The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-24 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—` ms DAY.

A CURIOUS CHARGE AGAINST MILKMEN.—Thomas
Messer, late a milk seller, in the employ of Mr. Dan-
cocks, purveyor of milk to his Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales, Fulham-road, and Thomas Goddard, his brother-
in-law, were examined at the Westminster Police-court,
charged with conspiring to defraud Arr. Dancocks of
his customers by other than lawful means. Mr. W. D.
Smyth, solicitor, of Rochester-row, prosecuted ; Mr.
Collins, barrister, defended. Messer was bound to Mr.
Dancocks under a £2O penalty not to sell milk on his own
account within a certain radius, or assist another to do
it ; but he appears, however, to have gone about with
Goddard, to whom he handed some of the money paid by
Mr. Dancocks's customers, the latter imagining that it
was Mr. Dancocks's milk. To one customer Goddard
said he had bought part of Mr. Dancocks's walk ; and
to another when she complained of the milk being thin,
he said, " You had better go to the office," thereby inferring
that he was in Mr. Dancocks's service. The theory of the
prosecution, therefore, was that the two defendants were
either selling theft own milk, and attempting to deprive
Mr. Dancocks of his customers, or • that the milk was
" watered," and the money handed to Goddard was that
arising from the extra quantity produced by the water.
Mr. Arnold gave 3udgment at some length, but was under
the impression that the evidence of " watering " was only
evidence of opinion, and, although the two defendants had
been guilty of dirty and underhand proceedings, there was
no conspiracy in law, and Mr. Dancocks had not been
damnified, for there was no evidence that he had lost any
of his customers, so, therefore, they had not acted crimi-
nally, and Mr. Dancocks would have a civil remedy
against Messer if the evidence were correct. He should
discharge them.
MISCREANTS.—Ridding the Public of Dangerous
Characters.—George Arthur Woodhouse and Samuel
Clements, alias Clement Wix, were charged before Mr.
Knox, at the Marlborough-street Police-court, with fre-
quenting urinals as suspected.persons. Detectives
Butcher and Shrives, of the C Division, about 12 o'clock
last' night saw the prisoners following gentlemen into
several urinals, and then took them into custody, having
previously seen Clements talking to a fellow named
Cassell, better known as " Lady Jane Geey." In reply
to Mr. Knox the officer (Butcher) stated that Woodhouse
was charged at that court in September, 1869, with a
similar offence along with Cassell, and committed for
three months hard labour, Cassell being sent to the Ses-
, sions and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment and
a flogging, On searching Woodhouse; he found on
him a powder puff, used for powdering his face.
The prisoners entered into long and rambling statements,
Woodhouse in a very effeminate tone of voice, and Wood-
house called a young man on his behalf, who as well as
Woodhouse said the police persecuted them. Mr. Knox
said of all the miscreants brought to that court, the pri-
soners were specimens of the worst, as they were in the
practice of frequenting places for the purpose of extort-
ing money from persons by accusing them of crimes
which would drive them from their fellows. ' The pri-
soners would be committed for three months' each with
hard labour, and if they ever came before him again he
would send them to the sessions.

EXPLOSIVE MANUFACTURES.—A correspondent
writes " Permit me to invite your aid in a matter whicl
seems to me of much moment to thousands. I live 300
yards from the great cartridge manufactury in Gray's-inn-
road, and I venture to say am therefore in a very danger-
ous and hazardous neighbourhood, which it is certainly
theduty of the Government to make safe and satisfactory.
Amid all the rumours of Continental war and misery, the
losses of life by railway collisions and the blowing up in
the provinces recently of a place such as that I now speak
`of, it appears to me that an accident of the most trivial
natdTußrpeEromupY property."
THE any
moment deprive hundreds of us of life
an
y.O"F FOG SIGNALS ON RAILWAYS.—The
aes
following statement shews the number of fog signals that
were exploded at five stations of the South-Eastern Rail-
way, within the London district, on one foggy day in
November last :—Charing-cross, 61 ; Waterloo Junction,
84 ; Cannon-street, 432 ; London-bridge, 360 ; Spa-road,
504—total, 1,441.
VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY DRILL.—It is expected
that an order will be soon issued directing an extension of
drill to the Volunteer Artillery, and that next year
the force will be instructed in gun drill practice, in
mounting and dismounting heavy siege guns, and
various other operations, so as to assimilate the corps to
regular artillery. Every corps will be examined as to this
extended drill.
THE CUBAN REPUBLIC.—The island of Cuba,
which has so long been suffering from internal disorgani-
sation, aspires to add another. to the list of young
Republics. General Manuel de Cespedes, Pre- '
, sident of the Republic of Cuba, has written
a letter to the President of the Cuban League
of the United States, denying the atrocities attributed
to the soldiers of the 'Republic. If any Ouban officer or
soldier has been guilty of any excess, which has rarely.
happened, he has immediately suffered the penalty of
death. The Government has never authorised
the execution of prisoners taken in arms ex-
cept after a formal trial by a military court.
En revanche, President Cespedes accuses the
Spaniards of mutilating the dead and attacking
peaceful citizens, old men, women, and children.
These horrors will, however, soon be at an end, as the
Spaniards will speedily be driven from Cuba, and the
beautiful island will take the place which her
courage, long suffering, and capacity for self-govern-
ment entitle her to claim among civilised nations
The Cuban people express their grateful sense of the sym-
pathy.and encouragement they have received from the
American nation during their struggle for independence.
The statement that the famous steamer Hornet was being
fitted out at New York for another Cuban expedition is
contradicted.

