The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-08 00:00:00

SOUTH WARK.

George Berri (a Frenchman), Bridget Murphy,
and Kate iVilliamson, were charged with stealing
eight sovereigns and two hid!' sovereigns, the property
of Wm. Cook, a bookseller.

The complainant stated, that between nine and ten
o'clock that morning he had occasion to call at the
Bridge House public-house, in Webber-street, and
while there he placed eight sovereigns and two half-
sovereigns, which were loose in his pocket, in a piece
of paper, and deposited them in his left-hand waist-
coat pocket for safety. Some time afterwards he
felt for his money, but could not find it ; and as the
prisoners were standing near him at the moment of
the discovery of the loss of the sovereigns, and no
other persons had approached him, he charged
them with the robbery, which they denied, and
he then called a policeman and gave them
into custody. He added, that after the
charge was entered in the police-sheet against
the parties, he proceeded home, and on pulling off
his waistcoat he discovered to his amazement that
the money he accused the prisoners with stealing
was safe in an inside pocket, which he had forgotten
to examine before he made the charge. He now re-
gretted exceedingly that he had acted so hastily, and
was only desirous that the parties should be liberated
as soon as possible. The moment he found the sove-
reigns he repaired to the station-house and notified
the fact to the inspector on duty. He here produced
the waistcoat for the purpose of showing how the mis-
take arose, and pointed out a small pocket inside, in
which the money was found. He added that he re-
gretted much having put the accused to such serious
inconvenience, and was prepared to make every repa-
ration in his power.
Mr. Berri said it might all have been prevented if
the complainant had narrowly examined his pockets
before he made such a serious accusation against in-
nocent persons; that he (the accused), as well as his
fellow prisoners, whom he had never seen before that
morning, wor. ‘ohj.ot th indignity or being led
through the streets to the station-house as common
felons, although they were perfectly innocent of hav-
ing committed any offence.
Mr. COTTING lIAM said the complainant had exhibited
the most unwarrantable haste and negligence in at
once jumping to the conclusion, on missing his money,
that the accused were the persons who had robbed
him ; that it was of serious consequence to persons to
be charged with such an offence, and that it was his
bounden duty, before giving them into custody, to
have been quite certain that his sovereigns were taken.
It appeared, however, that on finding the lost money
he had done all in his power to retrieve the error into
which he had fallen, by repairing instantly to the
station-house where the parties were locked up, and
giving notice of the fact. This step was certainly an
extenuating circumstance in the case, as well as his
having in open court, expressed his contrition for
what had happened; but the question was, whether
the injured parties would be satisfied with his expla-
nation a nd apology.
Mr. Berri said, that as far as he was concerned, he
should be satisfied, after the apology made by the
complainant, if he consented to place 21. in the poor-
box, and that he should take no further steps in the
matter if he agreed to the proposal.
The complainant at once acceded to the proposal,
and the two young women also expressed their acqui-
escence in, it, on the complainant offering to compen-
sate them for the inconvenience to which they had
been subjected.

UNCERTAINTY or THE TIMES.—One of the
greatest proofs of the uncertainty of the times is to be
found in the strange conduct of the parish clock of St.
James's, Westminster. It evinces the utmost diffieulty
in meeting its engageinents, and has been frequently a
defaulter in respect to its time bargains. Its hands are
thrown out of employ, its works stopped, and numbers
are standing idle, which all looks very bad upon the
face of it. Several watches that have hitherto been re-
gulated in their movements by the parish clock of St.
James's, are greatly inconvenienced, and it is said that
m
tunllyth come to a stoppage. A rumour pre-
vailed
at the old clock of St. Clement's had
svodhianyethaec
City
once more suspended its operations, which, it will be re-
membered, were only resumed a year or two ago, after a
crisis of considerable difficulty. We are happy to find
that the rumour is premature, for we passed only yester-
day at twelve precisely, when the clock of St. Clement's
was giving a striking example of what may be done by
winding up before it is too late, and by regulating at
proper intervals. The Hyde- park clock has gone on so
tar in a satisfactory manner ; but we believe its liabili-
ties are only from day to day, and thus there is a key to
its punctuality.—Punch.
THE ICIITHYOSAURUS FOR TIIE MANCHESTER
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.—We have already mentioned the
fact that a fine specimen of this fossil, named ichthyo
saurus, as partaking of the most Striking characters of
the fish on the one hand and the saurian or lisard tribes
on the other, had been jointly
purchased by James Hey.
wood, Esq., M.P., F.R.S., and Mr. George Hadfield, for
the sum of 1001., and that it was to be presented to the
Manchester Geological Society. We may now add, that
the specimen is a very fine one, measuring when duly
arranged about 16 feet in length ; the whole of the head
in excellent preservation ; the body raid vertebra gene-
rally In a tolerably good state ; the hinder part of this
fossil animal being the least perfect. It .was found in
the alum shale at Sand's End, near Whitby, on the pro-
, perty of the Marquis of Normanby, of whom it was pur-
chased as already stated by the gentlemen named. We
understand that this fine fossil has been packed in seven
boxes, and it is expected will reach Manchester in the
course of this week.—Manchester Guardian.
A labourer, named William Cooper, who had been
at work for one of the sub-contractors, was on his way
mfroormnillng, in
aughlaeythtiordg4l Bury
in
carriage, .
a
off, near the Barton•bridge, and being somewhat c th e
when his hat flew
first
train, on Monday
ine-
briated he opened the door of the carriage and jumped
out. Immediately on the train reaching Bury, and in-
formation being given, Mr. Brundeley, the inspector,
and Mr. Dutton, the station master, proceeded with the
train engine to his assistance, but they found that some
workmen had removed him to the gig of Mr. Clements,
of the Six Bells Inn, who happened to come up, and
who kindly offered to convey the sufferer to the hos-
pital. Ile had received a contusion of the head, but no
fracture, and will probably be discharged in a few days.
—Bury Post.

On the night of the 28th ult. three of the persons
accused in the affair of the Polish insurrection at Berlin,
succeeded in making their escape from a hospital in
which they had been confined, under the belief that they
were afflicted with mental alienation ; but on the even-
ing of the next day they all arrived at the Pennsylvanian
penitentiary, where their fellow-accused are detained,
and reconstituted themselves prisoners. A man named
Wurms was lately condemned to death by the Royal
Court of Berlin, for having, at the beginning of 1845,
organised a conspiracy to overthrow the Government,
and to kill all the priests and nobles ; but the King im-
mediately, and without solicitation, commuted the sen-
tence into that of confinement for life in the fortress of
Spandau. This proceeding is considered a favourable
One for the other accused Poles, against none of whom
are the charges DO serious as were those against Wurina•