Mr. C. Saunders, for the prisoner, went over the evidence, and said before the jury could pronounce a verdict of guilty" they must be convinced beyond doubt that the child met with its death by drowning. After the evidence of the medical man, how could they say that the death was caused by drowning, as laid in this inquisition? Mr. Baron Rolfe summed up the case to the jury. The evidence was circumstantial. The child might have died from natural causes, or it might have died from drowning; and it was for the jury to decide. The Jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty. 12. OUR WOODEN WALLS. — Extraordinary Expedition. For some reason not yet explained, but which some have said to be an intent to explain to the Prince de Joinville that though apparently unprepared, no difficulty would be found in equipping a fleet for sea in a very short period; others, a wager between two experienced and zealous captains; and others, simply an experiment on the part of the Admiralty for some reason, orders were suddenly received at Portsmouth and Plymouth, that the Bellerophon 78, and the Calcutta 84, should be got ready for sea in the shortest possible space of time! The officers and crews of the Rodney, Captain Collier, at Portsmouth, and of the Albion, Captain Lockyer, were directed to perform these tasks unassisted. Every preparation was allowed to be made by the officers of the dockyards, that no delay an might arise from deficiency of stores in all other respects no previous arrangements were permitted. On Monday morning the Bellerophon was lying in ordinary up Portsmouth Harbour, as "advance ship," i. e. with her lower masts and boltsprit in, and her water-tanks on board; by daylight she had been towed to the wharf: the Rodney's crew began upon her at five o'clock A. M., after breakfast, and by sunset she had her topmasts up, mizen top-gallant mast, cross-jack, and mizen topsail yard, and main yard across, and had taken in her second tier of tanks filled from the dockyard, and part of her provisions ! On Tuesday morning the crew began about the same time; by seven o'clock P. M. she had her lower and topsail yards up, and the sails bent, and the fore and main topgallant masts on end, bowsprit rigged, jib-boom out, and rigging rattled down; had taken in the remainder of her provisions and part of her guns, many of them mounted and pointing through the ports; her port side painted, and starboard side partially. On Wednesday morning her crew began at four o'clock, and bent the remainder of her sails, crossed topgallant and royal yards, and hoisted the ensign and pennant by ten o'clock, when she hauled off from the jetty, and was taken in tow by the Echo tug for Spithead. On passing the Platform Battery she fired a salute of seventeen guns in beautiful style. On arriving at Spithead, each ship at that anchorage manned her rigging, and the crews cheered as a just tribute to the gallant Rodneys. Thus in about sixty hours this fine two-decker of seventy-eight guns was hauled down from her moorings, and completely fitted and stored for sea, and taken out to the anchorage ready for inspection! At Plymouth, the rival crew of the Rodney were not less on the alert. At seven o'clock on Monday morning the Calcutta, also an "advance ship," was brought from her mooring in Hamoaze; the crew of the Albion landed at the dockyard, proceeded to the rigging-house, and carried the lower rigging down to the ship, and then commenced work. Parties were appointed to draw the various stores, bring the rigging, blocks, &c., for each mast, and to get the spars out of the masthouse, and bring them down to the ship. At half-past six o'clock P. M. the mizen topgallant mast was fidded, the fore and main rigging was set up for sea, the main yard was up, and the fore yard across the hammock netting; the topmast rigging could not be set up, because the iron futtock rigging was not fitted. Three months' provisions were got in, except five casks of vinegar and seventy bags of bread; all the tanks were stowed, all the lower-deck guns in their places, and the present use stores in. On Tuesday the crew commenced at six A. M., and by halfpast six P. M. the main-deck guns were in everything ataunto, and rigging all set up for sea service; running rigging rove, all the provisions in, and nearly all the stores. On Wednesday the crew began again at six A. M., and were occupied four hours bringing down and stowing away the hemp cables; at half-past six P. M. the Calcutta was ready for sca, sails bent, and everything in its place except the booms being stowed; and, with three hours' work on Thursday morning, everything was secured for sea. She was then towed into the Sound, where she came to anchor at two P. M. and saluted. Thus the exertions of the Rodney's crew obtained a considerable advantage over their gallant competitors. Strange to say, these fine men-of-war, thus rigged in haste, were unrigged at leisure; and while every one expected an important addition to our squadron, the vessels were quietly stripped, the stores returned to the warehouses, and the hulls to the moorings! The men engaged in this arduous undertaking were rewarded with some days' pay, and some of the most intelligent officers promoted. 13. ABORTION. - Midland Circuit, Nottingham.