The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-13 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY).

OLD COURT,
(Before the Recorder.)
Mary Lewis, 41, married, a respectable looking woniar,.
was indicted for stealing a ham, valued at 125., the pro-
perty of Chas. Price.
Mr. Robinson defended.
It appeared that the prisoner, who is the wife of an
artist, had gone upon Saturday evening into the shop of
prosecutor, who keeps a cheap ham and butter shop at the
corner of Sun-street in Bishopsgate. The wife of the prose-
cutor, who was in the shop, stated that frcm some suspicion
which she had she told the shop boy to watch her, and he
having told his mistress that she had a ham under her cloak,
Mrs. Price at once went up to her, and, according to ber
statement, felt the ham under her arm, and that it fell to
the ground. She was then given into custody to an officer
who was called in. Prisoner indignantly denied the
charge, and said she had only picked up the ham to have
it weighed. At the station she gave her right name
and address. She had nine shillings and some coppers
upon her when secured. The policeman said there was
not any marks of grease upon her dress, which would have
been the case if she ad put the ham under her arm.
The jury acquitted her, and the recorder directed her to
be at once discharged.

NEW COURT.
(Before Russell Gurney, Esq.)
Thomas Morris, Elizabeth Jackson, and a man named
Riley, were indicted for coining, and also having in their
possession a large quantity of base coin.
It appeare.l that from something which had taken place
at the Bow-street Police court, the police went to No. 44,
Charles-street, Drury-lane, and having gained admission,
went up to the front room, first floor, the door of which
they forced, a,,d 1.9 they entered Jackson was trying to
break a plaster of Paris mould by crushing it with his foot.
The female seized hold of one of the officers and struck at
him with a basin. The prisoner Riley ran past the police,
but was taken into custody. In the room were found a
quantity of base half-crowns shillings, and sixpences,
moulds, electro-plating apparatus, and other implements
used by coiners. The prisoner Riley did not appear to take
any part in the proceedings, and had only been known in
the house for a week, occupying a room upon the same
floor as the other prisoners.
The Jury acquitted Riley, and found the others guilty.
Both being well known to the Mint authorities, Morris
was sentenced to six, and Jackson to four, years' penal
servitude.

OPERA COMIQUE, ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.—Her Royal
HiAtiess the Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady Anna
M t.ria Dawson, Lady Caroline Harcourt, Lord Jamei
Murray, and Colonel Harcourt, honoured the first per.
fortnance of the opera La Promise, at the St. James's
Theatre. with her presence last evening.
THE CRYSTAL PALACE.—Yesterday was the first day
on which this vast undertaking was opened to the
public, and a very large number—probably more than
4 000 persons—chiefly season ticket holders, availed
themselves of the first opportunity of inspecting the
varied and interesting works of art there displayed. The
Pompeian house, the Alhambra, the Renaissance,
Italian, and Byz xntine ct.urts appeared to be decidedly
the favourite resorts, and their contents and mural and
monumental decorations were examined with great
interest and delight. The company's band played at
intervals during the day, both in the Palace and the
grounds. The dais and orchestral seats, and some other
of the temporary structures fitted up for the opening,
ceremony, still remain in their places. As the contents of
many of the cases fitted for the reception of industrial pro.
ducts, and which were only lent for the occasion of the
opening, have been removed, several of the courts have
a much more bare and unfinished appearance than they
presented on Saturday. Time, however, and some ex-
perience as to the value of the exhibition in an industrial
point of view, may soon do much to fill the Palace with
the trophies of industrial skill.
"HALF RECKONINGS" IN INDIA.—Some months ago
Lord Dalhousie called the attention of the Court of Di-
rectors of the East India Company to the question of
the " half reckonings," telling them it was high time to
do away with the disreputable I ractice of paying the
colonels of regiments by cribbings from the Sepoys'
clothing, and suggesting the substitution of a fixed
money payment in the same manner as has within
the last few days been carried into effect in her Ma-
jesty's service. The chair and the deputy chair drew
up a P.C., which means a previous communication, or
draft of a despatch, in which these worthy pieces of
directorial furniture reproved " our Government" for
his suggested innovation, asking when such " danger-
ous changes" would end. To the credit of the body of
directors, however, the draft of despatch was disapproved
of, and one drawn up for the approval of the Board of
Control entirely approving of the suggestion of Lord
Dalhousie, and directing the arrangement to be forth-
with carried into effect. This despatch was duly trans-
mitted six weeks ago. Our readers may rest assured of
the entire accuracy of this statement.
NEW PROJECTILR.—A, correspondent of the .Elgin
Courier states that a tradesman belonging to that town
has, in compliance with a summons from the Board of
Ordnance, proceeded to Woolwich for the purpose of
submitting to the military authorities there the prin.
wile? of a destructive engine designed and constructed
by him. The instrument is denominated a " Longitu-
dinal projectile." It is about four feet in length, may be
fired from a cannon, and will " hit to a hair" any object
at a distance of five miles. On being shot from the
can non it expands like an umbrella, explodes the moment
it alights, and causes instant annihilation to every mate
rial for many yards around. It will, it is said, cause th
Immediate destruction of the largest ship in the world
and one or two charges would, in a few seconds, extir-
pate the finest army that ever marched to music, No
substance beyond 4, inflammable matter" is used.