The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-08-07 00:00:00

THE TIMBER ROBBERIES.

AT the Sessions, on Friday, Wm. Bibby, Geo. Codling, Geo.
Lythgoe, and Jas. Jackson were indicted in eight counts for
stealing 150 pieces of timber, the property of Messrs. Hough-
ton and Smith, and 58, the property of Messrs. A. Dempsey
and Co. On the 16th of May, Lythgoe and Bibby called at
the stables of Enoch Tarbet, cartowner, and requested two
carts to be sent early to the Huskisson Dock. The carts were
sent, and on the quay they were met by Bibby, Lythgoe, and
Jackson. The carts were loaded with timber from the pile of
Messrs. Houghton and Smith, and conveyed to Windsor, to
some buildings in the course of erection by Mr. Rees. The
prisoner Codling received the timber, and had some difference
about a portion of it with Mr. Rees.- On the 19th of the same
month, the same two carters carted two loads of timber at
the same place, some of it from Messrs. Dempsey and Co.'s
pile. They were followed by two police-officers, ,who saw the
timber delivered at Windsor, and then took the prisoners into
custody. The total value of the timber stolen on these occa-
sions was £26. Mr. Rees said that he had had six loads of
timber since March from the prisoner Codling. All the pri-
soners were found guilty on this count.
John Owens, John Allen, and Joseph Cullen were also
found guilty on the same day of stealing a quantity of deals,
the property of Messrs. Farnworth and Jardine, which they
sold to a builder, named John Jabez Creer, for £8 10s., on the
26th of April.
John Owens and Richard Culshaw, charged with stealing
two standard of deals, the property of Messrs. Anthony and
Robinson, were acquitted.

The further indictments against the prisoners were pro-
ceeded with on Saturday. Each case presented the same
feature. The depredators had taken their loads openly from
the piles lying on the Huskisson Dock quay, and disposed of
the property to unsuspecting builders and carters, who seem
to have acted in the various transactions in a perfectly regular
and business manner.

John Owens was indicted for stealing one hundred pieces
of timber, the property of John Farnworth and another.
Verdict, guilty. A previous conviction for felony was formally
proved against the prisoner. Sentence to ten years' penal
servitude.

Yesterday, the Recorder sat for the purpose of sentencing
the convicted prisoners. John Allen was ordered to undergo
two years' imprisonment on one conviction, and one year on
another ; and George Codling the same ; William Bibby two
years imprisonment ; Joseph Cullen two years' ; Lythgoe
nine months' ; and Jackson eight months' imprisonment.

BARQUE CAPSIZED AND SUNK IN"

THE RIVER.

ABOUT half-past two o'clock on Friday afternoon, the
Retriever, an iron barque, built lately at Warrington by the
Bank-quay Foundry Company, was taken out of the Sandon
Dock to be placed in the Prince's Dock. The Retriever was
in tow of the British Queen, (tug,) and, on leaving the Sandon
Basin, she was taken in a direction nearly across the river.
On turning round to go up towards the Prince's Dock, she
was struck by a wind, and capsized, and the sailors and others
on board were precipitated into the water, one being drowned.
The vessel was being towed round the stern of the James
Baines, to come into the George's Basin, and when broadside
on a heavy squall came, and she heeled over so much that the
ballast (upwards of sixty tons) shifted, and fourteen persons,
including the captain, riggers, painters, two boys, and a pilot,
were thrown into the river. By the ail of the steam-tug and
boats they were picked up as soon as possible, though one man,
a rigger, was drowned, and another man was severely hurt.
The pilot was severely injured. Before leaving the Sandon
Dock the ship had, as is usual in such cases, been made as
snug as possible with regard to the rigging ; and the accident
is attributed to the wind acting upon her at the top, and the
tide at the bottom in opposite directions. The Retriever is
owned by Messrs. Leech, Harrison, and Forwood.
THE INQUEST.
Yesterday, an inquest was held on the body of Thomas
Beattie, the deceased, before Mr. Statham, the deputy coroner.
Mr. Aspinall, barrister, appeared for the owners of the vessel.
There were several shipbuilders, Captain Cook, the Superin-
tendent of Pilots (who was asked by the coroner to question
the witnesses), and other practical men in court. The first
witness called was
Wm. Bennett, rigger.—He said : I was on board the barque
Retriever on Friday. Went on board at the Sandon Dock,
We got some chain cable up from below. She was to be re-
moved from the Sandon to the Prince's Dock,,and was brought
out of the former for that purppse. She was taken in tow of a
steamer at the Sandon Dock-gate. and was taken up the river.
She was taken towards the Cheshire side to prevent her run-
ning against other vessels. When nearly abreast of the land-
ing stage the barque was capsized. It was intended to slew
her round, so soon as the steamer could be got to work, in
order to get to the Prince's Dock. When she came across
the tide, the wind made ber lay over. The fang of the
main gaff was carried away- The captain called one of the
riggers to come aft, and I went. She then gave a heavy lurch,
and I could not keep my foot-hold as the vessel capsized. I
was thrown on the lee side into the water, along with another
man, who was not the deceased. I afterwards got on to the
bottom of the vessel, and from that saw deceased in the water,
and, as I think, the mate alongside of him. Deceased's face
was partially turned downwards. I knew him. His name was
Thomas Beattie ; he was a rigger, and about fifty years old.
A man took the deceased by the back of the neck and got him
out of the water. I had been on board the Retriever for the
first time on Tuesday, the 31st ult. She had no cargo on
board. She was a new iron vessel, and had never been to sea.
There was ballast under the square of the main hatch, but I
only saw it from the deck, as I never was below. I do not
know whether the ballast was confined amidships, or whether
it extended fore and aft. I saw deceased in the dead-house.
Captain Henry Heron, who lives at Waterloo, said he su-
perintended the building of the vessel at the Bank Quay
Foundry, Warrington, and came down the river with her. She
had no masts in her then. She had 15 tons of ballast on
board, in the main hatchway. Thought that was in the month
of May. She was taken to the Sandon Dock, and had lain
there ever since with the exception of being in the Graving
Dock fitting out Her masts had been in her two
months. On Friday she was to go into the Prince's Dock.
He was on board of her. She was towed by the steamer Bri-
tish Queen. The ballast from Warrington was pig iron.
That was removed after the stone ballast was put in. She had
25 tons of stone ballast put in soon after she came down. It
was put under the main hatchway. It was moved more for-
ward in the vessel for the surveyors, and then moved aft again,
and twelve tons more put on board. That was all the ballast
she had on board on Friday. It was lying from the mainmast
forward in the hold, throughout the great body of the ship.
There were also three anchors, weighing 33 cwt. in all, four
iron davits 18 cwt., which were far too heavy for the vessel,
lying at the bottom of the vessel, the same as the anchors.
There was also a quantity of chains, cordage, spar gear,
spars, and deck moveables, weighing altogether upwards of
65 tons. With the exception of the spars, which were in the
'tween decks, these were all below. The vessel was towed up
towards the Seacombe Ferry. In turning round to face the
George's Dock, the steamer being ahead of her still, she heeled
over, and the tide being flood and the wintl south-west, and a
very heavy squall at the time, the hawser of the steamer
pulling her the one way, whilst the tido caught her bottom,
she heeled over so much that it caused the ballast to move.
She capsized and shortly sunk. Her new measurement was
4O tons. She had never been at sea. Her topgallant masts
were down. She was not entirely round when she fell. Her
masts fell to the north, even with the wind.
By Captain Cook : The first 25 tons of ballast were levelled
over the hold, the other 12 tons were pretty well spread, but
more admidships than the other. The kelson is twelve inches
high from the plates of the vessel. The ballast was con-
siderably above the kelson,—about a foot and a half. The
anchors were placed under the fore hatchway, down by the
kelson. The last of the ballast was taken on board six weeks
or two months ago. The anchors were put below when taken
on board about six weeks ago. The ship did not exhibit any
particular symptoms of being crank in dock on the Thursday.
She had three boats on deck. Her depth of hold is 16 feet.
She is not a flat-bottomed ship. She is rather of a barrel-
bottomed tendency. Witness should think barrel-bottomed
ships would be rather crank. She is a flush ship. The boats
were the only weight on deck. There were two bower
anchors forward with cables bent •to both ; one was hung
over the bow, the other was on the forcastle.
By Mr. Aspinall : The ballast does not lie lower in an iron
than in a wooden ship, according to his experience. When
he took the ship out of dock he believed there was sufficient
ballast in her to stiffen her. He had been very careful with
her all along. The mate was on board, and the mate of the
Lightning. There was a crew of riggers. Every thing was
done properly, and to the best of his ability, to secure the
safety of the vessel.

