Hall, the overseer. An inquest was held on the bodies, when it was shown that the pit had long been in a bad state of ventilation, that the "brattices" were insufficient, and that the pit was worked with candles:-it seemed, indeed, that the miners were habituated to small explosions of the air which came in contact with their lights.

An explosion of gas took place about the same time at the Ubberley coal mines, in the Potteries, by which seven men perished, and four others nearly fell victims to their attempts to rescue them.

20. TRAGIC AFFAIR AT TOTTENHAM.-The village of Tottenham has been the scene of a tragic occurrence. In the house of Mr. Brand, clerk in one of the Lombard Street banks, resided M. Carl Crighlo, or Krigehlo, a young German, of good circumstances, and of good connections in his own country. Between this young man and the daughter of Mr. Brand there was an attachment, and he had become her accepted lover, with her father's consent. About three weeks ago he suddenly absented himself. On the morning of the tragedy he as suddenly appeared, and being questioned as to the reason of his absence, seemed very much confused; complained of pain in his head, and said he thought he had had a concussion of the brain-in short, he showed decided indications of insanity. He left them abruptly in the afternoon, and returned about 8 o'clock in the evening.

Miss Brand then states what followed:

"I was sitting at the window that looks on the pond, and my mother was in the garden watering the plants. I was writing a

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letter, and heard some footsteps. I looked from the window, and saw him at the gate, although it was dusk at the time. I saw there was a wildness in his countenance. He was quite alone. I got up to go to the door, but he got in before I could get there. He was very much agitated, and I now wish I had prevented him from getting in." He said, "Miss Brand, are you alone?" and I did not answer; and he then repeated the question. I answered, 'No, I shall fetch my mother, who is close at hand." He said, "Oh, no; I don't wish that." He took hold of my hand then-my right hand. I tried to get away to go into the garden, as I thought he wanted to see mother. He seemed frightened, he trembled greatly, and was very much excited. He then put his right hand in his pocket, and I then screamed out. I saw something in his hand which made me scream. He then struck me immediately with a dagger in the chest. (The dagger was here produced; it was about nine inches long.) He struck me at first lightly, but the second time more violently and forcibly. It slipped off the vital part of the side, and therefore had no fatal effect. He still held me by the hand. I was fainting, and fell down. He still held my hand. He tried to stab me again, but I caught the blade with my hand. He tried another time, and I forced away that also. He made a third attempt, and then stabbed himself twice near the abdomen very violently. He then fell down at the lower end of the room. My mother was crying "Murder!" (She had come into the room on hearing her daughter's cries.) He was on his hands and knees, trying to get up; he struck

my mother, who received the blow on her chest. My mother is now getting better. My mother then ran out into the street."

When the persons whom the mother had alarmed entered the house, they found the maniac on the floor in the agonies of death; he had stabbed himself eight times in the abdomen and chest, and died almost immediately after they arrived. On his body was found a belt containing upwards of 1001. in German money, and 71. 178. 6d. English money in his pockets.

21. LONDON THUGGISM.-Central Criminal Court. Charles Best, 32, clerk, and John Kelly, 20, labourer, were indicted for feloniously assaulting and robbing William Day.

This case was somewhat remarkable, from the numerous instances in which persons have been robbed and nearly murdered in a similar manner within a short period.

Mr. William Day deposed that he is a trunk maker in the Strand, and that on the night of the 27th of July, between 11 and 12 o'clock, he was passing through Long Acre, and had turned into Mercer Street, when he saw the prisoner Best cross the street and come towards him; when he was within a few yards of him he observed that he was followed by another man, and when they all got close together he was attacked by both the men. Best put one hand round his neck in front and the other behind, and pressed his throat, the other man did the same, and they both endeavoured apparently to strangle him, until he at length became insensible and fell to the ground. He had his hand upon his watch when he fell, and he felt the hand VOL. XCIII.

of one of the men at his waistcoat pocket, where his watch was; at the same moment Best called out

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Squeeze him tight," and he became insensible immediately. When the prisoner called out in the way described his face was close to him, and he had an opportunity of seeing him distinctly, and was positive he was the same man. When he came to himself he found that he was lying upon the pavement, and was hardly able to speak; he was very ill for some time afterwards, and was only able to eat his food with a spoon. He rocognised Best the moment he saw him at Bow Street Police Court. He was certain that Best was the man who was stooping over him, and he should not forget him so long as he lived.

