The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-23 00:00:00

THE SUN,

THE AFFRAY WITH POACHERS IN

NORFOLK.

DEREEIAM, DEC. 20.—Seven men, named Richard
Lincoln, William Hunter, William Stagg, John Lake,
Robert Buckle, William Harwood, and John Hunter,
who were brought from Norwich Castle in charge of
Mr. Pinson, the governor, and a strong force, under-
went an examination yesterday before the magistrates
Sitting in petty sessions, at the Assembly Rooms of
this town, on the charge of being concerned in a most
himurtflEt
rousaffray hear Lefton, in this county, when
anoth
eiyle,,r
Superintendent Parker of the constabulary and
er
et. ianthe force nearly lost their lives through
ejusticea who presided were the
Rbeei
vn
ers.h opt.,
and
the Rev. W. Girling. Col. Oakes, '
present, as also Mr. SupPr-
tageistfrates thought
some rea4on, not
itnhtee3ncdheintoAf tnhderews,e'twadas
expialuilevtehral of the men. For
; bute m
believe, were the main fatte,
fit, to exclude the reporteys
Adduced
olFlowing, we
weeks past much alarm has been created in toile r sev.erhal
bourhood of Letton by a gang „f
some
15 nnerig,lo
poachers prowling about thq woods and preßerves, and
threatening the most murderous conseqa,ness in
the
event of being interfered with in their unlawful pur-
suit. 'hay intimated their intention of visiting the
wood: of Mr. B. Gurdon, of Letton-hall, and on the
night of the 22tii ult. a party of 11 of the gang visited
the cottage of the gamekeeper, a man named Whit-
acre, and warned him not to go out after them, at the
same time firing a volley at the dwelling, as if to
more fully convince him of his fate should he pursue
them. At length it was arranged to seek the aid of
the constabulary in capturing this desperate gang,
and Mr. Superintendent Parker, of the Swaffham
division, and several of his force, amounting in all to
13 or 14 men, were stationed in the vicinity of the
estate. On the night of the 6th inst., about 12 o'clock,
the •
discharge of guns was heard in the woods, and
superintendent with his men at once proceeded in the

direction of the report. At length they came up
with a body of poachers, in number nine, who
apparently had noticed the approach of the officers,
and bad prepared themselves for a desperate resist-
ance. Elevating their guns they shouted "stand off,"
and before the constables could proceed a step further
three of the guns were fired at them, and ➢lr.
Parker being at the bead of his force he received
nearly the whole of the charge of one of the guns in
his face. He staggered and fell back to the ground,
and subsequently it was found that he had been
shockingly wounded in the cheeks, mouth, and other
parts of his face, 35 or 36 shots having been extracted
from these injuries. Another officer named Greenacre
also received several shots, but fortunately at
the moment he was standing rather behind
a tree, the trunk of which was shattered by
the charge of the second gun. The officers seeing
their superintendent fall a desperate effort was made
to capture the men. After some sharp fighting
the poachers were overpowered, but only three were
apprehended at the time, the remainder escaping
through the woods. They were found to have dis-
guised themselves by blackening their faces with
gunpowder and turning their clothes inside out. The
me❑ who were captured on the spot are said to be
Richard Lincoln, William Hunter, and Robert
Buckle. Guns, quite warm, showing that they bad
recently been discharged, were found in their pos-
session. On the same night William Stagg and John
Lake were apprehended, and a day or two afterwards
William Harwood and John Hunter were arrested.
The wounded superintendent was not able to attend,
but it was stated that his condition had not become
more dangerous. The investigation closed with the
whole of the prisoners being fully committed to Nor-
wich Castle to take their trial at the ensuing spring
assizes. Two of the gang are still at liberty, but it
is thought that they cannot long elude the vigilance
of the police.

SERIOUS DEPREDATIONS BY A CONFIDEN.
TIAL SERVANT.

