The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-15 00:00:00

Murder and Suicide at Ipswich.

Extraordinary Affair at Warwick.

At Warwick, on Saturday, Alice Owen made an
affidavit tending to establish the innocence of
George Cooke, a carver and gilder, who was in-
dicted at the Warwick summer assizes on a charge
of highway robbery with violence, found guilty,
and sentenced to five years' penal servitude. Ac-
cording to her evidence the young man was in bed
at the time the robbery was alleged to have been
committed, and she herself confesses that the money,
for the stealing of which he was convicted, was in
tact never stolen at all, for the prosecutor had given
it to her some time before to keep safe for
him. The following is a summary of the evi-
dence on which Cooke was convicted :—The pro-
secutor stated that he
.and the prisoner had been
drinking together in several pia bllc-housee
in Warwick, and that be himself got drunk. About
they had
beeninth e morningdrinking
for home, the prisoner
being at the time quite sober. While they were
walking along, the prisoner suddenly turned upon
him, and struck him a severe blow upon the head
with something hard like a stone. From the effects
stunned, and fell upon
prisonerthen rifled his pockets,
theof that
pavement.
blow
The
es partially
and, having possessed himself of the money, ran
Constablxsith
ere the assault and
Waters, who was on
dawutayy. neaPolirtchee spot
robbery were said to have been committed, proved
finding the prosecutor lying upon the ground,
with blood flowing from a 'wound at the back of
bead. On being asked what he was doing there,
he answered, " Cooke is a rogue, for he has robbed
me and run away," or words very much to that
effect. Cooke was subsequently apprehended upon
the charge. When taken into custody four half
crowns and a few coppers were found in his posses-
sion.—Mr. Tibbits, for the defendant, attempted to
show that the policeman first suggested the
name of Cooke to the prosecutor when he found
him lying upon the ground,
,and that then, and
not before, he adopted tne notion that Cooke was
the person who had robbed and beaten him. That,
however, Walters flatly denied.—Sergeant Webb
stated that when the two Men confronted each
other at the station-house, prosecutor pointed to
Cooke and said, " That man has robbed me," upon
which Cooke called him all sorts of names, and said
that he knew nothing about his money. It was
shown by the prisoner's mother that he had money
in his pocket before he left home to drink with the
prosecutor. Mary Ann Rawlins deposed that she
was up at her bedroom window when the policeman
Walters found the prosecutor uponthe pavement.
The policeman asked him what he did there with his
pocket turned inside out. Green behaved like a man
stupefied with drink. The,o, fficer then said, " What
have you done with Cooke P Prosecutor replied he
did not know, upon which the policeman said,
"Come along; we will go and find. him." Alice Owen,
at the time of the offence, was gin Warwick, and
she avers that late on the night in question the pro-
secutor Green and the prisoner Cooke both came to
the house where she was in an intoxicated condi-
tion. Cooke went to bed, bat Green, although every-
thing was done to persuade him, refused to follow
his companion, and insisted upon going out into the
street again. Before doing so, however, he emptied
his pockets of all the money they contained, and
handed it to her to keep safe for him, a trust he bad
often exercised when visiting her before. He sub-
sequently left the house, and she heard no more
about him, but Cooke remained in bed all night.
In answer to the Magistrate, why she has not mad©
her statement before, she replied. that early next
morning she left Warwick, and it was not until
recently she heard of the undeserved sentence which
had been passed upon Cooke. At present the friends
of the young man are engaged in procuring signa-
tures to a document to be forwarded to Sir George
Grey.

DEACON BEYAN.—
yen. Thomas Bevan,
DEATH OF THE VEN. ARCH
The death is announced of the
archdeacon of St. David's, in his filth year. For more than
30 years the von. archdeacon had been rector of St. Peter's,
Carmarth-2n, in the gift of St. David's College, Lampeter
(value £l7O, population 4,850),
sad he has also for many
years held the archdeaconry of St' David's, with the pre-
bendal stall of Mydrim, in the estbedral church of that dio-
cese, value about £5O. lie resided his living from ill-
health, atter 30 years of unwearied labour and great minis-
terial usefulness, in Nov., 1863. e was a very able and
effective preacher ; and, though Evangelical in his views,
he was moderate and unassuming in his enunciation of
them.

