The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-26 00:00:00

THE SUN-, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 26, 18654

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF INTENDED SUICIDE AT TUE
BELGIAN EMBASSY.—Simeon Fougers, a Dutchman, was
charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with intending to commit
suicide at the Belgian Embassy, 21, Arlington-street.
Mr. De Casteau, of 25, Mount-street, an attachd to the
Belgian Legation, said—The prisoner came to the Belgian
Minister's hQuse, 21, Arlington-street, yesterday, and gave
the Minister some papers to read. The Belgian Minister
said he could do nothing for him, and that he must go to
his own Minister. The prisoner said he could not go
there, and then said, " You will see who will be the victim
of this," at the same time taking out a knife. I rushed to
him and took the knife from him.

Mr. Tyrwhitt—When he used the words did he seem to
speak of himself or of the Minister ?

M. De Casteau—l cannot tell. A constable was then
sent for, and he was given into custody.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—Did he speak English ?
M. Do Casteau—No, French, I believe.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—Had he ever applied to the Minister be-
fore ?

M. De Casteau—He had written several letters to him ?

Police-constable King, 52 C—l was called to the Belgian
Ministry, and the Minister said he thought the prisoner
was mad. I took him to the police-station.
Sergeant Nathaniel Druscovich, of the Detective De-
partment, Scotland-yard, who has charge of the case, said
—The document produced is the one presented by the pri-
soner to his Excellency, and sets forth the prisoner's
grievances against the Dutch Government. It commences
"In the presence of God, the last words of a dying man."
Mr. Tyrwhitt, taking up the knife, a most formidable
weapon (the blade shooting out from the handle by touch-
ing a spring)—You do not call this a knife, do you ?
Sergeant Druscovich--It is a stiletto. I also found at
the prisoner's lodgings a letter addressed to the landlord.
The letter which was addressed, "Mr. J. H. Jones, 9,
Finsbury-place, North," was handed to Mr. Tyrwhitt.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—l will open the letter. It appears to be
a letter to his landlord, and contains a telegram to be sent
to his wife.
The letter was as follows :

"Dear Sir,—l pray you most mental send this telegram
so soon as you have unclosed this letter. This is the wish
of one who is dying. Most sincerely I hope you may be
happy.—S. FOUGERS."
The telegram, in Dutch, and which was as follows :
"It is done. Adieu. Follow me." It was addressed to
his wife, Haarlem, Holland.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—l will remand the poor fellow for a week,
and the sergeant can write to Hairlem to see if he can get
any information respecting him.
Mr. Albert, who had interpreted the evidence to the
prisoner, and translated some of the documents, said the
prisoner wished to make a statement.
The prisoner then said—l wish to say that, when
I took out the knife, I meant to imply that if nothing was
done for me it might be the cause of my ending my
existence. .

Mr. Tyrwhitt—l am inclined to believe that was his
intention. Ho will be remanded for a week.

The prisoner, who is a man of respectable appearance,
but very dejected, was then removed from the court.

THAMES.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY AND ASRATILT.—Patrick Donovan,
a well known and desperate thief, was brought before Mr.
Paget, charged with assaulting Alfred Williams, and rob-
bing him of a purse containing £2 10s.
The prosecutor, a little man, who gave his evidence in a
very clear manner, said he was living at No. 5, Providence-
row, Rosemary-lane, Whitechapel. On Friday night last
he was on his way home a little the worse for liquor, but
knowing perfectly well what he was about, and was ac-
costed in Rosemary-lane by the prisoner, who was a perfect
stranger to him, and who began to hustle him and pull him
about. The prisoner also struck him on the cheek and
tried to pull him down a narrow court. He asked the
prisoner what he meant by such conduct, and he replied
you must treat me with a glass of beer. He accompanied the
prisoner into a public-house called the Blackmoor's Head,
and treated the prisoner with a glass of beer to get rid of
him. He was going home again, and the prisoner tried to
push him down another street, called Cartwright-street.
His wife then made her appearance, and he walked with
her to his house. They had just reached their own door,
when the prisoner came up and made a sudden snatch at
his purse in his pocket and took it
,from him. The purse
contained £2 10s. He fell down when the purse was
snatched from him. He was very ill all night and the
whole of Saturday. He was knocked about so much, and
lost so much blood that he could not give any information
to the police until Sunday`morning. He could not move
on Saturday at all.

