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Leader (1850-1860), 20th December 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1209

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      Untitled Article

      Oram , a woman belonging to the town of Nantyglo , Glamorganshire , has been committed for trial on a cha rge of . murdering her illegitimate son , a boy about ten years old . The evidence brought forward at the inquest showed that the . boy had been starved and shockingly beaten until death resulted . A Ticket-of-Leavb Max in Distress . —A man recently left the subjoined letter with Mr . Bingham , the Marlborough-street magistrate : — " Sir , —I am a returned convict , released on a ticket-of-leave on the 8 th of October last . Since that time I have used every means to get employment , but have not been able to succeed . I am now very badly off , and have no means of living except I have recourse to something dishonest , which I never will , though my circumstances should be

      worse than they are at present . My object in applying to you is this . 1 have the offer of a free passage to New York on Thursday next by the New York Town ship , Captain Meyer , but being without a friend and destitute , I am at a loss how to act except some humane person would assist me . I have therefore made bold to lay my case before you , trusting you will be kind enough to assist me under my unfortunate circumstances . —Your humble servant , Wimjam Pearson . " Mr . Binglxam caused inquiries to be made Into the cose , and found that the man ' s assertions were quite true ; but it turned out that it would be impossible for him to go to America , as , by the United States laws , convicts are not allowed to be taken as passengers in American ships . Mr . Binglxam suggested Australia , to the man , and relieved him 1 ) V ten shillings from tha poor-box .

      Alleged Imposture . — -Mary Anne Murphy , who was charged with obtaining various sums of money from a number of persons by fraudulently representing that she was the niece of the Bishop of Cloyne and Ross , and that she was entitled to a sum of 3000 / . in the Bank of England , as heiress at law to her brother , Robert Murphy , to whose estate she was adniinistering , was on Tuesday again brought up at Guildhall , for further examination relative to those charges . The witnesses necessary to substantiate them , however , not being in attendance , the case failed , and the accused was discharged , but was immediately rearrested upon a charge of obtaining a sovereign on false pretences . As this occurred at Clerkenw-ell , she was removed to the policeoffice of that court .

      A Gentleman Wife :-Beatek . —Mr . Frederick Ashley Thompson , a sharebroker , residing at Thorpe Gbttage , Richmond-road , Dalston , was charged on Tuesday , at the Worship-street police-court , with , having maltreated his wife . Mrs . Thompson , who has been married about five years , has been , frequently ill-used by her husband ; but on Monday evening his violence was so great , though he had no other provocation than that she had gone out shopping without his leave , that she felt compelled to go to the station-house , and place herself under the protection of the police . Here slie was followed by Thompson , "vvho was intoxicated , and who swore that he would do the same again . He was fined 5 Z ., and ordered to find substantial bail to keep the peace for three months .

      Kedpath os hie Stock Exchange . —The public have been taken somewhat by surprise by the details given in the Bankruptcy Court relative to the enormous speculative transactions in which Leopold Redpath was engaged . Between May and November , the amount of his account floating in the market appears to have varied from 70 , 000 / . to 131 , 000 / . Transactions to the extent of 30 , 000 / . in Great Northern stock , and -10 , 000 / . in Consols , are mentioned . Making every allowance for the position of Stock Exchange brokers , we cannot help thinking that the system of thus extending facilities for excessive speculation to the clerks of public companies and other employes is a serious evil . —J ) aily News , ( City Article ) .

      SACitiLteCMi . —The Church of St . Nicholas , Deplford , has been broken into , and the cheat containing the sacramental plutc stolen .

      Untitled Article

      ACCIDENTS AND SUDDEN DEATHS . TitREE persons have been drowned close to Blnckfriursbridgo . A party , consisting of four men and three women , hired a boat last Sunday for a row on the river . Tufty remained on the water till darkness . set in , when one of the rowers turned the boat round and was making for the bridge , wlien the end of tlio boat struck against fhc pier-head of one of the arches . The women , being alarmed , sprang up and leaned towards one side of the boat , which was thus overbalanced , and the seven occupants were immediately thrown into the water . Several boata put off to the rescue , and two men and two women were picked up in an exhausted state . Tho other three w « re carried away by the tide . A ticket-taker on tho Birkonliead and Cheater

      Rail-Five persons have been drowned near the Shetland Islands . Four men and two women were proceeding in a boat from Lerwick to jBressay . One of the rov .-ers was a man named William Duncan . ; another was James Duncan , a son of the former . James was drunk , and it seems he is extremely passionate when intoxicated . Recollecting that he had left some things behind him at Lerwick , he wished his father to put back , but this was refused . He then attempted to pull the boat back , but was defeated by the others . He was held down for a time , and restrained . Directly he -was set free , however , he leapt up , sprang towards his father , and attempted to strike him . In the commotion thus occasioned , the boat upset , and only one person out of the sjX' —a man named Peter Hunter—escaped . He contrived to get back again to the boat , and drifted in about two limirs to ahnr «> ¦

