The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-18 00:00:00

TIIE SUN LONDON' THURSDAY EVENING AUGUST 18, 1864.
, , 9
POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day. London and South Western Railway Penal Servitude.
Meeting—This Day. .P.
WESTMINSTER. - -•- The following circular letter has been addressed
This afternoon the half-yearly general meeting of the
A VERY DANGEROUS FROLlC.—Joseph S. Beckerman, company was held at the Waterloo to the Judges, calling their attention to the Act the
a young man, who gave his address, 1, Milton-terrace, 27th and 28th of Victoria, cap, 47, and explaining
Vauxhall-bridge-road, was charged with maliciously Station,—Captain Mangles in the chair,
shareholders in this
the mode in which convicts sentenced to penal ser-
extinguishing a number of street lamps in Vauxhall-bridge- The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, adverted to vitude in Great Britain will hereafter be treated :
road, and also breaking one of them. the late melancholy accident at Egham, and remarked that
WHITEHALL, Aug. 15.
John Gibbons, 266 B, said that, between 2 and 3 o'clock
although the expenses of that accident and other circum- I think it right to lose no time in transmitting to you a
this morning, he was on duty in Tachbrook-street, Pimlico,
stances prevented them from declaring a higher dividend, statute which received the Royal assent at the close of the
when he saw the defendant and three or four young men
Yet he hoped the shareholders would find some consolation last Session of Parliament, entitled an "Act to Amend the
there. The defendant then climbed a lamp post, and after y
in the fact that the receipts of the past half year had increased Penal Servitude Acts."
some difficulty succeeded in getting the glass of the lamp In doingso I feel it my duty to furnish you with correct
open and extinguishing the light, at the same time breaking to £38,195. lie then proceeded to an examination of the information
cili i. CI S under sea-
the glass. various clauses of the report. The expenses of the locomotive tenseof
pe n
ot. as to t
servitudehe
Mr Arnold—Did he break the glass intentionally ? and carriage department had been in excess of the correse The principal change in the law which is effected by this
innowwhbiechtrec
Constable—No, I think not. I think it was in his
ponding6U-
half-year of 1863. There was however an addition statute is the abolition of sentences of penal servitude of
deavour to open it, for he was acme time about it. His
to the train mileage which would account for the increase.
object, I have no doubt, was to extinguish the lamp. modew tll
four and three years, leaving the sentence of five years as
Mr A-no.ll—To extinguish the light only. The permanent way continued to be maintained in good the shortest that can be passed in any case, and authoesing
it in those cases where only sentences of four or three years
Policeman—No less then 16 lamps running had been working order. Some miles of the main line and of the
could have been passed before. This will have the effect of
ex anguished, and but for the moon, which was shining Dorchester line had been relaid during the past half year. increasing the severity of the penal law, which, owing to
brightly, the neighbourhood would have been in perfect The Poole branch, and further portions of the Yeovil and the very frequent use of the short sentences referred to,
darkness.
Exeter line had been doubled. Of the total length of 50
had, in the opinion of the Royal Commissioners who lately
Mr Edward Lewis, contractor, guessed that the damage
done to the lamp was 3s. 63. miles between Yeovil and Exeter, 40 miles had been investigated this subject, become too much relaxed. With
the same object another very important provision is added,
Defendant—l don't think a pane of glass ought to cost doubled, and the remainder was in progress. -On . . .
that. the district between Yeovil and Salisbury, but little had that a person convicted of a trims punishable with penal
servitude, after having been previously convicted of felony,
Mr Lewis—The tin work is broken. been done since the last report, only 18 miles out of the if the Judge in his diseretion thinks that the punishment
Defendant—A square of glass like that aint worth much, total mileage of 40 were completed as a double line. The of penal servitude should be inflicted, shall not be so sen•
it is only 43. a square foot, but this aint a square. Salisbury and Yeovil Company tented for a shorter period than seven years.
Mr Arnold—What do you say to the charge? It will be observed that in all these cases the alternative
Defendant—l was intoxicated,.and completing the second out with some other lionoafny had made arrangements for
rails, which will
then in con-
en 1
s tel. ce of imprisonment is not interfered with. In that
young men, nection with the 'Yeovil and Exeter portion, form a double
respect the law continues as it stocd before the passing of
Policeman—Had he been drunk I should have sail so. road from :Salisbury to Exeter. He referred, with great the late statute.
