The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-21 00:00:00

WESTAIINSTER.

ROBBING} A POLICEMAN.—Thomas Field, an artizan,
and Elizabeth Paget, a woman who has passed as his wife,
were placed at the bar charged with ribbing police con-
stable William Vick. 105 B.

Prosecutor said he rented a house iA Lillington-street,
Vauxhall-bridge-road, and let furnished apartments. Two
months ago the prisoners, who represented themselves to
be man and wife, came together to his house, and took a
room. He had since ascertained that they were not mar-
ried. On Monday evening last, in consequence of enter-
taining some suspicions that his things in the room were
not safe, he went to it, and saw the female
prisoner, and told her he wanted to examine her room to
see whether the different articles left in it were all right.
She said there was no necessity, as merything was safe ;
but he insisted on doing so, and on pulling down a portion
of the bed clothes found two blanket, a sheet, and a flock
bed missing. On a closer examination of the place it was
discovered that the feather pillows aid bolster had been
made away with, and flocks put into eases in their stead, so
that they should not he missed. Themale prisoner was out
during this discovery, and when he rtturned home and was
informed of it he expressed his surpise, and said he knew
nothing about it. When the loss of the things was dis-
covered the female entreated prosecutor not to tell her hus-
band, and said she had pawned the different things.
Mr Arnold—All this occurred on Monday; why did you
not take the parties into custody theh ?
Prosecutor—l thought the malt prisoner would get
them out. He gave me the duplicates this morning, and
said he had got them from her.

Male prisoner—l know nothing *bout the robbery,
Mr Arnold—Who pawned the things
Prosecutor—The female prisoner.
Mr Arnold—Do you moan to say, male prisoner, that you
slept in the bed and did not know there was a change !
Male prisoner did not. One theet was so doubled as
to make me think there were twos I felt there was some
difference, and when I spoke was told that the landlady
was changing the things.
Mr Arnold—l shall take year own recognisance to
appear h re again this day week. The female is remanded.

The Frightful 13 ccident in the Blackheath

Tunnel.

INQUEST ON THE FIREMAN-STATE OF THE

INJURED.

Yesteiday morning, at 11 o'clock, Mr C. J. Carttar, the
coroner for West Kent, opened an inquest at the Freema-
sons' Tavern, Woolwich Dockyard, on the body of Edward
Allum, the fireman of the 2 40 express train from Maidstcne,
which run into the ballast train in Blackheath Tunnel on
the North Kent Railway, on Friday last, by which so many
people were killed and injured.
The jury having been sworn,

The learned Coroner said that on the previous evening an
investigation had been opened by him at Blackheath into
the deaths of five of the unfortnuate men who lost their
lives by this sad calamity, of which no doubt they had all
heard. Upon the present occasion he did not propose to go
into all the evidence again that was taken upon the previous
evening. He would have the body identified in order that it
might be interred, and after taking the medical testimony,
he would adjourn over for a sufficient time to allow of the
other inquest to be completed. He should require the jury
to proceed to the Marine Hospital to view the body.
The jury then viewed the body, and
The Coroner asked Mr Inspector Linwell, of the H divi-
sion of police, if he could inform the Court as to the condi-
tion of tte other sufferers.

Mr Inspector Linwell said that Mr and Mrs NY indus,
who were taken to the Anti-Gallican, Charlton, on the
night of the cpllision, had been removed to their own reel-
deuce at 23, Terrace, Greenhithe. Mrs Windus has sus-
tained a very severe fracture of the leg, and being far ad-
vanced in pregnancy, the shock brought on the pains of
labour, and it was found necessary to remove her to her
own home, as it was her desire. Mr Windus was much
contused, but not supposed to be in danger. The other cases
at the Marine Hospital were those of Rendall, the guard of
the ballast train, who had three of his toes amputated, and
is progressing favourably, and Cullin, the platelayer, who is
in a very bad state and considered to be quite hopeless. An-
other bad case was that of Hurst, the driver of the passenger
train, who is frightfully scalded. Miss Price, who also lies
at the Anti-Gallican at Charlton, •is very bad. At Guy's
Hospital, Miss Frances Gillingham, who has a broken leg,
and James Pledge, a platelayer, much contused, are pro-
gressing favourably. Dr Browne, at the Golden Cross, is
very prostrate.

