The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-23 00:00:00

Sato anb Volta.

AN IMPORTANT CASE was tried on Wednesday at
the Old Central Criminal Court, when William
Howe and William Thompson were indicted for a
series of conspiracies to procure the discharge of
persons in custody for felony. Mr. Bodkin thus
stated the facts of the case :

The defendant Howe represented himself as clerk to an at-
torney named Simpson, who had an office over a tobacconist's
shop, in the Blackfriar's-road ; but on some occasions he repre-
sented himself to be an attorney, and Thompson, it appeared,
also represented himself to be clerk to Mr. Simpson. The other
defendant had also formerly been a lawyer's clerk, and there ap-
peared to be very little doubt that they had made use of their
knowledge of the law to commit the offence now imputed to
them. The first case to which he should have to call their atten-
tion was that of a charge of robbery against two women, named
Scott and Blatchford, who were taken into custody in April last
for stealing a purse from Mrs. M'Arthur, the wife of Colonel
M'Arthur, who resided at Woolwich. These prisoners were exit-
mined before Mr. Hardwick, at the Marlborough-street Police
Court, and, the charge being proved to his satisfaction, he com-
mitted both prisoners for trial. The defendant Howe attended
as the attorney for Blatchford, and at the close of the case he
made an application to the magistrate to admit her to bail. but
from his knowledge of her character he refused the application,
and both prisoners were committed for trial. It appeared that
upon this Howe made an application to Mr. Justice Coleridge,
at chambers, to have the prisoner Blatchford admitted to ball,
and the defendant Thompson made an affidavit that he bad
served a notice of the intended application at the house of Co-
lonel M'Arthur; and when the judge made an order that the
prisoner should be admitted to bail upon forty-eight hours' no-
tice being given to the prosecutor to enable him to make Inoue
ries into the sufficiency of the sureties, the defendant Rickards
represented himself to be the attorney for the prosecution, and
signed a consent to the prisoner being admitted to bail at once
without the usual notice. An order for the discharge of the pri.

T

SEPTEMBER 23, 1854

goner was of course at once made, and she was set at liberty, and
when the sessions came on she did not surrender, and entirely
evaded justice. Upon inquiries being made respecting the per-
sons who had become bail, it was found that they had given false
eiddresses, and one of them has since been transported for felony.
The learned counsel then stated the circumstances of two other
cases of a similar character, one of them being that of a notorious
thief named Roberta, who was tried at this court a few sessions
back. and transported for ten years. for stealing a cheque for
30,0001., and other securities, from a bank clerk in the banking-
house of Messrs. Barnett and Co., and the other that of a man
named Collins, who was charged with a robbery in an omnibus.
In both those cases false affidavits had been resorted to with the
view of getting the prisoners admitted to ball; but, oning to the
vigilance of Messrs. Bush and Mullens, the solicitors to the
Bankers' Association, in the former instance, and the interfe-
rence of Mr. Perry, the chief clerk of the Lambeth Police Court,
in the other, the attempt was rendered abortive. Under these
circumstances the public authorities had felt it their duty to in-
stitute the present prosecution, and the jury would say, after
hearing the evidence, whether the charge was not fully estab-
lished against the prisoners.
The jury found the prisoners Guilty, and Mr. Justice
Erie sentenced them to eighteen months' imprison-
ment with hard labour.
THE THEATRICAL PERJURY CASE has ended in the
acquittal of the accused. The following is a sum-
mary of the trial, which took place on Thursday :

