The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-18 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

L A.MEETIL—A RUFFIAN HUSBAND.—Yesterday
William Conk, a savage-looking mechanic, was charged
before Mr. Elliott with committing a most brutal assault
on Jane Cook, his wife.

The wife, whose left eye was very black and appa-
rently much injured, and her left cheek and jaw much
swollen and discoloured, deposed that on that morning,
about 1 o'clock, her husband, without any other provo-
cation than her being absent from home at his dinner
-hour, made a violent attack on her, knocked her down
several times with his clenched fist, and while on the
ground kicked her with great force on the jaw. So se-
vere were his kicks that for some time she thought her
jaw was broken, and she was then labouring under the
most excruciating pain from it, as well as the injuries
done to her eye ; but still she did not want to hurt her
'husband.

Two persons who had been awoke by the screams of
the unfortunate woman, and who had witnessed the out-
rage from their window, described it as the most savage
proceeding they had ever seen. The prisoner had bees
engaged, they said, for fully 20. minutes in knocking down
and kicking- the unfortunate woman, and it was their
impression. at the time that he had killed her or at least
alisabled herfor

In reply to the charge, the prisoner said that on
vorninr, home to his dinner o❑ the day before he found
no dinner prepared for him, and his wife out on the
drink: On returning home at night she was still absent,
and he u!timately found her with anumber of her drink-
ing ciienpnnionsin a public-house much the worse for
liquor. This exasperatectlirn, knoWiti,l that'she Might
I,e perfectly comfortable but for her drunken propeu-
ssities.

The ,oir.plainant hero said it bawl not been her inten-
vLion to say a word against her husband, but to beg him
.0d ;if she could ; but as he thought proper to make such
'charges against her, she wished to inform his worsh!p
that for a length of time she had supported her husband
by her prostitution.
Mr. Elliott observed that but for the proflir'mcy and
drinking habits of the wife herself, he should have im
posed the utmost penalty ; out as it was, he should com-
mit the prisoner to three months' imprisonment and hard
labour.
ALLEGED ABDUCTION.—A gentleman of high re-
',Pectability in the City attended before
the magi-
,strate, to answer to
.corinee'.ttin a summons charging him with
gan assault on a West-end hair-dresser,
,at the Waterloo Statl
• , and from what transpired
-w had
hen the summons been applied for, it appeared
had
that the complainanta sister who was entitled
to a," considerable fortune, and who bad been in-
duced by some interestedu prarties to leave her home and
Her go into the country.brother, after some difficulty,
traced her to Southampton,Oand prevailed upon her to
return to town with hipm. n arriving at the Waterloo
Station they were met by he uardian (the present de-
fendant) and some members orfg
when a scuffle
took place, and during its contihihusafnacrnedythe young lady
_The
defehcfother did not know,
-was spirited away to where hern
endt
in
accompanied
and could not find out.
The case
law, and the
;by his attorney, and a counsel learned
„30mplainant by his man of law also.
.on in its usual course, and the complainant weasaeswinatshceawlieitd.
mess-box andsworn, when the parties came to an amicable
.arrangement, the defendant, as executor and guardian to
having consented to disclose
to her bro
:the young lady,
-ther her present place of residence, and to allow him to
correspond with her, and thus the audience in the court
..gad the public were deprived of disclosures alleged to be
of a novel and somewhat romantic character.
The summQns vias withdrawn by consent.

THAMES. —CURIOUS APPLICATION.—James Smith,
a seaman in her Majesty's service, at present staying on
board the Crocodile, receiving ship (who, it will be re-
membered, was committed from this court a short time
since on a charge of perjury preferred by a person named
Massey, an outfitter and shipping-agent, of Upper East
Smithfield, and who was acquitted at the Central Criminal
Court on Wednesday last), applied to Mr. Ingham to
know how he should proceed for the recovery of 1/. 12. i.,
which he alleged was due to him by Massey. He re-
peated what had been the foundation of the charge of
perjury—that Massey hired him to go on board an Arne-
ricanh ship, where he received an advance-note for 31. 10s.,
Nato he handed over to Massey. Half of it he allowed
Massey fur a suit of clothe leaving CI due to him
(applicant), allowing for 25.4 6d.ss
cash received, the sum 1
of H. 12s. tid.
Mr. Ingham—But as you did not serve on board the I
American vessel, Massey could not have got the note
cashed ?
Smith—Yes, sir, he did •
for I sailed as far as Cardiff
in the..-Imerican snip beforesurrendering as a deserter 1
from the navy.
31r Ingham--I am 'd- •
I can Li, for pa,u3..4‘ ° "31t
way
as American ship,
Smith—That is very hard.
'have good cause
of complaint against Massey, and that he is liable to an

action for false imprisonment, as well as to an indictment
for perjury.
Mr. Ingham—You must consult with your attorney
as to that.
Smith—l was acquitted by a jury, though there were
two councillors and a judge against me.
Mr. Ingham—lf you think you can establish a case
against Massey, pursue him for the amount in the county
court.
The applicant, who was accompanied by one of the
petty officers of the Crocodile, then left.

