At the Guildhall, on Wednesday, Sir Peter Laurie, relying on
an opinion he had procured from an eminent counsel, decided that the sale of Sunday newspapers was not contrary to law ; and dismissed the com- plaint of 'Mr. Herbert Smith against Alderman Harmer, the proprietor a the Weekly Dispatch, for selling his paper on a Sunday.
William Hubbard, who lived with the murdered woman Grimwood, is now in Horsemonger Lane prison. He was committed on Monday from the Union Hall office, in consequence of a letter sent to the Po- lice, subscribed " John Walter Cavendish," and dated from Goswell Street. The writer professed that he was the person who accom- panied Grimwood from the Strand Theatre on the night of the mur- der; and that while he was with the woman, Hubbard came down stairs, broke in upon them, and in a storm of rage, particularly directed against the unhappy woman, turned him out of the house. The Police made a diligent search for the writer of this letter, in Goswell Street, and the adjoining districts. At last, finding that it was post-marked at
Highbury," by the help of the person who kept the post-office there, they traced the authorship, as they believe, to 111r. M‘Millen junior ; who is ordered to attend next Tuesday, when Hubbard will be again examined at the Union Hall Office. M‘Millan strongly denies being the writer ; and whether he is or not, the present belief is that the letter was intended for a hoax. A crowd assailed Hubbard outside of the Police-office, with cries of " There goes the murderer."
A foreigner was taken up, and kept in durance for a short time, in consequence of a resemblance to the "whiskered Italian" mentioned by the girl Edwin. The only evidence against him was in his whiskers. At a public meeting of the inhabitants of Lambeth parish, it was agreed to offer a reward of 50/. for the apprehension of the murderer.
A sale of Grimwood's effects took place on Wednesday, at the premises in Waterloo Terrace ; which were crowded by persons anxious to see the "bloody floor," and relics of the murdered woman. It is said that her watch and seals sold for 801.; and that, besides her deposits of 201. in a savings bank, she had effected a life assurance, or held pro- perty in the Funds, to the amount of 300/.
Another dreadful accident has happened on board the Victoria, Hull steam-ship, the same vessel in which the boiler burst in March last, in Erith-reach, when five persons were killed. The Victoria left Hull on Wednesday afternoon, and arrived off Blackwell on Thursday after- noon. At a short distance from the London Docks entrance, she ran foul of a collier's brig, carried away the brig's bowsprit, and had her own starboard paddle-box stove in. The captain ordered the engines to be stopped ; and immediately a tremendous explosion took place. One of the boilers had burst, and the vessel was enveloped in a cloud of steam. The passengers, ninety-seven in number, were taken off by boats ; and all escaped, though in their haste to quit the vessel they ran great risk of being drowned by the upsetting of the boats. Seve- ral men belonging to the steam-ship, though it was their duty to help the passengers, who were screaming, fainting, and shouting for aid around them, were among the first to lower themselves by ropes and get off. The whole of the deck was covered with hot water and ashes. The vessel took fire, and several of the crew were employed in pumping water into the hold. The boilers, that were not burst, were red-hot. The bodies of four engine-men were found, scalded in a most dreadful manner, and quite black. Seven others were much injured; four were taken to the Dreadnought hospital ship, and three ashore to their own homes. Of the wounded, four have since died. The commander of the vessel, Captain Bell, exhibited courage and coolness when the explosion occurred ; and to his exertions it is prin- cipally due that the passengers got off in safety. There was a prompt attendance of medical men from the shore. The boiler. room and parts adjoining were locked by the captain till they have been inspected by a Coroner's Jury. The captain says that he had all day experienced difficulty in getting steam. As yet there is no certain knowledge of the cause of the accident, but it is presumed that it arose from the bad construction of the machinery. When the former accident occurred, Mr. Penn, of Deptford, a person of experience in these matters, said the boilers were not safe ; and others, in the newspapers, prophesied a repetition of the disaster unless they were changed. The boiler that burst in March last was only repaired : in other respects the ma- binery of the vessel is the same as it was then.
Colonel Campbell, of Trevor Terrace, Brompton, was found on Saturday night, lying on the footpath near the White Hart Inn, Knightsbridge, quite insensible, with a deep cut over the right eye, and his head much bruised. A Policeman took him to the Station- house, and thence to St. George's Hospital; where he died. On Thursday an inquest was held on the body, and a verdict returned of "Accidental death." There is no doubt, from the evidence, that the Colonel fell down in a state of intoxication. He bad been in the army fifty years, and was for some time aide-de-camp to General Picton.
Early on Sunday morning, seven convicts escaped from the Fortitude hulk, lying off Chatham, after a severe struggle with the guards of the vessel. But they were all taken, after a sharp chase, in the Essex marshes.
A considerable portion of the premises of Messrs. Mosea and Birk- beck, sugar-refiners, of Back Lane, Wapping, was destroyed by tire on Wednesday evening. The property burnt is estimated at 3,000/. The disaster is attributed to the overheating of a stove.
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