The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-07 00:00:00

-611BRIDGE-SIIIRE,

A I).tttisc BURGLARY was committed last week at
the house, a lone one, of Mr. Mitchell, a stock.jobber. Had-
denham. At about midnight, live men with disfigured
faces, and otherwise disgui.ed, forced their way into the
house; Mr. Mitchell got up, and demanded their business,
when he was felled to the ground with • bludgeon ; they
made him get into hed, and with dreadful imprecations
threatened his life if he attempted to give any alarm. They
then pram eded to secure Mr, Mitchell and the other in-
mates, by fastening them on their several beds with ropes;
and as a further safeguard, threw their wearing apparel into
the street. They thes. demaeded of Mr. Mitchell his money,
and he told them it, was in his small clothes, from which
they took a putt containing three sovereigns; they said
they must have more, and eventually found a purse in
the breast pocket of a coat, from which they took three 101.
and Fix 51. DOW, and a check for 21. Ss. Gd. ; they then
asked where the victuals and drink were, and helped them-
selves to what they liked. They then provided themselves
with pipes and tobacco, and quietly smoked and chatted
till three o'clock; and, as Mr. 'Mitchell sleeps on the ground
floor, he was subject to the annoyance of the sight of these
ruffians during the whole time. At length the fellows con-
descended to leave. Shortly after their disappearance, a
young man happehed to call at the house, and ot cowrie in-
st fitly released the inmates from their painful and
galling position, and, with the constable, a pur nit
was commenced; on theft way they picked up a
black shawl belonging to Mrs. Mitchell, and they
tracked the thieves to Bluntisham, where all trace was
lost. On Monday, the news of the robbery was brought
to the Cambridge station, with as tolerable a destriptiou of
the perpetrators as could be given of them under the cir-
cumstances. On Tuesday morning Inspector laggard met a
surnicieualooking man walking with a girl, named Woods,
towards the railway. He asked his his name and vocation,
and his answers being evasive and unsatisfactory, be took
him to the station-house, when he gave his name as Wil-
liamson, or something similar to it, and deeareel that be bad
only 61. in the world. On crossing Christ Pieces, however,
he gave his bundle to the girl and darted off, but the In-
spector was expert, and speedily overtook him. A further
search, however, proved that he had two sovereigns, and the
inspector detained him. Inquiry was instituted by the
police, and it was discovered that the same man had slept the
night in Barnwell, with a woman to whom he had given a
silver watch and two handsome silk handkerchiefs. He was
brought before the magistrates on W. dnesclay morning,
when the inspector asked for a remand, stating he had
reason to suspect that the man was implicated in the Madden-
ham robbery. The accused, however, stoutly denied any
knowledge of the affair, declaring that his name was Hart,
and that he never was at Iladdenharn. Inspector Jageerd said
there was one coincidence he would just mention. The day
before the robbery at Iladdenharu a man, answering
the description of this person, called at Mr. Mitchell's
with needles for sale—when he was takea into cus-
tody he hal a packet of needles in his possession. The
bench agreed to the remand ; and notice having been
sent over to Ely of his detention, policeman Le. s came
over, and identified some of the property found upon Hart
as that stolen from Mr. Mitchell's. On Thursday, Inspector
Thresher brought a tall man, who, gave the name of
Manning, before the bench, on suspicion of being one of the
Haddent am burglars. lie denied it, but admitted that he
was at Bigglt swede on Monday, when a man about his
own size came into • public-house he was staying at, and,
after having some refreshment, procured change for a 101.
note (which is proved to be one of Mr. Mit:M.ll'o. He
had Lever seen the man before, and that was all he kne w
of the circumstance. The bench gave an order for
both men to he directly conveyed to Ely as the bench
were sitting there. When it was known at Ely that
two men were brought to the Shire-hall, on suspicion
of being part of the gang, great excitement prevailed,
and the hall was crowded by hundreds of persons. So
soon as Mr. Mitchell now Hart he rejoiced exceedingly,
exclaiming, " I don't care about my money, now ; that's
one of the men, I'll swear." The Bench urged him to be
quiet ; and he afterwards said, " when we were tied in bed,
and I saw one of the fellows draw his knife, sharpen it on
his shoe, and try the edge on his thumb, I thought tt was all
ever; I male sure he was going to cut our throats ; but he
only cut the ends of the ropes we were tied with." The
Bench remanded Hart tiU Monday; and offered to take bail
for Manning's appearance that day ; but, as he could not
obtain it, he was remanded also. An active search is still
continued, and it is expected that one or two of the other
men are by this time in custody, information having been
obtained of their whereabouts.