The following evidence was then taken :
James Allum, of 5, Union-road, Albany-road, Camber_
well, arid he was a stoker on board of a steamboat. He
identified the body of the deceased as that of Edwin Allum,
his brother. He was 24 years of age, and was a stoker in
the service of the South Eastern Railway Company, where
he had been for 10 years. He was a very steady man.

Mr Alex. Minnock, surgeon, of the Marine Hospital,
Woolwich, said the deceased was brought into that establish-
ment about 10 o'clock on Friday night. He was suffering
severely from the shock and intense cold. Ho was quite sen-
sible, but not able to give any collected account of the shock-
ing affair. He gradually rallied, but the reaction was imper-
fect and ineffectual. During the afternoon of the following day
delirium set in, and at half .past 11 there was a very sudden
change. He died about 12 o'clock on Saturday or a little after,
Had not made any post-mortem examination. lie had no
doubt that death was caused by the extensive shock from
the scalds and other injuries received. The case was hope-
less from the first. 'I he parts were all quite denuded of the
skin.

Mr George Claydon, the station master at Charlton, was
the next witness. He knew the deceased, and last saw him
alive at 430 at the Charlton station, on the engine. He
was performing his duty with Hunt, the driver. That was
the 240 train from Maidstone, and they were waiting for a
ballast train to be telegraphed from Blackheath as having
gone through. He received a signal, upon which he sent
on the train after waiting at the station for 10 minutes,
After the train had left about 12 minutes he received a mas-
sage from Blackheath stating that the ballast train had
parted. Having got assistance, he went up the tunnel, and
on his return he saw the deceased, who was very badly
injured, and who said " Oh, Mr Claydon, I am so bad." He
was removed to the Marine Hospital.

By a Juror—The deceased was removed to a cottage near
the Anget stein Jviaction, and placed warm in bed. He was
afterwards brought down to the station by the military, and
placed in an ambulance waggon. There were several doc-
tors there, who assisted the deceased. The ballast train
had the proper tail lights.

The inquiry was then adjourned for a fortnight,

Serious Gunpowder Explosion t Man-

chester.

On Monday evening a serious explosion of gunpowder
occurred at the shop of Mr. A. Cadden, a small gunsmith,
in Brook-street. Cadden occupies the end tenement of a row
of small cottages situate near the bridge which crosses the
Medlock, and while alone in the house at the time nawed
last evening he heard an explosion of fireworks in a
drawer behind him, lie attempted to carry the drawer
out of the house, but the fireworks exploded one after
another v. ith such rapidity that he was knocked down.
Remembering that he had several barrels of gunpowder
stored in a room upstairs, he attempted to get them out of
the house, and succeeded in securing one, which ho left in
charge of a neighbour. He tried to remove the others,
but the quantity of smoke overpowered him, and ho
could not enter the house. The fire engines, which had
in the meantime been sent fur, very shortly afterwards
a rived under the superintendence of Mr Tozer, who was
told that there had been several explosions of small pack-
ages of gunpowder, and that a large quantity was stored
upstairs. While the hose was being attached to the mains,
three heavy explosions were heard, and the front door, part
of the wall, and the window were blown out. The gable was
also shattered, and the partition wall adjoining the next
house was likewise blown down. The firemen entered
the place, and one of them found a small cask, half full
of gunpowder, which, to prevent accident, was thrown into
the river. He was followed out of the house by four others
of the brigade, who had each secured a barrel containing
about 251 b of gunpowder, and this was at once placed in
the hands of the police, and taken to the Fairfield-street
police station. Several canisters of gunpowder were also
picked up among the debris. Beyond a slight inquiry to
Mr Cadden's left hand, no one was hurt. What, however,
the consequences would have been but for the exertions
of the fire brigade, no oae can say, for the neighbour-
hood is densely populated, and the adjoining thorough-
fare is one of the busiest in the city. Mr Cadden estimates
the loss of his property at £l4O, nothing of which is covered
by insurance. The injury to the house is so serious, that
in all probability it will have to be re-built.