The defendant, Benjamin Sloman, had for many years filled
the position of chief carpenter at Drury-lane Theatre, and the
,•prosecntion was instituted by Madame Caradori, the prima donna
during the late opera season, and Signor Payee, who was one of
the principal singers of the establishment. It will be remem-
bered that a Mr. Jarrett hired the theatre of Mr. Smith, the
lessee, for 100 nights, at the commencement of the season ; but,
after the speculation had gone on for 82 nights, it was found to
be very unsuccessful, and Mr. Jarrett became insolvent.. Mine.
Caradori, it would appear, was desirous of keeping faith with the
public, and of continuing the theatre open ; and an arrange-
ment was made under which all the receipts were to be used,
fleet to pay the expenses of the building, and then the workmen
were to be paid in full, and if any surplus remained it was to be
divided among the principal artistes, who were. to receive one-
third of their salaries. This arrangement did not turn out very
satisfactory, and Madame Caradori announced her intention not
to sing after the 19th of August, and on that day the theatre was
clased. It appeared that on the morning of the 19th the defen-
dant made an affidavit that Madame Cartdori and Signor Pavesi
owed him 221. 18s., and that they had told him they intended to
leave the country, and upon this affidavit Madame Caradori and
the Signor were taken into custody, and were not released until
they paid 301. as debt and costs.
Madame Caradori and Signor Pavesi were examined, and they
denied having told the defendant that they intended to leave
England, or that they owed h m anything. There appeared,
however, to have been a good deal of confusion iu the arrange-
ments after the retirement of Mr. Jarrett, and Signor Parcel ad.
mined that he had upon one occasion expressed an intention to
go to Milan.
Mr. CLARKSON, on behalf of the defendant, contended that
there had been no corrupt or wilfully false statement made by
the defendant, and that it was perfectly clear that the defendant
bad performed the duty of employing assistants, and doing all
that was required in his position. He urged that the defendant
might reasonably have supposed that Madame Caradori was the
person who ought to have paid him; and although other persons
might have been more to blame than he was, yet, under the cir-
cumstances, it was clear that he was only endeavouring to en-
force what be considered to be a just claim.
The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
AT the Central Criminal Court, the attack upon
!r. Harding Giffard, the barrister, on Monday last,
by the Rev. Hugh Pollard Willoughby, rector of Bur-
thorpe, Gloucestershire, and Baldon Toot, Oxford-
shire, has lately formed the subject of general conver-
sation. From the facts which have transpired there
Canbe little doubt that the unfortunate gentleman is
of unsound mind. Some years ago he was the sub-
ject of a commission of lunacy, and shortly afterwards
evaded the vigilance of those under whose care he
was placed, and escaped to France. At the request
of the Lord Chancellor, Dr. Forbes Winslow went to
Paris for the purpose of seeing the rev. gentleman,
and had several interviews with him. The report of
this physician was, that Mr. Willoughby was a lunatic,
and not fit to be at large. Viewing the case in all its
relations, the Court of Chancery did not think it right
to adopt any measures for securing Mr. Willoughby's
return to its jurisdiction, and he was consequently
placed under no kind of surveillance whilst on the
Continent. The rev. gentleman will be placed at the
bar this morning, for the purpose of undergoing a
renewed examination before Mr. Alderman Finnic,
when Mr. Clarkson, who will appear on his behalf,
will offer no opposition to his being committed for
trial. The defence will of course be that he is a
lunatic, and not responsible for his actions. Mr.
Giffard, who had so providential an escape, states
that he had no acquaintance with the reverend
gentleman, but that he thinks he has seen him. He
cannot, however, remember when or where. Mr.
Willoughby was presented to one of his livings by a
late Lord Chancellor, and to the other by his brother,
Sir H. P. Willoughby, Bart., M.P. for Evesham.
A CHINAMAN, whose name was entered on the
police sheet as Ta-sai, was brought before Sir R. W.
Carden on Tuesday last charged with begging. The
prisoner, a goodlooking young men, appeared a half
stupified with opium, and on being asked if he
understood what was going forward said he knew a
little English.—The officer said he took the prisoner
into custody, and found on him nearly 4s. in copper.
—Mr. Thorns, of Warwick square, kindly consented
to act as interpreter for the prisoner, who stated that
he had been in England about ten months, and was
unable to return to his own country because the
captain had no further need of his services.—Sir R.
W. Carden said he had forty five Chinese before him
at the Mansion-house in one day, and he generally
found them very unwilling to go back ; in fact, it ap-

THE PRESS.

