The Sun.
London, England, 1838-07-28 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

A fair extent of business has boen done, as our daily reports have
shown. Raw Sugar has not varied in value from the prices of last
week. Coffee has:advanced 2s. and 3s. per cw•t. for all sorts that come
into consumption. Tea has sold at small profits on sale prices. Rum
has been firm. Cocoa has advanced 2s. Rice has been firm, and so
have Spices. Indigo continues at sale prices. The imports, on the
whole, are heavy ; exports rather light, and delivcrin extensive.

SCA PE OF THREE PRISONERS FROM THE
TOWER..Yesterday morning there was much excitement in the
Tower of London among the military and the civilians, in consequence
of a report that three of the Rifle Brigade, a sergeant, a corporal, and a
private, had made their escape from confinement. Two prisoners, the
pay-sergeant and the corporal, deserted from the regiment a few weeks
ago, taking with them 1501., with which they had been intrusted to pay
the men. A strict search was made after them, and on Saturday last
they were apprehended on board an outward-bound American packet
ship and brought to London. They were confined in the usual place,
the guard-house or prism., commonly known as the Spur-guard, near
the outer barrier, on the City side of the Tower. The front of the
guard-house is on the left of the entrance from Tower-hill, opposite
the new Army Ticket-office, and the back of it abuts on the
Tower ditch. There were in all five persons in confinement on Thurs-
day evening, two of them for sight breaches of military discipline.
There is a small aperture In the back of the apartment where the men
were imprisoned, for the admission of light and air, which was se.
cured by strong iron bars. About fourteen feet below this hole is the
Tower moat or ditch, and escape from this place was deemed impossible,
At eleven o'clock on Thursday night the prisoners were visited by the
serjeant on duty and locked up. At daylight yesterday morning, when
the guard went to look after them to see if all was safe, it was discovered
that three of them were missing: the others were on their straw pallets,
apparently fast asleep, and on being aroused they expressed their
ignorance of the flight of their companions, and declared they were
not frivy to their escape. On inspecting the place, it was disco-
vered that the iron gratings had been removed from the aperture, which
is only just large enough for the body of a man to pass through. There
was sufficient evidence, by the marks on the wall, that the three Rifle.
men had escaped this way, but how they escaped falling into the moat
beneath appears very astonishing to those who visited the place. 'There
is a ledge not more than seven inches in width, running the whole
length of the wall, about six feet from the water's edge, but ex-
tremely difficult for any one to retain his footing upon it, and it is
supposed the three men continued their course along it until they
reached the wall enclosing the ditch, which they could ascend with-
out much difficulty, and reach the glacis or ornamental sloping
bank, enclosed by iron railings. By climbing over these railings they
were enabled to reach Tower-hill, and get clear off: The prisoners
were to have been tried yesterday, at noon, by a General Court-martial,
which would, no doubt, have terminated in all of them being found
guilty, and two, the sergeant and corporal, being transported for life, as
their offences were of a most serious description. Parties of the Rifle
corps were sent off in all directions after the fugitives when their flight
was discovered. An investigation is to take place into the conduct of
the sergeant of the guard in charge of the prisoners, whose duty it was
to visit the cell where they were confined every two hours.
The prisoner Henry Warner, convicted of a capital
offence at the last assizes for the county of Hertford, has received a general
respite. The execution was to have taken place on Wednesday last. A
respite was sent last Saturday.
THE FIRE AT DEPTFORD.--The account which
appeared in most of the Morning Papers yesterday, describing the ca-
lamitous fire at the premises of Mr. Gordon, of Deptford, states—" It is
understood that the principal part of the property is insured in the
guardian Fit c.office, to the amount of 24,0001." Whatever the under-
standing, which is only another name for the rumour, might have been,
the fact is here most grossly exagemited. We have reason to believe
that the loss to the Guardian Fire.office consequent upen this cc-
eurrenee will not exec, 1.500/.—Morning Herald.
I Qgc,j;,-/jr!Thlt: that from tDC
Spanish Embassy has been sent to Madrid with despatches for Count
Ofalia, informing him that the proposals for a loan have met with a
refusal,