The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-05 00:00:00

A VORACIOUS MAN-EATER.

'LECTION PETITIONS.

-- +IF -

There are fifty-two petitions standing for trial, and of
these fifteen have had the days fixed. Mr. Justice
Wiles will take New Windsor, Guildford, Lich-
field, 'Westbury, and Tamworth ; Mr. Baron Martin
will preside at Norwich, Warrington, Bradford, Chelten-
ham, and Westminster; and Mr. Justice Blackburn takes
Bewdley, Stockport, Wallingford, Stalybridge. and
Hartlepool.

THE MURDER AT NORWICH. —A correspondent
at Norwich, referring to the statement of William
Sheward at the Lambeth-street Police-office on Saturday,
says it is believed that the self-accusation of murder is
well-founded, Human remains were found in the River
Yare and in the neighbourhood of Norwich in June 1851.
Persevering inquiries were made at the time by the local
police, and the remains were collected, but the circum-
stances have always remained a mystery until the present
hour.

AN AMERICAN PRIZE FIGHT. —WASHINGTON,
DEC. 23.--Abe Hicken, of Philadelphia, and Pete M`Guire,
of Peekskill, N.Y., two well-known roughs, had a prize
fight for 1,000 dollars a side in the vicinity of Stump's-
wood, on the line of the railroad, near Perryville, this
morning. After five rounds, Hicken broke ArGuire's jaw
and gained the fight. A large crowd of sporting men and
roughs from Philadelphia and New York, with the prin-
cipals, were on board a special train, which passed through
this city early this morning, and remained on the ground
until the affair was over.

THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY.—This prela,to's
health, although occasionally exhibiting signs of improve-
ment, still continues in a very unsatisfactory state. His
lordship has not hitherto been wholly confined to his resi-
dence, but his been able to take carriage exercise, his
medical adviser considering it essential to his restoration
that he should be out as much as possible. With the view
of having the benefit of the advice of an eminent London
physician, it is arranged that he shall spend a short time
in town, so as to be under his immediate observation and

THE CONVICT MARTIN BROWN. —Martin Brown,
aged 22, who was convicted at the Lewes sizes last
week, before Mr. Baron Channell, of the murder of David
Baldey, on Newmarket-hill, Kingston, on the 9th of
October, will be executed on the morning of Monday, the
18th instant, at eight o'clock. Brown has been, and still
is, very reserved, and does not refer to the awful crime for
which he has been condemned. He is quiet and well-
behaved, and is daily visited by the gaol chaplain, the
Rev. Mr. Duke. He has not yet made any confession of
his guilt.

ACCIDENT ON THE BRIGHTON RAILWAY'. —On
Sunday an accident happened on the line recently opened
in connection with the London and South Coast Railway,
near Streatham Junction. An ordinary passenger train
was approaching the junction at the usual pace, when
the engine and tenders left the rails, and the passengers
were consequently much shaken and frightened, but, for-
tunately, none were seriously injured. On being released
from the carriages they found their way to the station at
Streatham-common, while due precautions were at once
taken to stop the approach of other trains. After
the accident Mr. Richardson, the locomotive superin-
tendent, arrived, and a large body of men, with the aid of
" jacks" and other appliances, succeeded in getting the
engine back upon the rails, when it was sent to Battersea
and examined, nothing being found to account for the
accident. It was supposed that the recent heavy rains had
loosened the sleepers, and that this had been the cause of
the accident.

BRIBERY AND TIIE BALLOT. - Now that the
Ballot has become one of the foremost public questions
in England, in consequence of the bribery and intimidation
practised at the late general election, the following extract
from the letter of the New South Wales correspondent
of a Scotch contemporary will be read with interest :
" Six months ago there was a general election, and in one
constituency alone there have been three elections since.
In the second contest a former defeated candidate got in,
and the one who was left out petitioned against his
election on the ground of wholesale bribery, and was suc-
cessful in proving bribery, but he could not disprove
the statement that his own election was above
suspicion, so one seat was declared vacant.
I believe this is the first instance of bribery being proved
in connection with the ballot, but there is no disguising
the fact. Electors were brought long distances, both by
special steamers and also by the railway and stage-coaches,
to vote at an election for a district in which they did not
reside. Of course the ratfe3 who brought them had to
trust to them that they would vote for the man who pro.
vided the money, and whether they voted for him or not
is merely a matter of conjecture, and will remain such, as
there is no suspicion that the ballot-box was tampered
with"; but still this shelve what maybe clone even with the
luolnt."

I The following extract- from a letter from an engineer
at Chintagoonta, about six miles beyond Cuddapah on
the road to Nundyal, merits the attention of Shikarr:es :
" We are much annoyed by a man-eater, about eleven
miles off under the hills, and the effect has been to raise
the price of bamboos, charcoal, and wood. I happened
to be yesterday in the village where it com-
mitted its last depredation. I found a force
100 strong, composed the young men of the adjoining
villages_ they assemble every morning at about 9 a.m.,
and march with tom-toms ahead and astern, armed with
spears and matchlocks into the jungle near the village,
carrying food to men who are posted in trees near each
place where any one has been killed. As may be expected,
since they took these precautions they have seen nothing
of him, as he has quietly gone to anutner village. They
told me that the tiger has killed More than two hundred
people ; a great many close to the village."--Itradras Times,
Dec. 2.

INTENDED REFORM FOR THE RELIEF
OF CASUALS.