THE GREAT EASTERN AND THE GIBRALTAR, ALIAS
SUMTER., IN THE AUCTION-ROO:W.—An enormous crowd
thronged the Liverpool Cotton Sales Room, yesterday, to
witness the sale of the Great Eastern by auction, by
INle,:firs. Cunard, Wilson, and Co. Mr. Cunard, the auc-
tioneer, after reading a description of the vessel and the
usual conditions of sale, said that the bids must not be less
than £l,OOO. Only one bid, however, was made by a Mr.
Robinson, the amount of his bid being £50,000, and the
auctioneer then announced that the reserved bid of the
owners was £130,000, and after vain efforts to increase the
offers, the vessel was withdrawn to the surprise of all pre-
sent, rumours as to various probable purchasers, including
the Lottery Company, having been for some time current on
'Change. The Gibraltar, formerly so notorious as the Con-
federate cruiser Samter, was then put up and finally pur-
chased for £4,500 by a Mr. Patterson.
SMOKELESS COAL (3,000 to 4,000 tons monthly)
is being shipped from Cardiff in Wales to Nassau and con-
tiguous ports for the use of blockade runners, to whoa
smoke is an abomination, as pointing out their whereabouts
at sea.

THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH did not say be
had "the conriction," but simply " j'ai la confiance," that
peace can be preserved, which is not precisely equivalent in
meaning.
DISGRACEFUL PROCEEDINGS AT A FUNERAL AT
PERTH.—In Monday's Mercury we mentioned that
the body of Peter M'Culloch, tailor, Scone, had been found
in the Tay. The body was taken to Scone, where it was
interred on Tuesday, There is good reason to suppose that
111Tulloch committed suicide; and it seems to be the
general opinion amongst the antiquated inhabitants of
Scone that the body of a suicide should not be allowed
to enter the churchyard by the gate, but ought to be
lifted over the wall. The reason for this is sup-
posed to be that, in the event of the body being
allowed to pass through the gate, the first bride

" kirked " thereafter will commit suicide within a
very short period after her marriage, and that the first child
carried to church to be christened will commit suicide before

reached the age of eight years. As the hour for the

funeral approached a bevy of the gudewives of Scene, num-
bering about forty, took up their position on the road lead-
ing to the graveyard, and as the humble cortege drew near
they endeavoured, first by persuasion and at last by threats,
to prevent the coffin from being carried through the gate-
way. The undertaker expostulated with the angry dames,
and at length, after a deal of wrangling and unseemly
conduct, the remains were allowed to pass on. Who will
say that the days of superstition are gone ?—Caledonian
Mercury.

PLYMOUTH, Thursday.—The East India and Lon-
don Shipping Company's screw steamship Indiana,
Captain Smyth, bound to the Capo of Good Hope, Madras,
and Calcutta, was off this port at seven in the morning, all
well; wind south •east, a smart breeze. She left Gravesend
at 3 p.m., on Monday last, and at dark anchored off the
Nore Light ship, where she remained until Tuesday, at 8
a.m. Thick foggy weather was experienced in the Channel,
which obliged her often to go at half speed. All last night
she lay to off this port. The Indiana has a full general cargo
and 70 passengers, including, for the Cape—Commander H.
G. Simpson, R.N., Captain Brown, 11th Foot, Mr. Herbert,
aid Mr. Leckie; for Madras—Dr. Ramsbottom, Mr, Mober-
ley, Mr. Cramp, Dr. Bryson, Lieutenant Giffard, Dr.
Kennedy, and Lieutenant Wolsely ; and for Calcutta—Mr,
Clutterback, Dr. M‘Kinnon, Miss Blanchard, Captain
East, Mr. Neal, Lieut. Keyser, Mr. Wright, Ensign Bu-
chanan, Lieut. W. Hailes, Mr. Bourke, and Lieut. Wing-
field. The ship White Adder, belonging to Messrs. R.
Willis and Co., of L9adenhall-street, from London for
Shanghai, passed down Channel this morning. Captain
Glanville and the crew (five in all) of the schooner Thomas
Protheroe, of Fowey, were landed here this evening by a
pilot cutter. They state that at 1 o'clock this morning,
wind E by S, the schooner was 15 miles SW of Portland on
the port tack, reaching off the land, when the bark Augusta,
Capt. P. Racimurfin, with timber from Christiansand, ran
into her right amidships. The schooner foundered in five
minutes. The bark, with the loss of jibboom and spritsail-
yard, has proceeded for Alicante. Captain Glanville and
crew have been sent home by the Shipwrecked Mariners'
Society.

