The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-10 00:00:00

711 E NAVY.

The utmost exertions are employed at Woolwich
for completinglhe armour-plated ship Caledonia, so
as to keep faith with the public in launching her
on the 24th of October, as announced. The num-
ber of shipwrights engaged thereon has been in-
creased to upwards of 300 hands, and, as the work
is already well advanced, there is little chance of
the launch being deferred beyond the time stated.
The deck is partially laid over with iron plates five
eighths and a quarter of an inch in thickness, and
the first of the iron sides will be applied in a few
days. A bargeload of slabs 4i-in. thick, Bft. long,
and 4ft. broad, and a number of deck plates tin.
thick, termed stringers, was yesterday landed from
the Thames Ironworks for the Caledonia, in addi-
tion to about 500 tons already received from Shef-
field. The Caledonia was yesterday visited by
nearly 1,000 persons, a large number of whom were
foreigners, and the whole of whom were permitted
to inspect the interior.
It was stated at Chatham yesterday that the iron
screw steamer Defence, 18, Capt. R. A. Powell,
C.ll , is to be sent to that dockyard, or Sheerness,
to repair the injuries she has sustained in the Baltic.
It is hardly probable, however, that such will be
the case, as the only dock now empty at Chatham
which is capable of receiving the Defence will be
occupied in a few days by the iron-plated frigate
Royal Oak, while at the Sheerness yard there Is no
dock of sufficient capacity to take her. The nearest,
and, in fact, only place, therefore, at which the
Defence can be repaired is at Portsmouth, where
all the available dock accommodation is already

occupied.
Orders have bean received at Chatham for the
Trafalgar, 86, 500-horse power to be taken into
dock at Sheerness, about the middle of this month,
for the purpose of being examined and having
defects made good.
Several hundred shipwrights and mechanics were
employed until late yesterday in completing the
preparations for the launch of the mail-clad steam-
ship Royal Oak, 50, 1,000-horse power, which
takes place this afternoon at Chatham dockyard,
and the work will be resumed this morning, at 5
o'clock, in order that everything may be in readi-
ness for floating the huge vessel off by the time
ordered. Arrangements have been made for the
accommodation of several thousand persons, the
whole space on each aide of the vessel having been
cleared away, while at the bows a gallery extend-
ing the whole width of the ship has been raised
in which accommodation is provided for at least
1,000 persons, and to which admission will be ex-
clusively by ticket. The dockyard gates will be
thrown open to the public at half-past 12, and the
launch is intended to take place as near a quarter
to 2 as the state of the tide will permit.

The Resistance 18, screw iron frigate, Captain
Chamberlain, was placed in dock yesterday at Ports-
mouth, and her bottom found to be in an extraordi-
nary state for a ship on:the home station, bearing
more the appearance of having gone through a com-
mission on the coast of Africa. The entire bottom
of the ship was covered with weeds and long grass
of every known kind and colour, with huge patches
of muscles here and there on the port side, together
with a good sprinkling of barnacles. On the star-
board side, however, the barnacles extended from

stem to stern, with an immense quantity of weeds
and long grass, the latter in some places, as under
the quarter, full three feet in length. The muscles,
too, extended fore and aft, with bunches hanging
in places as large as a child's head. From the stem
to abreast the fore chains on this side, about 3 feet
below the water line, a belt of muscles adhered to
the ship's bow of from two to five inches in thick-
ness and from one to two feet broad. The whole of

the composition which had been laid on to protect

the iron on this side appears to have been destroyed
' and patches of rust, more particularly under the
quarter, have eaten their way through. The ship's
bottom was originally coated on each side with dif-
ferent protective compositions; but if the waters of
the Medway thus foul the bottoms of our iron ships,
despite the protective coverings given them, it is
decidedly no place for the construction of docks and

basins for their special reception, as any docks built
there would be kept fully employed in keeping clean
the bottoms of vessels lying in the river, and would
therefore be otherwise not available for the general
requirements of the service.
The Prussian screw corvette Gazelle, Capt. Heldt,
sailed from Spithead at a late hour on Monday
evening for the Downs, to embark his Royal High-
ness Prince Adalbert for Dantsic.

