into his shop, and begged a farthing to put to a halfpenny to buy deceased half a pint of beer. She then confessed that for the last fortnight they had no food except a bit of bread soaked in beer. Deceased was a very well-educated

man.

Mr. Popham, surgeon, said that he was called to attend deceased on Wednesday, when he found him dead. He had been dead two days. The body was awfully emaciated. He never saw anything like it. He made a post-mortem examination. The body and its organs were perfectly healthy; there was not a trace of food in the stomach, nor had there been any there for days. He died of starvation. The widow told him that for the last month they had only 4s. to live on. There was neither food, fire, nor furniture in the room. He was sickened at the sight, and gave the widow 1s.

Coroner. It really is awful that in the nineteenth century, and amidst such wealth as abounds in this neighbourhood, and in which are so many charitable institutions, a fellow-creature should die of starvation. It is one of the most appalling cases that I have encountered. The deceased's body resembles an Egyptian mummy.

Mary Barton, deceased's widow, whose idiotic stare too clearly proved that reason had been dethroned, stated that her husband had died in her arms at 4 o'clock on Tuesday morning. He had been a long time ill. Their support was a cup of tea or cocoa. She did not know how to apply for relief. The poor creature, who was sinking from exhaustion, and whose mind was wandering, began to falter in her speech, when Mr. Popham suggested that it would

be prudent to question her no more.

Coroner. I see that too plainly. Pray, Mr. Popham, get her into the workhouse before she dies from want and neglect.

Mr. Popham. I feel it my duty to do so.

The jury returned, without hesitation, a verdict that "William Barton died from exhaustion, produced by the want of the common necessaries of life."

28. EARTHQUAKE IN ASIA MINOR AND RHODES. A succession of earthquakes have been experienced over the whole of Asia Minor, from the island of Rhodes to Samsoon and Trebizonde, ports on the Black Sea, attended with great destruction of human life and of buildings. The first shock was felt on the 28th, between 5 and half-past 5, P.M., when at Rhodes, the upper part of the castle, which is at the entrance of the town, fell with an awful crash, overwhelming the offices of the Austrian Lloyd's Steam Navigation Company, whilst the tower of Arays-Kulè, which commands the entrance of the harbour, and several other parts of the fortifications, sustained great injury, as did likewise many dwelling-houses, some of which were shaken to their very foundations on

the rock, others cracked throughout. The oscillations were from west to east. Slighter shocks succeeded almost daily, even up to the 7th March. At Macri, on the mainland, and in its immediate neighbourhood, the consequences have been most disastrous and heart-rending. The whole of the houses, dwellings, and stores, lately erected in the town, have been levelled to the ground; fissures have been formed in the very streets, from which bituminous

vapours exude continually, almost suffocating the inhabitants; many springs have suddenly dried up, whilst in arid localities new ones have gushed out, changing the whole features of the earth's surface. At Marmorice 500 houses were laid prostrate. The town of Levissy, which contained 1500 houses, has not one left standing; and no less than 600 human beings are reckoned to be under the ruins -which number would have been awfully augmented had the shock been after nightfall, when the inhabitants retire to their homes after the labours of the day. The village of Chiorge has nearly met with the same fate, the upper part of a huge mountain having fallen into and blocked up the small port of Ekengik, overwhelming all the dwellings round about its base. Another village, more inland, has been buried, from the fall, in opposite directions, of two hills, between which it was situated. The sur vivors at Macri, alarmed by the repeated shocks which were still occurring for five days after, though of a much slighter nature, fled for safety on board small craft and fishing boats, carrying with them what property they could from time to time dig out from beneath the ruins of the storehouses, most of which has been removed to Simi, Rhodes, and other islands.

This region seems to have been the most severely devastated; for although much damage was done to the towns and villages in the interior, the shocks at Trebizonde and Samsoon, though they caused much alarm, did little injury.

MUNIFICENT DONATIONS. The Queen's College, Birmingham, has found a munificent benefactor in Dr. Warneford. He has now given an additional sum of 1000l. towards VOL. XCIII.

the permanent foundation of a chair for pastoral, as distinguished from dogmatic, theology, in this institution; making a total sum devoted to this purpose of 34001. Dr. Warneford has contributed scarcely less nobly to other endowments of the college-10007. for the chaplaincy of the college; 1000l. for the chaplaincy of the hospital; 1000l. for the Warneford medical prizes; for the endowment of a resident medical tutor, 1000l.; of a warden, 10007.; for divinity lectures to medical students, 1000l.; nearly 10,000l.

