The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-02 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 2, 1864.

Naval and Military Intelligence,

We have received the following letter from a
Malta correspondent, dated the 28th of July :—Her
Majesty's screw steamship of the line Marlborough,
bearing the flag of the Commander.in-Chief, Vice-
Admiral Smart, K.H., accompanied by the Meeanee,
steam liner, Liffey and' Magicienne, steam frigates,
re-entered port on the 22d, from a four days' cruise
in the offing of Malta, to try rates of sailing. She
?eft again on the 26th for another cruise in the
channel of Malta, to exercise great guns. The
Meeanee and Magicienne entered port on the 27th,
and put to sea again on the 28th. Her Majesty's
screw steam frigate Phcebe, relieved on the coast of
Syria by the Cossack, corvette, arrived on the 23d
of July, after a 12 day's passage, chiefly under sail.
Her Majesty's despatch steamer Psyche leaves for
Naples to-day, probably to announce the visit to
that port next month of a naval division under Vice-
Admiral Smart, deferred, it is reported, until the
return to Caprera of General Garibaldi from Ischia,
The Sultan's despatch steamer Peki Sherif arrived
from Constantinople on the 23d and left for Tunis
on the 24th of July, with despatches from the Sub-
lime Porte to the Sultan's Commissioner at Tunis,
with an offer, it is stated, of 25,000 mounted Bashi-
Bazonks, to put down the insurrection of the
Tunisian territory."
The deaths of the following officers have been
reported at the War-office since the Ist of July :
Gen. Sir R. W. Gardiner, G.C.8., K.C.H., Col.
Commandant of the Royal Artillery ; Lient.-Gens.
Sir W. Brereton, K.C.8., K.H., Royal Artillery ;
and C. M. Hay, Col. of the 91st Highlanders;
Major-Gens. R. Hardinge, K.H., Royal Artillery;
H. N. Vigors, and N. T. Lake, C. 8., Col. E. T. P.
Sherwen, Royal Artillery; Lieut.-Col. H. J. P.
Booth, 43d Light Infantry; Majors A. Fleming,
Royal Artillery; G. V. Tilling, Royal Engineers ;
S. Harfnn, 2d West India Regiment ; and R. Woods,
Bth Veterinary Battalion; Capts. H. 0. Mann, 7th
Royal Fusileers ; R. C. Glover, R. T. F. Hamil.
ton, and E. Utterton, 43d Light Infantry, killed
in action in New Zealand; F. G. E. Ulover,
43c1 Light Infantry, of wounds received in action
in New Zealand ; G. W. Wilmot, 106th Bombay
Light Infantry ; P. W. Kingsmill, 4th West India
Regiment; and H. Kirwan, 15th Regiment ; Lieuts.
H. Macsween, Royal Engineers ; H. W. Ashford,
100th Prince of Wales's Royal Canadian Regiment ;
R. Brew, Ist West India Regiment; J. B. Powell,
12th Regiment; and E. K. Champion; Ensigns C.
J. Langland, 431 Infantry (killed in action); A.
Chayter, 63d Regiment ; C. T. Martin, 70th Regi-
ment ; and A. V. Hodenberg, 7th Line Battalion,
King's German Legion ; Quartermaster W. G.
Street, 46th Regiment; Assistant Commissary-
General C. Wemyss ; Surg. M. L. Este, Ist Life
Guards; Assist.-Surg. J. Greig, M.D. ; Hospital
Assistant A. Bruce ; Deputy-Assistant Superin-
tendent of Stores J. Rainsford.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE,

NORTHERN CIRCUIT-MANCHESTER) AUG. 1.

CEOWN SIDE.
(Before Mr Baron Pigott,)