The Victoria Shoreham, taken by the War De-
partment, was yesterday towed down to Woolwich,
to embark powder and ammunition ; and the
Thomas of Goole commenced shipping a 12-pounder
battery, 5,000 stand of small arms, and other war
stores.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—G. W. Pickthorn, paymaster,

to the Royal Adelaide; W. D. Walker and Johii
IL Browne have been nominated to naval cadetship.

711 E ARMY.

Detachments of the Coldstream and Scots Fusi-
lier Guards, numbering 250 men and 8 officers,
under the command of Capt. Wigram, arrived at
Eastbourne on Saturday, for a course of ball prac-
tice at the long range: Detachments will continue
to be sent during the fine weather, Elstbourne being
now the principal practice ground for the Guards.
Admiralty orders have been received by Col. Le-
mon, C. 8., commanding the Chatham division of
Royal Marine Light Infantry, directing volunteer..
ing to be opened from the companies at headquar-
ters for detachments to proceed to Bermuda. The
number of men required is at least 100, the qualifi-
cations required from volunteers being that they
shall possess a knowledge of some common trade, as
smiths, carpenters, &c., in order that they may be
employed in the royal dockyard, where, it is under-
stood, convict labour will shortly be abolished.
Each of the men volunteering will receive during
the time he is employed at Bermuda 18.3 d. in addi-
tion to his daily pay.

Major-Gen. Stransham, Inspector-General of the
Royal Marines, yesterday attended in the long rifle
range at Woolwich, and witnessed the annual com-
petitive firing of the division under the superinten-
dence of Capt. Bunce, rifle instructor to the batta-
lion. The ranges were 600 and 900 yards. At the
cies-- of the firing the general said he was happy in
bOng able to tell them that their progress in the
use of the rifle was very satisfactory, and he should
report favourably of the entire division.
The Royal Marine Artillery stationed at Fort
Cumberland, near Pertsmouthw
hear
yesterday pa-
raded in heavy marching order' to earth e sentence
reed on private John Lloyd, alias Edward Jones,
who was tried a short time since by general court-
martial on a charge of striking Col. Tate, hecchca:oritnone-
rnandant of the corps, with his fist, on the toc
of being brought up before the colonel on a
of being absent from the barracks Without leave'g
en the 17th of August last, for which Col. Tatehad
orthred the prisoner to be confined to barracks.
Tho sentence of the Court, confirmed, was read
at the head of the corps, and awarded to the pri-
:Amer 14 years' penal servitude. Not the slightest
-sympathy is felt for the offender by the men of the
corps, by whom their commandant is held in the
greatest respect and esteem.

A second trial has been made of the automaton
semaphore target, invented by Mr. G. W. Hart, of
the 2d Hants Artillery Volunteer Corps, at the
practice range of the sth Hants Rifles, near Ports-
mouth, in the presence of Major-Gen. Lord W.
Paulet, C. 8., commanding the South-West District
and Portsmouth accompanied Garrison, by his Staff_
and a number of officers belonging to the force
quartered in the district, among whom were Col.
Thackwell, Deputy-Assistant-Adjutant- General;
ic3pt, ,Milligarl, Aide-de-Camp ; Capt. Johnstone,
Instructor of Musketry for the District
Colonel Ross, ; Colonel English, 53d Foot ;
Musketry Instructor, 55th Foot ;
Capt. Rawlands,
Capt. H. Ford, sth H.R.V. ; Lieut. Lockie, 2d
HAS., and other officers. The results of the
firing were on this, as on the previous trial, of a
most satisfactory character, the result of each being
instantly and correctly telegraphed to the firing
party, perfectly distinct at the longest range, and
entirely free from any possible chance of error.

Lord Paulet and the officers present expressed, on
leaving the ground, their admiration of the work-
ing of the target and its system of signa

THE LATE MURDEROUS AFFRAY IN

SUSSEX.

