water? and he said no; he should be better directly. He would not have a light or water. My wife or sister charged him with having a girl in the shop, and he said he had not anybody in it. I believe we all went up into the house again. After the moaning, and on my going down a second time, I heard a snuffling or wheezing noise, as from shortness of breath, and ceasing in a weakly manner. I did not hear any fall. Heard a noise as of a substance being drawn along the floor; at the time this noise was going on, Platts often hemmed or coughed, and that was while the wheezing noise was going on. From the house, I went on to Terry's. When I got to Terry's I said I had heard something that very much disturbed my mind, and the company partly laughed at me. I went again, and listened very soon afterwards at Platts's shop. Terry was not with me then. I heard nothing, and when I got into my brother-in-law's house, Platts (the prisoner) was sitting in the corner of Thomas Bellamy's house. I said, "Jack, I could almost swear you had somebody in the shop." He said he had nothing of the kind. I then returned to Terry's, feeling satisfied that nothing was the matter when I saw him. He seemed in no way alarmed or affected, and that made me feel more satisfied. My wife and sister said that he had been in and washed his hands. I remember the day, from a wedding in the neighbourhood taking place on the same day, and when my wife mentioned it, we recollected the circumstance. Robinson and Robert Lakin went with me the second time, and stood and listened. Saw no marks of blood upon Platts when he was in the corner. My wife thought he

had got a girl in the shop at the time. If there had been a light we must have seen it. The gas from the outside would light the inside of the shop, so that anybody there could see what they were doing in it, though they could not be seen from the outside of the shop. A few months after this, a girl, Ellen Beresford, who was pregnant by deceased, wanted to know where he was, and I asked Platts if he knew, and he said he had heard of his being in Manchester, and one place or other. Platts said he wanted some 41. or 51. of Collis, and that he had been up to Brampton, where Collis's parents live, and got a part of it. I think he said the mother had given him the money.

The Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of "wilful murder" against Platts, and he was committed for trial.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES. The sugar-refining works and warehouses belonging to Messrs. M'Fie and Sons, in Bachelor Street, Liverpool, were burnt down. Fortunately, no other buildings were destroyed; but the poor people who inhabited the neighbouring houses lost a great quantity of furniture. The premises are stated to be fully insured; but although a considerable quantity of property was saved, the loss is estimated at nearly 60,0007.

The sugar-house of Provost Farie, at Greenock, was also entirely consumed by fire, the same morning, together with the stock and machinery. The damage is estimated at 50,0001.

14. RAILWAY ACCIDENT.-A serious accident happened on the Sunderland and Newcastle Railway; a line which possessed so bad a notoriety as the "Brandling Junction."

The disaster occurred about two miles from Sunderland. When the half-past five down-train had passed the Cleadon station, a connectingrod of the engine snapped asunder, and one of the pieces penetrating the ground, the engine and tender, with two of the carriages, were thrown off the line; the former fell over on one side, and the latter on the other. The carriages fell on some stone sleepers which were laid on the edge of an embankment, and were smashed to pieces. In the train there were eight carriages, six of which did not receive any damage. The guard was seated on the top of one of these, and retained his seat until the train was brought to rest. When he got off, he saw the fireman, a young man named Joseph Henderson, lying on a stone block: he had been thrown off the tender, and so dreadfully injured that there could be no hope of his recovery. The engine-driver, Richard Hall, was next found at the end of the engine, in a state of insensibility, with his head seriously cut, and his body scalded. The The passengers, about eight in number, in the overturned carriages, were found not to have been hurt, though greatly terrified.

16. DONCASTER RACES.-Doncaster Races went off with much éclât. The attendance was full. The St. Leger Stakes 50l. each, 149 subscribers, were won by Mr. W. Scott's Sir Tatton Sykes, by a good half length. Twelve horses started. On Thursday, the great Yorkshire Handicap Stakes were won by Mr. Cranston's Cranebrook.

The Cup is a very elegant specimen of the art of modelling in silver, and is the workmanship of Mr. A. Brown, under the superintendence of Mr. Baily, R.A. The group (an equestrian one) represents

a passage in the battle of Wakefield, Lord Clifford, of Cumberland, overthrowing Richard, Duke of York, of which an account is given by Sharon Turner, in his History of the Reign of Henry VI. The lance of Lord Clifford has pierced the armour of the Duke, who is wounded in the throat, and falls from his horse grasping his battleaxe, with which he has in vain attempted to ward off the fatal thrust. The horses are full of fire, the riders in complete mail, the aventarles or beavers of their helmets being moveable, the features, which are characteristic, can be seen at pleasure.

- DREADFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT. A dreadful accident occurred to the five o'clock down-train of the Great Western Railway, by which much property was destroyed, and two persons, a mason, named James Bonner, and a respectable farmer named Paul Broome Sargent, lost their lives. The train left Paddington at the proper time, and on reaching Reading, in consequence of its being the fair-day, received a great accession of passengers, with whom it proceeded safely on its way until approaching the Farringdonroad Station, when, on passing the arch of the bridge about 100 yards from the station, a sudden and most severe shock was felt, by which the engine and tender became detached, and the train proceeding, the luggage van, which is placed next to the tender, was forced into the first second-class carriage, crushing through three of its compartments, and forcing the body of one of the unfortunate men who lost their lives, through from the first compartment to the second, and completely severing the head from the body of the other, Mr. Sargent. On reaching the station

it was found that the springs of the van, &c., were broken, and that in addition to the two persons who were killed three others were injured, but not seriously.

An inquest was held on the bodies, when Mr. W. Turner identified the body of Paul Broome Sargent, and said, I was riding on the same wheels with him, but not in the same compartment. I believe he was in the first compartment when he was alive, but when dead, he was found in the second compartment, having been beaten through. We got into the carriage at Reading. When we got in we heard an unusual noise in the carriage under our feet, as if the wheel was grating, and we spoke of it to ourselves, but as several people got out, it gradually got less; we did not speak to the guard about it.

Nothing further occurred until we came near Farringdon-road Station. We were coming in at a very moderate and proper pace I should consider a very proper pace -perfectly so. The accident occurred between the bridge and the platform. I heard a loud crash and cracking, as if something was coming over, which continued till the engine stopped at the platform. There was also a sudden shock. I think the death was caused by something giving way under the luggage van. The cracking continued all the way along; but I cannot tell whether the death took place from the first crash or afterwards. I afterwards saw the bodies of the deceased persons. The mason's body was the first I saw; it was then on the platform, having been taken out. The other body, Mr. Sargent's, was not taken out for an hour and a half, I should think. He was jambed in,

and there was some difficulty in extricating him. It was dreadfully mutilated; the head was completely severed from the body; it appeared to have been cut off.

Mr. Barker, a surgeon, described the condition in which he found the bodies of the sufferers. The corpse of Mr. Sargent was standing erect in the broken carriage, and was retained by a hand which clenched the shattered timber of the roof. The fore part of the body was to the back of the carriage. The head was severed from the body, and was lying on the outside of the roof a few feet off. It had been divided by a force acting backwards and forwards. The blow had taken effect immediately under the chin, and, passing through the neck, perfectly separated it. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."

22. STRANDING OF THE GREAT BRITAIN.-This magnificent vessel, which seems to have been attended with an evil fatality, run aground in Dundrum Bay, on the coast of Ireland, opposite the Isle of Man, on the night of Tuesday. The ship left Liverpool about eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning; and after clearing the Bell buoy, bore away under considerable canvas direct in a course for the Calf of Man and the scene of the disaster; and at from four to five o'clock in the afternoon, the island was distinctly visible on the starboard bow. Shortly after, it set in to rain, and the wind increased; the ship making excellent progress, and the passengers uncommonly delighted with the vessel and her admirable qualities as a sea-bout. Night then closed in, dark and wet, and the wind gradually fresh ened into a halfgale. The log was repeatedly taken. About half-past nine o'clock,

the passengers were startled by a cry and active movements upon deck, and a general fear prevailed that the ship was in collision with some other vessel. The ship, however, had stranded. The night was dark and stormy, the ship beat incessantly upon the sand; and the breakers repeatedly breaking heavily over her, one of the lifeboats was carried from its fastenings on the quarter. Alarms and cries instantly pervaded the ship; and apprehensions were general amongst the passengers that the ship would break up during the night beneath the force of the breakers which constantly burst over her decks. Throughout the emergency, Captain Hosken behaved with admirable self-possession and energy; and immediately after the ship struck, went down below, and, by his assurances, quieted the excited apprehensions of the passengers. His efforts were successful. A portion of the passengers returned to their berths and slept until morning. The anxious hours of darkness being passed, towards daylight prepamtions were made to land the passengers and their luggage; and then it was discovered tha the ship had struck upon the soft sandy beach of Dundrum Bay, near the watchhouse of Tyrella a little to the West of the Cow and Calf Rocks. Providentially, the vessel cleared these dangerous spots; for had it been otherwise, it is more than probable that few, if any, would have escaped. The landing of the passengers was accomplished between the hours of five and seven o'clock on Wednesday morning, and from the protected position of the ship and the nature of the beach, with perfect safety and a number of them

afterwards, with their luggage, which was protected by the arrival of a magistrate with a body of police, departed and dispersed to the neighbouring towns of Downpatrick, Dundalk, Newry, and Belfast.

