The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-26 00:00:00

THAMES.

- _
John Harris, aged 27 years, described as a stoker,
of No. 110, Carr-street, Limehouse, was brought
before Mr. Paget charged with stealing two live
pigeons, the property of Mr. William Cross, a foreman
of the Commercial Gas Company. The prosecutor
lost two pigeons from the back of his house, near the
gas works, six weeks ago last Saturday, and found
them in a shop opposite the Edinburgh Castle,
Rhodeswell-read, Stepney, yesterday. He accused
the prisoner with stealing his pigeons, and he in-
dignantly denied having done so. The breeder of
the pigeons having given the magistrate a description
of the birds, the loser and the buyer then did the
same, but Mr. Paget said he did not think they came
within the meaning of any of the three descriptions,
and he should discharge the prisoner, without imput-
ing blame to the officer who arrested the prisoner on
the prosecutor's shop. He must say that if people
allowed their pigeons to fly about and they settled in
other persons gardens or premises those in possession
of them ought not to be lightly given into custody.
A charge of pigeon stealing in London was a difficult
one to make out.

SUSPECTED INCENDIARISM.
A. serious fire, the result of incendiarism, occurred on
the farm premises of Mr. James Hobson, of Great Glenn,
near Leicester, on Saturday evening. Engines were
dispatched from Leicester, but were unable to stop the
fire until considerable damage had been done, owing to
the dry character of the buildings. One large haystack,
a bean stack, two barns, a waggon hovel, stable and other
outhouses, used as calf-house and piggeries, besides a
winnowing and threshing machine, and other farming
implements were wholly consumed, the house narrowly
escaped the flames, and the damage is believed to be about
£2,000. Suspicion has fallen on an imbecile man living
in the locality, who is supposed to have set fire
to some stacks in the same neighbourhood i.welve months
back.

THE LOSS OF THE CITY OF BOSTON.
Our Truro correspondent telegraphs that a thin slip of
wood, three feet long, painted blue, was picked up at
Perran Forth, on the north coast of Cornwall, yesterday,
and in large letters cut in the wood was written " City of
Boston is sinking. February 11th." Another sentence,
commencing with the letter " M," appears to have been
begun, but the board is unfortunately broken off.

THE MAYOR OF SHEFFIELD AND UR. MUNDELLA,
M.P.—The mayor has refused to consent to his charges
against Mr. Mundella being referred to Mr. Baines and
Sir Francis Crossley, as arbitrators. On this proposal
being made to him the mayor repeated that if Mr.
Mundella could point out what he had really
done to further the interest of the town in
.the matter of the Gas Bill, he (the mayor),
should, on his part, be only too happy to with.
draw or modify what he had said. A further lettez
from Mr. Mundella was handed to his worship, with the
request for an answer, in order that the whole correspon-
dence might be published. The mayor declined to answei
the letter, upon the plea that it was unnecessary ; but
said he was not only willing, but wishful that the cOr•
respondence should be published. The letters have ac•
cordingly been made public.
- - - -

-----
Official reports have been published on the Bridg-
water election inquiry, accommodation of parish schools,
go 3 and water facilities, and powers of railway com-
panies. -