The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 11, 1865

der S. B. Dolling to the Formidable ; Edward C.
Smyth, master, to the Scorpion ; William C. Bick-
nell, master, additional, to the Asia ; Thomas F.
Simmons, chief engineer, additional, to the Asia ;
and James R. Keay, first-class assist.-engineer, to
the Research ; Commander G. S. Nares, to the
Salamander, vice Carnegie, invalided; Lieutenant
Francis Durrant, to the Gannet; Lieut. Henry H.
M. Magrath, to the Pembroke; Sub.-Lieut. Swin-
ton C. Holland, Sub-Lieut. Malcolm M'Neile, and
Sub-Lieut. Charles V. Anson, to the Victoria and
Albert ; James A. Miller, surg., to the Brilliant ;
John T. Gabriel, surg., to the Scorpion ; John
Hide, acting assist.-surg., to the Liverpool; Andrew
Mullan, assist.-surg., to the Royal Adelaide ; and
William J. Juman, assist.-surg., to the Scorpion.

ferers. The latter had for many years refused to take new
risks in this locality on account of the narrowness of the
street. It is fortunate that a large number of steamers were
on hand in the afternoon to tow off the vessels lying along
the wharves, or we should have had to record the destruc-
tion of many valuable vessels.

City of London Industrial Classes Exhibition

Last night a public meeting was held in further-
ance of the above object, at the Sussex-Hall, Leaden-
hall-street, City. It appears that some two months
ago a portion of the artisans of the city of London
raised the idea of an exhibition, to be confined to
themselves, similar to those which, during the past
few months, have been held in various parts of the
metropolis. A requisition, signed by some 2,000 in-
dividuals, was transmitted to the chief magistrate ask-
ing him to preside, and his compliance resulted in
the present inaugural meeting. It may be mentioned
that the guarantee fund now amounts to £9lO.

The Lout, MAYOR, who was warmly received, ex-
plained the circumstances under which the gather-
ing was called together. He then went on to argue
that such exhibitions as the one proposed were
highly calculated to draw out the inventive genius
of other men who laboured in similar lines of busi-
ness to those who exhibited articles, and concluded
by stating that whatever steps might be taken by
the committee to carry out the object he would cor-
dially give his support.
The SECRETARY (Mr. Ramsey) read a short state-
ment of the origin of the movement, and also the
rules. Prizes were to be granted to all works of
excellence, and special ones, among other things, for
any improvements in sanitary matters.
The Rev. R. G. HARPER moved the first resolu-
tion, pledging the meeting to the support of the
enterprise, and in a brief address stated his opinion
that such exhibitions as that proposed were much
calculated to raise the working man from the posi-
tion of comparative lowliness which he had so long
occupied.
Mr. J. RICHARDSON, a member of the Common
Council, seconded the proposition in an animated
speech, and it was unanimously agreed to.
Mr. J. BENNETT, also a Common Councilman,
urged the working men of London to compete ex-
tensively in this coming exhibition, since it would
promote the progress of education and taste in the
flue arts, in which, mechanically, they were so
lamentably deficient. He concluded by moving a
resolution appointing a preliminary meeting.
The Rev. Mr. BLYTHE seconded the proposition.
As to Englishmen being backward in the study of
the fine arts, foreigners did not come to this country
to make railways, steam engines, &c., but to draw
pretty designs. For all that John Bull had the same
quality in his head.

The motion was agreed to.
A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the
proceedings.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT-July 10.

The July sessions of the Central Criminal Court was
opened yesterday morning before the Recorder, Mr. Russell
Gurney, the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Mr. Warren
Stormes Hale, Mr. Alderman Allen, Mr. Alderman and
Sheriff Besley, Messrs. Davidson and Do Jersey, the under-
sheriffs, &c.
The first edition of tho calendar contains the names of
85 prisoners.

The Recorder, in charging the grand jury, remarked
that the number of cases was not very large, and the cases
generally did notappear to be of a nature to give them very
much trouble. Thera was one feature, however, he could
not help remarking, and that was the great number of
charges for cutting and wounding and stabbing. There
seemed to have been, during the last sessions, a groat in-
crease in that class of offence. It was a short time back
thought that there was a great decrease in crimes of vio-
lence, but he was sorry to observe that latterly the charges
of stabbing had become very serious. There were no less
than 14 cases of stabbing and six for wounding with intent
to murder, out of a number not exceeding 80. There were
two charges of manslaughter. In the first, however, the
circumstances were very simple. There appeared to have
been a fight between the two parties, in which the deceased
fell and struck his head against the kerb stone. The other
case was something peculiar. The accused was awoke in
the night by a noise, and upon looking out of his window
he saw some one crouching down under the kitchen
window. He called out but received no answer, and
then called his assistant up, and in his presence called out
again, " Who are you ?" and "if you don't answer
I'll shoot." Receiving no reply, he fired a pistol which
he had in his hand, and the man fell dead immediately.
The accused appeared to have immediately given notice to
the police, and there seemed to be very little evidence be-
yond his own statement of the facts as he had related them.
The recorder said if there was nothing more than appeared
from that statement ho was bound to tell the grand jury
that it was a homicide which was not in any way excusable
and justifiable. If a man broke into a house and attempted
any violence, there might be some justification ; but in the
present instance there was no appearance of any danger—
there was no knife or any weapon found upon the man, nor
was there any act done by him to lead to the belief that he
was going to enter the house. Whether or not the accused
meant to kill deceased—or only meant to frighten him—
he had fired the pistol in such a manner as might lead to
danger, and he was therefore equally responsible. It would
however, be for the grand jury to say whether the facts
were of that nature to justify them in returning a true bill.
His lordship then alluded to a charge against a merchant
for obtaining moneyby false pretences, and said the serious
charges of wounding he had alluded to would not require
any comment.

