The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-16 00:00:00

THAMES.

SLITTING A MAN'S EAR.---A GENUINE RUFFIIN.-.-
James O'Brian, a tall Irish Yankee, lately arrived from
America, and who described himself as a labourer, aged
34, was brought before Mr. Selfe charged with slitting a
man's ear with a knife in the Poplar Union Workhouse,
High •street, Poplar.
The prisoner has been a pauper inmate of the Poplar
Union for a few days, his examination has been taken, and
it was intended to remove him to Ireland, his legal settle-
ment,* next Thursday. His rnffianism, threats, and bad
language have rendered him the terror of the other inmates.
He quarrelled with the inmates at supper time last night,
and threatened to knife some and boot others in American
style. This morning while the male paupers were having
breakfast in the breakfast-hall, a man named James Roberts
said to another, "What do you think ought to be done to
this man," and pointed to the prisoner. O'Brian, on hearing
this, made use of horrible threats and imprecations, and
i e. s
brandished his knife. He said he would put the knife into
Roberts's b—y heart, and to a second man that he would
knock him over, and to a third that he would send his
knife through him, and have his life before night. Roberts
got up and slapped the prisoner's face. The prisoner im-
mediately returned the blow, and slit Roberts's right ear
with his knife. The
attended
must have a hed aanrvobe-wasbeen
a happened," a
nearlype
surgeon,n veedsaid
a
rthicky ad dividedh 3
snireen. a
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Ta
nwt two
eos,
wtphi
oeeuesd, porter,ead nm "if
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and
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an
dressed. He lost a good deal of blood.
The prisoner, with the real Yankee twang, said he had
been 24 years in America. He would eat John Bull's
hide off. He did not go into the Union-house for charity's
sake. He was "O'Brian O'Brian," not Pat. The b—r
Roberts called him Pat, and he would kill him if he could.
He then launched out into dreadful invectives and denun-
ciations of Englishmen and every thing English.
Mr. Selfe committed the prisoner for trial.

THE SHABBIEST FELLOW EVER MET WlTH.—.William
Williams, a tall sun-burnt man, aged 56, was brought be-
fore Mr. Selfe, charged with assaulting Mr. Thomas Mar-
chant, the landlord of the Boundary Tavern, Commercial-
road East.

The prisoner went into the Boundary Tavern last night
with two females and asked what they would like to take,
to which the ladies replied, "Lemonade, if you please."
The ladies having partaken each of a bottle of lemonade,
which they pronounced delicious, the prisoner called for a
halt-quartern of " Old Tom," which he diluted with some
water, and drank. He was about to depart with his two
companions when Mr. Marchant reminded him that he had
not paid the reckoning, and asked him for the money.
"I'll see you first before I pay a farthing," roared
out the prisoner, on which Mr. Merchant remonstrated with
him. The prisoner then made a great disturbance in the
house, and on Mr. Marchant and his potman endeavouring
to put him out of the house, he struck the landlord re-
peatedly on the shoulders, and attempted to throw him.
The prisoner was then given into custody.
The prisoner, in defence, said that he was not bound to
pay for the lemonade drank by the two women.
Mr. Selfe—You invited them into the public-house.
The prisoner—No, they took me in.

Mr. Selfe—Nonsense. You are a shabby fellow—the
shabbiest I ever met with—to invite two women into a
public-house and not pay for their refreshment. What are
you?

The prisoner—I have been invalided home from India.
I can't pay the reckoning.
_ _

Mr. Selfe—Yes, you can, You have plenty of money—
two sovereigns and silver. I fine you ss. for the assault—
that is a good deal more than Mr. Marchant's score.

GIVING WAY OF A PORTION OF NEW
LAMBETH BRIDGE.

