The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

JANUARY 3, 1857. collector, with committing frauds to the extent of 13,000/. upon the Union, was captured on Tuesday night by Detective May, in the neighbourhood of Hackney. The committee of investigation have pre sented their report on the frauds to the Board of Guardians. The committee recommend the dis. missal of Mr. Gibbs the auditor, Mr. Rowsell the clerk, Mr. Hampton the ledger-keeper, and Mr. Eldred the assistant clerk, for gross and culpable neglect of their duties. The prisoner (Paul) was taken before the Lord Mayor the next day, charged with having on the 2nd of September stolen a cheque for 3781. 15s. 81., and with having on the 19th of November forged a receipt on the part or . _ Messrs. Payne and Smith, the bankers, for 2901., both of which sums, instead of applying to their proper purposes, he had paid into his own private account at the London Bank. Ev►dence was gone into to substantiate these charges, and the prisoner was remanded for a week. AN OLD Womaas, one Maria Beckett, living with her mart ied daughter at Wing Bucks, in a flt of in sanity last Tuesday, after threatening to murder the whole of the family, snatched up a carving. knife, and before any one could restrain her, seized her daugh• ter's infant sleeping in the cradle close by, and with of • :ash almost severed the head from the body. A WomAii, one Mrs. Bradley, a farmer's wife, of Liverpool, while in a fit of monomania after child birth, poisoned her infant last week with a dose of laudanum. When questioned as to her object for committing so horrible a crime, she said that she had herself committed the unpardonable sin, and as she did not wish her sin to be visited on the child, she had sent it to heaven whilst it was innocent. She wanted to send her baby to heaven in its purity. THE BANK AT GODALNING was robbed on Tuesday night between mideight and daybreak. The watch dogs gave no alarm, and those placed to take care of the bank were not disturbed, though considerable force must have been used to break open the iron safes containing the cash and securities. The our glars possessed themselves of 2901. in silver, a small sum in Bank of England notes, and some valuable securities. Fortunately the iron safe containing gold and Bank of England notes to a very large amount, upwards of 15,0001., resisted their efforts, and it is supposed that, irom being disturbed, they desisted, carrying off merely the ally. r and the notes. A Cuatous CASE OF ALLEGED ABDUCTION came before a jury in the Bath County Cuurt yesterday week. The plaintiff in the a tion was the Rev. Morris Yescombe, a clergyman, residing at Ore, n park Buildings, Bath ; and the defendants were Mr. John Webb Roche, a gentleman of fortune, living in Queen square in the same city, and Mrs. Eliza A. Madox, his mother-in-law, who resided with him. The damages were laid at 501., arising, as stated in the particulars of demand, from the defendants having unlawfully enticed away a young lady named Louisa Koch, a governess, who was at the time in the employment of the plaintiff, and after so enticing her away harbouring and employing her at the ir house. The circumstances of the case were simply these :—Mr. Roche had paid Miss Koch marked attention while in Mr. Yescombe's house. Mr. Yes. combo remonstrated with him. Mr. Roche promised to do so no more, but in three or four days aas found by Mr. Yescombe in the schoolroom with Miss Koch. Mr. Yescombe turned him out of the house; and after two or three similar occurrences Miss Koch finally took up her residence in Mr. Roche's house, and hence the action for loss of services. Mr. W. S. Landor, who was subpoenaed as a witness, put in a very characteristic declaration, saying that be could not endure a crowded room, and praying to be ex cused giving evidence. He declared also that he could neither substantiate nor rebut charges against Mr. Roche, and that be had a firm belief in the integrity and veracity of Mr. Yescombe. The hearing of the case was resumed on the 31st at Bath, when further evidence was given in support of the plaintiff. Mr. T. W. Saunders then addressed the jury for the defendants, and called Mr. Roche, who made a ge neral denial of the statements of the witnesses for the plaintiff. The defendant became much excited towards the close of his examination, and charac• terised several of the statements made by the plaintiff and his witnesses as " infernal lie.L" When cross• examined he gave a direct negative to all questions put to him. The further hearing of the case was adjourned till Friday. MARTHA BACON, a respectable married woman, was on Tuesday brought before Mr. Elliott, at Lambeth Police-court, charged with murdering her two children, the one about fifteen months, and the other about three and a half years of age, by cutting their throats from ear to ear, and also with inflicting some wounds on her own throat, with the intention of committing suicide. The prisoner, in a vacant manner, said that she did not do it. " A man got in at the window at eight o'cl, ck the previous night, murdered the children, and cut her throat as well." The evidence of a neighbour who first made the discovery, and of the police constable who took Mrs. THE PRESS. Bacon