The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 19, 1849.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.

On Saturday Thomas Cheslett, of 11, George-
;treet, Mansion-house, was re examined before Mr.
Alderman Gibbs on numerous charges of obtaining
goods by forged orders and cheques.
On the present occasion another charge was made
by Mr. R. Swift, of 98, Hatton-garden, shoe-manu-
facturer, on whom the prisoner called on the Bth ult.,
and handed him a card with the names of Barge,
Cheslett, and Co., saying the firm had agents at
Sydney, and that he wanted some samples to be sent
to his office in Sise-lane. The next and two following
days he also Called, and said he had succeeded in
getting an order, and he then went through the
number of samples and the qualities that would be
wanted, adding that those not approved would be
returned. The order amounted to 600 pairs, and the
value would have been about 1001. They were
ordered to be pecked in cases lined with tin, and the
samples were to be deducted, as the firm were in the
habit of seedirg samples to Sydney. On being
a-ked for a reference, he gave one to " Mr.
Ames, sioa mercer, Dover read." Ttiat not being
satisfactory, the prisoner gave the names of
Messrs. Billings and Howell, King William-street,
City, which also not being satisfactory, Mr. Swift
tried to get back the samples, but did not succeed.
The samples are now in the hands of Mr. Amos, the
referee, who keeps a tallyshop. It was further proved
that the prisoner was, in November, 1847, employed
in the East and West India Docks, as a labourer, at
15s. per week wages, but was soon afterwards lie-
cherged : also that in July last, he received ss. relief
from the City of London Union, and was again re-
lieved in August and September.
The prisoner was again remanded for a week for
the attendance of Mr. Burge aed Mr, Amos.
Charles James Smith, a gun-manufacturer, of
IVhittal-etreet, Birmingham, and who has offices at
2, King IVilliam-street, was charged with appro-
priating to his own use (as described in the charge
sheet) 4,000 muskets and 300 rifles, valued at 2,8001.,
the property of Captain Charles Scott, of 8, Park-lane.
The defendant was remanded for a week, but was
allo wed to put in bail for his appearance.
BOW—STRE
Louis Sonowshi, a Polish refugee and mendicant,
well known to the officers of the Mendicity Society,
was charged with stealing a miniature portrait of
Miss Reyeulds, of the Theatre Royal Haymarket,
from the shop of Mr. Child, an artiet, in Bedford-
street, Covent garden.
The prisoner called on Mr. Child, and, with great
assurance, told him that they were acquaintances
some years ago, and that he (Mr. Child) promised to
assist him " whenever he should become rich." The
prosecutor repudiated the alleged companionship, and
declined assisting the prisoner, but immediately after
hi; departure from the shop he missed the portrait in
question, which, it was afterwards discovercd,had bean
pledged by the prisoner's directions for 10s. at a
pa ,a nlereker'e in Lor g acre.
Mr. Heasley committed him for trial.
SOU Tl] WAR K.
Jane Smith, rather a respectable looking young
woman, was charged, in the first instance, with rob-
bing her ready furnished lodgings in Broad-wall,
and afterwards on suspicion of having administered
poison to a man with whom she cohabited, and who
is now lying dead in St. Thomas's hospital.
Anne Jones stated that the prisoner and a middle
anel man hired apartments in her house about a
month ago, stating they were man and wife. The
husband told her that he received a pension from the
Government, which she had ascertained to be true.
The man then appeared to be in good health, but after
receiving his pension he suddenly became ill, and was
subsequently removed to St. Thomas's Hospital. After
his removel the prisoner absconded, taking with her
two sheets, some pillow-cases, and other articles, of
which witness gave notice to the police. Having told
the surgeon who attended the man at witness's house
that she had absconded suddenly, he told her to give
instant information to the police, in order that she
might be apprehended, as he really believed that she
had administered poison to her alleged husband. She
immediately did so, and after considerable difficulty
the pripner was taken. The constable of the L
division who took her said he went to the hospital,
and was told by the surgeon that the man was in an
insensible state, and had been so from the time he was
brought in. On inquiry next morning he was told he
was dead, and there was likely to be an irquest on him.
The first witness was recalled, and stated further
that while the inan was lying ill in bed the prisoner
was getting drunk, and neglected to give him food.
She lent them two extra blankets, and even those she
pledged for drink. He would have died sooner had
she not sent him to the hospital.
The prisoner was remanded until Wednesday next.
WESTMINSTEi?.
IMPORTANT TO BENEFIT SOCIETIES.—A few days
ago Mr. Rackstraw, the proprietor of the Gun Tavern,
Pimlico, was summoned, he being the treasurer and
one of the trustees of a masonic benefit society held
at hi-. house, for stopping the sick allowance of Mr.
