The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENEN 1, JANUARY ft it

POLICE INTELLIGENCE---This Day.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.---This Day.

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Blackburn.)
THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY.
This morning four of the men charged with being en-
gaged in the late extensive robbery of Bank-note paper
from the Laverstoke Mills, viz., Buncher, Brewer, Bur-
nett, and Griffiths, were placed in the dock. The first two
prisoners pleaded not guilty, the other two guilty.
Cummings and Williams, the other two men charged
with being concerned in the robbery, will be tried on sepa-
rate indictments.
Sir F. Kelly, Q.C., standing counsel to the Bank of
England, with Mr. Bovill, Q.C,, Mr. Giffard, and Mr.
Mathewes, appeared for the prosecution. Sergeant Ballan-
tine, Mr. Keane, and Mr. F. Lewis appeared for Brewer;
Mr. Greenoaks for Buncher.
Sir F. Kelly, in opening the case for the prosecution,
explained at great length the manner in which bank-note
paper was manufactured, dwelling particularly on the mode
in which the paper was prepared at Laverstoke, and ex-
pressed the gratification he had in stating that henceforward
it would be impossibli for forged Bank of England notes to
be printed on genuine paper, the most complete arrange-
ments having been made to guard against such imposition■
in future. When the first forged note came into the Bank
the most.diligent inquiry was made, and after the greatest
exertions of the p ,lice, the Governors had been able
to bring the principal participators in the robbery before
the court. The learned council then proceeded to give a
snort sketch of the antecedents of the four prisoners, one of
whom, Griffiths, had been engaged at Birmingham in
printing and circulating forged Bank notes for the last 16 or
17 years. He then proceeded to detail the manner in which
paper was abstracted from the mills by Henry Brown, a
young man formerly engaged by Messrs. Portal, who had
been actuated to the commission of the offence through
the persuasion of the prisoner Burnett. The learned
gentleman then remarked that the great contest which
would take place between the learned Sergeant who defended
Brewer, would be the credibility of the approver, Henry
Brown. He was of opinion that the statement of the young
man was corroborated in every particular by witnesses of
the utmost respectability, and if they should agree with
him, then there could be no doubt that his evidence was
worthy of belief, and was such as they could safely act upon.
Having referred to the evidasaiv‘ as it affected the other
prisoners, he concluded by saying that he felt certain that
the jury, in the performance of their arduous duty, would
give the case their best consideration, and that justice would
be fearlessly done both towards the prisoners and the
public.

The examination of witnesses was then commenced by Mr
Bovill, Q.O , the first person examined being Henry Webb,
the City detective, who detailed the circumstances con-
nected with his apprehension of Giiffiths, the printer, at
Birmingham.
At the conclusion of this witness's evidence, each of the
prisoners were asked if they wished to put any questions.
All replied in the negative but Griffiths, who was about
to make some observations.
The learned Judge reminded the prisoner that he could
only ask questions, and he should like to know whether he
wss about to put any to the witness previous to his quitting
the box.
Griffiths—No. I only was about to tell who was the man
who has put me away on the present charge. He has had
thousands of pounds out of me, and his o! ject in selling me
has been to get the reward.
The learned Judge told the prisoner he would have ample
opportunity of making any statement he might desire at the
groper time.
The approver, Henry Brown, and Ellen Mills, other-
wise Mrs. Burnett, having repeated the evidence which has
already appeared in The Sun, the case was adjourned.
NEW COURT.
((Before Mr. Justice Keating.)
ATTEMPTING TO MURDER.
William Collier, shoemaker, 34, was indicted for attempt-
ing to strangle Mary Elizabeth, his wife, with intent to
murder her. He was also indicted for attempting to com-
mit suicide by cutting his throat.
The desperate quarrel arose at a drunken orgie, the par-
ties residing in Pleasant-place, Lambeth. The evidence
disclosed a case of such depravity belsween nearly the whole
of the parties that we forbear to publish them.
The jury acquitted the prisoner of attempting to murder,
and by the advice of his counsel the prisoner pleaded guilty
to a common assault.
Sentence deferred.

