The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-26 00:00:00

THE STUB.

THREE SHIPS WRECKED ON THE GOOD-
WIN SANDS.
Late on Monday night the metropolis was visited
by a terrific hurricane and torrents of rain, which
(from the telegrams since received from the dif-
ferent seaport towns) appears to have extended
along the coast with equal severity, and unhappily
led to several distressing shipwrecks.
It commenced about eight o'clock in the evening
from the N.E., blowing hard with heavy rain, and
as midnight advanced it gained strength alarmingly
until about half-past twelve o'clock, when it be-
came a complete hurricane. The anemometer at
Lloyd's Underwriters' Room registered its force
at that time at 2311b5. on the square foot. It
raged at this frightful extent till about half-past
three, when a lull took place, the pressure on the
gunge falling to about 161b5., but at five o'clock
it rose again to lBlbs. and 201b5., and continued
until about eight o'clock, when the gale shiftpd
round from N.E. to W.S.W., and moderated con-
siderably, though off the Kent, Sussex, and Norfolk
coasts the gale continued for many hours. In the
Downs it is described to have been truly awful.
At daybreak yesterday morning na less than three
wrecks were discovered on the Goodwin Sands, a
barque of large size, a brig, and a smaller vessel,
all being dismasted. Instant aid was sent off from
Ramsgate, and by the last accounts received it
appears that the crews of the three unfortunate
vessels were all saved. The barque proved to be
the Linda, of Whitby, outward bound, from Mid-
dlesborough for Alexandria ; the other vessels were
the Ariel, of Gothenburg, from Hernosand for Mar-
seilles; and a Norwegian, which has since sunk on
the sands. Two steam tugs and several Margate
and Deal luggers are at the wrecks, saving as much
of the property as can be recovered. Two vessels
are reported foundered on the Norfolk coast.
Along the banks of the Thames many of the
cellars and kitchens have been flooded, and some of
the fields in the neighbourhood of Lewisham have
been placed under water ; while in Dartford some
of the streets have been flooded so as to impede the
ordinary traffic.
The neighbourhood of Kennington suffered in a
peculiar manner from the immense fall of water.
The river Effra, which does duty as a sewer for a
great portion of the district, and is in some parts
uncovered, and thus has been for years a fertile
source of malaria and fever, was unable to carry
off the great body of water which found its way
into the stream. The consequence was that at the
uncovered parts of this sewer the water overflowed
and found its -way into the kitchens and apartments
on the ground floors, so that when the inhabitants
of Hanover-square, opposite Kennington Church,
Harleyford-road, and other places in the neighbour-
hood, arose in the morning, they had the mortifica-
tion to see a great portion of their furniture floating
about, and the water two or three feet high. In
Brixton-road, for a quarter of a mile beyond Ken-
nington Church, the water was so high that the.
early omnibuses to the City had some difficulty in
getting through, as they were submerged to above
the axle-trees, and in some cases the water flowed
into the bodies of the carriages. In this part the
Effra is covered, and runs along the fronts of the
houses under the pathway. But as the barrel of
the drain was not large enough to carry off its con-
tents, the water forced its way up the drain pipes
and into the kitchens of the houses on one side,
causing considerable damage. At two public-houses,
the Golden Lion, in the Brixton-road, and the
Anchor, in the Cranmer-road, the tubs and barrels
were all afloat ; and at a linendraper's, stock to the
value of £5OO, kept in an underground apartment,
and consisting of flannels, silks, and other goods,
was rendered almost worthless.