Ann Leslie was placed at the bar charged with firing a
pistol at John Whalley, at Manchester, on the 22d of March
last, with intent to murder him, and with other intents.
Mr Pope and Mr Watson conducted the prosecution, and
Mr Torr defended the prisoner.
According to the opening statement of the learned coun-
sel for the Crown, Mr Whalley, the prosecutor, was a mer-
chant, living at Old Trafford, and had formed a connexion
some 10 or 11 years ago with prisoner, who then belonged
to the class of unfortunates, and had solicited him one even-
ing in the street. The connexion lasted two or three years,
at the expiration of which time Mr Whalley, being desirous
of putting an end to it, gave the prisoner money to estab-
lish herself in business in various places, and to emigrate
to Australia—but these plans for her maintenance failing,
he ultimately allowed her £3 per month, which allowance
was paid up to a twelvemonth ago. It was then discontinued
on account of the large demands made upon the prosecutor
by the prisoner, and the latter then began to persecute
Mr Whalley by following him in the street and claiming
assistance from him, and to such an extent that ho on
one occasion called in the assistance of the police. On
the 15th of last March the prosecutor was opening the
door to leave his warehouse when he perceived the pri-
soner before him presenting a pistol, and he immediately
withdrew inside and shut the door, and saw
nothing more of her on that day. On the 22d, however, at
2G minutes past 5 o'clock, as he was leaving his warehouse,
he saw her again standing on the steps of the adjoining
warehouse, and he then warned her that if she attempted
anything he would give her into the hands of the police.
He made his way as quickly as he could towards the Victoria
station, but as he was descending some steps which conduct
to a bridge, from which on the other side a steep incline
rises up to the station, he heard a report of a pistol, and
looking back saw the prisoner on the top step and present-
ing a pistol at him of which she appeared to be endeavour-
ing to draw the trigger. He called to two boys who hap-
pened to be near to stop her from firing, and took to his
heels across the bridge and into the station, taking refuge
in one of the carriages, the prisoner telling the boys that if
they interfered with her it would be the worse for them,
and calling after the prosecutor "You villain, I'll kill you
to-night," ran after him into the station, where she was
secured with the pistol in her hand. The prosecutor had
not been hit, but it appeared that a man named Taylor, who
happened to be coming from the station and down the in-
cline towards Mr Whalley at the time of the occurrence,
heard the report when he was about 77 yards distant, and at
the same moment felt himself struck on the breasc at a place
where he immediately afterwards found that his waistcoat
was slightly torn. Although no bullet was found, the
theory of the prosecution was that the blow was from the
bullet which, being fired from the pistol when it was pointed
downwards after the prosecutor as he descended the steps,
hit the ground and ricocheted before striking Taylor. A
pistol was found on the prisoner, which had five barrels,
one of them having been discharged, and being still warm.
The others were all loaded with ball, but in one the ball
had slipped between the chamber and the barrel, so as to
prevent the revolution of the chambers or a second die.
charge of the pistol, and in two of them there was no powder
at all, while in the others there was a very small quantity
of powder indeed. All the nipples, however, were capped,
and the absence of a sufficiency of powder in
the barrels, as well as the displacement of one of the
bullets, was accounted for by the evidence of a gunsmith,
who stated that the bullets were so small as to be loose in
the barrels. Prisoner had bought a pistol shortly before
from a pawnbroker, who she had wished should load it for
her, but on his refusal to do so she bought it on a second
occasion without his doing so.
When it fell to Mr 'Whalley's lot to be cross-examined he
was compelled to state that he was 59 years of age,a widower,
and the father of five daughters, of whom the eldest was 22
years old. Ho had bean many years in business and was in
good circumstances. He said that she accosted him in the
street, and led him into temptation, and not ho her ; and
that from that circumstance, and from what she had told
him, he knew at the time that she was an unfortunate, and
yet he had unfortunatelyiyielded to her temptation. He did
not tell her the first night that he would provide for her as
long as she lived, but he did tell her afterwards that she
should not want. Ho said that he did not regularly allow
her money until after two years or more, but he visited and
paid her each time he did so. Nevertheless he had experien-
ced a tendency towards reform within the first three months
of the connexion, and had spoken of reform for both of them
before she went to London, and he had given her a Church
Service. He had nct a key of her door made for himself,
and if he did give her an order upon Chubb's to have a
lock and keys made it was for herself only, He knocked at
the door, and when he went in he sometimes saw another
going out at the back. He further stated that he had
given her a letter of introduction to a place in London,
and that she obtained a situation in the Gray's-inn Hotel,
from which she got leave of absence to spend a few days in
Manchester, but he entirely denied that she overstayed her
time in consequence of his renewed connection with her.
Subsequently he fitted up, first a shop, and then furnished
lodgings for her, which had cost him considerable sums of
money, and after that he had given her sums of money,
until furniture bills of her's to a large amount were sent in
to him last August, when he cut off further allowance
altogether.
The learned counsel for i he prisoner alluded to the interest
his client's position created in the town, testifies to by the
condition of the court, and said that a different complexion
had been endeavoured to bo put upon the story to• day from
what had ever been attempted before. Not in the deposi-
tions or on any previous occasion had the prosecutor hinted
that the prisoner had been an "unfortunate" before he had
reduced her to that position. Therefore he had cross-exa-
mined narrowly to that point, which would have some
weight with the jury in dealing with his client's case. He
then proceeded to deal very severely with the prosecutor's
conduct in his connexion with this young girl—a man of
his age► and position leading her into sin, yet with words of
reform on his lips. With reference to the assistance given
her, it was not so much as the prosecutor had stated, and he
had finally left her destitute. As regarded the offence itself,
the prisoner had merely intended to threaten Mr Whalley,
and there was no evidence that she had pointed the pistol
at him, or even that it was adequately loaded at all.
At a late hour the jury acquitted the prisoner, and the
verdict was received with loud cheers.

