Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-01-08 00:00:00

usually taken. As the ship that was tugged, the Zetland,
was a very large vessel, he thought the pilot acted im-
properly, in taking the vessel the course he did. Edward
Holden, out-door manager of the Steam Tug Company,
said a pilot was on board the tug, but he was unable to
prove that the man was at the time a licensed pilot.
Thomas Drisdall, sscond engineer of the tug, said at the
time of the collision, the first engineer and the captain
were on shore. Obeyed the orders he received from the
mate as to the speed, &c. Several of the men engaged on
the tug were called, but were not in a position to prove
that the pilot was licensed. The case was then adjourned
until this day (Saturday), at ten o'clock.

LIVERPOOL BANKRUPTCY COURT

-YESTERDAY.

BEFORR MR. COMMISSIONER PERRY

In re ROBERT WILLIAMS.-Thii was the last ex—
amination meeting. The bankrupt, a builder, in Park.
road, Liverpool, was supported by Mr. Evans, and opposed
on behalf of the assignees by Arr. Almond. The
bankrupt was examined at considerable length, principally
with reference to his property, which appeared to be
almost entirely in the hands of mortgagees. The balance-
sheet, however, was not shown to be inaccurate, and the
bankrupt was allowed to pass. The certificate meeting
was fixed for 3rd Feb.
In re LYDIA M`LELLIN.—The bankrupt, who kept
the Mostyn Arms Hotel, Llandudno, came up ou appli-
cation for her certificate. Mr. Hull appeared for the
bankrupt. Mr. Evans, for the assignees, offered no oppo-
sition, and His Honour awarded an immediate certificate
of the second class. Mr. Hull applied for the costs of his
attendance on behalf of the bankrupt, but His Honour
observed that unless a first-class certificate were granted,
he never allowed costs to a bankrupt's solicitor. Mr.
Hull was sorry he had not applied for a first class certifi-
cate.

In re JOSHUA lint.--The bankrupt, an architect and
builder, at Fairfield, near Liverpool, also came *Von.
application for his certificate. Mr. Payne appeared for
the assignees, and stated various grounds of objection to
the allowance of a certificate without some suspension.
Mr. Ewer was heard for the bankrupt at great length
and.his Honour awarded him a certificate of the third
class, subject to a suspension of the operation thereof for
four months.

LIVERPOOL POLICE INTELLIGENCE

BEFORE MR. W. DIXON

Mr. Clough said, he had received 2s. 6d. from
Stride, a waiter at the George Hotel, for the mother of
the poor young man, named Thompson, who w
attempted to be made a " crinoline victim," at the Court
on Wednesday.

EXTRAORDINARY SWlNDLE.—Francis Sandland,. a
peculiar looking person, whose card bore the following,
" Accountant, Temple Buildings, 24, Mathew-street, and
Saint Mary Gate, Birkenhead," was brought up by
detective-officer Carlyle,• on the following extra-
ordinary case of swindling. A respectable looking
person, named Joseph Proffitt, who resides at
Rookery House, Aldridge, Staffordbhire, said; about
the end of August or beginning of September, It—
saw an advertisement in the Staffordshire Advertiser;
for a person to conduct an ale and porter vaults, in
Liverpool, and I wrote in reply to it. I received a letter
from the prisoner (letter read), and after some correspon-
dence, I agreed with him to conduct the vaults, and I
came down on the Ist November. The agreement was
for £1 10s. a week, coal, light, &c. The complainant
then went on to state at great length, the facts of the
case, of which we give the following history.
The advertisment having appeared in the Stafford-
shire paper, and a correspondence having been established
between the prosecutor and the prisoner, the latter
offered him £1 10s. a week, with many other advan-
tages, to conduct an ale and porter vaults at No. 2,
Vine-street. The prisoner actually induced the prose-
cutor to come to Liverpool, and took him to No. 2,
Vine-street, a beer-house kept by a Mr. DeGrey, and
had the audacity to take him over the house and show it
to him, saying it was his own.. He was to get posses-
sion on the 25th but the prisoner must have
£4O as security for Nov.,he good faith and conduct
of the prosecutor. In the course. of the nego-
tiation the prisoner went to the house 'of the
father of prosecutor, Mr. Proffitt, in Staffordshire,
stopped there two days, and, as the probscutor said, slept
in a room where there was £3OO in a box. (Well for
the owners the prisoner did not know it.) After
this he induced the prosecutor to come down and bring
his wife with him. The prisoner met them at Edge-hill,
took them to the hotel of Mr. Malcomb, Islington, where-
he represented Mr. Malcom& as his brother-in-law,
and introduced the wife of the prosecutor as his
cousin. He then managed to get the £4O out of the
prosecutor on a stamped agreement, to conduct the house-
No. 2, Vine-street; but when Mr. Proffitt (he proved a
very silly prophet) went to take possession
from the occupier, a Mr. DeGrey, it is
needless to say he was laughed at, and he
never saw the prisoner after that, until he was taken into
custody. „Mr. DeGrey, the occupier of the house, and
Mr. Lamb, the owner, were examined, and they swore
they knew nothing of the prisoner... The prisoner
endeavoured to show that he was an agent for the letting
of the house, but all his cleverness, which was of
smart character in the swindling lino, did not avail him,
and he was sent for trial.
_BEFORE MESSRS J. B._ LLOYD, AND EUTCITZsON.