Captain Hosken accounts for the catastrophe in the following manner --There is a double light on the Calf of Man, revolving every two minutes; a single light on St. John's Point, off Dundrum Bay, revolving every minute. As the vessel approached the Isle of Man, a glimpse of the island was caught by those on board; but the lights were not seen, probably on account of the thick atmosphere. In the chart used by Captain Hosken, the St. John's light was not marked at all though it has been in use for three years. When it was descried, he mistook it for the Calf of Man light. Although he was puzzled at the apparent retardation in the course of the ship, the fact of seeing the light appeared to be conclusive. That only one light was seen was imputed to the dense haze; which had, in fact, sufficed to hide both lights on the island. The vessel, therefore, was steered to give the rocks called the Hen and Chickens, off the Man light, a sufficiently wide berth to starboard, and the consequence was the ship grounded within Dundrum Bay. Great efforts were immediately made to get her off, without effect; a succession of tempestuous weather set in, which drove her further on shore, and some damage occurring to her bottom, she filled with water. It seems very improbable that she can be got off.

23. FORGERY OF RAILWAY SCRIP. -Central Criminal Court-John Bannister Faulkener was tried for a forgery of scrip of the Bucking

hamshire Railway. Bentham Fabian was also indicted, but he did not surrender to his bail. The two, who were in partnership as sharebrokers, in May last, obtained money through Mr. Richards, a dealer in shares, on what purported to be scrip of the railway company; a Mr. Solomons advanced the money. The scrip turned out to be forged. This was the statement of the counsel for the prosecution. Mr. Ballantine, for the prisoner, took an objection to the indictment. He contended that the scrip was not a receipt, and could not be considered as belonging to any class of documents specified in the act of Parliament. Until the subscribers' agreement and Parliamentary contract were signed, the document was worth nothing; and it bore on the face of it that the holder could only be entitled to the shares on his executing those deeds. After a long discussion, Mr. Justice Maule (having consulted with Mr. Baron Platt) said he would take a note of the objection; but he was of opinion that it should be overruled; and the case proceeded. Mr. Edward Richards was then examined. His evidence by no means implicated the prisoner at the bar; it was adverse only to Fabian. He deposed that he raised money on shares of the Buckinghamshire Railway on account of Mr. Fabian; but he had had no conversation with the prisoner on the subject. He had always paid the money to Fabian, in his own counting-house at the Hall of Commerce, or in the office of Mr. Fabian. Faulkener never appeared to know anything about what they were doing, although he might have been present. He applied to Mr. Solomons to advance money on the Bucking

hamshire Railway scrip. Mr. Solomons agreed to advance the money if Mr. Fabian went for the scrip. Fabian did so, and returned with the scrip, and got the money. At this point of the case, Mr. Clarkson said that they had no means of showing that the pri soner had any knowledge of the uttering of the forged scrip, except what they expected to extract from the evidence of the witness. The evidence he gave in the box was quite contrary to the statement which he had made to his own solicitor; and as they had no other means of proving Faulkener's accessorial knowledge, they must abandon that part of the indictment. There was another charge-that of fraud. Mr. Justice Maule said that the evidence had failed, independently of any distinction as to fraud or forgery; since no knowlege of the fraud or forgery was brought home to the prisoner by the evidence of the witness Richards.

Faulkener was then arraigned on the charge of fraud. Mr. Clarkson, however, said, that after the equivocal evidence of Mr. Richards, who was a person of peculiar character, and who, although he did not mean to say he had been a participator in the fraud, was very closely mixed up with it, he would not occupy the time of the Court by proceeding further with the case. The Jury then returned a verdict of acquittal; and the prisoner was discharged.

23. FIRE AT THE CROYDON RAILWAY.-A destructive fire occurred at the Croydon terminus of the Croydon Railway at an early hour in the morning. Flames were perceived by a policeman issuing from the lamp room, but before any per