The Press.
London, England, 1856-11-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

in Princes-terrace, leading to Crown-terrace. It was
by the side of the kerb of the pavement :
There was about a double handful. There were boys
with him, and they shared it. The shots were all along
Princes•terrace. Supposing a person to be walking from
Crown-terrace to Kentish-town, they would go along that
road.
Walter Stearne, the keeper of the White Hart, in
St. Thomas's-street, had known Burgess and Pierce
for years; Agar he had only seen four or five times :
On the 17th or Pith February last a parcel was handed
to him by Sarah Thompson, his barmaid. In consequence
of what she said to him, she put that parcel into his cash-
box, anti kept it there. On the following night, or the
night after that, Burgess asked witness whether he had a
parcel for him. Witness took him into his bar-parlour,
and then gave him the parcel in the same state that he
had received it. Burgess opened it in witness's presence.
It contained several notes. He saw that they were larger
notes than 51. He asked Burgess why he had not pre-
viously made him acquainted with the contents of the
parcel, to which Burgess replied that it did not matter, as
he had perfect confidence in him. Burgess then asked
him to take care of it for him, and, as it was the savings of
years, he should be much obliged to him to invest it for
him in the best way he could. Witness suggested to Bur-
gess that it should be deposited at the London and West-
minster Bank. He declined. On the following morning
witness went to Messrs. Reid's countinghouse and depo-
sited the money, to the amount of 5001. It was all in Bank
of England notes, the identical notes which Burgess had
given him. He gave Burgess the book he had receive d
from Reid's, and he returned it to him in a few days after-
wards. He received the interest upon the amount lodged
at Reid's, and gave it to his barmaid to hand to Burgess
with the book. When Burgess gave him the book he did
not remember that he said the amount formed part of the
savings of his wife's mother, and that to make up the
amount to 5001. he had to take some money out of the
savings•bauk. He did not say that he had some good
fortune in speculating in shares. There was not the
slightest concealment on the partof Burgess when he gave
him the money, and witness deposited the identical notes
which he gave him.
Mr. Boom; said this was all the evidence he pro-
posed to offer, but he begged to direct the attention
of the court to a circumstance which occurred at the
previous examination, and which, if not checked,
might tend to defeat the ends of justice :
His worship would recollect that on Monday last there
was a short adjournment, and during that interval a man
who was now in court, under the guard of an officer, made
a communication to Pierce. He was not in a position to
say what were the words said to Pierce, but he should
prove what was his reply, and he should propose to make
it evidence against that prisoner.
Mr. James Porter, of Harleyford-road, the hus-
band of Mrs. Porter who was examined, said he was
in the court last Monday. During the adjournment
of the court he was standing immediately behind the
prisoner Pierce. " That man (pointing to a tall portly
man in court) spoke to him."
The person alluded t 9 came forward, and in reply
to a question from Mr. Goodman, the chief clerk,
said his name was Robert Dackombe.
Mr. Porter proceeded to say that be did not hear
what Dackombe said to Pierce, but he heard Pierce
coy in reply, " Make away with them and destroy
them." The person remained in court a short time,
and then witness lost sight of him. He was sure
Dackombe was the person.
Mr. Dackombe strongly denied the charge.
Mr. BODKIN then called Mr. Mitchell, an inspector
of the City police, who, having been sworn, said :
At the close of the examination last Monday, I saw this
person (Dackombe) speak to Pierce from the back of the
dock. I leaned forward to endeavour to catch what was
said, but I did not succeed. It was not at the time of the
adjournment, but at the final close of the day's proceedings.
Dackombe : I left here at twelve minutes to five. The
coach leaves the City at five o'clock.
Mr. BODKIN (to Mr. Mitchell) : Are you sure he is the
person ?—I am sure he is the man.
The LORD MAYOR (to Mr. Porter)': You say the con
versation took place at the adjournment in the middle of
the day ? —Yes, my lord.
The LORD MAroa (to Mr. Mitchell) : Why did you not-
,
interfere ?-1 had no charge of the prisoners ; they were
in charge of two other officers. Still I considered it
L a portion of my duty to try and hear anything that was
said, although I was unable to do so. Very few words

passed.
The LORD MAYOR again repeated that for the
future every precaution would be taken to prevent
persons whilst in the dock having communication
with bystanders in the court ; and the prisoners were
then remanded for another week.

LORD CmEF JUSTICE COCKBURN took his seat
upon the bench, at the Court of Common Pleas, on
Saturday last.
THE Cm GAS WORKS dispute with the Corpora-
tion will be heard at the Old Bailey Sessions, the
Corporation having resolved to prefer bills of indict-
ment against the company.
MR. SNELL, late clerk in the accountant's office of
the Great Northern Railway, was examined at
Clerkenwell on Thursday, on charges of embezzling
1.0001., the property of the company, and was fully
committed for trial.

