40 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S16. 



worked in our work, lost his life. 

 One man saved himself iji a re- 

 markable manner: he was the 

 foremost of 14 or 15 peasants, 

 who were returning home to Sel- 

 boe, from bringing timber for 

 the buildings attached to our 

 work, and was so near the spot, 

 that he heard the owner of Tiller 

 cry for help — he immediately 

 resolved to retrace his steps : 

 the other poor wretches endea- 

 voured to reach the shore through 

 a deep snow, and perished with 

 their horses j most of them had 

 two. This man who saved him- 

 self had a very good horse, and 

 by keeping himself on full speed, 

 he escaped on shore by Store 

 Foss, the river pursuing him close 

 with the rapidity of lightning : 

 his feelings may be bett^^r con- 

 ceived than described during this 

 remarkable race. Our work has 

 luckily escaped uninjured, al- 

 tluough threatened with I'liin. \'. 

 Krough has otherwise suffered 

 considerably, yet mostly at Store 

 Foss, where a Hour-mill has cjuite 

 disappeared, the saw-mills almost 

 destroyed, and dams carried away 

 to the amount of 2,000l. A sum- 

 mer-house, which stood between 

 Great and Little Foss, a short 

 distance from the river, wa-s car- 

 ried in an upright position, as it 

 stood on the shore, with two 

 boats chained to it, and in that 

 manner was precipitated down 

 Little Foss. It is impossible for 

 me to describe the singular ap- 

 pearance all this had, and still 

 has. The Fiord is discoloured 

 with muddy water to a great ex- 

 tent, and will probably continue 

 so for months. We are willing 

 to think the danger is now over ; 

 though this is uncertain, until 



the stream cuts itself a proper 

 passage." 



13. A most barbarous murder 

 was committed at a lone house 

 near Shabbington Wood, Bucks, 

 a few miles from Thame. Thos. 

 Reason, who was committed in 

 December lust to Oxford gaol for 

 sheep-stealing, but discharged at 

 the assizes for \vant of evidence, 

 called at Mrs. Yorke's, an elderly 

 widow lady, who was attended by 

 a female about twenty-three years 

 of age, a distant relation, about 

 seven o'clock in the evening. He 

 entered into conversation with 

 Mrs. Yorke on various subjects, 

 and at length said, that he wanted 

 money, and hoped she would fur- 

 nish him with some. She said 

 she could not give him any. He 

 then drew a large clasped knife, 

 and immediately attacked her, and 

 cut her throat at first slightly, in 

 consequence of her resistance. 

 The girl did every thing she pos- 

 sibly could to prevent his nefa- 

 rious design, and at length suc- 

 ceeded in taking his knife from 

 him ; but unfortunately he espied 

 a large knife in the room, which 

 was used for killing pigs ; this 

 he seized, and with it almost se- 

 parated Mrs. Yorke's head from 

 her body, in consequence of which 

 she instantly died. The villain 

 also struck Mrs. Yorke several 

 times over the head with a wooden 

 bar during the contest, so that 

 her skull was fractured. He then 

 attacked the young woman, and 

 cut her throat in two places, and 

 wounded her in the head severely 

 with the bar. Each cut in her 

 throat was more than five inches 

 in length, but fortunately did not 

 sever the windjjipe. Her skull 

 was bai'e in many places by the 



violence 



