year. In this paper there appeared in large type, and under the heading Latest News,' the following statement :

"Latest News. Press Association Telegrams. Startling Rumour. The Prince of Wales likely to appear in the Divorce Court again.— It is stated in Westminster Hall that the Prince of Wales is likely to be again mentioned in the Divorce Court as a co-respondent in a case in which a Countess is the respondent. The case is said to be one by the Earl of Sefton against the Countess.'

"This was published on the 4th of April, and shortly afterwards came to the ears of the Earl of Sefton. He applied to the Court of Queen's Bench upon the affidavits of himself, the Countess, and the Prince of Wales for a criminal information. The affidavits showed that there was no shadow of pretence for the accusation, and subsequently the papers stated that that was so. Lord Sefton simply comes into court now in a public capacity. He has no vindictive feeling against Mr. Leng. It is suggested that the defendant himself was not aware of the insertion or publication of the paragraph; but I shall show that copies of the paper were sold at the office as late as the 14th of April."

Formal proof of the publication of the libel was then given.

Mr. Seymour, Q.C., who appeared for the defendant, said that if the defendant were asked to express his regret, there were no words of sorrow and regret that he would not offer to Lord and Lady Sefton. An apology had been inserted in the paper, and the learned counsel could not help thinking that when it was no longer a question of character, and every one had been informed that there was not a shadow of a doubt that the rumour was unfounded, still to press for a conviction showed a degree of pressure which, consistently with public duty, might have been withheld. The rumour, with the exception of the concluding words as to the Earl and Countess, had appeared in the Echo on the 2nd of April. The Press Association (Limited) supplied country journals with information by telegraph. A telegram containing the rumour published in the Echo arrived at the office of the Sheffield Daily Telegraph on Saturday evening, and on Sunday the sub-editor, Mr. Peddie, and a Mr. Moss, a reporter, and another reporter being present, the telegram was read. Moss then said that he had received information from a wellknown reporter of the Divorce Court who had informed him of the name of the Countess of Sefton. Mr. Peddie then thoughtlessly added to the telegram the concluding words as to the Earl and Countess of Sefton. Mr. Leng was ill at the time and never saw the telegram, and he administered a severe reprimand to his subeditor, Mr. Peddie. The learned counsel then read from the Sheffield Daily Telegraph an announcement copied from the Echo denying the truth of any thing contained in the rumour which they had circulated. He next called attention to a paragraph in the same paper under the head "Domestic," which was as follows:

"With great gladness the nation will hail the contradiction by the representatives of the Prince of Wales of the recent rumour as

to his re-appearance in the Divorce Court. It will be seen from the announcement made by the Echo, which we print in another column, that the report is totally without foundation; and though our contemporary takes credit for doing a good deed in publishing such a story (as it thereby provoked its contradiction and so set it at rest), so cannot we. If the rumour was incorrect nothing could justify its publication. Provincial papers are now so much at the mercy of the news-supplying associations that they are, as a matter of course, almost compelled to publish every item sent them; but this is a different matter from justifying such items afterwards if proved incorrect."

The learned counsel called witnesses, who were cross-examined at length. The matter proved was generally of an uninteresting character, relating to the mode of issuing and preparing the paper.

Mr. Peddie, the sub-editor, stated that he had a general authority to publish the telegrams which came from the Association, so long as he did not alter them.

Mr. Moss, a reporter, stated that he heard the rumour in London from a reporter in the Divorce Court, who said he had it from an officer in the Divorce Court. When Mr. Peddie read the telegram, he said, "I suppose that refers to a report I heard in the beginning of the week about the Earl and Countess of Sefton." He did not see Peddie make the alteration in the telegram, and did not attach much importance to what he had stated.

Sir John Karslake, in the course of a very powerful reply, maintained, firstly, that Peddie had authority from the defendant to publish the libel; secondly, that the defendant never took any pains to restrict the publication after it had been brought to his knowledge; and, thirdly, that he never in any shape had retracted the statement as to the Earl and Countess. He pointed out that the original paragraph in the Echo only mentioned the Prince of Wales, and that, of course, the subsequent contradiction only related to the Prince, and that the paragraph referring to that contradiction also abstained from any reference to the Earl and Countess. The result of the statement in Mr. Leng's pages was to lead the public to suppose that there really was a divorce suit between the Earl and Countess, although the Prince was not the co-respondent.

The Lord Chief Baron having summed up, the jury found a verdict for the Crown.

Sentence was pronounced on the defendant, in the ensuing Michaelmas term, when he was fined 50%.

19. TERRIBLE COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT BRYNN HALL.-One of the most violent explosions of fire-damp on record occurred at the Brynn Hall Colliery, Ashton-in-Mackerfield, a short distance from Wigan. The colliery is situated on Sir Robert Gerard's estate, a short distance from the Brynn Station on the New Lancashire Union Railway, and it was one of a number which had recently been opened in order to work the extensive coal-fields in what has until recently been a

perfectly agricultural district. For two or three years the four-foot seam had alone been worked by the firm of Messrs. W. and J. B. Crippin, but within the past few months the Wigan nine-foot, or six-foot, as it is now termed, had been got to a limited extent, and it was apparently because of the smallness of the area of the mine that the effects of the explosion were so terrific on the surface.

About half-past nine o'clock in the morning the workers on the surface and the residents for miles around the colliery were made aware that a terrible catastrophe had occurred by a loud report from the up-cast shaft, and a fearful belching forth of smoke and flame. By this shaft coal had not hitherto been wound, and the mouth was covered by the "jiddy," or movable platform, which is invariably used when sinking operations are going on. This was shivered and scattered in all directions over the adjacent lines of railway, and the wreck was such that it was almost dangerous to approach the pit. In the down-cast the indications were not so strong, but the four-foot cage was broken by the concussion, and, falling down the shaft, it smashed the rods and horse-trees so as to render communication with the lower seam-180 yards from the surface-extremely dangerous and difficult. The news of the explosion spread wonderfully fast, and very shortly the managers and proprietors of the adjacent collieries arrived at the place to render what assistance and advice were in their power to Mr. Jacob Higson, the manager. Among those gentlemen were Messrs. Mercer and Evans, of the Park-lane Collieries; Mr. J. B. Latham and Mr. Wright, of Lord Hall (where the last explosion in the district occurred in the same seam in November, 1869); Messrs. Cross, of Cross, Tetley, and Co.; Mr. William Pickard, miners' agent, and others. Many of these descended the shaft with their underlookers, while on the surface the services of Mr. Mather, surgeon, of Ashton, were promptly obtained to attend to the injured.

The first business of those in charge was to bring to bank the workmen, nearly 100 in number, who were employed in the four-foot seam, and this having been safely effected by means of a hoppet, the exploring parties descended by both shafts to the nine-foot, where there was fearful confusion. The doors between the pits which regulated the ventilation were blown down, stoppings were destroyed, and the mutilated bodies of men and horses were lying at short distances from the pit eye. Some fifteen men were found alive, and they were at once sent above ground. Two or three had escaped almost scathless, but over a dozen were burnt more or less. seriously, and some fatally.

Meanwhile the exploring parties had quickly discovered in the limited workings that the explosion must have occurred in one of a couple of levels which run from the down-cast shaft in a direction. nearly north and south. They found several dead bodies, but in the easterly level there were "keen" indications of the presence of firedamp, while in the westerly one those best competent to judge declared that the coal was on fire. Fortunately, the fresh air had not

reached the gas in sufficient quantity to render it explosive, and a cautious retreat to the surface was resolved upon.

They reported that the south workings, which had been carried to a distance of about eighty yards from the shaft, were clear of fire, but they were not quite certain as to those lying to the north of the shaft, which were rather more extensive. In this part of the mine there was much smoke, and the searchers had been unable to proceed to the extremity. The underlooker had been severely affected by the after-damp. After a consultation among the engineers on the pit brow it was decided to make another attempt on the north side, and Messrs. W. Smethurst, Jackson (Gidlow Pits), H. Clark, W. Pickard, and the fireman entered the hoppet, and descended the shaft. They were down nearly half an hour, and managed to travel a considerable distance on the north side. Their report was that the quantity of smoke had greatly diminished, and that they had been able to discover no signs of fire. Each exploring party had met with a great deal of gas, and in consequence of the amount of damage done to the workings by the force of the explosion, it was feared that the task of reaching the bodies would be one of considerable difficulty. Mr. John Higson, son of the Government inspector for the district, arrived from North Wales during the evening, and at once prepared to accompany the party going down for the purpose of restoring the ventilation. Mr. Watkin, of Messrs. Blundell's collieries, and other engineers, were also among those who descended the shaft.

