The Express.
London, England, 1847-11-08 00:00:00

WALES.

DR. BOWRING, M.P.,ItOBBiD OF 1,0001. BY HlOTY-
wAymem.—Late on Friday night the metropolitan police
force received intelligence from Wales of the following
daring case of highway robbery, perpetrated in noonday on
Thursday last, on the public road a few miles from Bridgend.
Early on that day Dr. Bowring, M.P , and his brother, who
is the chief manager of the Llynvi ironworks, at Maesteg,
proceeded from that place to Bridgead, to procure from the

company's bankers money to pay the workmen their
wages. The cheque was for 1,0001., and they received for
the same 6001. in sovereigns, 1.50/. in silver, and 2.501. in
bank notes. These, we understand, were in separate bags,
and placed into a large one, which was deposited in a cue
underneath the seat boa of gig, which the hon. member
and his brother bad travelled with and intended to return by to
the iron works. At 12 o'clock they started, Musteg being
ten miles distant from Bridgend. They had real hod about
midway, when, as they wcre ascending a hill between
Coytrahene and Cefaid-fa, in a put of the road some dis- '
Lance from any habitation, they were met by two men, evi-
dently expenenced " noblemen," who, rushing forward,
stopped the horse, and, with a heavy pistol in each hand, de-
manded " money or their lien ;" ene declaring instant
death would fellow if the cash was not immediately forth-
coming. To escape was impossible. Neither Dr. Boerring
nor his brother had the slightest weapon to defend them-
selves. With pistols presented to their heads' and the muz-
zles of two others thrust against the flesh of the horse,
resistance was useless, and there was no other way to get
rid of the " gentlemen " but to hand over to them the
bag containing the 1,000/. with which the robbers de-
camped into the adjacent Woods. Before parting, they took
the precaation, if we may be allowed to make use of the
term, of shooting the bora, with a view, undoubtedly, of
preventing early information being given to the police
authorities. As soon a.s they had disappeared, Mr. Charles
Bowring ran back in the direction of Bridgend, and meeting
with a person on horseback, prevailed on the rider to let
him have it, explaining the cause, which was immediately
granted, the party going forward to Dr. Bowring, who was
in a very excited state, expecting some outrage would be
committed by the villains' comrades, for he had reason to
',aspect that others were concerned. When Mr. Charles
Bowring reached Bridgend, he gave information of the rob-
bery to the magisterial authorities, who lost no time in des-
patching officers in all directions on horseback in pursuit of
the offenders, each party having fire-arms, and a full de-
scription of the robbers. A large reward was offered
fur their apprehension. The result of these prompt
steps was the capture of both the ruffians, who
are Irishmen. One was apprehended about four o'clock
In the afternoon, with 2401., in gold, in his pos.
session, and the other was taken about 11 o'clock at night.
The latter showed a most desperate resistance. A country-
man effected his apprehension. He was walking along a
road, about ten miles distant front the scene of the outrage,
when he noticed a man in advance of him carrying some-
thing in a handkerchief, which, although not bulky, ap-
peared to be heavy. Having heard of the robbery, he at
once suspected that the man was one of the parties who
committed it. He with considerable adroitness entered into
conversation with him on the subject, and his answers to an
extent confirming suspicions he boldly seized the fellow,
who drew a razor to defend himself, but was knocked down,
and eventually captured. In the handkerchief was found
3.50 sovereigns. On Friday the robbers were examined be-
fore the magistrates at the Town-hall, Bridgend, and re- I
mended for a week. The remainder of the property, 2501.
in notes, and 1.501. in silver, has not as yet been found. It
is supposed they have buried it, being too bulky to carry
about. Highway robberies are of unfrequent occurrence in
Wales, and this one has excited an immense sensation'
Ciroughout the district. It is presumed the prisoners were
formerly employed in some of the adjacent iron-works.
NIERDER NEAR CARDIFF.—On Friday, the magie-
trates at the Town Hall, Cardiff, were occupied in the in-
vestigation
of the caw of a poor man named Wm. Mcrrison,
who had been so cruelly ill-used by a party of ruffians as to
cause his almost instantaneous death. It appears that the
unfortunate deceased on Thursday week last went with his
wife, two children, and his wife's sister, to reside in a place
called Whitmore-lane, where he manufactured various
articles which his wife used to take to Cardiff market to sail.
On Saturday se'nnight, whilst he and his wife were sitting
down to supper, John Morgan, a person who lodged in the
house, hearing a disturbance in the street, went out to
ascertain the carte, and shortly afterwards a person came
and said that some one who had gone out had
been murdered. Mrs. Morgan, thinking her husband was
referred to, opened the door for the purpose of going to as-
certain whether such was the case or not. She had only
just opened the door when two women laid hold of the hair
of her head, threw her on the ground, and otherwise
ill-
treated her. Morrison, thinking that they were about to
murder the woman, went to her assistance, and was in the
act of raising her up, when two men advanced, and, whilst
1 Morrison was humanely assisting the female, a man, called
" Alick the Devil," and another, called "Swansea Jack,"
gave the:deceased some violent kicks upon the abdomen.
which caused his immediate death. The police apprehended
Alexander Thomas (alias" "Alick the Devil "), John Grif-
fith (alias " Swansea Jack "), Alfred Burrows, James
Jones, Maria Meyrick, Mary Williams, and Bridget Kelly,
on a charge of killing the deceased. The magistrates, after
hearing the evidence, decided upon remanding for a week
the prisoner" Thomas and Griffith on a charge of wilful mur-
, der. The others were remanded fur the same period, as ee-
-1 cessories before the fact.

