The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-05 00:00:00

L.kW AND POLICE.

SWEATING TILE SOYEEEIGN.--James Clifford and Eliza
his wife, were charged at Worship-street with " impairing,
diminishing, and lightening the Queen's current gold
coin." A daughter of the prisoners was charged with
knowingly uttering the same. The daughter was
pursuing her illegal occupation when Inspector
Brennan took her into custody, and. elicited her
parents' address, w' ich was in the City. The inspector,
with another officer, went to the house, and proceeded to
a back room on the first floor, where they saw the male
prisoner sitting at a bench. On seizing and searching
him they found in his packet two sovereigns that had been
tampered with, and a pistol capped and loaded. A box on
the bench contained a battery, the jars of which were
charged. The outer jar contained sulphate of zinc, the
porous pots a solution cf nitrate of potash. On the bench
was a piece of round board and also a piece of hollow brass
called a "run." On being charged with the offance, he
said, "If you were to go to any electro gilders in Camber-
well you would find similar batteries to that." The wife
said the husband had been long at it. Remanded for a
week.

POACHING AFFRAY IN NORFOLK.—A serious affray has
taken place with poachers in Norfolk. The neighbourhood
has long been infested with dangerous gangs, who carried
on their poaching propensities with impunity. A watch '
has been kept on the premises of Mr. E. M. Pratt, of Roy-
ston Hall, in consequence of which that gentleman's keepers,
the police, and a large party of gentlemen who were visiting
at the hall kept watch. A gang, consisting of six or seven
men, made a raid on the plantation, when four of them
were captured, and one of the escaped party was carried
off dangerously wounded. The head keeper, Matten, was
dangerously shot, The captured men have been brought
up before the Downham magistrates, and committed for
trial at the Norwich Assizes on the charge of shooting
with intent to murder.

The troops at Chatham under orders to embark
for India were medically inspected at that garrison yester-
day. Thcy will embark at Portsmouth on Friday.
The statue of the late Prince Consort for the
Albert Memorial Tower, arrived in Belfast from London,
per the Fleetwood steamer Prince Consort, on Saturday
night.
Tun VOLIINTEEnS.—On Tuesday night a com-
mittee of volunteers appointed from amongst those who
attended the recent Liege fetes entertained at dinner, at
St. James's Hall, Mr. P. De Keyser, who acted as quarter-
master for the volunteers at Liege, and presented him
with a beautifully emblasoned address, signed by over 300

volunteers.
DEATH IN THE ACT OF CIL IME.—A singular
criminal case was brought to a conclusion at the Rochester
quarter sessions on Monday, when James Hall was tried
for stealing two watches and other articles from a beer-
house in Strood. His real offence was being, with a third
man—not captured—in the company of Thomas Derrick,
who stole the articles one afternoon from a bedroom.
They were found upon him. When Derrick had put the
property in his pockets he fell down, and when persons,
attracted by the noise, entered the room, the burglar was
in the agonies of death. He was dead, apparently from
apoplexy, before a doctor could be obtained. Beautifully
finished housebreaking tools were found on him. Hall
and the third man remained in the beerhouse parlour
while Derrick crept upstairs. Hall was 'found guilty, and
sentenced to five years' penal servitude.

A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT.—A. eorresponden
the Cologne Gazette, writing from Shanghai, states tha.
the respect of the Chinese for the power of European
States is by no means increased since they have seen
his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.
This, however, is not the fault of the Prince,
who is rather to be pitied than blamed. It had
been rumoured before his arrival that the son of
the Queen of England was ten feet high, and had
three eyes. Great and not unnatural disappointment was,
therefore, experienced when it was discovered that ho pos-
sessed no other advantages of height and vision than those
enjoyed by ordinary mortals. The British residents
have been much humiliated by this unavoidable destruc-
tion of an • illusion which had taken a powerful hold
on the minds of the natives, but their position has
to some extent been allovistod by the impartial con-
duct of the Chinese magistrates with reference to their
new church. Rumours had been circulated that evil
spirits were at work in this new church, and great excite-
ment pervaded the community. In order to quell this
excitement and promote the peace, one of the Chinese
magistrates tooke the decisive measures of causing the
credulous libellers of the church to be soundly flogged
through the sacred edifice. This measure has been at-
tended with the happiest results, and there have been no
more rumours of a sinister nature.
A LITTLE TOO Mucll.-01(1 Colonel 8., of Mis-
sissippi, had been a mighty Nimrod in his day, and as old
age came on apace, was found speaking of his early ex-
ploits, especially when seated at his own hospitable board,
with friends and neighbours to listen to his stories and
enjoy his wine. But as time passed on these narrations, from
frequent repetition,began to assume the features of the most
gross exaggeration. Nevertheless, the good old colonel,
whenever any one seemed to doubt his word, always had
an ally near at hand in the person of his faithful
servant Ben. Ben, true as steel, was never at fault, but
would, back his master up, no matter how wonderful the
tale might be. On one of these occasions the Colonel was
particularly extravagant. " Gentlemen," said he, " I once
shot a deer not very far from this very house, and I put a
single ball through his head and his hind foot at the
same time." "Oh ! Colonel, that's a little too heavy,',
cried dut several of his guests ; "you must be
mistaken, indeed you must." " You don't believe
me," sung out the Colonel ; " you Ben, come here
Wasn't you with me when I shot that deer through the
head and the hind foot—say ? Just tell the gentlemen
how it was." " Gemmen," said Ben, scratching his wool,
and twisting his flybrush in a most nervous manner, "what
de mas_a say is true— shut° enuff—l was Jar and seed him
myself. De fac is, just as massa he take sight on do deer
do deer liff up his hind foot and scratch he ear, and massa
he pull trigger, and de ball go troo de deerhead and de hind
foot same Aime." "There, gentlemen," says the Colonel,
." you see how it was. I knew yoit would think it a little
stian3e, but these kind of shots don't often happen:,
After the company had dispersed, old Ben went to his
master in a good deal of trouble, and says he, " Massa, I'se
bin lyin'lfor you for a good long time—whenever you gets
into a tight place von know Pee always ready to help you
o it. But, massa, you was a little hard on me to-day
about dat deer and I'se come to say, massa, next time
441.000 t 'ent quite so far apart: