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the police opened the album, and it was supposed that Cooper tore them out of the book to prevent copies being multiplied after the murders were discovered.

An inquest on the two bodies was opened before Mr. Humphreys, coroner, and a jury on the 8th, and concluded on the 14th. William Gooch, an undertaker, described the position of the bodies of the deceased persons, and said the old man Pearson had one hand upon a chair, and was slipping from it on the body of his granddaughter. Julia Turner, of No. 3, Russell-place, heard the old man Pearson, who was quite blind, calling out "Sarah, Sarah!" at halfpast six o'clock on Sunday evening. Soon afterwards she saw Cooper, the husband of the murdered woman, leave the house and proceed in the direction of the river. Dr. Henry Letheby, Medical Officer of Health of the city of London, said he had received a paper parcel containing a clasp-knife stained with clotted blood, which he examined and found to be human and "living blood." The coroner summed up the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder against John William Cooper."

Cooper's remains were discovered in the Thames, on March 5, off Shadwell Dock-stairs. He was dressed in the clothes in which he left home on the evening of the murder, and had evidently committed suicide.

10. COLLIERY EXPLOSION IN STAFFORDSHIRE.-An explosion of fire-damp occurred at the Woodshutts Colliery, Talke-o'-th'-Hill, Staffordshire, belonging to Messrs. Cooper and Haslope, in the neighbourhood of the pit at which ninety men were killed in December, 1865. There were two men killed instantly; two others were so severely burnt that they only lived a short time after the explosion, and others were more or less injured. The deceased men were named James Griffiths, William Smith, Thomas Cooke, and Joseph Haines. Besides the loss of human life, some horses were killed. Had the explosion occurred earlier, when there were more of the men at work, the loss of life must have been enormous. At the coroner's inquiry a number of witnesses were called, and their evidence went to show that the discipline of the pit was very lax, and that, in defiance of the rules and the orders of the management, men smoked in the pit, worked with candles where their use was prohibited, carried keys with which they unlocked their lamps at will, and fired shots without instructions. The underlooker, instead of seeing that the rules were obeyed, connived at their infringement, even admitting in his evidence that he had been in the habit of opening his lamp for the purpose of supplying men who wished to smoke with lights. The ventilation of that part of the pit where the accident occurred had been somewhat neglected, though as to the mine generally the witnesses were agreed in saying that the supply of fresh air was on the most ample scale. Pipes, tobacco, matches, and lamp-keys were found in the pockets of three of the deceased men, the lamps of two were found unlocked and open, and the remains of a candle were found among the clothes of another

man.

Both the Government inspector and the coroner severely commented upon the loose discipline of the mine, and the latter remarked that the underlooker had shown in his evidence his total unfitness for the post. The jury found a verdict of "Accidental death," but censured the underlooker for allowing men to smoke in the pit, and recommended greater precautions to prevent smoking and the removal of lamp-tops.

14. DREADFUL ACCIDENT IN GLASGOW.-At an early hour this morning, when the storm which had been raging since the previous afternoon was at its height, a frightful calamity occurred in Glasgow, close to the banks of the Kelvin, and in the immediate vicinity of the West-end-park. A tall chimney-stalk, from 80 feet to 100 feet high, in connexion with the paper-mill of Mr. Robert Bruce, and exposed to all the fury of the south-west wind, gave way at the hour mentioned, and fell right aslant a row of one-story cottages standing a few yards distant. Four of the roofs were completely crushed by the mass of falling bricks, and the inmates, for the most part, perished in the wreck of their tenements. Seven persons, most of them young women, were killed on the spot, and an eighth, who was removed to the infirmary, died there shortly after. The tenants of the two houses nearest the stalk had a narrow escape. When awoke by the crash they found the roofs above them shattered, and the walls bulged in, but they succeeded in crawling out without receiving any injuries worth mentioning. The mass of the stalk, in fact, had only grazed it, and had fallen with its full weight on the houses adjoining. An old woman had a remarkable escape. She had risen from her bed, and was sitting at the fireside when the crash came. Her son and two daughters, asleep in bed, were killed, but she herself received no serious hurt.