THIRD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
STEALING SHIRTS.
Karl Anders, 24, was indicted for stealing a number of
shirts, the property of Ann Cooper.
The prisoner pleaded guilty, and the learned judge sen-
tenced him to six wontha' imprisonment.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick William Grey,
the senior Lord of the Board of Admiralty,
arrived at Portsmouth dockyard, yesterday from
London. Rear-Admiral Robinson, Controller of the
Navy, and Capt. Drummond, were also expected
at the yard from the Admiralty during the after-
, noon. Sir Frederick, who arrived soon after 2
p.m., made a tour of the yard immediately after
his arrival, visiting the Royal Sovereign, turret
ship, the Royal Alfred, frigate, for iron casing, the
shop containing the machinery for landing the
armour plates, and other points of interest in the
yard. He was accompanied by the master ship.-
Aright and his staff, the chief engineer, and other
officials of the yard. Had the whole Board, with
the Duke of Somerset at their head, visited Ports-
mouth-yard they would just now Ind enough to in-
terest them in the somewhat singular spectacle, the
result of their own orders, of wooden ships stand-
ing in frame stopped in their further progress of
construction, in order that iron-armoured ships
might be brought forward, and those very iron-
cased ships in their turn all but abandoned, in
order that repairs might be carried out to a wooden
frigate and corvette now about to be despatched
on three or four years' foreign service. It is
urged as a justification for the course taken by the
Admiralty that vessels are immediately r, quired to
relieve others on foreign service whose term of ser-
vice bas expired. We have no small class iron-
cased ships to send, and therefore the Admiralty
must draw from the wooden screw lists of the Re-
serves, the majority of the vessels in which require
heavy repairs to both hull and machinery before
they can be commissioned. This, from our know-
ledge, is the truth ; but, at the same time, it is a
truth of which we, as a practical nation, can feel
anything but proud. For 20 years the immense re-
sources of England have been largely employed in
creating a steam fleet worthy of her rank and posi-
tion in the scale of nations, and the result appears
to be at present that we have four of what are consi-
dered to be perfect men of war, afloat and in com-
mission ; we have a few more building, some nearly
ready for launching, one indeed launched, and others
just begun ; a large number of wooden ships, the
greeter number of which require relieving, our Re-
serves unavailable for went of repairs, and three-
fourths of the vessels in those Reserves composed of
either " paddles" that can never become war ships
again, or vessels so rotten or decayed that they can
scarcely float at their snug harbcur moorings. Such
a plea needs bat one kind of reply. The Steam Re-
serves of the navy represent so much national capi-
tal, the serviceable nature of the ships representing
the interest. In the event, however, of any of the
ships being really unserviceable, the interest upon
the capital is not only lost but to it is added a con-
siderable sum which goes by the official name of
" preservation of hull and machinery." The Ports-
mouth Reserve figures under this head for about
£20,000 per annum. This sum is expended by the
Steam Reserve Department alone ; it has nothing
to do with repairs to machinery by the steam fac-
tory, or repairs to hull by the master shipwright's
department. All our present Reserves have been
thus preserved, useful and useless alike, and the
result is that a large number of ships figure
in the official Navy List, of which very few in-
deed are efficient. In the recent official return
issued from the Admiralty, the gunboats at Has-
lai-yard figure largely, and make a somewhat for-
midable total of vessels, and, as it is now become

the fashion to put it," Armstrong" guns. What is
the supposed condition of these vessels at the pre-
sent time P Repaired under the sheds at Has'ar, at
an almost fabulous cost, yet in accordance strictly
with the Admiralty order to make good only visible
defects, the invisible defects were therefore closed
in with the new work, and it is now believed that
sufficient time has elapsed for the natural results to
ensue, and that our famed Haslar gunboats are now
rotten past all redemption. The answer to the Ad-
miralty plea, therefore, is that if the known ineffi-
cient and useless vessels of the Reserves had been
disposed of for the best price they would fetch in
the market, the capital thus realised would have
placed every other vessel in the Reserves in a sea-
going condition. Even if the vessels or their machi-
nery could find no buyers, the money which would
be saved annually would, as represented by the
" preservation" items of the Refservers, by absolutely
giving them away, would go very far towards ren-
dering the Reserves really efficient. Sir Fred. Grey
yesterday had an opportunity of seeing the some-
what extraordinary number of about two score men
employed upon that important experimental ship-
the Royal Sovereign. He may calculate upon her being
ready for ber trial at the measured mile in about 12
or 15 months' time. Broad lines of rail, on which
stand two powerful cranes for transporting the ar-
mour plates, run along each side of the ship. These
.•

lines of rail are in communication at the bows of the
ship with a line of rail which runs down to the
workshop at the north end of the yard where the
armour plates are bent, drilled, and otherwise pre-
pared for fixing on the ship's side. This process of
bending, &c., was inaugurated with considerable
ceremony some time since, but as yet no armour
plate has reached the ship, nor according to present
appearances will they do so yet, in any number, it
at all, for some time to come.

