Or Puritan.

At the Quarter-Sessions for the Eastern Division of Sussex, held at Lewes on Monday, it was unanimously resolved, on account of the in- crease of burglaries in that district, to add ten men to the Constabulary of the division. One Magistrate remarked, that local constables were for the most part worse than useless.

At a General Quarter-Sessions, held in Kingston on Tuesday, Mr. Aus- tin moved the appointment of a committee to consider the propriety of adopting a Rural Police in some parts of the county of Surrey. He supported his motion on the ground of the tragedy at Frimley, and the necessity for a better protection for life and property. After some dis- cussion,—in which Captain Mangles stated that he himself slept with a six-barrel revolving pistol under his pillow,—the motion was carried unanimously, and a committee forthwith appointed, to report at the next Epiphany Sessions.

The Trustees of Owens College, Manchester, have chosen Mr. A. J. Scott, Professor of the English Language and Literature in University College London, to be Principal of their foundation, with the professorial chair of "Logic and Mental Philosophy, together with General Gram- mar, the -English Language and Literature." The salary will be 5501. a year, exclusively of fees. The Manchester Guardian states that the executors of the late Mr. Owens have intimated to the trustees that they have realized, and are ready to transfer to the credit of the trust, 75,000/. from the outstanding assets of the estate.

At the first public meeting of the Birmingham Public School Association, held on Tuesday evening, Aldermen Weston and Cutler, and Councillor Goodrick, with Messrs. Charles Shaw, IL Wright, G. V. Blyth, J. A. Langford, and W. Harris, were chosen delegates to the Conference of the Lancashire School Association, about to be held at Manchester.

The murder of a young woman under circumstances peculiarly horrible, and implicating a young man who passed as her lover, is added to the list of crimes which fills the columns of the daily journals. At the retired village of Doddinghurst, which lies scattered in a small valley near Brentwood, a farm is occupied by Mr. Thomas Drory, a highly respectable yeoman living at Great Burstead. The management of this farm was intrusted to Mr. Drory's son, Mr. Thomas Drory junior,—a quiet, well-looking young man, of twenty-three. Under young Drory was placed as a sort of farm-bailiff, Thomas Last, a labourer ; whose family consisted of his wife, and her daugh- ter by a former marriage, Jael Denny,—a blooming young woman, twenty years old, of commanding stature, handsome figure and face, and agreeable manners—the acknowledged village belle. Young Drory and the Lasts, with their daughter, lived in the same house till a recent period. Drory used his position to establish a close intimacy with the daughter; and it was the discovery of this relation, by Mr. Drory senior, that had lately caused the removal of the Lasts from his farm, and their retirement into a cottage at some little distance from the farm-house. The young fanner, however, persisted in his intimacy ; and at length Jael found herself pregnant by him. The mother states that Jael not long since took poison, which she said young Drory had given her to kill her infant; and that the effect of the poison was plain in her swelled lips and flesh : Jael herself had said she did not take all the poison, or it would have killed her. Drory lately paid his addresses to a young lady, and it is said that he had given instructions to have the bans published for his marriage. His relation to Jael Denny was a tribulation, from which he endeavoured to escape. One day when Mrs. Last returned home, she noticed that her daughter was taken by surprise, and looked painfully agitated : going up-stairs, she found young Drory under her bed ; and on her discovery of him, he tried to get her to sign a paper to which he had already got the daughter's signature, exculpating him from any connexion with her cause of trouble. Mrs. Last refused to sign this paper. It is now in the hands of the authorities, and bears this declaration-

" September 29.—This is to prove that the trouble I am in is not of Thomas Drory : therefore all that read this had better trouble themselves about their own business."

The young woman was distressed at her position, and at the treachery of her young master : last Saturday evening, however, she returned home in better spirits than usual, from a walk with him. "She returned," says her mother at the Coroner's inquest, "about half- peat five o'clock. I asked her whether she had seen Thomas Drory. She

said Yes' • he had put her in good spirits, and she was going to meet him again at half-pest six. She then said, 'Let us have tea.' I made the tea; and my husband, my daughter, and myself, sat down and partook of it. While at the meal, the deceased got up and looked at the watch, and said, ' I will finish my tea when I come back : I shall not be gone long, I am only going to the first stile.' She then put on her bonnet and cloak, and went out." She did not return.

