The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-13 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF A RUNAWAY CONVICT,

Beaumont, the convict who escaped from Portland
Prison early last Tuesday, was captured yesterday at
Puddletown. Since his escape from prison he has broken
into the Clifton Hotel, and stolen two loaves, 81b. of
cheese, some mutton, currant pudding, a bottle of brandy
a bottle of wine, tobacco cigars, a suit of clothes, and a
wide-awake hat. He hid the articles amongst the
rocks till Sunday morning, and, as he says,
sustained himself by about a spoonful of brandy
occasionally. A milkman, who saw him quit Port-
land informed the police. About midday the mail-
guard saw him near Dorchester, and informed the county
police, who pursued him. At Puddletown, five miles off,
a constable reported a suspicious man then picking black-
berries, and had him fetched. He was wearing the stolen
clothes and prison slippers and socks. He was hand-
cuffed, and tried to escape, but was prevented. A jemmy,
cleverly made from an iron bolt used in Portland quarries,
was found upon him, also a knife made of hoop iron, and
several trifles taken from the hotel. For a shirt, he was
wearing a surplice taken from Portland Roman Catholic
Chapel last Saturday night. ale was brought back to the
Convict Establishment.

CHARGE OF SENDING THREATENING
LETTERS.

At Uxbridge Petty Sessions yesterday, Walter Kember
was charged with sending a threatening letter to the Rev.
D. Robinson, of Yornsley. It appeared from the evi-
dence that several fires had occurred on the prosecutor's
premises during the past twelve months, each of which
were evidently the work of an incendiary. Some time
in May last the prosecutor received a letter, saying his
place would again be set on fire, in consequence of
which he and the prisoner, who was in his service,
watched the premises. Suspicion having fallen
on the prisoner, he was employed by the pro-
secutor to take an inventory of the contents of the
house, and on the writing of that document being com-
pared with the threatening letters, it was found to be the
work of the same person. The prisoner told the constable
who apprehended him that he wrote the letters, but had
nothing to do with the fires. The magistrates committed
him for trial. More than £5OO worth of property have
been destroyed in these conflagrations, and letters had
been received previous to each.

A church at Aberdeen was broken into on Sunday
afternoon, and the collection of ten pounds for the
wounded in the war was stolen. There has been no trace
of the robbers.

THE LOSS OF THE CAPTAIN.
STATEMENT OF THE SURVIVORS.

From the statement of the few who have been saved, it
appears that about midnight on the 6th instant, the ship
was in company with the Channel Fleet, about 40 miles
off Cape Finisterre, cruising under double reefed fore
and maintopsails, and foretopmast staysail and mainsail,
and the foresail hauled up, there being at the time a very
strong breeze and a heavy sea. The starboard watch had
been called at 12 o'clock and were being mustered, when a
squall struck the ship on the port side, causing her to give
a heavy lurch to starboard. As she did not right herself
Capt. Burgoyne, who was on the bridge, gave the order to
lower the foretopsail, but in consequence of the yards being
braced sharp up, the ship at the time being on the port tack,
it did not come down. Orders were promptly given to let
go the lee braces and man the topsail downhaul, but by
this time the ship had been again struck by a heavy sea,
and she was completely hove on to her beam ends, with
the water pouring down the funnel, and she then
turned bottom upwards, and gradually sank stern
first. From the time the ship was first struck
to her going down only from five to ten minutes'
elapsed. The number on board at the time was about 520.
When the Captain was first lost sight of it was thought
that she had missed the fleet, which is not an uncommon
occurrence on a dark night and when it is blowing hard,
and no one imagined she had gone down.