H A MMERSM 'Tu.-EXTRAORDINARY APPLICATION
AGAINST A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRlEST,—Shortly before
the closing of the court, Mr. Martin, solicitor, attended
by Mr. Parkins Jones, the relieving officer of Fulham,
applied to Mr. Paynter for a summons against the Rev.
Dr. Ferguson, the Roman Catholic priest of St. Thomas's
Chapel, in the Fulham-fields, under Jervis's Act, to
show cause why he should not be committed for a felony
for having knowingly and wilfully solemnised a marriage
between a young woman named Hannah Sarah Steel,
of English parents, and a young Irishman named
Cokely, in the absence of the registrar of marriages for
the district.

Mr. Martin said the ceremony of marriage, according
to the rites of the Roman Catholic religion, was performed
in September last by Dr. Ferguson, in St. Thomas's
Chapel, which was a registztred place for the solemnisa-
tion of marriages, &c. The young woman at that time
was pregnant by Cokely, who was one of Dr. Ferguson's
congregation, and it seemed that his client did all that
was necessary in giving the proper notices to the super-
intendant registrar. It further appeared that the notice
was given for the marriage to take place in a Roman
Catholic chapel in Kensington, and that Cokely after-
wards wished to be married in Fulham-fields Chapel.
She then applied to Mr. Strowther, the regristrar of
marriages, to know if she could do so, and she was told
.that she could not. However, Dr. Ferguson sent for
her and Cokely one night and offered to marry them at
that time, it being half-past nine o'clock, but in conse-
quence of their not having the fees it was put off until the
following morning, when the marriage did take place in
the vestry-room, in the absence of the registrar, and only
one witness, which was also improper, as two witnesses
were required. The witness who was present, happened to
he the father of Cokely. Oa the night before the mar-
riage his client told Dr. Ferguson of the notice having
been given for the marriage to take place in Kensing-
ton, and he replied that it made no difference, and that
he could marry them in his chapel. The marriage turned
out a villanous affair, for the husband and his father
absconded a few nights afterwards to America, taking
with him all her money which she had saved while in
service. She afterwards obtained relief, and was confined
in the Fulham union workhouse of a child. She sub,e-
quently ascertained that her marriage was null and void,
and on Wednesday last she obtained an order before the
bench of magistrates at the Kensington petty sessions
against the father of the child, and the whole of the
magistrates expressed themselves in strong terms upon
the improper conduct of Dr. Ferguson, and offered to
assist in a prosecution against him.
Mi. Paynter observed that it was notorious that the
registrar of marriages was required to be present to lega-
lise the ceremony in registered places.
Mr. Martin said Dr. Ferguson must have known that
he was doing wrong, for he had formerly been a Pro-
testant minister, and a curate of Brompton. He also
produced a document in the handwriting of Dr. Ferzu-
son, who had afterwards given the young woman what
was termed a certißcate of the marriage, and he under-
stood that emk.aVours had been made to get it bag;!;.
Mr. Paynter said it was important that such a case
should be inquired into, and at once granted the
summons.

Mr. Martin afterwards informed the worthy magis-
trate that several Irishmen had insulted ttte„ young
woman as she was leaving the court, and he :had taken
means to place her away from the neighbourhohd—iif
Fulham fields until after the matterhad been investigated.

OPENING OF THE LONDONDERRY, SEA-
BA if, AND SEINDERLAIYD BAILIf AY.