Her stepfather was anxious about her all night, and went out at dawn of day to inquire about her : he had begun to feel a distressing suspicion that young Drory had done her some ill. "About eight o'clock," he stated to the Coroner's Jury, "I found her lying dead upon the ground, two fields from the stile where she said she was going to meet Mr. Drory. She was lying flat on her face, her right hand under her left hand, which was bent upwards. She had her bonnet and cloak on, as she had left home on the previous even- ing. I observed a cord round her neck. I immediately ran to my own house- and Mr. Hammond, the landlord of this house, seeing me returned with me to the body, and turned her over. We removed the body to where it now lies." The reporter of the Times adds these explanations. " About a quar- ter of a mile from the house in which he resided, is a large charcoal-bur- ner's ; of the foreman of which establishment he required, with tears in his eyes, whether he had seen his daughter. The foreman replied that he had not ; but added, that a lady (describing her dress) had been walking about that spot on the preceding evening, waiting, as he presumed, for some one expected by the train. As soon as the man described the dress, Last ex- claimed, That was my daughter ; where did you see her ? ' The foreman pointed out the spot, and the old man proceeded towards it. In order to arrive at the place, it was necessary for Last to cross a hedge, in order to get from one field into another. By some strange fatality, at the very spot he selected lay the body of his murdered daughter, over which he stumbled."

Mr. William Hammond, farmer of Doddinghurst, gave the same account in detail. "She was lying straight on her face, and about three yards from the body lay a fur tippet. (It was produced.) I assisted in turning her over. I saw the cord round her neck ; it was turned round three times, and she had one end in her hand. Her face was swollen and black. There was some blood in a stream on the ground about a foot long. There was also blood oozing from her mouth., nose, and ears." By the Coroner—" I examined the cord, and saw how it was put on. The noose was placed behind the neck. A small portion of the curtain of the bonnet and the collar of the cloak had caught in under the cord which was round her neck. I have often seen her and Thomas Drory toosether. The last time was about three weeks ago, in Mr. Drory's field. The arms and legs were very cold and stiff." Mr. John Williams, surgeon, technically confirmed this evidence, and added some material details. "There was extreme ecchymosis on the upper part of the chest, such as might be produced by a heavy blow or a person kneeling upon it. There was a contraction of the muscles of the arms and hands, and an abrasion of the skin of the right elbow. The right hand ap- peared to have been bitten, there were marks of teeth on the back of the hand, and there were also scratches on the left arm and hand. On opening the uterus I found it contained a fcetus in the ninth month—a male • and I have no doubt it was alive at the time of its mother's death." The death was undoubtedly caused by strangulation ; and it was quite impossible that the young woman could have strangled herself in such a manner. He thought the marks on her chest were caused by a person's kneeling there just before her death. Suspicion immediately fell on young Drory. Mr. Thomas Coulson, the Superintendent of the Essex Police, on his way to the site of the crime, found him at the house of a Mr. Moore, and requested him to go and see the body., and look at the place of the murder. "I asked Drory when he saw the deceased last. He said, 'At half-past five o'clock last (Saturday) even- ing, and that he had not heard of her this morning.' I took him to the spot, and saw the deceased lying on her face. The left side of her nose where she lay was flattened. I removed the cord from her neck. It was almost imbedded in it. The noose of the cord had cut the skin of the neck. It was turned twice round the neck very tight—so much so that the neck was swollen above it. I then took the prisoner into custody. He did not speak. I took him to the deceased's house and searched him. He said he had a letter in his box which would prove the child was not his. We then went to the house where the prisoner lived, and on searching his box, found the letter which has been produced, as well as two pieces of cord. One end of one piece had been recently cut. [It was at first stated that the two pieces tallied exactly, but the Coroner has since observed that this proof has entirely failed.] The prisoner said that the deceased and he had been ac- quainted, but that he had broken it off more than nine months."

John Harris saw Thomas Drory and Jael Denny walking together for some minutes about half-past five on Salanday ; and saw them part. There is no doubt this was just before the poor girl went home to tea : no one is yet known to have seen her after she went out the second time. Harris stated, that two or three months ago he heard Drory say "that he should like to shove her off, (meaning the deceased,) as he was carrying things on too far, and he was apprehensive of getting into trouble." The reporters add, that another farm-labourer is ready to state, that "about a week since he saw Drory sitting on a stile in the seven-acre field, and that he took from his pocket a piece of cord, the strength of which he appeared to be trying. Upon the person in question coming up he hurriedly returned it to his pocket."

