The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-05 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

AN INSOLENT PAUPER PROPERLY PUNISHED.—Edward
Ducklon, a sturdy pauper, was charged, at the West-
minster Police-court, before Mr. Arnold, with refusing
to perform a task of work assigned him by Mr. Water-
man, the Labour Master of the Westminster Union, in
Little Chapel-street, Westminster. In consequence of
the magistrates having held that a pauper was not amen-
able to the law for disobedience unless he had been
relieved beforehand, Mr. Waterman has arranged so that
no exception can be taken on that hand. The prisoner,
an able-bodied pauper, was assigned the daily task of
picking 5 lbs. of oakum at seven o'clock in the morning.
At nine he complained that he was ill and wanted the
doctor, but the only excuse, when taken before that
functionary was that he wanted a pair of trousers ;
he was sent back to the oakum shed, and at
five o'clock had only picked 1 lb. 4 oz., while men
considerably older had done the full quantity. He was
requested by the superintendent of labour to try and
finish it, and, after a great deal of trouble, said he would
see him - first. Upon that he was given.into custody
as a warning to others in the house. Prisoner still in-
sisted that he was unable to work, and Mr. John Hunt,
M.R.C.S., said he had examined the prisoner, and he was
well able to do the task assigned him. Mr. Arnold was
satisfied with the evidence of the superintendent and sur-
• geon. If a sturdy fellow like the prisoner chose to go to
the parish. for relief, he must do what work was propor
tioned to him. He should sentence him to seven days
imprisonment, with hard labour.

ROBBING A FRENCHMAN ON TOWER-HlLL.—Margaret
Hands, a dissolute woman, was brought before Mr.
Paget, at the Thames Police-court, charged with stealing
a silver watch, value £7 10, from the person of Karl
Boulange, aFrenchman, dwelling in Soho-square, and who
described himself as a " fiddle-maker." The Frenchman
had been celebrating the reported successes of his coun-
trymen over the Prussians before Paris, and became so
intoxicated over gin and beer that he did not know what
he was about, and became an easy prey to the blandish
ments and and artifices of " Sly Peg," the name by which
the prisoner is known to the police. He lost his watch
and senses, and when he recovered himself, found he was
in durance vile, with a violent headache, minus his watch.
Thomas Beugin, a police-constable, No. 210, saw
the Frenchman and the prisoner at an early
hour this morning on Tower-hill, and know-
ing " Sly Peg" was a notorious thief, he warned the
Frenchman, who would not leave her. Soon afterwards
he saw them again on another part of the hill. The
Frenchman was on the ground and she was lying across
his body at right angles to it, apparently as insensible as
the Frenchman, but he knew her little game and watched
her. Soon afterwards she approached him with her hand
closed, and he opened it by force, and found the French.
man's watch in it. A police-sergeant said the prisoner
had been convicted before, and was an expert thief, who
resorted to all sorts of artifices to rob her victims. She
sometimes gave the name of Margaret Adams. The
prisoner : Why that officer is a bigger thief than I am.
We had some gin the other night at the Horse and Leap-
ing Bar, and when we came out we robbed a man together
that's how we did it. (Loud laughter.) Mr. Paget com-

mitted the prisoner for trial, and the Frenchman then
took her place in the dock, and was charged with being
drunk and incapable of taking care of himself. Mr.
Paget, addressing him, said this is the consequence of
getting drunk. You put temptation in the way of that
wretched woman I have just committed. You are
answerable for her being sent for trial. I am very
sorry I cannot send you for trial with her. You
are guilty of half the offence with which she is charged.
I can only order you to pay a fine of ss. for being drunk
and helpless.
ITALIAN BEGGING CHILDREN—WHAT IS TO BB DONE
WITH THEM ?—Antonio Marco, 14, and Valenti Marco,
11, who appeared cold and hungry, were charged at the
Marlborough-street Police-court, before Mr. Knox, by
Hewitt, mendicity officer, with begging. Hewitt saw the
two boys in Regent-street soliciting charity at carriage
windows, and having seen them receive money from
several persons took them into custody. In reply to Mr
Knox the boys said they lived in Fleet-row, Leather-lane,
with a man named Donati. Hewitt said he had known
the man spoken of for years as a person who obtained a
living by importing Italian children. Mr. Knox said the
difficulty was what to do with them. He did not like to
send them to prison. After cautioning the boys Mr. Knox
discharged them.

The Italian papers announce the death of Signor
Giuseppe Cancestrini, director of the National Library at
Florence.

