death of the said Mr. Dakin, caused by the explosion of a coffeeroasting machine supplied by the defendants, and which the plaintiff alleged was made of insufficient materials, whereby the same exploded and killed the deceased.

It appeared that Mr. Dakin was a man of great ability in his trade, and that in the year 1844 he took the premises in St. Paul's Churchyard, in which he carried on a large business as a tea and coffee-dealer. Mr. Dakin, shortly before his death, had conceived the notion that the taste of coffee would be very much improved if the coffee were roasted in silver cylinders instead of iron; and a friend of his having drawn his attention to an invention by the defendants, called "Brown's Cellular Steam Plate," being an oven capable of generating a heat of 500 degrees, Mr. Dakin thought he could make it available for the purpose of carrying out his notion; he accordingly went to the works in Suffolk Street, in the Borough, and the result was that one of the defendants' patent ovens was ordered to be constructed, and to be erected upon Mr. Dakin's premises.

After many delays and mishaps the apparatus, which appears to consist of a series of pipes through which steam is made to circulate at a very high temperature, thus producing great heat in the cavity or oven they surround, was at length fixed.

On the morning of the accident the defendants' workmen came about 11 o'clock and lighted the fire, and continued to get up the heat until after the return of Mr. Dakin and a friend from dinner, Mr. Dakin, with several others, having been at the warehouse in the morning. At about two o'clock

the heat, according to the thermometer, was 480 degrees inside the oven, and 262 degrees at the exterior of the cylinder. Mr. Dakin's silver cylinder was placed in the oven, some coffee put in, and the process of roasting commenced. About twenty-five minutes after the coffee had been placed in the oven, one of the witnesses observed a dampness about that part of the cylinder which had been punched on the day previously, and afterwards a hissing noise was heard coming from some part of the apparatus covered by the brickwork, and almost immediately an explosion took place; part of the roof was blown off, the warehouse was filled with steam and dust, and, after this had cleared away, Mr. Dakin was found lying on his back, dead. It appeared that the cylinder had burst, and had blown off two large pieces of iron, one of which, it was supposed, had struck the deceased, and instantly killed him.

was

Some evidence having been given, to show that the workmanship of the apparatus was very defective, a verdict taken, by consent, for 8001.: 500l. for the widow, and 150l. for each of the children of the deceased.

23. MURDER AT BRISTOL.-A murder was committed at Bristol under very wanton circumstances. The deceased, a young man, named William Braund, was taking a walk about five o'clock in the afternoon, in company with two other persons, named Edward Horgan and Henry Coggan. As they were passing over Bedminster Bridge they saw two boys, named Collins and Dauncy, jumping over some iron posts. Dauncy was in the act of leaping, when Horgan exclaimed, "Över it." Both Dauncy and

Collins immediately began abusing the deceased and his companions in a most outrageous manner. Horgan ran after them, when Collins began to spar at him, and then ran off down Coronation Road, closely pursued by Horgan, who caught him by the railings of Zion Chapel, and struck him twice. Whilst he was doing this, Dauncy came behind him and struck him in the face, and on his letting go of Collins and running after him, Dauncy pulled out a brass-barrelled pistol and presented it at him. Collins likewise pulled out a large life-preserver, and waved it about in a very threatening manner. Dauncy kept exclaiming, "Come on; I'm not afraid of you. I'm ready for you. I'll have you." Horgan, the deceased, and Coggan, not wishing to create a disturbance in the streets on a Sunday, went on, and Collins and Dauncy followed, jeering and abusing them. They stopped at the top of Brown's Row, and as Collins and Dauncy stopped too, Horgan looked round at them and said, "I will give it to you by-and-bye." The deceased also said to Collins, "I'll let your mother know that you have got a life-preserver, and get something done to you." Collins drew out the life-preserver, and the deceased then rushed at him and laid hold of it. Dauncy then tried to lay hold of the deceased to make him let go. Coggan and Horgan stood before him and prevented his doing so. Dauncy then pulled out the pistol again, and presented it at the deceased, and said, If he does'nt let Collins alone I'll shoot him." Horgan said, "Will you?" and he replied, "Yes, and you too." Dauncy then put down the pistol between his legs and cocked it, got up, rushed past Horgan close

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to the deceased, and fired the pistol at him. The deceased man, Braund, instantly put his hand to his breast, staggered, and fell to the ground. A quantity of blood poured from his mouth, and some persons who were passing at some little distance ran up and endea voured to support him in their arms, but it was found that he was quite dead.

A Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Dauncy.

24. ATTEMPT TO MURDER A POLICEMAN.-A policeman, named Mattham, was stabbed by an elderly man, named Blackmore, in the Old Bailey. Blackmore had been observed in the neighbourhood in a state of great excitement, and was heard to say, "The police have locked my wife up and I'll do for him, and be locked up in Newgate before two days are over. Willis, who heard these expressions, put the policeman on his guard. Shortly after Mattham was stabbed, and Blackmore was apprehended.

Mr.

On his examination, George Bloomfield, No. 286, said, about twenty minutes past 11 o'clock I heard a rattle spring, and the cry of "Murder" repeated several times from the north end of the Old Bailey. I ran up Skinner Street, and met my brother officer, No. 213, being led along by two gentlemen. He exclaimed, "Oh, my God, George, I am stabbed. I shall be a dead man." From what I heard, I ran round the corner into the Old Bailey, and found the prisoner lying on the pavement on his back. The mob around said he had stabbed my brother officer, who had knocked him down with his truncheon. Some other constables came up,

and they got a stretcher and took the prisoner to the hospital, as he appeared to be insensible. Alderman Challis asked, if he was really injured or was simulating?

Bloomfield said he did not think it was feigned; but at the hospital they said he was not hurt, and he was then taken to the station and locked up.

Alfred Waddilove, of No. 2, Holborn Buildings, said, last night, between 11 and 12 o'clock, I was standing by the porter's pitching-block in the Old Bailey, and observed the constable and the prisoner a short distance from me. There was no one else near at the time; when suddenly I heard the officer call out "Murder, murder!" and on rushing to the spot, he exclaimed, pointing to the prisoner, "This man has stabbed me." The prisoner said, "I've done it, I've done it."

Alderman Challis. Did you ob. serve anything in his hand?

Waddilove. He held up his hand, but I did not observe any thing in it. I followed him a few steps, and in consequence of my exclaiming to some persons coming up, "Mind, he'll stab you," an officer struck him down with his staff, but who did it I can't tell, as there were several officers up nearly at the same time. I then went for the stretcher, and assisted in taking the prisoner to the hospital, and thence to the stationhouse.

A shoemaker's knife was found on the spot. Other evidence was given, showing that the prisoner had picked a causeless quarrel with the policeman, and had then stabbed him.

Mattham lay in the hospital for some time in a very dan

gerous condition, but ultimately recovered.

27. FIRE NEAR CAMBRIDGE.— A conflagration of agricultural buildings and produce occurred near Cambridge, aggravated by the circumstance that a great number of domestic animals were burnt to death. The disaster occurred at the homestead of Mr. Elliott Smith, of Girton, and ended in the destruction of all the farm buildings and all the stored produce of a large homestead, with a small adjacent house belonging to an aged widow. The fire arose "in the eye of a high wind," and had risen uncontrollably high even before discovered. Eight fine horses, three bullocks, two calves, twelve cows and heifers, twenty-seven pigs, and a large quantity of poultry, were consumed. The cries and moans of the poor animals, which were beyond the reach of human aid, were frightful. The fire was attributed to the act of an incendiary; but so little did the peasantry sympathize with the act (although these counties are notorious for wilful fires) that they worked indefatigably in subduing the flames; and, says the Cambridge paper, "had the incendiary been recognised, he would beyond a doubt, in the excitement of the moment, have met a fate similar to that of his poor victims, at the hands of the bystanders." The damage done to Mr. Smith's property was about 2000l.: he was fully insured.

DREADFUL MURDER AT BosTON, UNITED STATES.-The American newspapers are full of an extraordinary case of assassination, which involves the reputation of a man of some eminence. The inhabitants were one morning intensely excited by an announce

ment that portions of a body, supposed to be the remains of a Dr. George Parkman, had been discovered underneath the chemical laboratory of Professor John W. Webster, in the Medical College at the foot of North Grove Street, Boston, and that Mr. Webster had been arrested, and incarcerated in the Leverett Street Gaol, on suspicion.