RYE, TUESDAY.
This morning, Robt. Lynch, labourer, late of Dept-
ford, was placed in the dock before Mr. R. E. Pom-
fret and a bench of magistrates, charged with cnt-
ting and wounding Henry Spiers, with a bagging
or swopping hook, during an affray which took
place on Wednesday last between a number of Irish
reapers and hop-pickers.
The circumstances causing the above charge ori-
ginated in a quarrel which ensued between ten or
twelve men, beside women and children, on the
hop-pickers' side, and three men, three women, and
some children on the side of the reapers. The hop-
pickers had been brought in a waggon. After
many words the reapers went back for their swop-
hooks, and returned striking at any one they came
to with those instruments. The prisoner ran up to
Spiers, the prosecutor, who had charge of the
horses, and chopped at him. He made a second
blow at him, but it fell on the chains and frightened
the horses, which alarm was fully increased by an-
other Irishman rattling the chains, thereby causing
them to start off with some of the pickers in the
waggon, who were unwilling to engage in the fight
after the swopping hooks were produced. Just
previous to the horses starting off one of the Irish-
women struck the fore horse on the head with a
stone and held on by the rein. She was, however,
thrown off and knocked down, and the wheels of
the waggon passed over her head causing instant
death. An inquest was held on the body, when it
was considered, that, in addition to the rattling of
the chains, the screaming of the women and
children added to the fright of the horses, and,
thereupon a verdict of accidental death was re-
turned. Some of the county constabulary went in
search of the reapers, and succeeded in apprehend-
ing the prisoner, who was identified as having
committed bodily injury upon Spiers, the driver of
the waggon.
Henry Spiers, the injured man, deposed that on
Wednesday last he went to Heathfield with his
master's waggons, to fetch some hop-pickers.
When they got to,. the Broad Oak, Brede, he
saw some Irish reapers, who had their
swop, or reaping hooks with them. They were
quarrelling, and wanted to fight, and one of them
struck a man named Robins across the legs and face
with a stick. The blows were returned, and they
all got fighting amongst themselves, till the Irish
found they were getting the worst of it, and began
to use their swop-hooks, and the English ran away.
A woman (since dead) had hold of the fore-horse's
head, and he (witness) told her to leave it alone•
She kept knocking the horse about on the head
with a bat, and while he (witness) kept talking to
her the prisoner struck at him with a swop-hook.
Witness stooped his head, but the hook struck him
on the shoulder, and cut right through all his
clothes, inflicting a deep wound, and the blood
soaked all through his clothes. He tried to duck
under the tracing-chains between the fore and
second horse, when the prisoner hit at him again,
but only struck the chains, and the horses started
off, and the woman was knocked down and run
over.

In reply to the Magistrates the witness repeat-
edly denied that he ever struck any one of the Irish
party with his whip.
David Robins, the man referred to by the last
witness, confirmed his evidence, and so did other
witnesses, who were all examined at great length,
with a view of ascertaining whether an assault was
not in the first instance committed on the Irish
party by the hop-pickers, who were much the most
numerous. The non •participation of the complain-
ant in the row was, however, agreed in by all ex-
cept one of the Irish women, whose volubility and
cross-statements prevented anything like a con-
nected narrative being obtained from her. After
a hearing of three hours the chairman, Mr. Pom.
fret, said that in the opinion of the bench there
had been so much confusion and fighting amongst
the parties that it was difficult to say which was
the truth of the affray. He feared the Irish
had met with much provocation, not that
it justified their conduct, but it mitigated the
punishment that ought to be inflicted. Seeing
that the wound was not of so serious a character as
had been anticipated, the bench would treat it as a
common assault, and inflict a fine of 40s. and costs,
or in default one month's imprisonment.
The prisoner was then removed, and in the course
of the day the fine was paid by subscription amongst
the Irish reapers of his party.
The case created s vast amount of feeling and
excitement in the district.

SHOCKING CASE OF ATTEMPTED
MURDER.