At the adjourned inquest, on Thursday., Dr. Alfred Taylor, Professor of Chemistry and Medical Jurisprudence at Guy's Hospital, gave evidence re- specting marks resembling those of blood, found on the pair of corduroy breeches worn by the prisoner on the night of the murder. Dr. Taylor found nine separate marks. Several of these were undoubtedly caused by blood from a living body, and some of them had been washed as if to weaken or remove the stain. Professor Taylor stated also„ that the body might have remained partially warm till eight in the morning, as one witness found it, if the murder had taken plase at six on the previous evening. Instances have occurred, though they are rare, of a far longer retention of animal heat in the think after death. Several witnesses deposed additional facts as to the times at which Drory had been seen on the night of the murder : these times ran very closely up to the supposed moment of the crime, but from the shortness of the distances to pass over' allowed amply for those move- ments of the prisoner which had been observed. The Coroner's summary recapitulated the important criminating facts. The evidence of Mr. Williams, confirmed by that of Dr. Taylor, and Mr. Lewis's own experience as a Coroner, satisfied him and must convince the Jury, from the extreme violence used, that the deceased had not perished by her own act and deed, but had been strangled by some other. It was quite clear, and had been admitted on all aides, that there must have been an in- timacy existing between Thomas Drory and the deceased. It was clear also, that she was within a few days of her confinement, and that for some time he had supposed that she would father the child upon him. This was par- ticularly evident from the pains he took to get a declaration from her that might enable him to satisfy the world that he was not the father. They were seen together between four and five o'clock on Saturday, evening; after which she went home and mentioned to her mother that she had an ap- pointment again with him at half-past six o'clock. According to the state- meat of Hubbard, he left his house at that hour also ; and it was for the Jury to say whether he then went and met her at the stile. Nothing was heard of him from that period until ten minutes after eight o'clock. It would occupy him seven or eight minutes to walk from the place of meeting to where the body was found. The Jury would remember that the deceased wore a shawl and a cloak ; that she was nearly nine months advanced in pregnancy ; that it was impossible to suppose that she could make much resistance ; and that, if any man wished to strangle her, not more than seven or eight minutes would be required to do so. This would bring the time to seven o'clock ; and it appeared that the prisoner was seen at Brentwood about ten minutes past eight, for which there was ample time. When first taken into custody, Drory referred to the letter which had been produced in evidence, and which he said "would clear him." That showed that the woman and child were then bear- ing on his mind : and then they found him saying that he had been ac- quainted with her, but had broken it off nine months ago. That statement had been proved to be false by several witnesses. He did not say they were to judge a man by such unfounded assertions made at a moment when he was charged with a crime so enormous ; but still it was part of the evidence, and ought not to escape their notice. The prisoner had never broken off the acquaintance. He had been in the habit of seeing the deceased till last April two or three times a week, and since then frequently. Then, with regard to the stains of blood on his smallclothes, when taken into custody he told Superintendent Coulson that these had been caused by some stuff which he had been giving to the calves; and in support of this an old pot was produced by him covered with cobwebs, and the state of which proved that nothing had been taken from it for some time. The falsehood of the statement was also established by the evidence of Professor Taylor, a gentle- man whose testimony was entitled to the greatest weight, and who gave it as his opinion that the stains were caused by blood. Then, coming to ano- ther important point., the Jury would remember how anxious Drory was to make it appear that the deceased contemplated suicide. They had it from the mother and father-in-law that the poor girl had never hinted at self- destruction, or made any observation from which anything of the kind could be inferred. On the contrary, it had been proved that she was desirous to get out of her trouble, and had provided for the child a change of every- thing, and had declared that she would earn a living for herself and it as soon as she had recovered from her confinement. Drory had stated that the girl's mother had asked him "if his razors were right,"—alluding to her daughter's intention to do away with herself: but the mother denied she had ever said anything of the kind. Again, he told Nichols that the de- ceased had several times to him threatened to destroy herself. The Jury must take the evidence as it stood, and say for what object Drory had made these observations.