Ellen Williams, a very respectable little woman, with a
baby in her arms, said that at five minutes to 12 on Friday
night, she saw her husband, whose face was marked, with
the prfsoner. She asked the prisoner what he wanted
with her husband, to which he said, "What have you to
do with him ?" She said she was his wife. The prisoner
then left them, but returned almost immediately with a
woman, who turned her round. She asked the woman
what she wanted with her husband, and at that moment
the prisoner snatched the purse and money from her hus-
band and ran away. Her husband fell, his head and face
were cut, and he was in a pool of blood. She obtained as-
sistance and took her husband indoors. He was insensible
all night.
Other evidence was given in confirmation, and the arrest
of the prisoner last night by Archer, 101 H, who knew
him as a thief for a long time.
Mr. Paget remanded the prisoner until Tuesday next.

The Alleged Murder of a Young Woman

in the New River.

Last evening Dr. Lankester held an inquiry at the
Mitre Tavern, Upper-street, Islington, into the circum-
stances attending the death of Miss Matilda Coward, aged
16 years.
Thos. Coward said that he lived in Shakspere-road, Stoke
Newington, and was a house decorator. Deceased was his
daughter, and he last saw her alive on Friday morning.
She was then going to her place of business in the City to
get mantles, which she was to bring home and make up.
She did not return, and next day, in consequence of what
he heard, he went to the Islington dead-house, and there
saw the body of his daughter, which he identified.
Alfred Bedford, 333, New North-road, said that on Satur-
day morning he was fishing in the New River, near Horn-
sey-park, when he saw the deceased in a piece of water off
the river. He called two brickmakers and a policeman,
and they got her out.
John Charles Harme, 1, Lansdowne-terrace, Shakspere-
road, Stoke Newington, a solicitor's clerk, 17 years of age,
was then sworn. He said-1 saw deceased at 20 minutes
to 9 o'clock on Friday night last. I met her in the street.
I told her that she had been backbiting me. She denied
that ; and I called two young men to say what they had
heard. She then said, "Yes ; am I not entitled to use the
same words as you did ?" She then got into a great rage
and swore. I then told secrets of her, the same as she did
of me, and she went away. Albert Lawrence and Reilly
went after her. She asked Albert Lawrence to take a par-,
cel that she had with her. She then said to him, "I will
go with you," meaning that she would keep company with
him. He said, "I don't want to intrude my company on
you; good night." She went away then. She had often
said V A she was tired of her life, and had often threatened
to make away with herself. She once wont to the River
Lea to drown herself, and two young men had to run after
her and bring her back. The next day she thanked them
for doing so.
George Bruckhurst, 111, Waterloo-road, Kingsland, said
he was present at the quarrel described by last witness, and
it took place at the corner of Kingsland-green.
Charles Keats, 7, Spencer-road, said that at half-past
nine o'clock on Friday night he saw the deceased in John-
street, Back-road, Kingsland, three-quarters of a mile from
where she was found drowned. She was crying, and had
her handkerchief up to her eyes and her head bent down.
Dr. H. Billington said that when he was called to the
deceased on Saturday morning she had been dead from
three to four hours. There were no marks of violence as
if a struggle had taken place. Her clothes were not torn.
Death resulted from suffocation by drowning.

John Dafter, 459 N, said he was present when the body
was taken out of the water. Near her was a piece of paper
on which was her name and the address of her employers
in Wood-street. He thought the piece of paper had been
torn out of something, for there were the words " to re-
turn to me again" on it. He had seen a man on the bridge
at half-past 4 o'clock that morning. That man (the pri-
soner Young) asked the way to the Seven Sisters' railway
station. Witness directed him to go across the field close
to where the body was afterwards found, but the man
asked if he could not go the other way, and did not ap-
pear to want to go through the field. He said, pointing to
the river—" I had a tussle in there." His clothes
were wet. He was not drunk ; he was sober ; but he had
been drinking.