The grand jury then proceeded with their duties, and
the business of the court was commenced.

Eliza Woodward, 19, was charged with feloniously kill-
ing and slaying Thomas Simi).
The prisoner occupied an apartment in a house in Charles-
street, St. George's-in-the-East, and it appeared that on
the morning of the 26th April she and a man with whom
she cohabited were quarrelling and fighting, and the wife
of the deceased, who was related to the man with whom
the prisoner was cohabiting, went up for the purpose of
making peace, or endeavouring to do so. The prisoner
was very violent, and observed that she would murder
any one who came into the room, and, upon the deceased
attempting to enter it, she struck him a blow on
the head with a glass bottle, and inflicted a somewhat
serious wound. He was removed to the hospital, where
erysipelas came on, and he died shortly afterwards. The
prisoner seemed to have expressed her sorrow for what had
occurred almost immediately, and it also appeared that she
had been in custody since the beginning of May.
She was found Guilty, and the Recorder sentenced her
to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for four months.

Gorge Harwood, 21, bricklayer, and George Ray, 28,
labourer, were indicted for robbery with violence on Chas.
Reed, and stealing from his person six sovereigns, a breast-
pin, a necktie, a knife, an ivory rule, and other articles,
his property.

The facts of the case were somewhat singular and pecu-
liar. The prosecutor, by profession a lawyer, residing at
Nunhead Lodge, Peckham-rye, on the 25th of April last,
after a stroll over tho rye, went into the Belvedere Tavern,
and eventually found himself in the skittle-ground, and
after some time engaged in the game. In the course of
the exercise the prisoner Harwood offered to toss prosecu-
tor for a bottle of wine. It was alleged that the prosecutor
lost the toss, but refused to pay for the wine on the ground
that Harwood had not tossed fairly. The prosecutor indig-
nantly denied that he had refused to pay because he had
not got any money about him, and to corroborate his as-
sertion ho produced, most incautiously, his money, con-
sisting of six sovereigns and a quantity of silver. A con-
troversy ensued, which was ended by the landlord of the
house turning the whole party out of his house. The pro-
secutor proceeded homewards along the London-road, and
when about 200 yards from the tavern he was suddenly
struck at the back of the head and rendered prostrate.
The prisoners, whom he recognised from their voices,
then fell upon him, and kneeling on his chest and dash-
ing his head upon the ground, proceeded to rifle the
whole of his pockets. They attacked him with such
violence that his waistcoat, shirt, and flannel shirt were
torn into ribbons. He entreated them to lot him go, and
at last he succeeded, and getting upon his legs he seized
Harwood by the throat, and held him tightly until Police-
constable Whable, 337 P, came up, and the prisoner Har-
wood was conveyed to the police-station. On being
searched, the necktie, breastpin, tobacco pouch, penknife,
and ivory rule were found in his possession, and were
now identified by tho prosecutor as his property, From
the description given by the, prosecutor of the socond
assailant, the prisoner Ray was taken into custody, and,
when presented to the prosecutor, was at once identified
by him. The evidence of several witnesses, including the
police constable, corroborated the prosecutor's testimony,
all declaring that the• prosecutor was sober, though he
had partaken of something to drink, and the evidence of
Mr. Jones, a surgeon, who had been called in to attend the
prosecutor for the injuries ho had received, stated that the
prosecutor had been confined to his bed under his care for
ar period of eight days.

Mr. Lilley addressed the jury on behalf of the prisoner
Ray, and contended that the question of the identity,
which was the important issue, had not been established,
and hence he was entitled to a verdict of acquittal, espe-
cially as it would be shown that the prosecutor was so
inebriated at the time that no reliance could be placed on
his testimony.

Several witnesses were called who gave Ray a good cha-
racter for honesty, and the landlord of the tavern and other
persons deposed to the prosecutor being in such a state of

intoxication as not to be competent to speak to the facts
which had occurred.

Mr. Pater replied on the whole of the case, and
The Recorder summed up the evidence with his usual
care and clearness.

The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict
of guilty as against the prisoner Harwood, but acquitting
the prisoner Ray.

The prosecutor intimated to the court that he had made
inquires as to the antecedents of the prisoner, and the re-
sult of those inquiries induced him to recommend the pri-
soner to the merciful consideration of the court.

The Recorder said that but for this recommendation he
should have felt it his duty to have passed a sentence of
lengthened penal servitude ; as it was, the sentence was 1,2
months' imprisonment with hard labour.