XIV. A. D. 1847. An apparently empty show-van was sent from Hull to Sheffield CHAP. fair. After its arrival at the Sheffield station, the agent perceived some smoke issuing from the van, and on getting it open, found a man in it, very snugly smoking his pipe. The man would have been very content to pass as luggage, but he was taught that he had under-estimated himself. He was immediately handed out, as luggage. and compelled to pay second class fare from Hull. A man travelling CHAPTER XIV. workmen 1848. Such were the hostile feelings of the French towards the Expulsion English operatives employed in France, especially in the flax mills, of English that those at Boulogne were driven with violence from that place, from and compelled to leave the country with so little warning as to France in sacrifice their property in order to save their lives. At Havre, too, and its vicinity, the same system of violence prevailed, so that about two thousand five hundred English workmen were obliged to give up their employment in the mills, and fly for safety to their native country, leaving the principal part of their savings, which had been invested in the government bank, to share the fate of the funds in the savings' bank at Paris. The master manufacturers were very anxious to retain their English workmen, but the infuriated populace in the neighbourhood rose and threatened to set the mills on fire, unless they were discharged and expelled the country. This took place soon after Louis Philippe abdicated the throne and arrived in London. On July 31st, the Leeds and Dewsbury Railway was formally Opening of opened by the directors, shareholders, and their numerous friends, the Leeds leaving Dewsbury for Leeds at about eleven o'clock, A.M., amidst and Dewsbury Railthe voluntary huzzas of assembled thousands. An efficient band way. of music was provided to lead the van, and took its place in the first carriage, but which they were forced to quit, owing to a slight accident in the iron work that connects the carriages with the tender, which cut off the communication, and as all the carriages were filled with company, the minstrels had to retire to the rear of the whole cavalcade. A second hindrance occurred from a similar casualty to the first, which caused a separation of the carriages, when those attached to the tender urged their way forward to Leeds, leaving the remainder behind, which soon after followed, and arrived sufficiently soon to hear the parish church bells ring numerous merry peals in a masterly style of execution. But it was not till the 18th of September that it was opened to the public. As the York mail train was on its way to Leeds, on Monday York mail night, the 11th of September, it was discovered that fire proceeded train on from the top of the luggage van. As there were many persons fire. A. D. 1818 CHAP. making their way to Doncaster races, the train was a very long XIV. one; and out of the different carriages were seen the heads of some twenty gentlemen, all shouting at the top of their voices, to apprize the guard that he must stop the train. Their efforts, however, were worse than vain, for the louder they shouted, the faster the train went, and the more numerously and alarmingly flew the sparks past the carriages behind. Ultimately, the driver brought the train to a stand at Church Fenton, when it appeared that the guard and driver, too, were aware of the fire, but proceeded to Church Fenton station for the sake of a supply of water to extinguish the flames. This was effected, and the damage was found to be limited to the destruction of the tarpaulin, with all that was under it on the luggage van. Horrid On Sunday night, Oct. 9th, a most deliberate and premeditated Tragedy. murder was committed at Hunslet, near Leeds, one of the outtownships of the borough. The victim of this cold-blooded atrocity was Esther Inman, seventeen years old, step-daughter of Thomas Watson, a tailor and draper, living at the above-mentioned place. The name of the murderer was Thomas Malkin, about the same age, by trade a wood-turner. He resided nearly opposite Watson's cottage, and for several months he had been on terms of intimacy with the unfortunate girl, being regarded by the neighbourhood as her sweetheart." From some cause or other she at length declined his company, though they continued on speaking terms, when accident caused them to meet. Instigated by motives of jealousy, or revenge, Malkin made a steel instrument, which he fixed in a wooden handle, and on the night alluded to, he went to the garden-gate, leading to Watson's house, and observing a girl named Mary Ann Smith, coming out, he requested her to return and ask Esther Inman to step into the garden for a minute or two, as he wished to speak to her. Unhappily, the poor girl complied with his request, and while conversing together, the diabolical young villain inflicted upon her several severe stabs, from the effects of which she died within five minutes. Malkin immediately absconded, but he was shortly afterwards apprehended in Leeds, and