The Coroner said—We will not go into this question
with respect to the prisoner "now. If there was not the
charge of murder against Young, the jury might have re-
turned a verdict of suicide on the evidence as it stood. But
now it would be necessary to go further and investigate
the case as regarded the prisoner.
After a long deliberation by the jury, the inquiry was
adjourned.

REMISSION OF PUNISHMENT.--Sir George Grey
having considered the representations of the borough
justices for a remission of part of a sentence of 18 months'
imprisonment passed upon Hugh /Math, at the Dover
quarter sessions, in June last, for stealing clothes, ecc., has
directed that the last six months of the term be remitted,
in consideration of services rendered in the gaol. The ser-
vices referred to were M'Math's unwearied attention to the
suffering prisoners when sickness was in the gaol, he
having acted as nurse by day and night with much loss
than the time allotted for rest in the prison.

• THE THEATRES BILL.—Mr. Locke has post-
poned the second reading of this bill until the 10th of May
at the request of the Government,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
THE WATERWORKS BILL.

Mr. ROEBUCK gave notice that, on the second reading
of this bill, he should move that it be referred to a select
c )mmittee.

EXHIBITION OF REFORMATORY CHILDREN.

Mr. T. MILLER asked the Secretary for the Home De-
partment whether his attention had been called to a pro-
posed exhibition of Reformatory children to be held at the
Agricultural Hall, Islington, on the 25th of May next, and
whether it met with his sanction and approbation ?

Sir G. GREY said his attention had not been directed
to the matter until the hon. member placed his question on
the paper. That morning he received by post a printed
paper, which stated that it was to be an exhibition
of the products of industrial schools ; and it stated
further, that a thousand of these children would attend
and perform nieces of music on successive days. He
agreed with what he understood to be the feeling
of the hon. member, that it was highly inexpedient
that children should be exhibited in the way proposed.
He had addressed a letter to Mr. Turner, one of the in-
spectors, who said that no children from the reformatory
schools would be allowed to attend, and that only the chil-
dren of industrial schools were contemplated by the pro-
moters of the movement.

Mr. MILLER—From the Middlesex Industrial Schools.
Sir G. GREY said they were not reformatory schools
under the control of the Government.
OBSOLETE ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.

In reply to Mr. HADFIELD,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he did not think he
should be able to introduce a bill this session.
GREENWICH HOSPITAL.

Mr. CHILDERS moved for leave to bring in a bill to
provide for the better government of the Greenwich Hos-
pital, and the more beneficial application of the revenues
thereof. The hon. gentleman explained for the future
the hospital would be devoted exclusively to the use of
infirm seamen, and to those in want of temporary medi-
cal assistance. The income of the institution was
about £154,000, and the management of that fund
would be distinct from that of the management of
the expenditure. The latter would be placed under the
guardianship of the House of Commons, and a comptroller
would be appointed to arrange the estates which would be
vested in the Board of Admiralty. He estimated that there
would be a surplus of £13,000 a year after the payment of
expenses, pensions, dec., and that sum it was proposed
should be allowed to accumulate.

Mr. LIDDELL and Sir J. HAY gave their general approval
of the scheme.

After some observations from Admiral WALCOTT, 'leave
was given to bring in the bill.

Mr. E. P. BOUVERIE moved for leave to bring in!a
bill to amend the Union of Benefices Act.

After a short discussion, in which complaint was made
that no application had been given of the specific objectof
the bill.

Mr. BOUVERIE gave an explanation which did not
tend to conciliate opponents of his bfll, involving the
taking down a particular church and the mode of disposing
of the site.

The motion was ultimately agreed to, and leave was
given to bring in the bill.
Mr. BARING moved for leave to bring in a bill to
amend the Salmon Fishery Act of 1861. explaining rea-
sons which rendered necessary an amending act and its
main provisions.

After a few observations by Mr. LYGON leave was given.

Leave was likewise given to introduce a bill for conso-
lidating in one act provisions frequently inserted in acts
relating to metropolitan and other railways.