in charge, having been heard, Mr. Elliott re inanded the prisoner till a future day. The poor woman was e iidently insane. A DEPLORAJLE CASE OF DESTITUTION was exposed this week betora Mr. Baker, the coroner, while holding an inquest on the body of a child, three months old, one William Pack, who died from want. The evidence proved that the parents of the deceased and three other children lived in a hovel not fit for human habitation, at No. 6, Virginia-row, the children being naked and without food. The father, who is a harness-maker, has through illness not been able to pursue his occupation, and the only sustenance of the family was derived from the mother's scanty earnings as a charwoman. Verdict, " Death from destitution." A LITERARY IMPOSTOR, one John Daniell, who is da ly applying to noblemen and of►ers, and has obta►ned a.saistance from the Duke of Wellington and General Williams, to enable him to conclude a work on " The Defenders of Kars," was exposed by Mr. Alderman Wire, at tba Mansion house, on Tues- day. The rascal applied to Alderman Wire some time since as Daniell, and on Monday made another application in the name of Walsh. Alderman Wire at once detected him, and was about to bring him to the Mansion-house, when the scamp took to hie heels and escaped. A FAMILY FRACAS was investigated by Mr. Hammill, at Worship-street Police -court, on 'l'uesday. Dr. James Winn, the physician of Finsbury-square, with one of his eyes very much con used, and Thompson Tinley, one of his servants, were charged with an assault upon Mr. Mark B njamin Benham, a gen tleman residing with his lamily in the same house. The complainant, whose head was bandaged and bloody, stated : I reside at 13, Finsbury-square, in the same house with the defendant. I last night, about four hours before this assault occured, had a few words with Mr. Winn, and about a quarter past 12 o'clock was retiring to rest with my family. On entering my bedroom, on the second floor, having my coat over my arm, my hat in one hand, and a candlestick in the other, Dr. Winn rushed upon me from behind and struck me, repeated the blow, and I dropped the candle. He struck me then several times and called for his servant, Tinley. He at. that time had my head bent down, and Tinley came and struck me several times with some weapon. I exclaimed, " Oh, my God. Julia my wife), they are murdering me ; they have got a life preserver." I bled about a quart, I should think. My son, daughter, and others came, and I was taken to my surgeon's, where my wounds were dressed, and I then went to the station house, where the detendants then were, and charged them. Mr. Ilesimitd. : Can you at all account for this attack ? Complainant: Not at all, unless it was ci.nsequent upon the dispute between us respecting the disputed possession of the house. Mr. HAMMILL: I cannot deal with a case of that kind. Complainant: No, of course not. After the previous dispute things remained quiet until twelve o'clock. As I passel his room I may have said that the Doctor was a swindler, but I don't remember it, and I was never in toxicated in my life. Mr. HAmmitt : But why did you call him a swindler? Complainant: Because he has been concerned in a couple of bubble companies. When I got into my mom he followed me, and struck me twice. I did defend my self, but I did not knock him down. When the candle fell there was still a glimmering light from the gas. When Tinley came up I had not got the Doctor down on the ground with my hand on his throat. In answer to the Doctor's call for him, I heard Tinley say, " I'm coming, anti I'll give him a pill." There was a stand-up fight be tween us before Tinley came, if a few blows struck by each of us constitutes such. The assault having been corroborated by the testi mony of Mrs. Benham and her son, Mr. Hammitt decided upon sending the case to the sessions, but, in consideration of Dr. Winn being in extensive practice, admitted him to bail, accepting his own recognisances in 5001. and two sureties of 2501. each. The servant Tinley was locked up. MR. FREDERICK PRENDERGAST, a barrister-at-law, was charged before Mr. Jardine on Tuesday iith being drunk and disorderly and assaulting a cabman named Farrow, and &policeman of the F division. At about eleven o'clock on the previous night it appeared that the defendant hired Farrow's cab, and kept him driving about till three o'clock in the morning, getting out to drink at almost every public-house. At that time, on pulling up in Fleet-street, the driver found th at the defendant had broken one of the cab windows. He demanded payment of his fare, which was 75., and of the value of the glass, 25., whereupon the defendant laid hold of him by the throat and nearly throttled him. He called out for help, and constable Dowsett, 130 F, came to his assistance. The prisoner then attacked the constable in the same way, first at tempting to strangle him, and then striking him in the face. The prisoner was drunk, and his language and manner, as described by the constable, were " those of a madman." The defendant said lie had taken too much wine, and he was sorry for it, but the statements made against him were very much exaggerated. Mr. Jardine said that the conduct of the prisoner was the more disgraceful on account of his position in society, and his regret appeared to be 11 that of a man who was sorry he was going to be punished rather than sorry he had done wrong. For the a'sault on the constable he must be committed for 14 days, and he must pay the cabman 9s. or be further imprisoned for one month. The defendant earnestly entreated bis worship to give him the option of a fine, as he bad important business to attend to in Ireland. Mr. Jardine.