From the details of the case it appears that Dr. Parkman, in the early part of November last, applied to Professor Webster; at the college, for payment of some money which he alleged to be due to him; and after an interview with his debtor, which provoked much angry feelings on both sides, he left the place, apparently much excited. After some further negotiations on the subject of the debt, it seems that the money was finally paid at the latter end of November. The amount (483 dollars 64 cents) was to take up two notes and to cancel a mortgage. Dr. Parkman surrendered the notes, but had not the mortgage with him at the time of payment. He eventually left the college at half-past one o'clock in the afternoon of the 23rd of November, after which period he most unaccountably disappeared. Suspicion was soon awakened, the authorities were alarmed, and a reward of 1000 dollars was imme diately offered for the discovery of Dr. Parkman's body, it being the general opinion that he had been assassinated. In the meantime the apartments of Professor Webster (who appears to have been suspected from the outset) were searched by the police, but nothing was found to inculpate him in the first instance. The suspicions, however, seemed still to increase that Dr. Parkman had

never quitted the college building. There was one part which had not been searched, which was the vault directly underneath Professor Webster's laboratory, the only access to which was through a water-closet in the laboratory. The college is built upon walls which rest upon piles, and the tide ebbs and flows through apertures underneath the basement floor, between the compartments formed by the walls. One of these compartments forms the vault underneath Professor Webster's laboratory. There is a trap-door to the compartment next to that used by Professor Webster, situated some 40 feet from the water-closet. One of the college servants, named Littlefield, descended through this trap-door with a crowbar, and knocked an aperture in the wall near the water-closet, and discovered portions of a human body, which had been washed by the sea. These portions were the pelvis, the right thigh, and the right leg. The authorities hereupon resolved to arrest Professor Webster; and the officers of justice accordingly proceeded to his private residence, and having induced him to enter their carriage for the purpose, as they pretended, of being present at an examination of the college apartments, at once conducted him to the city gaol, where he was detained on the charge of having murdered Dr. Parkman. The pieces of the body found in the vault were afterwards exposed to view in Professor Webster's presence. A jaw-bone, some artificial teeth, particles of gold and silver, and some buttons, found by the officers in a furnace used in the laboratory, were shown at the same time. Professor Webster said nothing. The police officers

subsequently discovered a tea chest stowed away in a nook in the laboratory, under some shelves, which was found to contain a portion of a human body, comprising the back and ribs, and in between the ribs was a left thigh. These were covered over first with tan, and over that was a layer of mineral substances. In the chest was found a large hunting-knife. The officers next discovered tracks of what they considered blood from the counter in the lecture-room, upon the brick floor of the room adjoining, upon several of the stairs leading from this room to the laboratory, and upon the floor of the laboratory to the water-closet, down which, it is believed, the portions of the human body found were thrown. The officers, in continuing their search, found a pair of black-ribbed pantaloons, with the name of Professor Webster written upon the lining, a pair of slippers used by him, and a saw belonging to him, upon which are marks of what is believed to be blood. The bottom of the slippers bore the appearance of having been used in treading down tan.

An inquest was held upon the human remains found. The inquiry lasted ten days, during which the excitement of the people was intense. The Jury then returned a verdict "That these remains were proved to be portions of one and the same person; that this person was Dr. George Parkman; that he came to his death by violence at Boston, on the 23rd of November; that this violence was committed by the hands of Dr. John Webster, who is in gaol awaiting his trial."

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SHIPWRECKS. The month of December has been peculiarly fatal to the mercantile marine. On the 7th instant no less than six

vessels were lost on the Gunfleet Sands, a spot where the navigation is exceedingly intricate: it is supposed that the foremost of them lost her course and went ashore, and that the others were following close in her track: the crews were all saved. The Prussian bark, Mechelet, 400 tons, went ashore near the Samburgh Head lighthouse, and the whole crew perished. A vessel struck upon the Herd Sand, at the mouth of the Tyne; twenty-four mariners went out in the life-boat to rescue the crew: by some mismanagement a heavy sea struck and capsized the boat, and twenty of the brave seamen perished. The Ann Gales was wrecked off Creden Head, near Waterford; the mate only was saved; the master, his wife, and ten of the crew, perished. Numerous other wrecks on the coast are also reported.

The underwriters have also suffered heavy losses by wrecks reported during this month. The Emily, 500 tons, from Calcutta, struck, on the 1st of September, on one of the Andaman islands, in the China seas. The passengers and crew (with the exception of five seamen) reached the shore, but were compelled by the natives to take to their boats again. For the night they lay inside of the breakers, some distance from the shore. On the next morning the boats parted company for the purpose of gaining the Cocoa islands. In the pinnace were the passengers, with the captain and nine of the crew, and the long-boat contained the chief mate and the remainder of the crew.

The long-boat was soon lost sight of by those in the pinnace, and no tidings had been heard of them up to the period of