The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-08 00:00:00

PEDESTRIANISM,

JENKINSON AND CLTNNINGILAN.—The half-mile trial
of speed between Charles Jenkinson (the London Stag),
and Daniel Cunningham (known as the Irish Lad), took
place yesterday, for 25 sovs. aside, at Fig's-marsh-level,
near Mitcham, Surrey. To recapitulate the achieve-
ments of Jenkinson would be trespassing too much on
our space; yet we may observe, among the contests that
immediately present themselves to our memory, that, al-
though beaten by the accomplished Robinson, of Newton
Moor, the early part of 1844, he achieved a triumph over
the celebrated John Smith (the Regent-street Pet), in a
race of a quarter of a mile, near the Angel, Sutton, it,
March of the same year, the stakes being 100 sovs. He
subsequently ran a dead heat with the same opponent,
at 300 yards, leaping 15 hurdles; and on April 10 beat
Boulton Phillips in a race of 140 yards. Ralph Manley,
however, beat him, in the same year (1844), at Newcas-
tle, in 120 yards, Jenkinson giving two yards. In 1845,
we shall not attempt to follow his performances scru-
pulously; the most remarkable were, mastering Benja-
min Badcock, of Birmingham, and two others, for a
silver cup, in a quarter of a mile race, at Stafford;
beating John Smith (second time) over 440
yards of turnpike-road, at Acton-bottom ; but
in turn "the Pet" conquered in a hurdle race
at the Beehive. Handley, of Nottingham, also beat him
in a race at Mitcham, owing, it was alleged, to the
cramp. This brings us to Cunningham, who does not
appear till the present year in any contest of note. Six
successive triumphs—among them we may mention
Franey (once disputed and once defeated), Smith (of
Stockport), Rowley (of Newcastle), and John Smith
(the Pet), half mile at Ealing—and enough will be
shown to justify some confidence on the part of his
friends. At a few minutes after four the men were at
the scratch, and without a baulk a fair start was effected.
For the first 600 yards Jenkinson led, but his advantage
was never more than two or three yards at the utmost.
At about 150 yards from home, Cunningham, who had
evidently been running judiciously, put on the steam ;
Jenkinson was certainly at the top of his speed, and
when collared, had somewhat shot his bolt. Cunning-
ham ran well and gamely, and ultimately reached the
goal four yards in advance. Not a few of the best
judges of speed were deceived, and there is little doubt,
had not the Stag ran himself out early, that the advan-
tage to Cunningham, the lighter, fresher, and stronger
man, from the ascent at the close of the half mile,
would not have been so advantageous.

PHYSICAL FoacE.—A poor Welsh miner who had
been induced to join in a riot, when under examination
before the magistrates at Newport, repeatedly exclaimed
as follows:—" I wur never for vissikful force." Being
asked to explain himself, he replied--" Why, aur, I
!weer wur vor pysonin um!"

