The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-19 00:00:00

MURDER IN SHOREDITCH.

At Worship-street Police-court, yesterday, Thomas
Brookes, a young man of very miserable and emaciated ap-
pearance, was placed at the bar before Mr. Arnold, charged
with the wiltul murder of William Gobart, an umbrella-
maker, living in Hare-alley, Shoreditch.
Mr. Vann, the solicitor' attended for the prisoner.
The first witness called was a young man named Richard
Eaton, who stated that at ten o'clock on the preceding
night he was requested by the deceased to accompany him
and two other young men to the lodgings of the prisoner at
No. 3, Hare-alley, to demand the restoration of some articles
belonging to him, and in the prisoner's possession. The
deceased remained at the end of the court while witness
went to the house to call the prisoner, who accompanied him
back, and on deceased demanding his property, the prisoner
told him that he should not have it until he paid him what
he owed him, and perhaps not even then. Without any
further observation on gither side, the prisoner told the de-
ceased, "If you wait here a minute I will put a bullet
Ilk
through your head," and so saying licNkiantly h ned
back and entered his own house. Vritnarlklvised e-
ceased not to stay any longer, burthe latter answered lAt
he had nothing to fear, and persist.' in doing so, upon
which witness left him and proceeded to his own home about
twenty yards off, but bad only been there a few minutes,
when he heard the loud report of a gun, and directly after-
wards a lad whom he had just left with the deceased,
called out, " Dick, Dick, come down, he has shot him."
Witness thereupon ran down the court, and upon enter.ng
the passage of the prisoner's house, found the deceased lying
in a pool of blood, and apparently lifele.si.
Charles Eaton, brother of the last witness, end cousin to
the deceased, confirmed the preceding testimony, and added
thst a few minutes atter the prisoner had uttered the above
threat witness accompanied the deceased to the door of the
house, which the latter was about to enter, but had only pit
his foot upon the threshold when the prisoner, who had beers
secreted behind the door, suddenly presented himself and
discharged some firearm into the deceased's face. The act
was so instantaneous that witness could not see the piece, but
the flash was immediately followed by a stunning report, and
the deceased fell forward upon his tace in the passage. Wit-
ness took him by the arms and endeavoured to raise him,
but was unable to eo so, and hurried off for the assistance of
the police.
James Bodkins, who was also present at the occurrence,
confirmed the evidence of the other witnesses, and added
that he heard no other ground of provocation than a threat
on the part of the deceased to strike the prisoner, when the
latter refused to restore the property demanded of him.
Police-constable Lock, H 201, deposed twat he beard the
report of the gun while on duty in Shoreditch, and on enter-
ing the passage of the house found the bcdy of the deceased
lying at the foot of the stairs, and the ramrod of a gun close
by it. On proceeding to a room on the second floor, lie
found the prisoner with a gun in his hand, which he imme-
diately secured, and took him into custody. The prisoner's
father, who was also present, made some observation upon
the dreadful consequences of his son's violence, in answer to
which the prisoner replied, "I have had my revenge, and
if I had not taken his life he would have had mine." The
prisoner was then conveyed down stairs, where a surgeon,
who was examining the body, inquired of a bystander if the
gun had been loaded with bull, to which the prisoner spon-
taneously answered "No, it was small shot ;" and, on being
searched, a quantity of loose shot of that description was
found in his waistcoat pocket. The witness produced the
gun, an old-fashioned piece, resembling a carbine, but wider
at the bore, and scarcely two feet in length.
Mr. James Hancorn, a surgeon, in High-street, Shore-
ditch, deposed that, on examining the body of the deceased,
he found a circular orifice in the left side of the neck, nearly
an inch in diameter, and sufficiently large to enable him to
probe it with his finger, and to trace the injury as far back
as the spine, where the shot appeared to have lodged. Such
a wound might have been caused either by a bullet, or con-
centrated small shot, which, upon striking the spine, must
have produced instantaneous death.
Inspector Harris proved that, on hearing the charge read
over at the station-house, the prisoner said that if he had not
done it he should perhaps have lost his own life, as the de-
ceased and four others had come to his house and threatened
to drag him out a few minutes previous to the fatal
occurrence.

