins, nearly all the cisterns destroyed, great portions of the roads swept into the valleys by slipping of the mountain sides. Up to this date no communication between Point and Camp by wheeled carriages, and enormous quantities of grain and food swept into the sea. Our debash, Cowasjee Dimshay, had a stone house over a mile from the sea, containing 145 sheep; in the morning not a vestige was to be seen. Between twenty and thirty persons were drowned in places where it was thought that the waters could never reach. The damage is estimated at between .£20,000 and 930,000 sterling. The company's property is unharmed. French Wit on the War.—A Havre paper gives an ac- count of the mode of purchasing pursued by the Aus. trians. A soldier in white enters the shop of an untoftj tunate Piedmontese, selects certain articles, astonishes the said Piedmontese by putting his hand into his pocket and drawing out an Austrian note. Piedmontese knows no more of its value than he does of the signification of- the Chinese character on a stick of Indian ink, but the soldier insists upon paying for what he has bought, in- forms the shopkeeper that the note is worth such or such a sum, demands and obtains the change in cash, and bids adieu to the rueful shopkeeper with a polite bow. Thi is not bad in its way, but Charivari is better. He gives us a sketch of two mischievous-looking French soldiers, dressed up as Italian women, but each having his short sword in his hand. In the distance are several queer- looking beings, intended for Austrian soldiers, each armed with a whip. "Don't stir," says one of the Frenchmen; see, they are coming to whip us. I think we shall have the laugh on our side presently." This is legitimate, as well as smart. Testimonial to Mr William Williams, M P.-On Monday night influential meeting of the electors of t'h e.rug, of Lambeth was held at the Wellington Arms Tavern, Waterloo-road, for the purpose of raising a subscription to purchase a testimonial to Mr William Williams, M P, as a mark of grateful appreciation of his valuable services to the borough of Lambeth, as one of its representatives in Parliament. The chair was taken bv Mr Lyons, who, in opening the pr ecedings stated that on a previous occuion, since Mr oWilliams was returned again to Parliament, many of his friends and supporters had determined to present that hon gentleman with a testimonial. Mr Hobden proposed that sub-committees could be formed in different districts of the borough. Mr Lyons and Mr Price were then appointed co-trustees, and Messrs J. Williams and Goddard bon secretaries. AIr Winter was of opinion that Mr Williams's testimonial should be open to every part of the country, as he had not confined his services merely to Lambeth, but to the country, and almost every part of the metropolitan districts, A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings. Sir Charles James Napier on Volunteer Rifle Corps. -The following is the opinion of the late General Sir Charles Napier on volunteer rifle corps:—" With regard to your volunteer rifle corps, I think each should consist of from one to four companies, each company consisting of 100 men, with a captain and two lieutenants; and I advise you to let each man carry two small cartridge boxes, made to slide on a girdle round his waist, so that one may be carried before and one behind, each holding 30 rounds of ammunition; thus the weight would be divided, and, consequently, more easily carried. Get some old soldier for your adjutant, to teach you, not a long course of drill, but just seven things-viz, 1. To face right and left by word of command. 2. To march in line and in column. 3. To extend and close files as light infanb7, with supports. 4. To change front in ::a:r I:h o;d:r.P 5. To r:j¡e :fi;:i:: 6. To form solid squares and 1 rallying squares.' 7. To form an advanced guard. These seven things are all that you require; do not let any one persuade you to learn more. Let your practice at a target be constant. Also habituate your corps to take long marches of from 15 to 20 miles, with arms and ammunition on; and also in running, or what is called 'double-quick time.' These must be arrived at by gradually increasing from small distances. No single man, much less a body of men, can make these exertions without training. Also sub- scribe for premiums to those who are the best shots. Do not be exclusive in forming your corps; take your game- keepers as your comrades, and any of your labourers that will enrol themselves. A gentleman will find no braver or better comrades than among his own imme- diate neighbours and tenants. Should you require to throw up a breast work, they will be more handy with the spades and pickaxes than yourselves." Demonstration in Honour of Mr H. B. Sheridan, M.P. A grand demonstration to celebrate the return of H. B. Sheridan, Esq, M.P., as member for Dudley, took place on Tuesday. From a very early hour in the morning the town bore quite a holiday aspect, flags, banners, and triumphal arches being suspended from the houses of the hon gentleman's supporters at the late contest, large crowds of people assembled on a piece of waste ground where a large ox was routed, and distributed to the poor of the parish, several sheep were also roasted in various parts of the town. About six dinners were given at various inns, and a grand banquet took place at the Dudley Arms Hotel, under the presidency of Mr Russell, Mr Sheridan's proposer at the late election, to which about seventy cntlemen sat down. The hon member's health having Been proposed, in the conrse of his reply he congratulated the borough on having asserted its in- dependence. The demonstration will conclude by a grand soiree, to be held in the South Staffordshire goods station.

SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM. I Dr Lankester, M D, F R S, delivered the fourth of a series of lectures on food, in the theatre of the South Kensington Museum, and, as usual, before a numerous and highly respectable auditory. The subject for Monday evening was on Wines, Spirits, and Beer, the process of fermentation, nature of alcohol, effects of alcohol on health, and :he alcoholic beverages. Dr Lankester commenced his lecture by referring to the substances treated on in his last lecturo as necessary for the organisation and support of animal life, and said his object was now to treat on other substances which were not necessary to its development, but which, never- theless, entered largely into the human I lltem in th shape of alcoholic drinks. In the form o? opiu?, hen- bane, and other narcotics, man indulged in things not necessary for the preservation of human life, but still not less worthy of their consideration; yet they often acted as auxiliaries and in the place of human food. The first and most important of these was alcohol, produced, in some instances, by the decomposition of sugar. It was said that alcohol was not a necessary article, but was artificially procured by man; but he contended that fermentation was a natural process, independent of man, and must go on whether man willed it or not. All sub- stances containing sugar and starch were susceptible of fermentation, and there was another substance called dextrine, but this was an article not soluble, while starch was soluble. As this was not soluble, it passed into a stage called gum, which was erroneously supposed to contain nutriment to the human body. Milk contained a large quantity of sugar, which could be dissolved in the same manner as grape sugar, and alcohol could be produced from it. The liver always contained sugar, which could be got from it by the ounce, and this sugar was easily fermentible, and would produce alcohol. Dr Lankester then referred to the amount of carbonic acid gas obtained from beer while in process of fermentation, and said that the quantity of this carbonic acid gas in beer had a great influence on the animal system. He related a droll anecdote of an Irishman who was con- stantly in a state of intoxication, and, to find out how he obtained the liquor, all his money was taken away from him, and a watch was set upon him, who, on seeing him go into a shed, closely observed him, and there they discovered that, by means of a rude still, he obtained from carrots all the alcohol he required. The Registrar- General, he said, had a class of disease on his list called zymotic diseases, which, in plain English, were hasty diseases; and many of these were produced from im- proper use of alcoholic preparations. Yeast was a plant, and in its decomposition threw out carbonic acid gas. Then, as to the action of alcohol on the human system, he did not think there was anything to prove that alco- hot was a strengthener of the system, like the substances to which he had referred in former lectures; but, on the other hand, he believed that there was no evidence whatever to prove that alcohol must always be con. sidered as a poison, although he had no objection to the principle of abstaining from it, on the highest moral grounds of example to others. As to the effects of alcohol, some were physical, some were che- mical, and some were vital. When alcohol was put into albumen, it congulated it, and it was worthy of consideration that the tissues of the stomach, containing cells filled with a semicircular fluid, contain also a large quantity of albumen, which was taken up in the system in the form of a chyle, and the mucous membrane was destroyed by the frequent passage of alcohol over it. Therefore, he said, beware of strong drinks; take your alcohol not too strong, for when alcohol was passed into the stomaeh it did not go into the system, but remained in the membranes. Alco- hol unlike sugar and starch, inflamed rapidly, and was one of the substances used for producing heat, and acted in the same manner as carbon in the fireplace. It had been asserted and well proved, that as soon as a man left off the use of alcohol, he had a new taste for large quantities of bread, sugar, starch, and fat. The vital effects of alcohol were most important; for, after taking one glass, the pulse rose; it rose still higher after another and excited the nervous system, producing an increased