George Robert Kilsby, 40, a clerk ; Edward
Kilsby, 37, painter; and Sarah Kilsby, 32, mar-
ried, were placed in the dock before Mr. Ingham,
at the Wandsworth Police-court, yesterday, charged
with wilfully shooting Henry Cz,ok with a pistol,
with intent to murder.
Mr. Superintendent Be.'Et, of the V division, was
present to watch the 'ease on behalf of the police.
John Sole, a locksmith, living at No. 3, Chapel-
place, York-rorA, Battersea, said—On Monday
night I was r_atting outside the Prince of Wales, in
Battersea- gelds, from half-past nine o'clock till ten,
and difing the time I saw the prisoners walking
to P:nd fro. About ten o'clock the master of a
grocer's shop—his name is Cook—came out to put
up his shutters. The prisoner George Kilsby fired
off a pistol at his side while engaged in putting up
the shutters. The prisoner was about three yards
off when he fired. He walked towards him. 1
Mr. Ingham—What was the effect of the dis-
charge
of the pistol ?
Witness—lt made a wound in his side. He
walked a little way, when he became exhausted,
and he was taken in doors. He did not say any-
thing. I saw blood come from his side through his
shirt. When the prisoner George walked towards
Cook the other prisoners stood back. I did not
hear them say anything. After the man was shot
I saw the prisoner George go into the Prince of
Wales. I did not notice what became of the others.
Cook's house is next door to the Prince of Wales.
' Mr. Ingham (to the prisoner George)--Have you
any questions to ask the witness ?
Prisoner—l shot the rat.
The prisoner appeared in a very melancholy
state. He stood with his back leaning against the
wall, with his eyes cast on the floor, and his right
hand on his breast. The other male prisoner was
about to make a statement, when his worship re •
quested him to defer it until he had heard the case.
Mr. William Austin--I keep the Prince of ,1 Wales. I know nothing particular of the case.
All I know is, that the prisoner George Kilsby
came into our place on Monday night about ten
o'clock. He came the same as he had many times
before. He took a pistol out of the side of his coat 1
and showed it to me. He said it was what he shot ,1 the rats with, or what he poisoned them with. I do not know what he said exactly. I had just come
downstairs° I heard the report of a pistol as I was
coming
down. I went out of the door and met
He told me he had been shot. I assisted him
surgeon. I saw his side examined. I did
shop, and upstairs, and sent for Mr. Kemp-
iCnotookilis
further questioned as to the observe- 1
tions of the
the other two prisoners.
On being
ns toetr ,s
eac
prisoner George, the witness said that
when he showed
the pistol he observed, ,4 This is I
we with—l shot him." He said that
he had kill thedonehad rats
forhim, or something of the kind. 1
Mr. William Payne--I am a baker, and live next I
door to Mr. Cook. I saw the prisoners walking up
and down in front of the shops up to past ten
o'clock. The prisoner George asked me if Cook
was at home. That was before ten o'clock. I told
him that I had seen him go out about eleven o'clock
in the morning, and I had not seen him since. After
that I heard a shot fired. I went out, and saw Cook
was shot. I saw the two male prisoners go into the
Public-home together afterwards. The pi it see
osoner
t
1 Ge "Zc aid not give any reason
for wishing
, p„,,
----,c
I, *.
said—A little
ohm constable Wright, 294 V, •
1 after ten o'clockßattersea-fiehl onh
on ay witness
M a • ht I
Sole came to me
and told m© as:atw when the witness
I went to
the Princeof
__ a man had been shot.
all the prisoners sitting g - -f the
Wales, and in the bar-parlour I saw
was on duty in
man
down. I asked 1
who had shot another
George got up
tiwireansetrhGeree:rge
The
prisoner the
man." The priscner ti
(14,:v1t is me ; I have shot
rl said, " Yes," and gave
me a pistol. I a ;Ode took said,ther ill
tody, and on the way
what a beautiful night it was
I.,,s..taition I retnarkei
as they would lii, able to live to work
elharvest people,
into ells i
_ all, night. lie
remarked, " IT e won't work to n•
'gilt: I searched
the prisoner, and found upon him
caps. five percussion
The pistol was produced, and the olneer observed
that the discharged cap was still upon it.
The
officer further stated that he found some tea upon
the prisoner George wrapped in one of Mr. Cook's labels.
Police constable Stirling, 289 V—ln consequence
of :information I received I went to sMr. Cook's
house and found him lying on a bed. Mr. Kemp-
ster was attending upon him. I went to the bta-
tion and found the prisoner Edward and the female
there. I detained them. The prisoner Edward
said he had been fetched to see his brother, who
was ill. His brother told him that he was going
to fight Cook, and he endeavoured to persuade him
not to do so, ;but he persisted in going. He also

said that he was not aware of his brother having a
pistol about him, and that if be had been aware of
it he should have taken it from him. I afterwards
went to the prisoner George's house, and in a box
in the front room upstairs I found a canister of
powder, a quantity of shot, and some percussion
caps. I found different sorts of shot, some of it is
dust shot, and bullets. _ _

Mr. Ingham—Does any of them fit the pistol ?
Witness—Yes, sir.
A small hand-pistol was held up, and the officer
tried it with a bullet, but it was too large.
Mr. Ingham looked at the shot and said there
were buck and snipe shot.
The officer tried the buck shot with the pistol,
and found it could be charged with that description
of shot.

