peuintrs.
The National Freehold Land Society have made a first purchase of land hi East Surrey. The estate consists of nearly sixty acres of building- land, near the Malden station of the South-western Railway ; and it has been purchased on very favourable terms, the Daily Noce reports it "pro- bable that a large proportion of the allotments will cost the members less than 30/ including all expenses."
A meeting in Birmingham, on Thursday, to promote the Show of In- dustry from All Nations, passed a resolution heartily in favour of the project ; and also a resolution against granting money prizes. It was resolved to raise a subscription, to be used by a committee as it should think advisable, "in the event of large money prizes being given."
The Bradford working men are forming money-clubs to accumulate shares of 51. each member, as a purse for a visit to London during the Show of Industry from All Nations.
At Chelmsford Assizes, last week, Benjamin Pettit, a young man was tried for the wilful murder of William Camplav. On the 31st of bed October, Camplay, the High Constable of Saffron Walden, was shot, at night, as he was entering his own house. The particulars of the case were detailed shortly after. A number of circumstances cast suspicion on Pettit ; but there was no direct evidence that he was the culprit. The Jury acquitted him.
• Boag, who was convicted of altering a marriage-register, was sentenced to be imprisoned for two years, with hard labour.
At Lewes Assizes, on Wednesday, two men pleaded guilty to charges of uttering forged notes of the Brighton Union Bank; another pleaded not guilty ; but the charge was made out, and he was convicted. Robert Stewart, a young miller of the town, was then tried for a like offence. Witnesses deposed that he had formed one of the gang of men who so successfully palmed forged notes on the tradesmen of Brighton. But other witnesses proved that the young man bore a highly reputable character, and accounted for the disposal of his time during nearly the whole day when the uttering took place. It was evident that a mistake had been made as to indentity, and the case came prematurely to an end; the accused being acquitted amidst a burst of applause.
' At Aylesbury Assizes, on Wednesday, George Arnold was tried for shoot- ing at William Nixon with intent to kill him. Nixon keeps A shop at Stoney Stratford ; his wife is related to Arnold's wife ; and the latter, having left her husband, went to live at Nixon's. One day, Arnold discharged a pistol at Nixon while he was standing at his own door, and the ball grazed the neck. A witness admitted that the prisoner had once attempted to de- stroy herself. The counsel for the defence :wanted to persuade the Jury that the man must have been insane when he committed so foolish and violent an act. The Chief Baron warned the Jury not to be led astray by a plea that wicked and foolish actions of themselves prove the insanity of the per- petrators. For some time the Jury could not agree upon a verdict; but-after another rousing by the Judge, they found a verdict of" Guilty, with intent to kill."
Josiah Jones, a respectable farmer, the Grauer of Marsh Gibbon, Was tried for the manslaughter of George Lockett. The particulars of the case have been already noted. The man died in a cart while he was on the way from his dwelling to Buckingham Workhouse. He was taken almost naked, wrapped in a winnowing-sheet," and placed in a covered cart; and it w alleged that this proceeding evinced a want of necessary care in the aeciSOdr But the witnesses for the prosecution admitted that Lnckett was found'al- most naked, wallowing in filth ; there were no means of obtaining clothing for him on the instant, and the removal was urgent—the neighbouring cot- tages were threatened with a pestilence from the state of the family. The cart, with its straw and winnowing-sheet, appeared preferable to the cot- tage. Jones had followed the directions of the Surgeon and Guardians. The Chief Baron held that no blame attached to the prisoner, considering the peculiarly urgent circumstances under which he acted. The Jury at once acquitted him. The Judge asked whether something could not be done to compel improvement of the wretched cottages ? He was answered in the negative: the property belonged to a chanty of the University of Oxford, and improvement had been refused.