A HINT FOR THE HUarANE SOCIETY.—A trades-
man announces that among other mechanical appliances
which he will exhibit at the forthcoming Poultry and
Pigeon Show at the Crystal Palace, there will be one for
cramming poultry for the markets at the rate of 250 per
hour.

THE FUNERAL OF ARCHDEACON HALE. The
funeral of Archdeacon Hale took place in St. Paul's
Cathederal on Saturday morning. The following were
the mourners :—Mr. William P. Hale, Rev. J. G: Hale,
Captain L. A. Hale, R.E., Rev. J. C. Hale (1). Rev.
Frederick Young, Mr. T. F. Coles, Mr. William Coles,
Mr. George Coles (2). Mr. Richard Coles, Rev. E. N.
Coles, Mr. A. Keightley, Dr. Burrows (3). Mr. J. J.
Maberley, Mr. James Paget, Mr. Charles Rashley, Mr.
G. W. Callender (4). Dean of Peterborough, Dr. Currey,
Dr. Haigh Brown (5). Rev. R. Elwyn, Rev. F. Poynder,
Rev. J. j. Halcombe, Dr. F. Farre, Mr. F. Skey (6).
Dr. Nicoll, Mr. John Hullah, Mr. John Miles, M.D.,
Mr. C. Getty, and Mr. W. Nye (7).

had agreed to support the Russian demands if they
had been preferred after the conclusion of peace.
According to the statements of the correspondent of the
Times at Versailles, the German officers not only
favour the protensions of Russia, but talk, as if they had
been infected with French vanity and turbulence, of a
partition of Turkey in which Germany was to have some
indefinite share. On the whole, it may be conjectured
that the object of Count Bismarck's intervention will be
to adjourn the Russian question until he is at leisure to
influence the decision. The eager and immediate adhesion
of Russia to the plan of a Conference might serve as a,
warning to the English Cabinet not to grasp too hastily
at an imaginary concession. It is a cause for regret that
the illusory proposal made to the Tours Government of
participation in the Conference should have been made
by Lord Lyons, and not by the representative of Russia.

THE CRISIS OF THE WAR IN FRANCE.

The great crisis of the war has come, says the Spectator,
and no one can yet tell in which way it will be decided ;
but it is quite certain that up to the time at which we
write the French prospects are far brighter than they
have yet been at any moment since the battle of Sedan,
we might say since Gravelotte. We are quite aware that
before these lines meet our read.rs' eyes there may be
news of the final repulse of General Trdchu's great effort
to break the Prussian lines before Paris, and that any-
thing like a great disaster might lead to the fall of the
capital. But, on the other hand, th ire is very little
probability of miy great defeat of the Army of the Loire,
which, in spite of one very severe check, is advancing
northwards steadily along an immense line, Prince
Frederick Charles apparently retreating cautiously before
it. It is clear, that the Prussian despatches, reporting
the repulse of all the sorties from Paris were not true, as
we have the evidence of the Versailles correspondent
of the Times, Dr. Russell, to the contrary ; and that
the efforts of the garrison of Paris were not by any
means exhausted. If the French pnly have the
steadiness to keep up such efforts as these, even after
partial failures, for a few days, the siege of Paris must be
raised, and an enormous success gained; indeed, in all
probability the heavy siege guns which the Prussians haie
been so long in bringing up would fall into the hands Of
the French. If, on the contrary, they are disheartened
by partial failures, we might soon hear of the relapse of
the garrison into hopelessness, and in that case the fall of
the city would probably soon follow. But for the present,
unquestionably, the situation is most favourable to the
French hopes. General Trochu has shewn that he can make
his garrison truly formidable to the besiegers. General
D'Aurelles has shewn that his army is more than a match
for that of Prince Frederick Charles. The achievements
of the Army of the Loire and that of Paris will recipro.
cally inspirit each other. One thing is quite certain.
Generals Trochu and D'Aurelles and their troops are mili-
tary powers of a completely different order from anything
the Empire set in motion before its downfall. If not the

equals of the Prussians in military power, they are, at all
events, no despicable foes. M. Gambetta is quite right
in saying that the Republic " has accomplished all we
have seen." And that " all " is in its way a really
gigantic effort.

TAUDEVILLE THEATRE, STRAND.-
v vLessees— Messrs. H. J. Montague, D. James, and T. Thorne.
THIS EVENING, at 7 CHISELLING, Mr. David James; after
which TWO ROSES (158th night), by James Albert'. Conclude
with ELIZABETH. Supported by Messrs. H. J. Montague,
David James. and T. Thorn e, ; Mesdames Nelly Power, A.
Newton, and Amy Fawsitt, &c.