ELECTIONS TO PARLIAMENT.— The meeting of Parliament produced an unusual number of new writs. The election which caused the greatest interest was that for South Nottinghamshire, vacated by the death of Mr. Bromley. The candidates were the Viscount Newark, the son of Earl Manvers, who was said to represent the great landed proprietors of the district (popularly known as "the dukery"), and Mr. Barrow, "independent," but both "protectionists." The contest was singularly close, the numbers being for Mr. Barrow

Viscount Newark

1493

1482

At Pontefract, vacant by Mr. Martin's elevation to the bench, Mr. Law, a Whig, was returned by a large majority.

At Windsor, Mr. Hatchell, the Irish Attorney-General, was reelected. The Falkirk burghs returned Mr. Baird, a follower of Sir R. Peel's policy, in place of the Earl of Lincoln, now Duke of Newcastle, rejecting Mr. Loch, a ministerialist. For North Staffordshire, Mr. Smith Child, a conservative, was elected without opposition, vice Viscount Brackley, resigned. In Bedfordshire, vacant C

by the death of Lord Alford, Colonel Gilpin, a conservative, defeated Mr. Houghton, of the same faith, but on the independent interest, by a majority of 1007 votes. Sir G. Tyler, a conservative, was unopposed in Glamorgan.

MARCH.

1. MURDER OF BRITISH OFFICERS NEAR ADEN.-A private letter gives the particulars of this catastrophe. A party consisting of six gentlemen left Aden on the last day of February, on a visit to Lahedj, the residence of the Sultan. The party consisted of Lieutenant Cruttenden, Indian Navy, Assistant Political Agent; Captain Milne, Bombay Army, Deputy Commissary-General; Lieutenant M Pherson, 78th Highlanders; Lieutenants Ogilvie and Henchy, Madras Artillery; and Mr. Sauley, brotherin-law to Captain Haines, the Political Agent. On their arrival at Lahedj (distant about 30 miles from Aden) they had an interview with the Sultan, but by no means so gracious a one as they expected. Mr. Cruttenden returned to Aden; the others went to the village of Waat, for some antelope shooting. They were well received by the Sheik, and dismissed their guard. The house allotted to them being rather confined and warm, they arranged their beds in a small courtyard attached to it, which was surrounded by a mud wall, about four feet in height. They had hardly fallen asleep when Lieutenant M Pherson was awakened by a cry from Captain Milne, and saw an Arab gliding past his bed to make an attack on Mr. Sauley; without pausing to think whether he was armed or not, Mr. M Pher

son rushed at him, and, with his left hand elevated to ward off the threatening blow, he attempted with the other to knock him to the ground. The dagger was buried in his arm, but, ere he could reach the villain, his foot stumbled over a box, he fell to the ground, and the dagger of the assassin was six times buried in his back. Mr. Sauley also got a flesh wound, though not a dangerous one, in his arm. All this was the work of less than a minute, and it was not till the servants entered and raised a cry of lamentation over their wounded masters that Messrs. Ogilvie and Henchy awoke. By this time the murderer had escaped. It was then found that Captain Milne had received a deep wound in his abdomen, through which the bowels protruded, and Mr. M'Pherson was in an exceedingly precarious state from his many wounds. An express was sent to Aden for surgical aid, but Captain Milne's wounds were mortal; after suffering the most extreme agony all night, mortification ensued, which relieved the pain, and, about two hours after the arrival of the surgeon, he breathed his last. M Pherson is doing well, but it will be many months ere he will be able to leave his bed.

The assassin took refuge with a distant tribe, it is supposed with the connivance of the Sultan, and our relations with the chiefs of this part of Arabia are such, that hitherto no punishment has been inflicted.

3. EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER OF FIRES.-Probably never, since the first establishment of the London Brigade, have the firemen been so hard worked as during the night of Sunday and the morning of Monday, during which time no less

than eight fires occurred, by which, though no one of them was very extensive, yet in the aggregate a large amount of property was destroyed, and two lives were lost. One of these occurred in the dense neighbourhood of Princes Row, Newport Market, where where several houses were destroyed or injured. At nearly the same time, another fire broke out in the private residence of Mr. B. Mallett, No. 7, Belvidere Crescent, Lambeth, which unfortunately resulted in the death of a young woman, his housekeeper. It appears that some of the inmates were awakened from their slumbers by experiencing a suffocating sensation. They got up, and the moment they went to the stairs they found dense volumes of smoke pouring upwards, and when they reached the lower landing they found the unfortunate female before alluded to, whose entire clothing was in flames, crouched up near the kitchen door. With the assistance of the police and firemen the flames were extinguished, but the poor creature was burnt as black as a coal, and quite dead.

