cipal headsman advanced with a broad two-handed sword. A si lent thrill ran through the assembled multitude, who now understood that the fatal moment had arrived. The dreadful weapon was raised by the executioner, and a single blow severed the head from the body. A great flow of blood instantaneously followed. The head was then held up to the gaze of the crowd, while the body sank through a trap-door, and the dismal scene closed. 25. MELANCHOLY DEATH. This morning the inhabitants of Neath were alarmed by a report that the body of a man was discovered in a sawpit belonging to a shipbuilding yard, below the town, between the canal and the river. Hundreds flocked at an early hour to the spot, where they found the lifeless body of the Rev. Jeffrey Davies, curate of Cadoxton, in a pit which had only been made the evening before, for the purpose of inserting a post to support the side. of a new sawpit. The hole in which the body was found was only two feet and a half diameter at the surface, two feet at the bottom, and six feet in depth. The body, when discovered, was in a sitting posture, but, from the narrowness of the hole, nearly doubled up; the feet were elevated above the level of the head, which was pressed down on the chest. From the sandy nature of the soil the heels could get no purchase, although his efforts to extricate himself appeared to have been most violent, from the quantity of loose sand which he had displaced from the sides of the hole and deposited in his lap, and which partially filled his mouth and eyes. In the course of the day the body was removed from an adjoining shed (where it 27. In the Court of Queen's Bench, Forbes M'Neill, who had been indicted by Mr. John Abel Smith for assault, and had allowed judgment to go by default, was brought up for judgment. In 1840, Mr. M'Neill was in business under the name of M'Neill and Co., and bills to a large amount were discounted by Messrs. Smith, Payne and Smith; Mr. M'Neill then stated, that he had assigned property to a large amount to one Virtue, his agent in Scotland, who had accepted bills; admitting that the names on the bills were not debtors of the defendant, but that Virtue was bound to hold them harmless. Both Mr. Virtue and Mr. M'Neill failed in 1840, and it then came out that the names on the bills were those of persons in poor circumstances. In the course of the affair, Mr. M'Neill sent a Mr. Williams to Mr. Smith, who noticed a letter in the messenger's hand. Having asked to see it, he read it, and then pronounced all the parties to be "a set of swindlers." Mr. Williams threatened to mention the imputation; which he did, although begged not to do so; and subsequently Mr. Smith disclaimed any intention wantonly to give pain; but he refused to withdraw the expression or to fight a duel, at the same time offering every facility for a legal inquiry. In delivering judgment, Mr. Justice Patteson said, that the epithet used by the prosecutor did not seem to be justified by the facts, which did not appear to indicate the deliberate intention to defraud implied in the term "swindler;" but the defendant's conduct was open to great suspicion, and the assault was one of an aggravated kind. The sentence, therefore, was three months' imprisonment. In the course of his speech, the Judge said, "We wish to declare our strong conviction, that no character was ever vindicated by acts of violence or personal outrage." 29. Thomas Holt and George Frederick Brander were sentenced for a libel in the Age newspaper on the Duke of Brunswick; against whom an atrocious imputation was conveyed in a series of papers: Holt was sentenced to be imprisoned for twelve months; and Brander, a proprietor who lives in the country, and who pleaded that he was not cognizant of the libels, to three months' imprisonment; Mr. Justice Patteson remarking that he must have been cognizant of the general character of the paper. HONESTY THE BEST POLICY. -A man, named Moloney, an auctioneer, formerly residing in Belturbet, forged a draft for 1307. some time ago, and effected his escape to America. Whilst there he learned that he was heir to 50,000l. in dispute in Ireland. He had the hardihood to return, made good his claim, was immediately afterwards arrested, was tried in the Commission Court, Dublin, last week convicted of forgery, and sentenced to seven years' transportation. The treasure was, of course, confiscated to the Crown. Baron Lefroy, in passing sentence, intimated that if an application were made to the Crown the pro perty might be granted to the children. REMARKABLE CHANGE IN PROPERTY.