_ -
The Poor-law Board have in contemplation on the Intro-
duction of certain reforms in the present system of relieving
casuals, and have solicited by circular an expression of opi-
nion from the various boards of guardians upon the pro-
posed alterations. It is intended to make uniform the
dietary and amount of task-work in all the unions in the
country, and the board have submitted for the considera-
tion of the local guardians a not too liberal scale of diet
and a fair average task, The board insist upon the enforce-
ment of the bath, recommend the system of separate sleep-
ing cells, and make various suggestions for the curtail-
ment of the comforts of casuals. It is intimated that the
Board only await the replies from the several unions before
embodying their views, subject to such modifications as
may arise from the guardians' suggestion; in a general
order.

On Monday morning Mr. Baron Martin resumed his
1 sitting in chambers, Rolls•garden, Chancery-lane, to hear
special pleas on election petitions. The first taken was
Tauiworth, Mr. Tinley Smith (for Sir Henry Lytton
Bulwer) asking for names of the agents—alleged to have
been guilty of corrupt practices—to be given before the
three days laid down in the rules, as the district was a
wide one.—Mr. Henry James, for the petitioner, opposed
the application.—His lordship said the order of
Mr. Justice Willes must be confirmed, viz., to
give particulars three days' before the trial.—
Mr. Chitty (on behalf of Sir Robert Peel, the
other member for Tamworth) then asked for the
nature of the corrupt practices to be specified by the petitioners before the usual time given. His lordship
thought Mr. Justice Wiles had been too liberal in granting time for particulars. [Here Mr. Justice
Willes jokingly desired his lordship to be cautious.]
Mr. Baron Martin (resuming) said he had given
very great consideration to the Act ; and he
eJuld not conceive what might not be included under the
term " corrupt practices ;" it might mean almost any-
thing. He should confirm the order of Mr. Justice
Willes.
In the case of South Hants an application was
made for an extension of the six days allowed
to the respondents for getting particulars, on the
ground that the district embraced a very wide
area.—His lordship, in refusing the application, said
be did so because he thought it might be used to defeat
the ends of justice. It would be giving time to those
already alleged to have been guilty of bribing to spirit
away the very persons who had previously accepted
bribes.

6)
•
6011.3,1
labt

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Jan. 4.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Beatrice
walked in the grounds this morning.
Prince Leopold and Princess Louise also we'll
out.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

MARLBORO UGH- STREET.
ASSAULT IN THE POLICE CO T.--Catherine
Hogan, an elderly woman, residing at 48, Uppd
Marylebone-street, was brought before Mr. Tyr'
whitt, on a warrant, charged with assaulting Mat
garet Finchem, a young woman in the employ ei
Mr. Stevens, button and trimming manufacturer,
No. 48, Upper Marylebone-street.
Mr. Lewis appeared for the defendant.
The defendant and her husband were yesterdei
summoned to this court for assaulting the cony
plaint on Christmas-day, the defendant being fined
403. and her husband £5 ; and as the parties well
leaving the court the defendant, who was labouring
under great excitement, gave the complainant
severe blow in the face.
In answer to Mr. Tyrwhitt, the complainant sal3
that the defendant had since expressed her regre
for her conduct.
Mr. Tyrwhitt ordered the defendant to find one
bail in £5 to keep the peace for six months.
A MASTER CARMAN AND HIS MAN CHARGED WITg
CRUELTY TO A HORSE.—William Pearson, a master
carman, of Kensington-place, Westminster, and
Francis Matthews, a man in his employ, appeared
before Tyrwhitt to answer complaints of the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, the former for causing a horse to be tor
tured by sending it out for work in an unfit state,
and the latter for working it.
Inspector Temperley, of the Royal Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, repeated
the evidence he gave on a former occasion, to the
effect that he saw Matthews driving a horse which
was trying to draw a load of rubbish in Burling'
ton-gardens, but was unable to do so, it being dead
lame on the off fore leg, and having both its hind
legs diseased. The horse was poor, old, and quite
unfit for work, its near hind leg appearing to be
quite paralysed. He had since the last occasion
seen the defendant Pearson, who said the horse
was lame, but did not suffer any pain. The horse
was in poor condition.
Henry Barns, the gaoler, said that when the
horse was brought to the mews at the rear of the
court it had three bad legs, and a sore where the
crupper worked ; in fact it could hardly stand.
Henry Loader, the keeper of the Greenyard, said
that the horse was very lame, and it nearly fell.
It had an old sore under the crupper.
Mr. Arthur Cherry, the Government veterinary
surgeon, said he had seen the horse, and it was
better than on the last occasion, having had some
rest. He did not see any sores on it. It was lame
of the off fore leg, but it did not appear to suffer
any pain.

Mr. Tyrwhitt said that there was a class of per-
sons, he was aware, who considered that horses
never suffered any pain at all.
Mr. Cherry said that the hind legs were swollen,
but otherwise the horse was in good condition. D
had had a stiff leg for some time.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said he supposed that improved its
galloping.

Mr. Gerry sail he did not mean to say that, but
cab horses seldom galloped.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said that the horse having been
taken care of since the last occasion made a consi-
derable difference in the case ; but, notwithstanding
the evidence of the veterinary surgeon, he believed
that the horse was not in a fit condition for work-
ing on the day it was sent out, and, by way of
caution to the defendants, they would be fined,
Pearson 10s. and costs or seven days, and Mathews
ss. or seven days.

..i To

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in. 4.