The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-25 00:00:00

PUGI LISM.

TIIE STASES AND BETS IN TIIE LATE FIGHT OF
WALKEtt AND LANE.—Last night being appointed for
giving up the battle money, 4001., dependent on the
issue of the unsatisfactory contest of Tuesday week, the
neighbourhood of Air-street, Piccadilly, was long before
the hour of ten crowded by an anxious multitude. The
room wherein the stakeholder was to take the chair was
crowded to suffocation. We shall not attempt to give
even an outline of the stormy debate which ensued
upon the chairman's lucid, candid, and impartial ex-
planation of the motives which had swayed him in
the decision at which he, upon consultation with the
backers and friends of both men, had deliberately ar•
rived. During the day a council had been held at
the residence of the stakeholder, at which, although
no direct evidence of Walker's betrayal of his friends
was produced, Broome, as the backer of Lane, declared
his readiness to silence every rumour by a compromise,
although the victorious party. Aspersions had been
liberally dealt in, and a " double cross" had been hinted
at. He would receive back the deposited 2001, of Lane's
backers, in which a large amount of his own money was
included, and take the 2001. of Walker's money in trust
for Lane. On this understanding of course bets were
off. This arrangement, in the evening, by no means
met the views of Lane or his brother. Tom had won
the fight, and as "battle-money" (which would, of
course, carry bets) would he alone receive it. A
noisy contention ended in Lane "pocketing the affront,"
in the shape of batik notes and sots. to the tune of
195/., with a further promise of sums from his
backers as they might please to present him from his
own 2001. in the head stake. Thus a scheme fatal to the
ring, if such was ever concocted, was effectually defeated,
and although Lane, individually, may suffer among his
country friends, with respect to colours, &c., in the
maxim which is held sound in law, that " it is better for
three guilty to escape than one innocent man to be
hanged," so it is better that Lane should come somewhat
short of his deserts, than that the whole public should
be rendered liable to the risk of a swindle, too artfully
contrived to admit of perfect demosistration. All bets
are therefore off, and Lane, the acknowledged winner of
the fight, exonerated from every stain of participa-
tion in the suspected pitfall, receives the weed of his
fairness in the amount of all he fought for.

One of those strange accidents which happen no
one can tell how, occurred to a commercial gentleman of
Nottingham last Friday evening, in driving from Mat-
lock. He had got two or three miles on the road, after
moderately partaking of gin at the house of an old
lady, when he lighted a cigar at a toll-bar house. There
was a strong breeze, and the person of the rider was
thickly enveloped in three coats. Very soon he ex-
claimed, though alone, " I've heard of hot gin, but the
old lady's is very hot!" meanwhile passing a gentle
friction with his hand over the outer wrapper upon the
region of the stomach. The heat increased,when ho invo-
luntarily tore open his ventures so as to get at the
afflicted part more closely, and found himself on fire!
A satin waistcoat was proved to have been completely
burnt in the lower part, from pocket to pocket; the
dress-coat was also much damaged; and even the shirt
was burnt and much charred. The discovery was as
lucky as the accident was extraordinary,—which must
have been occasioned by embers falling from the lighted
cigar upon the very inflammable material of the vest.
The cii-cumstance can hardly be explained upon the
principles of spontaneous combustion, instanced in Mac-
" anatomy" of a common distemper.—Slartijord
Mercury.
THE PATENT Novus ANNum.us Bnacs.—The
uses to which India rubber has been applied are almost
innumerable, yet nearly every month produces fresh
instances of its application. In the apparently simple
matter of gentlemen's braces, it has done much, but it
was left to the Messrs. Welch, Margetson, and Co., of
Cheapside, to apply it with success to what has long
detracted from the perfection of this portion of male
costume. We allude to the annoyance to which the
wearer has hitherto been subjected from the braces
slipping off the shoulders. In the instance which gives
rise to these remarks such a troublesome fault is entirely
got rid of—indeed their exists not the slightest friction
upon the shoulders—a result obtained by the four por-
tions of the braces being connected at the small of the
back to a vulcanized India-rubber ring, which, while it
permits of the greatest play of the body, is the cause of
the ease and comfort observed upon. With such an
adjunct it would seem that the wear of the braces would
likewise be almost endless.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT.—On Wednesday between
the hours of one and two, an accident occurred to a cab-
man, while in the act of turning from Judd-street, down
Crome,r-street. It appeared that his attention was
drawn to a female inside, and while in the act of speak-
ing to her, he 101 l off his box, on his head, and the
wheels passed over his body. He was immediately
picked up, and conveyed to the University College.
Faint hopes were entertained of his recovery.
EUSTON-SQUARE ACCIDENT—INSUFFICIENCY OF
BRICK FOR COLUMNS.—The public should be told that
in building brick columns or pillars there should
always be occasional bond stones introduced, the
whole circumfererce of the column or size of the
pillar. A drawing to scale of a column, showing the
bricks whether flat or on edge, convinces one of th dif-
ficulty of obtaining the tie and bond which are considered
the soul (if I may use the expression) of sound brick-
work.—Correspondent of The Builder.