A lunacy commission, which has been sitting for some days,
decided on Tuesday, that Mrs. Priscilla Mary Fennell, a lady of fortune resid- ing in Seymour Place, New Road, had been insane since March 1936. The unfortunate woman roamed about the streets like a beggar, and her house and furniture were in a filthy condition. She was in the habit of lending large sums of money to different persons.
On Monday morning, the Topaz, a Gravesend steamer, ran down a boat containing a Waterman and the master of another steamer. The wherry was cut in two, and the Waterman drowned ; the Captain escaped. This accident arose from the carelessness of the man who perished: he was warned of his danger by the Captain of the steamer, but persisted in his attempt to pass ahead of the Topaz.
A boy about four years old, the son of a Policeman at Deptford, fell into the water, on Tuesday; and must have been drowned, but for the courage of his mother, who, with an infant in her arms, plunged into the water, and, catching bold of the mooring-chain of a barge, was enabled to grasp the boy round the body, and to keep hold of' him till rescued by some inen in a collier.
At Bow Street, on Monday, Edward Williams, a letter-carrier, was remanded on a charge of stealing money-letters; and John Hall, another man in the same employment, was alio remanded on a similar charge. This offence appears to have become more common of late.
About three o'clock on Saturday morning, the gravedigger of Shore- ditch church,: who was digging graves, or, as the penny-a-liner more genteelly expresses his occupation, "preparing for the interments" of
Sunday, observed some smoke issuing from the grate of one of the vaults. He gave the alarm, and, with a policeman, entered the vault, which had not been opened since 1804. They found eleven coffins on ire, and the leaden cases of some of them were melted by the heat. It is not known how the fire was kindled.
St. Martin's Church is undergoing a complete internal decoration ; much to the satisfaction of the parishioners who have of late been loud in their complaints respecting its condition. The Duke of Northumberland has contributed 1001. for the purpose of making such trifling decorations as the Churchwardens could not feel justified in charging to the pew-rent fund.
The fate of poor Mr. Cockinghas not checked the rage for balloon- ing. There was an ascension of the "monster" on Wednesday even- ing, from Vauxhall Gardens, for the benefit of Mr. Cocking's widow.
The Queen has kindly sent 50/. to Mrs. Cocking.
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