ALLEGED ROBBERY AT THE
RECORD-OFFICE.
At the Thames Police-court yesterday, a case of ar:
extraordinary nature, arising out of a very trivial charge
of felony, was heard before Mr. Broderip. Win. Cusack,
a well-dressed young man, employed in the Record-
office, was charged with having stolen two sheets of
brown paper, valued 2d., laid as the property of her
Majesty.
Mr. Robert Loxton, who said he was the foreman of
the workmen in the Record-office of the Tower of Lon-
don, deposed that on Saturday afternoon ho saw tho
prisoner take some paper away belonging to her Ma-
jesty, and cautioned him about it, on which the prisoner
struck him, and he returned the blow and gave the pri-
soner into custody. He had since waited on Mr. M'Cul-
loch and various other gentlemen, some of whom were
connected with the Treasury, and he was referred from
one to the other until he was at last requested to make
the case known to Mr. Roberts, of the Record-office,
who declined to prosecute, and said he knew nothing at
all about it.
Mr. Broderip directed the depositions to be formally
taken.
The witness then stated, that the prisoner was one of
the workmen in the Record-office. On Saturday after-
noon he had occasion to go to the office, and saw him
take two sheets of new brown paper. He called out to
him, " Cusack, don't you take that with you." 'The
prisoner replied," Why not ?" and he told him there
was plenty of dirty-paper for use without taking new
paper. The prisoner became very insolent, and said
witness might be —, tbat it was no business of his,
and that lie would take what he wanted. The witness
then said, " If you attempt to take it I shall stop you at
the gate. I caution you not to take it." The prisoner
said, he wanted none of his cautions, and that it witness
made any attempt to stop him he would knock him
down. The prisoner was accordingly stopped at the
gate, and as he made towards the prisoner with the in-
tention of making him take the paper back again, he re-
ceived a violent blow from the prisoner.
Mr. Symons, the chief clerk—Did you actually stop
him ? Witness—Yes, I did, sir. He wrapped his clothes
in this paper. It was a bundle ; the paper was outside.
Mr. Symons—Then he was carrying the bundle at the
time you stopped him? Witness—Yes, sir. He had
his bundle wrapped up in two sheets of her Majesty's
paper. For the last twelve months he has been in the
habit of taking paper. Not only that, but' there has
been so much of this sort of thing going on, that I hare
had a duty lately put upon me of looking after it.
John M'Mahon, a police. constable, No. 32 H, said
there was a scuffle going on at the principal gate of the
Tower between Loxton and the prisoner. The latter
was given into custody for stealing two sheets of paper.
The prisoner said he had liberty to take it, and that Mr.
Hardy, the principal assistant keeper of the Public
Records, had given him permission to take paper when
he wanted it. He made an immediate inquiry, and
ascertained that Mr. Hardy was in the country.
The prisoner, in defence, said this was a malicious
prosecution on the part of Loxton. lie had been em-
ployed in the Record-office six years, and had hitherto
maintained a good character. He was tying up a bundle
of wearing apparel in two sheets of brown paper, and
Loxton came into the office, put his hand on his shoulder,
and forbade him doing so. He told Loxton it was no
business of his, and that he bad permission from his
superiors to make use of a sheet or two of paper for the
purpose of tying up a parcel, but not to sell it or give it
away on any consideration. Loxton continued near
him, and he threatened to punch his head if he did
not get away from him. He was passing out of the
gate, and Loxton seized him by the neck, on which he
struck him.

The police•constable, in answer to questions from Mr.
Symons, said the bundle was a very large one, and the
two sheets of paper were extended, and not folded
one within the other. The bundle required two sheets
of paper.
Mr. Roberts, a gentleman who paid much attention to
the proceedings, here rose and said, the department in
the Tower to which the parties belonged was entirely
under his control, and he knew that a great portion of
the statements made by Loxton were false, and that he
was actuated by malice in this prosecution. The witness
had repeatedly threatened to take the prisoner, but he
had no more right to interfere with him than the pri-
soner had to interfere with Loxton. The department
was entirely under the control of him (Mr. Roberts),
and he knew both parties well. The prisoner was a
steady man, of most exemplary character, and the most
implicit confidence might be placed in him. The pri-
soner was detained on special duty in the Record-office
on Saturday evening until half past five, an hour and
a half beyond the usual time, and there was no supe-
rior officer of whom he could ask permission to take
a sheet of paper, or he would have done so. If
anything wrong occurred, he (Mr. Roberts) was the
proper person to speak to on the subject. Loxton, how-
ever, had thought proper to pass by his house, and go
to the prisoner's, for the purpose of searching it, without
conulting him at all, nor was any report made to him.
He was sorry to say that Loxton was a man of bad

character, who had been suspended for drunkenness, and
a good deal of false mercy had been shown him. Loxtun
had no authority to stop the prisoner at all.
Mr. Broderip asked if the officers of the Record office
inteAded to prosecute ? Mr. Roberts—They will have
nothing to do with it.