24. CONSECRATION OF THREE BISHOPS IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.This morning a very imposing ceremony was witnessed in Westminster Abbey. Dr. Wordsworth, until lately Archdeacon of Westminster, was to be consecrated to the bishopric of Lincoln, in place of Dr. John Jackson, now Bishop of London, and, as a mark of respect to him, both Houses of Convocation, then in Session, suspended their sittings, that they might be present at the service. Consequently among the large number of Bishops who were present there were some departures from the usual attire, and while some wore the ordinary episcopal habit, others appeared in the more gorgeous Convocation robes. The Lower House of Convocation contributed its share of animation to the scene. The deans and doctors of divinity who were present wore their crimson and scarlet robes, while other proctors wore the black and red, black and white, and simple black hoods, which designated the degrees to which they had attained in their respective Universities. The other Bishops to be consecrated were the Rev. J. F. Turner, late Rector of North Tedworth (a son of the late Lord Justice Turner), who had been appointed to the Australian bishopric of Grafton and Armidale, in the place of Dr. Sawyer, who was acci

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dentally drowned; and the Rev. T. G. Hatchard, late Rector of St. Nicholas, Guildford, who had been appointed to the bishopric of Mauritius, vacant by the resignation of the Rev. Dr. V. W. Ryan. The procession consisted of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Lichfield, the Bishop of Bangor, the Bishop of Rochester, Bishop Ryan, and other prelates; the Prolocutor of the Lower House of Convocation, accompanied by the Dean of Westminster, the Dean of Canterbury, the Archdeacon of Taunton, the Warden of All Souls' College, Oxford, Dr. Jebb, and a large number of other gentlemen, the VicarGeneral, and their legal officials. There was a full choral service; the sermon being preached by the Ven. E. Bickersteth, D.D., Archdeacon of Buckingham. The Bishops-nominate were afterwards presented to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who admitted them to the episcopal order by the imposition of hands. The Holy Communion was afterwards celebrated; and with this the proceedings of the day terminated.

25. FEARFUL ACCIDENT TO A RAILWAY ARCH.-A fatal accident occurred on the Great Eastern Railway. It appeared that in Waterloo-town, Bethnal-green, Messrs. Lucas, the well-known contractors, had occasion to make some repairs for the directors of the Great Eastern Railway Company; and in order to carry out the work, they had a number of labourers and carpenters at work under one of the railway arches, which were about sixty feet in height. At a quarter to four in the afternoon a heavily-laden coal-train passed over the arch, and, without any warning, the whole structure, which was composed of brick, iron-work, and timber, fell in, burying the men under several feet of rubbish. Such was the crash, that the windows in the houses immediately behind the arches were shattered, and the whole neighbourhood was alarmed. The police were soon on the spot, and their services were of the greatest use in keeping back the crowd. A hundred labourers, acting under the orders of one of Messrs. Lucas's superintendents, were at once set to work to remove the rubbish, and extricate those buried under it. Fourteen persons were got out alive. The falling timber and iron girders had formed a sort of arch, which saved them from being utterly crushed by the tons of rubbish heaped above. The bodies of five men were dug out from underneath a mass of earth. The wounded were taken to the London Hospital. At the time of the accident one of the columns underneath the arch was being repaired, and, the ironwork being weakened, the train passing over it caused it to give way.

26. ACCOUCHEMENT OF THE PRINCESS CHRISTIAN.-Her Royal Highness the Princess Christian gave birth to a son at Windsor. The following bulletin was issued :

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Frogmore House, Windsor, February 26. "Her Royal Highness the Princess Christian of Schleswig

Holstein, Princess Helena of Great Britain and Ireland, was safely delivered of a Prince at six a.m. to-day.

"Her Royal Highness and the infant Prince are going on perfectly well.

"ARTHUR FARRE, M.D.

"THOS. FAIRBANK, M.D."

Her Royal Highness made speedy progress to recovery.

MARCH.

