The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-30 00:00:00

rilE SUN, LONDOIN, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 30, 1F65,

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,--This Day.

BOW-STREET

ROBBERY BY A POTMAN.—Henry William Sledge, a
potman, lately in the employ of Mr. Vass, landlord of the
Goat Tavern, Chanie-street, Tottenham-court-road, was
placed at the bar charged with stealing a cheque for .£25.
Mr. Vass said the prisoner was a potman, in his service,
and the end of last month he sent him out to get cash for a
cheque for £25 on the London and Westminster Bank.
He nover returned, and he had not seen him since that
time until ho was in custody of the police.

John E. Morris said prisoner came into Mr.Hazlewood's
shop, in Tottenham-court-road, on July 29, and asked for
change of the cheque in question for Mr. Vass. He asked
for as much silver as could be spared. Witness gave him
£5 in silver and £2O in gold. The cheque was afterwards
paid into the London and County Bank in the ordi-
nary way of business.
Police-constable 217 G said—About half-past 11 on
Friday night last he heard the prisoner was in Old-street,
and he went there and apprehended him. Ho told him
he should take him into custody for stealing £2O from Mr.
Vass, his master. He said he was very sorry, and that it
was the first dishonest act he had ever committed. He
further told him that when he had succeeded in getting the
cheque changed into coin, he had a fit in the street, and
afterwards he went into a public-house to get a glass of
brandy as a restorative. While there he discovered that
he had lost all his money except £2 3s. 6d. He took
him to the station, and on searching him he only found one
halfpenny.

Mr. Vaughan asked whether the cheque was ready to be
produced.
Mr. Vass said he had not got it with him. It had, doubt-
less, gone back to Messrs. Eagles and Travers. He would,
however, get it if it was required.

Mr. Vaughan said it was the subject of the larceny, and
it was of importance that it should be iu court.

Mr. Vass said ho would have it in Court on Friday.
Mr. Vaughan then remanded the prisoner until that day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT AT THE PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—
William Corcoran, of 45, Vine-street, Pimlico, a plasterer,
was charged before Mr. Mansfield with being drunk, dis-
orderly, and using abusive language, with intent to produce
a breach of the peace at the Princess's Theatre.
Mr. Henry Webb, cheesemonger, of 29, Marlborough-
street, said that on the previous evening he went to the
Princess's Theatre with his daughter, about 13 years of age.
They had only been in the gallery a short time when the
prisoner came in with a female. The prisoner and the
female kept moving about, and threw some walnut shells
amongst the audience and annoyed all the persons near
them. He told the prisoner that he had better be quiet
and sit down, and he sat down and then exclaimed in a
fierce manner, " I have paid my shilling, and I'll have my
shilling's worth." The piece then went on when prisoner
stood up, and on being asked to sit down, he said he wanted
to stand, and he would do so. He told the prisoner that he
had annoyed persons all the evening, and the prisoner re-
plied, "I'll punch your jaw." He told the prisoner
that he did not think he would, and ho then made use of a
most disgusting expression—so disgusting, indeed, that
persons cried out "Shame." He (Mr. Webb) then called
for the police, and the prisoner was taken into custody.
Mr. Mansfield said that when a ruffian like the prisoner
misbehaved himself it was the duty of the authorities of a
theatre to eject him at once. The complainant ought not
to have been insulted and annoyed as he had been for even
five minutes.

Wm. Peacock, 37 A, said, on going to the gallery, he
ouud the prisoner with his shirt sleeves tucked up, and on
taking hold of him he made use of the most abusive
language. He found that the prisoner was drunk, and on
getting him outside he became very disorderly, and made
use of disgusting language. He was engaged in the pit of
the theatre at the time of the disturbance in the gallery,
or would have interfered before.

The prisoner said he might have used the bad language,
but he was excited at the time. He was now sorry for it.

Mr. Mansfield said the prisoner's conduct was abomin-
able, and he should commit him for seven days with hard
labour. _ _ _

The prisoner asked that a fine might be imposed, but
the magistrate refused tho application.

TIIAMES.

