The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-21 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—Feb. 20.

CLERKENWELL.—IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.-
THE METROPOLITAN BUILDING ACT.-REWARD
TO KEEPER OF FIRE-ENGINE.-Mr. Alexander
Wright, churchwarden of the parish of Clerken-
well, was summoned by Charles Bolton, the keeper
of the Islington fire-engine, and formerly of the fire
brigade, and George Cole, of the Farringdon-street
fire-station, for not giving them good and sufficient
rewards for bringing two large engines in proper
working order to help to extinguish a fire which
happened in the dwelling-house of Thomas Ditch-
field, at 62, White Lion-street, Clerkenwell.
Mr. John Wakeling, solicitor, appeared for the
complainants ; and Mr. Belton, the vestry clerk,
attended for the defendant.
The facts of the ease are simply these :—lt ap-
pears that on the 20th of December last a fire hap-
pened at Mr. Ditchfield's, watch , and clock-maker,
of 62, White Lion-street, Pentonville. The com-
plainant Bolton was the first there with his engine,
and at work ten minutes or a quarter of an hour
before any other engine arrived. When Cole arrived
with the Farringdon-street engine, that also played
on the fire. The complainant Bolton played on the
fire for about two hours, and had to pay the men
who worked his engine, with other expenses, and
when he went before the board the defendant only
allowed him 20s. instead of the full reward allowed
by the Act of Parliament, viz,, 30s.
Mr. Belton cited the case of " ex-parte Loader,"
reported in the Justice of the Peace, vol. 13, page
88, and contended that the judgment of Mr. Justice
Coleridge settled the case, for the churchwarden
had awarded a sum, which was all that was in-
tended by the act of Parliament.
Mr. Wakeling said he was pleased that the case
of Loader had been cited, for there Mr. Justice
Wightman held that " how much shall be paid, the
magistrate must in either case fix."
Mr. D'Eyncourt having taken time to consider
the case, delivered his judgment as follows :—The
case of thel " Queen v. Combe," 13th Queen's Bench,
p. 179, appears to me to decide this case. The de-
cision in that case was, that the magistrate could
fix the amound of reward to be paid to the firemen
under the provisions of the act (14th Geo. 111., c.
78), although the churchwardens had refused to
originate the proceeding, by proposing, as usual, a
certain amount. In the present case they have
suggested a certain amount, and a question is raised,
whether having done so the magistrate can increase
that amount P It has never been disputed that he
can lessen the amount awarded by the churchwar-
dens, nor, after the decision in the " Queen v.
Combe," can I see any objection to his increasing
it. His discretion seems to me to be absolute to
award any sum as a reward, not exceeding the
amount prescribed by the act. In the present in-
stance, therefore, I shall increase the amount and
award to the complainant to 30s.
Mr. Wakeling applied for the costs.
Mr. D'Eyncourt allowed 255. for costs.

LAMBETH.—ILLICIT D I STILLATION.—Francis
Kelly, alias M'Kenzie, was brought up from
Wandsworth House of Correction on a habeas, and
placed at the bar before the Hon. G. C. Norton, on
an information by the Commissioners of the Inland
Revenue, charging him with being the occupier of
certain premises on which a wholesale manufacture
of illicit spirits was carried on.
Mr. Marshall, from the office of the solicitors of
Inland Revenue, attended to support the informa-
tion, and from his statement and the testimony of
the witnesses he called, it appeared that ou the
14 th of December last Mr, John Vanstone, a super-
visor of excise, and Mr. Leigh, an officer of Inland
Revenue, proceeded to Albert Cottage, Charles-
street, Camberwell, and in an adjoining stable found
a 40-gallon still, fully charged with molasses wash,
and heated with gas, at full work. They also found
98 gallons of strong spirits, a quantity of molasses
wash in a state of fermentation, and all necessary
implements for carrying on an extensive distilla-
tion. The prisoner and a female, whom he repre-
sented to be his wife, were present; and on seeing
the officers the former attempted to make his escaps,
but was apprehended. The prisoners at that time
were brought before the magistrate at this court,
and convicted in a penalty of £3O, or three months
each, and the money not being paid, both were
committed to Wandsworth gaol for three months.
The prisoner was now brought up on the further
charge of being the owner and occupier of the pre-
mises where the distillery was carried on, for a fur-
ther conviction ; and also for the forfeiture of the
still, spirits, wash, and all the utensils found in the
distillery.
The prisoner offered nothing in defence.
Mr. Norton adjudged him to pay a further penalty
of £5O, and the forfeiture of the still, spirits, &c.
The magistrate remarked that the case seemed a
novel one, as it was the first that had been brought
before him where gas had been used as the agent to
heat the still.
The officers replied that it was, and that the gas
company had been robbed of all the gas used for the
purpose.

SOUTHWARK.—EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY THE
SECRETARY TO A FRIENDLY SOCIETY. --fienr,
Robert Howard, a respectable-poking man, wasd
brought before Mr. Burcham for final examination,
charged with embezzling and stealing various sums
of money, amounting to near £3OO, belonging to
the Southwark Bud of Hope Lodge of the Manches-
ter Unity of Odd Fellows, held at the Angel Tavern,
Webber-street, Blackfriars road,

Mr. Lewis, jun., appeared for the prosecution,
and Mr. Edwin for the prisoner.
l‘oldri iosoopenrg the case, said be under-
o 'isndefalcations were near £4OO
or £5OO, but he merely proposed to complete three
cases of embezzlement, and three of larceny, out of
s t hat Lewis,t
e prisoners
a vast number of others, and ask his worship to com-
mit the prisoner for trial. He called—
Mr. William Gillard, one of the trustees of the
lodge. The prisoner was elected Secretary in 1844,
at a quarterly salary. His duty was to receive all
moneys of the lodge, enter them in a book kept for
that purpose, and pay the same to the treasurer,