If they were dissatisfied with the evidence implying guilt in any particular person, they would return a verdict of murder against some person or persons unknown. If however, they thought the evidence sufficiently brought home guilt to Thomas Drory, then they would find a verdict accordingly. In doing this, they were only in the position of a grand jury, referring the case before them to the proper tribunal for its investigation and decision.

The Jury retired and considered their verdict for a quarter of an hour; the prisoner was withdrawn at the same time, and had not returned when the Jury came back. Their verdict was im-tnimous, in these words—" That Thomas Drory was guilty of the wilful murder of Jael Denny." Superin- tendent Coulson immediately left the room with the, order for Drory's com- mittal, and in the evening removed him to Chelnuiford Gaol for trial at the Assizes.

The four men detained in custody as being concerned in the robbery and murder of Mr. Holiest, were reexamined by the Guildford Magistrates on Saturday. Mr. Neale, a solicitor of Guildford, had applied to see the pri- soners, but had been refused by the Magistrate's : he wrote to the Home Secretary : the reply was, that the Secretary of State had no power to inter- fere, the matter being one of prison-regulation, and entirely under the con- trol of the Magistrates. Mr. Neale again appealed to the Magistrates ; but was again refused admittance ; nor was he allowed to be present on Saturday to watch the proceedings on the prisoners' behalf A band of reporters from the London press attended; but these too the Bench refused to admit : they discussed, rediscussed, made half promises to admit the reporters, or to fur- nish them with information ; but finally resolved to exclude them from the justice-room, and to withhold the evidence from them. It is said that the real motive for excluding the reporters was want of room. The place is very small, and if the half-dozen reporters had been admitted, an equal number of the Magistrates' sons or friends must have been excluded. But the reporters got information from some source, and furnish an outline of the testimony. When the prisoners were introduced, they looked very dejected, especially Burbage. Mrs. Honest detailed the attack on herself and deceased. She believed that two of the pri- soners were those who entered her bedroom. The new and important point of her evidence was with respect to a copper token found upon one of the men. This token, which had seine striking marks upon it, she fully identified as having .been in her possession before the night of the robbery. MPS Bulpin, the village schoolmistress, had received it from a girl as a penny contribution to a clothes-fund : when Miss Bulpin paid it over to Mrs. Holiest, she observed that she did not think it would pass ; and Mrs. Hol- lest had shown it to her husband, who remarked that much respect had not been paid "to poor King George's nose," which was much battered. Super- intendent Holhngton stated that three of the prisoners had been seen on the road from Guildford to Frimky on the evening of the robbery. James Hockley, a man employed at Frimley, identified Hiram Trowler as a man he had seen at Frimky on the Tuesday before the murder. He was hawking earthenware dishes. He told Mickley, with sundry oaths and foul words, that he had been to the parson's, and had tried to get a drink of beer out of him, but had failed. He hoped something might happen to Mr. Holiest before the end of the week, so that he might die. Trowler was considerably excited while this witness was giving his testimony. He did not deny having seen him ; but he told him that he had sworn falsely to the words uttered. Lastly, Trowler asked the witness whether he had heard him say that he would himself do anything to the deceased. The witness could not erty the prisoner had said so. The landlady of a public-house at Guildford, where Levi Harwood lodged, proved that he was not at home on the night of the robbery. He left his lodgings on Friday afternoon, about four o'clock, wearing at the time a cord jacket; and returned the next afternoon without a jacket, wearing only a sleeve waistcoat. As this witness entered the room, one of the prisoners shook his head at her in a menacing manner. Some other witnesses were examined, and then the inquiry was adjourned till the following Friday.

Hiram Smith or Trawler volunteered a "confession," on Monday afternoon, to Mr. Keene, the Governor of Guildford Gaol.

