The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-19 00:00:00

THAMES.

A SHOTLIFTER.—EIizabeth Jones was brought before
Mr. Partridge, charged by another Elizabeth Jones with
stealing a large roll of calico, measuring 58 yards.
The witness, Elizabeth Jones, saw the prisoner in the
shop of her employers, Longworthy and Co., No. 1, Can-
non-street-road, St. George-in-the-East, and suspecting her
watched ber closely. The prisoner looked about the shop,
went outside, looked at the things exposed for sale in the
window, and then entered the shop again, and as she went
out took with her a roll of calico standing within the shop
close to the door. The prisoner walked away very quickly,
and was immediately pursued by the witness, her name-
sake, who stopped her, took the property from her, and
gave her into the custody of a police-constable. The
prisoner described herself as a professional singer, declared
she had no hosne,and had been in the country seeking a living
and that her "relations and friends turned their back with
a frown" because her child, 14 months' old, was illegiti-
mate. In answer to questions by Mr. Partridge, the pri-
soner said she had friends in London well off, but they
would do nothing for her, and she was unable to support
her baby.

Mr. Partridge said the prisoner• was a strong hearty
young woman, and might obtain a living for herself and
infant if she was so disposed. He sentenced her to 21day&
imprisonment and hard labour for the unlawful possession
of the calico, and directed inspector Hughes of the K divi-
sion to make inquiries about the prisoner. If there was
any merit in her, and if she was not a professional thief, he
would assist her with a contribution from the poor-box, or
put her in the way of obtaining an honest living when she
came out of prison.

A MABINE BURGLARY.—DARING ROBBERY.—John
Davidson, a youth describing himself as an ordinary sailor,
was brought up before Mr. Partridge, charged with a marine
burglary.
Adolphus Clark, a West India Dock constable, saw the
prisoner coming towards the gateway of the dock fronting
the Commercial-road, Poplar, yesterday afternoon. The
officer noticed that the prisoner appeared very bulky, and
stopped him as he reached the gate and took him into his
box. As he was stripping the prisoner a man of colour
named John Finch, cook of the ship Duke of Wellington,
hastily advanced towards the box and said he had been
robbed. The first thing taken from the prisoner was a
black silk neckerchief. " That is mine," exclaimed Finch.
The officer then stripped the prisoner of a new black cloth
coat, a blue dungaree slop, a fancy cloth waistcoat,
two pairs of dungaree overalls, a flannel shirt, a pair of
flannel drawers, a blue Guernsey shirt, and a pair of braces.
'1 he cook said they are all mine, and he now identified the
whole of the property. He said he discovered his chest
in the forecastle broken open, and everything in it removed.
The lashings of the chest were cut, and the lock forced.
The lashings of a bag containing clothes were also cut and
sent adrift. He saw the prisoner alongside the ship yes-
terday t'Friday), but he never saw him on board.
The prisoner, who had no appearance of a "salt" about
him, said he was hard up. He came from shields a week
ago. He was discharged from his last ship six weeks ago.
He was an ordinary seaman. He could not get another
ship.
Mr. Partridge—Yes. You are sentenced to one month's
imprisonment and hard labour, for the unlawful possession
of the property taken from you.

EAST RETFORD HOP MARKET..—HOP pulling is
now in active operation in this district, and the
late variable weather has not had so much effect upon the
plant and upon the yield as at one time was expected.
There have been larger growths per acre, but never a better
quality. The weight per acre differs considerably, some of
the grounds which are but indifferently managed making
but Bcwt. per acre, but the general average will be lOcwt.
to 12cwt. The grounds at Bellmoor are superior to what
they have been for many years past, and at the forthcoming
fair Walesby will be well represented by the new crop. At
011erton the plantations are in excellent condition. At
Rufford there is a fine crop upon the ground, and the greater
part is of first-class quality. In this district the yield is
expected to give satisfaction, and to be quite equal to what
has been obtained previously. Some samples of the new
hops have come to hand here, and good prices are paid for
them.

The EMINENT RUSSIAN COMEDIAN, SCUTEPRINE,
the fat her of the Russian stage at Moscow, where he
had performed for 40 years, has just died at Yalta, in the
Crimea. Schtepkine was born a serf, and made his first
appearance in the company of his lord and master, Ton-
linov. Notwithstanding his obscure birth, he was always
regarded with much distinction even in the most aristo-
cratic circles of Moscow, in which he was always welcome.
His influence on the Russian stage was immense, and all
the pupils instructed by him were always distinguished by
great ease in their acting, and by an intelligent appreciation
of their parts.

THE ORIGIN OF HAND-SHAKING.—The Romans
had a goddess whose name was Fides, or Fidelity—
a goddess of "faith and honesty," to whom Numa was the
first to pay divine honours. Her only dress was a white
Toil, expressive of frankness, candour, and modesty ; and
her symbol was two right hands joined, or sometimes two
figures holding each other by the right hand; whence, in
all agreements among the Greeks and Romans, it was usual
for the parties to take each other by the hand, as a token
of their intention to adhere to the compact; and this cus-
tom is in more general use, even among ourselves at the
present day, than would at first thought be realised.
A NARROW ESCAPE.—As a cavalry regiment
were exercising on the Champ-de-Mars a lady in
attempting to cross the grounds, contrary to orders, was
suddenly surprised by a charge of several squadrons at full
gallop. An opening in the first line was made for her to
pass, but losing her presence of mind, she rushed in the way
of the horses of the second line. She was thrown down,
and the whole of the horses leaped over her, but without
touching her, and the charge having psssed, she was picked
up and found to have sustained no serious injury.
THE HARVEST 1N THE WEST MIDLAND COI.INTIES.
—The ingatbering of the corn crops in the counties
of Glocester, Worcester, and Hereford is now fairly com-
pleted. Here and there a field of beans or late barley re-
mains ungarnered, but they are small in quantity. The
great bulk of the wheat crop was secured a month ago, up
to which time the weather has been remarkably dry. The
rain which has fallen, however, since that period, offered a
considerable impediment to the completion of the harvest,
so that it ie not until the present week that it has been
finished. The corn crop is even better than it had been
calculated, and will more than compensate for the low
price. The barley is generally of a finer quality than
has been gathered for many years, and as hops are
also plentiful and of good quality some superior beer is
expected to be brewed this autumn. The late-sown
barley, some of which has only been mowed this week,
will be inferior for malting, but fit for grinding pur-
poses. Vetches are good in quality and yield well. Beans
turn out better than anticipated. This is the last of the
cereal crops to be got in, and farmers are now busy securing
them. The hop harvest in Worcestershire and Hereford-
shire has been a very busy time, At first the weather was
showery, but for the last few days it bas been very suitable
for the work. The great hop fair for the district will be held
at Worcester to-morrow (Saturday). The root crops have
been greatly benefited by the rains, and in consequence of
the early corn harvest a good many stubble turnips have
been planted, which will afford late keep. The pastures are
also looking very green. Potatoes turn out a prolific crop,
with no disease to speak of.

A Billy paragraph is going the rounds to the
effect that a modification is about to be introduced into the
French game laws, prohibiting the killing of hen birds,
By this means," says the paragraph, "it is hoped to re-
stock the woods with game, of which some species are tend-
ing to disappear in France." A sportsman can distinguish
a cock from a hen pheasant, but how he is to distinguish
between the sexes of other game is a secret which the writer
does not reveal.--Galt,gnrr;tt'.