The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WED NESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 9, 1863.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Fane.)
EU LIEUT.-POL. DICKSON.-RELEASE FROM CUSTODY.
This was an application on behalf of Lieut.-Col. Dickson,
late of the Royal Tower Hamlets Militia, for discharge
from custody. The case of Dickson and the Earl of Wilton
and others are fresh in the memory of our readers, and it
is stated that the bankruptcy arose through the bankrupt
not being able to meet his engagements, in consequence of
the result of the verdict and consequent costs.
The bankrupt, who had been for some time in a " lock-
up" house, but subsequently was removed to Whitecross-
street prison, now surrendered under the bankruptcy.
Mr. Linklater said he appeared ,for Mr. Vick, the
petitioning creditor.
Mr. Lucas said he appeared for Messrs. Lee, detaining
creditors, to oppose the release on the first ground that
there was no petitioner's debt, that none was due to the
invalidpeti altogether.tioningcreditor, and therefore that the petition was
Mr Linklater said that the adjudication had been made
by his Honour, and this is the time to dispute it.
Mr. Lucas said that the petitioning creditor is amply
secured.
Mr. Linklater—The learned counsel denies the petitioning
creditor's debt, yet says he is amply secured.
Mr. Lucas—Secondly, the bankrupt had not given up his
property. At all events, if your Honour think it a case for
release, it ought tole on bail.
Mr. Linklater— You are raising a legal issue as to the
existence of the debt, and that cannot be tried in this way.
Mr. Lucas—There must be both a legal and equitab;e
debt.
His Honour—l am asked not to release the bankrupt
from custody, but you do not give any evidence.
Mr. Lucas—l will examine the bankrupt as to his pro-
perty.
Mr. Linklater—lt is a most ungracious opposition.
His Honour—What have I got to do with the matter
further than to say whether the bankrupt ought to be re-
leased ?
Mr. Lucas—lt is a fictitious debt, and he has not given
up his property.
His Honour—lf he has not ho must meet his creditors;
he can meet them out as well as in prison.
Mr. Linklater said that the property was well protected,
to the satisfaction of his client and the oa.eis.l assignee.
His Honour—Then you do not object.
Mr. Linklater—Certainly not.
His Honour—Then I gra,nt the order of release.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS—This Day.

(Before Mr. Sergeant Gazelee.)

Two men, named Macey and Fitsjohn, were indicted for
robbing their employer ; and Henry Austin was indicted
for receiving the property, well knowing it to hava been
stolen.

The first two prisoners ware carmen in the service of
Messrs. Marshall, who resided near Hendon, and the offence
they stood charged with was that they, against the order of
their employer, went into the corn store and took a quantity
of corn, alleging that it was for the purpose of feeding their
horses. They, however, were seen to stop at the Cock
publichouse, Kilburn, when one of them took the nosebag'
which was then full, out of the cart, and go with it to Austin'
who was engaged in superintending horses there. When
the prisoner returned it was found he had disposed of the
corn, and then the men were charged with feloniously dis-
posing of the property of bier srs. Marshall, and Austin with
receiving it.
The learned judge summed up the case, and the jury
returned a verdict of guilty against all three prisoners, but
strongly recommended them to mercy.
Sergeant Gazelee, in passing sentence, said it was to be
regretted that men possessing a good character should stand
in their position, It was much to be regretted thas a very
lax state of morality existed amongst a certain class of per-
sons who thought that, providing they did not take the whole
of their master's property, it was no harm to appropriate a
portion of it to their own benefit. He was sorry
that that state of things existed, and in the present
instance it was thought that because the Messrs.
Marshall had a great quantity of property, which was, to
some extent, under the care of the prisoners, that therefore
it was no harm to sell some of it. Had the receiver,
Austin, not received a recommendation to mercy, he
should have felt it his duty to pass a very severe sen-
tence on him ; because if there were no receivers
thero would be no thieves. Under all the circumstances,
he felt justified in passing a comparatively mild sentence,
as the jury had recommended them all to mercy. He should
sentence each of them to three months' imprisonment, with
hard labour.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—TI Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

ASSAULT THROUGH JEALOUSY.—Ann Stevens, the wife
of a baker, living in Great Windmill-street, was charged
before Mr. Knox with the following violent assault on a
female named Mary Widdey, her next door neighbour.
The complainant, the upper part of whose head was en-
veloped in a bandage, said that between 10 and II the pre-
vious night she was in the Red Lion public•house, Little
Windmill-street, when the prisoner came in and began
joking with her, and called her an out-of-the-way nams,
and afterwards took up a pint glass and flung it at her.
Her head was badly cut, and Mr, Harris, surgeon, of Great
Windmill-street, was called in to dress the wound.
A young man named Thomas Webb, of 11, Little Wind-
mill-street, said he heard some joking going on between
the two females, who seemed to be very jealous of each
other. He saw the prisoner take up the glass and throw it
at the complainant, cutting her head very badly—the wound
being a very serious one. He did not think at first that
the prisoner meant to throw the glass, and could not say
whether it was intentional or not.

Thomas Dennison, 116 C, said he found the cDmplain-
ant's head badly cut, and the prisoner said she had received
great provocation, the complainant having thrown some
water over her.

Prisoner said complainant threw a quantity of water over
her before she threw the glass.

Mr. Knox said he should remand the prisoner for a week,
as it was impossible at present to tell the result of the in-
jury complainant had received, and the surgeon must then
attend. Even if the complainant had thrown water at the
prisoner, the prisoner had no business to throw a glass at
her.
The prisoner was then remanded.

