The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-14 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-July 12.

WOP,SHIP-STREET. —EXTRAORDINARY CASE OT
ALITGTM BDUCTION. —Mr. John Wca'de:v, an eTiten-
sive hiri4% uLiinufacturer
attended before Mr, D'Eyncourt to request his advice
and assistance under the following remarkable circum-

stances.

The applicant stated that he was anxious to commu-
nical.e to the magistrate the particulars of an outrage of
a very mysterious and aggravated character, to which
one of his apprentices, who now accompanied him, had
been subjected. He should leave the lad to make his
own statement of the facts, afer premising that ha had
been nearly five years in his service, and had always con-
ducted himself in the most exemplary manner, having
never absented himself from home for a single hour, nor
been detected in an untruth during the whole of that

period.
The apprentice, a frank, intellig,nt•looking youth,
about 16 years of age, was then called into the witness.
box, and entered into the following extraordinary narra-
tive :—On Wednesday last I was passing through White-
chapel, on an errand for my master, at f tur o'clock in
the afternoon, when a gentleman with a bushy heard
and mustachios drove up to the door of one of the shop.,
and asked me to mind his horse and chaise while he w-nt
in to make a purchase: I agreed to do so, and on coming
back in a few minutes, the gentleman said that he had
no silver about him, and that I had better step int,
the chaise, as he had to call at the corner of Aldgate,
where he would get change and give me a shilling for my
trouble. I made co objection, as I had to pass that
way, and got into the chaise with bim ; but we had only
gone a little way, when he told me he was a dealer in
perfumery, and asked me if I liked scents, at the same
time pulling out a small bottle, which he held to my
nose, and I instantly lost my senses. I must have con-
tinued several hours in that state, for it was quite dark
when I came to, and found myself in the hands of two
men who were dragging me out of the chaise in a solitary
road in the country. On calling out for help, one of the
men threatened to kill me if I made the least noise, and
grasped me by the throat, but I bit him in the band,
and kicked and struggled till I got free from him, and
started off as fast I could run. I heard the men running
after me for some distance, but managed to keep ahead
of them till I got to a dry ditch, in which I concealed
my,,elf, and remained there till daylight. I then crept
back into the road, finding that the men were gone, but
felt so faint and exhausted that I got into a field where
I slept for several hours. On waking up I was told by
some men who were working in the field that it was
more than six miles on the other side of Highgate ; but
they directed me the way home, on reaching which I
informed my master of everything that had taken place.
In answer to a question from the magistrate; it was in-
timated by the master that the lad was evidently in a
state of extreme prostration and excitement on his re-
turn home about four o'clock on Thursday afternoon,
when he minutely described the particulars of the violence
which had been practised towards him in strict accord-
ance with his present statement.
Mr. D'Eyncourt—lt is certainly a most extraordinary
story, and I am at a loss to conceive any adequate
motive for the perpetration of such an outrage.
The master—l can only say from my intimate know-
ledge of his character, that I believe the boy to be utterly
incapable of deception, and your worship may probably
remember a similar case which occurred a few years ago,
when a lad was kidnapped for a supposed infamous pur-
pose, under precisely similar circumstances, and was
afterwards found murdered in a ditch in the neighbour-
hood of Acton.
Mr. D'Eyncourt said that he perfectly recollected the
incident referred to, and he believed that the persons
who had been guilty of the atrocity had never been
brought to justice. He should advise Mr. Weakley im-
mediately to place the matter in the hands of the police.
who would adopt the necessary means for the discovery
and apprehension of the parties who had committed the
alleged outrage.

THAMES. —THE SHIPWRIGHTS' STRIKE. George
Hollings and John Blecher were brought up on a warrant
before Mr. Yardley, from Southampton, charged with
having violated a contract they had entered into with the
firm of Messrs. Young, Magnay, and Co., shipbuilders,
Millwall, by which they agreed to continue in their em-
ployment for one year at 6s. a day.
Mr. J. Young, from the office of Messrs. Dasborough
and Young, attended for the complainants ; and Mr. C.
Young, Arbour-square, was engaged for the defendants.
Evidence having been given showing that the agree-
ment was signed by the defendants,
Mr. J. Young called as a witness for the complainants,
George Brown, who stated that he had been on and
off about 10 years in the service of the complainants.
Nearly a fortnight ago he went into the yard, and was
employed to build a despatch-boat. As he could not get
hands in London to do the work, he went to Southamp-
ton to get some men. He found a number of men.
There were 15 altogether. The defendants were two of
them. Mr. Cousins brought down the agreement. The
defendants signed it. Witness told them that the men
in the employment of Messrs. Young bad struck on ac-
count cf the beer time being reduced. The men read the
form of the agreement before they signed it. There were
20 men in the room when it was signed, 15 of whom
signed it. Several pots of beer tvere on the table.
Witness told the men if they did not like to sign the
agreement they might go. Witness told them they
should receive Os. a-day.
Mr. Yardley asked what was the defence?
Mr. C. Young replied that the deftice was that the
agreement was signed by the defendants under misrepre-
sentations. He proposed to call as a witness one of the
defendants, and to allow the charge to proceed against
the other.

