MunnEn.—A person named Ferneley, who resides at Hulme, near .. .Manchester,
was arrested on Sunday week, on suspicion of murdering the infant child of his wife by another husband, by administering vitriol to it. The alleged murder took place on Thursday fortnight. About six o'clock in the morning of that day, the mother of the child left the ...house for a silk-mill where she worked. About half-past seven, a girl --about twelve years old, the niece of Ferneley, came to the house for the purpose of nursing the children. It was at that time in bed a old the appearance in perfect health. About eight o'clock, Ferneley t
girl to fetch a woman named Brooks, who lived next door, as the child -was very ill. The girl went accordingly ; but Mrs. Brooks not being -within, her mother went into the house, and saw the child
-back upon a table, apparently in great agony, frothing at the mouth in a very extraordinary manner, and calling for water. Mrs. Brooks after- wards came in, and saw the child still lying on its back upon the table, and Ferneley standing over it. The poor little creature several times asked for water, which Ise refused to give it ; but Mrs. Brooks insisted on giving it some ; which, however, it appeared quite unable to swallow, and she observed that its mouth was dreadfully blistered inside and out. Terneley was urged to send for a surgeon, and for his wife ; but he re- fused to do either, observing that it would be of no use. The poor child Isnauished in great misery until about twelve o'clock, when it expired. A coroners inquest was held on Sunday; when the cause of the child's death was discovered, and a verdict of wilful murder returned against the brutal stepfather.
ANOTHER.—A most horrible case of murder of a young girl occurred near Mortimer West, in Hampshire (about nine miles from Reading), It is supposed on Monday last week—at least the child disappeared on that day. She was an orphan, about eight years of age, educated at the charge of the Reverend Mr. Ord, the clergyman of the parish ; and when last seen alive, she was proceeding to school, with a little basket containing some bread and cheese for her dinner. The body was dis- covered on the .succeeding Thursday, by the man in whose house the child resided. It was in the most strange and horrible state of mutila- tion, and looked more as if it had been thrown out of a dissecting-room than as having passed through the hands of an ordinary assassin. The following is the description given at the inquest by a surgeon who in- spected the remains.
"The scalp had been taken off by a circular incision from the left tem- ple, over the forehead, to the back part of the head. The scalp was turned back. The front skin was turned over the eyes, exposing a por- tion of the frontal bone, the upper portion of which, with the parietal bones, and the greatest part of the occipital bones, had been removed in pieces. Nearly the whole of the brains had been taken out and scattered about near the back of the head, towards the right side. There wasa Cut of an inch long through the scalp, but the features of the deceased, -were left, completely uninjitre'cl. An incision had been made in the chin , to-the -lower part of the abdomen, in a direct line, dividing the interme- diate integuinents and muscles ; the sternum was cut through ; the in- testines had been removed and the stomach taken out ; at the upper and also at the lower orifice, the small intestines were divided from the large ones ; the liver was considerably lacerated. The right foot had been taken off at the small of the leg, and the muscles and bones were broken ; the right thigh was also cut off above the knee-joint, and the flesh at the ex-
- tremity of the stump appeared to have been gnawed by some small aui- . ; the left arm was terribly fractured." Coroner—" Can you judge what kind of instruments had been used ? " Witness—" I should think a sharp knife, and that the pieces of skull must have been removed by forceps or pincers."
A reward of 1001. has been offered for the discovery of the murderer. [Is there-any insane vagrant in the neighbourhood ?) DREADFUL INUNDATION AT MANCHESTER—The following ac- count from Manchester, dated on Wednesday morning, has been pub- _ lished in the Sun. "Many thousand acres of meadow land have been laid under water, and property to an enormous amount has been de- stroyed. On Monday evening last the rain fell in torrents, and during the succeeding night there was a storm, such as has not been experienced in this part of the kingdom for upwards of fifty years. Till twelve o'clock yesterday, the rain continued, and apprehensions were justly entertained of serious results. In the afternoon of yesterday, the river Irwell rose upwards of forty feet beyond its usual level. Many hundreds of acres of land in the vicinity of Broughton were laid under water, and in one field no less than eleven cows were drowned. Towards four o'clock the river Irwell presented an awful scene. The wreck of houses, cottages, bleach- ing-works, Fcc. were seen floating down with the tide. Upwards of one hun- dred large casks, of about forty gallons measurement each, passed through the arches of the various bridges in this town, announcing the destruc- tion of the large print-works and dye-houses of Messrs. Ramsbottom, near Bury. Towards Warrington, the effects of the storm were terrible. The coaches from that town were detained for several hours, the road being inundated. It is impossible to form a correct estimate of the loss sustained through this appalling flood, but it must certainly, ex- ceed 100,0001.
STEAM-BOILERS.7-On Monday afternoon,a shocking accident occurred at Stone Bridge Mill, near Farnley, in the occupation of Messrs. Pawson and Son, cloth-manufacturers by the bursting of the engine-boiler. Nine of the workmen employed on the premises were scalded, and other- wise severely injured. Frederick Barnsby died it the Infirmary on,Tues-
day afternoon, and William Starkey next morning. .
RELIGIOUS MANIA.—TIVO cases, one Of completed, another of at tempted .suicide, took place this week, from religious mania. The first case was that of a female, of middle life, residing in Ireland Yard, Doctors' Commons she had been- first a Protestant, next .a. Catholic, and lastly:had, been converted to Infidelity: by that consuinmate Puppy likhert .Tayloti.,•'gthe cot her throat on Saturday afternoon, aid ,was feend Some thee afterwards quite deed. Ohs 7fied.takeo_the horrid pe• . • . . • caution to perpetrate her insane purpose over a basin, to prevent the floor from being dabbled !--The second case was that of a journeyman printer, named Brown, in Craven Buildings, Drury Lane. Brown is a particular Baptist, and had received on Saturday a long visit from his clergyman; whose admonitions had produced such an effect on his mind, that on Sunday morning he attempted to destroy himself, by the same means as the female we have mentioned. Happily, the wound was not so deep, and hopes are entertained of his recovery. SUICIDE.—On Monday, Mr. Smith, a manufacturer of ginger-beer, in Silver Street, Golden Square, hanged himself in his own cellar. The body was yet warm when the medical man arrived, but his efforts to restore the unhappy suicide were fruitless.
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