The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-26 00:00:00

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1 POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
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GUILDHALL.--Alderman Hum her begged to
acknowledge the receipt of the following munificent
donations to the poor-box of this court :---251, from the
Grocers' Company, being 51. more than their usual
handsome subscription, on account of the dearness of
provisions ; 201. from the Merchant Taylors' Company,
being double the amount of their annual donation, in
consequence of the high price of provisions and coals ;
and 20s. from a portion of the young men employed at
30, Gutter-lane. The Alderman also acknowledged the
receipt of 25 family tickets and 50 single tickets from
the City Samaritan Institution, in Victoria-street,
entitling the holders to a good dinner of roast beef and
plum-pudding on Christmas-day.

[ 1)R10E SD.

THE EASTERLY GALES AND THE COAL
TRADE.

SHIELDS, SATURDAY NIGHT.

We have an immense fleet of coal-laden vessels in the
Tyne, which have been accumulating during the past 10
days. In fact, the continued easterly gales are causing
a very serious detention of shipping—the Wear, Hartle-
pool, and the Tees being as full of vessels as the Tyne.
There is not a vacant berth in Shields harbour. The
weather has been very rough at sea, and the waves
break heavily on the coast. The few vessels that have
left here laden within the time mentioned have either
had to put back or seek places of shelter in Leith-roads
or Holy Island. It is very fortunate that we have had
so few vessels, more especially laden vessels, on the
coast du-ring the prevalence of the gales, and the ship-
ping casualties reported bear a slight proportion to the
losses by similar gales in past seasons. The only vessel
belonging to this port of the crew of which there seems
now to. be no hope, is a brig named the Agenoria. She
sailed coal-laden for London. Subsequently one of her
boats was washed ashore near Aldborough. Neither
vessel nor crew has been heard of, and there is-every
reason to conclude that she is lost
with all hands. The
side of a vessel has come on shore near Bridlington, of
which there is no account, and a derelict vessel is re-
ported to have been off Sunderland. About 200 light
colliers reached here from London during Monday and
Tuesday, after very quick passages. About half-a-
dozen light vessels ran ashore on the same day in a,
breeze in taking Hartlepool, but it is not supposed that
they will sustain any serious injury. When the wind
veers about, and the sea gets down on the coast, there
will be an extraordiny sea tide, and an immense fleet of
laden colliers will leave the northern parts for the Lon-
don market—not less than 1,000 sail of vessels.
The consumer of' coal, with the coalowner and ship-
owner, is interested in the removal of obstacles impend-
ing the ingress or egress of collier-vessels from the
northern seaports, as the effects of the easterly gales
clearly show. Owing to the increase of large vessels
frequenting the coal ports, a good deal of attention has
been recently paid to plans for increased harbour accom-
modation, and the making of docks for the shipment of
coal and merchandise. There are now extensive docks
at Hartlepool and Sunderland. The directors of the
Sunderland Dock are extending their accommodation,
and are spending a large sum of money in making a
sea entrance. The Tyne Improvement Commissioners
have also procured powers to excavate a large dock on
that river for the shipment of coal at the Hayhole.
The execution of the works is now in the hands of
contractors. The York, Newcastle, and Berwick Rail-
way Company are also applying to Parliament, for
powers to build a large dock in Jarrow Slake, for the
shipment of the produce of the Durham coalfield ; and
another company has a project to build an extensive
deep waterdook at St. Peter's, near Newcastle-on-Tyne.
There is also a project on foot to build a dock and give
increased harbour accommodation to vessels engaged in
the coal trade at Blyth, a little seaport on the Northum-
berland coast. But the most important improvement
projected in connection with the Tyne is the building or
piers at the mouth of the river, with the object of deepen-
ing the water on the bar, and protecting vessels enter-
ing and leaving the port. The River Tyne Improve-
ment Commissioners have an act giving them powers to
make those works, and to collect the necessary dues.
But as the Admiralty have a veto, and as there was a
want of agreement among the towns on the banks of
the river as regards the best set of plans, the appoint-
ment of an engineer to execute those works was left in
the hands of their lordships. They nominated Mr.
Walker, civil engineer, and that gentleman has just
presented an elaborate report setting forth his views on
the subject, and it is anticipated that the works will be
proceeded with in the beginning of the year.
The wind has veered round to the N.W. to-night.
The weather, however, looks very black and threaten.
ing, and we have had a great deal of rain.
The crew of a billyboy, which had been roughly used
by the gale outside, brought word into Sunderland on
Thursday that they had seen a schooner and a galliot
in distress not far off our coast. This report has not
been confirmed, and is not generally believed in.
Coal freights to London on Newcastle quay to-day
were from lls. 6d. to 12s. per ton, but there were no
light vessels in port to take them.

