The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-22 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

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INGENIOUS SWINDLE AT LIVERPOOL—A stylishly-
dressed man, who gave the name of John Ogden, was
charged on Monday with obtaining money by false pre-
tences. Mr. Levi, silversmith, Elliottstreet, Liverpool,
stated that the prisoner called upon him on Saturday after-
noon, and offered a parcel of gold for sale, which he said war
scrapings of chinaware. The gold metal stood the a: id test,
end considering it to be genuine, he purchas• d it, giving 450.
and a ring in payment Upon subsequent inquiry, it turned
out that what bad been sold as gold war merely a composi-
tion, with a sufficient overlaying of leaf gale' to make it put
the test. Several other cases were mentioned against the
prisoner, and it was also stated that there was a pate of men
going about engaged in the fraud.—The prisoner, who ca-
cued himself by saying that the property war not his, was
committed for trial.
AN ELEPHANT AND ITS KEEPER.-011 Tuesday
an inquest was held at Liverpool on R. Howard, the keeper
who was killed on Saturday lost at Use Z•aological Gardens
by an elephant. Mr. Livened. proved that deceased whilst
cleaning the den struck the elephant a smart blow on the
trunk, upon which the animal turned upon his assailant and
killed him. T Lloyd said—l am ode of the ordeal rs at
the Zoological Gardens. On Satarday last I heard a scream,
ear ran directly towards the place where the elephant war
kept. I found the deceased king on his face on the floor
of the den. He was quite dead. The eve omit refore k Fri.
day evening) the elephant was draw rag a ear filled with
people about the walks of the garden. It was
not so very quiet then. The decraed had to
beat it several tames with a whip. I remarked to him
that he was laying on the whip rather heavily, and he
observed in reply that the animal was p'.aytul. Af er the
deceased had been taken out of the den theclepbant eat the
betom. Lately the deceased had be, n rather severe in beat-
ing the elephant, because the lat:er was in the habit of
routing up the boards of his den. The animal was well se-
cured in the den. There was a very strong chain round his
loot, and there was no danger to the p .hlie if they entesed
it. The elephant, after being beaten the eight before and
on many former occasions, used to fondle his keeper and
put halfpence into his pocket with the trunk. The elrphust
was always fond of Ilium. lie ate a second bosom aft, r he
had killed the deceased.—To a juror: Had the deceased not
struck eini so sharply with the bea' in all probability the
former would have escaped ainhurt.—Th, jur, , after a brief
delitarati.,n, returned the following verdict: " We are of
opinion that the deceased came by his dente in cow, garner
of having beaten tho elephant un•neleiley, the reit), CAI!.
Mg the animal, in his fury, to kill hon." It was sta'e I dur-
ing the inquest, that the same elephant killed another
keeper some time since.
ESSEX.

SEVERAL DARING ROBBERIES have recently been
committed in this county. During the night of Wednesday
the chancel dour of the palish church at Stafford was forced,
and the thieves effected en entrance into the robing-room,
where they broke open several boxes and drewers, but did
not succeed in finding the plate. One iron chest was too
strong fur their implements, and it theref se remained un-
opened. They left behind them a plough coulter, 'stick was
apparently the instrument with which they broke the fasten-
Mtgs.—For some time past the neighbouromd of C qrgrahall
has been infested by a gang of laf usebreakers, who have car-
ried on their work of plunder in a most audacious manner.
On Fridley night week five of the gang proceeded to • farm-
house occupied by a man named Barker, a wiaower. The
thieves entered the house by a back window, end then made
their way up stairs, where the occupant and his two sons,
between the ages of 12 and 17, were sleeping. The noise
made ife ransacking the house awoke Darker, who, to his
great consternation, beheld standing near him a fellow
armed with a pistol, who bade him keep quiet. He leaped
out of bed, but was immediately forced into it aeon by
two men, who threw a mattress on him, upon which they
piled furniture and boxes. In this position he remained
a considerable time, being almost suffocated. An armed
ruffian was /sated in like =lnner at the bed of the
bays, hut, as they made to resistance they were
allowed to remain uncovered, and could set what
was passing in the next room. They observed that
the thieves twice took up their father's watch and
melamine,' it, and at last the, w it into an old hat,
where it was left by them, and that they seldom spoke to
each other, and were under guidance of one man. They
remained in the house about an hour and a half, during
which time they drank 21 bottles of wine. They 1 ft,
taking with them 51. in gold and silver, and 6 lb. of cheese.
They then proceeded to another farmhouse two fields off,
occupied by Samuel Ham, who heard them approach, and,
from an up stair window, inquired their business. They
said, " We are come for money, which we will have," and
in a few minutes made their way into the house. While
this was going on Hem was loading his gun, but owing to
the excited state he was in he could not fit the percussion cap
on the nipple, which rendered the gun u.eless. His daugh-
ter, as they came up stairs, threw two chain upon them, and
he pointed the gun at them, and they in turn their pistols,
but did not fire. A scene similar to that which took place
at the other house occurred here, and by the time they left
the horse daylight was fast coming on. From this house
they carried off 31. in gold and silver. Several bad charac-
ters residing in Coggesball have It en apprehend. d and els-
' mined, and hopes are entertained, from the information ob-
tained, that some of them will ultimately be convicted.