On Thursday the 3d inst.,this important undertaking,
which owes its existence to the penetrating sagacity and
indomitable perseverance of the mind that stole Seaham
Harbour from the ocean, was 'opened for traffic amid
great public rejoicing. It will be needless for us here
to recapitulate the various circumstances which sug.
gested to the mind of the late noble Marquis the neces-
sity for the undertaking which has now been so success-
fully completed, but a few particulars as to the external
features and general character of the line in its finished
state will not be found uninteresting. The remarkable
rapidity with which the undertaking was conceived,
planned, and carried through, contrasts strikingly
enough with other instances of railway enterprise with
which are in this neighbourhood somewhat painfully
familiar. The first sod was raised by the late Marquis in
a field near to Seabam Harbour, in February, 1853,
but the worki were not virtually commenced until the
month of April following, so that in the space of little
more than sixteen months a work has been successfully
carried out which is represented as quite a model of con-
structive skill, and which is undoubtedly destined to
exercise an important influence on the rising fortunes of
the district through which it has been carried. The line.
is six miles in length.. and. will be- hrought into connec-
- Eon with the following six collieries in the possession of
the present Marchioness—South Hetton, Murton, Has-
well, Shotton, Seaham, and Seaton. But while by this
arrangement the primary object of the undertaking is
secured, the comfort of the travelling public has not been
overlooked. Commodious stations, we are told will be
formed for passenger accommodation at each end of the
line, and there will also be one near to the village of
Ryhope. By this means the only obstacle to an enjoy- '
merit of "a day on tie Sands at Seaham " will be re•
moved, and the attractions of the place once becoming
known, we may confidently predict for it a large amount
of renown as one of those now popular localities where
bipeds of the picnicing and cheap trip genus do most
delight to congregate.
But to return. On the morning of the opening day
the various bridges and viaducts on the line underwent
the process of testing and inspection at the hands of a
party of scientific gentlemen, and with results sufficient
to reflect the greatest credit on the contractors, Messrs.
Forster and Lawton. The gentlemen engaged in these
very necessary operations were Mr. C - Elliott, C.E. ;
Mr. Charlton, sub-engineer of the line ; Mr. Turnbull,
of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway ; Mr.
Henderson, engineer ; and Messrs. Burlinson. The
viaducts across the dene which runs through the Sea-
ham Hall estate are three in number, and measure as
follows ; Dalton, length, 320 feet, height 64 feet ; Sea-
ham Hall, length 200 feet, height 85 feet ; Ryhope,
length 400 feet, height 85 feet. They are all formed of
wood, and contain an aggregate of about 44,000 cubic
feet of timber. The contractors for that portion of the
work have been Messrs. Robson and Son, Sunderland.
The train conveying the above mentioned gentlemen
was shortly after its arrival at Seaham joined by a
party from the Hall, consisting of Earl Vane, Lord
Adolphus Vane-Tempest, M.P., Lord Ernest Vane-
Tempest, and Mr. Neilson. Having taken their seats
in the train, the carriages were afterwards filled by a
miscellaneous company, and the parties were soon in
motion towards Sunderland, followed by a train of '26
coal waggons from the South Hetton Pit, and which
were intended for the first shipment at the new drops.
On arriving at this spot, the noble visitors were met
by Mr. George Hudson, M.P., chairman of the Dock
Company, Z. C. Bramwell, vice-chairman, and other
dock directors, who guided the party to a spot where
the shipment could be seen to advantage. In a few
minutes a waggon was run on to the drops (the work,
we ought to mem ion, of Messrs. Burlinson), and then,
amid the cheers of those present, and the thundring 'of
cannon which had been placed in the immediate vicinity,
it was lowered on the brig Elizabeth Packer, whose hold
received the first shipment. The large party which had
now congregated together then formed themselves into
processional order, and, guided by the dock chairman
and directors, proceeded on a tour of inspection round
the south entrance.

