The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-29 00:00:00

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OYAL SOCIETY FOR THU PRO-
TECTION OF LIFE FROM FIRE:
On Tuesday a general meeting of the subscribers and
friends of this institution was held at the Hanover-squ are
Rooms, to witness the presentation of the rewards :and
medals awarded by the committee, and to receive :the
annual report. H. Pownall, Esq., p: elided.
The SECRETARY proceeded to read the report, which
stated that the society was established in 1836, and that
in 18437 it vas-adopted, and -remcidelled 'by the preltent
society, for the purpOse of maintaining an organi:ted
bOdy of men provided with, and instructed in the use
of public fire escapes, which are kept in readiness
at various convenient stations throughout the metro-
polis ; and for the purpose of rewarding all persons
instrumental in saving life from fire. During the
past year 11 lives had been saved, and the so ciety's
silver medal would be &warded to those only wb o had
saved life at the hazard- of their own. The number of
fire-escape, stations now amounted to 22, being three
times the number of those existing in 1843, the expense
of fitting up each station Was 651., and the annual ex-
penditure for each 751. A large body, of men was ern-
played in working them, and to ensure their doing .o
faithfully, two inspectors were employed, who in the
course of the year visited the stations 2,357 times, tit
uncertain intervals. 139 fires had been attended by
the tire-et-capes, being within four of the total number
of fires occurring throughout the year, during the hours
of duty of the corps, i. e. between 8 P.M. and 7 A.:51.
The report further stated, that betides the number
actually saved, in many cases persons had been ext-icated
from most dangerous positions. The receipts for the
past year were 1,7191., the expenditure being 1,7054;
balance in hand 141.
The CHAIRMAN awarded the prizes with appropriate
and eloquent addresses to the following individuals:—
To John Fisher, 48 C, the first silver medal, kr
rescuing Mrs. Devonshire at Raggett's Hotel ;
silver medal to W. Casey, No. 10, for rescu-
ing two persons from the fire in Newgate-street, July,
1846; silver medal to Shelford, City police 58, for most
courageously rescuing six persons from the flames at a
fire in Smithfield-bars; a silver medal and one pound
were also awarded to a young man named Best, who
most heroically rescued a whole family named
Grover, at Brentford, rushing three consecutive times
into the house, and every time bearing members of the
family in his arms, and finally falling exhausted and
bleeding at the threshhold. Best after receiving the
medal was loudly cheered. John Daly received the
society's silver medal for the presence of mind, courage,
and strength that he so nobly displayed in rescuing at
female under simi'ar circumstances at a fire in Drury-
lane; and, after other testimonials kid been bestowed
on persons for their praiseworthy exerifons for the pre-
servation of life and property from fire, several gentle-
men addressed the meeting, and thanks having been
voted to the chairman, the meeting separated.

. _
ROBBERY AND - --CAPTURE BY
MEANS .OF THE RAILWAY TELEGRAREL
In the latter period of last week, a young man named
John. Blume, respectably attired, took tip his residence
at Mr. John Cox's, the Ord Arms Inn, Scotswood-road,
Newcastle, for the ostensible purpose of being trained.
by Henry Clasper to row a skiff match at Manchester,
at.d Mr. Cox, in order to make him comfortable, gave
up his own sleeping apartment, in whieh was a chest of
drawers, containing a sum of money amounting to above
2001. Bourne's deportment, altogether, was such, that
nut the slightest suspicion was attached to his proceed-
ings until Tuesday afternoon, between five and six
o'clock, when the drawer containing the money, together
with a cash-box in which it was deposited, was
found to have been broken open, and the entire contents
of the box taken away. The alarm was immediately
given, when it was ascertained that Bourne had left the
house about tiro o'clock, and from various circum-
stances no doubt was felt that Bourne was the guilty
party, and it was concluded that he would make down to
Gateshead and take the train southward. Mr. Taylor,
of Swalwell, accordingly mounted his horse, and rode
direct to the Westgate station, where he gave informa-
tion of the robbery, and a description of the dress Bourne
had on, to Mr. Inspector Little, who, with Sub-Inspector
Drummond, proceeded at once to the telegraph office at
the Gateshead station. Almost simultaneously Mr. Cox
himself called at Mr. Stephens's, the superintendent of
police, and gave information there, with a full description
of Bourne's person and dress, with the amount and de-
scription of the notes stolen. This was sent over imme-
diately to Mr. Johnson, the station-master at Gateshead,
who felt the importance of this additional information, and
instantly set the telegraph to work ; and these particulars
were so full and accurate that the station-master at Nor-
manton felt no hesitation in acting upon them. This
would be about six o'clock, and as the mail train left at
a quarter past three o'clock it was conjectured that if he
had left with it he might be intercepted. When the ac-
count of the robbery and a description of the person
reached York, the train had passed, and the information
was forwarded to Normington, in advance of the train.
The station-master at Normington sent instantly for a
police officer, and in the meantime the train had arrived;
on the officer hearing the description read over he at once
remarked that a man answering the description was
standing on the platform, where he had just passed him.
The station-master gave orders to apprehend him, and
when the officer walked up and seiz,d him by the artn,und
asked him to walk into the station, he refused, and
considerable force was necessary to get him there.
He then refused to ba searched, but that was at
length effected in spite of the resistance he offered,
and the sum of 2031. Bs. found upon him, which con-
sisted of two 51. notes, 1921 in wild, and 283. in silver.
He was then brought back to York by the next train,
and information was traestuitted by telegraph LO Gates-
head that he had been apprehended. The telegraph 'was)
put to work about seven o'clock, and at {Ail:"two hears
afterwards, intelligence Iva; received that the man had
13,_,en apprehended a hundred add ten miles distant. On
the intelligence of Bourne having been apprehended
retching G.teshca I, Mr. Inspector Little proceeded by
the in xt train to York, and r, mined with his prisoner
at half-past one o'clock the tol:owing day. Ile was
taken before Mr. Alderman Dunn, and transferred to the
county, when the particulars were laid before Dixon
D.xon, E-q., and the prisoner was remanded. Bourne,
it seems, is twenty-two years of age, and belongs to Man-
chester, where his wife and family are residing.—New-
castle Journal.

