The Press. — London, England, 1854-09-23 00:00:00

T SEPTEMBER 23, 1854 goner was of course at once made, and she was set at liberty, and when the sessions came on she did not surrender, and entirely evaded justice. Upon inquiries being made respecting the per sons who had become bail, it was found that they had given false eiddresses, and one of them has since been transported for felony. The learned counsel then stated the circumstances of two other cases of a similar character, one of them being that of a notorious thief named Roberta, who was tried at this court a few sessions back. and transported for ten years. for stealing a cheque for 30,0001., and other securities, from a bank clerk in the banking house of Messrs. Barnett and Co., and the other that of a man named Collins, who was charged with a robbery in an omnibus. In both those cases false affidavits had been resorted to with the view of getting the prisoners admitted to ball; but, oning to the vigilance of Messrs. Bush and Mullens, the solicitors to the Bankers' Association, in the former instance, and the interfe rence of Mr. Perry, the chief clerk of the Lambeth Police Court, in the other, the attempt was rendered abortive. Under these circumstances the public authorities had felt it their duty to in stitute the present prosecution, and the jury would say, after hearing the evidence, whether the charge was not fully estab lished against the prisoners. The jury found the prisoners Guilty, and Mr. Justice Erie sentenced them to eighteen months' imprison ment with hard labour. THE THEATRICAL PERJURY CASE has ended in the acquittal of the accused. The following is a sum mary of the trial, which took place on Thursday : The defendant, Benjamin Sloman, had for many years filled the position of chief carpenter at Drury-lane Theatre, and the ,•prosecntion was instituted by Madame Caradori, the prima donna during the late opera season, and Signor Payee, who was one of the principal singers of the establishment. It will be remem bered that a Mr. Jarrett hired the theatre of Mr. Smith, the lessee, for 100 nights, at the commencement of the season ; but, after the speculation had gone on for 82 nights, it was found to be very unsuccessful, and Mr. Jarrett became insolvent.. Mine. Caradori, it would appear, was desirous of keeping faith with the public, and of continuing the theatre open ; and an arrange ment was made under which all the receipts were to be used, fleet to pay the expenses of the building, and then the workmen were to be paid in full, and if any surplus remained it was to be divided among the principal artistes, who were. to receive one third of their salaries. This arrangement did not turn out very satisfactory, and Madame Caradori announced her intention not to sing after the 19th of August, and on that day the theatre was clased. It appeared that on the morning of the 19th the defen dant made an affidavit that Madame Cartdori and Signor Pavesi owed him 221. 18s., and that they had told him they intended to leave the country, and upon this affidavit Madame Caradori and the Signor were taken into custody, and were not released until they paid 301. as debt and costs. Madame Caradori and Signor Pavesi were examined, and they denied having told the defendant that they intended to leave England, or that they owed h m anything. There appeared, however, to have been a good deal of confusion iu the arrange ments after the retirement of Mr. Jarrett, and Signor Parcel ad. mined that he had upon one occasion expressed an intention to go to Milan. Mr. CLARKSON, on behalf of the defendant, contended that there had been no corrupt or wilfully false statement made by the defendant, and that it was perfectly clear that the defendant bad performed the duty of employing assistants, and doing all that was required in his position. He urged that the defendant might reasonably have supposed that Madame Caradori was the person who ought to have paid him; and although other persons might have been more to blame than he was, yet, under the cir cumstances, it was clear that he was only endeavouring to en force what be considered to be a just claim. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty. AT the Central Criminal Court, the attack upon !r. Harding Giffard, the barrister, on Monday last, by the Rev. Hugh Pollard Willoughby, rector of Bur thorpe, Gloucestershire, and Baldon Toot, Oxford shire, has lately formed the subject of general conver sation. From the facts which have transpired there Canbe little doubt that the unfortunate gentleman is of unsound mind. Some years ago he was the sub ject of a commission of lunacy, and shortly afterwards evaded the vigilance of those under whose care he was placed, and escaped to France. At the request of the Lord Chancellor, Dr. Forbes Winslow went to Paris for the purpose of seeing the rev. gentleman, and had several interviews with him. The report of this physician was, that Mr. Willoughby was a lunatic, and not fit to be at large. Viewing the case in all its relations, the Court of Chancery did not think it right to adopt any measures for securing Mr. Willoughby's return to its jurisdiction, and he was consequently placed under no kind of surveillance whilst on the Continent. The rev. gentleman will be placed at the bar this morning, for the purpose of undergoing a renewed examination before Mr. Alderman Finnic, when Mr. Clarkson, who will appear on his behalf, will offer no opposition to his being committed for trial. The defence will of course be that he is a lunatic, and not responsible for his actions. Mr. Giffard, who had so providential an escape, states that he had no acquaintance with the reverend gentleman, but that he thinks he has seen him. He cannot, however, remember when or where. Mr. Willoughby was presented to one of his livings by a late Lord Chancellor, and to the other by his brother, Sir H. P. Willoughby, Bart., M.P. for Evesham. A CHINAMAN, whose name was entered on the police sheet as Ta-sai, was brought before Sir R. W. Carden on Tuesday last charged with begging. The prisoner, a goodlooking young men, appeared a half stupified with opium, and on being asked if he understood what was going forward said he knew a little English. —The officer said he took the prisoner into custody, and found on him nearly 4s. in copper. —Mr. Thorns, of Warwick square, kindly consented to act as interpreter for the prisoner, who stated that he had been in England about ten months, and was unable to return to his own country because the captain had no further need of his services.