Mr. Vann having expressed his intention to reserve the
defence at that stage of the proceeding, the magistrate
ordered the prisoner to be remanded until Tuesday next.

PRIVATE TRIAL OF MR. GTPSON'S NEW BALLOON.
—NARROW ESCAPE OF THE JERONAUTS.—A pa ty of genO.
tle-
men interested in the science of mrostation assembledr yes-
terday at the Gas-works, Haggerstone, for the purpose of
witnessing an experimental ascent of a new balloon con-
structed from the design of Mr. Gypsum The balloon was
considered a beautiful model, being manufactured of crimson
and yellow silk of a superior fabric, around which was an
elegant blue zone, but the netting was considered by compe-
tent judges to be of an inferior description, and not pos-
sessing sufficient power to resist the pressure of the balloon
when inflated. Among other gentlemen present were Mr.
Nicholson, Mr. Van Buren, and Mr. Ellis, lessee of Cre-
inorne-gardens. Mr. Van Buren (who heatmade a number
of ascents in that monstre balloon, the gr Nassau, from
Cremorne-gardens), discovered some defects in the meshes
of the netting, and with other gentlemen earnestly implored
Mr. Gypson and Mr. H. Coxwell, who was to have been his
compagnon du voyage, not to ascend, particularly as the
breeze was pretty fresh. Mr. Gypson would have overruled
their objections, but suddenly a gust of wind took the bal-
loon and it dashed through the netting. leaving the aeronauts
and some of their admiring friends and spectators lost in
wonderment, and one or two entangled, a la the lion and the
mouse, in the meshes of the netting. A rent in the balloon
fortunately allowed the gas to escape, and it descended in
Haggerstone fields, and was stlbsequently restored to the
proprietor.
FIRE ON PLUSISTEAD-COMMON.-011 Wednesday
afternoon a large heath ou Shooter's-hill, adjoining Shrews-
bury House, the residence of Admiral P. Hornby, was dis •
covered to be in flames. The heath was covered with furze
nine or ten feet in height, and when assistance arrived the
fire had covered an extent of three or four acres. A number
of men set to work to beat down the flames, but it was not
until nearly seven o'clock that they succeeded in stopping
the flames, the fire having spread over seven or eight acres.
The furze is supposed to have been set fire to by some
schoolboys.
ROYAL ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL. - Yesterdaylad
meeting of the governors of this excellent charity was held
at the board room of the institution, in Bloomsbury-square.
The numbers admitted, as well as out-patients'
during the last year, have greatly excet.ded thoseattended
of
pre-
ceding years, and there are now upwards off urgent
r,ii
cases waiting for admission, which cannot be received fur
want of funds. The average daily attendance of out-patients
is about 100, and from thirty to forty
the new cases weekly. The
total number cured since 1840, to commencement of
the present year, was 5,297 The institution is under the
patronage of tke Queen, Prince Albert, and the Duke of
Cambridge.

-.---?.-.,
fw
NAVAL INTELLIGn NCh.
Pewt•mforrit Minor 18 '"1 ' Sidon .---1 le veam_frigaficarne
into harbour this morning. 21 ram.itir has got afloat that
Lord Howdel has taken so st rcinv. a fancy to the warlike at of this vessel as to prefer going. in her to the Rat-
tier. We cannot; however, trace the rumour to any substan.
tial foundation, and as the Rattl-r has shipped all the bag-
vge and equipages of the new Minister, we doubt not that
she will take him also. The Sidon is very much admired
both internally and externally by every naval man who has
inspected her. Much has been said about the vast expense
this vessel's machinery has already been to the Government,
but it has not been stated that such expenses are out of the
plackets of the contractors.
fbarleylef tthaiialdmoozatz
The Centaur steam-frigate, under jury masts, and czun-
quality ; about
fimoo
rga usfeducerddKobety:l3Ml:if. Davy,ureia,ielrhe i
was of
ot master
fr ao withf Caledonia,mtBhoose,t)sael
ek,si
1,000 bags of 1); ea 1, and the same.quaiitiry of meal for, the
relief service; Ilso six sacks of prime turnip seed.
The Portland, 50, is being loaded, but if laden according
to her capabilities she will occupy the Clarence-yard officers
about two ninths, as, thing dive,ted of ornament, atirnu-
fniootdi..,n, store:, and such like, she could stow 10.000 sacks of