      Two melancholy catastrophes have occurred in Devonshire . Four fishermen of Topsham -went out to sea in a fishing boat , to follow their usual avocation , on Saturday last . They had not been out long before a stiff gale sprung up , and the boat was capsized near the Warren , on the south coast . Three of the poor fellows were drowned , and the other contrived , by the aid of one of the oars -which he secured ,-to get safely on shore . The body of one of the men was washed ashore the same evening . The bodies of the other two have not yet been

      discovered . On the same day , a similar accident occurred at Appledore , in the north of Devon . A vessel was lying in the bay off Barnstaple Bar , which signalled for a pilot . Two boats , each manned by sev « n men , put off to her assistance . The weather was rough , and there was a heavy sea . On nearing the bar buoy , a breaker struck one of the boats and upset it . Four of the crew , three of whom were married men with large families , were drowned , and the remainder were rescued by the other boat .

      A man was killed on the South-Western Railway on Thursday night . The up-traiu from Southampton had just passed the Woking station , when from some cause which remains unexplained it came in contact with a tender at Goldsworth cuttings . The engineer sounded his whistle on observing ; the tender so close , and instantly turned off the steam ; but a collision took place , and Michael Knight , foreman of the plate layers , who was standing on the tender , was thrown out . His sluill was fractured , and he died in a few hours . A dreadful catastrophe has occurred at the Bowling Iron-WoTks near Bradford , where a man has been crushed to death in the machinery .

      way was run over last Saturday evening by an express train at Spittnl , and was cut to pieces . A man and Iiis wife , occupying the cellar of a house ¦« Raglan-street , Liverpool , were burnt to . death in a ^ ro which destroyed the promises on Sunday morning . They were both intoxicated when last seen . A largo sail-boat , with thirteen persons on board , was lost on Tuesday week on tho Lower Shannon , Irelaml , luring the terrific gale -which , tlien raged . Every soul was drowned .

      Untitled Article

      IRELAND . The Railway Murder . —An engine-driver named Dowd , in the employment of the railway company , made a most important disclosure on Tuesday .- He says that , after midnight oh Friday night , the l' 2 tlt inst ., he -had occasion to go into the yard at the rear of his house , which is situated near the carnage factory . "While In the yard , he saw a man come to one of the windows in the side of the building where the money was found , open it , and shove a plank through it , and rest one end of it on the window stool , and the other on a liigh embankment in a garden into which the window looked . Dowd says that the man wns muffled up , and lie saw him pass along

      the plank leading into the garden . He was dressed m white , and carried a bundle in his hand tied up in a red handkerchief . After reaching the garden he got over the hedge , and proceeded in the direction of Phipsborough , when the plank was pulled into the building by some one inside . Such is the statement which Dowd made to the police . On being questioned as to why he did not give information of the circumstances earlier than Tuesday , he answered that he did not wish to bring any one into trouble , but , in consequence of a conversation he had with another engine-driver , to whom he told whAt he had seen , and who advised him not to coiice ; il the matter , he gave information . —Freeman .

      Miscellaneous.

      ^^——™ » m ^ . ^ , ^ jmjmim tabulated statistics for the year . In this document Mr Maxwell says : W As regards details , the most ' prominent difference between the two years ( 1855-56 ) is the increased area under wheat . Indeed , the rapid ex - tension of that crop during the three years the statistical inquiry has been in operation is remarkable , and , but for its operation , would comparatively have been unknown . In 3 . 854 , there were 1 G 8 , 216 acres of wheat ; in 1855 , 191 , 3003 ; and in 1850 , 263 , 328 acres-an increase upon last year of 72 , 027 £ ' acres , and of 564 per cent , on the returns for 1854 . The information afforded by the acreage table for the current year enables us to account for this great excess , not only consistently , with the circumstances of the times , but

      satisfactorily as regards the progress of agriculture . The remunerative prices which hare been obtained for wheat make it natural that it should he substituted , where practicable , for barley and oats , and lead us to look for tha conversion of grass land into grain . We may therefore seek to find the increase in wheat met by a corresponding decrease in the acreage of the other white crops , and of grass under rotation . ; as it would argue ill for the state of agriculture did . any proportion appear to be a subtraction from the area under green crops . "

      I ' ei . o-de-se tx Prison . —An inquest has been held on the body of Johanna Gumsnage , a German , who committed suicide by hanging in a cell at the Collingwood station . He was given into custod y on Sunday morning , charged with stealing a part of the communion service from St . Augustine's Roman Catholic chapel , Great Howard-street . He ate a hearty dinner in his cell at half-past two , and about a quarter to three he was found hanging by the neck from a handkerchief fastened to an iron bar behind the shutters . "A verdict of fdo-de-st was returned .