-When Lawrence Sheriff, grocer and citizen of London, left the third part of a field of twenty-four acres, in the parish of Holborn, for the endowment of a grammar-school at Rugby, it produced no more than 81. a-year. This field was called Conduit-close, and was nearly half a mile from any house. It is now covered with buildings, and the rental exceeds 10,000l. a-year. The field has risen in value from 81. to 10,000l. and upwards. Her The Queen and Prince Albert left the State Rooms at half-past one o'clock, Her Majesty wearing her magnificent circlet of diamonds, and the Prince habited in a Field Marshal's uniform, and wearing the Collars of three Orders of Knighthood, the Pages of Honour bearing Her Majesty's train. Majesty and His Royal Highness were conducted to the state-coach by the Lord Chamberlain and the Vice Chamberlain. The Duchess of Buccleuch, Mistress of the Robes, and the Earl of Jersey, G.C.H., Master of the Horse, occupied seats in the state-carriage. The Royal Procession then quitted the Palace, the Queen's Marshalmen two and two, the Queen's Footmen in State Liveries, and a party of the Yeomen of the Guard, preceding the state-coach, which horses. A party of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards formed the Royal escort from the Palace to the House of Lords. The crown was conveyed to the House of Lords by Sir William Martin, Gentleman Usher. was drawn by eight cream-coloured was found that one of the "corning" mills, in which there was a quantity of "green" or unprepared powder, had been utterly destroyed. The process of grinding was in actual operation at the time; and it is supposed that, prior to the man who had the care of this particular mill leaving, he had not sufficiently damped the powder, the consequence of which was that some grit, getting intermixed with the dry powder, caused the latter to ignite by friction with the machinery. It is a singular circumstance that an explosion occurred at these mills about six months since, at the same early hour in the morning, and under similar circumstances. Her Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by the Royal Suite, returned to Buckingham Palace at ten minutes before three o'clock, and were received by the Lord Chamberlain and Vice Chamberlain. 3. In the Court of Bankruptcy, Mr. Charles Mathews, the comedian, was examined. On his schedule there appeared one hundred creditors, and debts to the amount of 8,1117., including 4,000l. debts renewed after his last bankruptcy. The protection of the Court had staid thirty actions. He stated the weekly salary of himself and his wife (Madame Vestris) at 601.: he proposed to retain 107. for personal expenses, 101. for wardrobe expenses, 57. for a carriage, and 51. for servants at the theatre; in all 301. a week; giving up 301. a week to the creditors; which Sir C. F. Williams, the Judge, thought a liberal offer. 5. EXPLOSION AT MALDON PowDER-MILLS.-This morning, at one o'clock, the inhabitants of Maldon, a village between Cheam and Kingston, Surrey, were alarmed by a loud noise similar to that produced by the discharge of a park of artillery. It was soon ascertained that an explosion had occurred at the powder-mills, which are the property of Mr. Frederick Taylor, of Ewell. There was no person at work in them at the time, and therefore the result was not of a fatal character. From an inspection subsequently made, it 7. CONSPIRACY. In the Court of Queen's Bench, William Henry King, Emily Anne Birch, and Augusta Birch, were tried on a singular charge of conspiracy. Emily Birch, a woman advanced in life, was the widow of a coachmaker in Great Queen Street, who died in 1836. After his death, she kept a lodging-house in Bedford-place; and her sister-in-law, Augusta Birch, lived with her as a kind of housekeeper. Mr. King was an attorney in needy circumstances. He and Mrs. Birch had for some time been acquainted, and in 1836 she lent him 2007.; after which they appeared not to be on such good terms. In 1838, however, the acquaintance was renewed, and became very intimate. In 1841 they plotted the scheme for which they were now tried; and in the latter months of that year and the beginning of 1842 it was carried into effect. Mrs. Birch ordered a great quantity of valuable goods, consisting of plate, jewellery, upholstery, pianofortes, wine, and other expensive things, worth in all 3,600l. In ordering the goods, she named a future though not very distant day for payment; but in the interval Mr. King put two executions in the house of Mrs. Birch, and seized all the goods; one execution being at his own suit for 2,1857., and the other at the suit of Dorcas Phillips for 5007. Phillips, who was a very poor lodging-house-keeper near Whitechapel, had not since been found. The executions were expected to sweep off the whole of the goods; but they proved to be more valuable; and the surplus was carried off, in twelve large boxes, by Mr. King and Mrs. Birch, who went to live at Reading. Before leaving her house, they were employed for two or three days in destroying papers; but, in their haste, some papers were only torn. They left a Sheriff's officer in possession. After they went, however, a fiat in bankruptcy was issued, and a messenger took possession under the fiat. He rescued several papers, which disclosed the conspiracy. King's claim against Mrs. Birch was alleged to be for moneys lent; one loan, of 185l., being dated on the 25th April, 1838 at that time he had an execution in his own house for 351. The defence was, that there was no evidence to prove the conspiracy; that Mrs. Birch's difficulties arose from being disappointed in procuring a partner to support the expenses of her lodging-house; that Miss Birch only acted as a servant in the affair; and that King, though a careless and unthrifty man, really possessed means, and actually lent money to others as well as to Mrs. Birch. King and Mrs. Birch were found guilty; Miss Birch was acquitted. King, who did not appear to receive sentence, was condemned to eighteen months', Mrs. Birch to nine months' imprisonment. 