lodged in the gaol. An inquest was held on the body at the Court-house, before Mr. Harrison, deputy-coroner, and the evidence adduced resulted in a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against the prisoner, who was committed to York castle. The juvenile assassin had not long to anticipate his fate. The winter gaol delivery took place in the December following, and in the month of January he expiated his awful crime on the gallows, having previously made a full admission of his guilt, and left an earnest warning to young men to attend to the duties of religion, and on no account to neglect the observance of the Sabbath day. Munificent The late Mrs. Matthewman, of Harrogate, by her will, directed bequest to the entire residue of her property to be applied by her trustees, in promoting, within the borough of Leeds, divine worship according the Church. XIV. to the liturgy and usages of the Church of England. The fund, CHAP. amounting to about £25,000, is to be administered at the discretion of her trustees, with the sanction of the Bishop of Ripon. The trustees are William Beckett, Esq., M.P., and John Atkinson, Esq., of Leeds. There are also bequests, in the same will, of £100 to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and £10 to the Harrogate Bath Hospital. Mrs. Matthewman was a native of Leeds. A. D. 1848 The village of Lower Haugh, near Rotherham, on the estate of SubterraEarl Fitzwilliam, presents a curious and interesting aspect. The nean fire. fact is well known that an extensive bed of coal, beneath the village, is on fire, and has been in that condition, burning with greater or less intensity, for at least twenty years. The coal in certain places bussets out,—that is, it comes up to the surface of the ground, and it was at one of these "bussets" that the fire originally commenced, having been ignited by a "clap" (a fire for burning stones intended for road materials.) This subterranean fire has continued to advance in various directions up to the present time, as manifested by the appearance, at intervals, of smoke and flames; but its spread has generally been stopped by puddling the eruptions with clay. A feeling of apprehension in the minds of the inhabitants, as to the ultimate fate of the place, has always prevailed, and several years ago, the destruction of the mausoleum of the Wentworth family was threatened by the approach of the fire; but happily, the calamity was averted by severing the bed of coal, for which purpose a shaft was specially sunk. Latterly, the work of destruction appears to have progressed with unwonted rapidity, and naturally enough, has created a corresponding degree of alarm. Our informant saw two cottages, the foundation of which is so much undermined, that one or both of them have ceased to be occupied. The walls of one of the cottages had quite separated, and the building must have tumbled down had not means been devised for its preservation. The ground in several large tracts is one huge hotbed, and where the heat is not so intense as to destroy vegetation, the villagers turn it to very good account in raising early crops of vegetables. Peas were seen some weeks ago flourishing luxuriantly in the open air; and potatoes are so forward, that one crop has been already secured, and a second crop got into the ground. The exposed earth is quite warm, even in the depth of winter. The effect of this is, that in the worst localities, the houses are often filled with warm air, strongly impregnated with sulphur, and the smoke engendered in the atmosphere by the unnatural heat, must render the locality, as far as animal life is concerned, exceedingly prejudicial and unhealthy. Mr. Robert Hales, the "Yorkshire Giant," is nearly eight feet in Yorkshire height, and weighs thirty-three stones. The stature of his father, Giant. a farmer, was six feet six inches, and that of his mother six feet, she weighing fourteen stones. Of this Patagonian couple, the CHAP. A. D. 1848 XIV. offspring were all remarkable for their proportions. The four sons averaged six feet five inches in height; the daughters, six feet three and a half inches; but another sister, aged twenty, attained the enormous height of seven feet two inches, and weighed sixteen stones: she died in 1842. Mr. Hales, the subject of this notice, is now in his twenty-eighth year, possesses a pleasing and cheerful countenance, and is, moreover, vivacious and intelligent. Fall of a Circus. Monster Death of Dr About half-past nine o'clock on Saturday night, the 18th of March, a serious and fatal accident occurred at the circus, a temporary wooden structure, occupied by Mr. W. Darby, better known as Pablo Fanque, situate in King Charles' Croft, Land's Lane, Leeds. The pit, which was built in a sloping position, upon a frame-work of wood, fell to the ground with a tremendous crash. There were upwards of six thousand persons, of all ages, and of both sexes, present at the time, and a great number of these were precipitated along with the broken and loosened timber of which that part of the