RDAY, DECEMBER 24,

THE LATE' ENGAGEMENTS WITLI
GARIBALDI.

In a communication from Autun, the special correspon-
dent of the Daily News at the headquarters of Garibaldi,
remarks : The Germans as a military nation, have during
the present campaign, conquered a reputation superior
even to that enjoyed by France previous to its recent
disasters. We read everywhere that the German artillery
.s both perfect and plentiful, that the soldiers are models of
discipline and courage, that their officers are brave, intelli-
gent , and capable, that the cavalry is the first in the
world, and that the fire-arms used in the German armies,
if not equal to any that are likely to be brought against
them, are at all events very little below the mark.
With all these striking advantages before me, I am corn—
pletely at a loss to understand how it was that in the re-
cent affairs which Garibaldi's army has had with that of
General Werder the Germans did not cut a better figure.
I have already related in a previous correspondence
how on the 20th of last month Garibaldi, with two bat-
teries of artillery (8-pounders), went to within 500 yards
of Dijon, driving before him 5,000 Baden troops, and how
when the Mo'bile Guard fled, 500 horsemen—nay, twenty-
five Uhlans, sent at a gallop down the Paris road, could
have slaughtered or made prisoners a quarter of our army.
And yet the Germans, with a somewhat formidable artil-
lery in comparison with ours—for during the day they had
used mitrailleuses and 24-peunders--contented themselves
with remaining on the defensive, allowing us to get back
to Lantenay, 10 or 12 miles distant, without losing a man
apart from those killed or wounded in the fight. The
following morning they attack us on the plain of Paques,
our Mobiles, that is to say the larger portion of our army,
break away without firing a single shot, and yet, with our
army flying like chaff before the wind, with a large portion
of our troops thoroughly demoralised, making off in six
different directions, we succeed in In inging what may almost
be called our entire army—for we certainly did not lose
over two or three hundred men in killed, wounded, and
prisoners—first to Sombernom, then to Arnay-le-Duc, and
ultimately to Autun, without seeing, or hearing anything
of the enemy. Out of the few prisoners that the Ger-
mans name—about 120 in all, I believe-80 have since
escaped. They were all stragglers, who had profited by
the precipitate retreat to remain behind and obtain
food and shelter from the peasantry. The day
the Germans attacked us here they might, had they
possessed the shadow of their reputed pluck, have gained
a brilliant victory. They managed to get within, !Not
three or four kilometres of the town, as I said in the letter
I sent you a week ago, but actually within one kilometre,
at which distance they planted two batteries. Colonel
Canzio, Garibaldi's son-in-law, tells me that they
were 5,000 strong, with 1,000 cavalry and 60
pieces of cannon. Certain people have said
that General Garibaldi allowed the Germans to.
get close to the town in order to defeat them more ad-
vantageously. This I publicly state to be false. I have
already told you how we were surprised. The General
with three or four officers was on the hill at the south of
Autun, beside the ruins of the pyramid of Couard, look-
ing out for the enemy with telescopes and field glasses in
every direction. All at once he happened to look down
before him, and there, with his naked eye, saw the Ger-
mans quietly placing two pieces of cannon in battery in
front of the Convent of St. ' Martin, situated within
two-thirds of a mile north of Autun. Before he could
descend the hill into the town and reach the Sous-Pre-
fecture, several shots had been fired. How was it, then,
while Riccicotti Garibaldi had arrived in the morning
with his Francs-tireurs, having exchanged shots with the
enemy at Arnay-le-Duc, that we could be surprised
on the afternoon of the same day in this ex-
traordinary, and, I am constrained to say, disgraceful
manner? For it is positively awful to think of the butchery
that might have been the result of a successful move-
ment on the part of the enemy. It appears that as soon
Ets General Garibaldi had seen his son Ricciotti, he ordered
the chief of the General Staff to send out scouts, and post
sentinels and troops at various places in the plain. These
directions, it seems, were only imperfectly executed, so
that the fault rests entirely with the General Staff or
Etat Major. This, however, does not alter the
fact that, had we been beaten by the Germans, General
Garibaldi would have been held responsible, notwith-
standing that he had taken all the necessary measures for
defending the place. This circumstance was the signal for
.the bursting of a tempest that had been hanging about
for a very long. On December 2, the day following the
fight, Colonel Canzio tendered his resignation, declaring
that he would not serve with men incapable of fulfilling
the duties incumbent on the posts which they occupied.
colonel Canzio's resignation was followed by that of all
6he principal Italian officers, including that of General
illenotti Garibaldi, I believe. '

KING WILLIAM AND THE IMPERIAL
CROWN.