The officer next produced the wounded man's
waistcoat and held it up, and one side appeared to
be completely riddled with shot.
Mr. Ingham—How many holes are there in it ?
Witness—Ten, sir.
Mr. Ingham—And on the inside of the holes
there is a quantity 01. blood ?
Witness—Yes, sir.
Mr. Ingham—He must have been wounded with
buck shot, as the dust shot would have made in-
visible holes in the waistcoat.

The constable, in answer to farther questions,
said he believed the female was the wife of the
prisoner Edward.

- Mr. W. H. Kempster, surgeon, of Bridge-road,
Battersea, said—About half-past ten o'clock I was
sent for to go to Cook's house. I went and found
him lying or, a bed. There was a quantity of
blood over the right side. On lifting up his shirt
I found a spot about the size of the palm of my
hand on the base of the right lung. There were ten
wounds about an inch and an inch and a half apart
from each other produced by some large kind of
shot fired at a distance of between three and four
yards.

Mr. Ingham—Look at the buck shot ; would it
cause such wounds ?

Mr. Kempster—They could be produced by shot
of this kind. I examined the wounds, and could
not find any shot in the bottom of them. I could
not find any shot in the clothes, and it was evi-
dent that they were internally. The man is not
yet dead, but it is impossible to say what the con-
sequences may be. He is still in a very precarious
state.

This was all the evidence the police had to offer
that day, and Mr. Ingham inquired whether there
was any evidence at present of the motive, and he
was answered in the negative.
The prisoner George was asked if he wished to
make any statement, upon which he shook his
head, and said he had nothing to say.
The prisoner Edward then made a statement
to the effect that on Monday evening his brother's
two sons came to his house and stated their father
wished to see him as he was very poorly. He
and his wife went to his brother's house, and
when his brother saw him he caught hold of him,
and appeared quite delirious. He said that he
wanted him to accompany him to see Cook. He
accused Cook with having been intimate with his
wife on several occasions, and that his wife had left
him, He was going round to see Cook about his
wife, and he wanted him (the prisoner Edward) to go
with him to see fair play. tie (the prisoner) advised
him not to go, but he would ; and Lie and his wife
went to the Prince of Wales. They went into the
bar-parlour, and had some ale, and his brother
took out two pictures, apparently likenesses, and
gave them to Mrs. Austin, the landlady. He
then confirmed the statement of the witnesses about
their waiting outside.
Mr. Ingham discharged the female, and said he
would have two securities in £5O each for the ap-
pearance of the prisoner Edward. He remanded
the other prisoner for a week.
The prisoner Edward was visibly affected, and
was removed with his brother.

COMMITTAL OF AN OFFICER OF TILE
84TH FOR FORGERY.