WIFE BETTERS.—Thomas Hawkes, a tall, strong, and
powerful man, about 50 years of age, was brought before
Mr. Paget, charged with beating his wife, Ann, who com-
menced her evidence by requesting the magistrate to send
her out of the country beyond the reach of her husband,
whose brutality and general tyranny had exhausted her
patience and forbearance.
Mr. Paget said he had no power to comply with the
woman's request.
The complainant said her husband beat her last night.
He kicked her and struck her on the head. He used very
disgusting language before their children, and contami-
nated their morals. She was a pew-opener at St. Peter's
Church, St. Peter's-road, Mile- end, and could obtain a
good character from the late and present incumbent. She
utbultl rather be sent abroad in the most menial capc...:4„,
than live with her husband any longer.
Police-sergeant Wissen, No. 1 K, stated that the com-
plainant was much ill used. Her pocket and dress were
both cut, and her money had been taken away. The pri-
soner said he would be hung at Newgate for her, and at-
tempted to strike her in his presence.
. .

The prisoner said his wife was a person with great in-
firmity of temper, and would not give him money when
he wanted it. She stopped out the whole of last Saturday
night.
The Wife—l did. I was afraid of my life. He was
drunk.

Mr. Paget said the prisoner was a brutal husband, and
sentenced him to two months' imprisonment and hard
labour.

Frederick Tabb, a cutter-out to a tailor, of No. 8, Bed-
ford-street, Stepney, was brought up on a warrant before
Mr. Paget, charged with assaulting his wife Eliza, a little
careworn, sickly woman, with bruises on her face, neck,
and arms.

The prisoner was a perfect sample of a domestic tyrant,
neglecting his wife and family, spending the greater part
of his earnings at houses of public entertainment in the in-
dulgence of his own sensual gratifications, frequently beat-
ing his wife, and on many occasions literally knocking her
into the street and closing his door upon her. There had
been " scores of summonses" taken out against him for
beating his wife, and she has as often forgiven him. On
ono occasion only she prosecuted him, and he was sen-
tenced to seven days' imprisonment. On another occasion
he was sentenced to a month's imprisonment for assaulting
a police-constable and rescuing a prisoner from his custody.
On Friday night last, after the prisoner and his wife had
partaken of a pint of beer with a young man, a visitor, she
went to bed. The prisoner, who affected to be jealous of
the young man, for which there was not the least pretence,
dragged his wife from her bed, and beat her with his fists
over the face and bosom, leaving the marks of his brutality
on her person.

Howland, 89 H, said he was an officer of the court. He
arrested the prisoner, who said to his wife, a Eliza, do for-
give me, I will never do so again," to which his wife said,
" No, I will not." There were grown-up children of the
parties living.
Mr. Paget sentenced the prisoner to be imprisoned for
two months, and kept to hard labour.

Caution to Cigar Purchasers.

At Bow-street Police-court, this morning, a man, named
Thomas Kennedy, a paper-stainer, residing at 2S, Hadfield-
street, St. Luke's, was placed before Mr. Vaughan charged
with endeavouring to obtain money by false pretences from
several persons, by offering spurious cigars for sale, repre-
senting them to be genuine.

Edward Gray, waiter at the Crown Tavern, Rupert-
street, said about twenty minutes to 1 o'clock this morning
he met the prisoner in Oxford-street. He spoke to him, and
shortly afterwards he produced something which had the
appearance of Bengal cheroots in bundles of ten
each, which he asked witness to purchase, saying that he
should havo them for sixp3nce a bundle. He eventually
offered three bundles for a shilling, and witness, thinking
they must either have been stolen, or that the prisoner was
attempting a fraud upon him, purchased the cigars for the
purpose of giving information to the police, and imme-
diately afterwards he took one and broke in half, when he
observed that they were made up of dried leaves, and brown
paper. Ho at once told the prisoner he ought to be
ashamed of himself to offer such things for sale, when he,
finding that the prosecutor had discovered the nature of
the fictitious cigars, gave him his money back again and
walked away. He (witness) then met a constable and told
him what the prisoner was about.

Police-constable Moorcraft, 165 E, who wore the Eng-
lish, French, and Turkish Crimean medals, said that in
consequence of what the last witness told him he watched
the prisoner, whom be saw go up to three or four gentle-
men, and asked them to purchase cigars. He went up to
him and took him into custody, and then found he had a
lot of bundles of paper cigars in his possession. He heard
the prisoner say to one of the persons to whom he offered
the cigars that they were very good ones, and that they
could not be produced in the shops for double the price.
The prisoner said he was very sorry, but he did not
think he was doing wrong in offering the things for sale.
Mr. Vaughan said he did not believe him. He had
some doubts about a jury convicting for "endeavouring"
to obtain money by false pretences, and as the charge of
actually obtaining the money had been condoned by the
return of the shilling to the witness Gray, he should dis-
charge the prisoner, but he cautioned him against coming
to that court again, for if he had esoaped bringing himself
within the pale of the law on the present occasion he
might not be so successful the next. The fictitious cigars
he should order to be retained and destroyed.

