The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-03 00:00:00

LAMBETH. - DANGEROUS CHARACTERS.

Thomas Edwards and John Hawkins, determined
and desperate looking fellows, were brought up on
remand before Mr. Elliott, on the following charge :
From the evidence it appeared that about two
o'clock one morning last month the prisoners were
observed to be following a gentleman somewhat
the worse for liquor, by two constables, who,
suspecting their object to be to garotte the gentle-
man, kept them in view. They passed and repassed
the gentleman several times, and at the end of
Cold Harbour-lane placed themselves in a darkened
place to ascertain which turning the gentleman
would take. At this point the constables made their
appearance, and one of them addressing the prisoner
Edwards, asked him his business there at such an un-
reasonable hour, and his reply was that he was in
search of his sister but when pressed on the sub-
ject, he admitted that his sister had left her home
three years before, and he could not say where she
was to be found. Both prisoners were then taken
into cuEtody, and on their way to the station-house
Edwards dropped a handkerchief, which the con-
stable took up, and in it found a large stone, which
felt perfectly warm, and which it was quite appa-
rent ho had carried in his pocket for some time and
distance. _ _

The prisoners having given false addresses, the
constables in charge of the case were unable to learn
anything about them, but there were officers in
attendance who spoke to the former offences of
Edwards.

Joshua Turner, 45 M, said he had known the
prisoner Edwards for about five years, and was pre-
sent at the Southwark Court when, in September,
1859, he we s sentenced to three months' hard labour.
He had the prisoner in custody himself in May,
1860, on a charge of felony, when he was committed
under the Criminal Justices Act to four months, and
was present at a third conviction to three months'
hard labour for being found with a ticket-of-leave
man on board a ship, in the Commercial Docks,
with intent to commit a felony. The man Haw-
kins was not spoken of, but a person more resem-
bling a returned convict could not well be con-
ceived.

Mr. Elliot, in passing sentence, said that there
could be no doubt of the object of the prisoners in
following the gentleman, or of their intention to
rob and perhaps ill-use him, and it was fortunate
that the constables had observed and apprehended
them. He then committed them to three months'
hard labour each in the Wandsworth House of Cor-
rection.

SOUTHWARK.—SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A
RAILWAY PORTER.—John Baker, a porter in the
employ of the London, Brighton, and South Coast
Railway Company, was placed at the bar before Mr.
Burcham charged with stealing a purse containing a
£5 Bank of England note, two sovereigns, and some
memorandums, the property of Mrs. Hannah Felton,
at the terminus, London-bridge.
Mr. Carpenter, the superintendent of the com-
pany's police, said that the charge was one of a seri-
ous nature against the prisoner, who had been a
porter of the railway upwards of twelve months,
and until the present transaction bore a good cha-
racter. A few days ago a lady came to the termi-
nus for the purpose of proceeding to Croydon. She
had with her a basket of eggs, and by some means
they got broken on the platform. The lady applied
to one of the porters to clean her basket, and it was
believed that the purse she then held in her hand
must have dropped into it, as she missed it as soon
as the porter took the basket away to clean it.
The lady on the return of the latter asked him if
he had seen her purse in the basket, or whether he
had picked it up. The porter denied ever having
seen it. Information was then given to the autho-
rities, and the number of the note was reported
at the Bank of England, the result of which
was that it was traced to the prisoner, who had given
it to his wife, her name and address being on the
bacK of it. Witness then went to the prisoner and
asked him if he recollected cleaning a lady's basket
of broken eggs at the terminus. He denied having
done so on any occasion. Witness then told him that
a lady had pointed him out as the party who did
it, and that he had stolen the lady's purse contain-
ing a £5 note, two sovereigns, and some memoran-
dums. He declared that was all false also, and
when told that the lost £5 note had been traced to
his wife, he said that he knew nothing at all about
it ; that if his wife had changed a note she must
have had it from her friends, as she frequently re-
ceived notes from them. Witness told him that the
lady positively swore that he was the porter who
had cleaned her basket, and as the note had been
traced to him he should take him into custody.
When the charge was entered and read over to him
at the station-house, he admitted that he had picked
up the purse, and foolishly converted the money to
his own use, and that he gave the £5 note to his
wife. Witness here asked for a remand for the
production of the prosecutrix, who was in the
country, and the clerk from the Bank of England.
The prisoner, who declined saying any thing in
defence, was remanded until Monday.