'.'About 9 o'clock on Thursday night the residents
on both sides of the river, in the vicinity of this
bridge, were alarmed by a noise resembling the roll
of thunder. The houses for at least 300 or 400
yards were very much shaken. The Ship at Lam-
beth, and at least 40 houses in the locality, and even
Lambeth Palace, experienced a shock similar to an
earthquake. The White Hart and the White Bear,
at the corner of Horseferry-road, as also the
Ship and intervening houses, were even more sen-
sibly affected by the vibration. At the same time
persons were to be seen running to Milbank, and
it was at length ascertained that the cable rear the
Middlesex shore had slackened, in consequence of
the " saddle" or roller over which it passed having
in some unaccountable manner yielded, and caused
the north side of the structure to bulge, and go se-
veral feet out of the perpendicular, inclining to
wards Vauxhall-bridge. The occurrence fortu-
nately happened after all the workmen had left, or,
no doubt, very serious, if not fatal, accidents would
have been caused; as it was, one man was injured,
but not seriously. He was one of the smiths en-
gaged at the forge erected at the Old Horse Ferry
close to the cylinder, to which the wire cable is at-
tached, when by the terrible sudden jerk given to
the whole bridge, the forge was overturned, and
the man severely wounded in the arm. This alarm-
ing occurrence has had the effect of suddenly throw-
ing out of employ a vast number of workmen, espe-
cially painters, carpenters, engineers, &c., the
works being in a very forward state. As soon as
it became known, messages were despatched to Mr.
Barlow, the chief engineer, and other gentlemen,
who were promptly in attecdance. Exertions have
been used to stop further danger, and remedies will
be at once put in force to repair the damage. In
order to effect this object, by the direction of Mr.
Barlow, barges are to be moored near the tower re-
ferred to, and by the aid of powerful hydraulic lifts
endeavours are to be made to replace the "saddle,"
and force the structure into its proper position. It is,
however, feared by some, from the general strain
caused by the giving way of the cable and other cir-
cumstances, that some of the ironwork has buckled,
and therefore that restoration of the stucture to its
proper position will be somewhat difficult to accom-
plish.

SHIPPING---THIS DAY. ,

(BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Saturday Morning.
Arrived —Thomas Huuiphreys, from Hudwickswall ;
W edon, from Arch Inge' ; Diadem, from Sundsvall ; Li-
randa, from Riga; Ellen, from Somerdam ; Eclipse, from
Cappelshaum ; City of Norwfch, from Tonning ; Bores,
from Hamburg; Prinds, Mauvity, from Swatwick.
Sai ed—Panther, steamer, for Boulogne ; Triton, steamer,
for Calais ; Zetland, steamer, for Laugney ; Palm, for
Buenos Ayres.

DEAL, Saturday Morning.
Passed, Aug. 15—Cornelius, for Sydney; Fairy Queen,
for Bordeaux—both from London ; Acipua Co., from Sun-
derland, for Shanghui.
Passed in tow—Dantsic, from Quebec, for London.
Anchored—Peteason, from Sunderland, for Aden.

THE LUDGATE-HILL TRAGEDY.—Mrs. Vyse is
still in the custody of the Governor of Newgate, Mr. Jonas.
Nothing is yet known as to her ultimate destination.

SINGULAR CASE OF POISONING.---Yesterday
morning, at the London Hospital, an inquiry was held by
Mr. John Humphreys, one of the Middlesex coroners, res-
pecting the death of John William Gordon, aged 56, who
died from the poison of the sap of the African oak, which
penetrated into the hand. It appeared that the deceased
was in the employ of Messrs. Brown and Lennox, of the
Anchor Works, Millwall, and that while working on some
African oak his hand and arm became inflamed and poisoned
through a slight abrasion of the skin. Mr. Dyte, the house
surgeon, said that the limb in question was terribly
swollen, and had manifestly been poisoned ; but the actual
cause of death had apparently been an internal disease.
The jury returned a verdict accordingly.
CURIOUS CASE OF BIGAMY.--At the Salford
police-court, on Tuesday, John Pearson, joiner, Partington-
street, was charged with intermarrying with Mary Ann
Thomson, his first wife being at that time alive. The pri-
soner in defence handed in a document, of which the follow-
ing is a copy, :—" Monday, November 18, 1861. This is to
certify that I, Emma Pearson, from this time henceforth
and for ever renounce all claim to John Pearson as my
husband; and also to certify that I 'do not now, nor ever
shall, from this time forward, consider that any tie exists
between us as man and wife, and every of us two are at
liberty from each other to do as our better judgment may
direct. As witness our hand. This is my mark, EMMA PEAT,.
SON." Believing this to be a legal acquittal from his first Wife,
he married Mary Ann Thompson, at St. Bartholomew's, Sal-
ford on the 9th of December. The prisoner's first wife said
a young man came to herinth
and c
emillanbdan sked her to sign
the paper which had been read, g angry ), at the
time she put her mark to it, The prisoner was remanded
until Monday next.
THE MANCHESTER COTTON COMPANY,The first
annual meeting of this company was held at Manchester,
yesterday, Mr. John Platt, of Oldham, in the chair. The
directors' report was read, but it was stated that Mr. Hev-
oeibeareti a
wood, their commissioner to India, had n
re-
pert of his proceedings. When written it would
prepared
printed
and sent to the shareholders.
The Earl of Granville (says Galignani) has ar-.
Hotelsl\pleiarakbereauof, Pthar,isLaufsso; :fhecolthight;:ou.
rived at the
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rj;l(Eto.fornSenwiist7e'rlaild.,