The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-16 00:00:00

time Lord Ferrers was living there. I knew Miss Smith.
I have seen them together ; once, in the summer time,
between three and four o'clock in the afternoon. I can't
tell in vrhat year. They were walking. He had hold
of Miss Smith's arm. They walked together as far as I
could see them. I used to see Lord Ferrers ride on
horseback past Mr. Smith's house. He used to alter his
pace, and go slower, when he came near the house, and
look towards Mr. Smith's premises. When he got past
the house he went faster.

Cross-examined—Ha kept his head over his shoulder
for about two minutes. Aly head was over my shoulder.
1 saw this three times, just at the same place. I was
going on an errand. I don't know how many years ago
it was. I was living with my mother. When I met
them together, I turned on the other side, because I
would not go close to them. I first m-iltii>ned thi, about
nine or ten weeks since. I was up in town before Christ-
I had told it then.

It being now half-past five o'clock, the Attorney-Ge-
neral submitted that, as it would be impossible for the
plaintiff's ease to be closed t., night, this w .uld a
proper time to adjourn the ease.—The Otutt was then
adjourned to Monday morning.

LONDON SESSIoNs
(Before the LORD MAYOR, RECORDER, and ALDERMEN.)
The grand jury having been sworn, were addressed by the Recorder
who congratulated them on the extreme lightness of their business.
Several of the retty jury were fined 101. each for non attendance.
Samuel Breffett, an elderly man, formerly in the employ of the
London Dock Company as a cooper, MRS indicted for violently
assaulting James Northcote, superin endent of the tobacco depart-
ment of the same docks The defendant pleaded guilty.
Mr. BALLANTINE said he appeared on behalf of the London Dock
Company, and although the defendant lied pleaded guilty, he felt
bound to call witnesses to show the determined and aggravated na-
ture of the assault. Ihe facts were these, the defendant had beets
discharged in November 1814, and at that time exprossed strong
feelings of revenge against the complainant. On meeting him on
Tower 11111 he followed him, striking a violent blow with an iron
bar, and continuing his violence until assistance arriv..d.
The Learned COUNSEL called witnesses, who produced the iron.
(It was termed a "stave iron," or large iron chisel eightcen incises
long.)
Defendant said th it he was annoyed, for after he had been dis-
charged from the tobacco warehouse, the complainant sent round to
prevent him from obtaining work at other warehouses.
_ .

The complainant positively denied this.
The RECORDER asked defendant, who had exhibited great obstinacy
during the case, whether he could get any one to become bail for him?
._ _

