The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-10 00:00:00

Naby and Volta.

A SINOI•LATt RAILWAY CAsI: neellpied Vice-Chan-
cellor Sir P. W.sod during the whole of Friday and
Saturday last week. The plaintiffs in this case were
certain shareholder► in the Shrews Wiry and Bir-
mingham Railway. and the defendants were the Hon.
B. H. Clive and ►ither directors of the company, but
chiefly Mr. Knox, formerly secretary to the board,
but latterly also a director. For some time past it
seems that much dissension bad existed in the corn-

THE PRESS.

pany, chiefly respecting a proposed lease of their line
to the Great Western and North Western companies.
Two parties accordingly were formed, one advocating
an alliance with the former, the other with the latter
company. Among the directors the majority were
favourers of the Great Western connection, but, the
shareholders having refused to sanction their propo-
sition for a lease to that company, it was now alleged
by the complainants that some defeated directors had
illegally contrived to manufacture a majority of votes
in support of their own views. For this purpose they
had transferred a vast number of shares lying in
their hands through forfeiture, and as reserved, or in
other manner, to nominee and fictitious holders, from
whom they obtained a retransfer of the shares as soon
as the immediate purpose was served—namely, the
mgister of a vote, by proxy, on a particular question
likely to come before the expected meeting of
shareholders. By this device the plaintiffs alleged
that the board had carriedcertain highlyquestionable
resolutions in past meetings, and would probably do
so again. The suit wag accordingly brought for the
purpose of restraining them in this course ; and Mr.
Knox was charged with being principally concerned
in working the contrivance, as well as with keeping
back or mutilating certain minute-books and share
registers, the property of the shareholders generally.
For the defendants very voluminous affidavits were
produced, denying the charge in Coto. The Vice
Chancellor, on Saturday, gave judgment in the case:
There was HO doubt of the company being entitled to maintain
a suit against the directing body for conduct iu contravention of
the act Parliament, or contrary to the tntste repotesl in them;
but the question now was, whether the bill should he sustained
if it turned out that a majority of the body of shareholders were
adverse to the prosecution of the suit. A strong ease must be
made nut to the Court for the institution of a wait in the name of
the company without a previetts meeting, and It must be shown
that the interference of the Court only could prevent mischief
which might turn out irreparable; but if such a ease were once
made out, the Court would not allow its arm to be paralysed
from such prevention. On the other hand. there could not be a
more monstrous exercise of power by the Court titan in granting
sit order that the directors should not do certain acts which the
whole company, with the exception of two or three members
perhaps, were willing they should do, and allow those two or
three members to be sttecessful in using the name of the whole
company for their purposes. The Court would see. before it corn.
milted the voattpany to tiny proceedings, who the parties were,
who Sere 1111 l (and perhaps with the best, though erroneous,
intentions) acting on their behalf, and who thought that the di-
rectors were not acting beneficially for the interests of the com-
pany. The Court intended to leave entirely open the question of
acquiescence in this suit by the majority of the company, or their
condonation id' the past acts of the board; but unless it could be
shown that mischief was likely to accrue from non-intervention,
the Court did not think that in this state 4 the proceedings it
should make any order whatever, but, at the same time, could
not help pronouncing a strong condemnation of too conduct of
Knox. Ile never witnessed a stronger initiative of that double
1111 l nudity said to exist in the • da of some parties, that the ends
justititsl the means, MI long as they were cetinected with a col,
Iterate body. What Knox had done was this. lie held, in cotu•
molt with others of the directors, a large munber of shares for
the benefit of the company, and, anticipating that at a forthcoming
meeting ail the company there would be etinsiderable disettssiou
..11 a 'Willi. he was, with others, oleairotte of achieving—viz., the
unity of the interests of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham and
lireat Western t•ompaniea—lnstead of allowing a just and nu.
biassed • •Insion to he come to by the hoed fide shareholders,
he thought it right to allot the trust shares of the company ad
libitum to a her of nominees who were to use that which was
the property of the e patty to bring about a result possibly ad.
cm to the company itself. Anything more flagrant or morn
gross could acereely he conceived, and the way in which he had
earrieil out his data was still 1110 re gross. Ile never heard of so
flagrent a breach of trust es witting out the MIMICS of acceptors,
and retrattsWrs in their absence, and Using as one of them that
of a boy nine years of age, then witnerouing theme signatures in a
feignetl handwriting, showing at the wish and intention to
deceive, and then alleging in excuse that the louder and Bir.
minghant Company at some •or other did sotnething
akin to it by buying up 1,000 sitarist in a company they de.
sired to influence, and tltett distributing the shares among
their porters. If Knox wished to follow that extunple he
had not 41011 e sit, es the I Atiallal alai Birmingham merely
distributed what at any rate was their own property. The
other parts of the eitSti were, happily. more favourable. The
Court beliet ed that the directors generally were aware of the
multiplication of votes by the trensfer of the trust shares. butt
thought also that they believed there was an mina' sale of those
shares. The Court next t'xat • •.1 who the individuals were
who after witch a lapse of time came forward in the mune of the
company. There was not the least thotbt that (leach was limo-
rant of the extraordinary pnweedings of Knox, but he *Omitted
that he knew there was Minions voting in Issl. Now. he
aul
ME. Scott Were the leading advocates for the tutiun of the
slirewsbury and Birmingham and North-Western eowpittijos;
stud yet tutu their evidence it was that the hill was filetl. Oentle•
men who had allowed the matters to slumber two v.earsnow came
and called for the inum•diat I, interference of the Court, and
sought tll Milli, at their instimee, the whole belly constrate to a
continuance of that suit. These considerations relieved the
Court of much embarrassment, and the only immediate danger
it wax called out to avert was With regard to the probability of a
repetition of the undue tempering with the shares oldie eolni.Hoy
against the ensuing Meeting. Oil the whole, it wits tolerably
lipparelit that all the shares inutile use of to manufacture rows
in lsa had tweet got back. These %hares were disposed of and
twee; but, if they were 104, whet could the Conn do? Ile did
not think that the directors would now do what heti been done in
1/4.'11. It WHIS 110 W knOWII what wits the exact her of ',harem
standing in the ttttt of the company. If these were &Ai with
in any way it would be slietely apparent. anti the questions
Ninth' illlttleillittely arise, " Where are they? What leis bccoute
of them ?•' Another question was, whether the Collet thought
lit, without pledging the 'smarmy tut the suit, to make the direc-
tors give an undertaking not to vote in respect of those charts;
I he should base felt inelined to do so but for the use whirl'
had been made of the fonuer one—a very improper use—in re.
pot-titles that it laid the parties ,zivitig it ler all obligation not
to repute proxies : but know lug, as the directors Crow did. What
the views of the Court were. and what they were likely to be on
the company saucti lug further proceedings in the event of the
use of thetas shares, he thought this matter might be left as it
at.ssi. Ile should decline to make any onler whatever. and the
only question was, as to coats. Under the circumstances, it
would be impossible to make the Shrewsbury and Ilinninghent
Comptuty pay costs. as it could not be known whit course the
company would adopt.

