The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-09 00:00:00

THE SU!N, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9, 1565.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.
(Before the Chief Baron and a Special Jury.)

WARD V. THE GASLIGHT AND COKE COMPANY-THE FIRE AT
SAVILLE HOUSE.
The further hearing of this case, the facts of which ap-
peared in The Sun of yesterday, was resumed to-day.
The evidence brought forward chiefly consisted of wit-
nesses to speak of the position and condition of the inlet
and outlet pipe of the gas meter. _ _

Caseley, one of the Gas Company's inspectors, said he
attended at Saville House and ordered the meter to be re-
moved. His orders were carried out, and he hid the key of
the supply pipe behind the other pipes in the passage.
Larver might have been looking at him when he was
hiding the key. He went into the kitchen with Larver,
and he heard him tell Bloom that the meter had been taken
down, and the gas could not be used.

Mr. Manisty, Q.C. for the plaintiff—lrow do you know
he told him ?

Witness—l heard him.

Mr. Manisty—Why did'ut he speak in German ?
Witness—l don't know whether he spoke in German,
Irish; or Dutch. I heard him tell her (Laughter.)
The Chief Baron—Do you understand the German lan-
guage?
Witness—No, my lord.

Mr. Manisty —Why, was'nt the conversation carried on
between. Larven and Bloom in German ?

Witness—l don't know what it was. All I know is that
Larven told Bloom about the removal of the meter.

Mr. Hawkins, Q.C. (for the defendants)-1 suppose it
was communicated to Bloom in the course of a general
conversation?
Witness—lt was.

Henry Downs said he went with Casley to Saville House
and also inspected the fittings to ascertain the cause of the
excessive consumption. Casley told Larrier that the fit-
tings were in a very unsatisfactory state, and until they
had been attended to by a practical fitter he would not let
him have the gas. He assisted in the removal of the meter,
and the first thing he did was to turn off the main cock,
which would prevent the gas flowing into the meter. He
afterwards removed the metre, and asked the man at the
bar of Saville House whether he had a bung about 1 in. in
diameter. This person showed him a cork. He told him
it wouldn't do, and he then took him into the cellar, and
there he found two or three bungs. He having pre-
viously smeared one of the bungs with white lead,
drove it into the supply pipe with a hammer, ' and
when he applied a light to the pipe ho found
it secure. He had been engaged in gasfitting all his life.
Ho was present at the experiment which took place at the
gas works to ascertain the pressure of gas which would
force out a bung placed in a pipe the same as he had put in
at Savile House. It bore a pressure of 10iin., and then it
had no effect.

The Chief Baron —That is greatly in excess of the ordi-
nary pressure.
_ .

`'Fitness—Yes, my lord, very greatly ; 10 to 12-10ths is
the oidinaiy pressure.

Cross-examination continued—A screw cap is never put
on except when a person is giving up his premises.
Cross-examined by Mr. Karslake Casley said the new
meter would be fixed between 12 and 1 o'clock, and after
that the meter was removed. He was not engaged in
eating pancakes and playing cards for two hours after.
Mr. Hawkins, Q.C.,—I think it would be hard work to
eat pancakes for two hours. (Laughter.)
Cross-examined—He was upstairs examining the fittings.
He took up the flooring to see the state of the pipes, and
found them very defective. He did not take the pipes in
his hand. As a practical man, he could see whether they
were in good condition or not.
The case will not conclude to-day.

COURT OF DIVORCE.
(Before Sir J.P. Wilde and a Common Jury.)
BILINGAY V. BILINGAY AND THOMAS.

The hearing of this case, which commenced yesterday,
was resumed this morning. It was a suit by the husband,
who had formerly been in business in connection with the
ironmongers' trade, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, for a dissolu-
tion of marriage on the ground of his wife's adultery with
the co-respondent, who held a situation under the East
India Company. The petitioner also claimed damages.
Both defendants appeared, but merely traversed the
allegation of adultery.

Dr. Deane, Q.C., and Mr. Bayford were counsel for the
petitioner, the Queen's Advocate and Dr. Spinks for the
respondent, and Mr. Denman, Q.C., and Dr. Tristram for
the co-respondent.

It appeared that the parties were married in 1846, and
the cohabitation continued until March last, during which
time there were three children issue of the marriage. For
some time they resided at Newcastle-on-Tyne, but the
petitioner being embarrassed in his circumstances
they removed to London, and the respondent en-
deavoured to contribute to the support of her hus-
band and children by accepting a situation as
matron in a charitable institution, and subsequently
at a lunatic asylum. The evidence was to the effect that
the co-respondent became acquainted with Mrs. Bilingay
in 1863 in consequence of his having engaged her to at-
tend his mother, who was labouring under mental disease,
and was living in Northumberland. On the 11th of March
last it was stated that they left the Great Northern Rail-
way by the down train at 9 o'clock in the evening, and
spent the evening together at the Great Northern Hotel,
Peterborough, occupying the same bedroom. The petitioner
and his wife lived together afterwards,and it was deposed in
the course of the evidence that he was kind and affectionate
to his wife, and appeared to be a man of religious charac-
ter. A considerable portion of the evidence as to identity
depended upon photographs of the defendants. It appeared
also that the co-respondent was acquainted with Mr.
Charles Reade, the popular novelist, who was examined
yesterday, and the dcquaintance between him and respon-
dent originated in a visit which they both paid to the
lunatic asylum, where his mother was confined, and with
a view to inquire into the circumstances of a patient al-
leged to be confined there improperly.
No witnesses were called for the defence.

