The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONoOls4, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 20 1865.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
HILL V. FLNINEY.

The hearing of this case was resumed this morning by
the examination of Dr. Steele as to the condition of Capt.
Hill. Mrs. Hill was also examined, but her evidence was
a repetition of matter quite unsuited to the columns of a
newspaper. When a verdict will be delivered seems very
uncertain. ,

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURr—This Day

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Blackburn.)
TILE RUSSI.iN NOTE FORGERIES.

The court was occupied the whole of the day with the
trial of Berrans, Ifolchester, Silbermann, Davis, Brawn,
and Bayer, the six persons charged with being found in
possession of an immense quantity of forged Russian five
rouble notes of the Imperial Bank of Russia. The last-
named prisoner (Bayer) pkaded guilty.
The facts of the case were published at great length in
the columns of The Sun, on the apprehensicn and examina-
tion of the prisoners at the Lambeth-street police-court.
The trial will, it is expected, extend over two days.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)

William George Head, 18, dell; pleaded guilty to an
indictment for forging and uttering a cheque for £620,
with intent to defraud.

Mr. R. Williams, who appeared for the prisoner, said the
circumstances attending the offence of his client were
somewhat peculiar. He had been a clerk to the prosecu-
tor, Mr. Elliott, a solicitor, and the cheque had been taken
from the cheque-book of his employer, who used to leave
it in a drawer unlocked. The prisoner was well connected,
and his father had died upon the coast of Africa, and the
prisoner, who was very fond of reading accounts of travels
and adventures, had expressed a wish to travel and live
alone in the woods of Africa. He also thought that his
father was still alive. As soon as he had obtained the pro-
duce of the cheque he bought several rifles and other
things that he would require for such travelling as he con-
templated. His father had held an important official situa-
tion, and died when the prisoner was very young—about
eight years of age—and it had always strangely affected
his mind. After the robbery he had fitted himself out and
he took his passage for Oporto, and from thence he went
to Vigo, where Huggett, the City detective, who had
gone in pursuit, took him into custody.
Mr. Sleigh, for the prosecution, said the officer who took
the prisoner found £530 upon him when he apprehended
him.

The Recorder sentenced the prisoner to 12 months' im-
prisonment, with hard labour.
The indictments against John Medlock, aged 16, who
had been a student of the lives of Jack Sheppard, Blue-
skin, Claude Duval, and other literature of the same de-
scription, for feloniously firing and dischaiging a certain
pistol, loaded with gunpowder and shot at Michael Collins,
with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm, was ig-
nored by the grand jury, and the prisoner was discharged.

THIRD COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant,)

James Williams, a soldier, was indicted for feloniously
breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Chas. Allen,
and stealing therefrom one £5 Bank of England note and
a sovereign, and other moneys.
The jury found him guilty, and the learned judge sen-
tenced him to 18 months' imprisonment.
Henry Kilham, goldbeater, was indicted for feloniously
receiving a quantity of gold and other articles, the pro-
perty of John Law, well knowing the same to have
been stolen.

The jury found tho prisoner guilty, and he was sen-
tenced to six months' imprisonment.
John Norrington, Henry Williams, and William Tom-
kins, pleaded guilty to an indictment, charging them with
feloniously breaking and entering the warehouse of Fre-
derick Eden Waddington, and others, with intent to
steal therein. Williams was also indicted for having been
previously convicted.
The prisoners were caught in the premises by the police,
and therefore they all pleaded guilty to the indictment.
The Common Sergeant asked whether anything was
known about the prisoners.

Lockerby, one of the warders of the Middlesex House of
Correction, proved no less than six convictions against
Williams, commencing in the year 1844 down to 1862,
when he was sentenced to three years' penal servitude.
A warder from Holloway prison proved a previous con-
viction against Tomkins for two years' imprisonment with
hard labour.

Nothing was known about Norrington.
The Common Sergeant sentenced Williams to 10 years'
penal servitude ; Tomkins to 7 years' penal servitude ;
and Norrington to 18 months' imprisonment, with hard
labour.