A third fire occurred at No. 3, Crown Street, Soho, belonging to a pork-butcher, when a great deal of damage was done. A female who lived in an adjoining house, and who had been confined only a few weeks previously, was so dreadfully excited that she fell forward into the arms of a person who went to assist her, and expired.

A fourth broke out at No. 27, Old Street Road; another in High Street, Shadwell; the sixth in King Street, Cheapside; and one in Upper Thames Street; none of which were of any importance and the eighth, a rather extensive

conflagration, which required the services of the firemen and engines nearly four hours to extinguish it, at No. 48, Aldermanbury, City, belonging to Mr. George Buckle, a lithographic printer.

4. BURGLARY AT MIDDLETON.Chelmsford. John Martin, 21; Walter Cranfield, 30; John East, 18; and Charles Smith, 21, labourers, were indicted for burglary with violence, at the house of William Hurrell at Middleton.

Martha Braybrook, an old woman. I am housekeeper to Mr. Hurrell, who lives at Middleton. On the night of the 2nd of December we went to bed at half-p -past 8, and all the doors were fastened up safe. In a quarter of an hour I heard a noise and sat up in the bed, and about half an hour after some one came into my room. The first noise was a sort of blundering blow. Cranfield and Martin came into the room.

Cranfield came and hit my head; he had a light in his hand. I called Mr. Hurrell down stairs, and I saw Martin pay on to him with a great stick on the head; they remained in my room a long while, and set on fire a lot of papers. After they were gone, I went down stairs and found the room all on fire with papers. The witness deposed to several articles which were stolen, and which were traced to the prisoners.

William Hurrell, who appeared with his head bound up, said-I heard Mrs. Braybrook call for me, and I went on to the landing, and there stood a stranger with a large bludgeon in his hand; I seized the stick, but was obliged to leave go. I went to Mrs. Braybrook's door, and another man met me. By some means he put his finger in my mouth, and I bit it as hard as I could, and think I must have left

a mark. Then the cudgel went to work on my head by the man on the stairs.

The blood flowed from my head, and I called "murder." The one in Mrs. Braybrook's room then said, "We will have no more of this," and they went down. I followed them, gave an alarm, and called for assistance. In the morning I missed a mariner's compass, a sovereign balance, some papers, amongst them part of a letter, which I have since seen-this is it the brass piece produced I cannot exactly speak to. I found on examining the house that the keepingroom window had been clean taken out, and that enabled them to get in. This bottle with cement in it was taken away; when Cranfield was in custody I saw a mark on his thumb, and I believe it was more like a bite than a cut-I think I bit hard enough to make that mark.

Other witnesses proved that the articles stolen, and now produced, were found on East and Smith, or otherwise traced to them, and a conversation between Cranfield and Martin was overheard by the police, which left no doubt of the guilt of all the prisoners.

Lord Campbell said that, as it was shown that the offence was committed before 9 o'clock, the prisoners could not be convicted of burglary.

The jury therefore found them "Guilty of housebreaking, and they were each sentenced to be transported for seven years.

4. BURNING OF THE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE INDIAMAN.-A frightful catastrophe occurred in the river Hooghly-the destruction by fire of one of the largest Indiamen, called the Buckinghamshire, formerly belonging to the East India Company's service, while on her

homeward voyage to London. She was a splendid-looking ship, nearly 2000 tons burden, with high poop decks, and had on board upwards of 200 individuals, consisting of troops, passengers, and crew, whose preservation from a horrible death may be considered truly marvellous.

The Buckinghamshire set sail for England, on Thursday, the 1st of March last, under the charge of Captain M'Gregor. Her crew amounted to nearly 100 hands, 30 being Englishmen, and 70 Lascars. She had on board, as steerage passengers, about 70 of the 80th regiment of foot, invalids, with their families, and 33 cabin passengers. The passage from Calcutta down the Hooghly passed agreeably, and on the evening of the following Monday, the 4th of March, she was brought up for the night, and to discharge the pilot, off Canterbury Point, about ten miles below Diamond Harbour. The weather was fine, and most of the passengers and soldiers were on deck, singing, dancing, and otherwise amusing themselves all seemed happy and cheerful. As night approached, they one by one disappeared below, and by half-past 9 all was quiet. Suddenly, however, a thrill of horror ran through the ship at the cry of fire, and the decks were instantly crowded by the terrified passengers in a state of nudity. Suspecting that the smoke emanated from some jute stowed away in the forehold, Captain M'Gregor got the pumps to work, and the most energetic steps were taken by all hands to prevent it getting ahead; but the smoke and heat increased so rapidly as to drive the men away from the hatchway, and ere ten minutes had elapsed from the time