What makes the case of the butler worse is, that his master was exceedingly kind to him, granted him every indulgence, and had even taken out a certificate for him to shoot upon the lordship. 14. DREADFUL FIRE.-SEVEN LIVES LOST.At a late hour at night the vicinities of the Minories and Goodman's-fields were thrown into a most painful state of excitement by the outbreak of a dreadful fire, accompanied by fearful sacrifice of human life, in Little Prescott-street, Goodman's-yard, Minories. The premises in which this deplorable event originated, were situate at the west side of the street, within a few yards of the Blackwall Railway. They consisted of a dwelling-house four stories high, the property of Mr. Cook, a soap-boiler, in Goodman'sfields, who lets them out to numerous families to the number, it was reported, of no fewer than twentyfive individuals. The ground-floor was tenanted by a green-grocer named Shackleton; the first-floor front room by a foreigner (a manufacturer of Dutch drops); the third floor by Mrs. Holland and her four daughters; and the remainder of the rooms by other persons, the names of whom could not be obtained. The discovery was made at about a quarter past ten o'clock, and the first alarm was made by some of the inhabitants, whose attention was attracted by the smoke and sparks issuing from the room over the shop front, tenanted by the Dutch-drop maker. They instantly commenced knocking violently at the street-door, whilst others endeavoured to arouse the inmates, by throwing stones at the windows; but for a length of time none of them made their appearance. At last the front door was opened, and two females rushed out across the street, in a state of nudity. By this time policeconstable Thomas Rutledge, 192 of the H division, came up, in company with other constables, when an attempt was made to force a passage up the staircase, but it was found impracticable, in consequence of the smoke and heat, which were intense. A few minutes afterwards two females made their appearance at the windows of the second floor, in a dreadful state of alarm. It was evident the window was their only means of escape; and the mob, which had now increased to nearly 100 persons, shouted out to them to hold on until some ladders were brought, while others called to them to jump out. One poor creature got one of her legs over the sill of the window, and after remaining in that position a second or two, threw herself out, and fell with awful violence upon the pavement, smashing, apparently, every bone in her body, the height being upwards of thirty-five feet. Directly afterwards the other precipitated herself in a similar manner; but, fortunately, her fall was in a slight way broken, by alighting on the lead-front of the shop window. Before being picked up, she was proved to be dreadfully injured; and as soon as the stretcher could be procured, she was forthwith conveyed to the London Hospital. The other unfortunate sufferer proved to be dead: she was recognised to be Julia Holiand; and the other (her sister), Nancy Holland, young women, under the age of three-and-twenty. In the interval, the terrible element had made rapid progress; it had extended up the staircase to the rooms above, and shortly shot forth from the roof, attracting an immense concourse of persons to the spot. A body of the H. division of police had previously blocked up the different avenues leading to the burning building, under the direction of Mr. Pearse, the Superintendent, assisted by Inspector Norman, thereby affording ample space for the operations of the firemen, who speedily came up from the stations of the brigade in Jeffery-square, Wellclose-square, Watling-street, and other parts of the city. Immediately after the firemen reached the scene, they used every effort to ascertain whether any person remained on the premises, but such was the consternation which prevailed, that they were utterly unable to obtain the slightest information upon the subject. Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent of the force, accompanied the Watling-street station engine, which, with the rest, were brought into active operation, the supply of water being plentiful. In consequence of the dilapidated state of the premises, fears were apprehended that the flames would be communicated to houses that adjoined; but ultimately, through the strenuous exertions of the firemen, they succeeded in stopping their extension further than that in which the fire commenced, which was nearly gutted ere it could be checked, which was not till twelve o'clock. Shortly after the fire had been somewhat got under, Mr. Braidwood directed several of his men to discover whether any person was missing, and shortly they learned from a poor man named Proudfoot, who tenanted a room on the sccond floor, that three of his children were not to be found. He said he had saved his wife and two VOL. LXXXIV. preserved the rest he was unable children, but