George Hollings was then examined. He said that
Brown came to him, and asked if he was willing to go
to London to work. He mentioned the name of the firm
at which he was to be employed. Ho said it was Messrs.
Young and Co., shipbuilders, Millwall. Witness said,
" There is a strike there. Brown observed, " Yes,
but ten of the union men had gone in, and that the rest
would follow to.morrow."
Mr. C. Young—lf you had known that no union men
were working, would you have come to London ? Wit-
ness—l would not have signed. I went to the yard of
the firm at night, and went away the next morning. I
slept on board one of the steam-boats. I had no work
at Southampton. . .

Mr. J. Young—Did you not think it strange that, if
the union men were at work, more men should be
wanted ? Defendant—l thought that more men might
be wanted.

_By Mr. Yardley—When I left the yard in the morn-
ing I saw a number of men outside the gates. They said
they were standing out, and that it was a very wrong
thing for them to cease up to London and gu to work.
I was not a union man.
Mr. Yardley—Were you threatened ? Witness—No,
sir.
Mr. Yardley—What makes you, not being a union
man, support them ? Wituess—Because I like to sup-
port the trade.
Mr. Yardley—You mean to say that it was the state.
merit that the union men had gone to the yard caused
you to sign the agreement? Witness—Yes, sir.
Mr. Yaielley—Were they all union men who struck ?
Brown stated that about half of them were union men.
Mr. Yardley—When you engaged these men did you
say anythinie of the men having returned to their work ?
Brown—l said that ten had gone back. Ou the 25th
of June none had gone back to work.
Mr. Yardley observed that when an agreement is
signed under a misrepresentation that invalidates the
agreement. In any civil proceeding it invalidates the
contract. But this was a criminal peocelure, and the
defendants were liable to a heavy punishment. He must
be perfectly satisfied.before be convicted these men that
it was altogether a bona fide transaction in which they
were engaged. But he could not come to that eenclu
sion in this case. He was strongly of opinion that the
agreement was signed by these men under the impression
that some of the union men had returned to work, ano
that had they not have had that impression they would
not have signed that agreement. They were influenced by
the statement that some of the men had returned to their
work, and that those were union men. He therefore
could not conviet,,and meat dismiss the summons.
The defendant was discharged.
Mr. J. Young expressed his intention to proceed with
the charg 3 against the other defendant, but subsequently,
atter seprotracted discussion with the magistrate, with-
drew the summons.
Mr. Yardley observed that he was of opinion the re-
spectable firm by which these proceedings were instituted
would not press a charge which had failed in one instance.
He said that he saw in the court a great many men who
were engaged in this strike. He urged upon them the
arrangement of their differences with their employers,
which, if effected, would, he believed, be beneficial to all
parties.
The other defendant was also discharged.

GREENWICH.—Mary Hawkes, a mother of nine
children, was place'l at the bar before Mr. Seeker,
charged with stealing a piece of salt pork from the shop
of Mr. Peppercorn, butcher, of the Broadway, Deptford.
. From the evidence of Police•canstable Loring, 62 R,
it appeared that shortly before 12 o'clock that morn-
ing he saw the prisoner lurking about the shop of Mr.
Peppercorn in a very suspicious manner. Having im•
mediate occasion to go to Tanners hill be was compelled
to leave her, but on his return he met her with some-
thing concealed under her shawl. On questioning her,
shn produced the pork, sayint; she bought it from the
shopinan Locke. He took her back to the shop, when
Locke knew nothing about it, but identified the meat as
his master's property, which but a shcrt time previously
had been put for sale.
Prisoner denied the charge, saying she bought it and
paid Locke for it.
Locke said all she bought from him was a saveloy,
which she gave to the baby.
Magistrate (surprised) : What ! saveloys for a baby ?
What was the price of it T—Locke : A penny, sir.
Prisoner.admitted buying the saveloy for her baby, as
it was "very delicate." (Laughter.)
Magistrate : I convict you of the offence, and order
you to pay a penalty of 205., or imprisonment for a
month. -
_

Prism.Kr was then removed, saying she was the mother
of nine children, and could not do Elle") a thing.

ASSURANCE COMPANIES.—A large blue book,, just
published, awes r.-turn if the tiatneß, placs of bu.si-
nese, and objects of all assurance companies completely
ree,,l,terea from the passing of the ant 7th and Bth Vnc-
toria, cap. 110, to this day, together with their accounts.
The list includss49s companies, and their accounts, <lmo
extend over * woo of No ono, • • ,