The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-09 00:00:00

A FAMILY OF SA V. 4 G ES.

An old man named Cheriton, and two of his
daughters, were brought before tho Chulmleigh
bench of magistrates yesterday, charged with violent
assaults on the police. The county police officers went
to Cheriton's house in the village of Nvmet Rowland,
after William Cheriton, the old man's son, and ar-
rested prisoner. Eliza Cheriton, a strapping girl,
attacked the sergeant with a burning brand. Out-
side the house a violent struggle ensued, and an
attempt was made by the family to force the
constables into the horse pond. At length the pri-
soners were conveyed to the railway station, fol-
lowed by the family, who yelled at the constables,
showered missiles at them, and covered them with
dirt. The magistrate sent Eliza Cheriton to prison
for six weeks, and Matilda for a month's hard labour.
For a second offence, Eliza and her father were
fined £1 each and costs. The Cheritons have
earned an unenviable notority in the county, and
from the degraded manner in which they live,
they are known as " The North Devon Savages."
The house, oc rather hovel, in which the family
live was originally a farm house, but it has now
neither doors, windows, nor flooring. The family
consists of Cheriton and his wife, a son (a noted
poacher), and three daughters, besides a number of
illegitimate children. One of the daughters and a
man sleep in a hole cut in a rick of hay cloze by the
" house." The whole broo I are a terror to the
neighbourhood, and the various members of it
have been convicted before the magistrates forty-
eight times.

RAILWAY INI ELLIGENCE.

CARMARTIIEN AND CAIZDIGAN.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was
appointed to be held yesterday at the Great Western
Royal Hotel, Paddington ; Mr. 3. M. Knight in
the chair, but in consequence of the non- attendaece
of a sufficient number of shareholders to constitute
a quorum the.directors, after waiting an hour, ad-
journed the meeting sine (lie.
The report stated that the affairs of the com-
pany were administered by the Court of Chancery
under the debenture-holders' suit, and the accounts
were rend:red to, and checked by, that Court
as well as by the receiver, consequently the
directors had dispensed with the services of auditors.
The net revenue continued to be applied to the pay-
ment of the debenture interest and land
The statements of revenue accounts were correct,
and the other statements of accounts were as near
an approximation to correctness as the irregular
manner in which the books were kept previous to
1865 (in which year the present board were elected)
would permit. Mr. P. E. Sewell, the receiver,
certified as to the correctness of the revenue
accounts, and Mr. J. W. Armstrong, the engineer
as to the company's permanent way, stations, and
buildings being in good working condition and re-
pair. The capital account to the 30th June showed
that £277,358 had been received, and £779,572
expended, leaving a balance of nominal expenditure
in excess of the share capital and debenture loans
re, resented by Lloyd's Bonds still outstanding
to the amount of £502,214. The revenue account
for the half-year ending the 30th of June last
showed that £6,838, had been received and £4,764
expended, leaving a balance of £2,074. To this
was added £4,173, the balance from the preced-
ing half year's account, making £6,247. From
this was deducted £1,863, divided among deben-
ture holders in payment of interest by order of
the Court of Chancery ; £57 was paid into court
lo pay interest on disputed debentures ; and
£5BB for land ; leaving a balance of £3,739 for
payment of debenture interest or as the Court
of Chancery might order. The general balance-
sheet showed on one side that Lloyd's bonds bad
been issued to the amount of £735,493, and on the
other side that:the balance of Lloyd's bonds returnable
by the contractor to the company amounted to
£233,451. It was believed that in the course of
the next three years the arrears of interest ou the
£60,000 debentures issued would be paid off, and
also the balance of land claims. The present direc-
tors were doing the best they could to develop© the
traffic. It was estimated that Lloyd's bonds to the
nominal amount of £1,000,000 had been issued on
account of the 19 miles of railway and branches
open for traffic, but the validity of £200,000 of those
bonds was disputed.