By a Juror : Could not say whether an iron ship or a wooden
one requires more ballast. Should think an iron one would
be lighter on the water than a wooden one. She was drawing
on Friday feet aft and fif feet forward.
By the Deputy-Coroner : She was about 12 feet above
the water to the top of the rail.
William Steel, mate of the ship Retriever, deposed that he
was appointed on Monday week. He had been on board on
the Friday preceding. Had been at sea eight years, and
twelve months as mate. Had been on board the ship every
day since Monday. Observed the position of the ballast, the
anchors below, the davits, and the coals. The ballast was
stowed over the body of, the vessel, from the main hatch for-
ward; a little more amidships than the other part, but not
out of proportion to the shape of the vessel. He was on board
on Friday morning before the vessel went into the river.
About twelve on that day he was passing a joke with some of
the riggers. He asked them if they could swim. His reason
for asking that question was nothing particular—only a joke.
From what he saw of the ballast and other things on board,
he considered the vessel in a perfectly fit state to be taken out
of dock. Did not make use of the words to the riggers—
" Your powers of swimming will be tested when you get out
of dock.'

By Mr. Aspinall : Was in another iron ship which capsized.
The mate of the Lightning was a friend of his. He should
have objected going out of dock with her if he had thought
therewas the slightest danger, as he could not swim. Instead
of objecting, he asked his frend to go too. (Laughter.)
James Fisher,' one of the riggers on board at the time of
the accident, deposed that he lived Sew-street. He went
on board about twelve o'clock. Saw that a little more of the
ballast was stowed amidships than in the rest of the hold.
Had been twenty-five years at sea. Considered the vessel in
a safe state when going out of dock. Did not think she would

_ .
have capsized.
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By Captain Cook: Everything was made snug aloft on
Monday. The topsail yards were about half-mast.
ShadrachWilliams, Sandon Dock-master, remembered seeing
the Retriever going out into the river on Friday last. Noticed
her in the river as far as he could see her. It was blowing
•fresh from W.S.W., with a strong flood tide. Had never
been on board the vessel. She appeared to take very little
list after she had got out of the basin into the tide-way. Had
heard the evidence of Captain Heron, and was of opinion that
she was in a quite safe state with the ballast and other things
she had on board, to be removed into the river in that state of
wind and tide. He did not consider her crank.
This concluded the evidence, and the jury at once returned
a verdict of " accidental death."

EXECUTION.—On Saturday, Joseph Meadows, convicted at
the last assizes at Worcester of the murder of Mary Ann
Mason, near Dudley, was hanged in front of the county gaol
in the presene.4 of a large coacouse of spectators,