HORRIBLE RETALIATION. Six Confederates
have been executed at Osceola, Kentucky, by order of Major
Gen. Burbridge, in retaliation for the murder of two Union
men. Lycurgus Morgan, one of the six, was a desperate man
On the way to the place of execution he cursed the guards
and himself with one black oath after another. Upon arriv
ing on the ground he coolly walked to his coffin, cursing,
and heavily dropped himself astraddle of it, looking boldly
and defiantly at the soldiers before him. Four men were to
fire upon each of the prisoners, and three white soldiers and
one black one were to fire upon Morgan, When the word
was given, all took deliberate aim and fired. While all the
others fell pierced with bullets, and without a murmur,
stran2e to say, the caps snapped on the guns pointed at
Morgan, with the exception of the negro's, and he missed
his aim. At the report of the guns, Morgan fell back on his
coffin, and lay as if he had been killed; bat the lieutenant
in charge approached him and examined his body closely,
and finding that he had escaped being shot, drew a pistol
and shot him in the breast, the ball passing up la's ribs and
lodging in the back of his neck. When the ball struck
Morgan his whole person sprang three feet above the
coffin on which he was lying upon his back. He was a
man unacquainted with fear.—Louisville Journal.
AFRICAN SLAVE GANGS.—At Mineenga we met
several parties or gangs of slaves in chains, and
my thoughts reverted to the happy village life in our own
country, a pleasing contrast to such painful and revolting
scenes. Clad each in single goat akin, the slaves kept
themselves warm at night lying near a firo. Never is the
chain unfastened, day or night. Should one of the num-
ber require to move, the whole must accompany him. All
ate together boiled sweet potato, or a spinage made from
the leaves of the pumpkin plant, and were kept in
poor condition to prevent their becoming troublesome.
One day a woman slave, on seeing the cook casting away
the head of a fowl he had just killed, picked it up, and
gave it to', a poor convalescent slave, who grasped it with
the eagerness of a dog. Any meat or bones left over from
our dinner were always given them. A small lad, whose
ears had been cut off (probably a Uganda boy), watched or
accompanied the slaves, and treated them, I thought with
unfeeling coarseness. A sick slave having recovered, it was
the boy's duty to chain him to his gang again, and it was
grievous to see the rough careless way he used the poor
emaciated creature. Beyond bringing in firewood for them-
selves and cleaning corn, they were not much worked. The
sole object of the owner was to keep them alive, and pre-
vent their running away till sold at the coast. Ten men
and five women had lately deserted, chains and all, from
Sirboko, so that he did not approve of taking off their
irons—" the birds would soon fly if he did." They looked
generally sullen and lull of danger, but might be seen
dancing and even riotous at times, till a word from the
oarless imp of a boy restored orders--A Walk Across
Africa, by Captain J. A. Grant,

The Moniteur publishes the report presented by
the Prefect of the Seine to the couucil-general of
the department—a paper occupying several pages
of the official journal. The document comprises-
1, the element for fixing the taxes in 1865; 2, the
definitive account of the receipts and expenses for
1863; 3, the departmental Budget for 1865; 4, a
series of papers connected with the documents just
mentioned ; and 5, an analysis, with observations
from the Prefect, of the wishes expressed by the
council-general in the preceding session, as well as
those of the councils of arrondissement during the
present year.

The Late Accident in the Blackheath Tuunel,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

who read the account of the late frightful acci-
dent in the Blackheath. Tunnel must be impressed with the
necessity that more stringent rules and regulations should
be made by the directors of the South Eastern Railway
Company for the safer conveyance of their passengers.
Firstly, that the tunnel should be lighted with gas—(in-
dispensably necessary).

. . .. _
secondly, that no tram should be allowed to enter the
tunnel till the preceding one has cleared Blackheath on the
one side and Charlton on the other.

