The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 9, 1864.

Day,

been large, and, notwithstanding the advance in the Bank
rate of discount to nine per cent,, the biddings for all de-
scriptions have ruled active, at the full prices current at
the close of last sales. Continental buyers have also been
in good attendance, and these have made somewhat exten-
sive purchases, at very full prices. The private contract
market is very moderately supplied with English wool, and
and the trade is very firm. Buyers, however, appear dis-
posed, in consequence of the shortness of the supply as
well as of the high price of money, to limit their transactions
to the supply of their immediate wants.
Current prices of English wool per lb.
Fleeces —South Down hoggets 1 111 to 2 01
Half-bred do
Kent fleeces
South Down ewes & wethers 1 9 110
Leicester d 0..~,
Sorts—Clothing
Combing

MARLBOROUGH STREET.

were produced wtth five rounds from the three guns. With
the Armstrong shunt-gun there were through the six tar-
gets, from first to last, 591 distinct perforations :and 682
places in which either fragments of the shells had lodged
or deeply indented the wood, making 1,273 marks in all.
With the Armstrong breech. loader there were 338 perfora-
tions and 368 places in which the fragments had either
struck or lodged, making 706 marks in all. With the Whit•
worth there were 524 perforations and 132 places in which
either the shrapnel bullets had struck or lodged, making
656 marks in all. In addition to these marks Sir William
had opposite the targets opposed to his shunt-gun three
ragged holes--one 10 inches by 9 inches, one 14 inches by
12 inches, and one 15 inches by 5, so that in destructive
effect the victory of the Armstrong shunt is here so pre-
eminent as to require no further comment, On Friday
morning last the same trials were continued with the same
targets to find the number of men which each gun would
kill in five rounds—the result to be ascertained after the
firing was over by forming up soldiers in line in front of
each target, and then counting the perforations only which
had been made in the wood behind every man. This test
gave the shunt-gun a total of 108 men killed, to the breech
loader's 118 men killed, and to the Whitworth 89 men
killed, In this case, also, very plausible reasons are
alleged to account for the Whitworth shells killing in
theory fewer than the other, but we can no more enter
into these excuses than Sir William's explanations why
Whitworth beats him in range, or why his breech-
loader shot badly at the trial we have mentioned.
These tests, we have said, ought to have •been made with
case shot, but Mr. Whitworth did not wish to use it, and
preferred his time-fuzee shells. Case shot is a mere thin
cylinder filled with musket balls, and stopped at each end
with a wooden wad. This cylinder instantly breaks on
leaving the gun, and the balls, spreading into a circle, tell
with murderous effect upon men at 400 and 500 yards, and
from the shape of Mr. Whitworth's hexagon rifling it is
said he cannot use this missile with effect. Such a deficiency
—if it really exists—is not of serious moment ; but still it
would be a deficiency, and as such, no doubt, recorded
against the gun. Using time fuzes at such a range as 430
yards appeared to be objectionable. In time fuzes a mis-
calculation of the time of bursting, even such an infinitesi-
mal miscalculation as 1-10th of a second would be sufficient
to make the shell burst 40 yards too soon or too late. When
such fractional nicety is required it is like expecting im-
possibilities to suppose that men in the hurry and hot blood
of action, with the enemy as close upon them as 450 yards,
would be able to cut fuzees with such minute accuracy as
to allow for 10the of seconds in ever varying distances.
How it would be in action with no previous knowledge of
the ranges was shown on Friday at Shoeburyness, where,
with perfect knowledge of the range, with ample time, the
most scrupulous care, and every scientific adjunct required :
to insure success, only ono shell out of five burst precisely
where it was wanted, right in front of the targets. In mak-
ing these remarks we wish most carefully to guard ourselves
from being supposed to advance anything against either the
principle or efficiency of Mr. Whitworth's time shell, of
which it is not too much to say that it is the most perfect •
missile of the kind ever invented. The percussion shell of
the 'Whitworth gun is far inferior to it, and, as compared
with the general efficiency of Sir William's percussion shell
may be pronounced almost a failure. As yet it has effected
so little that on every occasion he can do so Mr. Whitworth
prefers to use his time shell, and with very good reason,
After the trials at these targets were over, another test of
endurance was made by firing 50 rounds of shot from each
gun, which were then left to cool, and impressions taken of
their interiors to show wear and tear of bore. It is only
necessary to say that these impressions proved that the guns
are wearing, though we are not yet in possession of such
authentic information as to state which has worn most.

rn our account of the experiments made at Shoeburyn ess
on Friday the merit of Captain Palliser's plan of fastening
armour- bolts was inadvertently ascribed to his brother.
The praise is due to Captain William Palliser, of the 18th
Hussars.

Central Criminal Court--This Day.

