The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-13 00:00:00

THAMES.

CRUELTY TO A PONY.—Cornelius Driscoll, a boy, was
brought before Mr. Partridge on a charge of cruelty to a
pony, the property of Matthias Michaelis, a Jew, carrying
on business as a coffee-house keeper in Grace's-alley,
Wellclose-square.

Yesterday evening the prosecutor sent his boy to a stable
in Rosemary-lane to feed and clean his pony. Upon open-
ing the stable-door other boys of the class called Arabs,
who infest the district and are cruel and mischievous in
their freaks, forced their way into the stable, beat the pony
with sticks and pieces of wood, and put one boy on its
back and made him ride the pony in the street. All
this time the prisoner was beating the pony with a
stick as hard as he was able, and the blows
fell thick and fast on its head, back, and shoulders. The
animal escaped its persecutors by running back into the
stable, and the prisoner forced its way in again, threw a
pail of water over it, and then, with diabolical ferocity,
forced the end of a stick into the animal's body. The rear
of the animal was said to be injured and swollen. A police
constable named Higgins, 60 H, sought for the young
scoundrels who ill-used the poor animal, but could only
find one of them.

The prisoner, who said he was only 12 years of age, de-
nied that he injured the animal at all, and said that Bas-
sett's (a butcher) boy put another lad on the pony. Ile
offered the animal a pale of water to drink. It would not
drink, and he threw the water over the pony's legs.
The father of the prisoner here stepped into the witness-
box, and said—As far as I can understand he never ill-
used the pony at all. He had a brother and a sister.
I can't get him to work, and I am out late and early.
Mr. Partridge—Have you ever sent him to school ?
Witness—No. He won't go.
_ _ _

Mr. Partridge--Have you ever taught him humanity and
kindness to dumb animals?

The father made no answer to the question, but repeated
several times—l work early and late.
Mr. Partridge was afraid the boy WAS neglected by his
father, who had not done for him what he ought to have
done. The boy said he was only 12 years of age, but 13
was stated to be his age on the charge-sheet, and he (Mr.
Partridge) thought he was older than that. At any rate,
the boy was old enough to know better, and had been
guilty of cruelly torturing a valuable pony, and acting in a
most disgusting and indecent manner to the animal. Such
atrocious conduct in a boy he had never before met with
during his long experience as a magistrate. He sentenced
the prisoner to be imprisoned for six weeks and kept to
hard labour.

1 _ • SOUTHWARK.
1 STEALING A GOLD WATCH.--John Brown, who described
himself as a journeyman tailor, was charged this morning,
before Mr. Burcham, with stealing a watch, the property
of William Finchley, a clerk, living
at 15, Leadenhall-
street.
The prosecutor stated that last evening, about eight
o'clock, he was going over London-bridge, and while
passing through a crowd on the Surrey side he heard the
ticking of a watch. He put his hand into his pocket, and
found his watch was gone, upon which he seized hold of
the prisoner, who was close to him, and accused him of
stealing it. The prisoner denied the charge, and said he
was willing to be searched, upon which he gave him into
custody. He valued the watch at £4, and at the station
he identified the watch taken on the prisoner as his
property.

Consable Garrett Monroe Pearce said that when the
prisoner was brought to the station he was searched, and
the watch was found concealed in a very dexterous man-
ner on his person.
The prisoner said nothing in his behalf, and pleaded
guilty.
Mr. Burcham (to the prisoner)—You seem to be a very
artful thief, and although you say you are a tailor there can
be little doubt as
<to what your actual employment is.
There is no evidence that you have been convicted before,
and therefore 1 sentence you merely to six months' hard
labour, but had it been otherwise your sentence would have
been much more severe.
DARING ROBBERY.—John Brockett was charged with the
following daring robbery.
Elijah Parkington, a boot and shoeniaker, in the Old
Kent-road, stated that yesterday in the day-time he per-
ceived the prisoner loitering about his shop and watched
him. He was at the opposite side of the road and he saw
the prisoner attempt by one hand to pull the pair of boots
produced from the string on which they were hanging at
the shop door. He failed in doing so ; then' deliberately
put up both his hands and dragged them down forcibly.
He immediately ran across the road and seized him.
The prisoner denied the charge.
Mr. Burcham said there could be no doubt as to his guilt,
and he sentenced him to 14 days' hard labour. He remarked,
at the same time,ontheso a
areprehensibletohold fporartchtiacetoemf tradesmen
etno
in exposing their goods
theft.

SHOCKING DEATH OF A FIREMAN ON TIIE SOUTH-
WESTERN RAILWAY.—On Wednesday evening an
occurrence of a very shocking description took place upon
the London and South-Western Railway, between Bishop-
stoke and Winchester. The 715 up-train for Waterloo
arrived in due course at Bishopstoke. Between the latter
station and Winchester, the fireman, Spencer, who had
previously complained to Watson, the driver, of being un-
well, was missed for a few minutes by the latter, who sup-
posed that Spencer was on the tender. Next to this was
the break van, and the guard soon afterwards perceived
over the roof of the carriage, which
d with blood. On examining the body of the
twhaesmspaant'tserleegs hanging
unfortunate man, to the guard's horror he found that
Spencer's head had been crushed in a frightful manner,
and that the poor fellow was quite dead. It is supposed
that while upon the roof of the van his head must have
come in contact with one of the bridges, and so have been
shattered instantaneously.

A WOMAN'S HEAD FOUND IN THE THAMES.—On
Wednesday last William Lanham, a Waterman, found a
human skull floating in the Thames. He conveyed it to
the Woolwich police station, where it was examined by
Dr. Stuart, the divisional police surgeon, who made a
written report to the effect that ha could detect no injury
or fracture on the head, which; froth the delicacy of its
formation, was, no doubt, that of a young woman, and
had been in the water a long time. Information was
forwarded to Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West Kent,
who decided that it was not necessary to hold an inquest.