Mr. troderip—Answer the question directly. Do you
attend here to prosecute or not ? Mr. Roberts—l attend
here to give the prisoner a character. The man Loxton

is not actuated 1;y auy desire to benefit the public ser-
vice, but only to gratify his own revengeful disposition.
If I had been in the office I should have given Cusack a
sheet of paper if he wanted it.
Loxton—Mr. Roberts is not sworn, your Worship.
Mr. Roberts—l am quite ready to be sworn and repeat
all I have said.

Loxton—You had no right to give him permission to
take the paper.
-Mr. Roberts—That is a matter between me and Lori
Langdale, the Keeper-General of the Public Records.
There are several men here who can prove the bad cha-
racter of the man Lorton. He had no business to go
to the Treasury, but to come to me.
Mr. Broderip—Well, you have taken upon yourself to
say you would have given him the paper. What are
you? Mr. Roberts—l am one of the Assistant-Keepers
of the Public Records. Mr. Hardy is another, and
when he is away I have the sole charge of the de-
partment.

Mr. Broderip said, that notwithstandieg what Mr.
Roberts said, his duty was as plain as possible, and that
was to hold the prisoner to bail, and ascertain if the
case would be taken in hand by the Government. The
public property had been taken out of the Record-
office, and he should hold the prisoner to bail, himself in
804 and two good sureties in 401. each, to appear at the
sessions.

We have much pleasure in being able to state that
the votes made through the agency of the Anti-Corn-
law League, in the counties of Middlesex, East Sussex,
Hertford, West Kent, South Hants, and South Essex,
will be supported and defended by gentlemen of talent
and experience from the late League registration offices,
and from the fund collecting for that purpose. We are
glad to see that our remarks, made some few days back,
have had the desired effect in arousing the friends of
the Government to protect, by their subscriptions, the
humble class of electors, who expended in January last
their hard earnings that they might assist with their vote
the return of a Liberal Government. The public are
much indebted to Mr. W. H. James, who, when the
League dissolved, took the responsibility of the County
Registration offices upon his own personal risk, to pre-
vent the free-trade cause from suffering by the offices
being broken up ; and we are now happy to announce
that he has since received the support of the Earl of
Radnor, Lord John Russell, Lord Robert Grosvenor,
Lord Listowel, Lord Clarendon, Hon. Admiral Bouverie,
H. N. Brown, Esq., Wynn Ellis, Esq., M.P., Messrs.
J. and J. L. Travers, and many other noblemen and
gentlemen. It only remains for us to impress upon the
Liberal party the necessity of exerting themselves by
rendering such aid to the registration fund as may be
needed to defend those counties from the unconstitutional
attack with which they are menaced.—Chronicle.
THUNDER STORM.—ROCIIESTER, SEPT. 7.—Yes-
terday morning was close and sultry, with a cloudless
sky up till noon day, shortly after which some clouds
made aeir appearance from the southward, followed by
a few drops of rain. To this succeeded dark threaten-
ing clouds of a slaty hue, projecting forward their white
heads, and the thunder pealed loudly, but the clouds
bore away to the westward, and we escaped the effects
of the storm. On the road to Gravesend the storm burst
with great fury, doing considerable damage to the crops
and everything within its range. At the Rev. Mr.
Hindle's, opposite the Falstaff Inn, on Gad's Hill, where
the hail fell in torrents, some of the windows were
broken, and in the greenhouse upwards of 200 squares
of glass were destroyed. Some of the pieces of ice
measured nearly three inches in length, and from the
quantity which fell, laid thick on the ground for some
time after the storm had abated.

SUSPECTED MURDER OF AN INFANT.—Yesterday,
Mr. Wakley, M.P., held an inquest at the Vestry-hall,
Church-passage, Chancery-lane, on the body of a newly-
born female child, discovered under the following mys-
terious circumstances:—lt appeared from the evidence of
several witnesses, that on the morning of the 4th instant
a small rash basket, tied and directed to a gentleman at
No. 95, Holloway-road Villas, was left by a stranger at
the receiving-house of the Parcels' Delivery Company,
in Charles-street, Westminster. The parcel was in due
time taken to its destination, and upon application being
made, it was ascertained that no one of the name lived
there, It was then returned by the carrier, and deposited
at the company's office in Roll's-buildings, Fetter-lane,
where, on being opened, it was found to contain the body
of the deceased, wrapped in a piece of linen rag. Mr.
Lovett, the parochial surgeon, said he could not state
positively whether the deceased had been born alive or
not, owing to its decomposition. After a protracted
deliberation, the jury returned an open verdict of
" Found dead."