At the Manchester Borough Court, on Saturday, Mr.
Beswick, Chief Superintendent of Police, charged James
Whitworth, a young man recently in the employ of
Messrs. Samuel Fletcher and Co., merchants, of Parker-
street, in that town, with having robbed his employers
to a large extent. The prisoner had worked for Messrs.
Fletcher for some time as the manager of a department
in the house, but was discharged last Wednesday in
consequence of confirmations of suspicions which had
been entertained that he was not trustworthy. Subse-
quent discoveries led to a communication with Mr. Bes-
wick, who on Friday sent one of his officers to apprehend
Whitworth, and to search his lodgings in Hultne. The
officer proceeded in performing his duty, and obtained
e►idence that his prisoner had for a long time been
robbing and defrauding his former employers sys-
tematically. A large number of new patterns of
prints and goods were found at his lodgings. These
would come under his care as the head of the de-
partment he had managed, but he had no right to have
them at home, and the belief is that they were to be for-
warded to America, to be brought out there, either be-
fore Messrs. Fletcher's goods arrived, or simultaneously
with their appearance in the market. A considerable
bulk of stolen goods was also found at his lodgings, and
further inquiry showed that he had the property there to
part with in retail, and that he had sold dresses, shawls,
and aprons to different women of his acquaintance. To
one, whom he was about to marry, he had sold thirteen
dresses, three shawls, and four aprons; to another wo-
man two dresses, to another seven, and so on. He had
further been supplying small drapers' shops at Ramsbot-
tom, near Bury, and at Blakeley, near Manchester, with
most of the articles they required for business. Proof
also was obtained, from letters found in his possession,
that he had forwarded goods to America from the stores
of his employers on his own account, and that he had
been doing altogether a very large and lucrative busi-
ness. He was remanded to Friday next, to allow time
for the police to further investigate. Altogether there
are about twenty cases against him come to light.

INCREASE OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC.
Herapath's Journal has the following summary o
railway traffic returns for the week:—

" The aggregate amount of traffic on railway in the
United Kingdom, published weekly from the Ist of
January to the 13th of December inclusive, amounted to
14,039,6261 ; corresponding period of 1850 t 012,269,4314;
corresponding period of 1849, 10,605,098/ ; and in 1848
to 9,649,5224—5h0wing an increase in 1851 over the
corresponding period of 1850 of 1,770,1951.; an increase
inlBso over the corresponding period of 1849 0f1,664,333/.;
and in 1849 o►er the same period of 1848 of 955,5761.
The traffic receipts for the above period averaged in
1851, 2,2121. per mile; in 1850, 2,1491. per mile; in 1849,
2,222/. per mile; and in 1848 they averaged 2,465/. per
mile. The gross receipts for the eight railways having
their termini in the metropolis amounted to 110,6331. for
the week ending the 13th December, and for the corre-
sponding week of last year to 105,1181., showing an in-
crease of 5,5151. The increase on the Great Western
amounted to 7061.; on the Great Northern, to 3,5871.;
on the London and Blackwall,l2Bl.; on the South-Wes-
tern, to 8004; and on the South-Eastern, to 9194 Total
increase, 6,140/. From this sum must be deducted the
decrease o❑ the Eastern Counties of 139/.; on the
London and North-Western, 2174; on the London,
Brighton, and South Coast, 2691.; together, 6251.; leav-
ing the increase as above 5,515/., being 31.2 per cent. of
the total increase of traffic on railways in the United
Kingdom, leaves an increase of 68.8 per cent. for the
other lines; the aggregate receipts on which amount to
about 361 per cent, more than those on the metropolitan
lines.

" Railway Traffic.—This week the returns exhib
the following resulis:-
1851 on 6,442 miles ...£250,077 received
ISSO on 6,252 „ ... 233,599 „

Increase 193 or 3.03 per cent. 16,478 or 7.055 pr et.
" The amount received per mile per week is 39Z; for
corresponding period of 1850, 374/.; showing an in-
crease in the amount received per mile per week of 1,11.
The aggregate receipts from the Ist of July to the
present time amount to 7,447,3171.; for corresponding
period of 1853 to 6,442,925/.; showing an increase in
twenty. four weeks of 1,004,3921."

KING-STREET BAZAAR.
The building itself deserves a few words. The altera-
tions have been extensive and complete. Instead of the
former makeshift, the animals are specially and hand-
somely provided for; and as we gradually lose ourselves,
wandering about these extensive premises, we note
various additions and improvements. Gallery seems to
succeed gallery in a perfect forest of columns, girders,
and iron roofing. We see openings in the distance that
are as deceptive as those prospects of horiz )11 that
wearied the Children in the Wood. Long before we
reach them other bazaars and exhibitions have led us
us astray. To cover those over with a tolerably un-
interruptei building, is, in itself, evidently no easy task,
and we have consequently buildings seated upon other
buildings where ordinary ones would have roofs—stories,
jutting out over other stories, upon giant cantilevers, and
the whole connected and linked together with all the
modern profusion of iron appliances, suggesting what a
strange gaunt iron skeleton it would make with its
sinews and flesh of timber and bricks and mortar fallen
away—a curious and characteristic ruin of the 19th
century, contrasted with one of our old baronial castles
of the 12th. The whole evinces a tact in economising
space, that does considerable credit to the architect, Mr.
W. A. Boulnois, the son of the proprietor. An addition
to Madame Tussaud's portion was made by Mr. Grims-
dell, but the recent additions and alterations have been
executed by Messrs. Winsland and Holland.—Build«.r.

