The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-13 00:00:00

SACRILEGE,

CLEVER DISCOVERY OF THE OFFENDERS.
Llantillo Church, in Wales, was lately despoiled of a
large portion of black cloth, with which the pulpit had
been hung in consequence of the death of Mrs. Teddy.
Mr. Blissett, the superintendent of the Ross police, was
applied to to discover the offenders, and having engaged
a person of the name of Lawrence to assist him, an in-
genious stratagem was put in execution.
We quote the result from the Monmouthshire Adver-
tiser. Suspicion having attached, in the first instance, to
a blacksmith, named Probert, Lawrence went to Lien-
tillo dressed as a bell-hanger, with his basket of tools
on his shoulder, to where he worked. He went into the
smith's shop, and asked Probed to make him a pinch ;
whilst this was being done, Lawrence offered to sell the
smith a brown coat. Probert declined, and after some
time, %Ton being pressed, he said he did not want any
clothes, as he was !allying a suit of black made at Mr.
Jones's, 'at Ragland. This was the precise clue Law-
rence wanted, and he soon afterwards proceeded to Mr.
Jones's, the tailor, of that village. Of this person we
think it right to say, that he has always borne an irre-
proachable character for honesty and industry. Upon
arriving at Jones's, Lawrence asked the wife, and aft( r-
wards Jones himself, who entered the shop, if he could
have a brown or a dark waistcoat made there. Jones
said he had not any brown cloth, but he could make him
a black waistcoat, for which he should charge 10s. To
this Lawrence assented, and proffered sixpence to bind
the bargain, saying he would call on another day for the
vest, and pay the remaining 9s. 6d. He then asked for
a pattern, which he took with-him, and thus successfully
accomplished trap the second. Lawrence, with other
parties, then compared the pattern with the black cloth
remaining in the church, and it was found exactly to cor-
respond. Upon the following day he returned to Rag-
land, in company with Blissett, and producing a search
warrant, they tock possession of the black cloth, still
lying on the counter, and afterwards apprehended both
Jones and Probert.

Upon the policeman stating the nature of the charge,
Jones stated that the cloth belonged to Probert, who in
his absence had brought it and left it with his wife, for
a suit of clothes to be made from, stating that he had
bought it of a hawker for Bs. 6d. per yard.
The other prisoners, John Jones, labourer, and Thos.
Stead, were apprehended upon the confession of Jones
himself, who stated to the Rev. Dr. Davis that Probert
had devised the scheme of robbing the cloth, and had
gone to the church on the Sunday (the 13th of Sep-
tember) for the purpose of contriving the best means of
effecting their object. During the night, whilst Probert
remained at home, Jones and Stead entered the church
and took off their spoil, which the three worthies divided
among them. After this confession, Jones accompanied
Mr. Davis and others to a hayrick in an adjoining
parish, on the top of which, covered with loose straw, a
bundle of the cloth was lying.
The stolen cloth of Probert's was upon the counter.
The examination lasted several hours, and at its close
all the prisoners were committed, but bail was immedi-
ately tendered for Mr. Jones, the tailor.

THE LATE ELOPEMENT IN HIGH LIFE. -- The
Gloucester Journal of Saturday says:—" The fugitives
arrived in this city in a chaise and four at five o'clock
on Saturday morning. Thence they proceeded by a
special train, which had been ordered to be in readiness
as early as three o'clock, to Birmingham ; beyond which
we have no further knowledge of their route."
THE ARMY AND NAVY CLUB.—On Saturday the
preparations for the erection of the new Army and Navy
Club, St. James's-square, commenced. The whole of the
houseshl on one side of Ge, rge-street, as Hell as saveral
4n Pall-mall, are forthwith to be demolished, their sites
being required for the new building.
ROYAL VISIT TO ARUNDEL CASTLE.—WO are
enabled to announce that her Majesty has signified her
gracious in • tendon of honouring the Duke and Duchess
of Norfolk with a visit during the present month, at
their family residence, Arundel Castle. It will be re-
membered that the Noble Duke, in anticipation of a
visit from his Sovereign, last year completed a variety
of improvements, which up to that period were in pro-
gress at the castle, and also fitted up a suite of apart-
ments expressly for her Majesty's accommodation. Cir-
cumstances occurred about the time alluded to which
had the effect of postponing the royal visit; but we be-
lieve we are correct in stating, that during the recent
sojourn of the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk at Windsor
Castle, her Majesty signified her intention of honouring
their Graces with the promised visit at the earliest pos-
sible opportunity. We believe we are correcd in stating
that the royal visit will take place some time in the en-
suing week.—Post.
FAMINE IN ENGLAND IN 1316.—Several periods
of great scarcity have occurred in England, but the most
severe dearth that we find recorded was that which hap-
pened in 1316. It began to be severely felt in May,
1316, and proceeded to the utmost extremity until after
the harvest in 1316. In July, 1316, the quarter of
wheat rose to aos. (equal to 221. 10s.) and in August
reached the enormous price of 405., or 301. the quarter.
A loaf of coarse bread, which was scarcely sufficient to
support a man for a single day, sold for fourpence, equal
in value to ss. now. Wheat rose in Scotland at one
time to the enormous sum of 100s.,equal to 751. the quarter
of the present currency. This dearth continued, but
with mitigated severity, until after the harvest of 1317
but great abundance returned in 1318. This famine oc-
casioned a prodigious mortality among the people, owing
to the want of proper food and the unwholesome substi-
tutes. The rain set in so early in 1315, and continued so
violently that most of the seed of that year perished in
the ground ; the meadows were so inundated that the
hay crop of that year was almost utterly destroyed.
IMPORTATION or TOBACCO. —The revenue autho-
rities having had under their consideration an applica-
tion referring to the 14th section of the Warehousing
Act, 8 and 9 Vic. cup. 91, by which it is enacted, that
doepekfnrraadvglitgnehrtdedhe officersel 'safer tutoeybn Itofy
conveniencenar:
" within one month after any tobacco shall have been
warehoused, the proper officers of Customs shall take a
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ser.erequesting,oafn and being
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of opinion that when parties are desirous o'f deferring
the weighing of the tobacco, not for an indefinite period,
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observed
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until it suit their convenience either to sample or
packages of unmanufactured tobacco being weighed gross
arreosdreeidynci, sameeegi rt
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departments,
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and dealers in tobacco, and will be of interest and
portance to the trade. order
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