SATURDAY,

The costs were made costs in the cause by general
assent, and the court adjourned.
AN EXPLOSION OF GUNPOWDER took place in Shoe-
lane on Tuesday, by which three boys were so se-
riously injured as to compel their immediate convey
ance to the hospital. It seems that a publican
named Ashwell had discovered some remnants of
gunpowder at the bottom of certain canisters in his
house, which he instructed Cox, his potboy, to empty
down the sewer in the street. According to his own
statement the quantity altogether ann Alined to only
a few ounces, but evidence was produced tat the re-
sulting investigation to show that there must have
been nearly two pounds weight of it. While Cox was
pouring the powder into the drain, a crowd of boys
collected, one of whom applied a light to the train,
and thus produced the explosion, which was heard,
it was stated, through all the neighbourhood, alarm-
ing the inhabitants and attracting the attention of
the police, who, finding that severe injuries had been
received by several individuals, took charge of the
potboy, though himself considerably hurt, and had
him brought up before Alderman Sir It. W. Carden
at Guildhall on Tuesday, when the following evi-

dence was adduced:—
-
Frederick Coveney, a lad about twelve years of age. said : I
was walking past the " Black Dog," and saw Cox with a tin eaStl
in his hand, pouring gunpowder down the sewers grating, and
strewing some along the gutter. When he had emptied one case
he went into the house and brought out another; and while we
were looking on it blew up, and I was knocked flown on any