A FOREIGN THIEF AT A RAILWAY STATION.—A
fashionably-dressed German, who gave the name
of Ernest Hegins, was charged with stealing a port-
manteau, containing valuable property, from the
terminus of the London, Brighton, and South Coast
Railway, I ondon-bridge.
_ _

Mr. tarpenter said that as a train was prepar-
ing to start for Brighton, about 11 o'clock on the
previous morning, he saw the prisoner on the plat-
form looking about in rather a suspicious manner.
Witness watched him and saw him take up a large
portmanteau and pass through the first-crass book-
ing-office to the entrance of the station. He called
a cab, got into it with the portmanteau, and was
about to drive off with it, when witness stopped him
and asked him whose portmanteau he had got with
him. He replied it was his own, but when asked
r
what marks were upon it he coulc,lnot tell,
label had
had
had he the key with him. A4d
recently been fixed to the portmanteau,
own,
and it bore
the following large letters on the top—" F. G. B."
Witness handed him over to the custody of Inspec-
tor Richards, 'while he telegraphed to Brighton,
and then he ascertained that the portmanteau be-
longed to Mr. F. G. Bishop, of the Geological Sur-
vey, who went by the train to Brighton. Witness
therefore asked for a remand to enable that gentle-
man to attend.

The prisoner here, in very good English, said he
had come over with friends to see the Exhibition,
and that the portmanteau belonged to him.
Mr. Carpenter informed his worship that he had
opened the portmanteau, and there were documents
in it belonging to Mr. Bishop. Witness believed
that the prisoner was connected with a gang of
foreign thieves infesting the metropolitan railways.
Mr. Burcham also remanded him until Monday
next.

THAMES.—MUTINOUS SEAMEN.--Five African
seamen appeared before Mr. Woolrych, to an-
swer a charge of mutinous conduct and neglect
of duty preferred against them by Capt. J.
Gavine, the master of the ship Elizabeth, now lying
in Limekiln-dock, Limehouse.
It appeared, from the statement of complainant,
that the Elizabeth was to sail on Saturdaynext with
Government stores for the River Gambia, and that
he brought the five Africans fromßathurst,
under 4rticles of agreement. They behaved very
well at sea, but since they had been in the port of
London they had been disobedient and neglectful.
They worked just when they pleased,
in total dis-
regard of the requirements of the ship,
Sometimes
they went on shore in the morning, and remained
till dinner time. They demanded money, though
none was due to them, and then asked for their dis-
charges, although their voya
did not terminate
till they returned to Africa. One of the men was
troubled with a slight cough last Friday. He pre-
tended to be sick, and laid himself up in his berth.
He remonstrated with him, and told him people in
England did not lay up
With slight coughs, and that
he had a severe one himself, but attended to his
business notwithstanding.
Mr. Woolry eh ur
hich is the man who had the
cough ?

Capt. Gavine--
to a tall, sleek,
first one. The complainant
pointed
all, sleek and powerful African.
/Mr. Woolrye
Capt. Gavin h--"Wh'st is his name
e--Naholeonßuonaparte. (Laughter.)
Mr. Woolryeh_govv, Mr. Napoleon Buonaparte,
what say you to this ?
The African seaman delivered himself in almost

unintelligible gibberish, the only part of which
that could be understood was—" he top (stop) all
allowance, no rice, no pea soup, gib fresh beef; him
signed for soup, flour, rice all at sea—him no like
rob bef and cabbage."
Mr. Woolrych—Did the captain give you roast
beef and cabbage, Napoleon Buonaparte ? (Great
laughter.)
The African—Yes, yes ; him nu like rob bef and
cabbage ; like him pea soup, fill out him belly.
Mr. Woolrych—You like quantity better than
quality. Why don't you do your work.
The Africans complained of the roast beef; they
wanted salt beef and rice and pea soup.
Captain Gavine said the men had been sailing
with him off and on between six and seven years,
and he had always behaved well to them, and
humoured them. He would give them their dig-
charge here if the magistrate permitted him to do so.
Mr. Woolrych-1 can never countenance that.
If you leave them here, they will be starving about
our streets.

Captain Gavine—They won't work. What am
Ito do. I give them fresh meat, good vegetables,
and good bread. What do they want ?
Napoleon Bonaparte—No more rob bef, sar. We
want pea soup.

The other men complained of the roast beef, and
wanted pea soup and salt beef.
Mr. Woolrych said the Africans were fed on
wholesome and nutritious food, and plenty of it.
They must return to their work. If they did not
obey orders he would commit them to prison.
The Africans then left the court.

WORSHIP-STREET.—DARING ROBBERY.—
Margaret Jackson, a middle-aged woman of re-
pulsive appearance, was charged before Mr. Cooke
with the following daring robbery, under threats
of violence.