Thirdly, that a man should be stationed at each end,
whose duty it should be to carry this strictly into effect;
and further that it ought not to depend upon the man alone
but should be indicated in addition to the engine drivers by
And, fourthly, that trains should not be allowel to pass
each other in the tunnel, which is now of daily occurrence,
under any circumstances whatevn-.

I am, 8c2.,

A CONSTANT TRAVELLER.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

-o--

RACING FIXTURES FOR 1865.
JANUARY.
Manchester
FEBRUARY.
Lincoln spring . 21 i Nottingham Spring .... 28

M ARCH.

Derby Spring 2
Liverpool Spring .. 7
Shrewsbury Spring .... 9

Doncaster Spring l4
Warwick Spring
Chelmsford Spring
IL.
Catterick Bridge
Thirsk ...... 2l
Epsom Spring

- -
Ar.
Northampton 4
Croxton Park 7
Durham l7
Newmarket Craven

Newmarket Ist Spring.. 1
Chester
York Spring

Salisbury
Bath 1.3
Epsom 6uranier 3O

Now ready, G. SIIELTON'S
Connaught-terrace, Hyde-pal
Fleet-street; and all agents.

; Derby Guide, le Glenie,
Lrk ; Sunday Times Office,

WHAT IS EARTH ?—E srth is dust. It is partly
composed of minute portions severed from the hardest
substances by the wedges of frost and the ever-repeated
grinding of wind and rain. The friction of currents, the
pounding of waves, the crumbling by chemical agencies,
have combined to form the heterogeneous compounds which
we call earth. 'W bother in the eliepo of impalpable clays
and marls, or made up of sand, coarse gravel, and shingle ;
whether as leaf-mould, mud, or animal remains, we may
fairly say that earth is dust. It is a complex mixture of
pulverised materials, an artistic sort of mincemeat, elabo-
rately and benevolently combined for the support and sus-
tenance of plants, and through them of animals. Of all the
ancient four, therefore, Earth has least right to its title of
Element. It is the most recent, the latest formed ; for it had
to be prepared and manufactured by the combined action
of the other three. Moreover, from the continuance of
the same causes, the quantity of earth in the world must be
steadily increasing every day. Soils are earth considered
in respect to its suitability for the growth of vegetables, or
the habitation of men. They are formed by the combination
of two or more of the primitive earths, united with organic
matter in a state of decay. The three principal primitive
earths are flint or silex, clay, and lime, which occur in a
state of minute division, forming unctuous impalpable
matter, as well as in the shape of sand, gravel, or shingle.
. . , . The list of earth's usefulness is not easily ex-
hausted. Earth supplies colours for painting, as ochre,
umber, and ultramarine, besides numerous brilliant metallic
compounds; materials for pipes, bricks, pottery, tiling,
pavement, statuettes, crockery, and artificial gems—the
means of cleaning and polishing as "French chalk," Bath-
brick, tripoli, fullers'-earth---aids to both defensive and
offensive military operations, from Uncle Toby's fortifica-
tions to General Todleben's earthworks—a simple cement,
for grafting, to wit, and for stopping beer barrels, as medi-
cine, like magnesia, chalk, collyrium, and Armenian bole—
for thrashing-floors, garden-walks, ant-hills and savages'
huts. There is eatable earth which taken into the stomach,
lulls, if it do not satisfy, the cravings of hunger. Before
altogether quitting the Earth, we will, in the second
chapter, go a little deeper into it, following the itinerary of
three recent travellers.—Dickens's All the Year Round.
OUTBREAK IN AN AUSTRIAN PRISON.—A riot
lately took place among the prisoners confined in the prison
of Stein, in Austria. The outbreak had been planned for
some time, and a baker's son, who had been condemned to
several years imprisonment for incendiarism, was chosen as
the leader. At last, when about 200 of the prisoners were
assembled in the workshop, one of the gaolers entered the
place bringing the breakfast. Some of the men began to
murmur, "We do not like the food ! Death to gaoler 1"
and at the same time the turnkey was knocked down and
the breakfast thrown about. The rest of the prisoners,
thinking that the moment had come for the proposed
outbreak, tore down the doors, broke the windows, and
wrenched the iron bars out, Eight of the men, laying
hold of a large bench, used it as a battering ram, with
which they boat down a part of the wall, and obtained
access to the passage leading to the outer. wall. Here, how-
ever their progress was stopped, for an alarm having been
given, a picket of soldiers arrived, and the rioters retreated
in disorder, uttering violent threats. When order was
restored all the prisoners were ordered to stand up in the
courtyard, and 100 of the most violent were sentenced to re-
ceive the bastinadoA 25 to 30 blows being given to each.
One of the men, named Kramer. who had during the riot
endeavoured to set fire to the building, was in addition
condemned to imprisonment for five weeks. The other
prisoners were all sentenced to punishments of various
kinds.

