The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-29 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

ROBBERY AT DOWNING-STREET.— _ illiaM Roberts was
charged at Bow-street, on Saturday, with having committed
a robbery at the official residence of the Prime Minister,
Vo. 10, Downing-street. The accused had managed to
pack up a quantity of wearing apparel, worth about £2O,
and belonging to the Premier's private secretary, when he
was met on the landing and pursued by one of the house-
maids, who seized him by the collar, and detained him
until assistance was rendered. He was remanded.
Prrmi AND Toss.—Several youths have been brought
before the Clerkenwell Police-court, charged with playing
pitch and toss on the pavements of the public thorough-
fares. They were fined 2s. 6d. each, but those who could
not pay were discharged at the rising of the court.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE.—At the Thames Police•court,
on Saturday, the Rev. John Popham, a minister of the
established Church, was charged with assaulting a Scrip-
tuve-reader, named Joynt. Mr. Paget vainly urged the
disputants to settle their differences elsewhere, and fined
Mr. Popham 2s.

A ItAFFLE.—At the Southwark Police-court a public-
house keeper was summoned for permitting gambling.
The alleged offence consisted of a raffle for a watch, which
was held for a charitable purpose. The charge was dis-
missed.

CHARGE OF MIIRDER.—On Saturday, at the Warwick
Assizes, Clare, a discharged soldier, was charged with the
murder of his wife, who had been found with her throat
cut. The prisoner declared that his wife had committed
suicide, and the jury, believing that there was a doubt in
the case, acquitted bim.
THE NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.—On Saturday an
application was made to one of the Scotch judges on
behalf of the North British Railway Company, for an
order interdicting the Caledonian Comp Any from paying
dividends on its ordinary stock for the past half-year.
The cause of the application was the alleged non-compli-
ance of the latter with the terms of a joint agreement
entered into last year. Lord Barcaple declined to make
the order.
BREACH or PROMISE. —At the Norwich Assizes, on
Saturday, a farmer was sued by the daughter of a hotel
keeper in an action for breach of promise of marriage.
The case was described by the plaintiff's counsel as one
of peculiar heartlessness, and the jury so far endorsed this
view that they returned a verdict for £7OO damages.

*New editions of Dean Milman's " St. Paul's,"
of Dean Stanley's " Westminster Abbey," and of Mr.
Dixon's " Her Majesty's Tower," are being printed.
THE MAIDSTONE MURDER. —The Government
has offered a reward of £lOO, with a free pardon to any
accomplice, not being the actual culprit, who will give
such information as will lead to the conviction of the
murderer of John Fenn.

An inquest has been held upon the body of the
young English officer, Ensign Whitaker, of the 53rd Regi-
ment, who was recently shot at Quebec by a lad named
Chaloner. The verdict was an open one, and is said to
have given satisfaction to the public. Chaloner is believed
to have committed the murder to avenge an outrage upon
his sister.

Mr. Matthew Arnold's report on the normal and
practising schools of the Congregational Board of Education
at Homerton has been officially published. Mr. Arnold
reports most favourably of the establishment, and considers
that it is for the interest of public education that this insti-
tution and the schools connected with it should share in the
Parliamentary grant, and should come to co-operate directly
in the national work which, by the help of that grant, is
being carried on.

With the commencement of spring strikes seem to
have set in at an alarming rate. One has just commenced a
the Edmunds Hain Colliery, near Barnsley, in South York-
shire, at a moments notice. The masters threatened some
time since to discharge certain men for sending dirty coals
out of the pit. The coals sent up were still worthless, and
several leaders of the union were given notice to quit. All
the men suddenly turned out. The South Yorkshire men re-
in
fuses to acknowledge the strike, and its secretary, very
energetically, called upon the men to return to work, but
they have refused.
Rot Ga CRITICISM ON HORACE GREELEY.—At the
inauguration ball, the venerable white head and spectacles
of Horace Greeley made him a conspicuous object wherever
he moved. He was continually getting in some hopeless
position. At one time he was fastened upon a stairway.
Slow of motion, he was continually being scrouged and
bristled and crushed by the pretty women revolving about
him. Heswore a good deal when jammed for two hours at
the cloak-room in quest of his overcoat. One would as soon
expect a bullet from a rosebud as an oath from Horace
Greeley, but he cursed most ferociously.— Washington Star.
THE PARIS HAM FAIR.—The three days' ham
fair, which hadthis year been removed from the Boulevard
Bourdon to that of Richard Lenoir, commenced on Tues-
day. More than 300 dealers from Belgium, England,
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, and from about 40
of the French departments were on the ground exhibiting
their wares, consisting of bacon, pork, hams, sausages, &c.
On the whole, the fair is this year supplied with upwards of
300,000-kilogs of eatable produce. The prices were com-
plained of as high, but a large business seemed to be trans-
acted, and the crowd was extraordinary.
DESTRUCTION OF THE SOUTH LONDON MUSIC
HALL BY FIRE.—The South London Music Hal], near the
Elephant and Castle, has been destroyed by fire. The
building was opened as usual on Saturday night, the
entertainments being of the ordinary kind, and of such a
nature as not to require the aid of moveable scenes or fire
of any description. At half-past twelve the gas was turned
off, and the gasman as usual went round the building,
which was then apparently safe. Shortly after six on Sun-
day morning, however, a lamplighter, named Fowles, on
ascending his ladder in the London-road, saw smoke issu-
iog from the top part of the building, and at once com-
municated with the police. The manual engine from
Kennington was soon followed by that of steam power ;
but the flames obtained such a firm hold of the bal-
cony that the entire roof soon gave way. After much
exertion on the part of the brigade, the fire was ex-
tinguished, but not before the hail, including the stage,
d reesi n g•rooms, fittings, &e., were entirely destroyed.
ConsideraMe damage was also done to the refreshment-
bar, but the private dwelling and public-house at the north
end of the building suffered but little. The place now
presents a perfect wreck, composed of the remains of
chairs, tables, chandeliers, mirrors, and other appliances
peculiar to music-halls. The fire is supposed to hive
originated in the dressing rooms, but from what cause is
not known. Great preparations bad been made for the
Easter entertainment, and several of those engaged—in
eluding the members of the orchestra-Twill,
,we pyler.
stand., oft 12. Y the calamity,