The May Sessions of the Central Criminal Court corn

menced this morning at the Sessions House, Old Bailey,
before the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, and other civic
authorities. The calendar consists of a list of 84 prisoners
for trial. The Grand Jury having been sworn,
The Reccrder, in delivering his charge, said be was
happy to inform them that the calendar did Rot contain a
very large list of prisoners for trial ; and that none of
the cases were of a very serious nature. There was a case

in which a man had been committed for trial for unlaw.

fully wounding, but since that the person who had been
wounded had died, and the case would be presented before
them as one of manslaughter; and if they were satisfied
that the death was occasioned by the wound, it would be
their duty to return a true bill. There was also
another case of manslaughter, in which a person who prac-
tised and represented himsel as a surgeon, not being duly
qualified, was charged with having caused the death of the
deceased for want of proper knowledge and skill, and gross
ignorance. It appeared that he had operated on the deceased
for a ease of the hip joint, from the effects of which
he died. If they were satisfied that the prisoner was not a
practical and proyerly qualified surgeon, and death ensued
from his want of skill, it would be their duty to return a true
bill. Having referred to a ease in which a person was
charged with an attempt at rape en a young girl, the Re-
corder said the only other case he thought it necessary to
make any observation on was :a case in whioh two boys
were charged with arson in setting fire to chattels in a dwel-
ling house. It appeared the prisoners had put some lighted
paper in the letter box at the prosecutor's house, and set
fire to a number of letters. When the fire was
discovered it was found that the lighted paper put into the
box was part of an old newspaper, the other portions of which
had been traced to have been in possession of the prisoner,
The jury would•have all the facts before them, and if the
evidence showed a prima facie case against the prisoner, it
would be their duty to send the case for further enquiry
before the petit jury. There was no other case in which it
would be necessary to make any observations, and he would
therefore at once dismiss them to their duties.

The Grand Jury having retired,
A common jury was sworn, and the Court proceeded
with the trial of cases standing over from last session.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

ALLEGED ROBBERY IN A CAB.—Margaret Mills, an
unfortunate, was charged before Mr. Knox with stealing
from the person of Mr. James O'Brien, of 25, Newman-
street, Oxford-street, a leather bag containing £27 108. in
gold.

The prosecutor said that about twelve the previous night
he met the prisoner in Oxford. street, and get into a cab
and went with her as far as Holborn-hill, when they got
out and got into another cab, telling the driver to proceed
to the Marble Arch. On reaching Marylebone-lane, the
prisoner got out and wanted to get away, and this caused
him to suspect something, and putting his hand into his
trowsers' pocket he missed a leather bag containing £27 10s,
which he felt was safe in hid pocket when ho first met the
prisoner. He then called a constable and gave the prisoner
in charge.

Ur Knox asked the prosecutor whether he was quite
sober.

The prosecutor said he had been to two publichouses, and
at one he had some stout and ale, and at the other some
brandy.

The prisoner said she did not remember anything, as she
had been drinking. She did not take the ,prosecutor's
money.

Job Elliott, 355 D, said the prosecutor was the worse for
drink, but the prisoner was quite sober. The prosecutor
charged the prisoner with stealing his bag and money, and
said she had run down a court,

Mr Knox asked what money was found on the prisoner,
and the constable said only Bs. 6d.
The prisoner said the prosecutor give her that, which he
did not deny.

Mr Knox said it was just possible the prosecutor might
have dropped the bag in the cub. lie could not detain the
prisoner on the evidence, but ho would advise the prose-
cutor to go to the Lost Property Office at Scotland-yard
and give information that the cabman might, if possible
be traced. The prosecutor had lost his money by his own
folly, but the police would try and help him to recover it.
Barns, the gaoler, said the prisoner could be found at
any time if she was wanted.
The prisoner was then discharged.
VIOLENT ASSAULT ON ♦ Wing.—Henry Vincent, of 8,
Husband-street, a sweep, was charged with violently as-
saulting his wife Mary, by striking her on the head with a
can.

Loosley, 46 0, said that at one o'clock yesterday morning
he was callE d to No. 8, Husband-street, where he found the
prisoner's wife smothered with blood, and unable to see,
lie took her to the Middlesex Hospital, where she had her
head dressed. She was unable to attend that morning.
In answer to Mr. Knox, the constable said the wife told
him that her husband cut her head open with a can, while
the prisoner said it was done with his fist. The poor woman,
who was very ill, told him that she did not like to appear
against the prisoner, who had assaulted her before, as, if he
were sent to prison, she would have to go to the workhouse.
Ho believed the wife was frightened to appear.
The prisoner said he had b9en out drinking comfortably
with his wife, and he did not know what caused them to
fall out, but he believed she threw some water on him.
Mr. Knox remanded the prisoner.