---
THE ROYAL FAMILY OF KARAGUE.—The royal
family of Karague consisted of three brothers and their
families. Their father, Dagara, had died about eight
years previous to our visit. He had lived to a good
old age ; was almost a giant in height, with leprous
hands of the Wahuma caste ; was esteemed a wise and
sagacious :prince, and was very popular with the people.
On his death, his body was sown up in the skin of a cow,
and placed inside a hut, with several women and cattle, who
were there all left to die and moulder to dust. The question
of succession was disputed b 3 three surviving sons, and the
test as to who should ultimately rule was that some sacred
emblem would be placed before all, and whoever should
raise it from the ground would become the, reigning sove-
reign. Rumanika, not the eldest, was found to be the only
one of the three competent, or who felt conscientiously
that he could support the dignity of the position by rais-
ing this weight from the ground; consequently he was
elected. From that time a younger brother, Rognrah,
became his bitter enemy, and fled to a coroner of the pro-
vince, taking with him a great proportion of the people
with their cattle, as he was the more generous and the
greater favourite of the two brothers. But Rumanika's
mother had to be got rid of before he could properly hold the
reins of government ; and by some magic medicine she was
killed, and he was declared "I\l`kama of Karague." Al-
though illness prevented my seeing so much of the Rume-
n ka as I should otherwise have liked, I could not but
notice that he was the handsomest and more intelligent
Sovereign we had met with in Africa. Ho stood six feet
two inches in height, and his countenance had a fine open
mild expression. There was nothing of the African look
about him, except that he had wool instead of hair. His
dress was a robe of numerous skins of small antelopes sewn
together and knitted over ene shoulder, with a linen cloth
underneath ; or an Arab cloak or shawl of bark cloth hung
from his shoulder, reaching below the knee. (Ling about
with nothing on his head, his arms bare, except common
ornaments of beads or brass, with painted porcelain beads
on his ankles, and carrying a long staff, he was altogether
the picture of the gentle shepherd of his flick. His four
young sons, of ages from 16 to 24, were tall, smart, nice-
looking young fellows—quite gentlemanly in their man-
ners, and very cleanly in their persons and dress. There
was a younger son, an infant, always kept at the royal
residence and not allowad out. The five wives of the
king have been described by Captain Speke—several were
of enormous proportions unable to enter the door of an
ordinary hut, requiring a person on each aide to sup-
port them when moving from one place to another, and
expressing great delight at:any preeentithe " Wazoongo'
(white men) should send their • Lord and master.,
Their diet, and that of the sons and daughters,
was generally boiled plantain or milk. They considered
their existence depended on the latter food, and certainly
they all throve admirably upon it—the sons were full of
vigour, and the women were fat and healthy, though not
prolific.-21 Walk Across Africa, by Captain J. A. Grant.
SENEGAL COTTON.—The Moniteur de la Flotte
contains an account of a successful plantation of 150
acres of cotton in Senegal. The ground was divided into
five unequal parts. One portion, extending over 50 acres,
was planted with the native cotton of Senegal. After the
ground was cleared, well-handled drills were opened 6ft
apart, and the sowing was commenced at the beginning of
August, To the west and north of Taouey is a vast tract
of land covered with brushwood, which grew to a great
height, The ground was cleared with some difficulty, and
sown as an experiment, with seed Lf Georgian long-silk
cotton, Jumel, Louisiana, and Algerian. The ground
was selected because the various kinds of cotton could be
planted near each other, and from its position it could be
more easily inspected, The soil, moreover, is of various
qualities—sandy and damp, suited to Algerian cotton, and
other places rich in vegetable matter- Thep lanter began
to clear the land, on the 16th of August, lie finished on
the September, and Onee
tghreounld7Ntvhas
olefveslleepdtetomtbheer
extent 6th of
tentef4Oac
he opened trenches 1 foot wide and 8 inches deep. He
sowed the seed of the long-silk Georgian cotton in the
bottom of the trench. In this he followed the Egyptian
plan, because the long-silk Georgian cotton requires irriga-
tion, The trenches are calculated to retain the water and
the consequent humidity as long as possible. The last
sowing succeeded perfectly, and by the last acc,nuts the
young plants are flourishing. That was the second expe-
riment the planter tried, and it extended over- a surface of
24 acres. The planter expected that by the end of October
the entire tract would be levelled and sown. In a word,
there are 150 acres of land cleared, of which one-half it:
levelled, 115,000 ft. of cotton plants are planted on 65 acres,
and the planter is expected to gather his crop in December,