activity of the heart. As the heart beat more rapidly, and the circulation of the blood was increased, it UIl- healthily stimulated the nervous system; but it did more. It acted on the brain, the centre of the nervous system, and if they went on taking alcohol the mind became ex- cited, and the senses became affected, so that as it went on a man saw ascant, then he saw double, and where he at first only saw one object he then saw two, thus affect- ing his condition, and ultimately producing disease and death. Death was more likely to arise from alcohol than chloroform or sther; but its action was precisely the same. While alcohol might, in the case of the aged, be beneficial in certin cases, yet to the young and mid- dle-aged, it was altogether unnecessary; but still he be- lieved that, although they might get rid ofappai-ent evils, it would he desirable to prohibit alcohol altogether. The lecturer then proceeded to describe the process of brew- ing; and said that, although they recognised nothing but malt and hops in beer, they ought not to be too proud of those articles; for in the time of Henry VIII an Act of Parliament was passed to prevent the use of hops in making beer. Various other articles for producing the bitter principle had since been adopted, but the most recent one was what was called the "bitter efi p "-an article manufactured from the wood of the quassia tree; and it was a remarkable fact that since the general use of bitter beer the importation of quassia had very largely increased. By putting a quantity of water in the bitter cup, it soon gained a fine bitter flavour; and if these cups got into general use, they would go far to do away with bitter beer; as every man could, by putting a quan- tity of beer into this cup, produce bitter beer of his own making. Having generally referred to the vice of in. temperance, he directed the attention of the auditory to a large glass vessel containing nearly five gallons of spirits, and said that represented the average quantity 01 alcohol taken annually by every man, woman, and child in the kingdom. Under such circumstances it was the duty of every one who had either respect for himself or for his fellow-man, to warn them of the consequences of excess in the use of ardent spirits, as being the source of the greatest misery and crimes which unhappily af- flicted the country, and the result of many of our social evils. The lecturer did not go into the subjects of wine and its constituents, distilled spirits, &c, in consequence of the lateness of the hour, but deferred them until a future occasion.

THE AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY. This great institution celebrated its anniversary in New York on the 10th of May. Mr Garrison, the pioneer of the anti-slavery cause in the United States, presided. In his opening speech he said that, whatever slaveholders and the upholders of slaveholders might say, the heart of the people always rebelled against the system. Outside of the United States the sentiment of the world fell like a thunderbolt against it. Europe was competent to sit in judgment upon the United States. We never knew an American who did not claim the right to speak his mind upon Russian, Austrian, or Neapolitan despotism, and they had as clear a right to speak of the great despotism of this country. Before the regular speaking he desired toreadanaderess by tbe people of Warrington, England, to the people of the United States. It was signed by Thomas G. Rylands, Mayor of Warrington; William Cleckett, Rector of Warrington; William Greenhall, Member of Parliament for Warrington, and 3,500 citizens of Warrington. The President then read the doeument-a respectful but earnest protest against the sin of African Slavery in America. He then read a letter from the Protestants of Belgium, signed on their behalf by Leonard Anet. It was in tone similar to the preceding document, and while speaking in high terms of the spirit of the Republican institutions of this country and deprecating the existence of institutions in Europe antagonistic to freedom, they asked that the United States remove chattel slavery, the last stain upon our Goverument. In conclusion, he read a letter from Mazzini, the distinguished Italian Republisan, stating his sympathies with the cause of American Anti-slaverv. The principal speakers were Mr Parker Pillsburg, the Rev W. H. Furness, of Philadelphia, and Mr Wendell Phillips.