Had I charged him with drunkenness be would have regret, to the late accident at Egham, and complained The remainder, and by far the larger portion of the Act
denied it, for he was not drunk.
Mr Arnold—lf you dispute the amount of damage you that a largely citculated review had stated that the refers to the granting to convicts under this sentence
rhinocerons hides of directors were insensible to every licences to be at large before its expiration, and introduces
may have the case adjourned. various regulations for the purpose of preventing the mis•
Defendant—l wish it settled now. thing which had no connection with dividends, That
conduct of such persons between the time of their release
Mr Arnold—Your conduct was disgraceful. You are was an unfair and a most cruel censure. Mr Scott had and that at which they would have been by law entitled to
fined 40s for extinguishing the lights, and 3s 61 damages, been the traffic manager of the company 12 years, during their liberty. Ido not think it necessary to occupy your
or one month. which time 65 millions of Passengers had been carried over time with any observations upon this part of the subject,
....r.......m
the line, and the late collision at Egham was the first that except to remark that, among other safeguards of the
MAP,LBOROUGH-STREET. had occurred. (Hear, hear.) lie greatly regretted the public, it is enacted that the conviction of a licence-holder
OUTRAGEOUS ATTACK AND ROBBERY.—TWO lads, e• te f e upon indictment of any offence involves not merely a revo-
etirement from the iree ion o ir Wyndham Portal from .
named Thomas Henry Strod and Henry Arkell, were rcation of his licence, but a remission to his original sen-
be held •
ill-health. A meeting would in the autumn to elect
charged before Mr Knox with being concerned, with others tence as it stood when his license was granted, and this in
not
in custody, in assaulting and robbing Mr George Par- his successor. The chairman concluded by moving the addition to any punishment to which he may be sentenced
rock, an engraver, of 27, Fitzroy-square. adoption of the report. upon such indictment.
The prosecutor, a young man, said—About half-past Mr LACY seconded the motion. It appears to me that the information which you really
eight yesterday evening, I was proceeding down Goodge- Mr HELPS inquired whether the directors were taking require is rather as to the extent of the remission hereafter
street, and while passing the end of John-street I saw a to be granted in such cases, and the, erms upon which it is
any steps to provide communication between the passengers
man selling cheap jewellery. I stayed in the crowd about to be obtained. When you are full informed upon these
a minute, when the prisoner Arkell struck me with his and guard. There were many cases of peril which had two points you will see exactly the practical effect of the
knee. I remonstrated with him, and he then became very not appeared in the newspapers. Only a day or two since sentences which you pronounce, and will feel confident that
impertinent. I told him to go away, when ho rose his fist a case—not, however, connected with the South Western nothing is left to accident or caprice, but that the punish-
in the attitude of striking me, when Scrod came up and line—came under his notice, A friend of his had told him ment inflicted is precisely thst which you intended to inflict.
struck me on the chest, and then, springing on my back,ln accordance with the strong recommendation of the
that only a day or two before he had • •
been shut up in a rail-
knocked my hat over my eyes. While pulling my hat off, Royal Commissioners, an important modification is about
way carriage during a long stage with a lunatic,
I received a blow on the temple, and was assaulted by about to be introduced into the convict system in reference to the
twenty boys and men. I ran away to escape further violence, Mr Tine, M.P., explained the reasons why the guard granting of remissions.
and was pursued by a mob of boys and men. I stopped at could not run along the carriages as was done in France Instead of these being granted as a reward of general
the corner of Charlotte-street, and found that my watch and He confessed he Could see no solution, of the difficulty good conduct as heretofore, they are now to be earned by
chain, of the value of £l5, were taken from me. A person beyond the free use of telegraph signals. He knew a line industry alone; general good conduct (such as implicit
came up who witnessed the whole affair, and by his recom-
on which trains were ran atobedience to all prison rules) will be as indispensable as be-
intervals of three and a half
be-
mendation I went to the station and gave information, and fore, bat will of itself count as nothing towards the obtain-
theminutes. That had been done for 12 or 14 years, and not • • • •
prisoners were taken into custody. only
Wm. a remission of a portion of the sentence ; that can
Win. Frost, 41, Upper John-street, said—Last night I a single accident had occurred. With regard to the gene- be gained by steady and laborious industry, the degree of
was going through John-street and saw a man selling jewel- ral state of the line, ho thought it was highly satisfactory, which will be measured and recorded every day by the ea-
tery. I saw Arkell rush upon the prosecutor and abuse and that it was admirably managed by the present board of signment to each convict of a certain number of marks.?
