The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-04 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

THIS DAY.

AIARLBOROUOII-11TREET.

Ira. Frjohiek, about 15 years of age, was charged with
the following offence:
Mr. lames White, landlord of the Spread Eagle, 303,
Oxford-street, sta.ed that the prisoner had been in his ser-
vice as potboy for about six weeks, but hail so misconducted
himself that he hull received notice to leave. Yesterday
afternoon witness round that some gin was running from
one of the vat, in his spirit cellar from two holes which hurl
been bored at the hack. At the bark of the vat a brick had
been forced out of the wall, leaving a space sufficiently large to
admit a person's hand and enabling any one to bore the vat.
As the prisoner hail threatened to do hint some injury, he
was suspected and given in charge. About 20 gallons of
gin had been destroyed, and had he gone into the cellar
with a light, the consequences might have been dreadful.
Phillips, 11l D., hook the prisoner into custody, and on
searching hint found a pistol loaded to the muzzle with
powder and ball. lie also found in his bedroom several
marked pieres of copper coin, which prosecutor identified
as having been abstracted from his till.
The prisoner, who denied the charge, was remanded.

TILE TRAGEDY AT KINGSTON.

On Monday evening, an inquest that did not con-
clude till a very late hour, was held at the Anglers, Town's
Eud, Kingston-upon4hainea, before Mr. W. Carter, upon
the body of Mrs. Mary Rebecca Pratt, aged 22, thew ife of
Mr. James Pratt, a eheesemonger and buttennan, carrying
on an extensive Meanest at No. '2, Angel-terrace, Hammer-
smith, who committed suicide on Friday last, by throwing
herself into the river Thames, at or opposite Kingston. The
decreased was a remarkably handsome young lady, highly
accomplished, and had only been married ten weeks.
Thomas Jetfriea, putinan at the Auglen, said on Friday
afternoon, about one o'clock, he heard some boys
raising an alarm, and looking towards the river, saw
tho deceased Boating in mid-channel. Boats were
procured, and the body taken out and removed
to the Anglers, where appropriate resuscitating
means were employed for three-quarters of an hour under
the direction of a surgeon, but in vain. The deceased was
attired in a straw bonnet, purple silk visite, and red silk
gown; she was wearing a gold chain, attached to which was
• locket, a gold bruoch, a wedding ring. and two other
rings. Ou searching her clothes he found a German purse,
containing a half-crown piece, and loose in her pocket a
Boris, Its. 4d. in silver, :31d. in copper, and a hunch of nine
keys, as also the letter produced, which was addressed,
" Mr. Pratt, 'L Angel-terrace, Hammersmith."
The Coroner, at the suggestion of the jury, read the
letter, which was as followa, and was written in a very neat,
ladylike manner, and not with • nervous hand :
Kiugatou, Friday.—James,—For the last time I address
you. May God forgive you as Ido for the wicked accusa-
tions you have bruught against me. When I took an oath
to you last night it was quite true, and all I said afterward)
ahe prompted by the fear of being murdered. May every
wife do her duty as well us I have dune, even though she
has a drunken husband. Good bye, I never expect to meet
you again.—Your broken hearted wife, HART It. PRATT."
Jane Jeans, housemaid in the sets ice of Mr. James Pratt,
was next called as a witness. She was attired in a superior
dress of deep mourning, and gave her evidence in so
guarded and hesitating a manner that, although under ex-
amination a very long time, the coroner had great diffi-
culty in eliciting any important facts from her. She de-
puted she had been iu Mr. Pratt's service about three
weeks before hit marriage. She first heard of deceased's
death on Friday afternoon, and the last time she saw her
alive was on Friday morning. About half-past six o'clock
she rang her bell, and witness found her in her bedroom
dressed, ell but her gown. Deceased put on a red silk
dress iustoud of a morning one, and witness fastened it.
Deceased did not say why she did so. She was nut with
her more than five minutes when she went down stairs,
and soon afterwards heard her mistress leave the house
by the private door. Mr. Pratt had gone early to
market, and he did not return till 10 o'clock, when he
inquired for his wile, and the witness said she had gone out,
Ho sent her to the City, and also to Bayswater, but the de-
ceased hail been to neither place. Witness was not aware
of any dispute between the deceased and her husband .on tke
previous algid. They were on good terms except when
he had too much to drink. Deceased appeared' in a sound
state of mind, and witness never apprehended she would
commit suicide. Deceased went to bed first on Thursday
night. Mr. Pratt was the worse fur liquor, but descried
made no complaint. Witness did not know what the words
" Wicked accusations" meant. Had nut heard her hus-
band accuse his wife of anything wrung. Thought the
words referred to a Mr. Nutt. She believed her master
was jealous of hint. Mr. l'ratt married his wife from Mr
Nutt's. She understood he was her guardian and executor.
John Purnhum, a fisherman, living at Hampton Wick,
said he rented some ground in the upper nit off Kingston,
and was returning home to dinner on Friday, when he saw
the deceased sitting on a log of timber, which was along-
side the towing path, on the Middlesex side ; that he looked
at her and thought what a beautiful woman she was, and
never supposed she was about to drown herself. He saw
her afterwards walking about, and the barge walk tenni•
rusting at that point, ho lost sight of her. On returning
from dinner he saw the deceased's parasol lying near the
spot where he had seen her before.
The solicitor attending for Mr. Nutt here olnerved it
was highly important that a letter which had been written
by the deceased sod bore the Kingston post mark of Friday,
and had been received by Mr. Nett the same evening,
should be publicly read, as it would explain the deceased's
state of mind.
The letter, of which the following is a copy, was then
read. It commenced, " My dear Mr. and Mr.. Nutt, I have
left my husband under the most dreadful circumstances ; he
has accused me of being Reduced by my father, when I
was only seventeen .y.ears old, and also allowing
Mr. Nutt the same improper intercourse. Lint night
ha seised mu by the hair, drew my head back
and held his razor to my throat. He then jumped on me,
and tried to strangle me with his hands. 1 still penisted
in my innocence of such dreadful crimes, but feeling cer-
tain he would murder me, I owned to it, although every
word I spoke was a lie, nit all was quite true. I hope
God will forgive me for being so wicked, and saying what
1 knew was not right of my dear father and Mr. Nutt. I
felt so helpless 1 did not know whet to do. Indeed, I am
almost out of my mind, and what I shall du with myself
Ido not know. Accept my love, and thanks for the very
great kindness I received from you. I got away from home
whilst he was at market. lie left me in bed, and 1
promised I would remain there, but I could not. I
ass at Kingston. How long I shall stay here I do not
know. I write in such distress of mind I hope you will ex-
cuse allerron. With love to you and the dear children,
believe me to remain, your's, most affectionately, MARY H.
PRATT."
Mr. Nutt expressed a wish to be examined, and was so.
He said he had known the deceased from a little girl. He
had known her father, who was but recently deceased, and
a more worthy and upright man never lived. Ile was in-
capable of the act imputed to him, and with respect to him-
self he bad never acted otherwise than as a father to the de-
ceased. Damned was six months at his house before she
married. lie gave her away. Ilad seen both her and her
husband several times since, and bad no reason to doubt
they were happy. She was a noble-hearted woman, and of
very sensitive mind, and he Lad no doubt such accusations
would drive her mad.
After some further proceedings the Coroner summed up
the room was cleared, and in a short time the jury re-
turned a verdict of " Temporary derangement."