      1 IKES . —A very extensive fire burst out on Tuesday morning on the premises of a timber-merchant and cowkeeper in Somers Toiv n . Five valuable eoivs who were confined in tlie cowhouses perished in the flames , and property to a . very large amount was destroyed . The loss is covered by insurance . —A very fierce and extensive fire occurred on Wednesday morning at a surgical instrument maker ' s in . Aldersgate-street , City , ending iu the destruction of the premises and of tie stock ( insured ) ; and , on the afternoon of the same d 3 yy the premises ci an engineer anjj bavge-builcler , situated in Upper Foro street-Lambeth , and stretching down to the river sidf , were the scene of a conflagration , attended with great lo ^ s of nropertv , also insured . . . . _ ¦

      This GuEiiswicii Ilectiox . —We understand th ' .-it a requisition is in . course of signature , calling ; on Whjoi-G . enatal ; Sir . ¦ "WilliamXodrington , K . C . B ., to allow himself to be put in nomination for Greenwich . There is no doubt that General CodrLngton will comply with s \ ich a requisition , if it is as respectably signed as is expected . —Times . Iulxess ok the DeAx of CasteRBUKY . —Tlic Dean of Canterbury is suffering from a severe attack of paralysis , owing to which , he lias been speechless for uj > - wams of a fortnight . Tiu : Ixcojik-tax Movement .. — A meeting of the inhabitants of the various parishes ' comprised within the llolborn Union was held on . Tuesday evening ' at tlio v . orkhousc in Gray ' s inn-lane , 'to consider ' what stcy . s should be taken to alleviate the excessive burden of tlij

      income-tax . After several speeches had been tlolivereU a committee was appointed to prepare a petition to Parliament . —A large meeting to protect agaiii 3 t the continuance of the war ninepence took place on Tuesday at the ¦ Court-house of Kilniainh . iin , Ireland , tho 1-ligh SheriiY presiding .. The meeting represented the wholo county of Dublin . Resolutions condemning tho proposed prolongation of tho increase ' until . April , 185 s , and deciding that a petition shall be presented to Parliament , were adopted liem . con . —A meeting has also been held , with this like result , at Birmingham , at ¦ which Messrs . Muntz and Scholetield spoke . —A passive resistance to the payment of tha income-tax has commenced at Droghoihi .

      The . Italian Couimittkh . —The- . Italian Committee in England is composed of the fallowing gentlemen : — Douglas Jerrold , 2 G , Circus-road , St . John ' s Wood ; George Dawson , M . A ., Iiirmirigh . 'iin ; Joseph Cowen , jun ., Newcn . stk : W . S . Burton , 3 D , G . vford-street ; P . A . Taylor , ' Curoy-lnne , Chcapside ; W \ C . Bennett , Greenwich i' K . Mooro , 25 , Hart-street , Blooinsbury ; \ V . II . Ashurst , G , Old Jewry ; Edmund Benles , 4 , Stona-buiUlin ^ s , Lincoln ' s-inn ; . W . J . Etches , Derby ; Dr . Epps , 80 , Great ISussell-strect , Lloomsbury ; C . Furtudo , fci , Percy-street , Bedford-square ; Horace St . Jolm , 352 , Strand ; W . Shaen , 8 , Bedford-row ; C . II . Kit , 13 , High-street , Islington ; C . W . Dunford , 42 , lligb-strcct , Nottiiig-hill ; T . Wilson , G , Tottenhamstreet , Fitxroy-squnro ; J . Stansfuld , Hon . Sec , ' Walhanvgroen , Fulhani ; John Bennett , Chcapside .

      M ISCELLANEOUS . The Coukt . —Tho Maharajah Dhuleep Singh has arrived in this country on a visit to the Queen . —The Queen and lioynl Family returned yesterday morning to Windsor Castle from the Iulc of Wight . Tiie ltacoituisitsiur ok Bkistoi ,, —In consequence of representations made by the town-council of Uiistol to tho Secretary of Stnte for the Home Department , the salary of the Recorder , with the concurrence of Mr . Serjeant Kingiakc ( who recently succeeded Sir Alexander Cockburu in the oilice , and who left tho matter entirely in the hands of Sir George Grey ) , has been reduced from 600 / . to 500 / . tier annum .

      llKl'IlKSKNTATION OI" llAMDINQTOXSIlIKK . Lord 1 Ucho bus intimated to his constituents in East Lothian that lie has been ordered by hia medical ndviser to abstain from all business for tho next Twelve months , and tliat he is about to proceed to the continent in order to re-establish his health . Scottish Aamcin / nmAi , Statistics . — Mr . Hall Maxwell , Secretary to the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland , under ¦ whoso cure und direction tho agricultural statistics of Scotland liavo now for three year * been collected , has juat transmitted his concluding report for 185 C to tho Hoard of Trude along with tho

      Nkw Stiikkt Nomhnclatukk . —Mr . Dlffanger and the other members of tho committee appointed by the Board of Works ti > consider the best moans of carrying out that portion of tho section of the actwliich . empowers the board to name all tlio streets in the metropolis , so aa to prevent any two streets being called by the same name , produced at tho meeting on Friday week tho iirat fruits of their labours hi tho shape of a voluminous and interesting report . The suggestion put forth is to substitute , I ' d tho numoa which aro now used with frequent repetition in various parts of the town , terms of distinc-

      Untitled Article

      ——Peckmber 20 , 1856 . ] T HE LE ADEB , 1209

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 20, 1856, page 1209, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2172/page/9/