peered to him that as fast as some were sent away
others came back to supply their places.—Mr. Thorns
said, from his knowledge of the destitute Chinese in
this country, he was quite sure they were only too
anxious to return to their wives and families. Most
of them had been induced to leave their own coun-
try to work English and American ships that were
homeward bound and short of sailors, under the
promise of being sent back to China; but when the
ships arrived in this country, where sailors were
always to be had, the Chinese were turned adrift to
get their living the best way they could. In all pro-
bability those who had refused to go back bad been
ill used by the captain, and had had their tails cut
off.—Captain Lean, the Government emigration
agent, said he thought it likely the Government
would contribute towards the expense of sending the
destitute Chinese home.—Mr. Thorns said the charge
required by the captains to take back these men was
10/. each, but be believed there were many benevo-
lent captains who, as an act of charity, would con-
sent to take them at 51. each.—Sir R. W. Carden said
he would remand the prisoner for a few days to see
what could be done for Thorns said there
were thirty-five Chinese now in London, all of whom
he had seen, and could bear testimony to their des-
titute condition.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, DR. FERGUSON, ac-
cused of having feloniously solemnised a marriage
between a young woman named Hannah Sarah
Steele, a Protestant, and Thomas Cokely, a Roman
Catholic, in the absence of the registrar of marriages
of the district, was brought up at the Hammersmith
Police-office for final examination on Thursday.
The case had been twice adjourned for the attend-
ance of the registrar and his deputy, who both
deposed that they were not present on the occa-
sion, though they had often been so on others at
Dr. Ferguson's chapel. The defendant was ulti-
mately committed for trial, but bail was taken for his
appearance.

glitihnts Oftntes.

THE FIRE AT GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL, respect-
ing the origin of which there were some doubts, is
now attributed, with every probability, to spontaneous
combustion. It appears that the materials used in
varnishing the stalls and wood-work consisted of a
mixture of linseed oil and turpentine. The liquid
was applied by means of cotton rags and parts of
cotton stockings, which, after the work of the day was
over, were placed together in a basket in the bishop's
pew, saturated with varnish. Mr. Byard, to whom the
repairs of the cathedral are entrusted, resolved to try
by experiment how far spbntaneous combustion was
probable:—

Some of the rags used on a subsequent occasion in varnishing
the stalls were placed together, and in two hours afterwards they
were found to have attained so high a temperature that they
could notbe touched, and several of them were singed and burned
from the effects of the heat thus generated. Had they been left
alone they would probably soon have ignited. The quantity of
rags used for the purpose of experiment on this occasion was
less than the quantity thrown together in the bishop's pee on
the night of the lire, or the effects would have been of a more
decided character. The experiment was on Thursday repeated
in the crypt of the cathedral in the presence of the mayor, Dr.
Jenne, and several other gentlemen. For this purpose some
cotton rags (parts of stockings) that had been used in the var-
nishing process, and which were saturated with linseed oil (pre.
viously boiled, but then quite cold) and turpentine, were placed
in a frail basket together, with some chips of wood. In a short
time heat was generated, which gradually increased until smoke
began to ascend from the basket. This also increased, and in
three hours the rags burst into a strong flame. which in about
twenty minutes burned the basket and its contents to ashes.
A MOST EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE took place
at the Central Cnminal Court on Monday, when it
opened for the session. At the conclusion of one
of the trials, an elderly person, of most respectable
appearance, who had been sitting on the seat under
the judge's bench, deliberately got up and walked to
the counsels' table, and, placing himself close to Mr.
Giffard, who was the first gentleman on the seat, lie
said, in an earnest and solemn tone, "Do you re-
member Cardiff?" and at the same time placed the
muzzle of a pistol close to his cheek and pulled the
trigger. The weapon exploded with a slight report,
and, from what was afterwards discovered, it ap-
peared that the bullet which it had contained had
dropped from the barrel. The powder being thus
scattered the fatal intention was frustrated, and the
affect of the discharge was merely to occasion a slight
injury to the cheek of the learned gentleman who had
been made the subject of so deadly an attack. For
an instant the court was almost paralysed, but there
were speedy cries to seize the party, and Russell, one
of the City detective policemen, and Rutland, who is
an: officer attached to the corporation, seized the pri-
soner. Mr. Sheriff Wallis at once directed that he
should be searched to see if be had any other deadly
weapons about his person ; and the prisoner with
great coolness exclaimed, " Yes ; I have another pis-
tol," and added, "it is loaded," at the same time
taking a pistol from his breast pocket, and handing
it to the officers ; and upon its being examined it was
found to be loaded with ball. The escape of Mr.
Giffard was most miraculous ; for, if this tecond wes-