RUNAWAY HORSE.— Mr. Bothwell, reCentlY *-
grocer in Great Homer-street, was charged for leaving
his horse and shandry in the street. It appeared that on
the 28th ult , the horse and shandry were left in the
street without any one to care for them, the horse ran
away along Scotland-road, at a furious rate, endangering
the lives of the public, and a poor blind boy, who was in
the street, was knocked down and severely injured, so
that he lies in the Northern Hospital. In reply to Mr.-
Lloyd, the defendant said he was not able to make the boy
any compensation. as he had assigned all his property to his-
creditors. His Worship said he would fine the defendant
£1 and costs, and he directed the officer to look after the
boyihseor
e thatNver
ehea mfeigwhtpubbeliperoapnedrlbyecaTt-thenoduesde
et oa
s. e s
but the
details were void of public interest.
BURIAL SOCIETIES. —A poor old woman, named Ellen
1 al ill

- victoria Buriai
, for £l2 benefit, claimed for the death of her
son, who was a member of that society. Mr. Bluck was
for- the complainant, and Mr. Cobb for the defence.
The case lasted over three hours. From the length
of time occupied in hearing the case, and
the legal arguments made use of, it appeared that the
poor woman.had paid into the society for fifteen years.
The only question now, however, was, whether at the
time of her son's death he was in " benefit" or not.
There is a rule of the society, that runs as follows : "If
a member be twelve weeks in arrear, the membership
ceases altogether ; and if in arrear for a certain period
I V--

Society,

•
anc ae arrear be paid up, the member does not cease ;"
but still the person, after •payino.° up the arrear, is not,
according to the rule, to be in " benefit" for
four weeks after. It appeared that the com-
plainant was in arrear on. the 11th of December, and
that her son died on Sunday, the 12th. On the Monday
her card was altered so as to put her out of benefit. On
she paid the arrear, but, as was alleged and admitted,
these grounds the " Victoria Burial Society " refused to
pay her, as they alleged she was out of benefit for four
weeks after the arrear was even paid, and this was correct,
according to the rule. Mr. Bluck censured the conduct
of John Tidd Pratt, the registrar of friendly societies in
the united kingdom, for having certified such a rule, and
called it a "trap" to catch and swindle poor people.
' marked, and
mp
After an investigation of the time stated, the magis-
trates dismissed the complaint, saying the rule did
not allow them to give an order for the poor woman; but
at tlea same
er.enidieumtceheidson,
the i
en 0 strongnd uc t
of the society.
He exonerated them from doing anything with a dis-
honest intention, but said they were personally liable to
tic language,
l'
the poor woman, and the sooner they got 'rid of such a
rule the better it would be for them, for it was a trap to
catch poor people in, who paid their money. He was
very. sorry the bench was compelled to come to such a
decision against the poor woman, but, as the
rule stood, they could not do otherwise. He
wits quite sure Mr. Pratt had not read the
rule, for if he had, he would not have certified it.
Mr. Blucksaid if
•
was a disgrace to his office. Mr. Hutchison again
spoke in strong terms of condemnation of the society, bat
was obliged to dismiss the ease, according to the rule.

A few evenings ago, at the Theatre Royal, Greenock,
while Mr. Fitzroy was setting the audience in a roar, by
his admirable acting of Dogberry, and was enjoining the
watch to " comprehnd all vagrom men," a swell in the
boxes drawlingly remarked, " Very stupid fellow, that
actor ! Do you hear the mistakes he is making ?"
NEW SYSTEM 0.7 BREAKING HORSES. —A few days
since the trial of a newly invented break took place, for
which Dr. Bunting, an Englishman, recently arrived
from Montreal, has taken out a patent in this country.
The first thing which strikes the eye is its perfeet
sim-
plicity of construction, and the effect is apparentmadethe
achine,
a few minutes after a horse is harnessed
as it is impossible for the wildest or m osTttioiveirceioiussbauntiracinal
either to rear, plunge, kick, back.
driver,
punishment
and yet. there is no
The worst tempered attiorn ls to
used in the operation.
and
manageable a
alternative ; lie must go forwaord,atthe will of the e
after a- few be found
lessons, and the system is as ap pbeable to saddle as to
slightest violence or •
draught' or harness horses,—Belle Life,
not the
become*