The presentation of the Imperial Crown of Germany
;o King William of Prussia at Versailles is vividly'described
by Dr. Russell. The scene on the 13th was a brilliant
sne ; Dr. Russell indeed goes so far as
;o
.say that the day ought to be ever remembered
in the history of France, Germany, and the
world. King William attended Divine service in the
:hapel of Louis XIV. with more state than usual. There
was a strong military guard, who took up their posts in
he chapel organ gallery, and also a large assem-
blage of princes and grand dukes. Curiously
mough, the company entering the chapel had
;o pass between two groups guarding the gate.
that on the right represents " France triumphant over
;he German Empire," and that on the left, " France
aiumphant over Spain." The coincidence is not
► little • singular. At 10. 15., the doors of the
lapel, which had been closed, were flung open,
and the King appeared. He was in his usual
uniform, and his commanding figure was draped
In a long military cloak. His Majesty walked with
luick, firm strides up the centre, and took his place in a
nigh-backed chair on the right, facing the altar. He
was alone, and for some seconds his Staff • remained
behind, and then came in and sat behind the King.
the King-Emperor, who has not entered Pari4 yet, has
twice visited it with conquering armies—in 1814 and
I.Bls—when it was almost an open city, and when the
French ',army, defeated outside its walls, could find
so rallying !point ; and it may well be imagined
hat the Imperial Crown seems to him not
luite his own as yet, When all were assembled
the doors were closed, and the band in the gallery
played one of the noble hymns of the military service.
The sermon which followed was very appropriate and
sloquent, but it is difficult to fill the chapel even with the
best modulated tones, and the effect of the discourse was
somewhat impaired. When the delegation went to
he King at the Prefecture and prayed him to accept
;he Crown, the. spectacle outside the building was not
very imposing. The townspeople know little and care
less for the ceremonials of the conqueror, but nevertheless
the fineness of the weather attracted many loiterers. The
new royal standard of purple silk, with its
cross, white bordered and its golden crown
hoisted over the Prefecture, attracted their
gaze. "And so King William is to be made an
Emperor " said one. " What good will that do him ? "
Bah !" answered another, " Let them. I wish them
joy. We tried Emperors, and a pretty pass they brought
France to." "Perhaps," joined in a third, " this one will
give the Germans a pretty turn. I wonder they do not
take warning from us." There were some old d6cores
there, interrupted in their stroll up and down the avenue,
who went grimly on and returned no more—one, a younger
man than these ancient generals and colonels, walking
with a lady, was pointed out to me as a colonel on
Marshal Bazaine's staff here on parole with his family.
Before two o'clock the Princes began to arrive. Count
Bismarck was by himself in an open carriage, with his
invariable Cuirassier undress cap, frock, and overalls.
The Crown Prince wore his uniform as Field-
Marshal, and looked exceedingly happy. The procession
of princes, officers, and authorities of various kinds moved
on, but at last there was an end„ and the door closed on the
delegation. " And now it is done ! Old Barbarossa may
go to sleep now," exclaimed one officer. " Thank God !"
"Amen !" answered a grave bescarred old Colonel, " It
is His work, and I can sing Nunc IThnittis." Presently
there appeared on the steps witnesses of what had
passed within ; they were deeply moved—some
with tears not in their eyes alone, but on their
cheeks,—" Enfin I C'est une ealamite. Voila, Pierre, commie
pleurent." But they were tears of joy. The words of
those favoured ones were eagerly listened to by the
officers outside. They spoke of the King's emotion—of
the joy that could only find vent -in sobs among the
veteran generals who stood around him as he strove to
conquer his tongue and give his Royal answer. The ad-
dress and the reply have been telegraphed to Berlin, and
tliep:e have gone over the world.

The Independance Beige publishes several hundred more
signatures of French officers protesting against the projects
of a Bonapartist restoration. .

CRYSTAL PALACE.—The ice upon the great basins
in the grounds promises well for skaters to-day. On
Boxing Day the Palace will be open from nine in the
morning until nine at night. In addition to the success-
ful pantomime, " Gulliver," there will be a series of
amusements at mid-day. The Palace is well warmed
each day, and the decorations are unusually gay.