PROVINCIAL.
LANCASMRE,_

MORE CLERIC.tL Rector of Bury
has been in some manner imitating the conduct of his War-
rington brethren. It was proposed to establish at Bury a
school, where females out of employment might receive in-
struction, principally in needle-work; and a scheme for its
management was drawn up by a clergyman of the town.
While the arrangements were under discussion a communi-
cation was received lima the rector, stating that he approved
of their object, but that, as a condition of his support, he
must insist that the chief management, particularly in refit.-
ence to the selection of the religious exercises, and of pas-
sages from books to be read aloud to the children, should be
lett entirely in his own hands; otherwise, he would establish
• school under his own control, We (Manchester Guard-
tan) hope the other subscribers will not submit to the
attempted dictation of the ]lector of Bury. The members
of the church will act not only very liberally, but very
unwisely, if they view this as a question between the church
and dissent. Some clergymen appear to be bent on • course
of conduct which places the es.ahlishmett in open opposition
to important educational movements, at the serious risk not
only of preventing education, but also of defeating measures
intended to promote the physical welfare of the labouring
classes. By this conduct they will inevitably entail upon the
church an amount of odium that mutt seriously impair its
intluetee. It is the duty of the laity to resist these proceed-
ings, and to show that the interests of the church do not pre-
clude co-operation with men of different rigisus opinions
for the attainment of objects of general philanthropy, in
which all profess an equal interest.

