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

THE SUN, LONtON THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 18, 1864.
,
_.
POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day. London and South Western Railway Penal Servitude.
..._--,,....______ Meeting—This Day. es
WESTMINSTER, -4•- The following circular letter has been addressed
This afternoon the half-yearly general meeting of the
A VERY DANGEROUS FnoLic.—Joseph S. Beckerman, to the Judges, calling their attention to the Act the
a young man, who gave his address, 1, Milton-terrace,
shareholders in this company was held at the Waterloo h
Vauxhall-bridge-road, was charged with maliciously Station, Captain Mangles in the chair, 27th and 28 t of Victoria, cap, 47, and explaining
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
this morning, he was on duty in Tachbrook-street, Pimlico, although the expenses of that accident and other circum- I think it right to lose no time in transmitting to you a
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 lour 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 Penal Servitude Acts."
some difficulty succeeded in getting the glass of the lamp in the fact that the receipts of the past half year had increased
In doing so I feel it my duty to furnish you with correct
open and extinguishing the light, at the same time breaking to £38,195. He then proceeded to an examination of the information as to the mode i n which convicts under Ben
the glass, various clauses of the report. The expenses of the locomotive
Mr Arnold—Did he break the glass intentionally ? tears of penal servitude will now be treated.
and carriage department had been in excess of the corres•• The principal change in the law which is effected by this
Constable—No, I think not. I think it was in his ell..sentences ofpenal v. tud eof
pending half-year of 1863. There was however an addition statute is the abolition of
deavour to open it, for he was some time about it. His
to the train mileage which would account for the increase. four and three years, leaving the sentence of five years as
object, I have no doubt, was to extinguish the lamp. shortest that can be passed in any case, and authoriaing
Mr Asnoll—To extinguish the light only. The permanent way continued to be maintained in good the '
it in those cases where only sentences of four or three years
Policeman—No less than 16 lamps running had been working order. Some miles of the main line and of the
could have been passed before. This will haw the effect of
extinguished, 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. 6d. 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. Ors
that a person convicted of a crim3 punishable with penal
that. the district between Yeovil and Salisbury, but little had
Clionine of which will 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 discretion 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 4d. a square foot, but this aint a square.
Mr Arnold—What do you say to the charge?
sentence of
a.shor.ter period
isthan seven years.
had made arrangements for
It will be observed that in all these cases the alternative
Dofendant—l was intoxicated, and out with some otherrails,pany - interferedwith, In that
young men, nection with the Yeovil and Exeter portion, form a doubt
completingal i sbur y andth e Yeovilssecond
d
of imprisonment not
double respect the law continues as it stood 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 he 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.
that a largely circulated review had stated that the refers to the granting to convicts under this sentence
Mr Arnold—lf you dispute the amount of damage you
rhinocerous 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 nais-
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 GI 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,
----- except to remark that, among other safeguards of the
M ARLBOROUGII- STREET. had occurred. (Hear, hear.) He readgy regretted • the public, it is enacted that tha conviction of a licence-holder
the line, and the late collision at
011TAAGEOUS ATTACK AND RODBERY.—Two lads, Egham was the first that
upon indictment of any offence involves not merely a revo-
Wyndham Portal
from •
named Thomas henry Strod and Henry Arkell, were cation of his licence, but a remission to his original Ben-
ill-health. it meeting would be held in the autumn to elect tense as it stood when his license was granted, and this in
charged before Mr Knox with being concerned, with others retirement from the direction of Mr
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 ma 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 terms 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 fully iaformed upon these
There were many
