The Express.
London, England, 1848-12-25 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

JENNY LIND AT letifeitinVitt —This vocalist has
this week boon fulfilling her benevolent engagement to the
Manchester public, entered into some months back, of giving
two concerts in aid of the infirmary. This inatitati..n hes
been of late Jae efficient for the purposes designed in come.
quince of the original building having become inadequate to
the demands upon its means of internal accommodation fur
patients. To remedy the :dittmity two ooerses atiended
with great expense had to be adopted. One was to remove
the lunatics altogether, and raise • separate building !for
them in the country; the other was to pull down a portion
of the infirmary itself, and to substitute two new wings
to the building, very materially increasing its event.
'ale merchan s, manufacturers and other inhabitants,
when called upon to inbeeirihe for these objects,
answered the appeal with liberality, but the tonne
have, notwithstanding, been found insaHtei.nt for the work ;
and hens, the prestat concerts were projected. The first
concert was on Tuesday, at the Concert-hall, admission a
guinea each. The other was on Thuraday night, at the
Great Free Trade-hall, when the admis.ions were on •
Kale graduating from a guinea down to bell a-crown. The
result has been sucese.ful beyond anticipation, the receipts
hat ino reached (including a donation of 1001. which the
occasion has called forth) the extraordinary 'mount of
0601. Allowing 4601. for expenses (which tall probably be
the outside), there will thus be a balance applicable to the
hind• of the infirmary of more than 2,4001.
CHARGE OP DEFRAUDING • FIRE INSURANCE
COMPANT.—W. C Domain, who formerly carried on busi-
ness a a paper.ruler he Bwift'acourt, Csatle.street, Liver-
pool, was, on Friday, chem. el at the Police Court
tit arson. Paine tape. Clough deposed that a fire
took place on the prisoner's premises on the 6th of last month.
—Mr. J. Horner, engraver Cases-street, deposed to the
Wiesner, who was on intimate terms with him, calling at
his shop, and stating, in allusion to the fire, that Tomlinson
and Webster, who were formerly his apprentices, but now
in business for themselves, had told him (Domain) that they
bad their suspicions with respect to the fire, and knew all
about the wire business. He (Demaio) said they wanted
him to give them something to keep silence, and he had
given them 61. and • cutting machine. The prisoner, upon
this occesion. stated that the fire had originated in cons.-
quenc of a cigar he wee smoking having dropped into the
paper shavings. The prisoner called upon the fol.
lowing day, when he said those lads (Tomlinson
and Webst-r) intended to transport him. He
(witness) said the prisoner was a fool to notice them.
Hew could they him? Prisoner said, " Don't talk
that Ivey, man; look here," and threw down • letter, which
he (witness) read The letter was addressed to Mr. Domain,
and signed with two initials, and was to the effect that they
were taking down evidence aOnut him (the prisoner) in
Clayton square, and he had Memer hasten to the writer.
Witnem asked the prisoner what evidence they could have
against him, and he said, "It is that wire affair, but the lads
did it." The prisoner then explained that a wire had been
carried up the staircase and along a beam, and to a box fixed
upon that floor; that this wire was attached to a piece of
sandpaper placed beneath a stone' and near to which was a
hoe of lueifer witches; that upon the wire being pulled, the
sand-paper would ignite the matches, and se communicate
the fire to the shavings. He said one of the lads knew of
this wire, having treced it 'long the be in. The prisoner
mid he believed the fire had been thus ocessiesed, and that
he could set fire to a place by electricity, it he were jolly well
paid for it. Oa Tuesday weak, witness met the prisoner in
the street, and he said, " Good bye, I have done them, and
the lads will net get their 61."—The primmer was remanded
until Wednesday next.
POCKET-PICKING EXTRAORDINARY. There were

