The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-12 00:00:00

THAMES.

A DISHONEST NEIGHBOUR.—EXTENSIVE ROBBERIES.—
William Olack, a mean-looking man, aged 40, and described
as a fishmonger, of High-street, Shadwell, was brought
before Mr. Partridge charged with stealing a bushel and a
half of oats, the property of Mr. William George Drew,
licensed victualler's biscuit baker, in the same street.

Mr. Charles Young, solicitor, defended the prisoner.
The prosecutor has extensive stabling for his horses
and carts in a place called Sun Tavern-gap, Shadwell.
Clack rented a small stable, in which he kept one horse and
a cart, opposite. For some time past Mr. Drew has missed
large quantities of corn and other provender, and his recent
losses have been at the rate of ten quarters per months. A
few weeks since Mr. Drew lost a large cask of lard
valued at forty pounds, which was rolled out of his
stable in the day time in the temporary absence of his
servants. Last night, a few minutes before 12 o'clock, a
police constable named Wenham, No. 248 K, while exa-
mining the stables of Messrs. Drew and Son, found one of
the doors open. Believing there was something wrong he
went round to Messrs. Drew's establishment in the High-
street and rung the bell, but failed to disturb the sleep-
ing inmates. In a short time he returned to Drew's stables
and saw the door close quickly. Wenham pushed it open,
turned on the light of his bull's eye lantern, and saw the
prisoner Clack inside with a bag of corn in his hand.
The policeman said, " Hallos, what are you doing here ?"
The prisoner made no answer, but trembled excessively,
and dropped the bag on the ground. The constable took
the prisoner into custody and searched his stable. In
a loft he found a sack filled with corn, on the
floor about another sack of corn loose, and in
the lower part of the stable a bushel and a
half more samples of the corn which the prisoner dropped
in Messrs. Drew and Son's stables, and the various parcels
in the prisoner's stable were produced. Mr. George Thos.
Jessup, horse-keeper to the firm of Drew and Son, and
Mr. William George Drew, sen., had no doubt of the corn
being the property of the prosecutors. It consisted of two
sorts of oats with a few tares mixed with it. The prose-
cutors' stables were made fast at five or ten minutes past 11
last night. Tho corn dropped down a funnel from
the granary above into a square bin. Mr. Jessup left that
bin about three parts full last night. It was in the same
state when he was aroused at three o'clock this morning,
but it was very easy to remove corn from the bin which
held 10 quarters, and let more down from the granary
above. The witnesses could not say how much had been
taken away, the bulk was so large.
Mr. Drew, Gen., said that a sack, with the name of Kidd
upon it, was found in the prisoner's stable. Mr. Kidd was
the name of his miller.

Mr. Charles Young said hundreds of bakers dealt with
Kidd the miller.

Mr. Drew, sen., said the prisoner did not deal with Mr.
Kidd, but had been using his (Mr. Drew's) corn and selling
it for some time. He had lost ten quarters per month. It
was a most serious loss. .

The Prisoner—lt is the first time I have ever been in
custody.

Mr. Charles Young—You will hold your tongue, Mr.
Clack, if you wish me to defend you.
Mr. Partridge—l shall send this case to a jury for trial.
Mr. Charles Young—The prisoner will reserve his de-
fence.

Mr. Thomas Beard, solicitor, afterwards attended, and
said he was instructed by Drew and Sons to prosecute the
prisoner at the sessions.

SALMON FISHERY BILL.—Sir G. Grey's Bill has
been printed. It contains provisions for the forma-
tion of fishery districts by the Secretary of State on the
application of the Quarter Sessions, and new provisions for
the appointment of boards of conservators to see to the
execution of the law and the protection and improvement
of the salmon fisheries, and to appoint water bailiffs for that
purpose. The conservators are to grant season licenses
for fishing for salmon, the funds thus obtained to be em-
ployed in carrying the law into effect. The licenses may
range from £1 (or less) for rod and line to £lO for a box,
crib or cruive, or V weir; the Home Secretary to approve
the scale of charges to be made for fishing weirs, &c. The
observance of the law is to be enforced by penalties, and
persons convicted for a third time of fishing with lights or
spears, or fish roe, or out of season, may be sentenced to
imprisonment with hard labour. " Fixed engines" are de-
fined, and ancient rights to use fixed engines are to protect
only such as were lawful in use in 1861 in pursuance of
ancient right. Three special commissioners for English
' fisheries are to be appointed. They are to decide on the
legality of fixed engines in use, and of fishing weirs, &c.,
subject to a right of appeal to the Court of Queen's Bench.
The prohibition against fishing with lights, spears, &c.,
and using roe as a bait, is to apply to trout in a salmon
river subject to a board of conservators, and in any such
river it is to be close time for trout from Nov. 2 to Feb. 1.
Boards of conservators are to have power to fix, with the
sanction of the Home Secretary, a close season in the first
half of the year for such eel fisheries in a salmon river as
are fished by nets, baskets, iron gratings, or other contri-
vance attached th'ilams or posts driven into the soil.