STATISTICS OF NEW ZEALAND.—A blue book,
containing further papers relative to the affairs of New
Zealand, in continuation of papers presented on the 14th of
August last, has been issued by direction of the House of
Commons. It appears that the population of the colony
was, in 1850, 4,047, against 3,372 in 1849, making the in-
crease on the year 675. The actual revenue in 1850 was
3,5061. 18s. sd. against 2,394/. 12s. 11d. in 1819, being
an increase of 1,1121. ss. 6d., while the expenditure was less
by 254/. Is 9d., the amount being 3,4681. Os. 8d in 1849, and
3,2131. 13s. 11d. in 1850 The exports (including those
coastwise) were, in 1850, 7,1161., and in 1842, 8,6921. 103.,
being a decrease of 1,5761. 10s. The decrease is accounted
for by the increase of population consuming the flour, which
would otherwise have been exported. The imports, on the
other hand, have increased from 14,254/. Is. in 1849, to
17,5071. 2s. 6d. in. 1850, being an increase of 3,2531. Is. 6d.
The live stock in 1849 consisted of 345 horses, 4,158 horned
cattle, and 53,348 sheep, whilst in 1850 there were 441
horses (increase 96), 5,052 horned cattle (increase 894), and
70,960 sheep, being an increase of 17,612. The increased
number of acres fenced in 1850, as compared with 1849, was
1,940; ditto cleared, 1,064; ditto cultivated, 1,139. The
native population within the districts of Wellington, Wai-
kanae, Otaki, Manawatu, Rangitkie, and Wairanarapa, in
the province of New Monster, is 4,711, of whom 2,955 are
Christians. Of these, 1,148 can read and write, and 444 can
read only. The total number of churches and chapels within
the province is 39. _

THE FIRE AT MESSRS. COLLARDS.—It appears that
the fire at Messrs. Collards' factory was first seen, the alarm
given, and the engines fetched, by men from the establish-
ment of Messrs. Pickford and Co., agents to the London and
North-Western Railway, immediately opposite, where a
large body of people work all night. In 15 minutes from
the time that one of their hands espied a light the hose and
pumping gear were fitted to an 18-horse-power steam-engine,
which works constantly on the premises, and it was playing
with great effect on the fumes for a considerable time before
any of the Fire Brigade engines could possibly arrive.
Thirty-six of Messrs. Pickford and Co.'s men, with fire-
buckets, tendered immediate help inside the burning build-
ing, but, it is stated, that the police did not consider them
selves justified in admitting them till the arrival of the Fire
Brigade. Messrs. Pickford's men were also most active and
careful in carrying the men's tools, and stock of pianofortes,
out of the building, and in removing the stacks of timber
adjoining.
IMPROVEMENTS ON THE CLYDE.—Vast alterations
are rapidly going forward on the south aide of the river. In
addition to the extensive improvements effected within the
last few years on the same side towards the Broomielaw-
bridge, and by which the accommodation for the shipping
was so much enlarged, the long bend of the bank, extending
vtiensus
eolus
of
twrr. the -western termination of these improvements to
within a comparatively short distance of the village of Govan,
is in the course of being completely removed. When this is
accomplished the southern bank will present almost a
straits present width—ands line—the river
afforded
edluyimalartefribenee passaglsevilul pbetoenthlaergperdesteontthpriiceer
increba7dens. The result, as affecting
ght
gnotartado! of the Clyde, and, ha
continuous
ItEv. H. JONES, M.A. The
Glasgowt johnestictuitrioat
Constitutional,
can
ctohnesaelgrueaendycer,ag
Northstoke and Newnham,
L TO
Regent-street, an elegant.
incumbent hardlyiis s
Thel
ri
aovnse
drl-
Ape t
parishioners
ndr r s
of
Oxon, have presented to the Rev. Henry Jones, KA , of
Archbishop Tennyson's Chapel,
silver inkstand, as a testimonial of esteem and regard, on his
resigning the curacy of those parishes.