The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-17 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—The young man who performed the generous
and courageous act in Hyde-park on Sunday last, the
account of which appeared in your paper of.yesterday,
was Mr. James Clark, who is in the employ of Messrs.
Simpson and Co., engineers, Belgrave-road, Pimlico.—
Your obedient servant, _

- M. CONNOLLY.
7, Belgrave•ro J, Pimlico, April 17.

STRANGE RELICS AT LOCI! SPYNIE.—A short time
ago, while some men were engaged iu trenching a piece
of land on the farm of Salterhill, parish of Drainie, oc-
cupied by Mr. Reid, they came upon several large
pieces of wood, which, on examination, turned out to
have been portions of very large logs of black oak, part
of which were hollow in the centre. Theground on which
this discovery was made lies in the north margin of the
lock, a little to the east of the Drainie-road, and almost
due south from the dwelling-house of Salter-hill. The
discovery of one piece of wood—somewhat in the form of
an oblong chest, with a massive lid—led to a more minute
investigation, and in the same locality no fewer than 3 of
these huge chests were discovered, with a number of large
blocks of oak between as bearers. The length of each of
the three boxes or chests is about six feet, with a dia-
meter of about three feet at one end, tapering to about
two feet at the other. No nails or fastenings of any kind
appear to have been used. The boxes are cat out of the
solid oak, with massive planks as lids fitted into a groove
on the upper side, and extending about five-sixths of
the entire length ; in the other sixth the hollow is
scooped out of the solid tree, and the upper portion of
the tree as well as the bottom and sides remain. Be-
tween each of the boxes there is a large block of solid
iek—apparently for the purpose of keeping them in
place ; and it would seem that they are also set upon oak
bearers. The wood, as a matter of course, is consider-
ably decayed, but the original form of the boxes i© not
to any extent defaced. Although only three have yet
been uncovered, from borings made with an iron rod
there appears to be others ; and, so far as can be ascer•
tained, without further excavations, the whole are placed
in a circle, with the smaller ends to the centre, and with
the ends in the inner part of the circle much lower than
those at the outside. Half the circle, or nearly so, has
already been uncovered, and by another week we hope
to be able to furnish a correct report of the exact posi-
rion of the whole. Of the original use or purpose of
these boxes various conjectures have been formed. We
forbear, in the meantime, giving any opinion on the
matter, as it is likely that better data than we yet pos-
sess will be furnished when the ground is thoroughly
excavated and the whole contents laid bare. In the
meantime a large number of people are daily visit-
ing the locality; and it deserves to be noticed that
she intelligent tenant of Salter-hill, Mr. Reid,
while personally taking a very deep interest in the mat-
-er, and willing to enter into any arrangements for un-
ciddling this antiquarian mystery, most readily gives
visitors the benefit of all the information he possesses.
We believe the Literary and Scientific Association have
ipplied to Sir Alexander Cumming, of Altyre, the pro-
srietor of the ground, for liberty to make the necesary
ixcavations ; and we have no doubt the request will be
;ranted.—Elgin Courier.
A BERKSHIRE JACK SHEPPARD .—ln the report pre-
sented to the county quarter sessions, on Monday last,
by the visiting justices of Reading Gaol, was recorded
he fact of an attempt having been twice made by a
Government convict to effect his escape from that estab-
iishment. His name is Thomas Hirons, ho is a native
if Keen'e Green, Henley-in-Arden, and was for a time
in the 26th Regiment of Foot. The first that can be
ascertained of his criminal course is that on the night of
the Ist of May, last year, in company, with three
,there, he broke into the d welling-house of Mr.
