The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-20 00:00:00

= AUGUST 2O,

BILLINGSGATE MARKET.
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
When any great public building, public market, or
public thoroughfare, &e., is to be razed to the foun-
dation for reconstruction, it is invariably the custom
that most of the material for the new building is
either already prepared, or easily accessible, before
commencing to pull asunder the old structure. These
previous preparations are made with the view that no
time might be lost in the reconstruction of the build-
ing, that public business might not be hindered by
the necessity of transacting it in temporary places ; and
that that part of the town where the construction is
being renewed may not be allowed for years to look
like a wilderness of ruins with scaffoldings, &c.
Billingsgate, as a public market, it appears, must
be an exception to the general rule. It is just now
about three years and nine months since the demo-
lition of old Billingsgate market and the recon-
struction of the new one on its site commenced;
and at the present day, on viewing the market from
Lower Thames-street, it may yet be seen that a great
deal of work has to be performed before its final com-
pletion.
It becomes rather an awkward affair at times to
lay aside an old machine, and wait until the materials
for the re-construction of a new one are manufac-
tured. An Irishman, who depended pretty much
upon the ready use of a good musket, seems to have
been aware of that fact. When Pat wanted his
musket renewed, he went to a gun-smith and said, in
accents as broad as his countrymen are famed for—
" Arrah, my honey, this musket of mine requires a
new stock, a new lock, and a new barrel ; but I must
have them almost immediately." The gunsmith
having plenty of the material on hand already manu-
factured, of course was very soon able to supply
Paddy with an entire new musket. There was a
Scotchman, too, who could not get on without a
sharp-edged instrument; he went to a cutler and said,
"Please, sir, this knife of mine requires a new handle
and a fresh blade; but as I can't well do without a
knife I will just keep this one by me until you have
completed one exactly similar to it, or you may im-
prove upon it if you can." Billingsgate-market may
be assimilated to an old boot, that bad been given to
a cobbler with directions to put on it anew top, new
front, new heel, and new sole ; but the artist has not
yet bean enabled to finish more than the top, heel,
and sole—the front building next to Thames-street
has yet to be erected.
The reasons for the market not being in a more
forward state after such a lapse of time, it is difficult
to conjecture; but there are other public grievences
and eyesores in and about the market that ought to be
exposed.
That part of the building facing the river has been
finished now upwards of nine months, but the rudely
constructed, unsightly gangway at the middle of the
quay is still there, thus preventing the vessels from
being properly berthed and arranged along the quay,
and thereby prevent confusion.
The old grievance that the oyster smacks lay in one
tier alongside of each other, stretching right out into
the middle of the river, obstructing a passage for
barges, &c., is this day as prominent as it was three
years ago.
Another grievance that should be exposed is the
unwarrantable filthy state the market has been kept
in of late. The reason assigned for this neglect is
stated to be the 16-horse power engine, situate below
in the shellfish-market, is not yet in fair working
order. When it is so it will heave up a stream of
water through the fountain that will fill the large
basin which stands in the middle of the market in
about ten minutes, besides driving a large fanner
which is to ventilate the shellfish-market. The ex-
pense of keeping up this engine it is supposed will be
about 1,0001. per annum. As regards the reason as-
signed about the engine not yet being in working
order, it is correct enough, it having been inquired
into ' • but that is no sufficient reason why the market
is allowed to remain unscrubbed and unwashed for
several days together during summer weather; water
might be carriechfrom the river in buckets, if no other
method is conveniently at hand.
Another eyesore that seems to puzzle a good many
visitors to Billingsgate is the row of houses that stand
betwixt Darkhouse-lane and the market, and which
it was supposed would be pulled down, and thus leave
an open space for carts and waggons to stand, and
prevent the overcrowding of Thames-street. It
would seem that instead of those houses coming
down, they are making erections and building about
them, which has all the appearance of an intention
that those houses are to remain as they are for a
number of years at least. After all the expense that
will have been incurred in reconstructing Billings-
gate-market, unless the whole of those houses which
stand betwixt Darkhouse-lane and it are swept away,
and an open space left for carts, waggons, &c., the
market itself will be but a very poor looking affair to
the eye, nor will the inhabitants along Lower
Thames-street be relieved in the smallest degree
from their present grievance, an overcrowded state of
the street in the morning and great confusion.

1852.

His LORDSHIP summed up with great care, going
through the evidence, telling the jury if they relied
on the Irish witnesses' testimony the case seemed
conclusive against the prisoner ; but if they bd.-
lieved the policemen who had been called it was im-
possible the prisoner could have been the man who
struck at the deceased, as he was never in the de-
ceased's house.

The jury, after a short consultation, Acquitted the
prisoner.