The Fairy royal yacht was dot•ketl this morning, not to
remedy any alleged" vibration in the. vessel caused by the
screw, as has been stated for a very apparent purpose, hI t
to have her bottom coated with a comr:osition suggested I,:y the chymical (nicer ('Hr, Hay) Of this dockyard, at the re-
commendation of a comini tee, of which Captain Crispin.
iornt other :
vessels;
!ssitineCier'sY;'; 1
jotfs tYacht,cilii:S.ee
ts
Thel lt
ii :r ll
t. 1
hil s
Fairi 1t i' ie,
iii f 1 li
.1 .krnt
e, i
se' apritine:agslitetehreesuNll:pei membersisri
employed
ga`ethtliels:ucniar,iiii:',:g-
ap 0: it
ityi Oni: i
ehaais
au
e tibeadyor db::e,),,te:l:,:(e.ri.tried,
l:.
floinie:n.,;:tifioi
,;i:
inn:dd,:ttenco):
ila3intphsho'tle,evirelmri,.sjalnivtaeeilc:...l.ls.aast,
in testing ebt
eittis''ixteni ii'dlegaepiti':(:(e'otti.e:rrs'a Live powers
a not: d ,oftletri:
the
tysec:t•eawl:s,;birn
dtlei_e
oini"nuerr7--not the lieutenant, as er-
This is consequent, we believe,
'i'ii dn.,.
flunp"ll,lll?:.(u,l'i'.P.:Y°l-isikte.liti;oidid:lee;vl,lle.gsi,`Eis ir. ldt,h:ge'd... to the Lora; of the Admiralty
by Rear Admiral Sir Thos. Cochrane, Commander-1u Chief
on the East India and China station.
—A- private letter from the Cape squadron says the Kafir
vatr is nearly at an end. The Eurydice, 26, Captain Tala-
vera Atipti, had net arrived at the Cape on the 10th of Ja-
nuary. T.le Nirnro,d, ::0, Commander Dacres (son of the Ad-
miral), sailUd on't tmlst for Algoa Bas',. with dispatches for
Sir Pere-gykitOilaitlaird, infirm:lig hitn of the appointment
of Sir liisilA i.fler t 0.14 Governorship, at which the Cape
piopleetirltio tioh,eatiitect ion.
4,, 1- . APPOINTMErrS.
Captains Cha4t,s J. Rosanquet, late commander of the
Alert,-.prontotbd in November last, and Arthur Lowe (1845),
promoted taim the Excellent, have been appointed to study
steam A' Woolwich factory.
Commander Frederick W. Pleydell Bouverie (1842),
til
nephew of Lord Radnor, has been appointed to succeed Com-
mander Maitland in the• command ut t4Electra, 14, sloop,
in the,West li4iisa:
._ . .
Commander Charles Barker (1845), to study at the steam
factory at Woolwich.
- Lieutenant Lardner Dennys (1812), to the Semaphore at
Putney..
__

Second Master G. F. Macdougall to the Jackal steam-
vessel at Li,bon.

Clerks—Chat les Richards to the President, 50, flag-ship, at
the Cape ; W. W. Jackson to the Queen, 110, Hag-ship, at
vonport.
Mates—F. )'Kenzie and J. P. Miller, to the Excellent.
Midshipmen—K. V. Hamilton, to the Spartan, 26; and
Thomas t ;reen, to t he. Ocean.

THE AV ENG ER, STEAM-FRIGATE, AGAIN. —The Avenger,
steam frigate, Commander Poi buQ,, her passage to Killy-
heg,, from Devoitpo,-t, only br,.ke down ance Inure. When
within thirty miles uf her destination the feed valves gave
wav, which accident detained her twenty-four hours.