The learned judge ordered a reward of .f.. 3 each for tho
courageous conduct of the police-constables Kilby, Oliver,
and Fisher.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This day.

LoNDos, Dec. 20.—Wind this day at noon—South-
Westerly; moderate breeze, and fino weather, but rather
cloudy.
PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 19.—Wind S.W.—Saied—Her Ma-
jesty's ship Industry, from Woolwich.
HOLYHEAD, Dec. 19.—Wind N.E.—Arrived.—Affigo,
from Liverpool for Ghent. _

BRISTOL, Dec. 18.—Wind W.—Arrived—Lord Londes-
borough, from Mauritius.
FALMOUTH, Dec. 19.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Posendon.
from Rio Grande.

Orr PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 19.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—
Kensington, from London for Boston.

LBY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. I
GRAVESEND, Wednesday Morning.
Arrived, Dec. 19.—Furet, from Gravelines.
Arrived, Dec. 20. Sylph, from St. Michael's; Fulton,
steamer, from Dunkirk ; Leo, steamer, from Antwerp;;
Cologne, steamer, Maas, steamer, and Batavier, steamer,
from Rotterdam ; Scotia, steam tug, from Flushing Hol-
land, steamer, and Belgium steamer, from Ostend; Wil-
liam and Clara, steamer, from Dordt ; Panther steamer,
from Boulogne ; Vigilant, steamer, from Calais.
DEAL, Wednesday Morning..
No arrivals.

THE CASE OF HOMICIDE BY A JOCKEY.—An
inquest was held yesterday, at Richmond, on the body cf
Robert Roberts, the man who was recently killed by a
jockey at Mr. Watson's training stables, Belleisle, Rich-
mond, Yorkshire. It appeared that the deceased requested
Lawrence, the jockey, to go and fill a boiler, and, as it was
alleged, this request was refused. Lawrence running away,
Roberts pursued him, and Lawrence took the fork from
theplaco where it was hanging and threw it at deceased.
Lawrence admitted having thrown the fork, but assorts
that he never intended to hit his victim. The Jury, after
a short deliberation, returned a verdict of manslaughter.

NAGASAKI.—The Bogatyr and other Russian
men of war were leaving Nagasaki. Six Japanese officers
leave for Russia in the Bogatyr. The Dutch barque W.
Kemptner has been wrecked off Cape Gotto. She was lost
during the severe gale on the 9th of September, and out
of the whole crew only one man was saved. He contrived
to take hold of a piece of timber, by the aid of which he
was enabled to reach the land. He subsequently arrived
at Nagasaki in her Majesty's gunboat Bustard. The
bodies of the captain, mate, and two men were washed
ashore, and buried by Captain Adams, of the Bustard.
When the news of the sad occurrence reached Nagasaki
M. Bauduin, the Netherlands consul, immediately raised a
subscription for the relief of the relations of those who
were drowned, most of whom had wives and families. A
large sum was subscribed by the foreign residents and
masters of vessels in harbour, and M. Bauduin himself
headed the list with a handsome donation.—London and
China Telegraph.
THROWING A DOG INTO A RAILWAY CARRIAGE.—
A young man named John Humphrey, a groom,
was charged yesterday, before the Bromley magistrates,
with throwing a living dog into an express train on the
London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, and injuring Wn.
Wells, one of the guards. It appeared that as the 8 30 p.m.
express train from Ludgate-hill to Dover passed the Brom-
ley station the window of the guard's van was broken and
Wells was struck and cut with the glass and knocked
backwards. He became insensible. On recovering, he
found the body of a terrier lying in the break-van, which
had been thrown at the train as it was travelling at a speed
of about 30 miles an hour, The dog was then dead, the
van being covered with marks of its blood. Inquiries were
made at Bromley, and the dog was identified as having
been in the possession of the accused up to within a short
time of the train passing Bromley, he having offered it for
sale for a trifling sum to some men in a beerhouse. The
prisoner denied the offence alleged against him, and said
that he left the dog sitting on the step of a linendraper's
shop door while he went in to make a purchase, and that
on coming out he missed it. The magistrates remanded
the prisoner, accepting bail for his future appearance.