WESTMINSTER.
AN UNPLEASANT SITUATION.—WiIIiam White, a cab
driver, was charged with being drunk and incapable of
driving.
J. Clarke, 273 A, said that he was on duty in the King's_
road last night, when his attention was attracted to the de-
fendant, who was driving a Hansom cab at a great pace
on the wrong side of the road. After proceeding a short
distance he ran up against a four-wheeled cab and upset it.
Mr. Arnold—Was there anybody in the cab ?
Witness—Yes, a lady and gentleman. The defendant's
own cab was also upset, and he fell heavily upon his
shoulder end side of the head.
Mr. Arnold—The black eye he has is the worst I ever
saw. I wonder that his skull was not fractured.
Witness—Had he fallen three or four inches more in ad-
vance he must have split his head open.
Mr, Arnold—He has had a very fortunate escape.
Witness—He was insensible for a long time in conse-
quence of the fall.
Mr. Arnold—Was there any one in his cab at the time of
the collision ?
Witness—Yes, a lady.
Mr. Arnold—Was she hurt, and 'what became of her?
Witness—She was not hurt, I believe; the cab turned
over, and I helped the lady out. As soon as I did so she
walked away without waiting a moment.
Defendant—l was not drunk. The lady poked the flap
up and was talking to me, and that took off my attention,
and so the accident occurred.
Witness—When he recovered, it was quite clear that he
was drunk.
Enock Pulford—l was on duty at the station when the
defendant was brought there. There was no doubt about
his being drunk.
The proprietor and driver of the other cab were in attend.
ance, and the driver said that the constable's account of
the transaction was perfectly correct.
Mr. Arnold—The charge at present before me is only one
of drunkenness. I have nothing at present to do with the
damage you have caused. I have no doubt of your
drunkenness, but, in consideration of the cost you will
doubtless be at, and the injury you have sustained, I shall
only fine yc u 55.

A Claim upon the Confederate Government.

Mr. R. R. Belshaw has addressed a letter to Lord
Russell, setting forth a series of wrongs which he
alleges he hes sustained at the hands of the Confe-
derate government. He states that he was engaged
in business at Montgomery, Alabama, when the
war broke out. He was a British subject, and was
very generally known to be so. This, however, did
not save him from the conscription, for he tells us
that—" Last February I was arrested as a con-
script in my own house by the enrolling officer of
the de facto government, and, under a strong mili-
tary force, conveyed to the guard-house, where I
was detained three days and nights and then re-
leased. Notwithstanding the production of my con-
sular certificate of nationality and compliance with
the requirements of the Secretary of War, I was
again arrested in the name of the de facto govern-
ment, taken from my residence, hurried off to Camp
Watts, in Alabama, and from thence to Gen. Bragg's
army in Tullahoma. Several other British subjects
were also sent at the same time by Major Swanson,
the commandant of conscripts for the state. He had
them forwarded under guard, in chains, with heavy
iron collars riveted on their necks. On our arrival
in Tullahoma we were all put into the guardhouse,
an abominably filthy den. After being there nearly
a week, a Confederate officer came in one day to
know if we would volunteer. Under the circum-
stances, we declined to embrace the opportunity of
fighting for his country. In this way he called seve-
ral times to know if we thought any better of it,
until at last, finding the inducements were not suffi-
ciently strong, he came one day and took us out to
the Provost Marshal's office. While there, he tried
to coerce us into takihg the oath of allegiance to
his Government amid the jeers and taunts of a
crowd of commissioned officers whose hatred of
England was only equalled by their affected
ignorance of her power. Our party, consisting of
Danish, German, and British subjects all refused to
renounce our allegiance. We were then put into
the camp of the Ist Louisiana. On refusing to do
duty the next day (in obedience to the Queen's
proclamation), I underwent the punishment known
as " bucking," in front of General Bragg's head-
quarters, and also the others, after which we were
turned into the guardhouse. On our refusal again,
some days,'afterwards, " bucking," was repeated,
with the addition of water being thrown over some
of us. Still continuing to refuse, I was subse-
quently tied up by the thumbs half an hour
to the rafters of the guardhouse, along with an-
other Britsh subject named Kelly, a graduate of
the Queen's College, Galway. I saw him after-
wards undergo the punishment called by those
who practice it "spread eagle," a kind of cruci-
fixion. On another occasion I saw him held head
downwards in a tank of water three times until
almost drowned. The punishment of slaves has
been inflicted on us with a full knowledge of our
nationality, and within a few yards of General
Bragg's head-quarters, in the presence of at least
50 or 100 spectators. For refinement of cruelty
and democratic insolence generally, Colonel Straw-
bridge and his creole commissioned officers of
the Ist Louisiana stand unrivalled. The de facto
Government have now assumed the respon-
sibility by a decision of their highest court at
Mobile, of declaring me liable to military service.
Phis trial cost me 4,000 dole., to which must be
added 3,000 dols, for a substitute, which was only
good for a short time, as I was notified by the
authorities for six months' service in North Alabama.
Seeing there was no end to the imposition and out-
rage, I left, and at the expense of 3,000 dole. more
I am so far home out of the Southern Confederacy.
Flaying been unable to close my estate, I have left
my sister in charge of it, as to her exertions on my
behalf, more than to the money actually expended,
lam indebted for my deliverance from captivity."
Mr. Belshaw submits that he has made out a case
for compensation, and calls upon Lord Russell to
make the necessary demands upon the Southern
Government.