The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-27 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

TILE FIRE IN PORTLAND•STREET.—RESISTING TILE
POLICE.—Wm. Henry Jennings, furniture dealer, of No.
2, Hellen-street, Soho, was charged before Mr. Knox, by
Inspector Draper, with re: fisting Police Sergeant Allen, 20
C, at a house on fire in Portland-street, Soho, the previous
night.

Mr. Edward Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street, de-
fended, and Mr. Staples, foreman of the C district, attended
to watch the case on the part of the London fire establish-
ment.

Sergeant Allen, 20 C, said—Last night I was at a fire at
6, Portland-s'reet, and saw prisoner trying to pull down the
shop shutters. I told him the danger he was likely to
cause. As ho refused to go I threw him in the carriage
way, and then burst open the door with my foot. Seven or
eight of the inmates rushed out of the passage where there
was no fire. I then went up and brought down two per-
sons, and then entered the house again and from the first
floor brought down a second. While at the door with the
child the prisoner sprung the bar and two shutters fell, the
firs at that time being principally confined to the shop. I
seized the prisoner and handed him over to a constable. I
then went up to the landing, but could go no further. In.
consequence of the draught caused the fire went right,
through the house.
By ➢lr. Knox—Six lives were lost.

By Mr. Lewis—l don't know the prisoner, and that he
has rendered assistance at fires. I don't know it was a
friend of the prisoner's who saved some lives.

Mr. Lewis—All the sergeant has said is perfectly true,
sir.

Inspector Draper—Mr. Staples is present, your worship,
if you would like to hear him.

Mr. Knox—There is no necessity.
Mr. Lewis—l am sum Avery one must admit that greAt
cioiliL is due to the sergeant for his conduct througho,ut.
On behalf of the prisoner all I can say is, that he ha,,i as-
sisted at a great many fires, and all he did was to attempt.
to gain an entrance that he might be of assistance. All I can
say will not alter the unfortunate state of things ; and it is
much to be regretted under the truly painful circumstanceri,
when the police were in the execution of their arduous du V,
that the prisoner did not at once desist and go away. All
I can say is, that the prisoner did what he did with a good
intention, and with that remark I will leave the casein your
worship's hands.

Mr. Knox—l am prepared to take that view of
the case, and to believe that the prisoner was
actuated by good intentions, and that in acting
as he thought for the best. He has borne a large share
in causing the death of those unfortunate children last
night. Any person who opposed the authorities, whether
the police or the military in the execution of their duty,
does a most improper thing, however good their intentions
may be, and I should not be doing my duty if I did not
mark my sense of the prisoner's conduct. The real punish-
ment, however, to him must be the regret he will feel that
in what he did last night he was largely concerned in the-
death of those unfortunate sufferers.

Mr. Knox then fined the prisoner £5 or one month for
obstructing the poliee in the execution of their duty, and
then said—Mr. Draper, I should very much like tlae ser-
geant's conduct to be represented to the Commisr:ioners of
Police. It is beyond all praise. It is more like the
heroism of a soldier on the field of battle. He risked his
life for others, and no one who heard the feeling manner
in which he detailed his conduct could fail to admire it.

WESTMINSTER.
CHRISTMAS BOXES.—George Foster and Arthur Jervis,
two boys, were charged with being drunk and incapable of
taking care of themselves.

Mr. Paynter, on looking at the defendants, said, "What,
are these boys charged with being drunk ?
inspector Butler—• Yes, sir, they are.
Mr. Paynter—What are their ages?
Inspector Butler--Foster is 16 years of age, Jervis
only 12.
Mr. Paynter—lt is really shocking. Were they much
intoxicated?

Inspector Putler—They were found lying in the Ken-
sington-r'oad, at eight o'clock last evening, so thoroughly
intox'.cated that it was necessary to carry them to the sta-
tion-house on the stretcher.

Mr. Paynter—How came you boys to get in this shock-
ing state ?

Defendants—Christmas boxes.
Mr. Paynter—Christmas boxes ?
Defendants—Yes, the money we had given us.
Inspector Butler—Jervis was insensible for many hours
alt.,- he was brought to the station-house,
Mr. Yaya.Qr (to the boys)—Who made you drunk ?
Defendants—NOL.ay. We did it oweselves.
Both boys at this laughea.
Mr. Paynter—lt is nothing to 'hugh at, and I am vet,/
sorry to find that yo do not fee). becoming regret at your
misconduct. It is a most me) ancholy thing to find boys of
such ages upon such a char.ge before me. It is a most un-
promising beginning in life, and it is difficult to say what
may bo its end. I 'wish I had it in my power to punish
those who supplie:a you with liquor until you got into this
shocking state.