—" I have nothing to do with that." The prisoner was then removed, but in the course of the day he addressed a letter to his worship begging to be fined, and stating that his " temporal futurity" was at stake. Mr. Jardine ulti mit-ly substituted a fine of 51., which the defendant jojful! y paid. ANOTHER DEATH FROM ACCIDENTAL POISONING by a druggist's assistatt is reported this week. A Mr. M arcooly, mast er tai' or, carrying on business at Bruns wick-place, Brom! ton, died last Saturday morning, alter taking what he thought was a dose of " castor oil." The circumstances of the case were as follt - ws : Mr. Marcooly ordered an ounce of castor oil to be. bought from Mr. Budd, a chemist close at hand. The servant took a small phial into Mr. Budd's and asked for an ounce of castor oil ; the assistant then filled it. This was about nine a.m. on Saturday. The servant returned; Mr. Marcooly took the dose imnie.liately, and in a very short time fell dead upon the floor. A post mortem examination resulted in the discovery of nearly two drachms of prussic acid in the stomach. Prior to proceeding with the evidence the jury in spected the shop of Mr. Budd, in order to ascertain whe:e the castor oil and oil of bitter almonds write respectively kept, as it was alleged the latter had been substituted for the former. Mr. Budd showed that they were kept widely apart, anti that the poisons generally were kept in a closet, and not upon the ordinary shelves. It also appeared from the books amid invoices that all decrease in the stock of oil of bitter almonds, except for two drachms, was satisfactorily accounted for. The servant boy sent for the castor oil said, that when he asked for an ounce of castor oil, the assistant took the bottle out of his (witness's) sight to the place where the prescrip tions are made up : Witness saw him take with him a white bottle from the left•hand of the shop and a red bottle from one of the shelves facing the door. By the Coroner.—Did not see him pour anything into the phial that he (witness) took. The assistant did not ask whom it was fur. Witness had fetched castor oil from that shop belare, and was quite sure that he did nut ask for anything to 6e mixed with the castor oil. There was another customer, a little boy, waiting, but the assistant served witness first. Mr. Budd produced his book, showing what had been sold on Saturday morning, and the following entries appeared :—Castor oil, 3d.; prescription, Is. 6d. Upon a copy of the latter prescription being produced, the Coroner observed that there was hydrocyanic acid in the prescription. The boy Tanson, on being re examined, said that at tie time he was there he saw the assistant open the closet door where the poisons were kept, but did not see whether be took anything out. The bottle contain ing the prussic acid was produced, when Mr. Budd said, lie always filled it himself, but could not, tell when he last filled it, nor could he account for• how the deficiency of two drachms had been caused. The above two drachms were the quantity supposed to have been taken by deceased. The inquiry was then adjourned. Joins HANNAH, the strolling player, was hanged at York on Saturday, for the murder, on the 11th Sep tember last, of Jane Banham, a girl with whom he bad cohabited. REDANIES, the murderer of the two girls at Dover, was hanged at Maidstone on Thursday. A ROYAL SHAKEDOWN.—AS the Prince of Wales and his tutor were travelling lately, incog., in the West of England, the landlord of a certain hotel, having reason to expect a visit from his Royal High ness, prepared his best rooms in his best style, and then waited day by day in feverish anxiety. One afternoon a gentleman and a youth arrived at the hotel, and asked if rooms could be had for the night? All the servants were in a bustle imme diately, for the landlord was sure he discerned the young Prince and his tutor in the newly•arrived travellers. So the best rooms were speedily given to the guests, and every possible comfort was added to make them happy, while the landlord, with a certain knowing look of bland satisfaction, behaved to his royal visitor with the utmost deference, and yet without any open acknowledgment of his rank, as he knew it was desired to keep this concealed. Later in the evening, and when almost every room in the house had been filled, there arrived three more travellers, two gentlemen and a boy. When they asked for bedrooms the landlord said, " Very sorry, gentlemen, we have only room for two of your party, but perhaps we can manage to make up a bed for the young gentleman on the sofa." This was done, and in the morning it was found that the youth who had slept on the " shakedown " was the heir of the crown of England, while the boy who occupied the bed meant for the Prince was only Master --; travelling with his father. --