Defendant said he could not, there was no one he could ask.
The IlxcottoEtt then gave judgment, that defendant should be im-
prisoned for six weeks, and afterwards enter into recognizances to
keep the peace for three years, observing that there appeared to be
a great degree of malignancy in defendant's conduct ; and if ho re-
peated his misconduct he would be again indicted, his recognizances
estrcated, and, as he had no one who would be answerable for
him, the term of his imprisonment would very likely be permanent.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.
PRISON DISCIPLINE.—A boy, named James Slade. between
twelve and thirteen years of age, was brought before the Lord
Mayor, charged with having robbed his master of two half-
crowns. It was quite obvious that the prisoner, who exhi-
bited more cunning and boldness than was usually possessed by
persons of such an age, had committed the robbery, and that,
in order to accomplish
his
escape, and destroy ell evidence, he
threw a lighted candle amongst some rags, so that the appre-
hension of tire checked the ardour of pursuit, and be succeeded
in hiding the plunder. His answer to the Lord Mayor, upon
being asked by his Lordship what he had to say, was, " Why
the, searched me, and found no money nor anything else upon
me. How can they prove that I stole it ?"
The mistress of the boy said he was not searched until after
he had got away, and that he had been long enough absent to
dispose of the money to ;an accomplice. There was reason,
too, to believe that he had stolen a fowl from a neighbour.
The boy—No such thing. Nobody can prove any robbery
against me. Did any one find anything on me? that's the
question.
The Loan MAYOR—Why did you throw the lighted candle
amongst the rags? The boy—lt did not set fire to them.
was in a hurry to go to see my mother, who is bed-ridden and
crippled, to tell her what they charged me with, and 1 did not
think what I was doing.
The LORD MAYOR said that as thefe was a defect in the
evidence the boy, who was no doubt a very bad one, must be
discharged.
His LORDSHIP then turning to the City Solicitor, who was in
the Justice-room on other business, asked him whether the Oen
he intended to submit to the meeting on Set urday would embrace
a case like the one just disposed of ? 'Here the boy had a good
place and a good master. and was the child of decent, hard
working parents. He had not the excuse which many poor
'children had who were brought.- to the Mansion-house daily,
and who had nvi'her parents. nor home, nor food, and who
were literally driven to commit crime to escape from star-
...ration.
The City Qolicitor replied, that the measures he should submit
to the consideration of the meeting would undoubtedly provide
for cases similar to that which his Lordship had just witnessed
If the previous history of the little bOy were known, it would
probably appear that the offence he was cha-ged with was not
the first or the second with which he was chargeable, and al-
though the parents were respectable, in all likelihood some
neglect of education or misplaced lenity had conducted to his
present conduct ; at any rate if a reformatory asylum such as
he (the I, ity Solicitor) proposed was established, his Lordship
would not have been reduced to tl.e painful alternative of
either sending the boy to a gaol to be hardened in crime, or
letting him loose upon society by discharging him, as was un-
avoidable under the circumstances.
The LORD MAYOR—Certainly I should have detained him
till further evidence could be produced ; but I avail myself of
the defect in the evidence to discharge him, rather than com-
mit a chill of such a tender age to a gaol for criminals.
The following is the letter referred to by the Lord Mayor :
" Mansion-house.
" The Right Hon. the Lnrd Mayor has directed me very
respectfully to solicit the favour of your presence at the Man-
sion-house, on Saturday, the 14th of February, at two o'clock
precisely, to consider the propriety of adopting any measure
that may be devised to find shelter and employment for the
destitute children who infest the streets of the metropolis, and
who, falling easy victims to tl.e temptations which abound in
a crowded city, fill our gaols with criminals, and entail upon
the community an amount of expense greater than would suffice
to qualify them, by a judicious system of moral and industrial
discipline, to become useful members of society.
" The Lord Mayor has received various communications
from individuals possessing plans to t ffect this object, many
of which appear to his Lordship to possess great merit. By
his directions I have sent invitations to about 50 noblemen
and other benevolent individuals, to attend the proposed meet-
ing, when some of those plans, and any others that may be
suggested, will be taken into consideration, preparatory to a
public meeting, which will be shortly held in the Egyptian
Hall, to sanction an appeal to the Government and the Le-
gislature to provide a remedy for this great and increasing evil ;
or, failing that source, to seek from public bodies and philan-
thropic individuals, pecuniary means of making the experiment
upon a sufficiently large scale to afford the Legislature practical
proof that it is easier to prevent than eradicate clime, and,
therefore, to provide shelter and employment for destitute-and
friendless youths, than to leaveeheen its tleetstreets, the victims
of circumstances, till they become the instruments of crime,
wasting their days, between a life of plunder and a prison,
until their earthly career is closed in transportation or the
hulks.—l have the honour to be,
" Yours most obediently,
" CHARLES PEARSON."
RAILWAYS.—A surveyor, accompanied by a great number
of other persons, who represented that they had heavy claims
against a railway company, the prospectus of which contained
a great number of high City names, applied to the Lord Mayor
for a summons against one of the members of the provisional
committee, under the Joint-Stock Companies Act.
The LORD 'MAYOR desired that the applicams would come
prepared with evidence and advice upon the subject- on Mon
day. and he should then determine on the application for the
summons. He added that he believed the case was one on
which he could adjudicate, and the apelicants might rely upon
his endeavours to render them service, if this matter came
within his jurisdiction.
We abstain, of course, from giving the particulars until the
case comes formally before the Lord Mayor.
MAULBOR' itIGH STREET.
ANOTHER CAPTURE OF GAMBLERS. Between two and three
o'clock on Saturday, Superintendent Beresford, accompanied by a
strong body of police, proceeded, in pursuance of a warrant from the
Commissioners, to effect an entrance into a common gaming-house,
No 162, Piccadilly, opposite to the end of St. James',,tr‘ et, sn.l
having done so, they succeeded in capturing in the upper hart of the
house five persons, who at the station-house described themselves
as follows :—John Richardson, of No. 15, Jermyn-street, St. James's,
dentist; William Cartwright, of No. 1, Exeter-street, Strand, sur-
geon ; Charles Burton, of No. 4, Little St. James's-street, gentleman ;
John Edwards, of No. 5, Arundel-street, Haymarket, surgeon ; and
John Davison, of Alpha Cottages, Maids-hill, artist. The charge
entered against them is " for having been found in a certain common
gaming-house without lawful excuse." The house was fitted up In a
superb and costly style, the hall-porter being dressed up in a splendid
livery. An ante-rosin Was set out with a profusion of refreshments,
wines, &c. The whole of the defendants procured bail at the sta-
tion-house.
Two persons, named George Chapman and Joseph Smith were
also taken into custody, and charged with assisting in conductilig the
concern.
The examination of the defendants is postponed until this afternoon.
LO

DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT
MADELEY.

On Friday evening, the 30th ult., between the hours
of 7 lied 8 o'clock the retired and quiet villaee of Little
Madeley, or Madeley-heath, in this county, which lies
at the distance of about two miles from the Madeley
station of the Grand Junction Railway, became the
scene of the utmost terror and distress, in consequence
of the explosion of a large quantity of blast gunpowder
which had been kept .it the dwelling of Joseph Price, a
collier in the employ of Mr. Thomas Firmstone, an ex-
tensive ironmaster. Price resided in one of a number of
houses called th' New-row, or Firmstone's-row, a short
distance from the turnpike-road, and near to Mr. Firm-
stone's iron-works. On proceeding to the spot a horrible
sight was presented. It appears to be the common prac-
tice to allow the men employedin mining and colliery
operations to have in their own possession for that pur-
pose large quantities of gunpowder ; in some instances,
indeed, as much as two or three cwt. The powder is
purchased in barrels, generally by one of the principal
agents at the works, and supplied to the meta in such
quantities as they may require,, and is kept by them in
the barrels, either in an upper chamber or other pert of
their dwelling. On the evening in question Price's Wife
had taken two of her children (a boy and a girl, aged
respectively ten and eight years) upstairs, for the pur-
pose of putting them to bed, and whilst preparing the
bed for them one of the children took the lighted c indle
to that part of the chamber where a quarter cask uf
powder was placed, of which a small portion only had
been used, and it was at the time left open and expos 'd.
It is stated that one of the children pinched a few grains
of the powder with its fingers, and dropper! them into
the light of the candle, and that falling on the hands of
the child holding the light, caused it to drop the camile
into the mass of powder. The explosion was instan-
taneous. The husband, Price, was at the time in the
house-place below, and rushed out ; not at the instant
believing the calamity to be in his own house ; the un-
happy husband, however, quickly became aware of the
painful fact, and darted hack again in the hope to re i.u•
his wife and children. He shortly re-appeared with his
boy, who hed no other dress on but his shirt, and that in
flames. Mr. Malkin took the child, e hilst the unhappy
father again rushed into the ruins, and on ascending the
stairs beheld his wi e in a sfae. too horrible t, be de-
scribed, being so shockingly scorched and mangled. It
is extraordinary, however, that she was able to hand the
other cl,i!d, the little girl, to her husband, who I.,romt tly
intrusted her to one of the neighbours, and returned to
his wife's assistance ; on his ascending the stairs, the
poor woman was observed suddenly to ;Toss the room
when she fell through the floor, which had been damaged
instant
was the explosion, into a room .etf ;
beneath. Not an
stood when approached, she
lmotionless, life be rg
running
pto oo herur e relief'
oisnt
in
an
erectneariy extinct. She expired in a very few minutes aft: r
her removal, and her mutilated body was conveyed to a
neighbour's house. The other child was shortly dis.