Cyrus Travis was placed at the bar charged with endea-
vouring to poison his wife by administering to her a cake
containing a quantity of antimony and seven bent pins.
Mr Pope proseccuted ; the prisoner was undefended.
The prisoner's wife, Ellen, was an inmate of the Prest-
wich Lunatic Asylum, and on May 12 he paid her a visit
there, and, treating- her apparently affectionately, left her
some oranges and a cake, which was afterwards found to
contain a quantity of tartarised antimony, and seven pins
bent into the shape of a fishhook. The cake was bought by
the prisoner, and upon him was found a quantity of anti
mony, exactly corresponding with that in the cake. When
he returned from the asylum he spoke with a neighbour
of his wife's condition, saying
that she was worse and
not likely to live long, although in point of fact she was
particularly well; and he also said that he should have to
pay up some arrears of subscriptions to a burial society, in
order to entitle himself to a sum of S 5 65. upon her death,
and that he meditated marrying again.
The Judge having summed up, the jury found a verdict
of guilty.
Sentence deferred.

to get another, and to say nothing about her loss to her
step •father. From this time forward the prosecutor was
constantly missing things from tho store, and at last deter-
mined to watch for the thief. On the night of Saturday,
the 26th of March, therefore, instead of leaving the shop
locked up till the following Monday, he got his step-
daughter to lock him in, and, going upstairs, opened the
trap-door slightly, and waited patiently till half-past 10.
About that time he heard the outer door open and acme ono
go into the prisoner's part of the house. Immediately
afterwards the lock of the store was opened, and the pri-
soner came in with a candle, and going to the till took some
money out. The prosecutor then rushed down the ladder,
exclaiming, " I've got you at last," The prisoner at first
begged for mercy and pardon, but afterwards said the key
had been put under her door by somo one, and, suspecting
all was not right, she had gone into the store to see that
everything was safe.

She was convicted and sentenced to Dix months' imprison-
ment, with hard labour.

Reformatory and Industrial Schools,

Mr. Sydney Turner's seventh annual report states
that at the close of the year 1863 there were in the
64 reformatories in Great Britain, nominally, 3,677
boys and 1,000 girls; but in fact 227 boys and 36
girls were out on license, 9 boys and four girls were
in prison, and 85 boys and 14 girls had absconded
and were not yet recovered, leaving actually in the
schools 3,356 boys and 946 girls, of whom 618 boys
and 263 girls were in Catholic reformatories. The
total is not very much larger than in 1862, and
there appears no reason to apprehend any material
addition to the charges which the reformatory school
system entails. The admissions in the year fell from
1,338 in 1862, to 1,209 in 1863, a diminution attri-
butable chiefly to increased caution and more careful
inquiry into the circumstances of each case on the
part of the committing magistrates. There are no
signs of any serious increase in the amount of juve-
nile crime. The committals of juvenile offenders di•
minished in Scotland in 1863, and in England in.
creased only at about the same rate as the increase
of population, and at less than half the rate of in-
crease of adult committals. With regard to the sue.
cess of reformatory schools Mr Turner is able to
report, in relation to England, that of the 1,423
Protestant boys discharged in the three years 1860-
62, 916 are known to be doing well, 114 are of doubt-
ful or indifferent character, 181 have been convicted
of crime, 33 have died, the remaining 179 are un-
known, and probably half of them may be added to
the number convicted, making that number 270, or
one in every five discharged and still alive. Of the
Catholic boys a much larger proportion are unknown;
the re-convictions, on the same calculations as above,
must have been above 38 per cent. A considerable
proportion of this unfavourable result must be laid
to the account of Mount St. Bernard's Reformatory,
but Mr. Turner attributes it mainly to the want of
a more independent vigorous tone in the discipline,
and of more care and exertion n the arrangements
for discharge. The returns for the girls' schools in
England show, on the same calculation, a percentage
of reconviction or relapse of about 19 per cent.
among the Protestants, and about 18 per cent. among
the Catholics. In Scotland the reformatories for
boys give more favourable results, but the girls'
schools are not so successful as in England. Mr.
Turner is able to report that during the past year
the internal working of the schoola has been gene-
rally very satisfactory. Of Mount St. Bernard's he
continues to believe that the institution will finally
overcome all the difficulties which beset it. He has
still to state that more than half the admissions to
reformatories are of children ho have not been
previously convicted; that is to say, they have been
sent without having the trial first made whether
they could not be checked or turned from their
criminal courses by an appropriate punishment
without incurring the cost and responsibiiity of a
long detention at the public expence. The average
annual cost exceeds the Treasury allowance of
£l5 125., and there is no prospect of reformatories
ever becoming self.supporting by the labour of the
inmates. Of the forty-seven certified industrial
schools in Great Britain we learn that at the end
of the year 1863 they contained 1,349 children
ander detention—a great increase ;on 1862 ; but
most of these schools have been too recently in
operation to make it useful to analyze their
expenditure at present. Of 153 children discharged
from them in England up to the end of 1862, 81 are
known to have done well, but there is a large num-
ber of " unknown." Mr. Turner is satisfied with
the general condition of these schools. The pay-
ments from parents and parochial hoards amounted
in the year to 11,150; in reformatories to £2,450.
The retort notices with approbation the Catholic
school for girls in Queen-square (St. Ar.argo.ret's
Home), but Mr. Turner has to express his regret
that so little is done by Protestants in using the In•
dustrial Schools Act in London, with reference to
the large number of young girls who are sent out to
beg about the streets and crossings. It seems strange
that with such powers as the Act gives, and such
excellent schools as exist, the girls should be left to
ripen into thieves or prostitutes from sicuple want of
interference.