him. I pushed Arkell away, and the other prisoner then directors. (Hear. hear,) A maximum amount of remission is fixed (as hereafter
jumped on the prosecutor's back and knocked his hat over • stated) as the utmost which can be attained by perfect in-
Mr, A. J. OTWAY pal a high
d li. h 1'
enniP ment to the courtesy
his eyes, and then struck him. About 20 or 30 other boys dustry, and the number of narks is so regulated that a
and
efficiency of the officers on the line. If there were a little
and men then rushed on the prosecutor, who had to run forconvict must obtain the maximum number of marks every
his life. 1 followed, and when I got to the corner of Char- more celerity and a little more Punctuality they would have day (without any deduction for misconduct), in order to get.
lotte-street prosecutor said he had lost his watch and chain. little to complain of. He considered that the accident at the maximum remission. The sentence, therefore, is abso-
I did not see the watch and chain taken. Egham was solely attributable to a blunder on the part of lutely certain up to a certain point, but may possibly ex-
Mr Knox—Might it not have been that a squabblee d tend beyond that point, and will inevitably do so unless
the traffic m (Oh, d N•
manager.
arising between the prosecutor and Arkell, the other pri- the convict persistently and strenuously exerts himself.
that the lives of those unfortunate people had been sacri-
Boner took part with his companion, and some others in the The maximum period of remission for male convicts are
crowd took the opportunity of taking the prosecutor's ficed through the mistaken arrangements of the traffic to be as follows:
watch. managen(ltenewed protests,) He believed it would be the Scale for Regulating the Discharge on Orders of Licence of
Frost—The prisoners are known to the police and the in- easiest thing in the world toprovide an adequate communi- Male Convicts sentenced to Penal Servitude.
habitants of the neighbourhood as bad characters, cation between the passengers and the guards. It was - Period to be un-I
A boy living at 44, Tottenham-street, said—l saw Sentence. Term of dergone in se- , 6Sle L'lster te s period
undertone Maximum
A periodx inn
to
1:13 e
only a question
of expense. Sentence. parate confine-
Arkell and others strike the gentleman, and Strod ran on public works. remitted
. .
meat. I
after the gentleman. Strod, and another boy, jumped on Mr lIEREPATH asked whether all the claims arising errs_ -
the gentleman's back in the crowd. The other bey ran of the Egham accident had been satisfied ? Teas 3 1 1l s. Yrs. Mo 2
. Wks. Yrs. Mo. Was.
0
away. I had seen him talking to the prisoner before The CHAIRMAN said they had not; they had not all been 0 3 11 1 1 3 3
he ran. sent in. 7 4 8 1 1 6 3
James Lanahen, 41 E—l apprehended the prisoner 8 Nine months in 6 2 1 2 0 5 5 1 1 9 3
3
9
Mr HEEEPITII said that under the circumstances it would
Strod last night whilst he was talking to a number of 10 all cases. 611 1 2 3 3
be highly improper to make any remarks on the subject. 12 8 5 1 2 9 a
other boys outside a public-house. He denied all know- 14 9 it 1 3 3 3
ledge of the affair, and said he had never seen the prose • The CHAIRMAN said the directors were most anxious to 15 10 8 1 3 6 3
cuter before. He knew Strod as a nightly companion of a ensure the safety of passengers. They had put a window 2O 14 5 1 4 9 3
number of young thieves who were about the neighbour- between some of the carriages to see how the plan would The principle adopted by this scale is a maximum re-
hood. act. They had also the block telegraph before them to see mission of a fourth part of that portion of the sentence
Robins, 91 E—l apprehended Arkell, who denied allwhich remains after deducting nine months for separate
verydifficult subject, an it
how it would ace. It was a -
knowledge of the robbery, but afterwards said the prose- confinement.