VISIT OE PRINCE ALBERT TO IPSWICII.—The
Eater Merced states that it is now fully decided that Prince
Albert will visit Ipswich on the 3rd of July, during the
sitting of the British Association, and sleep at Shrubland-
park.
THE AMERICAN MAILS. It has been officially
stated that the Lords of the Admiralty will give directions
for the British and North American mail steam-ships to
call at Holyhead whenever the pier at that place is suffi-
ciently advanced to afford shelter to the packets; and it is
expected that may be the case at the end of this year.
There is not the slightest probability of the steamers being
removed from Liverpool. They will merely rail at Holy-
head for some of the mats.—Lsocrpow Mercury.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, LAST NIGMT—The following
are the names of the hon. gentlemen who were present yes-
terday, when "no house' could be made:—Alderman
Kershaw, Colonel Thomson, Mr. J. D. Smith, Mr. Lashing-
ton, 34. O'Connor, Sir It. H. loess, Lord Dudley Stuart,
Mr. John Elliot, Lord Galway, Mr. Hume, Mr. Mowatt,
Mr. Sharman Crawford, Mr. Freshfield, Mr. Hutt, Mr.
Jacob Bell, Mr. Philip Miles, Mr. Frewen, Mr. William
Williams, Mr. Brothertoo, Mr. Child, Mr. Beach, Mr.
Pugh, Mr. Brantley Berkeley, and three ethos, whose
names we could not ascertain.—Horsing paper.