The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-19 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

(Before the Assistant Judge.)
Sarah Higgins, 19, servant, was placed at the bar charged
with stealing three rings and other articles the property of
Benjamin Lewis Franklin.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Sleigh and Mr. Montagu Williams prosecuted (in-
structed by Messrs. Lewis and Lewis) ; Mr. Ribton and
Mr. Warner Sleigh (instructed by Mr. K D. Lewis) de.
fended.
The prosecutor lived at No. 44, Albemarle-street, but
had been living at 13, Bruton-street, where the prisoner
was in the capacity of a general servant. About the end of
last month he bad oxesion to look into his jewel ease, and
found it nearly empty. Three or four rings, a chain, shawls,
and dresses had been stolen. On the 28th of June he
saw the prisoner, and asked her whether she was not
ashamed of herself to look him in the face after having
stolen his property. She said, " Oh, you gave them to
me." And when he asked her " Why ?" she said,
" Because you locked the door on me, and took liberties
with me." This the prosecutor most stoutly denied, and
declared upon his oath that he never took the slightest
liberty with her, and would not have parted with the
things she was charged with stealing. because they
belonged to his late wife. The prisoner sold the things
to Mrs. Mengedobt who keeps the house, and when ex-
amined she deposed to having met the prisoner upon one
occasion coming out of the prosecutor's room, and looking
very flushed and flurried, with her hair dishevelled.
Evidence having been given to the same effect as that
already published in the police report,
Thejury after a short deliberation returned into court
with a verdict of Not Guilty.
Mr. L. Lewis, in the absence of Mr. Sleigh, said it was
right to mention that the prisoner had made a similar
charge against her late employer, and could prove it by
witnesses. She had also charged a gentleman at the
Hammersmith Police-court with an indecent moult.
The prisoner was then discharged.
This case lasted the entire day.

THE LATE EXTRAORDINARY .
COLLISION IN
THE CHANNEL

The Board of Trade have received the annexed
deposition, made on oath before the receiver of wreck, by
Captain Stephen Burtridge, late commander of the Osprey
steamer, relative to the circumstances connected with the
recent extraordinary collision in the Channel, by which the
Osprey and her Majesty's steam ram Amazon both foun-
dered with loss of life. Stephen Burtridge, late master of
the Osprey, states :—" the Osprey (s.s.) was 426 tons
register, and belonged to the Cork Steamship Company.
She was schooner rigged, and built of iron at Cork in
1855. Her crew numbered twenty hands, and her
cargo consisted of general goods consigned to mer-
chants at Antwerp._ She carried seven passengers,
my wife and three children, and a little boy,. a friend of
the family, were on board. The vessel left Liverpool on
the 7th, at 6 p.m., weather fine, and a moderate breeze
blowing from the west. We brought up in Crosby Channel,
about five miles from Liverpool, for the purpose of adjust-
ing the feed-valves. In about an hour and a half got
under weigh, and proceeded down Channel, the weather
fine, and occasionally foggy. Rounded the Lend's End at
about 11 a.m on the 9th, the feed-valves acting satisfac-
torily. Proceeded up the Channel, pawed the Start-light
at shout 8.46 p.m., all well. At 12 midnight the chief
mate took charge of the watch, having relieved the
second mate. I had been on the bridge up till
11.50. I went into the look-out house on the
same bridge, and stretched myself on the sofa, having
previously directed the second mate to call me if there
was the least fog, or for any other purpose. At about
12.50 a.m., the chief mate came to the door of the watch-
house, which was broad open, and called out, ' Look here,
sir, here is a fellow runring into us on his starboard helm,
curs is hard a port.' I unmediately jumped up, and
shouted to the man to keep the helm hard a port, as bad
been previously directed by the mate. I made the War-
out to be a heavy steam ship under full steam, apF
the Osprey rapidly. We were going at the time -
knots. I hailed the shipand told him to put his helm
hard a port, but received no answer, nor did I observe
that she altered her course a single point, but ran
straight upon us. I am under the impression she
was tending starboard helm. As she neared us I dearly
discovered she was a ram, and she struck us under the
misen rigging, under the port quarter. At the time of the
collision my ship had paid off to the southward fully six
points. I immediately Jumped to the cabin and called out
down the skylight for the passengers to come up and rave
their lives as best they could, the crew having gone on
board the stranger. I placed the women and children into
the port after boat, and cut the lashings in order that the
boat, might float off the deck as the ship sunk from under
as, the stranger having parted from us. The ship sunk
suddenly, the davit's head caught the gunwale of the boat,
and she sank with the Osprey, drowning the seven pawn-
gers and three of myown &ildren. My wife jumpW. out of her
and was saved by the stranger's boat. I went down with the
boat but saved my life by swimming, and caught hold of a
lifebuoy. When I came to the surface, seeing the stranger's
boat ooming, I called to them to pick up the women, for
that I was all right. From the time of the collision it
was about four or five minutes before the Osprey sank.
The weather was beautifully fine, and the sea smooth and
the air perfectly clear. We were about 18 miles to the
south-west of Portland. I was picked up and taken on board
the stranger, which proved to be her Majesty's ship
Amazon. At the time of the accident the Ospreys
regulation lights were burning brilliantly. I kept
on full speed, in order to get out of the stranger's
way as quick as possible. A quarter of an hour after
getting on board the Amazon she was found to be in a
sinking state, and we had to take to the boats to save our
lives. We arrived at Torquay at about 3in the afternoon
of the 10th. The screens of the Osprey's regulation lights
were properly adjusted according to the regulations of the
surveyor of the Board of Trade at Liverpool. My crew
were all perfectly sober, and were a good, steady set of
men. I estimated the lose of the ship at 19,0001. he
of the cargo not included) ; 10 lives were lost by
and 22 saved."

Cum". PAinon. Own MITLLING DAY.
WIDNIISDAT , JULY 18.-lubsiadoss on yoroost, 14,913 ;
ditto by semos ti do* 3,315. Total Amato; 180118.