gutted time to mature an effective plan. lie thought the
tutor assaulted him, and that then he assaulted the prose,With respect to convicts hereafter sentenced to penal ser-
cuter. public were a little too sensitive on the subject—perhaps
vitude for life, they will be considered as forming an excep-
In answer to Mr Knox, Robins said that on Arkell he naturally so, Many suggestions had been made, and it was tion to the rule that a remission of sentence may be earned
found a number of cheques of the Queen's Theatre, only yesterday that the secretary received a letter by a regular course of industry. Upon this point the Royal
Mr Knox remanded the prisoners. from a gentlemen who suggested that all the Commissioners have reported as follows :..
....0.0 ••••••
carriages should be made " Sentences for life should, we think, bo only passed on
of glass. (Laughter.)
THAMES. Several gentlemen rose but there were loud cries for Mr men .
guilty of very aggravated crimes, but when passed they
have incurred
ougi.t really to imply that those who them
THE CONVICTION UNDER THE NEW ACT. --. Joseph
Scott, the traffic manager. shall necer again be allowed to return to society either at
Brockfield, the landlord of the Black Horse Public_house,
in Ropemaker's -fields, Limehouse, appeared before Mr Mr SCOTT rose and said, it was the first time he had ever home or in 3 colony, unless the mercy of the Crown should
Paget to answer a summons and information exhibited by been called upon to defend himself, He complained that be extended to them on special grounds. After a certain
Inspector Allison, of the K division, which charged him the late trial at Guildford was a farce. He did not cum. time, if they behae e well, the severity of their punishment.
might be properly relaxed, but they never ought to regain
with having his house open for the sale of ale, beer, and plain of the judge and jury, but what he said was that the
spirits, between the hours of 1 and 4 o'clock on the morningeven the qualified freedom
' of the holder of a ticket of leave.
facts were not before defended
them. He the arrange-
-6' If, however. they are to he kept in perpetual confine-
Yesterdayof Tuesday, the 9th of the present month.
ments of the trains on the day of the accident, and con- meat, this punishment may be inflicted more safely and
the magistrate stated that the prompt obedience
to the new law on the part of licensed victuallers and others tended that although the extension of the telegraphic sys- more conveniently at hom
sentencesadopted,
for life be
of infraction of the law. This morning, after the hearing tirely prevent accidents. the courts before which offenders are tried would naturally
of the night charges, which were few in number, a fact A. SHAREHOLDER in •
inquired why the man who ran Into i . make a distinction between the most atrocious criminals and
attributable to the operations of the new law, this case was those whose guilt, though aggravated, is
'one degree less,
the . '
other train was not told that the previous train was to . •'sentences for life on the former only, and on
heard. by passing
Police-constable Matthew Jones, 130 K, stated that the stop at Egham ? the latter sentences for a definite though in some oases a
defendant kept his house open the whole of the night be- Mr SCOTT said no doubt he was told so. It was always very long term of years."
tween Monday, the Bth, and Tuesday, the 9th of this month, his practice in starting a train to tell the driver where the I propose, in accordance with these views, to reserve all
and people of both sexes were entertained there. At 2 o'clock previous train was to stop, The driver ought to have been cases of this nature which may arise hereafter for special
in the morning he saw 16 persons in the house and warned pr spared to stop at any station, consideration, with a view to a more rigid enforcement of
the defendant he was doing wrong, and that the law required A scene of great confusion ensued, several gentlemen this eentence.
him to close his house from 1 till 4in the morning. At 3 'With respect to females, I also concur with the Royal
to speak at once,
o'clock be again entered the Black Horse, and people were attempting Commissioners, who, for the reasons stated in page 70 of
drinking and smoking there. He saw the defendant drawing A SHAREneLnEit (in a loud tone)--Are we trying the their report, recur: mend the remission of a larger portion
liquors and beer. There were 18 persons in the defendant's case e (Hear, hear, and confusion.) This is a lamentable of sentences of penal servitude in the case of female con-
house at a quarter past 3 o'clock. exhibition. (Oh, oh.) victs.