—Sir R. W. Carden said he had forty five Chinese before him at the Mansion-house in one day, and he generally found them very unwilling to go back ; in fact, it ap- THE PRESS. peered to him that as fast as some were sent away others came back to supply their places.—Mr. Thorns said, from his knowledge of the destitute Chinese in this country, he was quite sure they were only too anxious to return to their wives and families. Most of them had been induced to leave their own coun try to work English and American ships that were homeward bound and short of sailors, under the promise of being sent back to China; but when the ships arrived in this country, where sailors were always to be had, the Chinese were turned adrift to get their living the best way they could. In all pro bability those who had refused to go back bad been ill used by the captain, and had had their tails cut off.—Captain Lean, the Government emigration agent, said he thought it likely the Government would contribute towards the expense of sending the destitute Chinese home.—Mr. Thorns said the charge required by the captains to take back these men was 10/. each, but be believed there were many benevo lent captains who, as an act of charity, would con sent to take them at 51. each.—Sir R. W. Carden said he would remand the prisoner for a few days to see what could be done for Thorns said there were thirty-five Chinese now in London, all of whom he had seen, and could bear testimony to their des titute condition. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, DR. FERGUSON, ac cused of having feloniously solemnised a marriage between a young woman named Hannah Sarah Steele, a Protestant, and Thomas Cokely, a Roman Catholic, in the absence of the registrar of marriages of the district, was brought up at the Hammersmith Police-office for final examination on Thursday. The case had been twice adjourned for the attend ance of the registrar and his deputy, who both deposed that they were not present on the occa sion, though they had often been so on others at Dr. Ferguson's chapel. The defendant was ulti mately committed for trial, but bail was taken for his appearance. glitihnts Oftntes. THE FIRE AT GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL, respect ing the origin of which there were some doubts, is now attributed, with every probability, to spontaneous combustion. It appears that the materials used in varnishing the stalls and wood-work consisted of a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine. The liquid was applied by means of cotton rags and parts of cotton stockings, which, after the work of the day was over, were placed together in a basket in the bishop's pew, saturated with varnish. Mr. Byard, to whom the repairs of the cathedral are entrusted, resolved to try by experiment how far spbntaneous combustion was probable:— Some of the rags used on a subsequent occasion in varnishing the stalls were placed together, and in two hours afterwards they were found to have attained so high a temperature that they could notbe touched, and several of them were singed and burned from the effects of the heat thus generated. Had they been left alone they would probably soon have ignited. The quantity of rags used for the purpose of experiment on this occasion was less than the quantity thrown together in the bishop's pee on the night of the lire, or the effects would have been of a more decided character. The experiment was on Thursday repeated in the crypt of the cathedral in the presence of the mayor, Dr. Jenne, and several other gentlemen. For this purpose some cotton rags (parts of stockings) that had been used in the var nishing process, and which were saturated with linseed oil (pre. viously boiled, but then quite cold) and turpentine, were placed in a frail basket together, with some chips of wood. In a short time heat was generated, which gradually increased until smoke began to ascend from the basket. This also increased, and in three hours the rags burst into a strong flame. which in about twenty minutes burned the basket and its contents to ashes. A MOST EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE took place at the Central Cnminal Court on Monday, when it opened for the session. At the conclusion of one of the trials, an elderly person, of most respectable appearance, who had been sitting on the seat under the judge's bench, deliberately got up and walked to the counsels' table, and, placing himself close to Mr. Giffard, who was the first gentleman on the seat, lie said, in an earnest and solemn tone, "Do you re member Cardiff?" and at the same time placed the muzzle of a pistol close to his cheek and pulled the trigger. The weapon exploded with a slight report, and, from what was afterwards discovered, it ap peared that the bullet which it had contained had dropped from the barrel. The powder being thus scattered the fatal intention was frustrated, and the affect of the discharge was merely to occasion a slight injury to the cheek of the learned gentleman who had been made the subject of so deadly an attack. For an instant the court was almost paralysed, but there were speedy cries to seize the party, and Russell, one of the City detective