Samuel Gray, a member, and expelling him the
society, when Mr. Burrell took time to consider the
matter, and gave his decision on Saturday.
The main features of the case are these :—The
complainent, a carver and guilder, living in the
neighbourhood of the Waterloo.hridge-road, met
with an accident by which he became lame, and
declared upon the funds of the society, he being
entitled to 18s. per week sick money. After he
had received two or three payments some of the
other members complained to Mr. Rackstraw that
he ought not to he upon the sick list, and Mr. Rack-
straw cn going to his private residence, was told
that complainant had gone to his workshops in
Drury-lane, where he found him. Complainant
then claimed his right, although a sick member,
to go to his shop, look after his business, give orders
to kis men, and see how things were going on. This
position was denied by Mr. Rackstraw, who main-
tained that as his very declaration for the sick money
by form set forth that he was disabled from following
his occupation, he was not entitled to his sick allow-
ance. 11e contended that it was never intended that a
man should follow his business and have the allow-
ance, and urged upon the consideration of the tea-
gistrate that the complainant's own certificates from
his medical man proved that it was improper for him
to stand or walk, while the circumstance of his going
from his private house to his place of work in Drury-
lane, although he might ride perhaps from the end of
his street to the Strand, from which he would again
have to walk some further distance, was not denied ;
so that, in point of fact, he was fcllowing his occupa-
tion when he went to his workships. Oa the part
of the complainant, who had been expelled at a meet-
ing of the body to which he had belonged, it was
declared most positively that he did not absolutely
work during the time Ibr which he claimed the allow
ance, end that his medical attendant had stated that
he might take a little airing.
Mr. BUImnELL expressed seine opinion upon the
matter upon its first being discussed, in which he
became confirmed upon further consideration. In hie
view the question was whether a man receiving the
sick allowance must be altogether incapable of at-
tending to his business. He thought he must, as
otherwise a great difficulty would constantly arise as
to the absolute amount of business he might be able
to perform. The complainant did give some atten-
tion to his occupation by going from his residence to
his place of business, giving directions, &c., and as in
his opinion this disqualified
,him under the articles
I from receiving the relief, he was sorry to say he must
decide against the complainant.
The summons was accordingly dismissed.
:0

EXPERIMENTS AT WOOLWICH.
Nov. 16 —Major- General Lacy ; Colonel Dundas,
C.B. ; Lieutenant. Colonel Chalmer, Lieutenant-
Colonel Bell, and Lieutenant Colonel Brereton, C.B ,
K. 11., Royal Horse Artillery ; Lieutenant-Colonel
Hardinge, , Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Pester, Royal Artillery; Lieu-
tenant- Colonel Maxwell, 82d Regiment of Foot ;
Brigade-Major Bingham and Major Dupins, Royal
Horse Artillery; with a great number of officers of
the garrison and Lord James Hay, assembled at the
Mortar Battery, at half-past five o'clock, P,31
when quite dark, to witness experiments with
the common 8 inch carcases of the service,
used for firing so as to give light to show the
position of an enemy in dark nights, and to com-
pare them with an invention to answer the same
purpose more effectually, invented by Captain Boxer,
Royal Artillery. The first fired was one of the car-
cases from an 8-inch mortar, and it fell to the ground
at a distance of between 200 and 300 yards, and con-
tinued burning about ten minutes. One of the cases
containing Captain Boxer's plan was then fired. It
consists of two tin cases, each being half a sphere ;
the one containing the composition, which burns like
a brilliant blue light, and the other, the parachute,
formed of a light description of closely woven bunt-
ing. The diameter of the cases appeared to be about
five inches, and when fired they attained a consider-
able altitude, but the parachute did not in the first
instance open out sufficiently, and the lighted corn
position soon fell to the ground. The second fired
on Captain Boxer's plan was a beautiful spectacle,
the shells ascending to a great altitude, and when
at the highest point an explosion took place, simi-
lar to the bursting of a rocket in the air, and out
came a parachute fully six feet in diameter and about
three feet in depth, suspending the brilliant blue
light and gradually descending, illuminating the part
of the common on which it descended with a very
brilliant light. The third and fourth—all that were
fired on Captain Boxer's principle—were equally suc-
cessful, and all appeared much gratified with the re-
sult. Three other carcases were fired from the 8-inch
mortar with a similar effect to the first; but although
they gave out flame for a considerable time, they ap-
peared to burn dim compared with Captain Boxer's.
It may be mentioned that the parachute which sup-
ports the burning composition, on Captain Boxer's