The Prince of Wales and the Pope.-A private letter from Rome says:—"The Prince of Wales before leav- ing Rome, called on the Pope and bid him farewell in the most cordial manner. On his Holiness expressing his regret at the unsettled state of Italy, the Prince said he should be most happy to take him to Malta, if he liked to come with him." The Phoenix Conspirato,s.-His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant has given instructions that Daniel Cartie, Morty Downing, and Dennis Sullivan, shall be admitted to bail. They are confined in the county gaol of Cork, charged with being concerned in treasonable practices in connection with the Phcenix Society. Three other prisoners under a similar charge must remain in custody in that prison. Suicide of the Ex-SheTiff of Oxford.-The city of Oxford was on Monday morning startled by the an- nouncement that Mr William Herbert, Town Councillor and late Sheriff of the city, had committed snicide by deliberately shooting himself in the kitchen of his resi- dence, at Summer's Town Farm (from the effects of which he died instantly), about a mile from Oxford. The announcement proved unfortunately too true. The cause for this rash act, it is rumoured, is that his pecu- niary affairs are in a bad state. Mr Herbert has for many years carried on an extensive business as cabinet maker, upholsterer, &c, and was generally thought to be a wealthy man. He had also a large residence in St Giles-street, where the Judges of Assize lodged, when they visited Oxford, as well as the farm between Oxford and Summers Town. Mr Herbert was highly respected, and his untimely death has cast a gloom throughout the lity

THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE WEST- MINSTER PALACE HOTEL. On Monday afternoon, Mr Bedford, coroner, resum the inquest in the board-room of Westminster HospItal, on the bodies of Edward Sullivan, John M Kew, Peter Forbes, Cornelius Buckley, and John Carrol, adding to the inquisition the sixth sufferer, Dennis M'Carthy, who expired on Sunday morning from inflammation brought on from the internal injuries he had sustained. Mr Serjeant Ballantine appeared for Mr Myers, the contractor; Mr Burchell attended on behalf of the Westminster Palace Hotel Company. Mr Henry K. Moseley appeared on behalf of the widow of Corneliu3 Buckley. The board-room in which the inquiry was held was densely crowded, and several directors of the company were present to watch the proceedings. Patrick O'Neil said that he was employed on the lain of this month at the Westminster Palace Hotel Com- pany's works. He was there at the time the shops fell. He was not on when the stage actually came up, but got eight or ten feet higher up in a northerly direction. There had been a stage 12 ft 6 in. Before the other came down it had been removed; about a fortnight be- fore. When that stage had been removed there was no- thing placed under to support it. The timbers merely rested on the outer wall. By the Coroner. Nothing had been placed under. The stage consisted of five transomes, 9 inches by 5 in width. The width of the opening was 36 by 9, and he took the responsibility of placing a sixth transome by means of 6-inch deals. The transome runs fro:n wall to wali, and is then covered over with boards, which ex- tended over all. By Mr Sturgeon: Mr Myers said that he had never stood on a firmer scaffold during his time. He examined the timber before the stage was erected, and also after- wards The first time he did not detect any knots in it; since the fall he had noticed that there were knots in the wood. The distance from end to end was about 20 feet. He was a judge of the weight of mortar which was on the stage, and he should consider it to have been about two tons. About two days before the acci- dent a man named Shea said that one of the timbers had become splintered, and he told Mr Coleman of the fact, and he came up and examined it, and said that it was only a slight splinter, and would do no harm, but on the contrary it was safe. He considered the stage was safe with three tons placed on it, and even with five, if it was properly distributed over it; but the mortar ought not to be placed in the centre of the stage. Richard Smith, 3, Church-street, Lambeth, said that he was a joiner, and foreman of Mr Myers's shops in Lambeth. He had made a model (produced) half an inch to the foot. The part that gave way was about 65 feet from the base. The width of the wall was 20 feet, and the length 30 feet and a half. The remaining tran- somes 29 feet long and 3 feet wide. The middle tran- somes was about 6 feet from the others. The transomes were not confined in the wall when he saw them. The premises were nearly in the same state that day as when he first saw them. John Haigh said that he lived at 3, More-street, Bryanston-square, and was engaged cleaning bricks on the stage, and had been so for half an hour before the accident happened. He had been engaged the overnight also, by direction of Mr Myers, jun. He left off work at half-past six the previous night, and commenced wheel- ing bricks at half-past five the next morning. Two of his mates were loading and two taking away the bricks from the stage that fell down. By the Coroner: He had no idea how many barrows of bricks had been shot upon the stage, but he should sav there were between six or seven tons of bricks and mortar upon or near the stage. Witness was with- in half a foot of the stage when it fell. At the time the stage was about falling four or six of the men were ordered to leave; sixteen men then were removing br ,ks and mortar in hods, and they had been previously ild to get off. He made a r,emark to Goodlake, the fore n. Several other witnesses were examined, prinei ly labourers engaged on the building, who deposed to :ir peculiar knowledge of the accident. The inquiry was agiin adjourned. Frederick Cahill, who received a fracture of the pelvis, is not expected to survive. Subscriptions are being raised in Westminister, limited to 5s, on behalf of the wives and families of the sufferers.