The county magistrates have been engaged dur-
ing the last few days at Hythe, Kent, in investi-
gating a charge of forgery brought against Ensign
Aldridge, of the 84th Regiment, stationed at Shorn-
cliffe Camp; and yesterday the prisoner was com-
mitted for trial at the next county assizes.
Ensign Aldridge belongs to a family resident at
Horsham, in Sussex (said to be highly connected),
and his arrest on the present charge has occasioned
much astonishment in the camp from the good cha-
racter he has hitherto borne and the knowledge
that his relatives have abundant means of main-
' taining their station. Mr. Aldridge's father and a
great number of officers have been present during
the investigation ; and Mr. Metcalfe (barrister) and
Mr. Walker (attorney) were brought from London
for the defence. The following is the evidence :
John Stanford—l am cashier of the National and
Provincial Bank at Folkestone. The cheque now
produced (for £l5, drawn by J. R. Meiklam on Cox
and Co., payable to Mr. Thorpe) I saw on the sth
of Aug. last at the National and Provincial Bank,
Folkestone. I think it was in the morning. It
was presented by the prisoner at the bank to
me. I have no doubt but that the prisoner is
the person who presented it. He requested
cash for it, and I asked him if his name
was Thorpe. He said it was. I requested him to
put his name on the back of the cheque ; he did so,
and I gave him cash for it. The endorsement on
the back is that made by the prisoner. He came
in a fly—l think an open one, with a hood to it,
which was down. We forwarded the cheque on to
London, and several days afterwards it was re-
turned unpaid by Messrs. 'Cox, on whom it was
drawn, with a note referring to Ma cgregors, agents
for the 78th Regiment, and by them it was re-
ferred to Downes and Son, the agents of Ensign
Meiklam. From information I received I believed
it was a forgery, and I then placed it in the hands
of the police. The first time I saw the prisoner
after he presented the cheque was at the Dover
races, about five days afterwards. I afterwards saw
him at the Folkestone station. On Thursday, the
28th ult., at the request of the superintendent of
police, I went on the next day (Friday) to the camp
at Shorncliffe. I saw the prisoner there with
others, and I identified him as the person who pre-
sentcd the cheque on the 151 h. He was in plain
ciothes when he presented the cheque, and when I
saw him at the camp he was in plain clothes. I
have no recollection of seeing the prisoner previous
to his presenting the cheque.
Cross-examined—We had information that the
cheque was dishonoured on Tuesday, the ISth, be-
fore I saw the prisoner at Dover. I felt sure then
the prisoner was the per: on. I did not follow him
then because I did not know the facts. I knew he
came from Shorncliffe Camp, and could be found
there. I pointed him out at the Dover station to
the manager of the bank.
Re-examined—At the time I met the prisoner at
Dover I did not know the cheque was a forgery.
I only knew it was dishonoured. I think it was
the 122 d of August that I first ascertained it
was a forgery. The prisoner was about three
or four minutes in the bank when he cashed the
cheque, quite long enough for me to observe him.
No other customer was in the bank at the time the
prisoner was there. I noticed the prisoner's fea-
tures quite well while he was writing his name on
the cheque.
Frederick Philpott—l am a cab-driver at Sand-
gate. I know the prisoner perfectly well by sight.
He did not employ me on the 15th of August. I
did drive a gentleman to the bank at Folkestone on
that day, but this is not the gentleman. I drove
him to the station at Folkestone to meet the 11.35
up train. I did nottell the superintendent or Ser-
geant Smith that I drove Mr. Aldridge. All I said
was, " I should know the person I drove if I saw
him." I was asked by one of the constables if the
gentleman's name was Aldridge, and I said I did
not know. Mr. Day, the superintendent, and Ser-
geant Smith are the only persons who spoke to me
about this. I spoke to nobody in the camp about
the matter.
By Mr. Metcalfe—l drove straight to the bank
atw t
eht
ec r ab
it-stand
wasi, n
on the morning of the 15th. It was an open fly,
with a hood to it.
Re examined—l took up the gentleman I drove
a thannno t
man I did take to the bank if I saw him. I have
I should know the
seen him since. I c
Soraendgate.
came down on Sunday to make
y once.s ay whenr rh e I servant saw
him ;h oro
h
inquiries was not
the same servant who
engaged
me on the 1
cannot say how long I havnknown •5t h. I
Mr. Aldridge.
I have driven him several times I know. I knew
him before this affair at the bank. I did not know
his name. I knew him by sight. Another man
may have driven him to the hank and I not know
anything about it. The person I drove to the
bank I took to he an officer by his appearance.
Joan Robert Meikham—l am an ensign in the
78! h Regt. The signature on the cheque produced,
B. 'Meiklam, 78th Highlanders," is not my
handwriting, it was not drawn by me, and I have
given no authority orit to any person to sign my name.
I do not keep
en account at Cox's. I saw the
..
cheque first about ten days ago, The superintern
Vand Co,
acgregor o are the
dent of police had it.
agents for the 05Lb
e 'tenement. My agents are
llownes and Co., the agents of the 98th Regiment,
in which regiment I formerly was.
"William Thorpe, ensign in the 78th Regiment,
denied that the signature at the buck of the cheque
Was in his handwriting cr by his authority.
George En lish—l am superintendent in the
county constabulary. On
Rent co gSaturday, the 30th
ult., I proceeded to the camp, At the suggestion
of Captain Lightfoot I then went to Folkestone,
and brought Mr. Stanford with me to the camp,