The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-21 00:00:00

THE WITTON EXPLOSION.

The inquest on the bodies of seventeen of the
persons killed at the explosion of a cartridge menu-
factury, at Witton, was resumed at Birmingham yester-
day, and further adjourned. Captain Majendie, Royal
Artillery, was present on behalf of the Government.
Another of the persons injured has died, thus swelling
the number of deaths to 44.

EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY OF
DIAMONDS.

Advices by the Cape mail, just arrived, state that
diamonds of great value in large numbers continued to
be found at the Cape, A new diamondiferous track had
been discovered, and the old ones were keeping their
ground. The diggings now extend over 100 miles of
country, and the population had increased to 15,000. One
man had found two diamonds valued at £120,000.
News from Natal reports that one party belong-
ing there had found diamonds to the value of £150,000,
one gem found by them weighing 105 carats, which
has been lodged in the Natal Bank. The Star of
Beaufort West, a splendid gem, over eighty-eight carats,
had been exhibited at Cape Town for the benefit of the
Ladies' Benevolent Society. Many persons, however, had
been unsuccessful at the diggings, and some of them were
suffering great privations in endeavouring to return to
their homes.

ROBBERY OF £lO,OOO IN BANK NOTES.

At the Southwark Police Court yesterday, Sarah Durrant,
62, coffee-house keeper, London-road, was charged before
Mr. Ellison with receiving two £l,OOO notes of the Bank
of England, and £B,OOO in other notes, well knowing
them to be stolen.

Mr. Sydney Tomlin,"clerk to Messrs. Barnett, Hoare,
and Company, bankers, Lombard-street, said that on
Saturday, the sth of February, a little before noon, he en-
tered the Birkbeck Bank, Southampton-buildings, Chan-
cery-lane, for the purpose of collecting money for cheques.
He placed his case on the desk, and called out " Barnett'
change." He was about handing the cheque to the
cashier, when some one touched him on the left side and
said, " You have dropped something." On looking, he
saw a piece of paper on the floor like a cheque, and
stooped to pick it up. While raising himself he saw a
hand leave his left side in the direction of the case. He
then found that all the notes were gone. The bank was
crowded at the time. He called out, " I have lost my
notes," and, seeing the door opened, rushed out into the
street, but could not observe anybody leaving the premises
He instantly proceeded to the Bank of England and gave
notice of his loss, detailing the numbers and description
of the notes. He identified the two notes produced. He
knew nothing whatever of the prisoner.
John Shore, Inspector of Detective Police, said that he
had bills printed and advertisements inserted in almost
all the newspapers in Europe and America, offering a re-
ward of £l,OOO. At midnight on Monday he was in com-
pany of Moon, another detective officer, when they met
the prisoner in the Borough-road, and accused her of
having bought, two days before, a couple of Bank of Eng-
land notes for £l,OOO each. She became very much ex-
cited, and said, " Don't take me. I shall get ten
years. If I give you the notes will you let me go ?" She
then took a small bag from her bosom and handed it to
him, and in two envelopes were the two Bank of England
notes in question. She declined to say from whom she had
got them, and on the way to the station exclaimed, " Oh,
dear I shall never see my dear home again, or this road
any more. This is what I have got by being a friend to
another."

Moon said that in a wardrobe in the prisoner's bed-room
he found £2l 10s. in gold and silver, and behind a looking
glass a bundle of foreign letters.
The prisoner, in defence, said she found the notes on
Wednesday morning whilst she was cleaning out her
coffee-room. She saw a parcel under the table, and,
on opening it, saw the notes, which she thought were of
the Bank of Elegance. She had no idea they were
genuine.
Rem Anded for further evidence.

The Chamber of Agriculture Journal says :—" One
day last week a very valuable property in the neighbour-
hood of Carlisle, comprising the Knells Mansion, with
pleasure grounds and 543 acres of land, Houghton Hall
Mansion, pleasure grounds, and about 38 acres of land ;
59 acres of land at Houghton, with a freehold house,
garden, and cottage, were sold by public auction. No
purchaser was found for any single lot, and the whole
was sold in one lot for £37,100.