1139

THE TRIAL OF MR. GOSLING and four prostitute*.
for indecent exposure in the Regent's-park in J uty
last, took place on Thursday at the Court ot Queen's
Bench. Lord Campbell, in the course of the case for
the prosecution, remarked that the evidence of the
two informers, Mitchell and Wsrren, was wholly un-

corroborated, and that the character of the witnesses
was disreputable as to Mitchell, and suspicious as to
Warren. The Solicitor-General at once withdrew from
the prosecution, and the case closed without going to
the jury.
A Ituyst. COMMISSION has been issued to inquire
into the present arrangements for transacting the
civil and criminal business of the superior courts of
law at Westminster, and into the manner and times
of holding the circuits, and to report to her Majesty
whether any and what improvements can be effected
therein, and particularly whether the number of the

common-law judges can be -reduced without detri-
ment to the public service. The commissioners
appointed are the Lord Chief Justice (Lord Camp-
bell), Lord Wensleydale, Mr. Baron A.derson, Mr.
Justice Cresswell, the Right Hon. J. Stuart Wortley
(her Majesty's Solicitor-General), Sir Frederick
Thesiger, and Mr. Horatio Waddington (Under-
Secretary of State).
THE LIABILITY OF THE INDIVIDrAL SHAREHOLDTES
of the Royal British Bank was decided on Tuesday
at the Court of Common Pleas. Morris, a creditor
of the bank, obtained a rule last week calling upon
Alderman Kennedy, a director and shareholder, to
show cause why a writ of execution should not be
issued against his private property. Alderman Ken-
nedy, through Mr. Hill, Q.C. showed cause why the
rule should not be made ;bsolute. The official
manager of the bank held 100,0001. ready to be
divided among the creditors, and further funds of
150,0001. were now collecting, while 50,0001. more
would be realised by the assets of the bank. The
Judges were of opinion that the court had no discre-
tion in the matter, and that the creditor was entitled
to execution at once.—Rule absolute.

" PERVERSIONS TO ROME" is the beading of a para-
graph which has gone the round of the papers,
announcing the secession of the Duchess of Athol
from the faith of her fathers. The Duke of Athol
bas this week written to the Times, denying in
emphatic terms the truth of the statement that her
Grace the Duchess had been converted to the
Roman Catholic faith. Dr. John Cumming has
also addressed the subjoined letter to the Times
Sir,—A paragraph has appeared in most of the news-
papers, stating that the Duchess of Atholl has been received
by Dr. Manning into the Roman Catholic Church. In a
more diluted form I read the same statement in several of
the Roman Catholic organs also. I have authority for
stating that there is no foundation whatever for the report.
It may also be as well to add that it has become a policy
not unworthy of Ignatius Loyola to circulate paragraphs
announcing new a:cessions to the Church of Rome in the
case of persons of rank, some of which I know are totally
devoid of truth. The rumour does its work before the
contradiction is known.—l am, sir, your obedient servant.
JOHN C UMMING. November 22.

MR. MORRIS MOORE, a gentleman well known in
the world of art, was arrested at Berlin last Friday
week, detained at the police-office all night, and
liberated next morning. The reason of this extra-
ordinary proceeding is that Mr. Moore was
known to be in connection with certain political
refugees in London, and to have brought letters
from them to certain suspected persons in Berlin.
A descriptive letter from Mrs. Moore to an indiscreet
friend, who has published it with a beading, " Civia
Romanus Sum,' and of course " abstaining from
comment as superfluous," attributes the whole affair
to professional jealousy :

He thinks Waagen and Co. have brought this about.
He had been narrowly watched, while making notes at the
gallery, by :a man who is known to be a spy of Waagen's.
When the chef de police was in his room, pulling about
his papers, he said, "on est votre porte feuille ?" He in.
sisted upon seeing his " gallery Note-Book." This is very
significant. Moreover, on the morning of the outrage
there appeared an article in the National Zeitung with
my husband's signature, in which Waagsn was attacked,
tamely, enough, however.
Mr. Morris Moore, in a later letter, exhibits symp-
toms of decided monomania. He attributes his
arrest to English " Court influence," and publishes
a long letter be addressed to Lord Bloomfield, our
ambassador at Berlin, full of ridiculous bombast anti

vulgarity.
THE SUNKEN WAR VEFSELS AT SEBASTOPOL are
to be raised by an American, according to a Boston
paper, which tells us that "John E. Cowen, Esq., of
this city, who is now in Russia, has just entered into
a contract with the Russian Government to raise the
ships of war and other vessels, fifty-two in number,
sunk in the harbour of Sebastopol at the time of the
siege." Mr. Cowen was the engineer who raised the
wreck of the United States steamer Missouri, sunk
in Gibraltar Bay. Mr. Cowen commences operations
in the harbour of Sebastopol next spring.