NISI PRIUS COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice
WIGELTMAN.)
SAUNDERS V. STAVELEE.
This was a feigned issue directed to be tried by Mr.
Justice Erle, whether or not the plaintiff was entitled
to a wager for 501. betted on a trotting match, or
only to the stakes deposited by himself.
Mr. Watson, Q.C. and Mr. Kemplay appeared for
the plaintiff, and Mr. Knowles, Q.C., for the defendant.
It appeared that the plaintiff is the owner of a mare
called Flying Wonder, and the defendant was th 9
owner of another mare called Winifred, and that the
plaintiff backed his mare to trot one mile against the
defendant's mare for 501. The match came off ion
the York. road, near Pocklington, on the 21st of
last June. By the agreement for the match, each
party was to appoint an umpire, and a referee was to
be appointed on the ground, the money to be paid over
according to the decision of the referee. A gentle-
man named Mr. William Brown was appointed referee
on the ground. The mares were started, and the
plaintiff's mare did not break trot once during the
match; the defendant's broke twice. It was agreed
that if either mare broke she should be pulled up and
started again. The defendant's mare was pulled up
the first time, but the second time she was allowed to
gallop 100 or 150 yards before she was pulled up.
Both mares came in together, and it was difficult to
say which was first. The referee gave his decision
in favour of the plaintiff's mare, which had not
broken trot, on the ground that the defendant's mare
had not been immediately pulled up, as she ought to
have been, the second time she broke trot.

Mr. KNowLES took several legal objections, which
were overruled.

Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN held the race to be a legal
race, and the decision of the referee to be binding.
He therefore directed a verdict for the plaintiff for
1001., the amount of the stakes deposited.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
THIRD COURT.
(Before Mr. RUSSELL GURNEY, Q.C.)
Henry Davidson, 17 ; George Davidson, 12 ; and
Georgiuna Davidson, 20, spinster, were indicted for
burglary in the dwelling-house of Frederick Vien-
nois, and stealing a watch, ,cash-box, six sovereigns,
and other moneys belonging to him.
Mr. Clarkson prosecuted, and Mr. Dearsley de-
fended.
The case was one of a very painful character : the
prisoners were brothers and sister, and, although, ap-
parently very poor, had a decent appearance, especi-
ally the girl, who was rather genteelly dressed, and
seemed quite overwhelmed with grief at the position
in which she was placed. It appeared that both boys
had been in the service of the prosecutor, who is a
confectioner in John's-row, Hoxton, but had each left
of their own accord, the eldest boy about a week, and
the youngest on the 14th of July, the night before
the robbery. On the following morning, about
four, a Mr. Pettifer, a neighbour, was awoke
by the barking of his dog, and, looking out
of the window, saw the bigger boy put the small
one over the wall. He watched them some time, and
then called the police, but before they got into the
house the prisoners had escaped. They then roused
the prosecutor, who found that his cash-box and
watch were gone, the thieves having got in by the
back window. The police instantly went to the
house of the prisoners in Henry's-place, Hoxton, and
found them in bed, when they told the boys what
they were charged with, and said they should search
in a tank for the produce of the plunder, when the
girl said, "If you want the money you had better
look in the yard." They, however, did look in the
water-tank, and there found the watch and money.
A fire had been recently lighted in the kitchen with
some wool that resembled the broken portions of pro-
secutor's cash-box, and, upon searching the water-
closet, the part that had the lock to it was found, the
wood round it being charred.
His LORDSHIP, after hearing the evidence, said
there was no charge against the girl.
The jury Acquitted her, and found the two boys
Guilty.
A person named Pitt, a watchmaker, said he had
known the family for years. The children were
orphans, and the girl had worked very hard and most
honestly to support the family, earning from 6s. to
17s. a week as a milliner.
The COMMISSIONER said that it was but just to let
it be known that her character was not affected by
what had now occurred.
She was then carried out of the dock, crying most
piteously, and begging for mercy for her little bro-
ther, who also was crying bitterly, and the scene was
a most painful one. tak
Mr. Pitt told the Court that he would Ely e the
little boy if the Court would deal mercifu with
him.

Mr. GURNEY said that he might take him away on
Saturday morning; with regard to the elder prisoner,
his offence was a bad one to lead his little brother into
crime, and he sentenced him to twelve months' im-
prisonment and hard labour.
The Under-Sheriffs, after the case had concluded,
made a most minute inquiry into the poor girl's cir-
cumstances, and found that she had a severe struggle
to keep the family. Her father had died about four-
teen months ago, when she had to pawn her bed to
pay for his funeral, and had not since been enabled to
redeem it. They, therefore, humanely ordered that a
sum of money should be given her for her present
wants, and promised that either by security or money
they would do all in their power to keep her in her
business.

Frederick Weston, 25, carver, was indicted for an
attempt to murder George Yates and Peter Yates
Mr. Platt prosecuted, and by the dirdetion of the
Under-Sheriff, Mr. J. W. Payne watched the case
for the prisoners.
The facts disclosed were of a most horrible nature.
The prisoner was son-in-law to one of the prosecu-
tors, and brother-in-law to the other. On Sunday,
the 16th of May last, he went at half-past eleven at
night to their residence, and began to throw stones at
the window, and the father went out and told him to
go home; he would not, and shortly after the bro-
ther-in-law went out to get some beer, and spoke to
a police-constable, and prisoner then came up and
said, " I have you now," and instantly stabbed him
in the belly, so that his bowels protruded, and he then
cut him in the face. He then attacked the father-in-
law, stabbing him three times under the arm, once in
the face, and then with such force in the head that
the knife broke and left several inches of the blade
sticking in the skull, from which it was with difficulty
pulled out by the police-constable. He did not at-
tempt to escape, and when the police had secured
him he coolly said, " I have had my revenge ; I
shall be happy now. Tapping was hung, and so shall
I be."