The iron cased, or to be iron cased, frigate
Royal Alfred is in as bad a plight as the Royal
Sovereign. Every shipwright has been taken off
her, and the only men now at work upon her
are a few from the millwrights' shop at the pumps,
a few rivetters and men from the steam factory
and probably half-a-dozen joiners. The dockyard
officials are, however, much in advance of the Ad-
miralty with this ship, inasmuch as they have
blacked the bottom nicely over and have got the
launching ways and cradle all in position.
The chief resources of the yard are now employed
upon the Curacoa and Esk, both of which ate
crowded with hands, and the energy displayed yes-
terday when it became known some of the " Board"
were expected was astonishing.
Another important addition was yesterday made
to the Royal Navy by the launch of her Majesty's
iron screw steam vessel Tamar, of 2,811 tons, and
500 horse power, from the premises of the builders,
Messrs. Samuda, Poplar. There was a large num-
ber of spectators. Shortly after 1 o'clock, all being
ready, the ceremony of christening was performed
by Miss D'Aguilar Samuda, daughter of the builder,
and, the dogshores having been removed, the vessel
glided gracefully from her launching-ways into the
Thames. She was then taken in tow, and hauled
into the East India docks, under the mast-house,
where she will be fitted with her screw machinery
and engines, manufactured by Messrs. Ravenhill,
Lalkeld, and Co. The Tamar was laid down in
Nov., 1861, and is in every respect a fine vessel.
The following are her principal dimensions:—
Length, 300 ft. ; breadth, 44ft. 7in, ; depth in hold,
34ft. ; burden in tons, 2,811 82-94 old measurement.
After receiving her machinery she will be removed
to Woolwich dockyard to be rigged and fitted with
her armament, consisting of four rifled guns, and
she is expected to be ready for service by April
next. A large number of workmen are now em-
ployed at the premises of Messrs. Samuda upon the
construction of her Majesty's armour-plated screw
cupola ship Prince Albert. She will be iron-cased
throughout with 41-inch plates, and fitted with four
armour-cased shields or cupolas, of immense
strength, upon Capt. Coles's plan recently adopted
by the Admiralty. She is the first cupola ship laid
down for the Government, and is named the Prince
Albert by express desire of her Majesty. Tir arma-
ment. of this magnificent vessel will consist of 71
monster rifled guns, two of which will be fitted
each cupola.
Letters, dated " Fortress Monroe, Virginia, Dec.
21," received by our Chatham
pince la on the 18th
correspondent, an_
nounce the departure from that
of Dec. of her Majesty
'$ screw steamer
to the assistanceer Cadmus, 21,
400 horse power, Capt. F. no
of a British merchant ship, the Ocean Wave, which
she fell in with in a distressed condition. After ren-
dering her assistance, the Cadmus returned to For-
tress Monroe, where, at the departure of the mail,
her Majesty's screw sloop Peterel 11, 150 horse
wer, Com. G. W. Watson,
po was also lying. The
officers and crew of both vessels were all well.
The fitting of the screw frigate Arethusa, 61,

3,141 tons, 500 horse power, preparing for the se-
mud division -of the Chatham Steam Reserve, has
been suspended t,y order of the Admiralty. The Are-
thusa is intended to" take the place of the Leander,
51, in the Steam Reserve, should the latter be com-
mission d. The other 51 gun screw frigates now at-
tached to the Chatham Steam Reserve are the
Undaunted, 3,039 tons, 600 horse power; the Bris-
tol, 3,027 tons, 600 horse power; and the New-
castle, 3,035 tons, 600 horse power.
The hired transport Cordelia arrived in Chatham
harbour yesterday from Moulmein. She brings a
cargo of 900 tons of teak timber for the dockyard.
The naval transport Rochester, Mr. Heather,
second master, having made good the defects she
sustained during the recent gale, is ordered to take
in a cargo of naval stores at Chatham dockyard, for
Portsmouth.