The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-23 00:00:00

GUILDHALL.

George Thornton,;watel;Materby trade, was charged
with attempting to destroy himself, by leaping from
Blstekfriars-bridge into the river.
Neary, one of the men employed at the Black-
friars pie:, staled that about; a quarter past eleven
o'cl9ck that morning he suddenly heard a splash in the
water and a cry from several persons on the bridge'tbst
a man had leaped from it. He got into a boat kept for
such emergencies and succeeded in saving the pritioner's
life.

Alderman JOHNSON asked the prisoner what he had
to say for himself ? lie replied that he was a native of
Bristol, and had only arrived in .London about nine days
back, in the hopes of getting into a situation, but the
gentleman on whom he depended had gone to Liverpool•
He in consequence was driven to such a state oie destitu-
tion that he certainly made up his mind to des troy hini-
self. For some years he had been unable toiwork at his
business, through his eyesight failing him, and had been
getting his living as assistant-warehousemen in a corn-
factor s at Bristol.

Alderman JOHNSON said that destitution was no excuse
for such a crime as self-destruction, and he should there-
fore remind the prisoner until Saturday, to make some
inquiries, when, if his story was found to be incorrect, be
should certainly send him for trial, as a great many of
these attempts were only made for the purpose of excit-
ing compassion.—The prisoner was then remanded.

SIXTEEN PERSONS DROWNED.
We are this week called upon to narrate the occur-
rences of two most melancholy events, by which not
fewer than sixteen individuals have met their grave
under the billowy deep. The first of these events oc-
curred at Latheronwheel, on Friday last, on which day
several boats from the different stations had bees
prosecuting the fishing as usual. They returned
about eight o'clock, but upon nearing their re-
qective shores, found that a. heavy swell had arisen since
their departure, so as to render landing extremely dan-
gerous. Two Latheronwheel boats, after consultation
between the crews, resolved to attempt their own shore;
and the one having the strongest crew--eight men—took
the lead, telling their compindons to follow, provided
no alarm was heard from the shore by the time they
reached it—meaning that if an; accident befel them,
the cries from the people on the shore would warn them
of their danger. The little barque and her despairing
crew drove forward with its broadside on the beach,
when the crew were speedily rescued, to the joy of all
present. By the glimmering light of the moon,
just disappearinz, the other boat was seen
at a little distance, overtopping the huge
swell. Every preparation was made to receive
her, though under the most distressing foreboding!,
for the swell had now become heavier; tvhen, in a mi-
nute or two, she got into the middle of the broken sea,
one man standing in the stern with a rope in his hand,
ready to cast it on shore, and in a moment a tremen-
dous wave broke over her, sweeping the whole crew,
seven in number, into the foaming surge. Soon
thereafter the body of one of the men was got hold
of, but life was quite extinct. Then appeared the
mast of the boat, with a man grasping it so firmly as
with difficulty to be severed from it. This was David
M'Grigor, who was seen in the boat with a rope in his
hand, of which he held fast until catching hold of the
mast, along with which he reached the shore. At first he
was insensible, but gradually recovered. The names otthe
sufferers are—William Finlayson,married; Robert Grant,
ditto; Alexander M'Kay, ditto; George Ross, ditto;
William Sutherland, unmarried; and Angus Suther-
land, ditto. The first three have left widows and young
families, consisting of fifteen children in all, and in
very indigent circumstances. The fourth has left a
widow, only one month married ; and the two last
had widowed mothers, also in great poverty. Another
boat was upset at the same hour, when entering a
fishing creek west of Dunbeath, and three of the
crew taken from under her when thrown upon the beach.
Letters have been received, with the information that,
last week, while a boat's crew, on the west coast of
Sutherlandahire, consisting of seven men and three
women, were engaged in gathering ware, the boat was
upset, and all on board her perished.—Abridged from
John s'Groat Journal.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, Mauch 22.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The following were the sales to-day:
—Edinburgh and Glasgow, 8614—Great Northern, 8 chs.
—Lancashire and Yorkshire, 32/. Shares, 7%
Fifths (West Riding Union), 336 dis.—London and North-
Western, 123 c.—Ditto, Quarters, 1% p.—Ditto, 40/.. Shares
(L. and M.), 43/3 p.—Ditto, Quarters (A and B), 1% p.—
Midland, 98—Ditto, Halves, 6% c. dis.—South-Eastern and
Dover, 2334—Ditto, New, No. 2, 10% c. dis.—Ditto, No. 4,
31,4. dis.