MARYLEBONE.— Walter Godbold, driver of the
cab No. 2,819, appeared before Mr. Long on a sum-
mons which had been obtained against him at the in-
stance of the Police Commissioners, to answer the
charge (under the 16th and 17th Victoria, the Amended
Hackney Carnage Act) plying for hire on a stand with
a horse unfit for public use.
Inspector Jecks, G, who has been specially appointed
to carry out in different districts the provisions of the
act in reference to the offence in question, stated that
at half-past one in the afternoon of the 15th inst.
he saw defendant on the rank in High-street, Camden-
town. Upon examining the animal which he (defend-
ant) had in his vehicle he found upon the off shoulder a
wound of some-extent, from which pus and blood were
oozing. The horse was in an extremely weak and jaded
condition, and, on witness desiring him to take it home,
as.it was cruel to work it, he promised that he would
do so, but almost immediately afterwards he took np a
woman and drove off. The poor animal was whipped
severely, and even then it could scarcely get into a mo-
derate. trot. I 0 was evidently in extreme pain while
performing the compulsory labour alluded tn.
Taylor, 320 K, corroborated the greater portion of
the inspector's statement.
Defendant, on being asked what he had to say, re-
plied that he was not plying for hire, and that the per-
sono he took up was his wife, with whom he drove home
directly. He had no witnesses present to speak for him.
Mr. Jecks had another case of a like description, and
Inspector Hennent, D, a third.
Mr. Long said he was glad that under the amended
act these matters had been taken up. A great deal of
crueltyr
s e sin was
as woringofwe hotrnr•eoe cases
tcab
h
the magistrate inflicted a penalty of 10s., or seven days'
imprisonment, at the same time intimating his intention
to inflict a greater amount of punishment upon like
offenders in future.
thepubc practised
strbeyets. the
In each of the

CLERKENWELL.—John Thlgailes, brushmaker, of'
40, Wynyatt-street, Clerkenwell, and Mary Ann, his
wife, appeared before Mr. Tyrwhitt, pursuant to their
bail, to answer an atrocious charge of cruelty to Emma
Higgins, aged 6, the illegitimate child of the former.
The inquiry occasioned a painful interest.
The little complainant, remarkable alike for her dimi-
nutive
as intelligent appearance, stood on a stool sup-
ported by her mother, and when questioned by the
worthy magistrate as to her knowledge of right and
wrong gave answers with a rapidity and truthful accu-
racy that excited astonishment and admiration.
Mr. Tyrwhitt, addressing Mr. Wakeling, who ap-
peared for the prisoner, said, after so pleasing an exhibi-
tion of the talent of such an infant, he had no difficulty
in allowing her to be sworn in the usual way. For-
merly a child of that age was not permitted to give evi-
dence, let the crime be never so great, and many rut=
ing noticed and removed that difficulty, leaving magis-
trates to ascertain and judge the competency of children
o consequentlyea r escaped.ned m e
m b
ersof Such,
the however,Li.gis
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t uwasr a not .
the case n w,
ley
h
to give evidence.
fin
SThe New Testament was then placed in the hands of
the child, and being told to examine it, she opened it,
and read with fluency three verses of the Book of Reve-
lations. Being sworn, she entered minutely into a series
of barbarities perpetrated towards her by the prisoners.
whom she knew only in the character of uncle and aunt.
In the course of the investigation it came out that the
child was the offspring of one Martha Higginson by the
male prisoner, who had subsequently married. The
complainant was placed under the guardianship of
her mother's father, to whose kind attention she
is indebted for her learning, and she remained with
him until March last, when the prisoners took her
to their abode, alleging inability to pay 2s. 6d. a week
for her maintenance, under an order of this court for
that purpose. According to the testimony of the com-
plainant, she was at first treated as well as the other
children of the prisoners, but, after a while, she was buf-
fetted and kicked about, made to eat for her breakfast
and supper dry bread with milk and water, and that her
dinner invariably consisted of boiled rice and salt, whereas
the prisoners and their children had at the first meal tea,
bread and butter, and fish ; meat, potatoes, greens, and
pudding, at dinner; and at tea-time their fare was the
same as at breakfast. She had frequently been stripped
naked by the prisoners, who had afterwards tied her
hands behind her, and her legs together, and then plunged
her head foremost into cold water ; and on one occasion
while so bound the woman was going to put her on the
fire, but was alarmed at her screams. Since then the
male defendant had placed a piece Of wire secured to
some string round her neck, and dragged her about the
floor to a nail in the cupboard, saying he would hang
her. Her aunt (the woman) would often beat her with
her shoe over her head, and kick her on various parts of
her person, because she did not work fast enough with
her needle is assisting her at dress-making. Her grand-
father at length came to see her, and, finding her naked
since been in Clerkenwe'll workhouse, where she had been
in the corner of a room he took' her away, and she had
fed on puddings, meat, and other nice things.
Mr. Brown, surgeon of the parish, said that when the
poor child was brought under his notice it was emaciated,
and had bruises about its body, and a ligature mark about
its neck.
A woman named Hopper stated that a fortnight ago
she heard the woman at the bar call the complainant a
little brute, and say she would put an end to her. She
had often heard her beat her, when the little sufferer
would moan, scream, and call out, " Oh, aunt." Four
months back she noticed black marks on her face.
Other evidence in confirmation of th© child having
been given, Mr. Wakeling pleaded for his clients that
they were on the verge of the grave from sickness and
destitution, in addition to which the female defendant
was near her accouchement. He had listened with con-
siderable pain to the evidence of the child, and felt the
serious difficulty in which he was placed, and the heavy
responsibility cast on him ; for surely the cruelties de-
scribed could not be the artful inventions of an infant of
so tender an age ; and then again he was utterly at a
loss to account for the motive for such unheard-of bar-
barity. The child was an out-patient of the. London
Homceepathic Hospital, and the cold water applications
and recommendation of peculiar diet might possibly have
induced the poor child to fancy peculiar hardships to-
wards her. However, he must leave the learned magis-
trate to
aone judge of all the facts, satisfied that justice would
be