The prisoner then left the dock in a remarkably speedy
manner.

The Great Western Railway.

-4

The directors of this company will recommend to
the proprietors the following dividends for the six
months ending the 31st July, 1865 :--
Great Western original stock, at the rate of £2 per cent.
per annum.

Great Western (West Midland—Oxford) ordinary stock,
at the rate of £1 2s. 6d. per cent. per annum.

Great Western (West Midland—Newport) ordinary stock,
at the rate of 17s. 6d. per cent. per annum.

Great Western (*West Midland—Hereford) ordinary
stock, at the rate of £5 par cent. per annum.

Great Western (South Wales) ordinary stock, at the rate
of 3i per cent. per annum.
Carrying forward a balance of about £12,000.

if rightful Accident and Loss of Life at the
Thames Embankment.—This Day.

Between the hours of six and seven o'clock the greatest
excitement was caused among the inhabitants of White-
hall, owing to a tremendous noise, similar to an explosion
having taken place. It was soon discovered that one of
the steam portable travelling engines used by Mr. Fur-
ness for forming a portion of the embankment had
fallen off the gantries behind the caisons in front of the
river, and also a piece of stone weighing over three
tons ; and, what was worse, a man named Thomas
Loyde was literally crushed to death. It appears that
whilst the unfortunate man was raising the block of
stone, and when near the top of the "jib," it slapped a
little out of the chain, 'and caused the engine to cant,
and it then fell on to the piles and cross beams, crush-
ing them to pieces, and the engine and the stone and
the poor man descended into the shallow water on the
north side of the embankment. Every person near ran
to the spot to render assistance, but a considerable time
elapsed before the unfortunate man could be extricated,
for the engine was broken to pieces, and the great weight
of the stone required the aid of another engine to re-
move them. The poor fellow was at length got out and
taken to the Westminster Hospital, when it was found
that life was quite extinct. Although another powerful
steam engine has been employed, only the jib and a pair
of wheels have yet been drawn up, the remainder of the
engine still remaining in the water. The accident is
attributed to the fact of the engine not having been
lashed to the gantries.

The Attempted Suicide and Murder in

Westminster.

Yesterday afternoon, a man named Shaughnessy, a mason
attempted to murder his wife in Regent-street, Pimlico, by
eutting her throat with a razor. He inflicted a severe
wound upon her, and afterwards attempted to kill himself
by cutting his throat. Fortunately he was successful in
neither attempt. The wound inflicted on his own person
is the most Ekely to prove fatal. The poiice have the
matter in hand.
LATEST PARTICULARS.

The man William Shaughnessy recovered sensibility
last night at ten o'clock. He said to the nurse, who had
charge of him in the ward at Westminster Hospital, " I did
not intend to kill my wife when I struck at her with the
razor, but I did mean tv do for myself." He made no state-
ment as to what circumstances had induced him to commit
suicide. The authorities at the hospital, when they were
informed of the statement made by the self-injured man,
instantly communicated with the police in order that they
might send a constable to remain with him during the
night. He is at present under the care of Mr. Antonini,
the house-surgeon. The wound in the wretched man's
throat is seven inches wide ; but the gash, although it
extends from ear to ear, has not injured either the wind-
pipe or the jugular vein. It is thought probable that he
will live for at least 24 hours.

The injuries to the throat of the wife are almost iden-
tical to those of her husband, but there is no danger of
her immediate death. The wounds were inflicted with a
razor.

The cause of the quarrel which terminated so seri-
ously is stated to be a refusal on the part of the wife to
give up to the care of her husband his son, a boy aged
ten years. Frequent quarrels had taken place between
them before ; and yesterday, at the time of the shocking
occurrence, they were returning from the police-court,
where the magistrate had been trying to bring about a
reconciliation between them. The man, whose age is 47,
had been married to his wife, whose age is 45, several
years. They have five children—three boys and two girls
—and they lived at 142, Lillington-street. The man has
a very determined and ferocious appearance.
On inquiring at Westminster Hospital, this morning, our
reporter learnt that both the man Shaughnessy and his
wife were progressing favourably, considering the nature
of their wounds, though of course no definite opinion
can bo formed as to the result—but the very worst is to
be feared.