on Friday placed at the bar of the Manchester begingh court,
a little girl, named Mary A. Murphy (who stated that she
was nine years of age, bat who seemed is be about eleven),
and three young women, decently drafted, calling themselves
BO*. Dwyer, Jam Brows, sod Cath. Brown. Kr. Messick
charged the girl with pocket-picking, and the other prisoners
with receiving the property, knowing it to be stolen. The
facts of the case were these :—On Wednesday, a young lady
named Becher, came into town fur the purpose of shopping.
On her way, she was closely followed into a jeweller's shop
by Murphy, but was not aware of the fact, Mrs. Mendelson,
the shopkeeper, however, saw the girl enter, and, from her
unconcerned bearing and the neatness of her dregs, nought
that she was an atnudent on the lady. Miss Esther spent
about twenty minutes in selecting several artiel' es for pur-
chase, and during the whole of the time the little girl
stood very close to bar. When about to pay for the articles,
she missed her pocketbook, which contained a 61, note. liar
pan*, however, was still in her pocket. Thinking that she
night have last the book in the shop, she began to look
about for it ; Mrs. Mendelson assisted, and so also did the
little girl. The search was unsuccessful ; end Miss Ember
mine to the conclusion that she might have dropped it at the
counting-house of Mr. Bellboy's,' or left It at home. Thither
she proceeded, bat the missing pocks...book could act be
found. Immediately after she had left the shop, the little
girl went out, totally unsuspected by any one; for Mrs.
Mendelson regarded her as the attendant on the young lady,
and the latter looked upon her as belonging to the shop. In
a short time afterwards, Mrs. Mendelson mimed from her
pocket her own puree, which contained twenty-two
sovereints and a halkovenign, two of the sovereigns
having been cut at the bank. She aao seined one or two
keys. Being convinced that she had the purse in her
pocket a abort time before Miss Basher entered, the began
to suspect that both eke and the ung lady had been
robbed by the little girl ; and when Mies Bather returned,
there ensued inquiries and explanations which etrengthened
the suspicion. Information was given to the police; and
on th • (Awing day the girl was auptehendsd ins shop in
Old Market-place m the act of picking a lady's pocket.
Policeman Garland, who was in plain clothes saw the little
creature engaged in what appears to have been her calling,
ar,d took her into custody. She dropped a puree on the
ground. Several filiation. were put to her, in reply to
which eke stated that she only entered the town on Wednes-
day ; that she eons iron Derry, in Ireland, sad that she
had no friends sere. After telling a number of falsehoods,
she confessed that she had been lodging at an eatansphoun,
near to the Old Church, kept by a person named Smith, and
she gave up the key of ber box, in which, she some
money would be hand. Mr. &swish, by
Garland, went to the eating house spoken of, and found
that the three other primness, who said they were
sisters, occupied a room there. On Jane Brown he
bound Mrs. Mendelson's keys and purse. Ile then
witched the room. Between the bed and mattress he found
a quantity of new clothing, and a lady's rosewood work-box
was concealed tinders watand. The key which had been
given un by Mary Ann Muroby Winked this box. In one
of its cogs es, Mr. B. awl* dlesevend the pocket-
book and . note belonging to Mho Itsrese sad. in another
compartment, a poi beg, apparently ustaiitiag nothing
but sugar, bat ha 441. in gold, wagged up in paper, ee
anted in the midst it. Amongst the geld then wage two
cut nftereigna banging to Mn. Mentleina. • peach
named TIMM. wham Misr imps a Main Sinaloa& mer-
bet,
deposed that en Tnied•ay last he net the whole of the
prisoner Is the 141011101 :ten vault% Deenerate. They told
fin that they were ONE/en, sad askad him to show them
the town. H. did so , and in the evening they went to the
I theatre. The yonce ladies not only rid all; the expenses,

bat they presets& Tuner with it very beadrome purse fer
his kind attention to teen. Ann Dual, servant at the
Llangollen tares, sorroberated a part of Tamer's evidence,
sad produced a very Swat puree, which ors of the foals
had even to her. In all, Is purses wore trued to the FM-
seas& Mr. Bawl* expritemed hie belief that the whaM of
the prisoners had bees in the habit of Stelae out to pink
ladies' peels% end applied to has then remanded bra few
days. -Mr. Kiude said that the caw was very gear egoist
Mary Awl Murphy and Jane Brown; the dere-Piss
seminst them sight be take, and the others were reseeded.