P °LICE INTELLIGENCE—Sept. 25

MANSION-HOUSE.--A young man who gave
the name of George Smith, but refused his address,
was yesterday brought before Sir R. W. Carden,
charged with attempting to rob a lady. named
Louisa Fleet. In the course of the case an incident
occurred which showed the extraordinary mistakes
that are sometimes made with regard to the iden-
tity of individuals.
It appeared from the statement of the complain-
ant that on Monday afternoon about half-past four
o'clock she was near Crosby-hall, in Bishopsgate-
street, waiting to cross the road, when she felt a
kind of snatch at her watch chain, and she looked
down and saw the prisoner's hand upon her chain,
and he was at the same moment seized by some one
from behind. He got away, however, and was
making off, but she followed him, and he began to
run when she gave an alarm and he was taken into
custody. The complainant added that the watch
was partly drawn from her pocket, but the chain
caught in some part of her dress, and this occa-
sioned a sort of jerk, which attracted her attention
and led to the prison's attempt at robbery being
frustrated.
Mr. W. Prichard, a person who is in the service
of a mercantile firm in Bishopsgate-street, said he
saw what occurred in the first instance, and when
the prisoner ran away he followed him and told
him that he had robbed a lady. The reply he
made was that it was quite a mistake.
Police-constable Archer, 661, said he took the
prisoner into custody, when he said his name was
George Smith, but refused to say where he lived.
Sir R. Carden asked the prisoner what reason
he had for refusing to say where he lived.
He replied that he did not wish to disgrace his
family.
Sir R. Carden—l see you have given the name of
George Smith. Is that your real name?
Prisoner—lt is.
Mr. Prichard here stated that a person was in
court whom he believed to be an accomplice of the
prisoner. He saw him close by him, and he also
saw him try to speak to the prisoner after he was
in the custody of the policeman.
Sir R. Carden inquired if he could identify this
'man, and he replied that he could, upon which
directions were given that he should be taken into
custody.
This was done, and the party referred to was
placed in front of the dock. He was a respectable-
looking young man, spoke with a strong Scotch
accent, and appeared highly indignant at the
treatment to which he was subjected.
Sir R. Carden asked Mr. Prichard whether lie
was quite sure the party who had been just brought
forward was the same person who endeavoured to
communicate with the prisoner Smith.
He replied that he was. He had on a hat at
that time, and not such a cap as the one he was
now wearing.
Sir R. Carden then put the same question to the
policeman, and he gave a similar answer, and said
he was sure the person now before the court was
the same who tried to speak to the prisoner as lie
was taking him to the station-house, and he pushed
him away.
Sir R. Carden asked the person referred to what
brought him to the Mansion-house ?
He said he had merely come from curiosity. He
was on a visit to London, and being accidentally
in the City, he had walked in to see what was
going on.
Sir It. Carden observed that it certainly was ra-
ther an odd coincidence if this was really so, that
two witnesses should speak so positively to his
being the man who was in company with a person
who had attempted to commit a robbery.
The person indignantly repudiated the charge,
and gave his own name and address, and also men-
tioned the name of a clerk in a first-rate City house,
who, he said, was well acquainted with him. All
further allusion to the parties referred to is omitted
for obvious reasons.
Sir R. Carden asked the gentleman to sit down
for a short time while a communication was made to
the firm whose name had been mentioned, and he
said it would be more satisfactory for all parties
that the matter should be cleared up.
In a short time one of the clerks belonging to the
firm that had been referred to attended,and he at
once recognised the supposed culprit, and it was
evident that there had been an extraordinary mis-
take on the part of the constable and the witness.
Mr. Prichard got into the witness-box, and said
he was now perfect* satisfied that he was mistaken
and he begged to express his regret at what had
occurred, and apologised to the party to whom he
had caused the inconvenience.
Sir R. Carden said it was clearly a very extraor-
dinary instance of mistaken identity, and there was
no doubt that both the policeman and Mr. Prichard
were in error in supposing that the gentleman now
before the court was in any way connected with
the prisoner. He then addressed the party re-
ferred to, and said that, according to his represen-
tation, it was his first visit to the Mansion-house,
and lie had no doubt ho would remember it. (A
laugh.)
The gentleman replied that there was no fear of
that. lie added, that he hoped his name would not
go before the public in connection with such au
unpleasant transaction.
Sir R. Carden said there was no fear of that.
The prisoner, George Smith, was then sentenced
to three months' imprisonment and hard labour.
Bedford Lemere, a shopman to Mr. Lonsdale, a
draper and meren in Aldgate, was charged with
robbing
his master.
It appeared that the prisoner, who received a
good character from his last employer, had only
been 14 days in the service of the prosecutor when
it was discovered that he had stolen three silk
dresses, value £l2. One of the dresses was pawned
for £2, and the others he had packed up for a pre-
tended customer, named Captain IVl'Dougal. When
ho was Ikprrellencloci in admitted that he had !Olen