Pa ans.

THE BRITI3II EisTlTt TION.

The exhibition of modern masters at the British
Institution, opened to the public this day, is, just what we
had been led to espect it would be, only a very average col-
lection at the best, and chiefly of an inferior class of art.
Except a large and somewhat clear picture of Sir George
Hay ter, of " Joseph interpreting the Dream of the Chief
Baker," there is little or nothing attempted in the higher
style. Our artists sickened or exhausted with their three
years' exertion, at Westminster. hall, have abandoned scripture
and history, returned once more to cows, horses, and
green lanes, and ceased to think of halls of parliament and
galleries to be erected for the purpose of preserving the noble
performances of our island school. Some of the old exhibitors
have, moreover, ceased to exhibit in the room wherein their
reputations were acquired. So that the present collection,
with the exception of a few established veterans, is chiefly
supported by the pencils of a younger race—some already
known, and others deserving to be known.
The strength of the exhibition is in its landscapes. Stan-
field exhibits "A Saw Mill at Saardam," a mall picture,
very unlike his usual manner, but good in itself, and boldly
and effectively treated. Lee has " A Highland Lake," with
some dead trees in the foreground, and a thick dark wood on
the right of the composition, so an-Lee-like in character that
without the catalogue it would be difficult to recognise his
hand in any part of it. We see him, however, in his own
character in No. 313, " A Shady River—Summer," and No.
435, " Falls of the River Ogwen, North Wales," two very
careful statics from nature, though somewhat cold Ltd