DENSE FOG AT LIVERPOOL.---A very dense fog
enveloped the estuary of the Mersey as well as Liver-
pool and its environs on Wednesday night and during the
early portion of yesterday. The fog was so dense as seriously
to impede the navigation of the river. The darkness caused
by the fog was so great as to prevent the arrival of seagoing
steamers, none of which arrived in course of Wednesday.
The Canadian mail steamer Jura only arrived in port yes-
terday morning, having been detained off the bar fully
17 hours. The Isle of Man steamer Tynwald was 29
hours on the passage to Liverpool, the time usually occu-
pied being six hours. The passengers for New York by the
Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia steamer City of
New York, to sail on Wednesday, were unable to proceed on
board the tender. Up to yesterday afternoon the City
of New York was unable to proceed to sea, it being
impossible to see half the length of the vessel. The
Nova Scotian, for Portland, with the Canadian mails, was
also detained. On Wednesday most of the ferry traffic
across the Mersey was suspended, except that by Woodside.
The Seaeombe steamer, with passengers on board, had to
come to an anchor, and the passengers were detained on
board all night. Fortunately, so far as is known,:ne serious
casualty took place.
THE Loss of LIFE ON THE EAST COAST.—The
fund which is being raised for the relief of widows
and orphans of the poor men who perished during the
great gale of last month. when fishing on board Groat Yar-
mouth smacks, is steadily increasing. Yesterday the Mayor
of Great Yarmourth. (Mr. R. Steward) received the following
letter, which affords another gratifying proof of the solici-
tude entertained by her Majesty for the welfare of all
classes of her subjects :—" Osborne, Jan. 11. Sir,—The
Queen has seen with feelings of sincere sympathy the ac-
counts which have appeared in the newspapers of the dis-
tress and sufferings of those poor widows and orphans whose
husbands and fathers have perished in the late gales, Her
Majesty has directed me to forward you the enclosed check
for £lOO to be added to the sum already collected for their
relief. The Queen would be glad that these poor widows
and orphans should be made aware of her Majesty's sym-
pathy also with them in their sorrows, which money cannot
alleviate. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient hum-
ble servant, C. B. Pours,--The Mayor of Great Yar-
mouth."

At six o'clock yesterday morning, at Paris, the
thermometer of M. Chevallier stood at 2 6-10ths below zero
Centigrade (27 1-3 d Fahrenheit) ; at noon, 2 6-10ths above
C. (361 F.); and at three o'clock, 4 above C. (39 1-sth F.)

The half-yearly report of the National Discount
Company, to be presented on the 20th inst., shows
a profit of £35,087, out of which £20,000 is recom-
mended to be applied to a dividend of 10 per cent.,
leaving £15,087 to be carried to reserve, which will
thus be raised to £98,499. At the same time the
directors propose that the nominal capital of the
company should bo increased from £2,000,000 to
£3,000,000 by an issue of 40,000 new shares, to be
offired at £5 premium, with the view that the
£200,000 that could thus be realised should be
applied to raise the reserve fund to £3oo,ooo—a
measure suggested by the experience that in pro-
portion to the growing strength of the reserve has
been the increase of the confidence reposed in the
establishment.
The half-yearly report of the Imperial Bank, to
be submitted on Munday next, states the available
balance to be £9,613, of which £5,000 is recom-
mended to be appropriated to a dividend at the rate
of 5 per cent. per annum, and £3,000 to a reserve,
leaving £1,613 to be carried forward.
The mail from Guayaquil has brought a remit-
tance of £7lO 2s. 3d. on account of the dividends
on the debt of Ecuador.
A Naples letter says :—" Travellers who formerly
arrived in this city by railway or by sea may re-
member the manner in which they were assailed
by a swarm of porters who seized their trunks and
all that they had, and imposed on them an arbi-
trary charge. Since the Ist of January those men
have been divided into several companies, each
having a chief, who is responsible for the conduct
of those under him. They all wear a sort of uni-
form, and act on a tariff of prices carefully
drawn up.
CAT-TALK WITH LITTLE CLIILDREN.—" Come

out upon the roof with me," the cat had said to
Rudy distinctly and intelligibly; ior when one is a young
child, and can scarcely speak, fowls and ducks, cats and
dogs, are almost as easily understood as the language that
fathers and mothers use. One must be very little indeed
then, however ; it is the time when grandpapa's stick neighs
and becomes a horse, with head, legs, and tail. Soule
children retain their infantine thoughts longer than
others, and of these it is said that they are very
backward, exceedingly stupid children—people say so
much. "Come out upon the roof with me, little Rudy,"
was one of the first things the cat said, and Rudy under-
stood him. "It is all nonsense co fancy one must fall
down ; you won't fall unless you are afraid. Come I set
one of your paws here, the other there, and take care of
yourself with the rest of your paws r Keep a sharp look-
out, and be active in your limbs. If there be a hole, spring
over it, and keep a firm footing as I do."--Sans Christian
Andersen's Ice Maiden.

