Ebt a-Metropolis.
Four candidates are in the field for the Aldemianic gown of Tower Ward, vacant by the death of Alderman Lucas,—Mr. T. L. Finnis, Mr. Sheriff Cubitt, Mr. Sheriff Hill, and Mr. Laurie. Mr. Finnis, to whom a numerously-signed requisition has been presented, has commenced an active canvass. The election takes place on Monday next.
The principal central station of the Electric Telegraph Company, in Moorgate Street, was opened to the public on Saturday, for the transmis- sion of messages to all parts of England except Devonshire. A vast num- ber of messages were despatched to all quarters.
In the Insolvent Debtors' Court, yesterday week, Mr. Commissioner Phillips gave an important decision calculated materially to affect the future relations of the Oxford tradesmen and the under-graduates of the University. The insolvent was a young man named Jennings; his father is a clergyman in Yorkshire, with a family of eight children, and an income of about nine hundred a year. Young Mr. Jennings was sent by his father to Oxford, with an annual allowance of 2501. The youth went into residence in October 1845, and quickly became a prey to the trading harpies of the city. During the first week of his residence, young Jea- nine appears to have had hie custom solicited by about fifty tradesmen, whose enticements he had not strength of mind to resist. In little more than a year he became involved to the extent of 2,0001. According to the current reports of the case, among the items in the schedule were 56/. for wine, 331. for saddlery, 3011. for tailoring, 46/. for confectionery, 1951. for boats, and 98/. for hats! ["An Oxford Tradesman' sends to the Times a correction as to these items of 1951 and 981,. "In the schedule," he says," there is only one bill of 31. for boats; and the charges for hats, instead of being 981., are only 81. 15s. ; the 981. compre- hending hosiery, shirts, gloves, coats, travelling apparatus, archery goods, and the multifarious items of three houses of business in the men's inercery and general trade; while the 1951. comprehends the accounts of six booksellers, three stationers and perfumers, one upholsterer, three grocers, one druggist, two china- men, one ironmonger, one gun-maker, three tobacconists, and one boat-builder."1 The insolvent was opposed by most of the Oxford creditors; but the Commissioner denounced them as "a parcel of men who were quite unworthy of consideration," and ordered the discharge of the young man.
At the Central Criminal Court, on Monday, John Brown and James Rice were indicted for a conspiracy to obtain goods by false pretences: two other men, Nicholls and James Brown, were included in the indictment, but they were out on bail, and did not surrender. The prosecutors were Messrs. Cottam and Hel- len, the manufacturing ironmongers of Oxford Street. Nicholls had called on them, represented himself as a miller of Stratford, and ordered various articles; and, by the assistance of the other men, he got some of the goods into his pos- session. The prisoners were found guilty, and sentenced to be imprisoned each for six months.
On Thursday, Stoter, the postman accused of committing and uttering forge- ries by means of stealing letters and otherwise availing himself of the facilities he enjoyed as a letter-carrier, was pat upon his trial. In the first case—the forgery and uttering of a check for 551. on Masterman and Co.—he was found guilty of the uttering. He then pleaded guilty to another indictment. The sentence was transportation for ten years.
Thomas Duck was tried for attempting to poison his wife, by putting opium in her tea. Though the evidence appears strong, it did not satisfy the jury; and they acquitted the Mao.
At the Mansionhouse, on Saturday, the four men charged with forging Russian bank-notes were finally examined, and committed for trial; the evidence against them being completed by the production of Carl Jacob Pieper, director of the office of credit notes in the Bank of Russia. A curious case was brought before Mr. Beadon, the Wandsworth Police
trate, on Monday. Two fellow workmen at a colour-manufactory, named Burchell and Clifford, with the sister of the former, were drinking together at several pub- lic-houses in the neighbourhood of Battersea. Biuchell and his sister becoming intoxicated, Clifford procured some ammonia for the purpose of sobering them. Although cautioned by the chemist as to its use, Clifford forced a portion of the fluid, undiluted, ieto,the mouth and up the nostrils of the woman. She became very ill, and waaatticked with fits which lasted some hours. Clifford next tried his remedy on Burchell; who was thrown into a state of great excitement, became unable to sleep, and eventually went mad. The Magistrate declined to interfere at present, as it did not appear that Clifford had acted with any evil intention.
A singular double suicide has occurred in Cleveland Street, Fitzroy Square. Williams, the keeper of a coffeehouse, was discovered by his wife, shortly after midnight, suspended from the railing of the bedstead: she raised an alarm, the man was cut down, and surgical assistance was obtained, the body being still warm. But while Dr. Hattlield was endeavouring to restore animation in the husband, the wife was found lying in the coffeeroom with her throat cut; and the hapless couple died a nearly the same time. The Coroner's inquest threw no light on the matter, except that the business of the deceased bad recently fallen off. The two children of a man named Blake, a girl aged eight and a boy aged five years, were murdered on. Friday evening, by Harriet Parker, who lived with Blake, at their lodgings in Cupid's Court St. Luke's. Blake went out in the evening after his children were in bed, with the intention of going to the play; and Parker followed, angry at not being allowed to accompany him. He tried to get away from her, but she persisted in following him to a public-house; where, however, he escaped from her, and spent the night with another woman. Parker returned home, and either strangled or smothered the children, in revenge. Very early next morning, seized with remorse, she avowed her crime, and surrendered herself to justice. A frightful accident, likely to prove fatal to one man at least, has occurred at the new buildings for the Euston station. One of the buildings is a large and lofty hall for the assembly of the passengers. At each end there are columns supporting an entablature, and these columns are of brickwork. On Thursday morning, while a number of workmen were engaged in the completion of the en- tablature at the North end, the columns suddenly gave way, and the whole super- incumbent mass fell, overwhelming the men. Eleven were more or less hurt: one John Shea was considered to be in a hopeless condition; the rest are expected to recover. The height from which the sufferers fell was no less than sixty feet.
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