After the circuit of the dock had been duly completed
the party proceeded to the dock-office, where between
sixty and seventy gentlemen sat down to a sumptuous
collation set out in the board-room. The chair was
occupied by Mr. G. Hudson, M.P., and the vice-chairs
by Mr. C. Bramwell and Mr. J. J. Wright. The chair-
man was supported on his right by Earl Vane, Mr.
Stewart, and Mr. Morton, agent to the Earl of Durham ;,
and on his left by the Mayor of Sunderland, Lord
Adolphus Vane-Tempest, M.P., and Lord Ernest Vane-
Tempest, M.P. Among other gentlemen present we
observed Mr. Plews, Darlington ; Mr. George Elliott ;
Mr. Anderson, Pensher House ; Mr. Wight, Seaham ;
Mr. C. Webster, Paliion Hall ; Mr. J. Laing, J.P. ;
Mr. Ralph Carr, J.P. ; Mr. Niurray, engineer to the
dock company ; and Mr. Charleton, engineer to the
new railway; Mr. I. B. Ord, Mr, John Clay, Mr.
Alderman Reed, &0., &c. The usual loyal toasts havi g
been disposed of in a befitting manner, the chairman,
in appropriate terms, proposed the Army and Navy,
coupled with the health of Lord A. Vane-Tempest; to
which his lordship responded in Appropriate terms.
The CRAIR3IA.N next proposed "Prosperity to the
Londonderry, Seaham, and Sunderland Railway, and
inendoing so took occasion to pass a warm but merited
i ogium on the character of the departed marquis, ono
of the latest of whose triumphs in the cause of commer-
cial dev_?lopment they were that day met to celebrate.
vfromofEarl
partakinggeneroussure,
kindness must in some measure be alloyed
by melancholy and
th apt a ihnafdu l
irte recollections. cptlieoanssd
PAN:ne,v
ihdiesnscoentsn,
etaalntenoatwbanyt feelfrom this world the master mind that ori-
ginally conceived and
commenced
n this great undertak-
ing, we should have been,
toge, and the joyous listeners
together with yourselves, the
of many happy
witnesses
congratulationtnesseso
successfhisi
addressed
dressed to him. We should
have felt that it would have been most congenial
to his feelings to find that, by the exertions of his
tnhetheheah(lain
o beenf instrumental in
addingpers e ve raittli
ogthemr ilnit'ili
who exist between
is o
goodwill which has, and I trust eves
he will,
er social fellowship and
this great commercial town and (a
us used to call it) Little Seaham. But it pleased gone
n Godfrom
it
e 110 am
should be otherwise ; and although you will, I feel,
ex-
cuse me for reverting to what must be uppermost • n
I minds—our sad and melancholy bereavement —still
sure I shall be forgiven if, addressing as I do those so
closely connected with the interests of this county, I ant
perhaps carried away by devotion to a fond parent's
memory. I cannot but call to mind the deep affection
and interest he ever felt in this the county of his adop-
tion. Following in early years a soldier's fortune, he
by his own exertions gained to himself a high position
in our c,untry's aloy, and a seat in our highest :,enate.
A ttfrVrirClS, py the che.nce ,-ct lite, he became tne repre7
sentative of one of the finest properties in the north
of Ireland, But did all these honours seduce him

from the county of his adoption ? Were not the great
means which undoubtedly came into his hands dig-
pensed, and largely dispensed, in this county, not so /
much for himself, but for those who succeeded him—
were not the great mineral and mercantile resources of
the county in some degree developed by his exertions—
was not labour employed and money circulated ? And
though it may have cost many an anxious thought and
many a sleepless night for the purpose of business and
responsibility which laid their heavy weight upon him—
though the commencement of his great undertaking was
ridiculed by all, and termed the plaything of the eastern
blast, who can speak more feelingly than I, his son, when
I see Seaham Harbour flourishing and a trade communi-
cation established between it and this important town ?
It is a source of the greatest satisfaction to us, as I feel
certain from your kindness to us on this occasion it is to
you, that (though the projector was not permitted to see
his work completed) she, as whose representative I am
here to-day, has succeeded in completing that under-
taking which her beloved husband began, and of which
posterity will reap the advantages. In her name and
our own I thank you most deeply and sincerely for the
kindness and affectionate feeling you have evinced to-
wards her and ourselves. Under happier and brighter
circumstances she would have been rejoiced to have been
present on this occasion, and her house would have been
open to all ; but crushed as she is in spirit, and widowed
as she is in heart, she has felt herself wholly inadequate
to the task. Wishing, however, that, though the com-
pletion of my poor father's dearest object should be hailed
by us with every feeling of satisfaction and joy, yet that
the tear of sorrow and regret which must damp her
widowed cheek, should at least be shed in silence over
the loss of one so kind, so brave, and true, the partner
of thirty-five yearg' happiness. But I have dwelt too
long on selfish subjects, and I must ask your pardon and
forgiveness. In my mother's name I thank you most
sincerely for your reception of us this day, and the inte-
rest you have displayed in this our undertaking. I
would only hope that the union which has existed be-
tween this important town—important in its commerce,
its manufactures, arid above all its magnificent docks—
and the Harbour of &ail= may never be severed, and
that each succeeding year may give fresh vigour to the
further improvement and development of all those
schemes and operations which have brought forward to
the pre-eminent position which they hold the resources
of this great and important county. (Applause.) The
noble earl then concluded by proposing "Success to the
Dock, and Sunderland's Prosperity," coupled with the
name of Mr. Hudson.