whether any one had about in all directions in quest of to say. The poor man was running tracted. Upon this information, them, and appeared almost disMr. Braidwood ordered two of his which had been placed against the men to ascend the scaling-ladders, wall of the premises, and if the ruins would permit, to search among them. the bodies of two children were ing the ruins, discovered three early hour a hostile meeting took severely shattering the bone near the elbow; whilst the ball from Sir Robert's pistol, glancing across the left shoulder of Mr. Stanfield, passed completely through the collar of that gentleman's coat, without inflicting any injury. The affair then terminated. The misunderstanding arose at a late Anti Corn-law meeting held at Wilford, and at which the two gentlemen took opposite views of the question. 19. FUNERAL OF LORD HILL The funeral of Lord Hill, and, by a mournful coincidence, the death of Mrs. Hill, the mother of Sir Rowland (now Viscount Hill), took place on the same day. This additional bereavement, as might be expected, deeply affected the chief mourner. The ceremony was strictly private, but the day through out Shropshire was signalized as one of general sadness. The shops in Shrewsbury, in compliance with the request of the mayor, were closed, and this example was followed in most of the towns of the northern division. Besides several members of the family, a large number of mourners, composed of clergymen, military officers, and private gentlemen, followed in the funeral procession, as well as the tradesmen of the family; and an immense concourse of people attended. The body was deposited in a vault beneath the tower of Hadnal Church, and the funeral service was impressively read by the rev. W. Olives, minister of Hadnal and Astley. The property of the deceased Lord has been very judiciously distributed among his relatives. Annuities of 1007. ayear each are left to the children of his late brother, Colonel Noel Hill. A sum of 2,000l. is given to the eldest son of Sir Francis Hill; and to his other numerous nephews and nieces, 1,5007. each He has left 2,000l. to his aid-decamp Colonel Egerton; and the estate and mansion of Hardwicke to his nephew, the present Viscount. 20 THE HOLYWELL-STREET NUISANCE-BOW-STREET.-Mr. Philip James Green, of No. 4, Dorsetplace, Marylebone, a merchant, was brought up in the custody of the police, and placed at the bar before Mr. Jardine, charged with stealing a written paper from the shop-window of a person of the name of Patterson, described as a bookseller, No. 8 Holywell-street, Strand. George Clarke, a youth, stated that he was in the service of the prosecutor as errand-boy. About two o'clock that afternoon, whilst standing in his master's shop, the prisoner entered and requested him to remove a placard which was exhibited in the window. Witness told him, that he could not think of doing so without the sanction of his master. The prisoner repeated the request two or three times, and upon his (witness) still refusing to comply with it, the prisoner jumped upon the counter, drew back the window, and pulled down the placard in question, which he delivered to a young person, whom he has since understood to be his son, who was standing by his side at the time. Witness then called a constable, and gave him into custody for the robbery. Mr. Jardine inquired what became of the placard ? Constable F 27 produced the paper which was given to him by the prisoner. It was a copy of the placard taken from the window a few days since. The witness Clarke further stated, that many gentlemen had been to the shop to inquire the price of the placard, and that when he informed his master of the circumstance, he desired him to get 5s. for it if he could. Mr. Green said, that when at the station-house, the witness was asked what he valued the paper at, and his reply was "nothing." In answer to the charge Mr. Green said, that as he was passing through Holywell-street that morning, on his way to his office in the city, he saw the witness Clarke taking down the shutters of the shop-window, and he then observed that placard produced as well as others in the window. On arriving at his office he consulted with his son upon the subject, and they came to the determination to go to the shop and pull down the placards unless they were removed upon a request to that effect being made. They accordingly went to the shop, and, as the boy had very correctly stated, tore down the placard, but not before the boy had refused several times to remove them. Mr. Jardine inquired of the witness Clarke, who placed the placards in the window?-Witness.I put them there myself. Mr. Jardine. Now I wish to know who ordered you to do so?— Witness.-I shall decline answering that question. Mr. Twyford, who happened to be present, observed that the witness had already said he could not remove the papers without the sanction of his master. Mr. Jardine said, it might be easily inferred, from that observation, by whose order they were placed in the window. Mr. Jardine again put the ques tion to the witness, when he replied that his master desired him to put the papers in the window. Mr. Jardine.