4. MURDERS AND SUICIDE AT BLACKWALL.-A double murder was discovered at Poplar, at 271, High-street, within a very few yards of the end of Preston-road. On the opposite side of the street was a confectioner's shop, for some years occupied by a Mrs. Browne, aged fifty, who had been separated from her husband for the last twenty years, but who contrived to maintain herself and her daughter, aged twenty-three, who lived with her, from the profits of the business. Both of them were seen in the shop by neighbours on the evening of the 2nd. The next morning some astonishment was felt at the shop not being opened at the ordinary hour, and, as it remained closed throughout the day, several persons knocked, but could not succeed in obtaining any answer. About noon, on the following day, it was still closed, and no admission could be obtained. A brother and sister of Mrs. Browne's called upon Mr. Binden, boot and shoe maker, of 267, High-street, two doors from Mrs. Browne's shop, and asked permission to pass through his back premises. Obtaining a ladder, and being accompanied by Mr. Binden, they scaled the intervening garden-walls, and, having broken a pane of glass in the window of the back room on the first floor, effected an entrance. Upon going down-stairs into the back parlour, and opening the shutters, a most horrible spectacle presented itself. On the table the supper-cloth was spread, and this and the various articles upon it, such as plates, glasses, knives and forks, were covered with blood. On the floor of the room, near the piano, lay the lifeless body of Mrs. Browne, with her throat cut in the most frightful manner. The head was thrown back, and the right arm extended, the body being covered with blood. Beneath her was found the sheath of a clasp-knife. On returning to the room above, through the window of which admission had been gained, and making an examination, the body of Miss Browne, the daughter, was discovered in bed, her head being almost severed from the body. She was clothed in her night-dress only, except that a flannel-petticoat was partly wrapped round her head, and she was lying on her right side, with her

right arm extended. The bed-clothes and bedding were saturated with blood. The police authorities were immediately communicated with, and Dr. Brownfield, the divisional surgeon, was called in. He examined the bodies, and expressed an opinion that in both cases death had occurred more than twenty-four hours previously. From the position of the daughter's body in bed, and other circumstances, he considered it probable that her injuries were inflicted while she was asleep, and that death must have been instantaneous. Mrs. Browne and her daughter were at the time of the murder the only occupants of the shop and premises; but an engineer, named Bradshaw, aged forty, had been previously lodging with them for a considerable time, and had only left a fortnight since. This man was seen by some of the neighbours passing along the street, only a few doors from Mrs. Browne's shop, on the evening of the 2nd. In the course of the day the police received information to the effect that an engineer answering the description of Bradshaw had committed suicide by cutting his throat on the previous morning, at a house in Campbell-road, Bow. Mr. Binden, who knew Bradshaw well, accompanied the police to this place, and immediately identified the body. He had been occupying the upper part of the house for the last fortnight, and was living with a woman whom he called Mrs. Bradshaw. His clothes bore stains and traces of blood, which it was stated could not have resulted from the injuries he inflicted on himself. An inquest on the bodies of the two women was held. Although some letters were read, and some facts elicited which let in a little light upon the character of Bradshaw and his correspondents, nothing which came out appeared to furnish a clue to any thing like a cause for the commission of so dreadful a crime. The jury found a verdict of "Wilful murder" against Bradshaw, appending an expression of their admiration of the completeness with which the police had got up the case. A verdict of felo de se had previously been returned in the case of Bradshaw.

13. LAUNCH OF THE 66 DRUID."-The screw-corvette "Druid " was launched at Deptford Dockyard, in the presence of Princess Louisa and Prince Arthur. On arriving, their Royal Highnesses were received by Captain Arthur P. E. Wilmot, C.B., Captain Superintendent; Admiral Sir Henry Denham; Captain Edmondstone, C.B.; and Mr. R. P. Saunders, the master shipwright. Princess Louisa christened the vessel in the usual style; and with a chisel and mallet cut the cord to which the weight for knocking away the dog-shore was attached, and the ship moved down into the water amid the hearty cheers of a large number of spectators. Their Royal Highnesses and the principal visitors drank success to the "Druid;" and with this the last of the launches at Deptford was brought to a close. Captain Wilmot called for three hearty cheers for Princess Louisa, which was heartily responded to, and, with the dockyard band playing the National Air, their Royal Highnesses were conducted to their carriages, and returned home.

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