guard. d cases
a minute, when the prisoner Arkell struck me with his anof 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 he rose his Rat 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 Strod came.up and line—came under his notice, A friend of his had told him ment inflicted is precisely that which you intended to inflict.
struck me on the chest, and then, springing on my back, In 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
e during a long stage with a lunatic. carriage I
received a blow on the temple, and was assaulted by about way , to be introduced into the convict system in reference to the
M.P., explained the reasons why the guard
twenty boys and men. I ran away to escape further violence, Mr TITS, 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- obedience to all prison rules) will be as indispensable as be-
on which trains were ran at intervals of three and a half
mendation I went to the station and gave information, and fore but will of itself count as nothing towards the obtain-
the prisoners were taken into custody.
minutes. That had been done for 12 or 14 Tears, and not ' a
ng a remission of portion of the sentence ; that can only
Wm, 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 sellingjewel- cal state of the line, he thought it was highly satisfactory, which will be measured and recorded every day by the as-
lery. 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 Mr, A. J, °TWAY paida high compliment to the courtesy stated) as the utmost which can be attained by perfect dria
his eyes, and then struck him. About 20 or 30 other boys dustry, and the number of marks is so regulated that a
and efficiency of the officers on the line, If there were a little convict must obtain the maximum number of marks every
and men then rushed on the prosecutor, who had to run for
his life. 1 followed, and when I got to the corner of Char- nacre 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 csemplain of. He considered that the accident at the maximum remission. The sentence, therefore, is abso-
lEgbana was sorely
oh, and No, no) He considered
did not see the watch and chain taken. 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 bean that a squabble the traffic manager. cOb,
ortunate people had been sacri• tend beyond that point, and will inevitably do so unless
arising between the prosecutor and Arkell, the other pri-
that the lives of those un: the convict persistently and strenuously exerts himself.
Sorler 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. manager.(Renewed protests,) He ba:ieved 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 commani- Male Convicts sentenced to Penal Servitude.
habitants of the neighbourhood as bad characters. • cation between the passengers and the guaasis. It was Period to be un-
Term of dergone in se-
e boy living at 44, Tottenham-street, said—l saw Shortest period Maximum
to be undergone period to be
only a question of expense. Sentence. parate confine-
Arkell and others strike the gentleman, and Strod ran
Mr HEREPATH asked whether all the claims arising ot _ meat. on public works. remitted.
after the gentleman. Strod, and another boy, jumped on
of the Egham accident had been satisfied ? Tears. Yrs. Mo. Wks. Yrs. Mo.W,.s.
the gentleman's back in the crowd. The other boy ran 5 3 2 1 1 0 3
away. I had seen him talking to the prisoner before The CHAIRMAN said they had not; they had not all been 6 3 11 1 1 3 3
he ran. sent in. i 4 8 1 1 6 3
8551 1 9 3
James Lanahen, 41 E—l apprehended the prisoner 9 anine months in 6 2 1 t 0 3
Mr HEREPITH said that under the circumstances it would
Strod last night whilst he was talking to a number of 10 Au oases. 6 11 1 2 3 3
be highly improper to make any remarks on the subject. )2 8 5 $ 2 9 3
other boys outside a public-house. He denied all know- 14 9 11 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 eafety of passengers. They had put a window 2O 1 l4 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 all how it would ac.. It was a very difficult subject, and it re- which remains after deducting nine months fur separate
knowledge of the robbery, but afterwards said the prose-
quired time tc mature
cuter assaulted him, and that then he assaulted the proses With respect to convicts hereafter sentenced to penal ser-
i cutor. an effective plan. lie thought the confinement,.
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 el:tapes 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 :
carriages should be made of glass. (Laughter.) " Sentences for life should, we think, be only passed ou
......---
THAMES. Several gentlemen rose but there were loud cries for Mr men guilty of very
aggravated crimes, but when passed they