SEIZURE OF ADULTERATED FLOUR AT LEEDS.—On
Saturday last, before the magistrates at Leeds, Samuel
Vickers, a retailer of flour, and Elizabeth, his wife, were
charged with having sold quantities of flour at a reduced
price, adulterated with Paris white and plaster of Penis.
A solicitor appeared for the defendants. It appeared from
the statement of Mr. W. James, superintendent of police,
that during the acting of the magistrates on the previous
day, Mr. Chorley, surgeon, one of the medical officers of the
Leeds public dispensary, attended the court, and stated that
several persons had recently been taken ill, and compelled to
apply for medical aid at the dispensary, in consequence of
having eaten bread made of adulterated flour. From in-
quiries which bad been instituted, there wee little doubt,
said Mr. Chorley, that adulterated flour had been pur-
chased at the shop of the defendant, Samuel Vickers,
in George-stmt, he having also a shop in High-street. In
consequence of this camplaint, Mr. James proceeded to the
shop of the defendant, in George-street, but he found it
closed, his name being painted over the window. He how-
ever, left a policeman to watch, and went on to the de-
fendant's house in High-street, where alas he had a shop,
aad retailed flour, groceries, and other articles. He found
the defendant, Samuel Vickers, there, and told him that he
was charged with having sold adulterated flour, and that
several persons were ill from having eaten bread made of
the flour. Samuel Vickers said, that if there was anything
wrong in! it, it war just as he got it from the miller's. Mr.
James said, that if that was so, it would have to be inquired
into, and he sent him away in a coach to the police-office.
The other defendant, the male defendant's wife, sad
his sister, heard this conversation; and when the
male defendant had been sent away, Mr. James
told the defendant's wife that it would be necessary
to search tke premise*. Upon that she said it was no use
telling lies, and that if he would go with her she would tell
him what they put in the flour. She then took him into
the cellar, where was a large stone table, on which was a
white powder, something like Paris white, There were two
barrels, one full, the other half full, and two sacks full, of
Paris white. There was also a small barrel full of a white
compound, which appeared to be plaster of Paris, or Paris
white. There was also a large flat tin pan, like a dripping
pan, a rolling pin, and a sieve, ia which there was some I
white. (These articles were produced.) Mr. James then
went to the gaol, and saw the male defendant, and told him
what he had found, and what his wife had said re-
specting them ; upon which he replied that his wife
sold whiting, and that be did not know it was (used
to mix with flour. He then showed defendant some keys,
part of which he said belonged to his shop in George-street
and part to his shop in Regent-street ; and on visiting the
shop in George-street he found some of the mixture in the
bins, and the like in the bins in George-street; and in the
latter place he also found eleven sacks of flour. He gave
ample* of the flour to Mr. West, the chemist, and also
samples of the two pieces of bread which be had received
from one Hannah Atkinson, who proved that the pieces of
bread which she gave to Mr. James, were made from flour
which she had purchased of the defendant Samuel Vickers,
on the Saturday previous. It was seconds flour, for which
she paid at the rate of I . 10d. per stone. She mixed nothing
with it hut water and yeast, when she made it into bread.
On the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday she was very poorly,
without knowing the cause.—The house surgeon at
the Leeds Public Dispensary said that on Thursday
last two women, one of them very deaf, who appeared to be
suffering acutely, came to him; and who said that she attri
buted the suffering to the flour, as several of the persons who
lived in the neighbourhood were affected in a similar man-
ner. This statement led to further investigation, and cases
were found of families of five or six persons, who had eaten
bread made of flour bought at the defendant's shop during
the last fire or six week., and had been uniformly ill, suffer-
ing from the interruption of healthy functions, and experien-
cing pains in the head and cheat. Twopersous he had met
with who had saten bread made of the defendant's flour,
who, notwithstanding the use of variousremedies, hasi suffered
great inconvenience. Mr. West, the analytical chemist, said he
wee satisfied that the bread and flour which had been first
submitted to him by Mr. James were adulterated; but he
had not yet made such an examination as would enable him
to determine the nature of the substance used. He thought
it however right to say, thus early, that with a view to
determine whether the adulteration was by the miller or
the retailer, he had caused samples to be taken from the
11 bags which had been spoken of as being in one of the shops,
and testing them altogether he had not found any improper

I
admixture. Mr. James said that he had gone to the miller,
whose name was upon the sacks, and had asked to see the
price at which the flour bad been sold to Vickers, and he
found it invoiced at 383. per sack of 20 stones; vrherias the
price which was proved to have been paid by the tatonsers
would only realise 36e. Bd. per sack. Mr. Jackson, who had
furnished a large portion of the flour, WAS present, and said
that so lately as Monday last he had sold the defend-
ant 12 sacks of flour at 38.. per sack. Mr. James said
that 11 of those 12 sacks were found to be good.—
, Mr. Bawer observed that that fact was important for the
public satisfaction, as people might be afraid to use flour if
there was reason to believe that the adulteration had been
attempted at • mill on a large scale.—Mr. Nay!or, after
briefly referring to the statute which applied to this offence,
' and declared it an indictable misdemeanor, if by reason of
the admixture any person's life was put in jeopardy, bat
otherwise punishable by a fine not exceeding 201., appliedfor
au adjournment to a subsequent day, in order that it might
be determined in the meantime whether the offence was of an
indictable character. The magistrates therefore adjourned
the further examination to Wednesday text, and in the
meantime Vickers and his wife were ordered to be com-
mitted to the borough gaol.