The Week.

At the Sussex Sessions a boy of eighteen , named Matley , was charged with forging a cheque for £ 50 , with the signature of tbe Rev . Mr . Roper , of Hove , near Brighton , to whom he acted as amanuensis . It appeared that the rev . gentleman was nearly blind , and that the boy was employed to fill up the body of his cheques , but Mr . Roper always contrived to write the signature

himself . In the case of the forged cheque it was alleged that the signature and body were both in the prisoner's handwriting ; but there was some doubt on tbe point , and as no portion of the money could be traced to the prisoner the jury returned a verdict of noi guilty . Major Lumley , a retired Indian officgr , was charged at the Mansion House with challenging Mr . L .

Besborough to fight a duel . The firm of whicli Mr . Desborough is a member had , it seems , been attending to a matter of " very great delicacy and importance" on behalf of tbe Major ; but some difficulty appears to have arisen respecting the bill of costs which the gallant officer was requested to meet . One or two " scenes" took place , and the Major sent his friend , Sir John

Louis , with a letter to Mr . Desborough , asking him to apologise or fight . Mr . Desborough declined to do either , and the Major replied by a threat to give him " a sound and wholesome flagellation , whenever and wherever the chance of administering the same presents itself . " Major Lumley admitted that he had sent the challenge , but denied the complainant's version of the

quarrel . He has been committed for trial . On Monday , at Derby , a man named James Potter was charged before the magistrates with the murder of his wife . The unfortunate woman had been found in bed the preceding day , stabbed in the breast , and dead , the weapon which the murderer used appearing to have been an old sword cane . Some unfounded feeling of jealousy seems to have been the prompting cause of the tragic deed . —From Sheffield a murderous outrage is reported . On

the evening of Friday week a gentleman named Burnaby , residing iu one of the suburbs of that town , was attacked by garotters , who , finding that the "hug" did not prove effectual , beat their victim with bludgeons in the most barbarous manner . Mr . Burnaby ' s injuries are of the most serious character . An Italian who had been turned out of a public-house in Gray ' s-inu-kue , on Saturday night , visited the place again on

Monday night , intent on revenge . He stabbed four men , one of whom , Michael Harrington , has since died , while a second , Alfred Ribbeck , is not expected to recover . The murderer is in custody . In a brawl at Bove , near Brighton , on Sunday morning , a man named Coombe , deliberately shot a labourer , named Shaw , wdio died instantaneously . At

Aldershot , the body of a pensioner , has been found , bearing marks which leave no doubt that lie died a violent death . On Tuesday the convicts Charles Brough and Richard Hale underwent the last penalty ofthe law for the crime of murder in front of Stafford gaol . Brough's victim , it will he remembered , was George AValker , a broken-down farmer , seventy-four

years of age , and living near Audley . Hale was convicted of the murder of his illegitimate child at Cosely , having for his accomplice a woman named Baker , who is in the meantime respited in consequence of pregnancy . Hale persisted in protesting his innocence to the last , but his wretched companion had previously made a full acknowledgment ofhis guilt . The

man AA'ane , who murdered Amelia Blunt at Chadwell Heath , was executed at Chelmsford on Tuesday . He confessed his crime . The inquest on the body of the woman Atkinson , who was battered to death by her husband , a pitman , in the county of Durham , about three weeks ago , has been brought to a close ; and we venture to say that a more terrible story has never appeared in an English newspaper . The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Atkinson , who is in custody

There seems to be a ran of ill-lnelc just now in the matter of railways . Another accident has occurred , this time at the Slough Station of the Great AVestern Railway . Between one and two o'clock on Monday morning a goods train was shunted from tbe main line to a narrow-gauge line in the centre of the station , but unfortunately the " points" which had been

closed to admit its passing on to the line were left in that position . AVhen , therefore , a parcels train which was to pass the station without stopping came up to the spot , it , too , passed upon tbe mid line , and dashed into the stationary train . Much damage was done to the engine , the waggons , and the goods , but the driver and stoker escaped unhurt , and

fortunately there were no passengers . An inquest has been held on a railway fireman , who died from tbe injuries he received on tbe Brighton Railway a short time ago . It appeared that on the day of the accident the deceased was with a train going to Leatherhead , when it was found that the rails were too slippery for the wheels of the engine to bite . The fireman was about to throw sand upon the rails , but on passing

along the side . board of the engine to get at the sand box his foot slipped , and he fell under the engine , which passed over his legs , ancl severely injured him . The jury recommended that the- sand box should be more within reach of the enginedriver , and returned a verdict of Accidental Death . The boiler of a locomotive engine belonging to the

North-Eastern Railway Company exploded on the Silkstone coal branch of the Lancashire and Yorkshire line , on Saturday , and the driver , Henry Montgomery , was so seriously injured that he died on Sunday morning . Lieutenant Baultree , of the 15 th Regiment , and Ensigns Vernon and Blunt , of the 9 th , were swept away and drowned while attempting to pass a ford near Gibraltar , on tbe 13 th instant . The driver of the car in which

they were riding , and the postilion , were also drowned—Captain Hopkins , of the 15 th , being the only member of the party who escaped . A terrible accident has occurred at the new rolling mills , Hartlepool , by which two men were killed and sis seriously injured . The calamity was caused by the fall of a large travelling crane . A Christmas party of five

persons nearly lost their lives at Bi'sAfovd , on Monday , bv poison . They had mixed hellihore powder , instead of ginger , among some warm ale , and soon after the whole of them showed symptoms of having been poisoned . Medical aid was procured , and happily in the course of the day all but one were out of danger . A case of shocking cruelty to a fox

was investigated at the Hyde petty sessions . The defendants were a publican , named Harrison , and a man Etchells . They were both convicted , Harrison being fined £ 4 , ancl Etchells £ 2 with the alternative in each case of two months' hard labour . —

A very sad case of death from starvation in Homerton has been examined into by the coroner . A poor old woman , who had been a domestic servant for 40 years , lived by herself , and though reduced to the extreme of misery , refused to make known her wants to anyone , even to her sister , who was in comfortable circumstances and showed every disposition to help her .

There could be no doubt that the poor old woman persisted in her honest pride , and starved to death rather than seek charity from anyone . FoEEiGtN INTEILIGENCE . —The French Government have taken , a measure whicli will do more to convince Europe of its pacific intentions than a thousand fine expressions . A Paris letter

informs us that all the men at present on leave have received notice that they are placed on the reserve , and that this order will apply to nearly 120 , 000 men . As the army of occupation afc Rome is also to be greatly reduced , the report now positively made that there is to be no loan will probabl y prove to be