The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-28 00:00:00

THAMES.

A DESPERATE AFFAIR..—James Jeffries, a labourer, was
brought before Mr. Paget, charged with violently assault-
ing John Shepherd'

Tahihtoset,hers,
ahna prisoneran d is a
continually intemperate
quarrelling man,
vtt irregular
his
neighbours
in hi s
and found his wife quarrelling with another woman, a
came home on Saturday evening intoxicated,
lodger in the same house. The prisoner took part in the
quarrel, which the two women, equally armed, could have
well settled with their tongues. The prisoner obtained a
poker, and, flourishing it, swore ho would kill his wife's
adversary, and made a blow at her. The woman overcome
with terror threw her child out of the window into the
street, and followed after her. Both were injured. The
prisoner then made an attack on other females, whose
screams brought a man named John Shepherd, a very re-
spectable mechanic, to the place. He broke open the door
and attempted to seize the prisoner, who made a blow at
him with the poker and cut his head open. The prisoner
ran away with the poker in his hand, and made an attempt
to strike others. He was overpowered by five or six men,
in Glaucus-street, Bromley, and secured.
The prisoner said he had a little drop of drink, and
that his wife had received a great many bruises. She was
called into the witness-box and exhibited contusions and
bruises on her arms, face, and neck.
Mr. Paget said the prisoner might think himself lucky
that he was not in custody on a more serious charge. The
complainant, Shepherd, did what was quite right. It was
the duty of every one who saw violence committed to in-
terfere. Tho prisoner was a cowardly ruffian, and he
should sentence him to two months' imprisonment and
hard labour.
DASTARDLY ASSAULT 011 A POLICE-CONSTABLE.—Goorge
Moore, a sailor, was brought before Mr. Paget charged
with assaulting George -Hart, a police-constable, No. 154
K.

The complainant said he saw the prisoner lying on the
foot path in Anthony-street, St. George-in-the-East, last
night, and on ascertaining he was very drunk he raised
him from the ground and put him on his feet. The pri-
soner immediately kicked him on the groin and took his
breath away. Ho still felt the effects of the blow.
The prisoner said he had no recollection of what had
happened.
Mr. Paget—You might have injured the police-constable
for life. You are a savage and dastardly follow. I have
long resolved on what I ought to do in cases of this nature
—to punish such outrages with all the severity the law
allows. I will give effect to the law. I sentence you to be
imprisoned for two months and kept to hard labour. '

From the manufacturing districts the accounts
during the past week have generally been satisfac-
tory. At Manchester there has been a fair demand
for both cloths and yarns, and prices have tended
upwards. The woollen trade of Leeds, Bradford,
and Huddersfield has been seasonably active, but in
the hosiery and lace departments of Leceister
and Nottingham no material change can be reported.
tAhte r Birmingham,eha
s been
little Sheffield,change
of importance.
Messrs. Lemon Hart and Son have taken the and Wolverhampton
Government contract for 59,000 gallons of rum for
the navy.
THE HAMMER OF THOR—THE BESOM OF DE-
STRUCTION.—Under the title of " The Sign of Five
Centuries," the last number of All the Year Round contains
an article from which we learn that the Tabard, or Talbot,
Inn, at Southwark, celebrated as the scene of the Intro-
duction to Chaucer's " Canterbury Tales," is to be pulled
down in about two years, at the expiration of the existing
lease, in order that a pile of warehouses" may be built
on the site. This is sad news for all lovers of early Eng-
lish literature—indeed for all who love to preserve our
few remaining relics of old times and half-forgotten man-
ners. The writer asks—" Will the literary men and the
antiquarians of England suffer such a loss without at i
least making an effort to avert t ? There is time enough
for the attempt, and time in itself is a great auxiliary. We
have saved Shakespeare's house at Stratford ; let us do our
best to save Chaucer's house at Southwark. Unquestion-
ably, it will be a disgrace to the country if the old Tabard
is destroyed without some more urgent necessity than the
building of a pile of warehouses." According to the
same article, the White Hart, close to the Tabard—a house
mentioned in Shakspeare's " Henry V 1.," and famous as the
scene of the first introduction of Sam Weller to Mr. Pick-
wick—has been demolished within the last few weeks.
We have recently lost many of these curious old build-
ings ; and we can hardly afford to part with the most in-
teresting of all.—London

Lord and Lady Londesborough have entertained
a large party at Grimston Park, their seat, near Tadcaster,
during the race meeting at York. Their guests included
the Duchess (Emily) of Beaufort, the Duke of St. Albans,
the Marchioness (Maria) of Ailesbury, the Earl and Coun-
tess of Westmorland, Lord Stanhope, the Hon. F. Cal-
thorpe, M.P., Sir Henry and Lady Sophia Des Voeux, Mr.
Christopher Sykes, M.P., Mr. H. Chaplin, &c.