INDICTMENT O,P TWO FEMALES FOR

SHOPLIFTING.

At the Quarter Sessions for the Borough of Colchester,
Mrs. Bathia Webb, of 'Great Bentley, and Miss Eliza-
beth Holby, of Thorpe, whose connections are highly
respectable, were indicted on several charges of shop-
lifting. The case excited the greatest interest, and
during its hearing the court was crowded to an extent
equalled on any former occasion.
Mr. Walford prosecuted, and Mr. Parry was specially
retained for the prisoners.
It appeared in evidence, that the prisoners went toge-
ther to the Colchester Bazaar, on the 10th of this month,
and made some trifling purchases. Two pairs of stock-
ings, two handkerchiefs, a pair of plush cuffs, a quantity
of velvet trimmings, and other articles, were missed by,
the prosecutor, having been stolen, and were subse-
quently found concealed under the bed and mattress in
the room kept for ladies on market days at the Sea
Horse Inn. Mrs. Webb, it was proved, dined with her
husband (a respectable frequenter of the market) ou the
same day ; but Miss Holby was not with them then.
Upon the articles being found, Miss Holby exclaimed,
"My sister is innocent. I alone am responsible." She
was very much affected.

The articles baying been produced and identified as
the property of Mr. Marsden, the proprietor of the
bazaar,

Mr. Parry addressed the prisoners. He observed
that, with regard to one of them, he was extremely
pained as to the course he was compelled to take, but,
after the admission she had made, it was impossible for
him to struggle against the fact, that in a moment of
temptation, either dazzled by the finery o!' the establish-
ment, or unconscious for the moment of the cor.se-
quences of what she was doing, she did commit an act
which must bring upon her some punishment. In a
moment of agony, feeling the misery she had brought
upon herself, and was likely to bring upon her sister,
she confessed her guilt. The learned counsel then con-
tended that Mrs. Webb had not committed a single act
that looked like that of a guilty woman, and her posi-
tion, with the prospect of soon becoming a mother, was
one that must cause the jury a greater anxiety to rescue
her from the disgrace of having her first -child born in a
gaol.
A number of witnesses having been called to character,
The jury acquitted Mrs. Webb, and found Miss Holby
guilty, who was sentenced to four months' imprison-
ment and hard labour in Springfield Gaol.
A second indictment against the prisoners was with•
drawn.

Mr. Tyrwhitt remarked, that Mr. Wakeling had made
the best of a veryheartless case of cruelty, and, taking
into consideration the improbability of the prisoners
ever again having the care of the child, and also their
evident ill state of health, he should commit them, with-
out fine, to the Rouse of Correction for two months.
The Prisoners,
degraded position, were then removed from the bar.
who appeared overwhelmed with their

STATE OF TRADE.