GENERAL SCHOFIELD AND THE AMERICAN BOND-
HOLDERS.—The report that appeared last week in the
Pans papers that General Schofiold was in that city on a
special mission created quite a commotion among the
Continental holders of United States securities. At
Frankfort-on-the-Maine the opinion prevailed among the
timid that the General was instructed to demand the
immediate withdrawal of the French troops from Mexico,
and that, in the event of refusal, war would ensue. There
were many personal visits of Bankers and other interested
parties to the United States Consul-General, at Frank-
fort, to ascertain if he had any official news respecting
General Schofield's visit to Paris. His reply that the
General was on a visit of pleasure only quieted their
fears for a time. A day or two later it was ascertained
that the General had visited the United States Legation
at Paris, and this simple fact created another excitement,
which caused a decline of one per cent. in United States
6ectlritielh

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

AN EXPENSIVE AMUSEMENT.—Henry Dawson, a printer,
residing in Queen-street, Seven Dials, was charged with
ringing the bells at different houses in Cranbourne-street.
Allwood, 186 0, said that between 1 and 2 that morning
a person came to him in Cranbourne-street, and complained
t!iat his bell had been violently rung. He went after the
defendant, who was with some other young men, and saw
him ring three bells, and he took him into custody.

The defendant said he had been drinking, and did not
remember what had occurred.

Mr. Tyrwhitt said it was a mischievous.and dangerous
practice to ring persons' bells in the middle of the night, as
there might be persons ill, and who might be seriously
affected by it. He well knew there was a certain class of
persons who did not care what mischief they did. He
should fine the defendant 405., or in default 14 days' impri-
sonment.

Explosion in the City.—Three Lives Lost.

A fearful occurrence, resulting from explosion
and fire, produced by the ignition of a quantity of
Mephisto Chinese fire (a new invention for the
amusement of juveniles), took place yesterday fore-
noon at the premises in the occupation of Mrs.
Simmons, situate in Mitre-court, Mitre-square,
Aldgate, by which three individuals unfortunately
lost their lives. It appears that the upper part of
the premises in question were let by Mrs. Simmons
to lodgers. The back room on the first floor was taken
for ,an office about a month ago by two parties of the
name of Larsea and Chone, who described themselves
as cigarette-makers and exporters, and one of them
occupied an adjacent bed-room at night. Mrs. Sim-
mons was in the habit of attending upon them and
was frequently in their room, but never saw any-
thing in the place to excite her curiosity or appre-
hension that there was anything dangerous in the
room beyond what seemed to be a few reams of thin
white paper, which, as she imagined, the cigarettes
were made of. But on Saturday last she saw brought
into the house by them a box filled with small pack-
ages known as " Moor's Mephisto Chinese Fire" (a
magical light). This was placed in their room, and
yesterday morning one of them told her they ex-
pected a customer would call to purchase some of
the fire, and wished she would open the door when
there was a knock. A few minutes before 12,
hearing a knock, she went for that purpose, but
the door was opened by Chone, who con-
ducted the customer up stairs, and they had
not been in their room long before she was
startled by a loud explosion overhead. She rushed
into the passage with an intention of going up stairs,
to learn the cause, when she was met by vivid bright
flames, which appeared to fill the house, forcing her
to run out immediately into the street. At this
moment a sweep, who was engaged at the next
house, looked out at the back, and there saw a man
lying. in the back yard of Mrs. Simmons's house
with his clothes on fire. Flames were also issuing
from the window of the first-floor back room. The
sweep directly got over the wall to the unfortunate
man's assistance, and put out the fire about his clothes.
He was, however, dreadfully burnt about the face
and body and was insensible. Whether he was
blown out of the window by the force of the
explosion, or jumped out to escape the flames,
is a matter of conjecture. As' soon as possible a
stretcher was obtained from the police-station, and
the poor fellow was forthwith conveyed to the Lon-
don Hospital. While this was going on at the back
a number of people had gathered in front, and
hearing that several persons were in the house an
effort was made to get at them, but this was beyond
all human power, as the whole of the interior of the
upper part of the house was in a blaze: The police
gave immediate information of the fire to different
brigade stations in the City, and several engines
were quickly on the scene playing into the burning
premises. By considerable exertion the firemen
managed to confine the ravages of the fire to the
back part of the house, although it had extended up
the staircase to the upper rooms and roof, yet the
place is not entirely destroyed. As soon as the fire
had been extinguished, and the smoke and steam had
cleared off, the bodies of the two other unfortunate
men were at once seen among the black burnt debris
of the back room. It was a hideous spectacle to
the firemen who made the discovery. In one corner
of the room was the body of one of them in a sitting
posture, with the flesh burnt off his head, face, and
legs. It was supposed he had been blown into the
corner by the force of the explosion. The other
body was found stretched on the floor, and was also
shockingly burnt and disfigured. The former, by
means of a pocket-book which the firemen found in
his coat, proved to be Mr. Heyman, of 36, Herbert-
street, New North-road, Islington, who had offices
at 4, Berwick-court, St. Mary-axe. This was the
customer, as represented to Mrs. Simmons. The other
body was that of Mr. Chone. He had evidently
been thrown down on his face. Both bodies were
subsequently deposited in shells and taken to the
dead-house of the parish to await a coroner's in-
quest. The sufferer who was taken to the London
Hospital proved to be the partner Larsea. He died
shortly after his admission to the hospital. He is
described to be about 60 years of age. Mr. Heyman
was 37 years of age and Mr. Chone about 40.
The police, from the inquiries they have insti-
tuted, have every reason to believe that the room
was taken by the unfortunate deceased for the os•
tensible purpose of trafficking in the new inven-
tion, " Chinese fire," which is now in great demand,
and that their representation that they were
cigarette-makers was merely a ruse on their part to
get possession of the place.