John Appleton deposed that he was standing in Long Acre about half-past 11 o'clock on the night in question, and saw the two prisoners go in the direction from Long Acre into Mercer Street, and he observed that they stopped and looked round at Mr. Day, who was coming towards them. They both turned round and followed the prosecutor, and he saw them put their hands round his neck, and almost immediately afterwards they all three appeared to fall down together upon the pavement. In a minute or two the prisoners got up and walked a short distance, and then ran off. Upon seeing this he went up to where the prosecutor was, and observed that his face was black, and tears were running down it. He remained with him until the police came up. He had known the prisoners for four months, and was certain they were the same men.

Mr. Long, a tradesman living near the place where the robbery

K

was committed, deposed that he was looking out of his bedroom window between 11 and 12 o'clock, and saw the prosecutor walking along followed by the prisoners, who crossed over the road at the same time he did; the next time he observed them they were all standing close together, and then. he saw the prosecutor upon the ground and the two men standing over him. Two other men were standing on the opposite side of the way while this was going on, and when the prisoners left the prosecutor they all went away together, leaving him upon the ground. He was positive that Kelly was one of the men who was standing over the prosecutor, but he did not see the face of the other man.

A police constable, who came up on the alarm being given, described the condition of the prosecutor. He appeared very much injured, and complained of being robbed of his watch. On the prisoner Best being taken into custody and told that he was charged with robbing a gentleman on the night of the 27th of July, he said that he had not been out of prison more than half a minute, and that he had not had time to breathe.

On behalf of the prisoners attempts were made to prove alibis, but they entirely failed.

The jury immediately returned a verdict of "Guilty."

Previous convictions for felony were formally proved against both prisoners, and it was stated that they had been in prison a great many times for other offences. They were accordingly sentenced to be transported for life.

22. THE ROYAL YACHT CLUB AND THE YANKEE SCHOONER AMERICA.Our amateur sailors and the whole

profession of the sea, whether of Her Majesty's service, merchantmen, or builders, were not a little excited by the apparition of a Yankee schooner yacht in the waters of Cowes, which offered to sail against anything that could be brought against her. The appearance of the stranger was such as to cause great nervousness that she might be able to perform her brag. It need scarcely be said, that every accommodation that the Yacht Club could afford was readily given to the enemy, and some rules were relaxed which would have operated unfairly against her. The schooner is called the America, 170 tons, belonging to J. C. Stevens, Esq., Commodore of the American Yacht Squadron. The yacht was entered as a competitor for "the Cup" open to all nations.

In the memory of man Cowes never presented such an appearance as on the 22nd of August, the day of the match. There must have been a hundred yachts lying at anchor in the roads; the beach was crowded from Egypt to the piers; the esplanade in front of the Club was thronged with curious spectators. Eighteen yachts entered as competitors.

At ten o'clock the signal-gun for sailing was fired; and before the smoke had well cleared away, the whole of the beautiful fleet was under weigh, moving steadily to the east with the tide and a gentle breeze. The start was effected splendidly, the yachts breaking away like a field of racehorses; the only laggard was the America, which did not move for a second or so after the others. The Gipsy Queen, with all her canvas set and in the strength of the tide, took the lead after start

ing; with the Beatrice next, and then the Volante, Constance, Arrow, and a flock of others. The America went easily for some time under mainsail (with a small gaff-topsail, of a triangular shape, braced up to the truck of the short and slender stick which serves as her maintopmast), foresail, forestaysail, and jib; while her opponents had every cloth set that the Club regulations allow. She soon began to creep upon them, passing some of the cutters to windward. In a quarter of an hour she had left them all behind, except the Constance, Beatrice, and Gipsy Queen, which were well together, and went along smartly with a light breeze. Once or twice the wind freshened a little, and at once the America gathered way, and passed ahead of the Constance and Beatrice. Another puff came, and she made a dart to pass the Gipsy Queen; but the wind left her sails, and the little Volante came skimming past her with a stupendous jib, swallowing up all the wind that was blowing. Again the wind freshened, and the fast yachts came rushing up before it; the run from the Sandheads being most exciting, and well contested. Off Noman'sland buoy, the Volante was first; then the Freak, Aurora, Gipsy Queen, America, &c. ; the other six were "staggering about in the rear," some of them hauling their wind and returning to Cowes in despair. At this point the wind blew somewhat more steadily, and the America began to show a touch of her quality.

