ZbE Vt . ObilICES.
The magnificent line of the Great Western Railway was opened on Wednesday throughout. One of its remarkable features is the tunnel at Box Hill, which has been drilled through solid rock for nearly three miles. The summit-level of the line is at Swindon, seventy-six miles from London. It is 253 feet above the Paddington station, and 275 above the terminus at Bristol. The original estimates have been more than doubled in actual Construction; upwards of 5,000,000/. having been disbursed. From London to Bristol, 120 miles, one may now go in four hours ; and from London to Bridgewater, with the aid of the Exeter line, in five hours and a half.
On Saturday night last, as Mr. Benjamin Whittel junior, fancy ma- nufacturer, of Stainland, near Halifax, was walking home from the Littleborough Railway station, on his return home from Manchester market, he was shot dead through the head, about half. past ten o'clock, near the Barksland toll-gate, by some villain or villains, who robbed him of about 95/. Suspicion has fallen on an individual with whom the unfortunate man was seen in company when passing through the toll- gate, who cannot now be found. The police, however, are on the look- out. Mr. Whittel was only recently married.—York Courant
At Knaresborough, last Saturday morning, Mr. Joseph Cocker, land- lord of the White Hart public-house, was murdered by some persons who used the house ; John Burlinson, Henry Nutter, and Charles Gill, who robbed his house of a quantity of silver. At first the murderers fled from the town, but returned again, and were directly taken prisoners ; when they confessed the fact and the manner of their crime. At an inquest since held, a verdict of "'Wilful Murder" was found against Burlinson as principal, and Nutter and Gill as accesso- ries before the fact.
On the border-land between York West Riding and Lancashire, there is a lonely ruin, which has been adopted as the resort of a gang, more than a hundred strong, of rogues and thieves, for the purposes of spoil-dividing and gambling. On Sunday fortnight, Mr. J. Sugden, a constable of Leeds, disguised as one of the race, obtained admission to their orgies when nearly the whole were present. Upon his unfrocking and seizing their money, every one fled to the nearest retreat. One rogue, however, be secured, and carried off to Leeds 'station-house. On Saturday last, on the information obtained from 'this man, no fewer than seventy-one of his fellows were fined 14s. 3d. for gaming. The penalties were all paid.
Between seven and, eight o'clock on Thursday evening last, the inha- bitants living in the quiet village of Ospringe, near Faversham in Kent, were greatly terrified by an explosion of one of the powder-mills con- nected with the extensive premises of Messrs. Hall and Co., situated about a mile and a half from the village. The mill was a small wooden building, wholly detached from any other. It appears that the explosion occurred in consequence of the carelessness of a work- man, who left what is called a "green charge" exposed. He was the only person at work in the place, and had not quitted the premises more than three minutes before the accident took place. Fortunately, no person was near the spot at the time. The mill was blown to atoms, and remnants of it were found scattered in all directions. The building was not insured.
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