back.
Sir R. W. CARDEN : Did you see who set it alight?—Witness
No, sir ; I did not see any light at all.
Sir It. W. CARDEN (to prisoner) : Did you get burnt yourself?
—The prisoner: Yes, sir •, and I have been iu the hospital all
night in consequence of the injuries I received.
Mr. Ashwell, landlord of the Black Dog, and master of the
prisoner, said he was told that one of the boys in the crowd
ignited the gunpowder.
Sir it. W. CARDEN : HOW much gunpowder was there ?—Mr.
Ashwell: Not more than an ounce and a half or two ounces, sir,
for it was merely the remains of two canisters.
Sir R. W. CAMDEN: Oh, that cannot be; it is impossible two
ounces of gunpowder could injure so many and sO severely as
these boys appear to be.
Mr. Ashwell: I assure you, sir, there was no more, and the
prisoner is as innocent as 1 am.
Sir R. W. CARDEN : Why, you are the originator of this misfor-
tune, by disposing of gunpowder so carelessly. 1 think you are
the most culpable.
Mr. Anhwei : I thought the common sewer was the safest
place for it; and there was not much, or I could have turned it
into money by selling it.
Sir R. W. CAnuEsi : I say again it is quite impossible that two
ounces could have done so much mischief.
Au officer here stated that the father of the lad who was lying
in the hospital had ascertained that there was from Ilb. to
of gimpowder.
Sir R. W. CARDEN : That is more likely.
Officer : The report was heard at the bottom of Holboni-hill,
and even in Vietoria-street.
Sir It. W. Odium:: I must tell you, Mr. Ashwell, that you are
placed in a very peculiar position in the event of anything of a
more serious nature happening to these boys.
Mr. Ashwell: It was very imprudent for the boys to meddle
with the gunpowder.
Sir 11. W. CARDEN: It was very imprudent in you to give them
the opportunity.
The case was adjourned.
THE MURDER OF ELIZA GRINIWOOD, which oc-
curred in May, 1538, and of which the perpretator
has never been discovered, placed another supposed
criminal at the bar of the Southwark Police Court on
Monday last. Great excitement prevailed, and the
court was thronged with spectators, who were at-
tracted by rumours that the long-concealed crime
would at length be brought to light. In the end,
however, it turned out that a poor bootmaker, named
Peter Lamischal, a Dane by birth, but long resident
in London, had quarrelled with a woman with whom
he had cohabited, and, while drunk, had threatened, as
she deposed, to " serve her as he had served Eliza
(iriniwood." The woman having hinted the threat to
some acquaintance, the matter got talked about, the
police heard of it, and Peter Lamischai was appre-
hended. Being sober and frightened in court, he en-
deavoured to explain his words into another mean-
ing, declaring that he had merely threatened to serve
his female "friend" as Eliza (ironwood was served.
The prisoner was young still, so that he could
have been but barely eighteen at the time when the
murder was committed, and there was no jot of evi
deuce to associate him with the crime, except the
casual expression already mentioned, helped out by
a new statement, voluntered by the woman Jennings
from the witness-box, that "lie was always talking
about it in his dreams." The magistrate, however,
thought the case sufficiently suspicious to warrant
his sending the poor Dane to prison, on remand, in
order to give time for further inquiries. He was
brought up again on Thursday and discharged, there
being no real evidence against him.
THEFT OF A BANK POST BILL for :10/. • forgery of
the endorsement written upon it : and illegal utter•
ance of the stolen and fraudulent note afterwards,
were charged against Samuel Ellen, at the Mansion-
house, on Monday. The prisoner had been appre-
hended by an officer of the detective force. His
capture was owing to the odd circumstance of his
having accidentally left upon the counter of the
shop in which he had applied for the change of the
bank post bill a bundle of handbills, containing an
exact description of himself, and calling upon the
public to give information calculated to lead to his
restoration to his friends :

SEPTEMBIII 10, 1853.

