Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-04 00:00:00

CRINOLINE SUPERSEDED.

At the Guildhall, yesterday, Fanny Hunt, a respectable
young female, was charged by the authorities of White-
cross-street prison with smuggling spirits into that estab-
lishment, in contravention of the reghlations. Hannah
Baker, the searcher of females at the prison, said, When the
prisoner applied for admission this morning, I asked her
if she had any spirits about her, and she said she had, and
I took from her a bottle containing about half a pint of
gin. Alderman Copeland : Who does she go to see there ?
Witness : Two ladies of the name of Honore and Chris-
tian. Alderman Copeland : 'What are.they ? Defendant :
They were millinere, sir, of Davies-street, Berkeley-square.
Alderman Copeland : Were you in their service ? Prisoner :
Yes, sir, for the last three years. Alderman Copeland
W:s the spirits carried openly or concealed? Witness :
She had the bottle tied round her waist at the back of her
steys. Alderman Copeland : What !do you mean to say
she wore it as a hustle ? (Laughter.) Witness: Yes, sir.
(Renewed laughter.) Alderman Copeland : Well, I have
heard of sawdust bustles and crinoline, bat I never before
heard of the gin-hottle'hustle. (Roars of laughter.) Wit-
ness : She has been many time at the prison, but I
never found any spirits on her before. Alderman Cope-
land : Perhaps you never searched her bustle before.
(L l'ughter ) Witness : Oh, yes, I have; sir; and I alWays
search every female admitted to the prison. Alderman
Copeland : It appears that notwithstanding the vigilance
of the authorities, all the rules and regulations aro set at
defiance, and spirits are frequently smuggled into the
prison to enable the prisenere to get drunk, and great
diserder is the consequence. No doubt you have received
your instructions from your mistresses, but you so artfully
secured the spirits on your person, where few would think
Of searching, that 1. cannot look over your offence alto-
gether. The penalty is 101, but as you have been three
years in the service of these ladies you must be a respecta
ble young person, and I will, therefore, exercise my power
to mitigate the penalty. You seem to have been perfectly
aware of the offence you were committing, and I think I
am taking a very lenient view of the case in fining you
403, or in default 14 days' imprisonment. The defendant
was then removed in custody, with the intimation that if
the fine was not paid before the court rose, the magistrates
had no power to permit it to be paid after she was cam-
mitted to prison. The amount was shortly after paid,
having been sent by the defendant's mistresses, and she
was immediately liberated.

Mr. Hodges, of the Western, circuit, has been appointed
Chief Justice of the Cape colony.
UNFORTIINATZ ACCIDENT.—On Monday Morning, at
about 8 o'clock, during a fresh breeze from the east, as
Capt. Consens, of the American ship Coronet, 1,400 tons,
which had arrived at Falmouth on the 28th November from
Callao for orders, was landing in a boat with the second
mate of the ship Calcutta (which had been abandoned at
sea, and with the crew taken off by the Coronet) and four
other men, the boat by some means got into the breakers
between the points of Pendennis and the Bar ('he ship
being outside at anchor), and the captain and mate above
mentioned were, unfortunately, drowned ; the others were
saved.