The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-23 00:00:00

children at Greenwich, on the 12th of September
has been brought to a conclusion, the jury,
afters
consultation of nearly three hours, having returned a
verdi:l to the effect that the origin of the fire had not
been proved—that they entertained grave suspicions
that it was not accidental, and that the policeman
and parish fireman had not satisfactorily discharged
their duty on the occasion. Mr. Roper was also er-
amined before Mr. Trail! at the police-court, on
charge of arson, and was again remanded.
A NIGHT IN A SEWER was agreeably passed by a
number of " navvies," although to tour of them the
consequences have not been quite so pleasant, inas-
much as they were on Wednesday indicted at the
Middlesex Sessions for having stolen one hundred
and thirty-two bottles of wine, the property of Charles
Taunton. The prisoners were on the 15th of Octo.
ber engaged with others in repairing a sewer which
was open in Hatton•garden. The prosecutor keeps
a public-house dt the corner of Charles-street, and it
was necessary to make an opening into his cellar to
do some work in connection with the sewer. A short
time afterwards numbers of bottles without necks
were lying about. Not only was bottle after bottle
drank in the cellar, but it was more than suspected
that not a few had been emptied into a large can for
the general benefit of the other men. The four
prisoners were found lying insensibly drunk. In-
quiries were made, which resulted in the discovery
that the prosecutor's wine-bins had been plundered.
No less than one hundred and thirty-two bottles had
been taken. The prisoners ( who had been employed
to do that part of the work leading front the sewer to
the cellar) were removed to the station-house on
stretchers, helplessly intoxicated, and on the follow-
ing day were charged with the felony. When called
upon to plead they admitted having drank the wine,
but repudiated having intended to steal. They were
found " Guilty," and sentenced to six weeks' hard
labour.

A CRIMEAN HERO, named Thomas Spencer, a pri-
vate ir. the Coldstream Guards, decorated with the
medal, was sent to prison for fourteen days by Mr.
Bingham, at Marlborough street Police-court, on
Thursday, fur begging money from various persons
on the street in the middle of the night, and in a
tone and manner calculated to insure compliance
with his request. It was urged in extenuation that
he was drunk at the time.
A REMARKABLE CASE was tried at the Middlesex
Sessions on Thursday. The material facts will be
found in the following narrative. Two men, named
Phillips and Wraxall, were charged with having
stolen tho purse of a lady, who stood up in a door-
way, in the Haymarket, during a shower of rain,
the prisoners placing themselves one on each sido
of her. They sought to engage her in conversation,
and after having invited her to take supper with
them, she alleged that she detected Wraxall's band
in her pocket, and immediately afterwards she
missed her purse. She seized both of the prisoners
and held them until they were taken into custody
by a policeman. When searched at the station half
a sovereign was found upon Phillips, but nothing on
Wraxall, who had kept a tobacconist shop in Jermyn-
street, for which he paid 1301., and had been clerk
in a solicitor's firm in the City. About ten weeks
ago he sold his business, and was living, when he
was taken on this charge, in IValcot-square, out of
business. Phillips was a convicted thief. Both were
found guilty : but, before the judge passed sentence,
Wraxall made a solemn denial of the truth of the
accusation preferred against him, and appealed to
Phillips to speak the truth. Phillips replied that
Wraxall's denial was quite true, and Mr. Sleigh
proposed to put him in the witness-box, but the
judge would not permit this proeeeding, on the
ground of its irregularity. Wraxall was then
sentenced to eight months' hard labour, and the
other prisoner to seven years' penal servitude. The
latter subsequently stated that he bad entrapped
Wraxall into a conversation with him, so that being
in the company of a respectable looking man ho
might the more successfully practise his dishonest
trade. The whole case will probably be reviewed by
the Home Secretary.