THE CONVICTION UNDER THE NEW ACT. ...• Joseph ought really to imply that those who have incurred them
Scott, the traffic manager, shall never again be allowed to return to society either at
Brookfield, the landlord of the Black Horsn,Public-house,
in Ropemaker'infields, Limehouse, appeared before Mr
Mr SCOTT rose and said, it was the first time he had ever home or in a colony, unless the mercy of the Crown should
been called upon to defend himself.
Paget to answer a summons and information exhibited by He complained that be extended to them on special grounds. After acertain
Inspector Allison, of the K division, which charged him the late trial at Guildford was a farce. He did not curn. time, if they behave well, the severity of their punishment.
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 morning facts were not before them. He defended the' arrange-
emightven t
the
ee properlyqualified
freedom
of the holder of a ticket of leave.
" If, however. they are to be kept in perpetual confine-
of Tuesday, the 9th of the present month,
moats of the trains on the day of the accident, and con- ment, this punishment may be inflicted more safely and
Yesterday 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 US- more conveniently at home than in a colony. Should this
was highly gratifying, There had not been a single case tem would be useful as a precaution, it would never en- rule as to the enforcement of sentences for life be adopted,
the courts before which offenders are tried would naturally
of infraction of the law. This morning, after the hearing tirely prevent accidents.
A. SunatntionDEn inquired the man who 'n 1 atrocious criminals and
of the night charges, which were few in number, a fact
ran
I" *hose whose guilt; though aggravated, is one degree less,
attributable to the operations of the new law, this case was make a distinction between the most
the other train was Why
•
heard. not told that the previous train was to aping sentences for life on the former only, and on
by Pat,
stop at Egham ?
Mr SCOTT said no doubt he was told so. It was always the latter sew
for a definite though in some cases a
Police-constable Matthew Jones, 130 K, stated that the
defendant kept his house open the whole Of the night be-
tween Monday, the Bth, and Tuesday, the 9th of this month, his practice in starting a train to toll the driver where the I propose, in amoral:Hie? with these views, to reserve all
may arise hereafter for special
very long term o. Fears."
and people of both sexes were entertained there. At 2 o'clock previous train was to stop,
A scene of great confusion *ensued, several gentlemen more rigid enforcement of
in the morning he saw 16 persons in the house and warned consideration, with a view to a
pr spared to stop at any station cases of this nature wh'cle
the defendant he was doing wrong, and that tne law required The driver ought to have been
this sentence.
him to close his house from 1 till 4in the morning. At 3
attempting to speak at once.
o'clock be again entered the Black Horse, and people were Commissioners, who, for the reasons stated in page 70 of
drinking and smoking there, He saw the defendant drawing A SHAREHOLDER (in a loud scuo_Are we trying the their report, recommend the remission of a larger portion
With respect to females, I also cont,ur with the Royal
liquors and beer. There were 18 persona in the defendant's case ? (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 Hon. Mr Ro The table applicable to them will be as follows, being
until the police-constable told him of it. (A laugh.) He THESAY said he was on tha grand jury
founded upon the principle of a maximum remission of a
really was not aware that publicans were compelled to close at Guildford at the late trial.
He held Mr Scott to be
en- third part of sae;: 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
persons were assembled, It was an annual affair, and for directions given to them, Female Convicts sentenced to Penal Servitude.
the guards to understand the -----_—
Maximum
Maximum Period to be
60 years it had been a customary thing for the public- Ea thought the verdict of the
Term of Period to pie ..ierni of
jury perfectly right, Remitted.
houses to keep open all night when the regatta took place.
The CIIAIII/141,1 stopped the discussion, and eventually "—a--
Sentenees Remiited. .ant.
________
Public-houses and refreshment rooms must close at one
Mr Paget—There are no exceptions in favour of regattas. year& Yrs. Mo. years. Yrs. Mo.
3
the report was adopted. 10
0 1 8 4 0
o'clock, and continue closed until four. A. dividend of 41 per cent 2 0 12 i
Was declared, payable to the 7 2 4 14 0
The defendant—lf I have done wrong I will not repeat it, 26th of August. 8 2 8 15
0 8
Tnartontnr AM e. ann aniri th ri afesna art f moo A..... 7 .L* .. . -.1.. 3 0 23

