The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-05 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before the Assistant Judge.)

John Henry St. Atebyn Wales, 20, was indicted for em.
beetling the sum of 2201., received by him for and on ac-
count of Joseph Ebbs and others, his masters. There
were other indictments for felony against him.
Mr. Sterling prosecuted ; the prisoner was undefended.
He at first pleaded not guilty, but afterwards withdrew
that plea, and pleaded guilty.
The prosecutors are builders carrying on a large busi-
ness at Northwick-terrace, Hilda-hill, and the prisoner
was in their employ as clerk, and it seemed enjoyed the
confidence of his employers, for on the 2nd of November
Mr. Ebbs gave • cheque for 2201., instructing him to go to
the bankers, Scott and Co., Cavendish-square, and get
it cashed, for the purpose of paying the work-
men's wages. Instead of returning he went off with the
money, and it appeared that he at once launched out into
a system of great extravagance, putting up at first-rate
hotels in Cheltenham, Gloucester, Great Malvern, Bir-
mingham, and other towns, and assuming the names tf
Captain Eden, Captain Lefevre, Mr. Murata, and several
other aliases. He was also profuse in his purchases of
jewellery, a gold watch and chain, rings, pins, dressing
cases, a riding whip, and numerous other articles, all of
the most costly description. Whilst he was at Gloucester
the prisoner followed the foxhounds, and money appeared
to have been distributed in the most reckless
manner. At Cheltenham, • cook at an hotel appeared to
have attracted the prisoner's attention, and as • mark
of his esteem for her he bought • gold necklet, for which
he gave five guineas and presented it to her, but this was
afterwards given up by her, The prisoner's affections
seemed, however, to have been divided, as he sent 2W. to a
young lady at Folkestone, making her to join him at Wor-
cester, but it did not transpire whether or not this engage-
ment was kept. The prisoner had received • very superior
education, and amongst his papers a placard was found,
announcing that he would deliver a lecture at Sutton, on
the 18th of October, on the Life, Times, and Character of
Cardinal Wolsey. The prisoner, after considerable trouble,
was traced by George l'ullen ; police-constable 248 S, to
Birmingham, and was found on the platform of the rail-
way station there, waiting for the train to go to Worcester.
George Agar, principal warder at the City Prison, Hol-
loway, said he was present at the Central Criminal Court
in August, 1863, when the prisoner was convicted of felony
and sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour.
Inspector Dodsworth, of the S division, said since the
prisoner had been in custody he had received a letter from
ltu.landshire, stating that the prisoner was wanted there
for • robbery committed in June last.

The prisoner asked the mercy of the court, as a person in
the merchant service had offered to provide him with a
situation at the Cape, for the purpose of giving him an
opportunity in another clime of retrieving the character he
had so unworthily lost,
The Asaistant•Judge said what his friends might do for
him at the expiration of the sentence he was then about to
pronounce he would not go into, bat he would carry with
him the reflection that he had brought disgrace upon a
worthy family and almost broken his mother's heart by the
system of dishonesty he had pursued, and be had for some
time been living on the proceeds of his robbery. The sen-
tence on him was that he be kept in penal servitude for
seven

SINGULAR AND FATAL EXPLOGION.—Let night
Mr. W. J. Payne, deputy-coroner, held an inquest at Guy's
Hospital, respecting the death of Margaret Eire Laurence,
aged 8 years. Mr. Laurence, No. 9, Little George-street,
Greenwich, said that he was a house painter and decorator,
and that he was employed to make the lime light to be
used during the performances at the Greenwich Theatre.
On Saturday morning, the 16th ult., he went into the work-
shop at the back of his house, and while he was in the act
of making it an explosion of hydrogen gas took place. He
bad placed some old nails and some wipe of iron in a large
glass vessel, and he then poured three pints of water into
the vessel. After that be poured some sulphuric acid into
the jar. There were three pints of water in the vessel,
and when he had poured 3 to 6 ounces of the
acid into it an explosion took place, and he was
covered from head to foot. He then heard loud
shrieks, and upon rushing out of the work-
shop he found that two of his daughters had been injured.
The deceased had had her throat cut, and blood was
maim from the wound. He placed her in • cab, and she
was taken to Guy's Hospital. Witness made the hydro-
gen gas every other day in • bag of three feet nine cubic
inches. That lasted two nights. He bad studied
chemistry for 25 years, and he believed that the cause of
the explosion was the coldness of the preceding night
acting upon an old solution of water, iron, and sulphuric
acid that was in the glass jar at the time that he poured the
fresh solution into it through • funnel. The old solution
was crystallised. He was not injured. The house sur-
geon of Guy's Hospital having deposed to the ranee of
death, the jury returned • verdict of accidental
death, and recommended that there should be snore
caution used in future while hydrogen gas was being
made. The Coroner said that he did not think such
a dangerous compound ought to be made except in
places properly allotted for it.

- THE EXPLOSION ON BOARD OF THE BI7BULINA.
As yet none of the bodies of those lost by the mysterious
explosion on board of the Greek war steamer Bubulina
have been discovered, in spite of the severe storms, which
would, it was anticipated, have brought some of them to
the surface. The total number of those lost is now sail to
I be under 20, but the exact number is still uncertain.
Yesterday the divers in the employ of the Liverpool Un•
denrriters' Association commenced operations with the
wreck, which seriously interferes with the navigation of
that portion of the river whore the various portions of the
Bnbulina lie. They succeeded in raising several cannon
yesterday, and expect to save the whole of the cargo.
THE INQUIRY AT FARNHAM WORKHOUSE.—Mr.
Lambert, Poor-law inspector, and Dr. Ed. Smith, medical
officer to the Poor-law Board, resumed this inquiry yester-
day, when Mr. Barrow proceeded with his case on behalf
of the guardians. After the examination of several other
withering, the inquiry was again adjourned.
BLUM ItErreltiD DT DU Bailiff's FOOD TO THE
Bronson, nerves, Maga, and livered Wand 70akt Mini. with-
out medicine or mew, dyspepsia (indi, oonstipation.
diarrhoea, acidity. headache, neuralgia, n palpitatioe,
sleeplessness, debility, wasting, cough, asthma, Wen, imesuinp -
Con. low spirits. 00,000 annual cures which had resisted all
medicines, including that of his Holiness the Pope. It saves
fifty times its cost In other remedles. —Tina, lib., Es. Pd. ; 170 b.,
1123.: 141 b., 401,, or 2d. per meat —Do Barry and Co., 77, Resent-
quadrant. London ; also Fortnum and Mason, Piccadilly, and at
61, Oracechurchatreet ; 4, Chsapide ; 611 and MO, thilaniatreet ;
and &Unmans and cliensista.—(Atherlassialat.]