899

pon had been used instead of the other, some deadly
injury, if not loss of life, must necessarily have been
the consequence. When he had recovered himself
sufficiently he looked at his assailant, and was asto-
nished to find that he was an utter stranger. The
prisoner, who exhibited the utmost composure, but
whose appearance gave strong manifestations of in-
sanity, was then removed to the sheriffs parlour,
and Mr. Alderman Finnis and Sir John Musgrove at
once proceeded there to take the necessary deposi-
tions. The prisoner gave his name as Hugh Pollard
Willoughby, and said that he was the brother of Sir
Henry Willoughby, and that he was a clergyman,
and resided at Oxford. Upon his being searched, a
gold watch and chain, 5/. in gold, 12s. in silver, and
four keys were found upon him. Mr. Clarkson was,
on the prisoner's request, sent for to act as his coun-
sel. After a short private conference between the
learned gentleman and the prisoner, Mr. Clarkson
returned, and said he believed there was no doubt
that the prisoner bad truly represented himself to be
a clergyman, and that he was a man of family. He
was not aware what course the magistrates might
think it right to adopt under such extraordinary and
exciting circumstances, but he said he would venture
to suggest that the most advisable course to be taken
was to have formal proof given in connection with
the charge against the prisoner, and then postpone
any further inquiry to a future day. Mr. Alderman
Finnis said that he and Sir John Musgrove had con-
sidered what steps were the best to take, and they
had agreed upon the course suggested by the learned
counsel. The depositions were then taken, and the
further hearing of the case adjourned till Saturday.
The Rev. Hugh Pollard Willoughby is rector of East
Leach or Burthorpe, near Lecblade, Gloucestershire,
to which benefice he was presented by the Lord Chan-
cellor in 1827. He is also rector of Baldon Marsh,
near Oxford, to which he was presented in 1820 by
his brother, Sir H. P. Willoughby, Bart.
A TERRIBLE FIRE, from which several persons had
a most narrow escape, occurred in Bloomsbury on
Monday night. It broke out in a lofty four-story
building, situate at No. 7, Dudley-street, within a few
doors of Broad-street, Bloomsbury. At the time of
the outbreak most of the persons who rented the
upper floors were at home, and when the alarm was
given a most painful scene presented itself ; for the
different inmates, on finding the fire ascending, forth-
with made a precipitate retreat into the street, and
those who bad forgotten in their fright to take their
children along with them were unable to return. One
poor woman rushed through the crowd, exclaiming
that two of her children were in the midst of the fire.
Two men, named Harley and Dennis Collins, not-
withstanding the great risk they ran, rushed upstairs
to the first floor back, where they found an infant in
bed asleep, and a young girl clinging to the bed-
clothes, the fire at the same time had seized upon
the bedding. With great presence of mind they ma-
naged to seize the two children, and they brought
them down in safety, but nearly suffocated with the
heated smoke. They were then informed that seve-
ral other children were in the floors above, and the
same persons made an attempt to get to the room,
but the fierceness of the fire prevented them. From
what, however, has since been learned, there is strong
ground for supposing that every inmate has escaped.
In spite of the exertions of the firemen, the flames
could not be conquered until they had passed com-
pletely through the building, destroying in their pro-
gress the whole of the furniture of the different
lodgers, and severely injuring the stock in trade of
Mr. Collins. The latter was insured in the County
Fire Office, but none of the other sufferers were in-
slued for a single penny.
THE most terrible conflagration that has happened
in Surrey for years took place on Tuesday morning,
when the great flour-mills of Mr. Ashby, of Bedding-
ton, were totally consumed. About nine o'clock on
Monday night the mills were charged with grain and
the building closed, when all of a sudden a violent
gale of wind sprang up, which caused the sails of the
mill to revolve with extraordinary swiftness ; but
nothing was apprehended in the shape of fire from
that cause. The fire was first discovered by the
policeman on duty. Several policemen being mus-
tered, they got ropes and chains, which they threw
over the roof and across the mill, and by that means
they succeeded in pulling the top of the mill down,
expecting by that expedient to prevent the fire from
descending to the lower floors. Unfortunately their
services, as far as regards the preservation of the
mills, were futile, for the flames continued to burn
downwards until at length the mills became com-
pletely encircled in flame. A want of water inter-
fered greatly with the exertions of the firemen, who
assembled from all sides, but not in time to prevent
the total destruction of the property. As to the
origin of the fire, it is stated that it must have been
caused either by the friction of some of the machinery
by the high wind turning it too quickly, or from one
of the men having dropped a spark from a lighted
candle amongst the dust from the grain. Fortunately
the loss will be partially covered by an insurance in
be County Fire-office.