LA.MBETH.—A clerk from the office of Mr. Hick
applied to the Hon. G. C. Norton for a summons against
the Rev. Robert Gibson, an Independent min;ster, for
wilful and corrupt perjury, committed while giving his
evidence in a case of assault by Mr. Kelly, a respectable
printer, whose wife he had seduced.
The applicant related to his worship the answers
atlnitsrs. at
Clarke,reply
her
h w
given by the Rev. Mr. Gibson to questions put to him
on that day—answers not hastily, but deliberately and
after a caution given, which had subsequently been con-
tradicted by the most respectable and unimpeachable
witnesses. One of the questions asked the rev. gentle-
man was, whether he had not assumed and gone by the
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eet onaf t t hthhe
name of Kelly, and went by that name while he resided
ee

(Front the Afanchester Guardian of Saturday.)

MANCHESTER, DEC. 23.—At the commencement of
the present month, indications began to show them-
selves of a rising opinion that the depression in busi-
ness had probably run its course for the present; and
since then, we have experienced a gradual increase of
demand for both yarns and goods. The India mer-
chants have operated with greater freedom, in mule
twist and the lighter kinds of goods, especially of late,
,
under the influence of improved accounts from Calcutta ;
and some purchases of water twist and the heavier
shirtings appear to have been made even for Can-
ton, where, according to the last accounts a re-
sumption of business seemed to be taking place. The
Greeks have also come into the market for twist and
cloth adapted to the trade of the Levant. For some
parts of the continent of America, moderate operations
are in Progress ; and we may cite domestics as articles
which seem pretty sure to be in' much greater request for
usual absence of demand
Canada, than in any former year. The last-named articles
are not now held in stock by the makers, as was the
case but a short time back ; and they are consequently
very firm in price.
NOTTING-RAM, Dec. 22.—The
that is always experienced this month still continues,
and with the exception of a few final orders for the sea-
son, both for lace and hosiery, there is comparatively
nothing doing. ' '
LEICESTER, Dec. 22.—Oar market' is as usual quiet
before Christmas. Stocks on hand are unusually low
for the season, and there is more confidence felt amongst
the worsted spinners in holding over stock tilthe new
year's trade commences.

Mr. Norton—Juries are slow to convict in cases of per-
jury ; and I feel assured that evidence such as you have
seen by
that
when
the rev,
Mrs
gentleman
the
isr b,
ea
w sufficient to obtain a conviction.
to
avoidApplicantw e
t tiaddressed him in the name of Kelly, saying it was all
Clarke,h went
tdwillinto be
rthe. ableKwa oi to
tera p ,
y herself o
right, and that he might come out ; but, besides this, I
can produce a respectable master baker, who will swear
that Gibson at his shop said his name was Kelly, and
ordered bread to be sent to his wife, Mrs. Kelly, and
further, I can have the evidence of a medical man, who
made out a bill in the name of Kelly, and Gibson paid
him.
Mr. Norton—Well, I much doubt whether even this
will be strong enough for a conviction.
Applicant —I feel satisfied that it would be sufficient
to obtain an indictment before a grand jury, but, as the
Recorder at the Old Bailey strongly objects to persona
being placed for trial on bills of indictment found be-
hind their backs, I should much prefer, and ao would
the person by whom I am employed, to have the rev.
gentleman brought before your worship on a summons,
and the evidence taken in the regular way, so that he
might know exactly what he had to answer.
Mr. Norton.—All that is very fair, but 1 have some
doubts whether the evidence on which you wish to
found the charge of perjury was given sufficiently for-
mally ; and I should like -to hear the whole evidence
read before giving a summons.
Applicant.—The gentlemen whom I represent, from
having been so grossly imposed on by the Rev. R. Gib-
son, in his assumed sacred capacity; as well as Mr.
Kelly, are determined not to let the matter rest where
it is, and with that view have instructed me to place the
whole of [the evidence before eminent counsel, and act
upon his advice. The opinion of the learned gentleman
I shall have in a few days, and shall then renew my
application.
Mr. Norton.—Very well, let it remain so.

Mu. SMITE o'BRlEN.—According to the Limerick
Chronicle,
no intimation whatever has reached' the
family or friends of Mr. Smith O'Brien of that gentle-
man's escape from Van Diemen's Land.
We are happy to be enabled to state, from inquiries
which were made, that the three Misses Green Wil-
kinson are fast recovering from the accident by fire,
which is by no means of that serious nature as was at
first supposed.