A case of attempted burglary, reported in the Birmingham Journal, fixes the charge of extraordinary inefficiency, and even remissness on the local Constabulary. Mr. Thomas Marston is a gold and silver be'ater, in Great Hampton Street, Birmingham; and he usually has a large stock Of the pre- cious metals in his working-rooms. At four o'clock on the morning of the 7th instant, he was awakened in bed ; and on looking across his room, saw that his door, which he always leaves ajar, had been closed while he slept. Going down stairs, and glancing into the sitting-room, he saw three men in the act of piling the plate from his sideboard in a heap on the floor, for re- moval as spoil. He turned back instantly with the object of fetching from his bedroom his fire-arms ; but the robbers caught a glimpse of him, in- stantly pursued him, and before he was many steps up the stairs were upon him with bludgeons. Mr. Marston is an old man, but he is courageous and robust ; he tore from the banisters a wooden rail, and with it fought manfully for several minutes : but the weapon was too light to deal serious blows; one of the robbers fetched a poker, soon beat through his fence, and laid him senseless on the stairs : after he fell they continued beating him, and left him apparently dead.

Now come the circumstances inculpating the Police which are only just within the bounds of credibility. " The affray lasted" says the Birnung- ham Journal, " at least a quarter of an hour ; cries such as would be uttered by a man engaged in a death-struggle were raised ; Mr. Marston's daughter and servant were at one of the windows crying out urgently and loudly for assistance ; and two or three Policemen were actually standing in front of the door, gazing at what was going on; the fact of there being a gas-light on the stairs, and a fan-light over the front of the door, enabling them to have an almost distinct view of the whole scene. For ten minutes (according to the statement of one of them on his afterwards entering the house) had these guardians of the night stood before the house, witnessing what they thought was a maple act of chastisement on the part of a man to- towards his wife, (or son, as another said,). at such an hour in the morning, and in one of the most respectable houses in Great Hampton Street. While the conflict was going on, too, Miss Marston implored them, for Heaven's sake to come to the assistance of her father ; and told them that if they simply broke one of the panes of the front-window they would obtain access, as the shutters were not fastened. Although both might be presumed to be . experienced officers, from the circumstance of one being a Sub-Inspector and the other a Sergeant, yet they do not appear to have had the least tact or presence of mind, even when a glimmering of the real state of things came across them; and no proper precautions were taken to prevent the es- cape of the burglars, which they consequently effected at their leisure. Ultimately the door was opened from the inside ; and the officers found Mr. Marston in an insensible state, covered from head to foot with blood, which flowed chiefly from wounds about his head." He was put to bed in a con- dition which then seemed hopeless ; but has happily rallied, and is now in a fair way of recovery.

Inspector Glossop examined the place in the course of the morning, and found that " the burglars had obtained entrance to the back premises by sca- ling a high wall : they had afterwards broke through the ceiling of an outer warehouse ; but, finding that a thick wall intervened between them and the apartment in which Mr. Maraton's valuable stock of gold and silver was kept, another part of the ceiling had to be penetrated ; and this they mom- phshed, making a hole large enough to admit one man at a time. Finding that the stock was deposited in strong icon chests, not easily broken open, they appear to have chosen the alternative of ransacking the house, to which a door opened from the warehouse, as we have already mentioned. No property of any description was missed from the premises."

A hat was left behind ; and this accident will furnish a material proof to- wards indentifying one of a gang whom the Police has arrested. Christopher Heeley, William Wallace, George Green, Henry Jones, and Henry Thomp- son' five members of the London swell-mob who have lately settled for their business in Birmingham, were instantly suspected, and laid hold of; it is believed that the hat belongs to one of them. They were briefly ex- amined before the Magistrates on Tuesday, and remanded till Saturday.

In reference to those who ought to have prevented this extraordinary out- rage, the Birmingham Journal reports—" Conceiving that the officers men- tioned above had been guilty of a gross neglect of duty, Chief Superintendent Stephens very properly summoned them before the Sub-Committee of the Watch Committee, on Tuesday last; when Miss Marston attended and stated the facts of the case. A long and somewhat angry discussion took place, but the result was that the men were simply reprimanded by the Mayor."

Reports of burglaries and attempted burglaries are becoming very rife. A number of men entered the garden of the house of Mr. White, a Liverpool estate-agent, near the town ; Mr. White was aroused ; but he had been so terrified by reading the Frimley tragedy that he became quite unnerved, and could not raise an alarm—in fact, be seems to have swooned. The men re- mained outside for three hours, but failed to make an entry, if such was their object.