Sarah Grafton, apparently about 19 years of age,
stated that she resided with her parents, near
Snaresbrook, and on Wednesday last came with
them to London for the purpose of having a day at
the Exhibition. This was pleasantly effected; but
unfortunately, in the evening, she remained alone
in town for the immediate opportunity of visiting
a theatre, intending to return home by the last
train. The performance, however, was too allur-
ing, and, at the close of it she found herself in
a most unpleasant position, being too late for
any conveyance, and without a knowledge of any
plaee where she could pass the night. Suddenly
the prisoner accosted her, apparently noticing the
perplexity she was in, and, on hearing her story,
blandly induced her, by promise of protection, to
accompany her. They went to a wretched look-
ing-house, somewhere in Whitechapel, as she was
told, and had scarcely entered a room there when
the prisoner desired her to take off her dress, as it
required washing. This she refused to do, and
after some other words the prisoner took up a
knife, which she swore to use upon her unless her
demands were complied with. The complainant
became greatly terrified afterwards, and could offer
no resistance. Prisoner then took off her dress,
two petticoats, boots, and shawl, with which she
left the house. Witness subsequently made her
way as well as she could, to a police-station, for
which she inquired, and there mentioned the rob-
bery and gave a description of the woman. Some
clothes were supplied to her, and a few hours after-
wards she was enabled. to return to Snaresbrook.

Hudson, 78 H, proved having apprehended the
prisoner at three o'clock that morning in Commer-
cial-street, Whitechapel. She denied the charge ;
but the prosecutris, just previous to the charge
being brought to this court, identified her from
others in a cell at the station. Witness knew her
as a most determined thief, who had been com-
mitted for felony nearly twenty times. The pro-
perty stolen had not been recovered.
Prisoner, who did not now deny her guilt, was
remanded.

HAMMERSMITH.—MR. WINDHAM AND HIS
SERVANT.—AmeIia Reeves, late housemaid and
lady's-maid in the service of Mr. W. F. Windham,
of No. 3A, Upper Westbourne-terrace, Paddington,
who was charged by her master last week with
stealing two packets of sugar, was brought before
Mr. Ingham for reexamination.

Mr. Sayre, from the office of Mr. E. Lewis, again
appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. ?Martin
again defended the prisoner.
On the young woman being placed in the dock,
Mr. Ingham inquired whether Mrs. Windham was
present.
Mr. Sayre—She is unable to attend.
Mr. Ingham—There is no case without her evi-
dence.

Mr. Sayre—With respect to the other property
missing, inquiries have been made, and we have
not been able to trace any portion of it ; and the
prisoner having expressed contrition—
Mr. Martin—Oh, no, she has not.

Mr. Ingham—The case stands thus :—The pri-
soner was employed to manage Mrs. Windham's
housekeeping. Some sugar was taken in and after-
wards given to a little girl. It did not appear by
whom the sugar was ordered, whether it was for
the prisoner or for Mrs. Windham.
Mr. Sayre—lt was sent in as Mr. Windham's
property and charged to him.
Mr. Ingham—There is no evidence of it. If
Mrs. Windham choose not to appear the case must
fail.

Mr. Sayre—She does not appear to-day.
Sergeant Warren, who obtained a subpoena from
his worship on Monday for the attendance of Mrs.
Windham, iniormed the court that he had been un-
able to serve it.

Mr. Ingham—ls Mr. Windham here ?
Mr. Sayre—Yes, he is.

Mr. Ingham—Then if the case is to proceed Mrs.
Windham must attend.

Mr. Sayre—Mr. Windham wishes to withdraw
from the case.

Mr. Ingham—Have you his authority ?
Mr. Sayre—l have.
Mr. Ingham—She must be discharged.
The prisoner was then discharged.

MURDEROUS AFFAIR IN NORFOLK.

NORWICH, Tuesday.—This afternoon Mr. Press,
coroner for Norfolk, commenced an inquest at Deop-
ham, in this county, on the body of Ann Reynolds,
who had been killed by her husband having beaten
her with his fist. It appears that the prisoner, when
apprehended, shortly after he had committed the
fatal attack, said to the policeman who took him
into custody,'" I know I did it ; I am sorry for it ;
but I shall soon be with her again."
He was quite
sober when he said this ; but as he appeared in a
very depressed, melancholy mood,s watchedhewicahsCastl as
there was reason to fear e,
'
very closely until his removalhewld
to
would commit suicide.
It appears that the
is a
vrisonlearh,owurheors,e
38 n a
yearsm e i s
of Robertage,
Reynolds, and who
had been asked by his landlord for some arrears of
rent, which he said had been paid by his wife, to
whom he had given the money for the purpose of
meeting the claim. He called his wife to prove his
statement, but she failed to support it, having pro-
bably applied the cash to some other purpose. This
circumstance greatly incensed the prisoner, and he
commenced beating the woman violently. She fell
down insensible before he desisted, and was then
carried home, where she was attended by Mr. Tal-
lent, surgeon, of Hingham, but without effect, the
blows she had received having, it is understood, pro-
duced a fatal extravasation of blood on the brain.
The prisoner was brought to Norwich Castle on
Monday, having been taken before Mr. W. R. Cann
and remanded for further examination.