The CHAIRMAN acknowledged the toast in an appro-
priate speech, and concluded by proposing the health of
Lady Londonderry, to which Earl Vane responded.
Among the other toasts were that of the Earl Vane,
proposed by Mr. C. Bramwell ; the Mayor of Sunder-
land ; the Chairman, G. Hudson, Esq., M.P., &c.
In responding to the toast of " the Members for the
Northern Division of the County," Lord A. Vane Tem-
pest spoke as follows :—Accept my warmest thanks
for file kind manner in which you have received
the toast of my health that has been proposed to you
in, I fear, but too flattering terms by my kind friend
Mr. Wright. Personally, I have indeed much to feel
grateful for to this county. I originally became
known to you when inexperienced in public life.
I appealed to the generosity of an important constituency,
who afterwards conferred on me the high honour of
returning me as their representative. When, owing to
circumstances known to you all, I was without a seat in
Parliament, and at a time when, from a sad bereavement
to our family, the county seat was vacant, I was, by the
kindness and indulgence of this great county, permitted
to enter unopposed into the proud and responsible post
of being one of your representatives. I feel I owed this
result not to any merits or personal claims that I could
advance, but to your generosity, and the circumstances
under which I appealed to you, and I can assure you
that—though others might have been proud, with far
'greater talents and ability, to attend to your important
interests—DO one would entertain a more sincere and
conscientious desire tie evince his gratitude by devoting
his time and any capabilities lie is possessed of to watch-
ing your interests, and to the hest of his power promot-
ing your welfare. Interested as I must ever feel in the
rapidly increasing prosperity of this great country, and
more particularly in the wide development of its mineral
resources, I have felt much gratified at witnessing the
completion of an undertaking which, by the blessing of
Providence, we may confidently anticipate will tend to
carry out this great end. On such an occasion, the
opening of a work, which, considered as one of private
enterprise, is of no small proportions, one of such great
local interest as connecting Sunderland with her younger
sister Seaham, as well as general advantage and utility,
even a stranger's first impulse would be to enquire,
whose was the mind that planned this scheme—whose
the courage and resolve that from the commencement no
dangers frightened, no difficulties deterred ? Would it
not call forth the tear of regret from the most indifferent
to be told that the 'pulse that warmed to these peaceful
fights of commercial enterprize, as in past days it had
heat tumultuously in battles of more stirring nature, had
ceased in its pulsation—that the talents, the genius,
the courage of the founder of Seaham Harbour and pro-
jector of this railway had passed away—that God had
not willed lie should live to see the fulfilments of his un-.
disrtaking. None here, therefore, can think it extraneous
that those near and dear to him who is removed should
on such an occasion pay their humble tribute of respect
to his memory, and regret at his lost. I read in the
work of a great author, that there were two sorts of
courage—physical courage that despises all danger, will
make a man brave in one way ; and moral courage, that
despises all opinion, will make a man brave in another..
The former would seem most necessary for the camp—
the latter for the council ; but to constitute a great man
both are necessary. I believe I shall have your assent,
when I assert that one whose memory we, his sons, must
' ever cherish, possessed both qualifications of courage.-
Ile first carried him, heedless of personal danger,
through successful fights, and obtained for him many a
well-earned decoration and distinction—the latter forti-
fied his mind against the opposition of ignorance or pre-
judice, and enabled him to carry through successfully the
great work of Seaham Harbour, and to leave this legacy
of a great design to a mourning wife, who, by God's
mercy, has been the means of his handing down to pos-
terity lasting proofs to testify that during his con-
nection with this county that adopted him, it be-
came, and remained, the centre of his affections
and regard. I hope this railway will be the.
means of indissolubly connecting Seaham with
Sunderland, that it may servo as one of many
arteries that are in future to convey the
streams of commerce and of trade to those magnificent
docks, the complete success of which I trust but a short
interval will now demonstrate. (His Lordship resumed
his seat amid the most enthusiastic demonstrations of
applause. •
Several other toasts were afterwards given and suit.
ably responded to, after which the party broke up about
seven o'clock.

The same evening the contractors and about forty of
their friends sat down to dinner at the Londonderry
Arms Hotel ; nor were the "navvies" forgotten ; 150 of
them having been treated to a very substantial enter-
tainment in the earlier part of the evening. Could
" Young Nick" have witnessed the hearty enthusiasm
of these British " sons of the spade" on this occasion, he
would, no doubt, have felt there was something like'
truth in the oil song, which says,—
" Queen Bess she gave him her fist with a smile,
And swore 'twas her firm belief,
That the devil himself couldn't conquer the Isle,
Whilst Britons were fed upon beef."