The defendant said he was quite ignorant of the new law The table applicable to them will be as follows, being
The Hon, Mr Rollie
until the police-constable told him of it. (A laugh.) He
at sAT said he was on the grand jury
founded upon the principle of a maximum remission of a
Guildford at the
late trial,
really was not aware that publicans were compelled to close lie held Mr Scott to be en- third part of each sentence :
their houses from one till four o'clock. The Limehouse tirely responsible for the accident, (Great Uproar.) It was Table for regulating, the Discharge on Orders of Licence of
Regatta took place on Monday week. A great number of impossible for the driver and the guards to understand the Female Convicts sentenced to Penal Servitude.
nee. —_
persons were assembled. It was an annual affair, and for directions given to then; is -- Maximum
• ..o thought the verdict of the Maximum I
60 years it had been a customary thing for the public- jury perfectly right. Term te
f Period to be Term of pflreimodi4eod.be
Remi,ted. b..miten"•
houses to keep open all night when the regatta took place. Sentence.
The CEAIRIIAN stopped ---- -7.-----
Mr Paget—There are no exoeptions in favour of regattas. pped the discussion, and eventually ----- —7--- m
Yea: s. I ren o. Years Ir3B. No.
Public-houses and refreshment rooms must close at one the report was adopted, ° 1 8 10
12 4 0
o'clock, and continue closed until four, A. dividend of 41 per ceiit 6 2 ee 14 .1 P
Was declared, payable cn the 7 % 4
The defendant—lf I have done wrong I will not repeat 't 26th of August.
__
_i , 8 2 8 I 15
20 t.
6 8
9 3 0

Period to be un-'Shortest period maximum
Term of dergone in se-I
Sentence. parate confine- to be undergone period to be
on public works. remitted.
ment.
Years. Yrs. Mo. Wks. Yrs. Mo. Wi s.
5 3 2 1 1 0 3
O 3 11 1 1 3 3
7 4 8 1 1 6 3
8 5 5 1 1 9 3
g Nine months in 6 2 1 2 0 3
10 AR cases. 6 11 1 2 3 3
12 8 5 1 2 9 3
14 9 11 1 3 3 3
15 10 8 1 3 6 3
20 14 5 i 4 9 3

The defendant—lf I have done wrong I will not repeat it,
Inspector Allison said the defendant was fined 45, and
20s. on another occasion, for violations of the law, while
landlord of the Crown and Castle publiehou.se, Lion-street,
Poplar.

There are two more points connected with convicts sen-
tenced to penal servitude upon which I think it right to ek,',4
a few words.
The first and most important Of these questions is that of I
their diet.
A notion had prevailed in some quarters that this was
excessive in quantity and unnecessarily good in quality, and
the subject was brought under the notice of the Royal Com-
missionere, who, upon the evidence before them, did not
feel justified in recommending any change, iliough they
advised that experiments should be tried, in order to ascer-
tain whether any reduction could safely be ruade. In eon-
sequestee of this suggestion the matter has since been more
fully investigated by a committee of experienced medical
root appointed for that purpose only, and the result has
been a moderate reduction in the quantity of food allowed,
both in the stage of separate confineent and in that of
hard labour upon public works. Thism alteration has only
just been introduced in practice, but there is no reason at
present to doubt that it will be attended with success.
