The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-31 00:00:00

A YOUTHFUL DICE TURTIN.

The other day a boy named Henry Coffin, living
at Oborne, aged 13, was brought before Captain Palwarer
and Mr. E. Eoliths'', at the Sherbome -Petty Sessions,
charged with highway robbery. The complainant was •
boy named Hebor Heine, aged nine years. He said be
lived at Compton with his grandmother. On Thurs-
day last he was returning from Sharborne to
Compton between 6 and 6 at night, having been
to S.berborne on acme errands, and when he had
gone about half a mile from the turnpike gate he met that
there boy, there (the prisoner). Just then he had taken
his money from his pocket to see that it was all right,
and put it into the basket which he was carrying. It was
• shilling and a halfpenny, and in • leather puns, like •
pocket, and had a string to go right round it. Prisoner
asked him what it was, and he told him his money. The
prisoner then said, .• Gie it to I ;" ha replied, "1 thaunt,"
upon which the prisoner rejoined, " I must either 'a your
money or your life," so then he " gid " him nsahlionay,
and the priftoner went on. The moon was ' • at the
time, and he met ono or two people on the road,but did
not tell them he had been robbed. The mother of the
prisoner said the boy Elaine had told her on the Saturday
that he was not =thin whether prisoner wee the one or
not who took his money. The prosecutor, however, de-
nied this. The mother said her son was on horseback,
and never " =legged " the horse all the time he was
away. Heine said it was so ; he was on horseback, and
did not get off. George Hatcher proved the prisoner was
at Compton about a quarter to 6, when he left for Sher-
borne. Ha was remanded till Thursday.

TURIN POLICIDCLT SnoT. —On Tuesday, at
Scarborough, three notorious poachers, named Moses
Johnson, Henry Walker, and Joseph Holland, alias Long
Jcs, were charged as follows :—On Monday Mr. Patti-
son, superintendent of the police, ascertained that a
robbery had been planned to take place at the house of
Mr. Leadley, who resides ou Mr. Woodall's estate at Hil-
burn liV3ke, a few miles north of Scarborough. He de-
spatched three officers named Turnbull, Brogden, and
Robinson, to give information to Mr. Leadley, and, if
neeeeFary, to render assistance. On the way they
heard • signal cough, and immediately after saw two
men in a field, whom they recognised to be
Walker and Holland (who belong to Scarborough),
and immediately after some one shouted " Shoot
the —." A shot was then fired, and Turnbull
fell wounded. Two other shots quickly followed, which
Lad the effect of bringing to the ground both Brogden
and Robinson, and those who tired at them for the pre-
sent escaped. The wounded officers made their way back
to Scarborough, where they gave information of what had
occurred. Other officers wore at once despatched to the
homes of the suspected men, and they were all found to
be absent. Strict watch was kept, and ultimately the
three prisoners were apprehended on their return home
from their marauding expedition and taken before the
magistrates. Turnbull was not able to appear, he having
received most of the shots in the face, but the other
two officers were not seriously wounded. After hearing
the evidence thus far, the prisoners were remanded for •
week.

THE ALLEGED WIFE MURDER AT LANCASTER.
—Yesterday the adjourned inquest upon the body of Jane
Martin, aged 39, wife of Thomas Martin, wheelwright, was
held at Lancaster. TheferihnnciLiaal:ritnem was deceased's son
Oliveroi lad 11 years of who deposed that whilst he was in
• neighbour's house on ' day he heard his mother
sereaming "Murder," and that on going upstairs he found
her rifting in • corner of her bedroom bleeding from her
month and left eye. His father was standing near her,
and deceased said that he had knocked her down. His
father replied that he would kill her as soon as ever he
could. Upon her going downstairs to wash her mouth he
began cursing her and calling her bad names. He refund
to let witness stay there that night because he threw •
done at him when he had been hitting his mother. Pri-
soner bad frequently threatened deoeamdl and struck her.
He was in liquor, but not drunk, on Christmas-day. In
reply to prisoner, witness said deceased was not addicted
to drinking. Prisoner alleged that the quarrels between
him and his wife had been the result of drink, and she
was as bad as himself. He thought be must have hit her
on Christmas-day, but it was from no ill-will, and he did
not mean to harm her. He was sorry for what he bad
done when he came to his senses. The jury returned •
verdict of manslaughter, and prisoner was committed for
trial at the next Lancaster assizes.
ALARMING ACCIDENT AT A LAUNCTI.—On Tues-
day afternoon an accident occurred at Hebburn-on-Tyne
which for a time created the utmost alarm. About half-
past 3 o'clock in the afternoon • large new iron screw
steamer, built by Mears. Leslie and Co., of Hebburn-
q uay, for a Liverpool firm, was launched, and upwards of
1100 men and boys remained on board while she glided into
the river. Instead of floating, however, she canted over,
and all on dock were thrown huddled together on the side
of the vessel touching the water. Fortunately, none of
the persons on deck were thrown into the river, and the
injuries sustained were generally of • slight description.
Most exaggerated reports 8.4 to the nature of the accident
caused quite • panto to spread through the town, and the
gates of the yard were boxiegial for some time by an
anions crowd of women and children. The cause of the
accident was simply the 'minable' of the vowel without
my baud.