9. PARDON OF A REFORM BILL RIOTER. - Her Majesty's Government has issued a free pardon to Valentine Marshall, one of the rioters who was transported for life by Mr. Justice Gaselee, at the Special Reform-riot Commission at Nottingham, in 1831, for setting fire to Colwick-hall, the seat of Mr. John Musters, Nottinghamshire. The death of Mrs. Musters, the famous "Mary" of Lord Byron, was occasioned by a disorder which was brought on by her seeking refuge, ill-clad, in the shrubbery on this occasion. 11. DREADFUL DEATH.-This morning considerable excitement was caused in the town of Bolton by a report that the keeper at the menagerie and museum of the Star Inn had been worried by one of the leopards. It appears that the unfortunate man, whose name was Matthew Ferguson, was seen going up to the menagerie about half-past seven o'clock in the morning, by one of the waiters. About half-past eight another man, who assists in cleansing the room, went into the menagerie, and was alone for a considerable time. The keeper not making his appearance, he went down stairs with the intention of looking for him, but was informed by the waiter that he saw him come in about half-past seven. It was now about half-past nine o'clock. The waiter went into the menagerie to look for Ferguson; he found his jacket and hat in the usual place; and his attention being called to the cages of the leopards by the female jumping from a ledge at the top, he observed the unfortunate man lying dead in the den of the male leopard. and literally weltering in his blood. The poor man had evidently been dead for some time. The body was dreadfully mangled about the throat, and the scalp was nearly torn off. Being in the habit, for a long time, of caressing the male, it is thought that he must have gone into the cage with the intention of teaching the animal some tricks, after the fashion of Carter and Van Amburgh, as he had a whip with him, and had carefully fastened the door on going in. DORMOUSE BY POST.-A few days ago a letter was received by post, by a person in Doncaster, containing a live dormouse. It had come a distance of nearly 200 miles, and reached its destination perfectly safe. HUMAN SKELETONS IN SHIPPON FIELD, BERKSHIRE.-A short time since, as some labourers were employed in removing a quantity of earth for the purpose of digging stones in a field belonging to Mr. John Stacey, of Shippon, they discovered two human skeletons, about three feet beneath the surface of the field; they were about six feet apart, and imbedded in a dry sandy soil; one was lying perfectly straight, and the other sidewise, and nearly doubled up; the jawbone of the latter was broken, and some of the teeth appeared to have been beaten out. The skeletons were those of full-grown male persons, and the enamel on the teeth perfect. On being first discovered, it is said they emitted a loathsome effluvium. It is difficult to say with certainty how the skeletons were deposited there; but the circumstance of their being found in a dry gravelly soil rather induces the supposition that they were victims of civil war, and have lain there for ages up to the period of their discovery, as many skeletons have been from VOL. LXXXVI. time to time found in the fields in the immediate neighbourhood, un der similar circumstances. 13. EXTRAORDINARY MARRIAGES, The Rev. Mr. Hugh Hughes, minister of St. John's Chapel, Clerkenwell, in the course of his visitations to relieve the poor in the lower walks of life, and afford them religious aid and advice, discovered a great number of persons living together in a state of concubinage and profligacy. Through the medium of his exhortations, they were brought to a sense of the impropriety of such a mode of life, and eighty-six men and women, consisting of butchers, costermongers, tailors, shoemakers, and others of various trades and callings, consented, at the suggestion of the reverend gentleman, to appear before the " hymeneal altar of St. John's Chapel, Clerkenwell, there to go through the matrimonial ceremony, and be made one "gratis." Twenty-three of these marriages were performed yesterday, and twenty-three more to-day. 14. In the Central Criminal Court, Lieutenant Duncan Trevor Grant was tried under an indictment for aiding and abetting Alexander Thompson Munro in the wilful murder of David Lynar Fawcett, on the 1st of July last. The statement of the case and the evidence were precisely similar to what has been given in our last volume. [See page 115.] In the interval Mr. Grant had shaved off his mustachios, which made some of the witnesses doubtful as to his identity; but that was fully proved by Mr. Gulliver and others. His counsel, Mr. Wilkins, contended that there was no evidence to support the charge, or to show more than that he had been seen on the ground, possibly as a mediator. Mr. C |