green, the usual defects of his style, for Mr. Lee is a painter
who loves to sit and paint
By shallow rivers, to whore falls
Melodious birds sing maihigals.
Ile is never in sunny fields or sun-bright summits. and seems
to love light itself only as it is seen in a chequered character
through the rich foliage of wide-spreading oaks and lofty
elms. Mr. Denby, A.R.A., has two small pictures; one
" A Calm after a heavy Gale off Bury Head," beautiful,
though perhaps too blue ; and the other called „Twilight
with the Rising Moon," a rich effect of evening, recalling
an admirable picture of the same artist in one Of the recant
Royal Academy exhibitions. Mr. Creawick, who ovals Mr.
Lee in his love of sequestered quarters, exhibits, No. liT
" A Glade in Merric Sherwood i" No. 287, "An A•ternoma
in Autumn ;" and No. 448, •• Dorothea " The glade is
somewhat cold and hard, though careful in execution ; the
fern, we may add, is excellent. Mr. Sydney Cooper ex-
hibits perhaps the beet picture he ever painted, No. Lffi, "•
River Scene—Evening," so Cuyp-like in conception and
execution, so truthful and so sunny, that it is in its way the
very perfection of this kind of painting. We have copied
Mr. Cooper's name, but a better description would be
" Three Cows in a Landscape—Evening." A small upright
picture by the same artist, No. 96, " Cattle Reposing," sad
consisting of a cow and two sheep, will repay attention : it
larks, however, that warmth of landscape which gives so
charming an effect to his larger picture. We have
now to speak of exhibitors in the landscape line who
are not members or even associates of the Royal Academy;
and here in the first place the pre eminence is due to as*
of Mr. Danby's for No. 183, "Snowdon, from near Teems-
doe, North Wales," a fine poetic and suggestive picture,
warmly and truthfully painted; if we must add a fault, in
parts perhaps a little too yellow. After young Mr. Denby
we would certainly place Mr. Lhonell on account of No. 49,
" The lent Gleam before the Storm," a rich autumnal land-
seape, conscientiously painted in every part with a gathering
cloud sailing (it almost moves) over the last gleams of a
bright blue sky. One may almost hear the drops palter oft
the leaves before the cloud bursts upon the scene. Me.
Pyne supplies a well-chosen and well-painted view on the
Yorkshire coast (Na. 247); Mr. Bright, 4. A • bit,' from a
sketch near Balton, Yorkshire," only a " bit" fie foot and
• half by two feet), but beautifully broad, bold, and :trues
Mr. E. W. Cooke, renouncing the unusual blues of his
lot year's pictures, has returned once more, we are glad to
think, to full spread sails and waves that you ein look into.
Ho is varied, too, in his scenery, finding his sulijeets in Italy,
in Holland and at home • and what excellence he can attain,
even on a small scale, his " %sondem, Holland," N... 3GI,
12 inches long by four inches deep, is an admirable distance.
As clever in their way, in the same line of art, we may locu-
tion a " View in North Wales," by Mr. Cobbitt, mush in
the manner of Mr. J. W. Allen's picture se the Suffolk-
street exhibition of last year; a " View in South Wales,"
by Mr. Tennant, poetic and promising a" Highland Land-
scope," by the late William Simson ; • picture or two by
Linton; a " View at Ambleteuse, near 1301114(11e," by young
Mr. Stonfield ; and one or two good circular views in Venice,
in Mr. Holland's old rough hut effective manner.
It would be difficult to classify the pictures that are not
landscapes, nor would the attempt, if successful, altogether
repay the pains. We shall, therefore, speak of the ex-
hibitors not already noticed, in the order that 'heir imam
occur to us. Mr. Cities, to whom the first reference is duo
on account of his long standing so an artist, has a small pis-
ture, entitled " Suspicion," representing • pretty girl Unitis-
ing to a youthful 'minstrel, and a dutnna ut • guardian
looking suspiciously on, as if the wandering minstrel wag
only a lover in disguise. The girl's face is prett ly painted,
and with • nice expression. The composition, ton. is good,
hut the rest is poor. Mr. F. Goodall has four small pictures,
with all his usual excellencies, but without any progressive
marks of improvement. This young, and we continue to
hope still promising, artist has studied Testier, and Wilkie
to great advantaire, but where imitation ends and genius
beeins,he ceases to work as Teniers and Wilkie worked. Ifs
paints well, draws well, groups well—spares no pains, and
does everything but paint a first clam picture in the lire of
art he already excel+ in. As an instance of this, we would
select the " Iridi Piper, " No. 84—his best perfortatnce in
the present exhibition here he challenges comparison with
Wilkie, and we have the same sort of sentiment in an hi-
ferior way. It is a smoll picture representing the interior
of an Irish cabin, with Mx figures—a piper. an
old woman, a young woman, and three shililren.
The piper is playing like another ltob the Rower. Ail are
listening, and the general composition is extremely good;
but there is nothing that rivals Wilkie. We lope in vain for
touches of truth like the stopped go-cart, the silent wheel,
the cobbler cracking his thumb, and fingers to the child,
the cottage Puck who mimics on the bellows the motions of
the fiddler • and yet Wilkie, the painter of the picture con-
taining these admirable touches of nature, won n..ly two and
twenty when the picture was exhibited. A work of real
merit in Mr. Goxlall's own way, and yet by another artist,
is No. 20.5, " The Village Forge," by Mr. Robert Bmndard.
Here the double effect of light is extremely well managed,
and the detail+ throughout painted with admirable tibility.
The floor of the forge, with its horseshoes at d hammer+ and
old iron scattered carriessiy about it, is perks.* den plies.
A fruit piece and a vegetable piece, both by Lance, are so
wonderful in their way, that we are glad to observe Mr.
Vernon had commissioned them from the artist ter tha pur-
pose of adding them to the noble collection he has already
given to the nation. The vegetable piece, rep resenting a moo key
with a red cap on its head looking susi, iciondy ..t a group
of cabbages, onions, and other vegetabts, is a repetition of
the well-known picture in Mr. Broderip's onsonion—at
present it looks a lit'lecrude, but time will give it the mellow
hue which the original already wears. Mr. E. A. G• slal!
exhibits a capital piece of Norman architecture, represeteting
" Pilgrims waiting to be received into the Demos Hos,oitnina
at Canterbury ;" Mr. H. W. Phillips, the s it of the late
Royal Academician, a study of a head, somewhat deficient in
expression but well coloured ; Mr. O'Neill, two or tt ern
small fancy female portraits, rather nicely composed ant
painted ; Mr. R. S. Insider, " Wallace preparing for Bottle,"
and " The Morning of Life" (No. 464), a picture in F.tty's
manner, but hung too high to allow of our say so 'hat it
possesses any of Etty's excellencies. As for Mr. Ansar.l. whit
exhibits two of the largest pictures in the gallery, we must
express our regret that an artist who con paint I. well
should really stoop to plagiarise from another artist, and
instead of looking on dog-nature for himself, phooll inva-
riably look through the spectacles of E,lwite Lands. er. Mr.
Memoir. if he wishes to advance his reputationinust cease to
repeat what he has done so often before. We confess we
are somewhat tired of Cling three horses' heads ir. a circular
frame, and in the present exhibition all that we have trona
hint is a study of a white hor.e'a head seta in three different
siews—clever we admit. but tiresome. Mr. Marshall's
marble statue of '' &taint," far poetry of soul and seitintents
is fairly worth the whole exhibition. His Medea Miranda"
is not b 0 good.