The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-08 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

FRAUDULENT FOREIGN ADVERTISEMENTS.—AIexIs 2nsor,
alias Rinedson, the foreigner who stands charged with ob-
taining money by false pretences through fraudulent
advertisements in foreign papers, has been brought to trial
at the Surrey Sessions, but acquitted, as neither of
the letters written to the governess from whom

the money was obtained was proved to be in the prisoner's
handwriting. The magistrate told the prisoner he was
lucky in getting off on a technical point, as there could
be no moral doubt of his guilt. He advised the prose-
cutrix to go to the:Belgian Consul, who would, doubtless,
send her home.

I~r•oXNGING THE POISONS Ac'r.—A chemist, named
M-Call, has been summoned at Marlborough-street Police-
court for having infringed the Poisons Act. He had sold
strychnine and oxalic acid, and had neglected to enter
the name of the purchaser in a book, as well as to label
the poison with his own name and address. The Pharma-
ceutical Society prosecuted. The defendant, who it was
stated had been in business twenty-five years, was fined
40s. and costs.

SHOOTING A SWAN.—A gentleman, named Mason, has
been charged, at Willenhall, with shooting a swan. The
bird was in a field on its owner's farm when shot, and the
defendant said that he had never seen a swan in his life,
and thought it was a wild bird. He was fined
2s. 6d. and costs, and ordered to pay a guinea, the value of
the swan.

THE LAW OF MASTER. AND SERVANT.—A footman named
John Drinkwater sued Mr. Muntz, M.P., at the Warwick
County Court for ss. 6d. arrears of wages, and XI Gs.
Id. in lieu of a month's notice. It was shewn that the
plaintiff had taken out one of his masters horses, and let
it fall on its knees, and as it seemed that he had taken it
w:thout leave, the jury found that he had been guilty of
ur:sconduct, which was equivalent to a verdict for the
defendant,

POACHING AFFRAY.—Five men have been charged with
wounding three gamekeepers at Newton Harcourt, near
Leicester, with bludgeons. The evidence chewed that
there had been a terrible affray in which the keepers, who
were in the employ of Sir Henry Halford, were very
severely injured. The prisoners each set up an alibi in
defence, and two of them were discharged, the other three
being committed for trial at the next assizes. Bail was
accepted. The court was densely crowded, great interest
being felt in the case.

At a large meeting of joiners of Glasgow, held on
Friday evening, it was determined that notice should be
given to masters that after the Ist of March they would
work only nine hours a day, and require an advance of a
halfpenny an hour.

THE DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND, MISTRESS OF
rim ROBES.—The Duchess of Sutherland, says the Pall
Hall Gazette, has been appointed Mistress of the Robes, in
the place of the Duchess of Argyll, whose illness obliged
her to resign. Happily, however, although the Duchess of
Argyll is still very ill, she is well on the way to recovery.
WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN NEW YORK STATE.—
Whatever else New York legislators may be, they cer-
tainly cannot be accused of want of gallantry, if the New
York Tribune correctly reports the laws of the State. That
unpolite journal, not content with disputing the justice of
the complaints made by the lady agitators for women's
rights, publishes a brief summary of the laws of the State
relating to women, to shew that those complaints are un-
founded. From this summary it appears that women are
legally capable of marrying and of making a will two years
earlier than men ; and that sisters and brothers share alike
in the estate of an intestate parent. If a woman marries,
the enjoyment of her property is secured to her, free
from her husband's control. Her earnings, also, are
absolutely her own. Her husband is bound to sup-
port her, no matter whether she has money or not ;
she need not employ a penny of her money on her
own support, but may even run him in debt for that
purpose, if he does not provide adequately for her wants.
On the other hand, she cannot be required to contribute in
any way to her husband's support, even to pay the cost
of keeping him in the county poor-house. Her consent
is necessary to the sale of any land her husband may
purchase to extinguish her dower right ; but if she
has land she may sell it without her husband's con-
sent, so her husband cannot deprive her after his death
of a life interest in one-third of all his lands, but she
can cut him off without an inch of her land or a
cent. of her money. Again, a married woman cannot
be imprisoned in any civil suit for any cause whatever.
If she commits an assault, or destroys or appropriates her
neighbour's property, her unlucky husband must pay the
costs and damages, or go to trial for her misdoings. In
regard to the custody of children, in cases of separation,
the courts have a large discretion, in the exercise of
which they almost always, we are told lean, to the
mother's side.

GREAT EXPLOSION.—On the afternoon of the
16th of December one Brophy, in the employ of Messrs.
Roberts and Co., of Titusville, Pennsylvania, went into
their nitro-glycerine warehouse near that town, stating
thtt he was going to " thaw out some glycerine." Soon
afterwards the town was startled by a concussion which
shook every building, and, but for the protection of an inter-
vening bluff, would have razed every buildin,g to th. ground.
It is supposed that 1,5001 b. of gunpowder, 5001 b. of com-
pound, and from 3,0001 b. to 4,0001 b. of glycerine exploded.
People walking in the streets were thrown to the ground;
heavy logs were I.urbll over trce3, and granite boulders
were carved half a furlong. Windows were broken ;
almost entire fronts blown in. A church bell
was chimed several strokes. Where the ni:lgazine
stood, tons of earth were blown away leaving a chasm
large enough to contain a common,sized dwelling-house.
A tavern, half a mile off, presented 'ire appearance of having
been bcmlarded. The concussionewas distinctly felt at
'Oil City, eighteen miles distant. Brolly was blown to
picees ; the largest remnant of him found was a section of
the hip joint. It is stated that some of the glycerine did
not explode, but wag tumbled outeto some distance. This
had been packed in cans, which -were placed in wooden
boxes and surrounded with plastic rof Psai4, the outside
covering being securely fastened wif 'a screws to avoid ham-
mering' or jolting.