The jury, after more than an hour's consultation, found
that the adultery was proved, and assessed the damages at
£3OO.

Decree nisi with costs.

CLERKENWELL COUNTY COURT.
(Before Mr. Forster.)
THE MERCY OF LAW.-A PAINFUL SCENE.

In the course of a batch of judgment summonses, in
which one plaintiff brought up a number of poor defaulters,
one case excited a great deal of commiseration. A decent-
looking working man, who carried in his arms a young
child, aged about two years, stepped forward in answer
to his name, but appeared to be in the most profound afflic-
tion. He kept his face covered with a handkerchief, and
when questioned by Mr. Cheere, registrar of the court,
as to his reason for not obeying the order of the judge as
made upon a former occasion, the poor fellow was unable
to articulate a single word. One of the officers of the
court handed a piece of paper in to the registrar, and that
gentleman said to the plaintiff, " You.see the condition of
this man and how he is suffering. Is it your wish to go
on with this summons?" The plaintiff replied that he
wanted his money; to which the registrar rejoined, "If
you wish to go on of course I must proceed, but I should
have thought you would have withdrawn from such a
case as this, and I should have been well pleased had you
done so." The plaintiff, however,' persisted in his right,
and Mr. Cheere said that no doubt the defendant was in
a great deal of trouble, and he should not think of sending
him to prison. The case would be adjourned until the
middle of January, and then the Court would consider
whether he could pay the debt by instalments. The de-
fendant bowed to his merciful judge, and muttering in
a broken voice " Thank you," left the court. It subse-
quently transpired that his wife was laying dead at his
house, and that he had otherwise experienced great
trouble.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, Dec. shipping yarns our
market has been very quiet to-day—in fact, almost
a blank. Buyers very generally appear to have an
impression that the news by the Persia (now hourly
expected) will bring advice., from the United States
of lower prices for cotton, and, consequently, they
believe they can do better in yarns by waiting.
Home trade yarns have been very quiet, and prices
are tending downwards. The cloth market, like
that for yarns, has been quietly toning down since
Tuesday. Manufacturers find they can buy the
lower numbers of yarns at lower rates, and cloths
generally are easier to buy ; but manufacturers are
well engaged, and there is not much pressure upon
the market.

C ARDIFF, 7th.--The succession of storms which
prevailed last week gieatly affected business at the
docks, but with a return of more favourable weather
there has been a resumption of operations in the
shipment of coal. The collieries are now going on
with tolerable regularity, and the railways are bring-
ing down a large quantity. The trade with the
West Indies has fallen off, as might be naturally
expected since the close of the American war, but
proprietors are well supplied with orders from the
continental States, and these, together with the
brisk demand from shippers at Birkenhead, and the
metropolitan and inland markets, keep the pits
fairly employed. In hotise coal there is an average
amount of business doing, but the mild weather
acts as a check on merchants giving out contracts
to any great extent. The iron trade evinces about
the same degree of vitality as has characterised it
for the last three or' four weeks, and prices remain
without change. The last mails from New York
have not brought as many orders as expected, but
this has not caused any surprise. Pig iron con-
tinues firm.

NorrINGHAm, Bth.—The attendance on 'Change
to-day was not so numerous as on Tuesday, and
there was less activity in the demand for lace yarns
—a reduction of ld. per lb. on coarse numbers being
occasionally submitted to. For hosiery yarns fully
recent rates were supported. Silks very dear, and
tending upwards. In brown nets there was not
much change to quote ; demand very dull.

MARKETS—This Day.

COVENT GARDEN.

The market is well supplied with vegetables, and the
show of fruit is seasonably good. The trade rules firm, as
follows :

num—Pine apples, 7s to 8s; hot houso grapes, 2s 6d to
Gs; foreign do, 9d to is Gd ; filberts, is Gd to is 9d per lb ;
apples, is 9d to 3s 6d per half sieve ; new oranges, 4s
to 8s ; lemons, 3s 6d to 7s• walnuts, is to 2s per DO.

VEGETABLES—Red cabbages, is 6d to 2s 6d; white do.,
9d to is 3d; Savoys, 10d to is 4d; celery, 8d to is Gd;
horseradish, is to 2s Gd per doz heads ; greens, 2s 6d to
3s ; turnips, 1s 6d to 2s 6d ; carrots, 3s 6d to 4s 6d ; onions,
is 6d to 2s ' • brocoli, Os to Os per doz bunches ; Brussels
sprouts, is 3d tb 2s per half sieve.