Mr. Henry S. Hall, of the Circus, Tower-hill, shiphroker, said :
On the 23th ad' Aeffliet I arrnw at the Hank of England for a
bank post bill for 30/ After having paid the money and stated
the particulars 1 went away. intending to return after having
given the clerk time to tuakevaut the bill, as its usual outweighs's
of the kind. When I natitrued, in the course of au hour. 1 toms!
that sour person bad applied for and meeived the bill in my ab-
Settee. This is the poet bill. t never authorised any one to
receive it for me The enalontensent does not bear the slightest
resemblance 03 that of the house to which 1 belong. At the bank
they immedietely gave me another hill to the same anionet,
stating that they would atop the first if it ishoulai be preseuteaL
W. 1.. IA.WIS, Sitlettllll4ll to Messrs. Moses, said On the diet of
last month t saw the prisoner at my employeti shop in Oxford.
street. Ile wished to know whether, in the event of his pun
chaeing a snit of elothes. we would take a bank port bill for
t.wiwuttutit•wtot with the manager, who said he would take it.
The prisoner then selected (dottiest') the value in 71. 9s. ed. alto.
nether. I asked him to widens) the bill alter he wade the re-
leetion, anal he Kahl he had already endorsed it, Alla out
the 104111 e '4..4:come Ti psen" upon it. I told tom to „worse
it 11,11111, anal he accordingly wrote upon it " George Thompson,
ttitilalforal, Surrey." The priatiner then wished to malt eta hat,
and lea was accordingly directed to the proper place, while the
IflatlNger 1411411 eilleglitell together as to the propriety of taking the
bill. At that moment we found that he lout lett upon the C 4.1.111.0,
a paper panel, anti upon beating into it we discovered it bundle
of handbills, of which the following is a eery:—
" Singeing, from 13, Chorclestrect, Soho, since August 21),
(Aupposed to have started for Hornet between eight and nine
o'eliwk in the eve • g), Mr. S ttttt itel Knelt. lie is about five feet
two W 14.11011 in height, thirty-nine yearn of age, but looks much
older, is very halal, has grey whiskers, blue eyes, dark esamplesiaati.
111141 is liehirllll.4lll little' in the right shoulder; hail on it black
dress coat, blatek tiered silk withdrew, black troupers anti Kook,
black hat, °maiden elt,a's, shirt and stockings. •keal 'S. E.'
(hail a foist over his shirt), denied shirt, mid long rowan drawers;
had in his poeketa leather pocket-book, containing memormid ems,
Any information that may lead to bin diseovery, forwarded
any of the robe...attenuate, or to ilia residence as above, will be
V Midi), received by his friends."
Ilpain reading this handbill I saw that it referred to the primmer
himself, of whom it gave a perfect ticecription lit wits 45411444.
tiered tiecessary mend off the bank poet Anita the city house
at Aldgitte, to Mr. MOWN for ti4rectione how to act.
A Merman H urlmrnY : And what did you do with the primmer?
—Witness : The primmer wee not to be found when the 111t.44-
senger rettinted from the city.
Alderman liellefiEllY begot the clothes ?—Witness Ns',
Alalt•notaittin : Why did you not detain bills, and send
to the next station-hottote for an offleer ?—Witness: We did not
know how to act —the ewe with
and We tl ght the beat merge we could adopt would he to semi
to Mr. Mitten 111111t4e1r. We told the prisoner there would be a
little delay in 1.011144.41111.11ee of the necessity n 6401110 inquiry.
Alderman 111iM rit ERY : /141 ought to have been detained. He
might have escaped altogether. When and where was he appre-
hended ?—Weida (the detective officer): lie WAN apprehended by
tee sill sentrality night at the Manse its Chervil-alit...et, Side', to
which the handbill alludes.
The prisoner hail, it appears, alesented himself from his resi-
dence in Clittreli.stret•t ut the thins ended in the himillailla, cud
11114411 returning Buried Heat the printed noth•eva of 11111 dissimean
awe lied been circulated, whereupon he willed at sarious places
for the purpose of withdrawing them, and had SO/Weeded in
getting hold of the bundle which he subsequently kit upon Mr.
Moses's counter.
Ne was remanded.
APPIitIIIHNSIng OF A GANII rIF FonEms
6 AWBI,Ir.ftB was effected on %aturday night, in a coffee-
shop at ti 7, Castle-atreet, Leieemter-simare, and, on
the following Monday, Francois Hache, doorkeeper,
and Francois Noche, ,jnn., Edouarsl Hendry, Felix
l'aget, Ocan Hardi, Eugene Matthez, Charles Ehe-
schuls, Johann HotiMan, Frederic de Winter, Jean
Berrard, Jean Germain, Jean Pastel, Louis Legros,
Charles !bitter, Alexandre Gauls, Jules l'icot, Pierre
Ferret, Julian Javrain, Auguste Trapant, and Jean
:Henan, were brought before Mr. Hardwick, charged
with having been found in a common gaming-house
for gambling purposes
Superintendent O'Brien produced his authority Irom Sir It.
Minim to enter the house, tit). 67, (Witte-tartlet, which wee MOW
p.. 0.1 ell is he a 4.411111114111 gatning-lionee, Alma halfistst eleven
44'elock on the previous Saturday night, witness 14111 d it timelier of
constables went to the house, and having gained admission (Sro-
ceeded up stairs, and in te room on the ground dote- foetid 111111.•
leen 0t the defendants. 'l'imn. watt a table in the mom *Melt
Was covered with green issue 1411 CRON. There was also seine
silver and copper money, whirls had evidently formed the prime-
rs; pert of the stake played liar. lu another room four other
foreignena wo'n't aptars•lsentleal, anal all who Were ti ol ill the
main were apprehended e wept one, who menett,it to jtuup oig,
of the whitlow, but wan ad t • ediately Afterwards brought
back in the 4.1144144 y sit it poi i.e-sergeant. One of the prisoners,
Hecht., kin.. said he 41111 y Retell 1.44 r a person Wll4l WAS the pro-
prietor of the mom. anti who was at present in prison. fttabert
Lester, 141141ther 15011e1.114111111. said he wise ins.riteteil to watch the
premises, which have hilig been k 1104411 to *he liolh.e as being
used as a resort for fereigiturs for gambling purposes. Hellenist! at
the Mirk of the house fir • time, and e 111,1414.41 to hear the
shuffling ofellelllt Mel the jingling oluttatiey. Ito was sat isfied that
gambling wan going ell 111111 e mom. Witness afterwitnis itecom•
panted his superintendent Into the house, and then. t' I tables;
strewn with muds. anti Abram gms. iii silver, and 3s. I Id. in ',Trent,
A solicitor who 11111.4.itred fur the prisoners rotot slotted that that
prisoners. beiut fereigners, were not WA ilre 111111 11141111101illg WWI
4111 411.4•111.1.--thill they merstly Rososemblesl tit the vo.ffee•Oloolo In rind,
rtitts.titNt each other, to remi the papers, anal to isitiot,e 014.114,41%es
wills 11 ttttt •at slink, the stokes lacing appropriete.l to the pit.
meta of the pimp, wed if thu rr we + Hit) ,1111,111,4
it was put in it ht, I when it ens meted to at stithetent ,•ittte it
was aprmt ill 1411 e ellesioll to OWN.% or I ario esenal. Sir. Hard-
wick men mited, from the evia let it I y inferior Snit ion of the fi write iers,
that it might he possible many sal them were ignorant that
revealing was prohibited by the laws of this 'salinity. It wits.
lemcver, itopossilale lA, believe that all were equally ignorant of
the lea.; No, Riving them the hotetit of the doubt, he would
allow it to iterate in mitigation of the tine. Instead of lent_ the
manager must pay 2rd.. this doorkeeper 51., anal the pleyers Ins.
each Applicetion was made and granted for the slotegitifin of
Otte 44 the prisoners. Charles Ebeschulz, on several charges to
f
Tar. Prntore STmesTnv in the snffererm from the
late accident at the Sydenham Crystal Palace has
been tnrned to fraudulent Reettillit by Robert Gil-
grove, who appeared at the bar of Worship-street
Police Intim on Wednesday. The prisoner bears
cif courvi a gentlemanly appearance, which is
the chief stock in trade of such impostors. He
was charged by three successive witnesses with
baying ebtained3 or attempted la obtain, money