WINDSOR CASTLE.-" TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION."
—Considerable surprise, and no little alarm and conster-
nation, were. created amongst her Majesty's lieges in the
royal town of Windsor, upon the publication, on Satttr-
day, of the Windsor Express, in which appeared an ad-
vertisement (surmounted by the royal arms, prominently
displayed in " large caps.") to the following effect:—
"By order of her Majesty's Commissioners of Woods
and Forests—Windsor Castle—To be Sold by Auction,
by Mr. Tebbott." Upon diving, however, into the small
type, it was found, to the great joy of the alarmists,
that a large quantity of building materials were to be
disposed of by the royal auctioneer, and not the Castle
itself.

DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.— The son of the lamented
Dwarkanauth Tagore, accompanied by Mr. Drummond,
is at present on a visit to this city. He is residing at the
Wellington Hotel. The distinguished stranger, who is
attired in the Oriental costume, has been visiting and
inspecting the lions of this city,—Glasgow Saturday Post.

COMMISSION OF LUNACY ON
MRS. CUMMING.
THIRD DAY.
The inquiry into the state of mind of Mrs. Catherine
Cumming, a lady possessed of a fortune of 30,0001., and
which had previously occupied two ddy,..s, Was resumed
yesterday at the Horns Tavern, Kennington, before Mr.
Commissioner Barlow and a special jury. The adjourn-
ment had been made from the previous Monday, and
was granted to enable Mrs. Cumming (who had not
been professionally represented on the first day) to pre-
pare for her defence.
Mr. Edwin James, with Mr. Cole, as counsel, and Mr.
Dangerfield, as solicitor, appeared, as before, for the
Commission ; and Mr. Petersdorf, as an additional and
leading counsel, with Mr. Parry, as junior (who formerly
appeared), and Mr. Robinson, solicitor, on the part of
Mrs. Cumming.
Mr. Petersdorf applied for a copy of the notes and the
first day's proceedings, and after a desultory conversa-
tion it was agreed that Vitt witnesses of Saturday should
be cross-examined.

John Wilson was the first witness examined. He
said—l have retired from business as a goldsmith and
jeweller. On the 10th of July I went to the house of
Mrs. Cumming, in Belgrave-terrace. I went on the
death of Mr. Cumming. I showed the state of the house
to the jury on Monday last. It Was in the precise state
as when the captain died. There was, an inventory of
the goods taken. Mr. Ince was tl ere. Mr. Ilooper
was at his office. (The inventory was here produced
and identified by the witness.)
Cross-examined—I did not write the inventory, but I
Was present when it was written. There were numerous
Papers and parchments since found.
Examination continued—All the parchments and
papers were put into boxes.—(Boxes sent for and opened.)
The boxes have been in my Possession ever since.—
(A bag of sugar produced.)
Commissioner—Were these things in your house, Mrs.
Cumming? Mrs. Cumming—Oh, yes, they were packed
up for the purpose of removal from one house to another.
Witness continued—l found a 61. note in one of these
boxes in a dirty envelope, amongst pieces of paper ; the
envelope was very dirty outside. I had the sole care of
the house. The keys were always in the possession of
Mr. Hooper. The house was in the same state from the
time of the death of Captain Cumming up to the time of
the jury seeing it. This witness went on to describe it.
Cross-examined—l went to the house at the request
of Mr. Hooper and Mr. Ince. In 1839 and 1840, I
visited the Captain and Mrs. Cumming on Maida Hill,
on the Captain's birthday. I believe a large portion of
the furniture from Maida Hill was sent to the Pantech-
nicon. I had every opportunity of seeing how they
lived. Mr. Cumming was upwards of eighty-nine years
of age when he died. I did not see him for three years
before his death. He was then quite able to held him-
self at table. The house was scarcely furnished. I was
not put in as a watchman. There was no understanding
about remuneration, but Ido expect it. I was told to
keep the furniture in the same state as I found it. The
51. note which was found was nearly new, dated 1844,
and was in an envelope. Ido not know that on three
successive occasions Mrs. Cumming's furniture was
taken in execution for Captain Cumming's debts.
Elizabeth Browne, a nurse to Mrs. Cumming, de-
posed to her exhibitions of temper, hatred to her family,
cruelty to her husband, &c., adding, that she accused
her (witness) of improper intimacy with the captain.
Commissioner (to Mrs. Cumming)—Did you ever
accuse her of such a thing? Mrs. Cumming (empha-
tically)-oh, no, gentlemen! look at her face—it is not
likely.—(Laughter.)
Several other witnesses, who bad acted as nurses to
Captain Cumming, and who had been servants in the
house, were also examined, but their evidence added no
new facts to those adduced at the preyious examinations.
Her neglect and cruelty to Captain Cumming, her
great care of the cats, and the senseless charges of
infidelity, were again mentioned, together with her care-
lessness about money.