They
ww.e fined ss. each. They were locked up in
default,

THAMES.
BOXING-DAY Amvurnis.--Julia Doyle, a coarse and
masculine woman with a red face, and who called herself
20, but appeared to be 40, was brought before Mr. Self°,
charged with assaulting and biting John and Ann lieri-
ned y.

It appeared there was an old grievance between the Pr'
ties, and when they met last night the prisoner, after mak'
ing use of foul language, attacked the complainants with
great fury. She bit John Kennedy's finger nearly off. 511.°
then fastened her teeth in his eyebrow and lacerated it. 1114
wife went to the assistance of her husband, and the prisoner
tore her cap off, seized her by the hair, and after draggint
sone of it out by the roots, seized her arm, and bit 1,
severely. The wounded man, not liking to lose a day
work, did not attend, but his wife and other witnesses gay'
evidence of all the facts, and was confirmed by other Wlt'
nessos.

Mr, Selfe sentenced the prisoner to 14 days imprison—
ment and hard labour.
Henry Roberts, aged 24, and described as a thief 904
ruffian of 24, Northey-street, Limehouse, was charged with
assaulting a young woman named Ann Parr, of No. 35'
Stanley-street, Paddington, and who stated that she 106
on a visit to a friend at No. 99, Sasses-street, P 0131412
She was returning home and called at a public-house
obtain a glass of spirits, She was leaving the place when
a infamous prostitute called out to the prisoner, "Imps:
the down, she has got plenty of money," and he gruel'
her a tremendous blow on the head which felled her to the
ground, and when she was down he kicked her on tilt"
head. She was senseless and was removed to a surger9ll
a police-eonstable, and her head was dressed.
John Hodder, a police-constable, No. 390 IK, described
the assault as a most atrocious one, and said the youns
woman was senseless for some time. There was a severe
wound on her head. _

•
Mr. Selfe sentenced the prisoner to six weeks' iraPris°ll-
- and hard labour.

SHIPPING---THIS DAY•

PLYMOUTH. Saturday".
The screw steamsloop Gannet (11), Commander the U. 11;
Maurice H. Nelson, from Gibraltar, arrived in the So Lllu
this morning.

(JrX 24A.GNETIc TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Saturday IVorrAV ag.
Arrived—Welcome, from Dunkirk; Gem, from 1)4,431)Pe.
DEAri, Saturday MOT/t
Passed—Elizabeth, of Exeter, from London, for Truro.

FIRE AND LOSS OF LlFE—Last night about 12a
lo'clock a fire of a most fearful description broke out at Is T (
6, Portland-street, Soho. Some time elapsed after tifa
atur, persons the flame,,in the nearly
most
alarm was given before any water was
The fire,
which commenced in the lower part of the premises, con- '
reachingt inu e d to rage
si nt h
estreet.
a frightful
Sever
ev niernne
gallant style entered the premises and saved a number of
the inmates,
many of them being children, the house being,
let to several families. On the arrival of the engines and
water being obtained, the men at the engines went to work.;
in the most vigorous manner, and after some time the flames'
subdued. On the building being sufficiently coolei
to allow of an examination of the premises the firenaa2
lay a
made a search of the different floors, when in the top room
of th
ofsh sixoinhgumspaen beings—Samuel
pgr—esseainnteudeiltsseplef,nfcoerr,tahgeeric
y thee house
bodies
14 ; Sarah Ann Spencer, aged gl2 ; Emily Spencer, al S°
10 ; Joel Walter Spencer, aged 8 ; Edward Spencer, a 5C'
7; and Alfred Spencer, aged 3 years —who had fallen vict Ivo 4
to the fire. Mr. Hannent, superintendent of the C divisi or
at once sent to St. James's Workhouse for a supply ),
shells, into which the bodies of the unfortunate creatures :
were placed, and removed to the dead• house of St. James'
Workhouse. There is little doubt the catastrolle is OWiD
to an escape of gas in the lower 1 art of the premises, °cm
04,
pied by a working jeweller, named Chard. The pelf(' _
under Superintendent Hannent and Inspector Drag 3
rendered the greatest assistance to the firemen in keep i or,,
a large crowd out of danger.
After the rout of the Mexican bands who
ravaged the neighbourhood of Vera Cruz the. guerilla chi :3!.
of the terras calientes was taken prisoner at La Soledad
the 7th November, as already stated. Ha is a Frenchre.s_ 0
by birth, but now naturalised in Mexico, named Ramon
la Chausseer, and having the rank of colonel. 116' 9/„8
taken to Vera Cruz, and embarked on board the Allier '..ro
Martinique, where a decision will be come to as to his 00
fate.