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—Dec. 20,

COURT OF DIVORCE.
(Before the Judge Ordinary,)

CODRINGTON V. CODRINGTON AND ANDERSON,
This case came on to-day upon the question of costs.
Mr Bovill, Q.C,, asked that the costs, except those against
Lieut. Mildmay, be paid by Col. Anderson, the co-respon-
dent.

Mr price, Q C., for Colonel Anderson, opposed the ap-
plication, _ _ _

The learned Judge thought the claim for costs in the case
had been taken on far too high grounds. It was not be-
cause a co-respondent had been found guilty by the ver-
dict of a jury that therefore he was to pay the cost%
It was a queition quite for the decision of the Court -
and ho therefore should reserve his decision on the sub
ject until he had fully considered the whole ct the cir-
cumstances involved in the matter.

Mr Price satd there was another motion on the paper
to-day, viz., for a new trial, bat wilhout the Court sat
later than usual he did not sec how it was to be
reached to day, which was the last day of term. -
The Judge 0:-Iiinary thought that that application had
better stand over uatil he had given his decision on the
question of costs.
Mr Price said he would do:so.
It was then arranged that the application for a new trita),
should be made on the second motion day, next term.

LONDON GAZETTE--Last Evening-,

WHITEHALL, DEC. 20.

The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be
passed under the Great Seal, appointing the Right Hon.
Henry, Baron Taunton—the Right Hon. Edward Henry
Smith Stanley (commonly called Lord Stanley)—the Right
Hon. George William, Baron Lyttelton—Sir Statlord,
Henry Northcote, Bart., C.B.—the Very Rev. Walter
Farquhar Hook, D,D.—the Rev. Frederick Temple, D. D.
—the Rev. Anthony Wilson Thorold, M.A.—Thomas D.
Ackland, E:q.—Edward Baines, E:l.—William Edward
Forster, Esq.—Peter Erle, Esq., one of her Majesty's
Counsel—and John Storrar, Esq., M.D., to be her Ma.
jesty's Commissioners to inquire into the education given
in Schools not comprised within her Majesty's two former
Commissions, beating date respectively 30th June, in the
22d year, and 18th July, in the 25th year, of her Majesty's
reign ; and also to consider and report what measures
(if any) are required for the improvement of such edu-
cation, having especial regard to all endowments applicable,
or which can rightly be made applicable, thereto.
ST. JAMES'S PALACE, DEc. 17.

The Queen has been pleased, on the nomination of tho
Right Hon. Lord Foley, to appoint Henry J obling Wal-
lack, Eeq,, late Captain in the 77th Regiment, one of her
Majesty's Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, vice
Marklund Barnard. Etq:, reaigued.