FATAL EXPLOSION OF DYNAMITE.

A Birmingham correspondent telegraphed on Wednesday: -

A shocking accident occurred at Solihull, near Birmingham, to Mr. Sidney

J. MITCHELL, solicitor, who has for many years acted as Parliamentary agent

for Messrs. NEWDEGATE and Bromley DAVENPORT, the members for North

Warwickshire.

Mr. MITCHELL was with a party of friends witnessing some experiments in

Solihull, by which efforts were being made to destroy the roots of several

gigantic trees which had been blown down by the gales several months since.

Dynamite was used for this purpose and some labourers had placed a charge under

an enormous root in the ground.

The deceased was standing at some distance from the spot, but those

present were apparently ignorant of the terrible power of the explosive. When the

charge was fired, large portions of the timber were blown about in all

directions, one of them unfortunately striking Mr. MITCHELL upon the head, and

felling him to the ground. Death appears to have been instantaneous.

The intelligence created a painful sensation in Birmingham, where the

deceased was carried on practice as one of the leading solicitors in the town.

He was the son of Mr. John MITCHELL, the original inventor of the steel pens;

and is a singular coincidence that he met his death this afternoon upon the

estate of Mr. GILLOTT, who brought the invention to such perfection in

manufacture.

The deceased acted as registrar of the County Court at Solihull. He was

most widely known in political circles in the Midlands, and his painful death

will be deeply regretted by members of both parties.

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