-Mary Goodall, a woman about thirty years of age, stood indicted for that she, on the 9th of February last, feloniously used a certain instrument or piece of wire upon the body of Catherine Snowden, with intent to procure abortion. It appeared that the deceased, believing herself to be pregnant, solicited the prisoner to perform the operation of puncturing, which there is no doubt she did perform, or attempt to perform, and for which she was now on her trial; but the medical evidence went to show that the deceased was, in point of fact, mistaken as to her having been pregnant, and, as the learned judge directed, the jury negatived her being in that state, and also affirmed that the poor girl had long been the subject of chronic cough, and otherwise ailing, and died from other causes distinct from the proceedings of the prisoner. for the defence, upon the facts, was, that howsoever the deceased might have believed herself to be pregnant, there was no evidence to show that the prisoner so believed, which was necessary in order to convict her under the statute upon The case which she was indicted. There was no evidence that the prisoner received any money or other consideration, or was in the habit of doing so, though it was mentioned by her counsel that there was a rumour that there were people who were in the habit of doing such things, to such an extent that there existed a regular scale of charges, according to the length of time which the women might respectively have gone. Mr. Miller submitted that the legal offence was not proved, and referred to the various statutes which have been passed against the offence. Mr. Justice Coltman said, that he thought that it was proved that the deceased was not with child, and that the learned counsel had shown sufficient to entitle him to have the point reserved for the opinion of the Judges; and his lordship reserved the point accordingly. Mr. Miller then proceeded to address the jury upon the facts; observing as to the impression that had gone forth that it was a prevailing practice in Nottingham, that they were to decide only upon the evidence that they had heard that day, which disclosed nothing of the sort. There was nothing in the evidence to lead to the belief that the unhappy woman at the bar was a professor of any thing of the sort, gaining a nefarious livelihood, with base purposes, by such dangerous courses. He then contended that the evidence did not show that the prisoner at the time believed the deceased to be pregnant. The deceased appeared to have been a spare thin person, with a cold, and chronic cough, which were calculated to cause obstruction of another nature. The jury returned VOL. LXXXVIII. a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy. A very general impression has prevailed, that the grave crime here charged has long been, and is, committed in Nottingham to a very frightful extent, and that numerous deaths have resulted from it. 15. BURGLARIES AT HULL.—A very extensive robbery of watches and jewellery was committed on the premises of Mr. Daniel, jeweller and watch-manufacturer, Queen Street, Hull. It seems that Mr. Daniel had occasion, shortly before eleven o'clock in the evening, to go to the Minerva Hotel, and in the course of a quarter of an hour returned, and found the premises apparently in the same secure state as when he left. On entering, however, he noticed a large dog, which he kept in the house, lying on the floor dying, and near him some pieces of liver strongly poisoned, of which he had caten. The robbers could only have been on the premises from five to ten minutes. A costly case of gold watches, guard-chains, rings, and other jewellery, in value between 1,500l. and 2,000l., were carried off. The thieves carefully locked the door after them. A second burglary took place in the same street on the premises of Mr. Gardener, most probably by the same parties, and nearly at the same time. The proprietor was in the habit of sleeping on the premises, but he did not do so on this night. The door was fastened with two patent padlocks and a lock in the door. All these the thieves had most cleverly unlocked, and after plundering the interior, relocked them as if nothing had occurred. On Mr. Gardener opening his shop on the following morning, his suspicions were aroused on finding that the key would not enter E the lock of an iron safe, trebly locked, which held the most valuable portion of his stock. A locksmith was then sent for, who picked the locks, and the contents of the safe were discovered to be stolen. The booty consisted of seventeen gold watches, twenty silver, all new, and nearly twenty secondhand; gold chains and guards, diamond-pins and rings, gold and silver snuff-boxes, &c., in value near 3,0001. It 16. GENERAL TOM THUMB. The celebrated American dwarf, "General Tom Thumb," made his appearance at the Lyceum Theatre, in a burlesque written expressly for him. The drama is founded on the tale of "Hop o' my Thumb." was highly amusing to see how the minute actor entered into the spirit of the character, and assumed that sagacity which has ever distinguished the Thumbling of fairy legends, and for which the woodcutter's small son, who proved a match for the ogre, was especially celebrated. The knowing look, the readiness of manner, the air with which he entered upon a stratagem, and the