The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-07 00:00:00

HIGHWAY ROBBERY

TEMPTED MURDER.

A highway robbery, accompanied by very consider-
able violence, was committed in the neighbourhood of
Bristol on Monday night. It would seem that a young
man, named John Tucker, had hired himself as servant
to a Mr. Watkins, who rents the rabbit warren and
farm belonging to Sir John Smith, Bart., in Leigh-
woods, and on Monday evening, as he was on his way to
his place, he happened to call in at a roadside beer-house
to have a little refreshment. There were several men
drinking there, and not being suspicious of anything
wrong, the young man incautiously pulled out his
money in their presence. He paid for his beer and pro-
ceeded on his way, when, at about half a mire from the
beer-house, one of the men whom he had seen drinking
there overtook him. They proceeded some distance in
company, when, upon coming to a by part of the road,
the man jumped before him, seized hold of his hands,
and in a menacing tone demanded his money or his life.
At the same moment a second man came up, and poor
Tucker was knocked down and beaten. The man who had
demanded his money then began to plunder him, steal-
ing 19s. 6d. in money from his pockets, stripping him of
his wearing apparel, and robbing him of a bundle of
wearing apparel. Tucker struggled with them, and
cried out " Murder," upon which the fellows swore they
would kill him for making an alarm, and one of them
seized him by the throat and tried to strangle him. After
a time they ran off with their booty, leaving him upon
the ground in a state of exhaustion and alarm. As soon
as he came to himself he went back towards the beer-
house, and gave information of the injuries done him.
The police of the Bedminster division immediately went
in quest of the robbers, and in the course of the night
they apprehended two men, named James Flower and
Edward Milkins. Upon Milkins's person they found a
portion of the stolen property, and several articles were
likewise found in his house. The fellows wt re taken
before the magistrates on the following morning (Tues-
day), when Tucker identified them and the property
found with Milkins. He swore positively to Flower as
having been the man who followed him from the beer-
house and first attacked him, and to Milkins as having
aided and abetted him in the robbery. Evidence was
called to prove that the prisoners had been seen to follow
the prosecutor from the beer.house, and they were both
committed for trial.

THE MYSTERIOUS ROBBERY BY
A YOUNG FRENCHWOMAN.
Yesterday, at Winchester Sessions, Mal vine Florentine
de Saumarez, described in the calendar as of 19 years of
age, and of superior education, was tried for having
stolen, at Fareham, on the 28th of October last, a ja-
panned cash-box, containing 135 sovereigns, 23 half-
sovereigns, a guinea, and other articles, the property of
Thomas Purkis.
The extraordinary nature of this robbery, and the
somewhat romantic circumstances attending it, of which
a full notice appeared in this journal about two months
since, created an intense interest in Hampshire, and
long before the case was called on every available seat
was occupied. A great number of ladies were in attend-
ance, and some belonging to the first families in the
country were on the bench. The fact of the prisoner
being a Frenchwoman had created considerable sympathy
on her behalf, so much so as to induce several benevolent
individuals to furnish the means of providing her with
counsel.
The prisoner, who was led into the dock, appeared to
have suffered much during her lengthened imprisonment.
She was respectably dressed, and wore a black veil, ap-
parently to conceal her features from the public, and
during the whole proceeding avoided observation as much
as possible.
The facts stated in evidence were to the same effect as
those deposed by to the witnesses during the examination
before the magistrates.
The CHAIRMAN (Sir W. Heathcote, Bart.), summed
up the evidence with great precision, and the jury, after
a short consultation, returned a verdict of Guilty.
The prosecutor recommended the prisoner to mercy.
The CHAIRMAN then said, notwithstanding the recom-
mendation to mercy, he could not discover any exte-
nuating circumstances in the case. He had seldom seen
cases where the advantages of education had been applied
to such deep-laid schemes of vice. The sentence of the
Court was, ten years' transportation.
The decision appeared to create extreme surprise, and
the prisoner fainted.

PUNCH'S MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.—Gentlemen,—
Brevity is the soul of Punch.; he will not, therefore,
like Polk, write you a letter as long, but not so lively, as
a volume of " Sam Slick." Your thanks are due to your
national stars for the successful settlement of the Oregon
question. You will learn with regret that you are in a
decided fix. With a view to business you have marched
into Mexico; but you have no business there. You are
likely to meet with more drubbings than dollars. You
had better imitate a former King of France, with his
thirty thousand men, and march back again. If you do
not take care, you will involve yourself in a national
debt. You owe quite enough already; and I recommend
you to pay it as soon as possible. I advise you to repu-
diate—not indebtedness, but—slavery. Industry is more
profitable, and less hazardous, than annexation. The
amendment of the law of Lynch is worthy of your con-
sideration. Gentlemen, I wish you a merry session, and
a happy new year.—Punch.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE OF TEE LONDON AND
BRIGHTON EXPRESS TEAIN.—The express train on
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alarming character. The train started from Brighton,
as usual ten minutes before nine o'clock. and proceeded
,
all right es far as Stoat's Nest station, but immediately
after it passed the station the passengers in the first car-
riage, which was attached to the luggage-box, felt some-
thinginsTthan the
et
pas-
sengers
give way, and almost at the same
carriage sunk, but still kept on its course.
were greatly alarmed, not knowing what was
the matter. The passengers in the third carriage were
still more alarmed on finding the wheels of that car-
riage protruding through the bottom. All of them had
the presence of mind to keep their seats, but in a
dreadful state of alarm. In a few moments they were
somewhat relieved by finding the pace gradually slacken,
till they came to a stand-still, and the whole of them got
out in safety. On examining the train, it was found
that the axle and the wheels were entirely gone from
the first carriage, which, when stopped, was off the line,
but was still attached to the other carriages by the
coupling chains. The second and third carriages were
off the line on the opposite side, and greatly damaged.
Mr. Rowland Hill, Mr. Peter Clarke (the manager of
the London and Brighton Railway), and Colonel. Lane
Fox, were in the train at the time.
SUDDEN DEATH OF THE COMPTROLLER-GENERAL
AT SOMERSET-HOUSE.—Last evening an if' quest was
held before Wm. Carter Esq., on the body of William
Furaige, Esq., the Comptroller at Somerset house. It
appeared by the evidence, that on Monday we, k last the
deceased, wie, resided close by the Duke of York in the
Camberwell New-road, e here the iequ, st we.; held, was
putting on his b .ots, when he bi.came suddenly ill, an
tell from his char and died. Verdict, " That the de-
ceased died from natural causes."