The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-28 00:00:00

ABANDONMENT OF A VESSEL BY THE

CREW.
IMPORTANT QUESTION OF WAGES.

Mr. Samuel Bulcray, the captain of the William and
James barque, belonging to
,the port of London, was
summoned before Mr. Burcham, at the Southwark
Police-coUrt, to show cause why be refused to pay wages

Lae to three of his crew, under very singular circum-

stances.

It appeared that on the sth of December last the
complainants joined the vessel at Rochester, and shipped
to go to Shields and back for £4 ss. the voyage. They
quitted Rochester that day to fetch a cargo of coals,
and on the 3rd of January left Shields with the cargo
on their return voyage. On the same night they were
overtaken with a storm and had to work at the pumps
until the sth, when they abandoned the vessel (Iff Tyne-
mouth. They were, afterwards picked up by a steamer
and conveyed to Leith, and afterwards sent off to Lon-
don by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society. The cap.
tain lived at Bermondsey, and on their applying to him
for their wages, amounting to £4 ss. each, he refused to
pay them, contending that they had not fulfilled their
contract by taking the vessel back to Rochester.

Mr.. Bacchant asked where the vessel was now.

The defendant said she was at Shields, under repair,
and be should require the complainants 'to work her back
to Rochester, They hail signed articles for that.
Mr. Ilacharn—But the vessel was abandoned, and that
ended their Contract. •
•
Captain—The crew left the vessel.

The mate, who was one 'of the coMplainants, said that
they were all worn out and could not work the vessel
any longer, therefore they took to the boat.
Mr. Burcham—Did you receive orders from the captain
to abandon her ?

Mate—Yes, sir ; he ordered us to lower the boats,
and he got in with us, and then we all abandoned the

Mr. Bnrcham—l am of opinion that these men are
entitled to their wages. As it was similar to a ship-
wreck; their contract was finished.
--Mr. lie'sham, who attended from the :office of Mr.
Thatcher for the defendant, considered.that the contract
was not fulfilled, inaSmuch •as the vessel was recovered,
and put into repair to go to Rochester. •
Mr. Burcham asked -whether the cargo was saved ?
Mr. Helsham replied that it was. In fact everything
was saved. '

The ,sailors here said that they were brought to Lon-
don by the society, and had since had to maintain
themselves the best way they could. .
Mr. Burcham observed that the captain ought to
have given the, seamen duo notice to hold them-
selves ,in readiness until the ship was . repaired, as
he knew where they were, and also provide for their
wants in.. the Meanwhile: What were -the men to .do
under the-circumstances ? He must make an order on
the defendant to pay the men the money forthwith.

• EiTRAORDINARY BrßTlr.—On Wednesday last, the
23rd'inst., a poor woman, the wife of a cabman, residing
at 6,: White Lion-Street, Pentonville, gave birth to three
fine children—two boys and one girl. The children are
doing
.well, but the mother is in a precarious state,
requiring more nourishment than her means will afford.
SALE OF TAB ILLUSTRATED NEWS OF THE WORLD.
The copyright and stock of this paper were offered for
Sale by Mr. Hodgson on Friday. The auction-room was
crowded by gentlemen well known in connection with
literary enter-prise, among whom were Mr. Stiff, Mr.
Maxwell, Mr. Frank Vizetelly, and Mr. Hodge, but the
bidding was confined to Mr. John Tallis and Mr. Merri-
man,,on behalf of parties whose names did not transpire.
The copyright (Lot 1) was knocked down to Mr. Tanis
at £1;370 ; and the well-known series of portraits (lot 2)
realised £2 58 per plate.
. THE COLLIERS LN THE WEST RIDING..--Within the
last few days, the colliers in the Queenshead district,
near Halifax, have received a considerable advance of
wages. They gave notice last week that unless their
pay Were increased 4d. per ton they would turn out in a
fortnight. They urged that they had only received but
a small share of the recent advance in the price of coal.
The masters 'at first resisted, but all have at length
yielded. The price now paid for getting is 6s. 10d. per
ton, and industrious pitmen, can earn their 30s. to 40s. a
week with the aid of a boy.
AN OYSTER CATCHING A SFARItOW.—A very sin 7
gular incident occurred on Thursday afternoon, on the
prernites of Mr. Potter, fishmonger, Dale End, Birming-
ham. A neighbour, passing through the yard, observed
a sparrow fluttering in'a frantic manner on the top of a
;heap of oyster shells, as though struggling to release
itself from unpleasant detention. He found that the
leg of the poor bird had been caught firmiy in the grip
of :a young oyster, which was attached to the outside of
one of the discarded shells. He at once took his pri-
soner'S into Mr.. Potter's shop, where the singular bird
trap was opened with a knife, and the bird released. It
Is supposed that the oyster had opened his pearly jaw
for air, and that the feathered wanderer, whilst hopping
merrily past, accidentally but too surely "put his foot in
it."—Birmingham Post.
WILLIAM IV. AND MRS. FITZHERBERT.—WiIIiam
IV. almost immediately after the supreme power had
been placed in his hands, gave very pleasing evidence
of the kindneSs of his heart. An application was made
to him on behalf of Mrs. Fitzherbert, of whose intimacy
with his late brother when Prince of Wales, he must
have been aware. The King,. it has been stated, invited.
her to Windsor, treated her with the greatest respect,
gave her permission to clothe her servants in the royal
livery, placed implicit reliance on nil her statements,
and having sanctioned an arrangement by which all
private papers were to-be destroyed—with a few excep-
tions that were placed under seal at •Coutt's banking
house—settled upon. her an income of £6,000 a year.
Mrs. Fitzherbert never forgot this liberal conduct, and to
the close of her life, spoke of it with the most earnest
expressions of gratitude.--The Courts and Cabinets of
William IV. and Victoria.
. A STREET FIGHT AT NEW ORLEANS.—At New
Orleans, on the morning of the 31st ult., Mr. Victor
Marot and Mr. John Flathers, both citizens of_respect-
ability and opulence, and both sugar brokers, met on
the levee, where they had been in the habit 'of meeting
in.the way of business. Each had his long auger, with
which casks are perforated. They , met face to face,
spoke a few words, and simultaneously drew their
revolvers and commenced firing at each other. Flathers
emptied his pistol (five shots), and Marot fired one shot
. some say two- -they closed as they, fired. After the
firing ceased tli'ey 'advanced upon each other with their
tugers. ' Marot received a gash on his forehead ; Flathers
had one of his thumbs cut in fending off Marot's auger.
Marot staggered back and fell, and was picked up by
his friends, and carried to an adjacent office, where he
expired •in a few minutes. • He had been shot twice
through the right thigh and once in the stomach, this
last being the fatal shot. Flathers received no other
injury than the damage to his thumb. Soon after the
shooting, }lathers surrendered himself. There had
been a preVious difficulty between them—Boston Paper.