At five o'clock the proceedings were further adjourned
till this day.

OFFENCES IN THE PARBS.—Yesterday a statement
of all persons apprehended in St. James's, Hyde, the
Green Parks, and Kensington Gardens, during the past
month of August was, by order of the Commissioners
of Woods and Forests, posted at the principal entrances.
Fifteen persons found sleeping at night in the shrub-
beries of Hyde Park, were all confined with hard labour
for short periods; three, convicted of indecency in Hyde
and St. James's Parks, were held to bail to answer the
charges at the sessions; and three others, for cutting
seats and assaulting a constable, were imprisoned with
hard labour.

111 •
1. A GLIONI AT PLYMOUTH.—PLYMOUTH, SEPT. 6.
On Wednesday evening Madlle. Taglioni commenced a
brief engagement of four nights before a Plymouth
audience. ' Her arrival so early was unexpected, for she
was announced to appear at Exeter on Wednesday and
Thursday, and at Plymouth on Friday and Saturday;
but, in consequence of our manager, Mr. Newcombe,
having advertised an increase of the prices, the lessee of
the Exeter Theatre refused the thfeatre in that city, and
Taglioni at once came on to Plymouth, and the subject
of dispute between the two lessees is likely to be a mat-
ter for settlement in a court of law. Taglioni is sup.
ported by M. Silvain and Madame Proche Giubilei, and
by Mr. Gilmer and Miss Gilmer, of the Italian Opera,
who were here before. The engagement of Taglioni
not proving so successful as it would probably have
proved had her time been divided between Plymouth
and Exeter, that accomplished lady has very kindly
given Mr. Newcombe an extra night.
ALARMING STORM AT WINDSOR.—WINDSOR, MON-
DAY EVENING.-Shortly before three o'clock this after-
noon one of the most alarming and fearful storms of
thunder and lightning, accompanied by torrents of rain,
ever experienced in Windsor, passed over the town from
the south-east, and lasted for upwards of an hour and a
half. The lightning was of the most vivid character.
Flash followed flash, and peal succeeded peal, without
intermission, during the whole time of the continuance
of the storm. For the last two days the heat has been
most oppressive, the thermometer this day at one o'clock,
in the shade, standing as high as 82 degrees.
THE FRENCH IN OTAHEITE.—LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 5.
—The Boston Advertiser publishes the following import..
ant intelligence from Otaheite:—" The latest accounts
we have previously seen reported the facts of a collision
having occurred between thd natives and the French ;
but the statement now given adds, it will be observed,
that the town has been evacuated alike by English and
French:—` From the Society Islands—By a recent
arrival at New Bedford, advices have been received from
Otaheite to April 15. The natives had made a vigorous
assault upon the French garrison, and had driven them
from the land. The European residents had been com-
pelled to flee with their effects on board the French
vessels of war. After the evacuation of the town the
French vessels opened a fire upon
THE SPA ...FIELDS BURIAL-GROUND.—Mr. Bram-
well has at length made his award. He prohibits any
further burials or disturbance of the ground, save in cer-
tain parts of the churchyard, for ten years ; directs that
no coffin of five feet or upwards shall be buried in any
grave not deep enough to lie over the upper part of
such coffin a thickness of soil of five feet ; coffins to be
buried one or more deep in a vertical direction. When
a coffin has been buried one year they shall not bury
over or disturb it. There shall be a horizontal or
lateral direction, one foot at least between coffins buried
in the ground. No coffin to be removed or disturbed, nor
any body or part of any body, for ten years from the
time of burial. This award is dated the 9th of May
last. The parts of the ground to be hereafter used can
only be properly understood by examining a plan ; they
comprise that portion bounded on the east by part of
the western wall of the dwelling-house, and part of the
ground bounded on the north by the north wall of that
house, &c.