On the motion of Lcird ELCHO, the Roads and Bridges
(Scotland) Bill was read a second time.
Mr. HANKEY moved the second reading of the Charit-
able Trusts Fees Bill. He thought the notion should not
bear charges which were a fair subject of a small taxation,
so that the Commission should defray its own expenses,
now amounting to £20,000, and which were increasing.
Sir M. PETO moved to defer the second reading for six
months. The question, he said, had been repeatedly be-
fore the house and the country, which was opposed to the
taxing of charities.
The amendment was seconded by Mr. SELWYN, who
objected that the measure should have been introduced
by the Government, and that the proposition to tax
charities had been already distinctly negatived by the
house.

Mr. F. rowELL supported the amendment.
Mr. H. BRUCE suggested objections to the details of
the Bill, and hoped Mr. Hankey would withdraw it.
The motion for the second reading was negatived, and
the amendment was agreed to ; so the Bill is lost.

The house then went into committee upon the Local
Government Supplemental Bill, after some discussion upon
a point of form.
The clauses were agreed to, with amendments.
The report of the Committee of Supply having been
brought up, questions were asked as to the class of vessels
to be built for the navy, the number of armour-clad ves-
sels, their armament, and other kindred matters, which
were partially discussed, and to which detailed replies
were given by Lord C. PAGET and Mr. CHILDERS.
The report was ultimately agreed to.

The Oxford University (Vinerian Foundation) Bill was
read the second time.

The house then went into committee upon the Mortgage
Debentures Bill.

After some further business, the house adjourned at
20 minutes to 9 o'clock.

Conviction of Another Batch of Cock-

Fighters.

At a petty session of Cheshire magistrates held on Mon-
day morning at the Abbey Arms Hotel, Delamere Forest,
no fewer than two dozen officers, squires, and sportsmen of
less degree were summoned, at the instance of the Royal
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for taking
part in a cock-fighting match between English and Irish
birds, at the Peel Hall farm, near Tarvin, on the 28th of
last month. The case had excited considerable interest
in the neighbourhood, and the small court was crowded to
excess.

Mr. Thompson, in opening the case, said that on the 28th
of March several constables, acting under the orders of Cap-
tain Smith, chief constable, went out to Peel Hall, and there
found a large number of people assembled in an orchard
which was enclosed with a wall nine feet high, with only
one entrance, They entered and witnessed fifteen cock-
fights during the day. The scene which they witnessed
was of the most harrowing description. It was well known
that about Easter time this sort of cruel sport was practised,
and probably the Bench would be aware that a few days
ago a number of persons were brought before Mr. Knox,
at the Marlborough-street police court, charged with en-
gaging in it. He was sorry to find that one or two of the
defendants on that occasion were also defendants in the
present case. After detailing the facts which would be
proved against each individual defendant, and commenting
on the impropriety of the remark made to one of the officers
by Mr. Walker—a magistrate appointed as a guardian of the
peace—that the officer had no business there, and that he
would be better at home looking after felons, he called wit-
nesses who described the scene of the cock-fighting, the
circumstances being of peculiar brutality.
A consultation took place between the legal gentlemen,
the result of which was that the defendants agreed to plead
guilty to one information on condition that the other three
were withdrawn; Mr. Thompson stating on behalf of the
society that under those circumstances ho should not press
for a heavy penalty.

The magistrates then retired, and on their return into
court after a short absence,

The Chairman announced that they were unanimously
of opinion that the following fines must be inflicted:—
Harry Booth, Thomas Davis, Captain Goff, J. P. Smith,
Captain Hero; E. C. Walker (a magistrate for Chester),
Harry Owens, P. H. Keay, Captain Dillon, St. Clair Smith,
Joseph Becket, Edward Jones, Wm. Gilliver, Geo. Wildes,
and James Parker Yates, each .£s.and costs ; and John
Taylor, John Milling, John Fletcher, Peter M‘Gill,.Edward
Evans, James M'Cubbin, Charles Moulton, Wm. Moulton,
and Wm. Yearsley, each £2 10s. and costs, or one month's
imprisonment in default.