quick movement of his little legs when he ran across the stage after the accomplishment of his plan, produced an effect altogether uncommon and irresistibly ludicrous. The little actor was highly applauded, and at the conclusion was nearly smothered in bouquets showered down upon him from fair hands, who had no recognition for poor Haydon. (See June.) 17. ASSASSINATION IN IRELAND. -Another of those crimes which have marked the people of Ireland with so deep a stain, has been committed by the murder of Mr. Carrick, a gentleman of large property and of the highest estimation. No motive has been assigned for the atrocious deed; it seems to have been one of those cold-blooded assassinations which have been directed by the secret associations which hold the land in bondage, and for which it has been stated, funds are systematically provided, the hire for the murder of a marked individual being from 41. to 51. About six o'clock in the evening, Mr. Carrick was returning to Ennis from a road sessions held at Spancill Hill to provide employment for the poor, and was fired at near Mr. O'Connell's gate, Toureen House, by two men who were on the public road armed with muskets. Mr. Carrick was on an outside car, and accompanied by his man-servant, who was driving. One of the men deliberately fired and hit him with two balls, one of which lodged in his hip; the other smashed a gold watch in his pocket. The second man, seeing that Mr. Carrick was not killed, fired and hit him in the groin. Mr. Carrick, though dreadfully wounded, desired the servant to drive on and stop at Mr. O'Connell's gate; where he got off the car, and walked with great difficulty to the hall-door, on the steps of which he was found bleeding and exhausted. Immediately after Mr. Carrick was shot, his savage assailants walked away unmolested, although Mr. Carrick feelingly appealed to four men passing at the time Catch those two men, they have shot me!' Instead of any exertion having been made, these dastardly villains laughed at the appeal. Mr. Carrick died on the following day. A man named Molony was arrested on suspicion, and was identified by Mr. Carrick. At the inquest on the body, Mr. Carrick's servant stated, that as his wounded master was walking to the hall-door, a man and two or three women came up: the man asked who the gentleman was? and on being told, he coolly remarked, "he deserved what he got. Mr. Carrick was the agent and receiver of several extensive estates in the county of Clare. FIRE AND Loss OF LIFE.-A disastrous fire, resulting in the loss of four lives, occurred at an early hour at 77, Crawford Street, Marylebone. The house was occupied by several families. Mr. Tempson, a surgeon, occupied the shop and back parlour on the ground floor, leaving a youth, aged 16, in charge of his shop nightly. The first floor was occupied by Mr. Hosking, the landlord of the house, together with his wife and daughter; and on the second floor lived a man and his wife, named Butters, with a family of three young children. The fire was discovered by a policesergeant; who instantly gave the alarm, and the door was opened by the boy who slept on the ground floor, who immediately proceeded up stairs to alarm the inmates, while the police sergeant despatched messengers for assistance. From the inflammable nature of the materials, the flames spread with such rapidity as to cut off the retreat of the boy and the other inmates. The lad and the occupants of the first floor escaped with difficulty by passing from their balcony to that of the next house: the family of Butters had no such means of escape; they were speedily aware of their dangerous situation.Butters, after awakening his wife and children, attempted to escape with them through a trap door in the roof, but was driven back by the smoke and flames into the front room, closing the door behind him. Here his wife, frantic with terror, threw herself from the window; she fell heavily on the pavement, fracturing her arm and receiving severe injuries in the back. Mr. Butters at this time was standing at the same window from which his wife had fallen, raising his hands imploringly as if asking help of the bystanders. The flames from the first-floor windows are described to have actually played round the wretched man's face as he stood. The fire escape from King Street arrived at this time, and having been hastily placed against the house, the officer in charge ascended to the second floor for the purpose of endeavouring to afford him assistance. The officer reached the window, and not only spoke to Butters, but had actually caught hold of him with the intention of pulling him into the escape, when he tore himself away, saying that he would go and seek his children. At the same moment the front of the shop was blown out with a loud explosion, and the flames from the first-floor, having increased in their violence, set fire to the top of the fire escape, causing the officer to loose his hold, and fall heavily to the ground. On being picked up the poor fellow was found to have sustained a severe fracture of the skull; he was immediately removed to Middlesex Hospital. Although Butters came to the window once or twice subsequently, he was unable to keep his position for more than a few moments, and very soon after it became evident to the bystanders |