The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-06 00:00:00

abettors, and therefore guilty of an assault. He
was also bound to point out to them that should a
prize-fight terminate in the death of eithe* of the
combatants, that would be murder in th (ye of the
law ; but it was different where men fought after a
quarrel, and when their blood wits u), en the law
neld that death so caused amounted to no more than
manslaughter; but the grand jury would observe

that then the fight was not fur money or a prize.
He (the noble chairman) had directed the attention
of the grand jury to that matter because the persons
engaged in the riot were also charged with the
assault, and it would be sufficient to justify the
grand jury in sending the parties down to the petty
jury for trial if they were satisfied that their parti-
cipation in any way as eiders and abettors in the
fight were clearly proved. It would be so as well
if for the mere purpose of gratifying their curio-
sity they encouraged the principals in fighting by
their presence. His lordship continued—Having
thus so far called your attention to the indictment
itself, I think it my duty to make a few remarks
upon the subject of prize-fighting itself, because we
know that prize-fighting was notorious and con-
trary to the law of England. It must be a source
of the deepest regret to all enlightened and well-
thinking minds in this Christian era to be obliged
to know that the disgraceful practice of prize-
fighting was encouraged to a very great extent, and
not only approved, but aided by those whose edu-
cation and position in society it might well be
thought would lead them to lend their weight in
suppressing it far more than the ordinary portion
of the public would. It was much to be regretted
that there was a most erroneous impression preva-
lent in the matter, which made people almost for-
get that prize-fighting was not only contrary to the
law of the land but, as was of far greater import-
ance, contrary to all Christian feeling and
Christian doctrine. I cannot help express-
ing a hope that public opinion will take a
proper turn with regard to this sad state of things,
and that, like many other ancient and evil prac-
tices, prize-fighting, with its concomitant evils, will
cease to exist in this Christian land, and become a
thing of the past.
After the delivery of the above charge the grand
jury retired, and the crowds of persons that thronged
the court and its environs waited in anxious expec-
tancy the all-important case of the Sessions. It
was, however, half-past four when the jury returned
a true bill against all the parties jointly and seve-
rally who had been indicted, viz.—Thomas King,
John Camel Heenan, John Calvin Noon, alias Jerry
Noon, John Macdonald, James Mace, John Tyler,
alias Bos Tyler, Thomas Sayers, and Robt. Travers.
It may be remarked that Heenan's second name has
always been written " Carmel," but that is not cor-
rect, as it should be " Camel," and Heenan himself
especially directed the notice of the magistrates at
Wadhurst to the circumstance.
At 6 o'clock Mr. Edward Besley begged permis-
sion to mention to the noble chairman that he had
just received a brief to defend some of the defen-
dants who were out on bail for taking part in an
alleged assault and riot at a prize-fight at Wadhurst
on the 10th of December last. As not only would
several questions of fact but also of law arise, he
took leave to ask the noble chairman and the Bench
to allow het case to stand over till the next Quarter
Sessions, in order that he (Mr. Besley) might have
an opportunity of looking into the law, and seeing
its especial bearings as to a breach of the peace, and
whether a prize-fight was really so or not. As
counsel he hod not the opportunity of getting at
the necessary books, nor was there time to consult
them if they had been available, and in justice to
the persons charged, and out of some courtesy to
himself, quite a junior at the bar of the Bench of
Quarter Sessions before the noble lord and the jus-
tices, he (Mr. Besley) hoped his application for the
postponement of the hearing until the next Quarter
Sessions would be acceded to.
Mr. Roupell said that having been instructed,
with Mr. Willoughby, to prosecute, he felt bound to
oppose the application made with such diffidence by
the learned gentleman who had just addressed the
bench, but certainly no sufficient ground had been
urged for a postponement. Ample books could be
procured if the learned cones& wanted to refer to
them, besides which Mr. Besley only represented
three or four out of eight defendants, and the appli-
cation did not, therefore, extend to all, so that there
would be the trouble, expense, and difficulty of try-
ing the case twice over. He (Mr. Roupell) on the
part of the prosecution, felt bound to racist the ap-
plication.
In answer to an inquiry from the bench, it was
stated that Heenan and Sayers had gone to Brighton
by the 5.15 train under the impression that the case
would not come on, and
The noble Chairman said that under such circum-
stances, as all the defendants were ❑ot represented,
the bench could not dispose of the application for a
postponement, and the matter must, therefore, be
adjourned till to-morrow.

Dreadful Loss of the Ship Clifton in the
North Sea, with all on Board.

The particulars of a very fearful catastrophe in
the North Sea—viz., the total loss of the large ship
Clifton, Capt. Johnstone, hound to Madras, with all
on board, during the late tremendous gales, were
made known in the City yesterday.

Tne Clifton was a large first class ship, nearly
1000 tons burden, and belonged to London. Laden
with a cargo of iron, coal, and coke, she lett Sunder-
land late in the day of the 26th of last for Ladle, in
charge of Mr. Wrightson, an old experienced
North Sea pilot. Altogether she had 35 souls on
board, including the captain, wife, their eidest
and a lady named Thorogood, a passenger.
From intelligence which has subsequently been
elicited by Mr. Wilcocks, the ship's husband, who
was sent over to the Dutch coast to make inquiries
about the ill-fated vessel, it appears that she was seen
beating off the Lincolnshire and Norfolk coast for
several days, in company with two brigs, a schooner,
and, it is stated, a Russian barque. The Harkaway,
of Shoreham, Capt. Bungard, one of the brigs, re-
ports that she last saw the Clifton off the Smith's
Knoll, on the port tack, when the gale set in with
such fury in the early part of the month, from the
WSW to NW, with her topsails blown away, and
drifting boldly towards the Hakes. It has been
ascertained that the lighthouse keeper at the Helder
observed her close to the sands, and mistook her for
a British man of war. On the following morn-
ing (the sth) nothing could be seen of her. The
Harkaway, it appeared, escaped by running
into New Diep, and the Russian barque was
driven ashore at the Koog-Texel. On Mr. Will•
cock's arrival at the Isle of Texel he went to the
village of Hoorn, where he found a great portion of
the new cabin fittings, deck planks, &c.; and at
Koog many of her deck beams, water-casks, part
of mizenmast, and the Royal arms from off the boom
board. At Cocksdorf, to the northward of Texel,
her name board," Clifton, London," her wheel com-
plete, and more wreck were found. Mr. Willeocks
continued his search to the Koog by the sea shore
and discovered a part of her side, and found seven
%reeks high and dry. Near the Koog he found a
boat, with white bottom and black topsides, marked
" John of Lynn, Samuel Billing," painted inside i❑
white letters. At the burgomaster's rendezvous for
wrecked goods at the Helder Mr. Willcocks further
found the ship's mahogany capstan, spare topmasts,
upper deck beams, and other portions of the ili-
fated vessel. It was clear, therefore, beyond all
doubt that she must have been carried by the hurri-

cane on to the long range of sands which stretch
along that part of the coast, and speedily went to
pieces, all belonging to her perishing.
Capt. Johnstone was an officer in theßoyal Naval
R serve, and was much respected. It appears that
the pilot had orders to take the ship down Channel
as far as the Isle of Wight, and to return with a
note from the unfortunate commander for payment
of the pilotage, but it is needless to state that no-
thing has been seen or heard of the pilot. The ship
and cargo were insured in the City.

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