building was composed. Mrs. Darby and Mrs. Wallett, wife of the clown, were both in the lobby at the time of the occurrence, and we regret to say that the former was killed on the spot, in consequence of two very heavy planks falling upon the back part of her head and neck. Mrs. Wallett escaped unhurt; and considering the alarm and confusion naturally attendant on such a casualty, and in such a place, it is almost miraculous that the disasters were not much more numerous. In 1694 a bowl of punch was made at the Right Hon. Edward Russell's house, when he was commander-in-chief of her majesty's forces in the Mediterranean. It consisted of a fountain, placed in a garden, in the centre of four walks, arched over with lemon and orange trees, and in every walk was a table, the whole length of each being covered with collations, &c. In the fountain were the following ingredients:-Four hogsheads of brandy, eight hogsheads of water, twenty five thousand lemons, twenty gallons of lime-juice, thirteen hundred weight of lump sugar, five pounds of grated nutmegs, three hundred toasted biscuits, and a pipe of dried Malaga wine. A canopy protected the fountain from the rain, and a boy belonging to the fleet rowed a boat round the fountain, and filled the cups of the company, which comprised upwards of six hundred persons. In The Rev. Richard Winter Hamilton, LL.D. and D.D., of BelHamilton. grave (Independent) chapel, Leeds, died on Tuesday, the 18th of July. Removed at the age of fifty-five, in the prime and vigour of his faculties, his loss was most acutely felt by his flock, from whom no offer, however brilliant, could ever tempt him to separate. private life, he was deservedly esteemed for the purity of his character, and for the warmth and sincerity of his social affections. His varied and extensive acquirements, combined with an easy flow of wit and ready command of anecdote, rendered him a delightful companion in the family circle, while the high character of his XIV. A.D. 1848 learning, as a theologian, added to his eloquence in the pulpit, CHAP. called forth universal respect and admiration. In compliance with the request of the deceased, the funeral was plain and unostentatious; but if the pomp and trappings of woe were absent, there was no lack of sincere mourners. Several hundreds of the inhabitants, and many Independent ministers and laity from other towns at a distance, followed the remains to their last resting place in the cemetery in Woodhouse-lane. The funeral procession left the house of the deceased in East-Parade, at noon. It consisted of the members of Belgrave chapel, about eighty Independent ministers, a large number of members of other Christian denominations, the council of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, and upwards of six hundred gentlemen connected with Leeds and other towns. Five mourning coaches, and about eight private carriages, followed the hearse, and in this order, the cavalcade proceeded to Belgrave chapel. About eighteen hundred tickets were issued for admission to the edifice, which was crowded in every part. The devotional part of the ceremony was commenced by the Rev. W. Hudswell, of Salem chapel, and an address of affection and condolence was delivered by the Rev. T. Scales, of Queen-street chapel; he was followed by the Rev. J. H. Morgan, of Holbeck, who gave out an appropriate hymn, which was joined in by the whole assemblage with deep solemnity. At the conclusion of the singing, the Rev. Walter Scott, Principal of Airedale Independent College, delivered an address on the intellectual character and literary attainments of the deceased, which terminated the services at the chapel. The coffin was then re-conveyed to the hearse, and the procession again formed, and proceeded to the cemetery. On arriving at the place of interment, the funeral service was impressively read by the Rev. Dr. Raffles, of Liverpool, and when the last rites to the dead had concluded, the relatives of the deceased, together with those who had taken part in the procession, and the thousands of spectators assembled to witness the solemn proceedings, departed, many of them, it is hoped, to imitate the bright example of this faithful minister of Christ. Hoche was once a groom and stable boy. Augereau, the son of Bonapartes a costermonger. Lannes, a common labourer's son. Bernadotte's Marshals. father was an advocate. Massena was a cabin boy. Murat, an innkeeper's son. Ney was a notary's clerk. Suchet, the son of a silk-mercer. Gouvion St. Cyr was a painter's son. Junot, a barber's son, and he a marker at a common billiard table. Championnet, the natural son of a provincial advocate, abandoned in the streets by his father. About noon on Saturday, the 11th of March, the viaduct which Fall of a was in course of erection over the river Nidd, at Knaresbro', for Viaduct. the use of the East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway Company, fell with a tremendous crash, in consequence of some imperfection in the middle pier, which suddenly gave way beneath the |