The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-15 00:00:00

FRAUDS BY SLIPS' STEWARDS.

A case, exciting some interest in naval circles, has
been tried by naval court martial at Portsmouth.
W. H. Carline, steward of H.M.S. Pembroke, at
Sheerness, was charged with fraud, but it was con-
tended on behalf of his friends that
the fault really lay with the contractor
and his agent. The prisoner's advocate
maintained that the whole case turned on the evi-
dence of the contractor and his agent, supported by
the books kept by the latter, and that they were
interestedin upholding the prosecution in order to keep
themselves right with the Admiralty. A number of
certificates from paymasters under whom the prisoner
had served were handed in, and Commander Carey,
of the Pembroke, and other persons belonging to the
ship, gave him a good character for sobriety and
straightforwardness. However, the Judge-Advocate,
after recapitulating the charges, said the court were
of opinion that they had been proved, but, in
consideration of Carline's previous good character
and long service, they only adjudged him to six
months' imprisonment and dismissal from the ser-

vice

UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF GUNPOWDER.

A Frenchman has lately. been charged, at the
Thames Police-court, with having a large quantity of
gunpowder in a cartridge manufactory, in the Mile-
end-road. It was stated that there was gunpowder
enough on his premises to destroy t he whole
neighbourhood. The gunpowder and cart-
ridges were seized by an inspector, who had
hoard that an illegal manufacture of cartridges
existed in Southwark. Before the warrant was ob-
tained, however, all the cartridges and gunpowder were
removed to Mile-end-road, where the seizure was
made of four barrels of gunpowder, weighing 112
pounds each, and a fifth barrel containing 60
pounds, and 20,000 cartridges. The prisoner
was engaged with others in making up car-
tridges when the officer entered the premises.
The greatest carelessness was displayed in the
arrangements of the place : the cartridges were
thrown about, one man was smoking a pipe, and a
fire was lighted in an open stove in the room with the
powder. The defendant declared that he was not
the master of the business, and that the powder
belonged to the man who employed him to
make up cartridges. Mr. Lushiugton inforrad the
defendant that he had more gunpowder on
his premises than the law allowed. It was to
forfeited, with the exception of fifty pounds
reserved for the owner, on proper application being
made.

UNAPPRECIATED GENIUS.

A. melancholy instance of the difficulties sometimes
encountered in this stupid land of ours by poets,
authors, and others, has been afforded in a case at
the Guildhall Police Court. A. Mr. Lidstone, who,
the police reports somewhat uncharitably say,
" was understood to be a poet," applied for
a summons against the proprietor of the Hornet.
The poet placed in the hanis of the magistrate, as he
made the request, a copy of the periodical, in which
was, au article declaring that Mr. Lidstone, the com-
plainant, was what a jury of medical men
would term a lunatic. This was riot all, for
the writer went on to say that it
was quite bad enough for him to get tradesinen
to read his poetry without compelling them to pay
for it, and it concluded by advising tradesmen and
others, when Mr. Lidstone called on them, to kick
him. One would have thought that so serious a
grievance would certainly have met with considera-
tion from the magistrates, but, alas, poor Mr. Lidstone's
visit to the Guildhall was probably as ill-omened a one
as he had ever undertaken. The Bench made a joke of
the affair, and the Chief Clerk oven went so far as
to say that the man of genius before the court was
too thin-skinned for a poet. His physiological ex-
perience for arguing that poets were thick-skinned
she court were saved the pleasure of hearing. Poor
Lidstone, the poet, ultimately had his summons dis-
missed, and the Hornet will no doubt be more
exuberant than ever over a man of misfortune.