The other and the only remaining question upon which
I propose to make any observations is that of the amount
of gratuities allowed to this class of convicts pon their dis-
charge. An important change has been made u
i n this respect
upon the recommendation of the Royal Commissioners. The
maximum amount which can be earned by the greatest pos-
sible industry has been largely reduced, and is to be the
same whatever may be the length of the sentence. By this
means a defect properly pointed out in the former system
will be obviated—viz., that prisoners who were under the
heaviest sentences, in consequence of the enormity of their
offences, received the largest sums of money from the public
upon the recovery of their freedom. They will henceforth
have no more than is considered necessary to enable them
to live honestly until they can be reasonably expected to
procure employment.—l am, your obedient servant,
G. Way.

ATTEMPT TO Rams A n
'4I:TACK DOCTOR.—Three
on Tuesday evening on the I
cmheanrgewoefrheaavpinpgreahtteenmded
attempted
drown a quack doctor named
Meredith, 67 Years of aget living at 62, Leonard-street,
Finsbury. The statements of several witnesses were to the
o'clock on the evening named,
Duekett's Canal of the River
London Lea, near to the North Lon
u:r
tehffeeclitritehoante'rbseWtweertelnbit7thanindgBi
Railway bridge. The old
doctor was standing on the edge of the wall looking at them
swimming,
and whengoing
behind o f them
the old
got out of the water unob-
served, man, deliberately pushed
him into the lock. At first the lookers-on thought it was a
ewim one
perceiving the prisoners
holding
and
finding they
they called out to
would
them
not
dnfooesltaidkstiot:tg drown
the
him
wiuometnkhdtethorhwebe
ona
tlolddhunegrdmes
under
rtnit2
and man, but
'went to the assistance I e
water,
spectatorsot
aloscsktrwuhgegrlein l,
g violently to save him-
—e was thrown in is from
os
ef, thef. T oldhe waterman, whoin th we
eight to ton feet in depth. A brickmaker, named Harling,
succeeded in getting hold of his clothes, and dragged him
out of the water, and he was taken to the Mitford Castle
Tavern. Mr Davy, surgeon, was sent for, and, after con-
tinued exertion, saved his life. When the
prisoners heard
of the dangerous condition of their victim they decamped,
but were afterwards taken. One of the men stated that the
old man was only pushed iuto the water in order to give
tlhnimding that ducting
a duthey invited him
to accompany them to the spot above described, where they
said they would pay him what they owed him, £2 6s, and
would introduce him to others who wanted his advice. lie
theyg addingbad
been that
imposedthey upon,had been his patients, and
accordingly accompanied them and met with the treatment
mentioned.
HEAVY DAMAGES AGAINST A CHEMIST FOR A
FATAL ERROR.—Lingard (Administratrix) v. Clay
and Abraham.—This was an action tried before Mr.
Baron Pigott at the Liverpool Aseizes yesterday. The
action was brought under Lord Campbell's Act for the
loss of a husband, the damages claimed being £3,000.
Mr. Attorney General James, Q C., Mr. Aspinall, Q.C.,
and Mr. Samuel' were counsel for the plaintiff; and Mr.
Temple, Q.C. (with Mr Quain), for the defendant. The
late Mr Lingard met his death owing to an unfortunate
mistake by _Richard Poole, an assistant in the establish-
ment nadndAchbreamhiasmts attended to show that
Abraham, chemists, Liverpool.
A numberf
of Messrs
phy Csan
the mode of keeping the poisons in Messrs Clay and Abra-
ham's establishment was the common and moat approved
o ilcaiy as
mode. It was announced, however, that the parties had
Agreed to a verdict of £1,500 15e, which was apportioned
thus :—One shilling to the eldest child, who inherits upon
his father's death, £5OO to the widow, and £5OO to each of
the other children.
The easier tendency of affairs noticed within the
last few days in the discount market has made fur■
thee progress. The demand for eceotnmodation has
been further curtailed, while the supply of capital
has increased, and the rate for the best bills has
consequently receded, 71 per cent. being the general
1 charge in the open market.

Mr Paget—Fined £5. It must have been a very bad
cane. I now fine him 10s. and costs.

ARRIVAL OF THE TRUE BRITON.—PLYMOUTH,
AUG. V.—The True Briton, from Melbourne May 7th,
has arrived in the Channel with 260 passengers and 25,000
ounces of gold.
NAPOLEON s
" VERY " QUESTIONABLE
POPULARITY.—(We often hear of it—and here
surely is proof positive) :—The Emperor and the Emrress,
in the course Of the afternoon (that is, on Monday the Fete
Napoleon), proceeded in an open caleche without escort
through the two principal scenes of amusement, the east
and the west of Paris, On approaching the Barriere du
Trono the crowd became so dense that the carriage had
to pass at the slowest walking pace, and the cheers were
tremendous ; in fact, the workmen of that district the whole
time touched the carriage, and were almost in contact with
their Majesties at either side. The Emperor and Empress
afterwards passed through the Esplanade des luvalides,
and if somewhat lees familiarly received were just as loudly
eneered. Their Majesties returned to the Tuileries to
dinnaz. Again, another account says—" The Emperor and
Empress walked up the avenue in the evening, and mingled
freely with the crowd." So perilous is the Emperor's
unpopularity among the disloyal Parisians