From about nine o'clock p.m., when the last party of explorers left the workings, until nearly four o'clock the next morning the operations at the colliery were confined to clearing the down-cast shaft, the work being conducted under the direction of Mr. F. Crippin, the manager, Mr. Jacob Higson, consulting engineer, Mr. John Higson, Mr. J. D. Latham, and Mr. W. Pickard, all of whom remained all night on the spot. The cage, which had been much damaged by the explosion, was got out of the pit, and from the shaft nearly a railway-waggon load of timber was removed. The bodies of two horses were brought from the nine-feet.

Mr. John Higson and Mr. Pickard were in charge of the men endeavouring to clear out the gas from the north workings-on the south side it was not present in any large quantity-while Mr. Jacob Higson, on the surface, tested the air at the upcast, at the top of which the gas appeared in such quantity as to fire in the lamp.

The colliery had been in existence about four years, the pit having been sunk by the firm known as Messrs. Crippin and Smethurst, but the latter gentleman had recently withdrawn from the partnership. The nine-feet had only been worked about three months; the plan only occupied a few square inches, and so terrible an explosion in so small an area has seldom occurred.

The bodies were fearfully mangled. In fact, many as have been the explosions in this district during the past few years, nothing more terrible had ever been seen than the fearful mutilation of the

remains of the poor fellows who lay in the stables at Brynn Hall.

The members of the firm did not arrive at the colliery until the afternoon, when they did all in their power to relieve the sufferings of the injured, and to provide for the decent care of the dead.

It was singular that none of the injured men brought out of the mine were suffering from after-damp. All were burnt more or less seriously, and this fact itself shows how severe must have been the explosion in workings so confined.

There were about thirty-six men in the pit at the time of explosion, and the total number of persons killed was nineteen.

22. MURDER AND SUICIDE AT BATH.-A tragedy of a fearful nature-one of the worst, perhaps, that had occurred in Bath for the past twenty years-was discovered to have been perpetrated this afternoon at No. 1, Spencer's Bellevue, a house which for some little time past had been occupied by a person named Prankard as a collegiate school for junior boys. Some little time ago Mr. Prankard lost his wife, which greatly affected him, and in consequence he had greatly given way to intemperate habits.

Miss Minnie Prankard, one of the daughters of Mr. Prankard, was about to leave home for a situation on the continent; the packing incidental to the removal was being proceeded with, and in the course of the afternoon the servant overheard some high words between Mr. Prankard and this daughter in the schoolroom, a younger daughter being also present. The subject of the quarrel was the young lady's journey, to which her father strongly objected. About three o'clock in the afternoon the unfortunate man went into the schoolroom, in which were his two daughters, with a revolver concealed under a pocket handkerchief which he carried in his hand, and instantly fired twice at his elder daughter, a handsome young lady of twenty-one years of age, striking her in the right ear with one bullet, and in the left temple with the other, and causing her instantaneous death. He then seems to have turned round on his younger daughter, and also fired two shots at her, wounding her in such a dreadful manner that she was left by him for dead. Having satisfied himself that his deadly work was done, he immediately locked the door on them and rushed up-stairs to his own bedroom, where, after securely bolting himself in, he destroyed himself by a dose of prussic acid. Shortly after being left the youngest daughter recovered her consciousness, and, gathering up her strength as well as she could, hastened to the window which overlooked the garden, and by means of the roofs of some out-houses succeeded in getting from the parlour floor into the garden, and thence into the adjoining house, which was occupied by the Rev. J. H. Way, minister of Christ Church, Montpelier. The poor girl left sad traces of the way by which she made her escape, the window-frame, window-sill, and the roofs of the out- houses being covered with blood. The room in which the tragic scene occurred presented a fearful spectacle, the long school-desk on which the younger girl had fallen literally