Health of the Metropolis.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Report.)

In the week that ended on Saturday, Deeemberl6th, the
births registered in London and ten other large towns of
the United Kingdom were 4,130 ; the deaths registered
3,090. The annual rate of mortality was 28 per 1,000
persons living.

In London the births 0f;1,096 boys and 1,002 girls, in all
2,098 children, were registered in the week. In the corre-
sponding weeks of ten years 1855-64 the average number,
corrected for increase of population, was 2,026.
The deaths registered in London during the week were
1,440. It was the 50th week of the year; and the average
number of deaths for that week is, with a correction for in-
crease of population, 1,450. The deaths in the present re-
turn are a little under the estimated amount.

No case of cholera was registered in the week; 27 deaths
occurred from diarrhoea. Typhus was fatal in 91 cases ; 5
deaths from typhus occurred in the sub-district of Mile-end
New Town ; 49 deaths were caused by measles, 48 by scar-
latina, 13 by diphtheria, 52 by whooping-cough, and 15 by
smallpox Smallpox is reported as raging in the sub-dis-
trict of Spitalfields ; 3 deaths from it were registered in the
sub-district.

A bootmaker, aged 48 years, died on the 7th of December
at Guy's Hospital from hydrophobia.
The daughter of a shoemaker, aged 11 years, died on the
11th of December at St. George's Hospital from hydro-
phobia (3 days).
The wife of a woadcutter, aged 40 years, died on the 11th
of December at 27, Clarendon-street, Southwark, from
suffocation caused by an escape of gas from themain of the
Phoanix Company.

The daughter of a clerk in holy orders, aged 23 years,
died on the 11th of December of broken heart from acute
mental distress ; she lost a sister five weeks previous to
her death.

The following fatal carriage accidents were registered in
the week :—A labourer, aged 18 years, fell from a van ; died
on the 29th of November at the Poplar Hospital. A shop-
man, aged 63, was run over by a cart ; died on the 3d Dec.
at Middlesex Hospital. A carman, aged 19, was run over
in Oxford-street ; died on the 10th Dec. at Middlesex Hos-
pital. A coal porter, aged 60 years, was struck against an
arch while riding on a van ; died on the 9th Dec. at 8,
Bond-street, Lambeth. A sailor, aged 47, was run over;
died on the 13th Dec. at the London Hospital.
Since the beginning of the present year 221 persons of
various ages have been killed by horse conveyances in the
streets of London.

