The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-12 00:00:00

THAMES.

DISTRESSING CASE.—FIINERAL BAKED MEAT SERVED
FOR WEDDING DINNERS,--George Pitchford, a much-
neglected boy, a little above 14 years of age, was brought
before Mr. Partridge, on remand, charged with stealing a
quantity of rope from a ship building yard in Poplar.
The boy was caught in flagrante delicti by a gate-
keeper named Charles Bridges, who saw him steal a ship's
hind-fast. The boy was taking the rope out of the yard
and was stopped and given into the custody of a police-ser-
geant named Hatton, No. 26 K. The boy stated that his
father and stepmother were comfortably housed, and
had treated him with great tyranny. He was
compelled to become a thief, because his father
would not allow him necessary shelter and food.
Hatton said he had ascertained that the boy's state-
ment was too true. The boy's mother died five weeks before
Christmas, and a few days afterwards the boy's father mar-
ried a Jewess. The loss of the boy's mother was a sad blow
to him, and he had been very badly treated ever since. The
boy's father was a lockman in the service of the East and
West India Dock Company, and in the receipt of 27s 6d per
week. The boy's father and stepmother lived in one of the
West India Dock Cottages, and during the late severe
weather the boy was not allowed to enter the cottage, and
was obliged to sleep in the yard all night. This was re-
peated several nights.

The stepmother, an elderly woman with a long nose, said
the prisoner was a very bad boy, and had stolen 4s. from
her.

The father of the boy also gave him a very bad character.
Mr. Partridge observed that the father and step-mother
appeared very anxious to get rid of the lad, whom they were
bound to foster and protect. He asked if there were any
other children ?

Hatton replied only one, a married woman, who was no
burthen to her father.

Mr. Partrige said there was no doubt of the neglected
state of the boy, and he thought the father was to blame,
He should send the boy to the House of Correction for 14
days, and afterwards to the Home in the East Reformatory
for five years, and the father would be compelled to support
his son in the reformatory--to pay the lull expenses of his
maintenance.

THE CONDEMNED PIRATES.—The execution of
the seven men now under sentence of death will, we believe,
take place at the Old Bailey. The matter is one in which
the Home Secretary has not the power to interfere. The
criminals are left for execution with the Sheriff of London,
who has the sole control of carrying out the sentence.

-HAYTI AND LIBERIA.—On the 14th ult. a Treaty
of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation was signed
by Mr. Dubois, the Minister for Hayti, and Mr. Ralston,
Consul-General for Liberia, on behalf of their respective
Negro Republicans. Much advantage is anticipated from
this treaty to the social, political, and commercial relations
between these kindred nations. One of the articles is as fol-
lows : " Slave-trade is assimilated to piracy ; it is rigorously
prohibited, and the vessels of the two States which may be
engaged in this infamous traffic shall be judged and
punished according to the laws in force in their respective
countries against piracy." This is more stringent than
any article which it has been possible to introduce into
any previous treaty by the Liberian Consul, and there
is a manifest property in the two negro nations de-
nouncing slave-trade as piracy and punishing it accord-
ingly. Every nation has laws against piracy, but few have
them against slave-trade. If all nations would assimilate
slave-trade to piracy as Ilayti and Liberia have just done,
and also allow the right of search, as England and America
have lately done, this nefarious traffic would be put down
effectually.— Anti-Sir/ray Reporter.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT ON THE YORK, WHITBY,
AND SCARBOROUGH RAILWAY.—A dreadful acci-
dent took place on the Whitby branch of the York, Scar-
borough, and Whitby Railway last night. As the train
which leaves the Rillingron Junction shortly after seven,
and is duo at Whitby about nine, was proceeding up the
Grosmont incline, the ropo which attached the train to the
stationary engine snapped is two, and the train ran back-
wards down the incline. So great was the impetus thus
gained that the engine and carriages left the rails, A scene
of great confusion followed, which was rendered worse by
the darkness. As soon as the sufferers could be extricated
it was found that ten passengers were more or less injuted,
and that two commercial travellers were !tilled,—Eastern
Evening News (Hull) of last night.