Whenever the breeze took the line of her hull, all her sails set as flat as a drumhead, and, without any careening or staggering, she walked along past cutter and schooner, and when off Brading had left every vessel in the

squadron behind her a mere ruck

with the exception of the Volante, whch she overtook at 11.30. As soon as she passed the Volante, she very quietly hauled down her jib, as much as to say she would give her rival every odds, and laid herself out for the race round the back of the island.

The weather now still further freshened. The Yankee flew like the wind; leaping over, not against the water, and increasing her distance from her competitors every instant. The way her sails were set evinced a superiority in the cutting which our makers would barely allow; but certain it is, that while the jibs and mainsails of her antagonists were bellied out,"

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her canvas was as flat as a sheet of paper. No foam, but rather a water-jet, rose from her bows; and the greatest point of resistance— for resistance there must be somewhere seemed about the beam, or just forward of her mainmast; for the seas flashed off from her sides at that point every time she met them. While the cutters were thrashing through the water, sending the spray over their bows, and the schooners were wet up to the foot of the foremast, the America was as dry as a bone." From this point it was plain that nothing could live with the America.

As the Needles were approached, the Victoria and Albert, with the royal standard at the main and the Admiral's flag at the fore, was seen steaming round from the north-west, followed by the Fairy and the little dockyard tender. The Fairy was signalled to go and bring tidings of the race, and she quickly executed the commission. At 6.4 the America got in a line with the Royal steamer and in

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stantly lowered her ensign, blue with white stars; Commodore Stevens took off his hat, and all his crew, following his order and example, remained with uncovered heads for some minutes till they had passed the yacht-a mark of respect to the Queen not the less becoming because it was bestowed by Republicans. Off Cowes, on Off Cowes, on every side was heard the hail, " Is the America first ?"-The answer, "Yes." What's second ?"-The reply, "Nothing." The America came in first by nearly eight miles. Unwilling to confess that the English yachts had been vanquished by the first trial, Mr. R. Stephenson backed his iron yacht, the Titania of 100 tons, to sail against the America for 100l. The contest came off on the 28th, when the Titania was as signally beaten as the rest. The America beat her opponent 52 minutes out of six hours and a half, leaving her eight miles astern.

The America is of very peculiar build. Contrary to the usual plan of having the greatest breadth forward, she is widest abaft, about the mainmast; her draught of water forward is scarcely more than three feet, but she draws as much as nine feet astern. Her sails are of a very peculiar cut, which allows them to lie as flat as a board when going near the wind; and as this is her great point of sailing, everything is accommodated to it. She has no topmasts, shrouds, nor bulwarks, almost no stays-nothing that can catch the wind.

25. MURDER OF MR. E. WHITE, OF ABBEYLEIX.-A dreadful assassination, equal in atrocity to any that has been recorded, was perpetrated in the Queen's County, land. The unhappy gentleman, se life has been taken under

the sentence of the atrocious "Ribband" code, was one who, by a long life of industry, had amassed a considerable personal property; not long since he purchased in the Encumbered Estates Court the freehold of a portion of the Portarlington estates, of which he had been tenant on lease; and the Court, by its decree, put him in possession of his land. But after he got possession, he found himself involved in a quarrel with neighbouring tenants as to their prescriptive right to cut peat from a portion of bog which had been thrown into his purchase, beyond what he had occupied as tenant. He prosecuted his rights in the courts, but without immediate success. The claimants, or probably the secret association under whose thraldom the rural districts are oppressed, determined on his assassination. While driving to his land in the morning, it is supposed that a man, or several, met him, stopped his gig, shot him with a pistol through the heart, threw the pistol into the gig, and started the pony unguided to carry the corpse of its master to his farm. As usual in unhappy Ireland, none of the peasantry attempted to arrest the murderers; only one person was taken by the police, who was suspected to be an actor in the tragedy.

27. THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO SCOTLAND.-Her Majesty, Prince Albert, and some of the Royal children, started for Scotland, to pass the autumn at the Castle of Balmoral. The Royal party left Osborne House at 9 A.M., arrived at Buckingham Palace at 12.30 P.M., and started at 2 P.M. by the Great Northern Railway-the first occasion on which that line has been so honoured. The train stopped