The annual rate of mortality last week was 25 per 1,000
in Loudon, 26 in Edinburgh, and 31 in Dublin ; 43 in
Liverpool, 31 in Manchester, 45 in Salford, 28 in Birming-
ham, 29 in Leeds, 26 in Bristol, 34 in Hull, and 27 in Glas-
gow. The rate in Vienna was 25 per 1,000 during the week
ending the 9th inst., when the temperature was 8.6 deg.
Fahrenheit lower than in the same week in London, where
the rate was 25 per 1,000.
In Liverpool the births in the week were 393, the deaths
394; in Manchester the births 242, the deaths 212; in Sal-
ford the births 85, the deaths 96 ; in Birmingham the
births 303, the deaths 179 ; in Leeds the births 216, the
deaths 123 ; in Bristol the births 120, the deaths 81; in
Hull the births 68, the deaths 68 ; in Edinburgh the births
116, the deaths 88 ; in Glasgow the births 324, the deaths
222 ; and in Dublin the births 165, the deaths 187. There
were 269 deaths in Vienna during the week ending the 9th
inst.

Southampton.—Among the population of this borough
(estimated to the middle of the present year at 53,001), 19
deaths were registered during the week ending last Satur-
day ; of these, six were again referred to scarlatina. The
annual rate of mortality during the week' was 19 per 1,000
persons living.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 30.444 in. The barometri-
cal reading increased from 30.28 in. on Thursday, to 30.61 in.
on Friday ; a higher rate than any since January, 1859,
when the reading was 30.64 in. Tho mean temperature of
the air in the week was 391 deg., which is 0.8 deg. below
the average of the same week in 50 years (as determined
by Mr. Glaisher). The highest day temperature was 46.9
on Monday ; the lowest night temperature was 29.9 deg.
on Saturday. The entire range of temperature in the week
was therefore 17.0 deg. The mean of the highest tempera-
tures of the water of the Thames was 45.1 deg. ; that of
the lowest was 43.9 deg. The difference between the mean
dew-point temperature and air temperature was 4.3 deg.
The mean degree of humidity of the air was 85, complete
saturation being represented by 100. No rain fell during
the week. The general direction of the wind was N.E.
and N.

Mr. Mill, M.P., on Municipalities for the
Metropolis.

The following letter from Mr. J. S. Mill, M.P.,
was read before the Parliamentary Committee of
St. James's Vestry, yesterday :
Dec. 13, 1865.."

Dear Sir,:—l have seen with great pleasure in the
newspapers the movement which the St. James's
Vestry has originated at your suggestion for the
union of all London into one body for municipal
purposes, with smaller bodies of the same sort for
purposes special to each of the Parliamentary divi-
sions. I have long wished that an effort in this
direction should be made. All the more important
town interests are common to the whole'town, and
can only be properly attended to by a body repre-
sentative of the whole ; and I quite agree with you
that there should be but one such body, and that
the functions (for instance) of the Board of Trade
should merge into those of the united municipality.
I also go on entirely along with the proposal to abo-
lish the jurisdiction of the Middlesex magistrates in
the metropolis, and to have none but stipendiary
magistrates. The only point on which Ido not
agree with the scheme as reported is the choice of
magistrates by the citizens or the municipal body.
The proposed corporation ought of course to have
powers equal to those of other municipal corpora-
tions ; but it seems to me the choice of judicial offi-
cers is best placed, not with any corporation, but
with a Minister or great public functionary, who
can be held responsible for making a proper choice.
As a general rule skilled professional officers are
hardly ever well chosen by numbers ; some one
person must make it his business to find them and
judge of their qualifications.
I do not know if this view of the question has
been under your consideration, or that of the vestry;
but as I hope to aid in bringing your plan before
Parliament, 1 am glad to begin already an inter-
change of sentiment with you on the subject.--I
am,ldear sir, very truly yours,
James Beal, Esq. (Signed) J. S. MILL.