A poacher has been killed near Chester. William Jones was met by two police-officers coming from Curzon Park, with a gun in his hand. The offis cars taxed him with unlawful purposes, and demanded his gun; he refused to resign it ; the officers attempted to seize him and the gnn, when two other men sprang upon them. A violent struggle ensued i, which the policemen got the mastery, knocking down their opponents with their sticks. By one of the blows, the temple-bone of Jones was fractured, and he subsequently died of the hurt. A Coroner's Jury has found a verdict that Policeman Hughes killed him in the execution of his duty and in self-defence. '
A man of weak intellects named Carrington, of Little Eversden ikit vicinity of Cambridge, having attacked his father, the mother interpoatli to save him; when the son turned upon his aged mother, and beat her to death with a spade. A Coroner's Jury have given a verdict of'" Wilftd
murder." w Two cases of poisoning are reported. William Chadwick, a young %hem= hag man living near Ashbourne, has been committed to prison for the mur- der of Samuel Tunneliffe, his wife's great uncle. The old man had gone to live with the couple ; but he disliked his lodgings, and intended to move ; he was suddenly taken ill, was attended by Chadwick, and died in the course of eight or ten days. Chadwick had a coffin made from his own measure- ments; himself screwed down the corpse, and had it buried. Then he has- tened to make a claim to a cottage and a bit of land belonging to the de- ceased. An inquiry ensued ; the body was exhumed; arsemc was found in it, and other evidence was forthcoming to induce the Coroner's Jury to return a verdict of "Wilful murder" against Chadwick.
A dastardly attempt to poison has been made at Manchester. Two re- speetable-lookiwg men entered a cigar-shop and bought a number of cigars. one of the men :tiered the young woman who kept the shop some lozenges ; at first she declined, but on the man's saying they were good for her cough, she took two. After the men had gone the young woman was very sack, had a burning pain in the throat, and her eyes were affected ; she was con- veyed home, and during the night she became insensible. For three weeks she was dangerously ill,- was unconscious for a week, and lost the use of her eyes for two days. The Police are endeavouring to trace the wretches. At Castle Camps iniflathbridgeshire, the wife of a labouring man named. Laps died aftes a shert, illness having exhibited the symptoms of poisoning. Suspicion fell. upOis',her husband and sister. The Magistrates committed. Ihent to prison; ' the Coroner's 'Jury have since found this verdict—" That the deceased died from the effecter of arsenic, but by whom administered there
was not Sufficient evidence to show." .
In a naphtha-mannfactory at New Wortley, near Leeds, a pipe leading from a shlf to IV &irons* having got out of repair, a quantity of inflammable gaseous matter escaped - this ignited at a _fires and a terrific explosion en- sued; su ; one. side ePthesliililding was driven down, and the roof lifted from the walls: - 'When - the -roof fell in ft forced chit -the flames laterally : the pro- prietors Mr. Ba t,s, a friend named Brook,. ir.4- two other men, were standing-. outai$e,Ilaut • ug ,..they were enveloped mt. a sheet of flame, and were- frightfully, hew ,e'd s Ails Brook has 'since (lied. - The.explosion was Succeeded A by a fire, velisch iwtheked a part of the premises spared by the first disaster.' There is a eMA, ffiilpg,iic of fires in the provinces. In some cases, it is not apparent, tbitli•e fires were wilful, but in others there is too much. reason to leer that they were. At llurnnghant in Yorkshire' a straw-stark was consumed:, (*.girl and her mother were arrested, and the girl Partially confessed .Iter iguilt. A stack of wheat was burnt at Messingham. Many fires, supposed to .have been wilfully raised, have recently occurred in the; neighbourhood of Tiverton : by one of them no fewer than sixteen cottages were consumed. Two hay-stacks and other property were consumed at sk farm in Thaw, by the secondfire that has recently occurred on the premises. At Abington,riggetts in Cambridgeshire, damage to the extent of 3,000/. has been done by a fire on a farm. - A man has been committed to take his trial for firing a steels of straw at Gazeley. Fires have occurred at Worstead and_at Garholdishant in Norfolk : a man has been sent toprison on a charge- of causing tlie,Arst ; .and two men—labourers of the parish—are in custody- in. connexion with'.the other. At Westow in Huntingdonshire, the stack- yard of Mr. G. Pryrne has been devastated : incendiarism is assumed ; while- it is remarked,Shat,theslabourers of the village are better paid than others' in the county, and 'Mr: Wyllie is a good and kind man amongst the poor. At Cottenlialn in the Isle of Ely, while a public-house was on fire, some or the labourers of the place refused to assist in extinguishing the flames.
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