A CHILD POISONED BY SYRUP OF
POPPIES.

Yesterday afternoon Dr. Lankester, the Central
Middlesex coroner, held an inquest at the Prince
Arthur, Arthur-terrace, Caledonian-road, on the
body of a female child aged five weeks, whose death
was occasioned by a dose of syrup of poppies admi-
nistered to it by the mother.
Matilda Noon, 16, Frederick-place, Caledonian-
road, mother of the child, and wife of Jas. Trupham
Noon, solicitor's clerk, deposed that on Thursday lust,
about 10 a.m., she gave her
.child a dose of syrup of
poppies, to quiet it and send it to sleep. She gave
it half a teaspoonful, and procured it from Dr.
Slater's shop. She had always been in the habit of
giving her children the same stuff, to quiet them
and send them to sleep. About one o'clock on the
above day she found the child did not wake, so she
went upstairs, and found it, as she thought, appa-
rently dying. She called her landlady, and sent for
Dr, Slater, who came immediately. The child was
put into a bath, but without relief. The doctor told
her that the death of the child was caused by syrup
of poppies.
John Thos. Slater, M.D., proved that the cause of
death was congestion or blood on the brain, pro-
duced by the administration of syrup of poppies.
The Coroner remarked that it was quite improper
for mothers to send their children to sleep by the
agency of poison, such as a dose of syrup of poppies.
The mixture was of a most uncertain character,
sometimes it was mixed very strong, and sometimes
weak, and it could never be depended on. Occasion-
ally chemists prepared it themselves, and it ought
to be generally known to parents of children that
such preparations were very dangerous, and he un-
hesitatingly condemned them.
The jury immediately returned the following ver-
dict :—" That the death of the child was occasioned
by an overdose of syrup of poppies; and that the
said poison was administered to the child for the
purpose of procuring sleep, and not with the in-
tention of destroying life."

711 E EFFECTS OF 7HET NEGLECT OP

MILITARY HYGEINE.

The Medical Times and Gazette says :—" The Medical
history of every war is replete with proofs that while the
word slays its hundreds, disease, springing from the
neglect of hygiene,!and therefore preventible, consumes its
thousands. The latest wars in Europe are as pregnant with
this teaching as those of a remoter date, and the fratricidal
contest now raging in America but too well confirms it.
Our able contemporary, the American Medical Times,
with the same fearlessness it has throughout exhibited,
lays bare some of the causes which have reduced the
once " Grand Army of the Potomac " to a mere shadow
of itself, one hundred regiments having been invalided,
and 50,000 meu sent to the rear within three months,
although the army was within twelve hours' sail of the
capital, where unlimited stores were available. In the first
place, the Medical Inspectors appointed by the authorities
have been often either grossly incompetent to their duties,
or have been open to the reception of bribes, the consequence
being, that an immense number of men have been admitted
into the ranks who are incapacitated by age or by vari-
ous forms of disease. The army has been scarcely ever
encamped on healthy spots, although often in the immediate
vicinity of excellent localities. Camp police has been so ne-
glected, that disease of a severe type has resulted from a
shameful neglect of cleanliness. Lastly, the food has been
bad anti defective, although large sums have been lavished
in securing adequate supplies, and the villainy of contractors
has been such, that the very name of contractor has become
a hateful sound in the camps. Even when obtained, the food
has been rendered unpalatable and indigestible from the mode
in wb ich its cookery has been performed. That disease should
be rife in the American army, and that a fleet of ships has
been freighted with the sick, is not then surprising ; but
medical councils are likely to be of little avail so long as the
medical body itself is so little considered by the authorities.
Here, at least, we should have expected a departure from
European precedent, and that all men in America would
have been measured by their deeds alone. Still, although
during the bloody fights before Richmond many surgeons
persisted in ministering to the wounded amidst the hottest
fire, and others became voluntary prisoners in order to
attend upon them, no recognition of such conduct, how-
ever heroic, has taken place at head-quarters, while pro-
motions have been literally showered upon combatants who
manifested bravery.