A curious case of manslaughter occurred in the neighbourhood of
Alderley, in Cheshire, last week. William Coops, a child only seven years old, threw an egg; which he hal taken from a bird's•nest, and which had a live bird within it, at William Pearson, twenty-five years old ; who said " he would make the little devil eat the egg." Accord- ingly, he thrust it down his throat. The child ran home ; was taken very ill ; and in a few days died of a gangrene in his throat. Pearson was sent to Chester Castle, on the verdict of a Coroner's Jury, to be tried for manslaughter.
A tire broke out on Wednesday week, at Chilton. A barn and two straw-ricks, the property of the Reverend B. Morland, were totally consumed. This is the fourth fire that has occurred within the last few months at the same place, umli of which have the appearance of having been wilfully caused.—Runding Mercury.
The disturbances in the neighbourhood of Reading, briefly noticed in a paragragh taken from the Morning Chronicle last week, had their tali& in the failure of a contraetor fill the Great Western Railway,
and the refusal to pay the workmen it fortnight's wages which were due. The men were exasperated ; did some trithog injury to the works, and assaulted a clerk who had irritated them in some svily not mentioned.
The promise of payment on the following (last) Wednesday, soon pacified the workmen ; but in the mean while, a troop of the Horse Guards had been summoned by the Mayor, and arrived at Reading. No money was forthcoming on Wednesday, and the workmen were compelled to beg for their support. On Friday last, they very natu-
rally exhibited symptoms of insubordination ; but an arrangement for the payment of part of their arrears was made, and they returned to their work.
A fatal accident occurred yesterday, on the Birmingham and London Railway, about two miles from Rugby, to it man employed upon the railroad for what is termed "raising the sleepers,"—that is, securing the rails upon which the carriages run from sinking into the newly. formed earth. The train had scarcely left Rugby, before a gentleman, happening to look out of the window of the carriage, exclaimed, " My God, that unfortunate man will be run over." Several gentlemen shouted to the engineers and others, but unhappily without effect ; the plough of the engine struck the man, and killed him instantly.
On Wednesday morning, loss of life was occasioned by similar care- lessness on the Manchester and Birmingham Railroad, near Birming- ham. Three countrymen were walking on the railroad, at the time the train was approaching : one of whom, in endeavouring to escape, slipped down ; and before the engineer could stop the train, the wheels passed over his neck, and nearly severed his head from his body; the other two men escaped.
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