CRIME IN FRANCE. It may be remembered that in August last Dr Bar- dout, physician of the Palace of Fontainebleau and his wife, both advanced in years, were found murdered in their house near the palace, and that a robbery or their property had been committed; also that a man named Faugeras, who had been in their service, was süe 'la s after arrested. This man was brought to trial before the Court of Assizes of the Seine- et- liirne, and, after the circumstances of the crimes had been stated, he formally admitted his guilt, but accused the female servant of the deceased, who name is Talbot, of having been his ac- complice. In this accusation he persisted, in spite of the vehement denial of the woman. In consequence she was arrested, and the trial was adjourned to enab" an investigat;on into the man's accusation to be mad>\ His statement was, that whilst he was in Dr Bill' 1: service an intimate connection existed between him an the young woman, and that they committed in con- junction robberies of wine and other thing<: that they had planned a greater robbery, a d that in the night of the 29th of August she had let him into the house to perpetrate it; that on penetrating into Mme. Bardout's room the latter cried out, and that he murdered her by a blow on the ear with a chopper; that Dr Bardout, who slept in the next room, having heard the noise, got up, and that he (the prisoner) then murdered him; also being assisted in both these murders by the servant. The man's statement seemed to a certain extent pro- bable, from the fact that medical men thought, from marks on the persons of the deceased, that two indivi- duals must have been engaged in the crime; likewise be- cause certain doors on the passage from the girl's room to the chamber of the murdered persons were left partly open, and because it secmed strange that the m u ders could have been committed without the girl having, as 6ue alleged, heard anything. But, on the other hand, it was ascertained beyond any reasonable doubt that not only had no intimate connection ever existed between the young woman and the prisoner, but it was .he who had caused his dis rissat from the service of Dr Bardout for having one night entered her chamber and attempted to take liberties with her. The prisoner, when pressed with questions, at last admitted that the charge against the girl was unfounded; and he said it was he w!io had opened the doors in order to throw suspicion on her. The consequence was that the examining magistrates declared that there was no reason for prosecuting the girl. On Saturday the man was again brought to trial before the Court of Assizes of the Seine-et-Marce; and after the facts of the case had been related and the man interrogated on them, the president said: Fau^eras! I adjure you to say whether or not you persist in your accusations against the servant?" I can only arswer direct questions." Speak, say what you please, we listen to you!" I have not much to say. If I spoke of the girl it was not to have her punished, but because it was the truth. But punish me alone if you like, I have no oojectionP h Shall we call the girl?' "I shall say nothing against her." You have nothing to say against her?" "I will say Niothing-that is all I say!" The girl was then called, and solemnly protested that she had no part in the murder. The jury declared the prisoner guilty, and the court condemned him to death. On hearing the sentence he was overcome with emotion that he sank down on his seat, and had to be supported in leaving the eourt.-Galignani.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK. The total deaths registered in London, whi 'h were 1,207 in the last week of April, have constantly de- creased in three weeks of the current month, and in thit week that ended last Saturday they were 1,057. In the ten years 1849-58 the average number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week was 1,041; but as the deaths'returned for last week occurred in a popula- tion which has increased, they should be compared with the average raised in proportion to that increase, namely, with 1,145. The comparison shows that the deaths that occurred last week were less by 88 than the number that would have occurred if a mortality equal to the average rate for the third week of May had prevailed.

Fifty millions of francs in specie have just been sent to the head quarters ira Italy by the French Minister of Finance. Drilling of the Police.-The drilling of the metro- politan police is proceeding with much activity, and bodies of the constabulary are regularly exercised in the open space in front of the Foundling Hospital, and also in Regent's-park. The men who have undergone this preliminary training have already acquired considerable aptitudein performing the different steps and movements, and have learned to obey the word of command with a readiness which promises well for their future efficiency. when they shall have gone through the discipline which seems destined henceforth to form part of their duty in the organisation to which they will be henceforth sub- jected. Naples, May 17.—An arrest had been made which had produced some sensation-that of the famous Meranda, who, after having been compromised in all kinds of conspiracies, was finally made Secretary-Gene- ral of the Police. He was arrested on an express order from Caserta, and carried to La Vicaria, whence he will be removed to Pantelleria, a sort of desert island on the coast of Africa, where prisoners are sent whom it is wished to hear no more of. It appears that Meranda is accused of having taken Dart in a plot against the hereditary prince.