Period to be un- Shortest period Maximum
Term of dergone in se-
to be undergone period to be
Sentence. P
arate confine-
ment. on public works. remitted.
Years. Yrs. Mo. Wks. Yrs. Mo. Wns.
5 3 2 1 1 0 3
P 3 11 1 1 3 3
7 4 8 1 1 6 3
8 5 5 1 1 9 3
9 ii)line months in 6 2 1 t 0 3
10 An oases. 6 11 1 2 3 3
)2 8 5 $ 2 9 3
14 9 11 1 3 3 3
15 10 8 1 3 6 3
21 1 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 £5, and
20s. on another occasion, for violations of the law, while
landlord of the Crown and Castle publichouse, Lion-street,
Po2iar,
Mr Paget—Fined 45. It must have been a very bad
case. I now fine hint 10s, and costs,

o Tuesday
a quack
n ae
e v
ATTE QUACK TO DROWN A
,a,CIACK DOCTOR.—Three
men wer
o named
were apprehended
n
67 years of age, k doctorening n the
charge of having attempted todrown
Meredith,
living at d 2, Leonard-street,
Finsbury. The statements of several witnesses were to the
effect that, between 7 and 8 o'clock on the evening named,
the prisoners wore bathing in
Duckett's Canal of the River
Lea, near to the North London Railway bridge. The old
doctor was standing on the edge of the wall looking at them
swimming, when one of thorn got out of the water unob-
served, and going behind the old man, deliberately pushed
him into the lock. At first the lookers-on thought it was a
freak to duck the old man, but on perceiving the prisoners
holding him down under the water, they called out to them
not to drown the old gentleman, and finding they would not
desist, the other bathers and spectators went to the assistance 1
of the old man, who was struggling violently to save him-
self. The water in the lock where he was thrown in is from
eight to ten feet in depth. A brickmaker, named Harling,
succeeded in getting hold of bis 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 ststed that the
old man was only pushed into the water in order to give
him a ducking adding that they had been his patients, and
finding that they had been imposed upon,
they 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 adv:ce. He
accordingly accompanied them and met with the treatment
mentioned.

There are two more points connected with convicts sen.
tenced to penal servitude upon which I think it right to add
a few words.
The first and most important of these questions is that of
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-
missioners, who, upon the evidence before them, did not
feel justified in recommending any change, though they
advised that experiments should be tried, in order to ascer-
tain whether any reduction could safely be wade. In con-
sequence of this suggestion the matter has since b-:en more
fully investigated by a committee of experienced medical
men, 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 confinement and in that of
hard labour upon public works. This 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 upon their dis-
charge. An important change has been made in 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. y this
means a detect properly pointed out in the former B
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 eniployment,—l am, your obedient servant,
G. GREY.

HEAVY DAMAGES AGAINST A CHEMIST FOR A
FATAL ERROR.—Lingard (Adininiatratriz) v. Ciay
and Abraham.—This was an actin tried before Mr.
Baron Pigott at the Liverpool Assizes yesterday. The
action was brought under Lord Campbell's Act for the
loss of a husband, the damoges claimed being £3,000.
Mr. Attorney General Tames, Q C., Mr. Aspinail, Q C.,
and Mr. Samuell 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 of Messrs Clay and Abraham, chemists, Liverpool.
A number of physicians and chemists attended to show that
the mode of keeping the poisons in Messrs Clay and Abra-
ham's establishment was the common and most approved
mode. It was announced, however, that the parties had
agreed to a verdict of £1,500 15s, 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.

ARRIVAL OF THE TRUE' BRITON.—PLYMOUTH,
Ara., 17.—The True Briton, from Melbourne May 7th,
has arrived in the Channel with 260 passengers and 25,000
ounces of gold.
NAPOLEON " VERY" QUESTIONABLE
POPULARITY.—( We often hear of it—and here
surely is proof positive) : —The Emperor and the ELPlress,
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
Trona the crowd became so dense that the carriage had
to pass at the slowest walking pace, and tlae 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 InvJdides,
and if somewhat less familiarly received. were just as loudly
cheered. Their Majesties returned to the Tuileries to
dinner. Again, another account says—" The Emperor and
Empress waited up the avenue in the evening, and mingled
freely with the crowd." So perilous is the Emperor's
unpopularity among the disloyal Parisians I

The easier tendency of affairs noticed within the
last few days in the discount market has made fur.
they progress. The demand for accommodation has
been further curtailed, while the supply of capital
tias increased, and the rate for the best bills hat.
conscquently red2d'el, 7-1 per cent. being the general
charge in the open market.