BARNET FAlR.—Yesterday (Monday) this great
cattle fair terminated ; a great deal of stock changed
ownership. The cattle breeders held out for high prices
the preceding days of the fair, and purchasers did well
by waiting, and obtained cattle at an advantage yester-
day. A large number of Scotch runts were turned out
sold, destined for the grazing counties. Some well bred
Durham and polled milch cows were bought at 16 to 18
guineas, calves inclusive. Prime bullocks (Devons) re-
tained prices at first asked. In the sheep pens there
was but little business, the chief supply having been sold
out. In the horse-field business was lively to the end
of the fair, and the best description of horses fetched
good prices. The Welsh horse-dealers have made a
good harvest. The ponies and foresters were of better
stamp than is usually presented for sale, and conse-
quently met with a better sale and corresponding
prices.

- LOCUSTS IN ENGLAND.—As a proof of the approxi-
mation of our climate this summer to that of eastern
countries, it may be worth recording, that our island has
been visited by a swarm of those destructive insects, the
great brown locusts. A few stragglers have visited
this vicinity, two specimens of which were taken to
our museum, where one of them is now alive, and in
full vigour. A northern paper mentions the fact of
the swarm having been seen at Sunderland, and that
they travelled in a sourtherly direction. Norfolk
Chronicle.

RAILWAYS V. STAGE. COACHES.—The short interval
that has elapsed since the Bradford and Leeds Railway
was opened has served to sweep away almost all the
stage coaches from that road, though there used to be
not an hour in the day when they were not running
from the two towns.—Leeds Mercury.
A PRINCE KILLED IN A DUEL.—GRATZ (STYRIA),
Aua. 21.—Owing to au altercation which took place at a
ball between the Prince of Tour and Taxis, Lieutenant-
Colonel of Hussars, and Captain Schnedt, of the Infan-
try, a meeting with pistols took place, and the former
was killed on the spot, having received the bullet of his
adversary in the breast.. The event caused a capful
sensation at Gratz. The Prince of Tour and Taxis, of
the illustrious family of the same name, was only thirty-
five years of age, and universally esteemed for his amiable
qualities.
A CENTRAL SUN.—Dr. Madler, the professor of
astronomy at Dorpat, has published the result of the re-
searches pursued by him uninterruptedly during the last
sixty years, upon the movements of the so-called fixed
stars. These more particularly relate to the star Alcyone
(discovered by him), the brightest of the seven bright
stars of the group of the Pleiades. This star he states
to be the central sun of all the systems of stars known to •
us. He gives its distance from the boundaries of our •
system at tiiirty•four million times the distance of the
sun from our earth; a distance which it takes 537 years
for light to traverse. Our sun takes 182 million years
to accomplish its course round this central body, whose
mass is 117 million times larger than the sun.
TEE GREAT BRITAIN.—The riecesfary, repairs
having been effected, the Great Britain was on Saturday
morning floated out of the graving dock and berthed
frm l
ed,
n
the Cuburg. Her passenger list, we are informed,
already presents a gratifying
appearance.—Li, erpoo
Albion