I'imms, Little Barford, near Banbury, Oxon. Each of
them either had his face blackened, or covered with a
veil, to avoid detection. Knowing that there was con-
siderable property in the house, they first proceeded to
lir. Timms's bedroom, and bound him and his wife to
the bedstead with cords, and then went to the room
occupied by Mr. Timms's sister and servant, and tied
them also to the bedstead in a similar manner, telling
Al of them they would blow their brains out if they
made any noise. They then ransacked the house,
carrying away with them a quantity of plate, a
101. Banbury note, and 71. or 81. in gold. On
the following morning they changed the bank-note at
Warwick, and this lead to their apprehension in a few
days. On the 13th of that month Hirons was lodged
in the Banbury lock-up, but he contrived to effect
his escape ; he was, however, recaptured, tried with
his comrades at the Oxford summer assizes, and
sentenced to fifteen years' transportation. About
August last he was removed, with other Goverment
convicts, to Reading Gaol, and during his incarcera-
tion he made two ingenious attempts to effect his es-
cape. The first occurred in September last, when be
pulled the gaspipe hooks from the wall of the cell,
and being under instruction in shoemaking, he took
advantage of the stone placed for his use and rubbed
the ends of each hook, so as to form a screw driver,
with which he unfastened the plate forming the trapdoor
of his cell. He was speedily detected by the warder on
vetch, and the result was that he was removed to
another part of the gaol. In order that he should
have less tools at his service, he was next placed to
'earn tailoring, but here his ingenuity enabled him to
make use of the most simple things in aid of his object.
A pair of scissors was tied up with the materials given
him to work upon as a tailor, and in the absence of his
instructor he broke off the blades ; to prevent detection
he fastened the handles to a portion of a wooden spoon,
tied them up with his work at the close, and, being thus
exposed, no suspicion was excited. He then placed
me of the blades in a piece of wood, which he wrenched
from the back of the cupboard, and bound it round with
what is called a " wax-end," making it as firm as if it
was the best manufactured knife. A steel thimble he had
also beaten open, and converted into a knife, and of a
magnum bonum pen lie had made a small saw. With
these implements he again applied his energies to open his
cell door, on a Sunday in February last ; but the noise,
though slight, attracted the attention of the warder, and
he was stopped at his work; not, however, before he
succeded in removing a large square piece of wood
from his door to get at the lock. An iron plate at this
point was an effectual barrier to the accomplishment
of his object. When visited and found hard at work
to release himself from confinement, the remark was
made to him, " What, you have been at your tricks
again !" He cooly replied, " Yes, I can't help it ; I
must be doing something." In consequence of this
second attempt being reported to the Secretary of State
an order was made for throne' removal to the convict
establishment at Portsmouth, whither he was conveyed
a short time since. It appears that there be soon became
acquainted with the general routine of the place, and
succeeded in making his escape on the Bth of the pre-
sent month. We hear that by some means he got a
soldier's uniform, in which he dressed himself, and thus
he walked quietly out of the establishment, passed the
sentinel, and got clearly off. A reward of 51. is offered
for his recapture, but nothing has yet been heard o
hint—Reading Chronicle.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS BlLL.—This bill has been
brought down from the Lords, It requires the Poor Law
Board every year to take measures to obtain from every
occupier of two statute acres of land (and above) in Eng-
land and \Vales a return, referring to the Ist July in each
year, of certain particulars of information, including
the produce of the farm and the stock, &c. Abstracts of
these returns will be published periodically by the Board
of Trade. Any occupiers neglecting to fill up the blank
form which will be left at his house for the purpose
may be summoned before a justice of peace, by
whom the required particulars will, so to speak, be
extorted ; the expenses of this proceeding will, of course,
be paid by the occupier. Should the occupier refuse to
obey a summons, or fail to give full particulars on exa-
mination before the justice, the latter may issue a war-
rant authorising the collector of returns " to proceed to
obtain by other means the said particulars of infor-
mation," the " other means" including a personal in-
spection by the collector of the lands and premises of the
refractory occupier. A fine of 21. will be imposed on
occupiers neglecting to make, or making false returns.
The bill awaits the approval of the House of Commons.
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