-Why did you decline to answer the question when it was first put to you?-Witness (after some hesitation).-My master told me not to answer any such questions. Mr. Jardine said, there could be no difficulty whatever in disposing of the case, because it was quite evident that Mr. Green had no intention whatever to commit a robbery. The object he had in view in taking the paper was perfectly clear. There could be no doubt, that it was for the purpose of bringing the question, with respect to the exhibition of such a placard, to an issue. If the prosecutor had anything to complain of, or if he felt himself injured by the proceeding, he had his remedy by bringing an action against Mr. Green for trespass. He should at once discharge Mr. Green, it being quite evident that he did not intend to commit a theft, and he ought never to have been taken into custody on such a charge. Mr. Green was accordingly discharged. NORFOLK.-STRANGE STORY. Messrs. Culley, of Cossey, lately built a didling boat, and employed men to take the soil from the bottom of the river in front of their mills. While so engaged the men found a human skeleton, and a coroner's inquest has since been held. It appears that about nine years ago a Jew, whose name was said to be Abrams, visited Taverham in the course of his trade, sold some small articles, for which he gave credit to the purchasers, and left the public house there in the evening, on his way to the Lion, at Drayton (the next vil lage), with, as now reported, a sum of 907. in his possession. At Drayton he disappeared, nor did he ever again come to claim the amount due to him at Taverham. Some time afterwards a man named Page was apprehended for sheepstealing, tried, and sentenced to be transported for life. During his imprisonment he told divers stories of robberies and crimes, most of which turned out to be false. But, amongst other things, he wrote a letter, promising that if he were released from gaol and brought to Cossey, "he would show them that from under the willow-tree, which would make every hair in their heads rise up." The man was not released, but the river was drawn, and some sheep's skins and sheep's heads were found, which were considered to be the objects Page alluded to. From under this willow-tree, however, the skeleton has been fished up by the didlers, and it is said there is proof that the corpse was fixed down by a muck crome. The common belief in the neighbouring villages is, that these are the bones of the missing Jew, and that Page knew of the murder, if he were not an accomplice. 22. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT LIVERPOOL. This morning, about six o'clock, it was discovered that the tar and rosin-works of Messrs. Platt and Son, at the south end of Liverpool were on fire. These works are very extensive, and have fronts to four streets-namely, Parliament, Greenland, New-hall, and Jamaica-streets. They occupy a space of nearly 700 square yards. The tar and rosin-works are in the centre, and front to Parliament and Greenland-streets. At each end are ranges of lofty warehouses, one range fronting Jamaica, the other New-hall-street, and are generally filled with merchandise. The fire, from the extremely combustible nature of the materials on the works, soon got head, defying all the exertions of the fire-police, under the able management of Mr. Whitby, as well as of the West of England engine, under the direction of Mr. Whitehouse not merely to subdue, but even to arrest its destructive progress. The state of the wind greatly contributed to fan and to spread the flames. There was a strong breeze from the south-east, which, blowing right across the river, carried the flames in a body from the tar and rosin works to the. range of warehouses at the east end, while the intense heat fired those at the west end. The result was, that by eight o'clock the whole was one mass of ruin. Meanwhile, the dwelling-houses on all sides of the burning pile were exposed to imminent danger, from the direct flames in one direction, and from the intense heat in every other. The neighbourhood is densely inhabited, and the alarm of the inhabitants was great. While they were removing their furniture, the fire police, despairing of arresting the career of the fire in the tar and rosin works, played on the houses. The whole of those in New-hall-street were, however, utterly destroyed, and others in Greenland-street were seriously damaged. A school belonging to the congregation of Great Georgestreet Chapel was held in the lower room of one of the warehouses in Greenland-street, and was, of course, consumed, with all its books and furniture. The fire was, it appears, caused by the boiling of turpentine early in the morning. Two men in one of the |