THE PRESS.

front them, ostetisilt4 for the fiu►d rui.u►g on behalf
of the widows and orphans of the men killed in the
above-mentioned eatic,triiplie. Ile .upistrted his
application► by a forged ilootenent, mitisitiing to bear
the signature ..f Mr. Miller, treasurer of St. Ilar
lholoinea's Iloy.itad. Ills fraud being detected. the
prisoner Was given into custody, and reu►a►►ded I.
the magistrate fur the production of further evi
deuce.

A Flute et. M reel! tteir Tatious, dealing extensively.
with India under the llt'Sigllll6oll Of illPloll and
were lately bankntpt, both in London and ealeutta :
and the English representative of the house, Mr. .1.
Wallace, up at the Bankruptcy Court for his
eertitleate on Thursday. The debts %Wirt, nearly
;11,004 IL, alNi tlw state of the assets bore singular
testimony to the variety I,ltliePUllllllel'PiaiallilitigS
British houses, and the curious political contingioneirs
on which their prosperity sometimes depends. Among
the principal causes of failure in their business the
partners in the inn' city the disturbances arising out.
of the various wars which had 64'11 waged in the Ewa
with the tlliinese, the Atlghans, and in the l'unjemb.
What were glorious victories to the English armies
proved most disastrous casualties to the merchant
tailors. In the memorable battle of Mewslkeso ens-
touters of the bankrupts ereving them nearly :t41,000
rupees were killed ; and at Ferivesliale and Solomon
!04411111 rupees worth neat. These sums were absol tit ely
lost, except some trilling 111 11111 l tits obtained through
the medium of the .Administ maw-1 itireral. A second
class toertilicate was immediately granted.
Genre COINS, gamine in themselves lent of inferior
value, have been lettered as sovereigns to various
tradesman, chiefly publicans, by et respectable. les de ing
man named Care). Ile WON
1143660 as of the attempt, slid when examined at
Hammersmith Police Court. endeavoured to shelter
himself luider a Wadable. Isle never actually called
the coins in question sovenoigns, but, ri_ngis....e4 one on
the counter, asked only for "change for this," mid
waited the result. The magistrate, however, thought
it advisable to ascertain some tut titer partieularet
respecting so ingenious an individual; and has kept
him in custody, on remand, for the present.