A most daring burglary was committed at Mallon Cottage, situated about a quarter of a mile from Abbotskerswell, Devon, on Monday evening last. The proprietor was absent, and had left the care of the house to his three daughters ; who had just retired to bed when they heard a noise below, as of some persons breaking into the house. The eldest of them, about fourteen years of age, jumped out of bed, struck a light, which she gave to her sis- ters, and arming herself with two pistols, walked down over the stairs fol- lowed by her sisters. On entering the parlour, they found everything in confusion, papers lying about, and the desk rifled. The burglars fled on the entrance of the girl ; and the young lady with the pistols jumped from the parlour-window on to the lawn and fired both after them. The thieves had stolen some money, papers, and plate ; but being eager to got off, they dropped some plate on the lawn, which was recovered in the morning. Two suspicious-looking fellows were begging at the house in the morning, but they have not yet been apprehended.— faun ton Journal.

Three burglars attempted, the other night, to enter a farm about a mile from Witham ; two of the County Police had seen them approach, and while one waited on the road to the place the other followed the robbers ; for more than an hour the latter observed the unsuccessful efforts of the thieves to effect an entry. At last they gave up the matter as a "bad job," and moved off. The Policeman followed, and seized one; the others ran off ; but one returned when the officer threatened to shoot hun. The second constable now came up, and the two robbers were secured and taken to the farm. They

since nce been committed to prison.

Five burglaries are reported in the neighbourhood of Swansea. Sub- sequently, Superintendent Saddler of Swansea encountered three men with bundles ; he arrested them, and found that the bundles contained the plun- der of the houses.

During Sunday night the rectory of Pelenhall in Bedfordshire, the resi- dence of the Reverend William Madges, was entered by thieves, who carried off plate and other articles valued at 2001. A reward of 1001., with a pardon to any accomplice who will turn approver, is advertised for the discovery of a gang of burglars who robbed New House, in the parish of Northfleet, a mile from Gravesend, on the morning of the 24th ultimo.

An old lady named Ann Jones has died at Pontrhydfandegard,. South Wales, from arsenic ; and suspicion has fallen on her daughter-m-law, Elizabeth Jones. It appears that the deceased had inherited some property, including 1000/. in money. This sum Mrs. Jones placed in the hands of her son, requesting him to deposit it at her banker's at Aberystwith on her ac- count. Instead of fulfilling her instructions, he paid in the money in his

awn name, and made use of some portion of it for his own purposes. This being discovered, Mrs. Jones commenced is mit for its recovery, and suc- ceeded in getting a decree. The son then, without saying anything to his family, went of to America, and his wife and family went to live with his another; and, according to all accounts, they did not treat the old lady very kindly. At the inquest, two surgeons described the appearance of the viscera after death ; they were inflamed in a manner that might have been produced by poison. For actual analysis they were sent to Mr. Herapath of Bristol. He examined them, and stated at the inquest that he had detected arsenic. Charles Jones said he had bought arsenic for Elizabeth Jones ; she told him it was to kill rata. But this witness had given divers versions of his story : he pretended at tie inquest that he had been bribed not to speak the truth. At this stage the inquiry was adjourned ; Mrs. Elizabeth Jones being sent in the mean time to Aberynwith Gaol. The feeling in the neighbourhood was in her favour.

Last Sunday night, the Reverend Lachlan ld'Intosh, a Presbyterian mi- nister who had been preaching at Kendal, took up his abode at Sliales Tem- perance Hotel. About midnight, he was arous.d by a person attempting to stupify him by holding chloroform to his nose Re etruggled, and roused the house by his cries. When assistance came, Mr. M'Intosh was found almost powerless, with marks of violence on his face and blood on his dress. A young man was lying on the bedding, which had fallen on the floor. He seemed to be asleep, and was roused with difficulty. When awakened, he pretended astonishment, and said he was a sleep-walker. There was a strong smell of chloroform in the room, and a bottle containing it was subsequently found under the bed. The young man had lodged in the Temperance Hotel since Saturday ; he had talked about his somnambulism ; in his carpet bag a bottle of chloroform was found. It seems probable that he secreted him- self wider the bed before Mr. M'Intosh retired to rest. He gave a very lame account of himself; and the Magistrates have sent him to prison.