THE ENGAGEMENT OF MR. AND MRS. CHARLES
MATHEWS at the St. James's is to last up to Easter.
THE PANTOMIME AT DRURY-LANE is said to
have cost £B,OOO. All this money is lavished upon canvas,
and paint, and tinsel, which in a few weeks will become a
heap of rubbish. Magnificence in theatrical matters can
scarcely be carried beyond the point it has now reached.
LICENSED VICTUALLERS' BALL.—The annual
ball in aid of the funds of the Licensed Victuallers'
Asylum, Old Kent-road, was held yesterday evening at
St. James's Hall, Mr. Donald having given up the whole
of his spacious premises for the accommodation of the visi-
tors. St. James's Hall proper, making, with its peculiar
style of illumination, perhaps the finest dancing-saloon in
Europe, was soon full, and the company began
rapidly to overflow into the other two minor halls,
the restaurant, and all the private rooms in the
establishment. There were upwards of 2,000 per-
sons present, and the dancing to the excellent music of
Adams' band of 40 performers was kept up to an early hour
this morning. Light refreshments were served out in abun-
dance during the evening, and the seniors amongst the
visitors were not slow in availing themselves of the more
potent beverages with which Mr. Donald's cellars are so
amply stored. .

IMPLACABLE !—When Mr. Aretmus Ward, jour-
neying over the plains to California, was seized and plun-
dered by predatory Indians, the Sachem who stripped him
made a speeeh, and said he hoped to meet him in the happy
hunting-grounds. " If he du," adds Mr. Ward, in his
account of the transaction, " there will be a fite."

A CHASE AFTER THE WRONG SHIP.—An exciting
chase took place a iew days since off the port of
Brest, in consequence of the commander of the Federal
corvette Kerseage mistaking the French war steamer Ren-
audin for the Confederate corvette Florida. The Kerseage
was cruising off Ushant, watching for the Florida, having
received orders to attack the Confederate steamer on her
quitting Brest. The Renaudin, which resembles the Florida,
was going out to sea, and was passing Iroise, when the
captain of the Kerseage gave chase. The commander of
the French ship having made himself known, the cap-
thin of the Kerseage hastened to apologise. This incident,
it appears, has attracted the attention of the French
naval authorities, and proved to them that the captain
of the American steamer may involuntarily at-
tack his adversary in French waters, of which he is not
well acquainted.with the boundaries. The port admiral at
Brest has consequently given orders that the steamship of-
the-line Wagram shall watch the movements of the two
chips. and prevent them from engaging in French waters.
The Florida, moreover, is not yet ready for sea. She made
a trial trip on the 6th inst., and steamed as far as Conquet.
The.trial was most satisfactory, and the log gave a speed of
13 knots an hour even within the goulet. The Confederate
corvette Rappahannock is still in the pert of Calais under

repairs.
LIFEBOAT EIPENSES.—Daring the year which
has just closed the National Lifeboat Institution has
incurred the following expenses on either additional new
lifeboat stations, or the replacing of old boats, transporting
carriages, and boat-houses by new ones—viz., Berwick-on-
Tweed, £340, Filey £267, Birdlington £340, Blakeney
£196, Thorpness £2OO, Hastings £196, Eastborne £265,
Teignmouth £574, Sennen £340, Bade 292, Pembrey £203,
Cardigan £l9B, Porthdinllaon £273, Lythan £513, Fleet-
wood £l6l, and Arklow £204. The society has also expended
on the repairs, stores, painting, alterations and inspection
of its numerous lifeboats, boat-hones, and transporting car-
riages, and four spare lifeboats and carriages, £6,815 14s.
ld. ; and £2,441 9s. Id. for coxswains' salaries, and
exercising the crews of its lifeboats, making altogether a
total of £13,819 3s. 2d. The National Lifeboat Institution
has also granted during the same period £1,351 Ga. 4d. as
rewards for saving by its lifeboats and other means, 714
persons from a large number of shipwrecks on our coasts.
A most satisfactory result, and clearly showing how much
can be accomplished :by the well directed efforts which the
Institution has brought to bear on this humane work. The
Society has now 125 lifeboats under its management. Each
of these establishments requires about £5O a year to keep it
in ar effective state. Again, the cost of a complete lifeboat
station is about £6OO, including the expense of the lifeboat
and the equipment, transporting carriage, and boat-house.
The operations of the Lifeboat Institution now extend all
over the coasts of the British Isles. To maintain and per-
petuate these operations is a matter of earnest and constant
solicitude to the committee. They have incurred a great
responsibility, but they do not shrink from it, and are de -
tertninLd, with the continued sympathy and liberality of the
British public, to leave no effort untried that can in any

way tend to lessen the fearful annual loss of life from ship-
wrecks on our shores,