policemen, and Rutland, who is an: officer attached to the corporation, seized the pri soner. Mr. Sheriff Wallis at once directed that he should be searched to see if be had any other deadly weapons about his person ; and the prisoner with great coolness exclaimed, " Yes ; I have another pis tol," and added, "it is loaded," at the same time taking a pistol from his breast pocket, and handing it to the officers ; and upon its being examined it was found to be loaded with ball. The escape of Mr. Giffard was most miraculous ; for, if this tecond wes- 899 pon had been used instead of the other, some deadly injury, if not loss of life, must necessarily have been the consequence. When he had recovered himself sufficiently he looked at his assailant, and was asto nished to find that he was an utter stranger. The prisoner, who exhibited the utmost composure, but whose appearance gave strong manifestations of in sanity, was then removed to the sheriffs parlour, and Mr. Alderman Finnis and Sir John Musgrove at once proceeded there to take the necessary deposi tions. The prisoner gave his name as Hugh Pollard Willoughby, and said that he was the brother of Sir Henry Willoughby, and that he was a clergyman, and resided at Oxford. Upon his being searched, a gold watch and chain, 5/. in gold, 12s. in silver, and four keys were found upon him. Mr. Clarkson was, on the prisoner's request, sent for to act as his coun sel. After a short private conference between the learned gentleman and the prisoner, Mr. Clarkson returned, and said he believed there was no doubt that the prisoner bad truly represented himself to be a clergyman, and that he was a man of family. He was not aware what course the magistrates might think it right to adopt under such extraordinary and exciting circumstances, but he said he would venture to suggest that the most advisable course to be taken was to have formal proof given in connection with the charge against the prisoner, and then postpone any further inquiry to a future day. Mr. Alderman Finnis said that he and Sir John Musgrove had con sidered what steps were the best to take, and they had agreed upon the course suggested by the learned counsel. The depositions were then taken, and the further hearing of the case adjourned till Saturday. The Rev. Hugh Pollard Willoughby is rector of East Leach or Burthorpe, near Lecblade, Gloucestershire, to which benefice he was presented by the Lord Chan cellor in 1827. He is also rector of Baldon Marsh, near Oxford, to which he was presented in 1820 by his brother, Sir H. P. Willoughby, Bart. A TERRIBLE FIRE, from which several persons had a most narrow escape, occurred in Bloomsbury on Monday night. It broke out in a lofty four-story building, situate at No. 7, Dudley-street, within a few doors of Broad-street, Bloomsbury. At the time of the outbreak most of the persons who rented the upper floors were at home, and when the alarm was given a most painful scene presented itself ; for the different inmates, on finding the fire ascending, forth with made a precipitate retreat into the street, and those who bad forgotten in their fright to take their children along with them were unable to return. One poor woman rushed through the crowd, exclaiming that two of her children were in the midst of the fire. Two men, named Harley and Dennis Collins, not withstanding the great risk they ran, rushed upstairs to the first floor back, where they found an infant in bed asleep, and a young girl clinging to the bed clothes, the fire at the same time had seized upon the bedding. With great presence of mind they ma naged to seize the two children, and they brought them down in safety, but nearly suffocated with the heated smoke. They were then informed that seve ral other children were in the floors above, and the same persons made an attempt to get to the room, but the fierceness of the fire prevented them. From what, however, has since been learned, there is strong ground for supposing that every inmate has escaped. In spite of the exertions of the firemen, the flames could not be conquered until they had passed com pletely through the building, destroying in their pro gress the whole of the furniture of the different lodgers, and severely injuring the stock in trade of Mr. Collins. The latter was insured in the County Fire Office, but none of the other sufferers were in slued for a single penny. THE most terrible conflagration that has happened in Surrey for years took place on Tuesday morning, when the great flour-mills of Mr. Ashby, of Bedding ton, were totally consumed. About nine o'clock on Monday night the mills were charged with grain and the building closed, when all of a sudden a violent gale of wind sprang up, which caused the sails of the mill to revolve with extraordinary swiftness ; but nothing was apprehended in the shape of fire from that cause. The fire was first discovered by the policeman on duty. Several policemen being mus tered, they got ropes and chains, which they threw over the roof and across the mill, and by that means they succeeded in pulling the top of the mill down, expecting by that expedient to prevent the fire from descending to the lower floors. Unfortunately their services, as far as regards the preservation of the mills, were futile, for the flames continued to burn downwards until at length the mills became com pletely encircled in flame. A want of water inter fered greatly with the exertions of the firemen, who assembled from all sides, but not in time to prevent the total destruction of the property. As to the origin of the fire, it is stated that it must have been caused either by the friction of some of the machinery by the high wind turning it too quickly, or from one of the men having dropped a spark from a lighted candle amongst the dust from the grain. Fortunately the loss will be partially covered by an insurance in be County Fire-office.