MORE POISONINGS IN ESSEX.
On Tuesday, at the Witham petty sessions, Essex,
held at the White Hart, before a full bench of ,
magis-
trates, Emma Elizabeth Hume was brought up for final
examination, charged with having attempted to admi-
nister a certain poison to her husband, Thomas Hume,
with the view of causing his death. As some of the
features of this case resembled that for which Catherine
Foster suffered at Bury, the greatest anxiety was
evinced to hear the proceedings, the room in which they
took place being crowded by the inhabitants. On the
accused being placed at the bar, aLal the husband called
to give evidence, their appearance and the great dispa-
rity between their ages created much astonishment ; she
being in her 24th year, while her husband, who was
dressed in the garb of a labourer and seemed ex-
cessively weak, is old enough to be her grandfather,
being fast vergin upon his 70th year. From the evi-
dence of the old man and several witnesses, it appeared
that they lived in the village of Tnllesburv, a married
son of the prosecutor and his wife and family residing in
the same house with them. For some time past the
husband had been suffering severely from a liver com-
plaint, and it would appear, from his constant ill health,
that the accused seemed to flag attending on him. They
frequently had words, and twice or thrice she was
heard to tell him, " Mind you are not found dead before
long." In the course of Monday, the sth inst., she of-
fere him some broth which she had merle in a basin.
He tasted it, and finding the flavour rather strange re-
fused to take it. She took it down stairs, and the
wife of his son, Sarah Hume, saw her empty the
broth out of the basin, and on wiping it round per-
ceived a white sediment at the bottom. Previous to
this, however, it should be observed, that the amused
had remarked to her husband that she had been per-
suaded to poiscn him, but had not done it as yet.. On
Wednesday, the ith inst., the wife of the son, saw the
prisoner making two pills of flour and water, which she
said she was going to take that night. She was seen to
put them in a small box. On the following' night she
wished to give her husband two large pills, which she
said were good for the liver complaint, as Tom Warner
had told her so. The husband declined to take them,
and she. observed that it was no use buying
medicine for him, as he would not take it.
She replaced the pills in the box, and the next morning
she again presented them to him and begged that
he would swallow them. He still refused, and she used
angry words in trying to persuade him. The pills were
subsequently delivered by her to the son, who gave them
into the hands of the police on the prisoner being taken
into custody. The man Warner, previously alluded to,
deposed that he never recommended any pills to the
aceusyd as being good for the liver complaint. Mr. R.
Phillips, an operative and analytical ehemit.t in the /ser-
vice of Mr. Dawson, a surgeon in the neighbourhood.
said that, in connexion with Mr. Cooper,
subjected
the
roet
pills to an analysis. He had found them to
chemistry in the Blackfriars road, he had
of lead to the extent of 20. grains. Sugar of a
contain sugar
of lead
was
pgrreasicrn.i bmeitgohrtproduce death.
the prosecutor. He
pollisorn.,paanwdsaendousseedoft2o6
had heard her say when she came to the surgery, that
she hoped•thak would be the last medicine she would
have to fetch .for her, hUsband, for that if he were dead
she would be a . happy woman. The chairman, after
duly cautioning her, asked her if she had anything to
say? She answered, that she was in the workhouse
.hpoosutsnei, broughtas‘n,here they
wthem,ere atid
taken
with her husband when the pills were sent home; that a
lvbev, y
left them at some public
Ther that it was the duty of the benchtio'ecer,hmtrinit ahn told
erfor
trial at the ensuing assizes. She • wed lit 'e affected
by the announcement. On leavingsclel wished to speak
to her husband, but the police interfered and prevented
her. In the course of the evening she was conveyed to
Chelmsford.

TUE TALLOW CHANDLERS' BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.
—The anniversary festival of this charity took place on
Tuesday at the London Tavern, and was well attended by the
members of the trade. Lord R. Grosvenor presided, and
Alderman Challis, Sir G. Larpent, Alderman Farncomb, and.
Mr. W. Hawes, were among the guests present. The bene-
volent objects of the charity are the relief of indigent and
incapacitated tallow chandlers, their widows, . and others
connected with the trade. From the report it appear* that
the society,' although only in its infancy, has already been
the moms of much usefulness; and the increasing amount
of donations, exceeding this year the sum of 3001., gives
every reason.to believe that it will be enabled materially to
extend the.spbere.of its operations. The dinner and its ac-
companying arrangements were all that could be desired. •
GEAY's-INN, 28.—The under-named gen-
tlemenyisue this day called to the degree of Barrister-at- •
Law, by the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn—viz, Ed- ,
ward Joseph Powell, Esq., peter portuwick,wail Wil-
liam Wiedmick Higgins,