On Sunday four large cases of valuables, part of the stock of Mr. Sirrell of Barbican, were taken by the Police from London to Liverpool. They were arranged in a room on Monday, that persons whose houses had been recently robbed might inspect them. A gravy-spoon was identified by the Reverend Thomas Gardener, of West Derby, near Liverpool : it had been stolen on the 17th July. The three prisoners were produeed before the Magistrates on Tuesday. Inspector Lund, of the London Detective Force, described the seizure of the two packagers at Sinatra. Sirrell received the parcels from the porter, and

• directed one of his people, "John," to pay the man 28. and sign the deli- very-book. Sirrell objected to see the parcels opened by the Police—he -4' would have nothing to do with It; one of his young men would do." -When asked if he knew M'Auley, he said he did not think he did, but he had had twenty transactions with him. A Mr. Roberts, who had known M'Auley twelve years ago, when he was a watchmaker, believed that the letter sent to Mr. Sirrell was in his handwriting. A number of letters from ll'Auley found at Mr. Sirrell's were produced by the Police : they had been found regularly filed. A Post-office. clerk proved the payment of divers sums transmitted from London to M'Auley. Mr. Gardener's case was next gone into. A number of witnesses 'moved that three spoons were stolen from that gentleman's diuingroom, on the 17th July; after the cloth had been laid, some one entered by the window and carried off the spoons : the gravy-spoon found M Sirrell's was one of the articles stolen.

Mr. Lewis addressed the Bench on behalf of Mr. Sirrell; dwelling on the facts that his client had conducted his business properly, given a fair prim for what he bought, filed his letters, and booked his transactions, and there was nothing to show a guilty knowledge that any of the plate he pur- chased was stolen. The Magistrates resolved to commit Sirrell and M'Auley ; but directed that Sirrell should be brought up again with M'Guire, who is charged with the robbery at Mr. Tinley's. An application from Mr. Lewis to take bail for Sirrell was refused. It is noticed that Mr. Sirrell exhibited complete self-possession during the proceedings.

M'Guire and Sirrell were brought before Mr. Rushton, the Stipendiary Magistrate, on Thursday. The charge was, that M•Guire sent a tin canister to Sirrell, containing stolen plate. In the canister was a slip of paper, on which was written "Martin If`Guire, 32 School Lane." But the solicitor for the prosecution could not prove that it was in the handwriting of M'Guire. The whole ease turned on this. Mr. Rushton said, without this proof there was an end of the matter, and he must discharge the prisoners ; who would return to the jurisdiction of the County Magistrates.

A lad only fifteen years of age has been committed for trial by the Stock- port Magistrates, on two charges of home-stealing. He stole one from an inn at Bury ; which he sold in the country for 41 and another horse ; but this horse not suiting him, he left it, stole a better from a field, and rode away. He was chased, and ultimately taken.

A bag has been stolen from the mail-cart while on its way from Wolver- hampton to Birmingham. The robbery was not discovered till the cart arrived at its destination. In the bag were bankers' parcels containing securities and notes for about 5000/.

Several rural fires have occurred. The contents of the stackyard of a farm near Esher in Surrey were almost entirely destroyed on Saturday night, with some of the out-buildings. At Castle Hedinghani, the farm-steading -of Mr. Chicken was ravaged—dwelling-house, barns, stacks, nearly every- thing, consumed. A stack of wheat-straw has been burnt near Kelvodon: two boys are in custody.

An inquest has been held on the bodies of the sixteen miners who perished by the explosion at Bent Grange Colliery, near Oldh.am, last week. From the evidence it would seem that the disaster was caused by the fall of part of the roof, which broke a safety-lamp. The air had been bad from the preys, lence of stormy weather ; and the workers had been directed to be cautious, especially with the lamps under a weak part of the roof. The ventilation of the mine was not good ; the evidence, however, was rather discrepant on this point. The owner of the colliery frequently, shared any dangers which the miners might incur. The verdict was "Accidental death."

The worsted-mill of Messrs. Wilson and Son, at Gateshead, has been en- tirely destroyed by a fire which originated in an upper room, containing a pair of spianing-mules, where no fire had been kindled for two days. The damage is estimated at 3000/.

A second person has died from the fall of the chimney during the recent storm at Nottingham—Mary Dyer, a young woman.

A mill at Rochdale, belonging to Mr. Rogers, has been partially destroyed by a fire which is supposed to have originated in the friction of one of the beaters in the scratching-room. Damage, 5000/.