The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-28 00:00:00

UR KAYE (POLICE INT

TO THE EDITON OF THE SUN.

SIR,--In the Times of the 23d instant is the fol-
lowing passage :—" The evidence before this com-
mittee discloses a state of things in reference to the
manufacture of the Armstrong guns which could
not occur under really efficient control, and we
should be content to see any system adopted which
should provide against the recurrence of the present
damnatory fact, that there are at this moment only
two rifled cannon in the British navy, while there
are six hundred on board the French fleet."

I beg to state, that such is the great improve-
ment in the cohesive nature of cast malleable iron,
that I have had a four-pounder ship gun, four feet
in:length, and rifled one full turn, cast with its bore
and oval twist complete in the act of casting, by
Messrs. Havengton and Bevan, of Gravesend. I
have put it to a severe proof, and, in consequence,
am of opinion that our Navy could be speedily
furnished with rifled guns of any size, and any kind
of rifling, ready cast complete on this principle,
which is patented by me.
I shall fire spinsters from this rifled ship-gun,
which shall do the duty of red-hot shot, without
incurring the trouble and danger of using such
shot. I am, Sir, yours, &c.,
Roshertille, July 25. J. NORTON.

THE COAST DEFENCES.

(THIS DA I.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

WATCH ROBBERY AND CLEVER PURSUlT.—Patrick
Burke and William Bath, two rough-looking fellows, were
charged with being concerned with others not in custody
in stealing a silver watch, the property of John Montagu
a carver and gilder.
There being others concerned in the case besides the pri-
soners, the publication of the case was deferred till the
oommittal of the prisoners.

Police-constable 198 C said that on Sunday, at 12.30 a.m.,
he saw the prosecutor lying in a doorway in Queen-street,
and the prisoner Burke, in company with another man and
woman, stooping over him. As soon as they saw him
advancing they all ran off. He went after Burke, and
assisted another constable in taking him into custody.
Castle, F 129, said that hearing a cry of " Stop thief,"
and seeing Burke running at the top of his speed, he stopped
him in Dudley-street, at the door of a house, when he (the
constable) was knocked down. Burke then went up to the
first floor landing, and got out of the window and over a
wall. Determined not to lose him he got out after him,
and after a pursuit over some water-closets secured him.
On afterwards going over the ground which the prisoner
had traversed in attempting to escape, he found part of a
watch, which the prosecutor believed to be his.

Sergeant Cole, 23 C, said—On going to the doorway,
where the prosecutor was lying in a state of intoxication, he
found Bath in the act of drawing the guard off his neck.
All the pockets of the prosecutor were undone. He then
took Bath into custody. He had known Burke wall for
years.

Bath said he was merely shaking the man to " wake
him."

Sergeant Franklin of the E division said he had Burke
at the court for stealing lead, and Sergeant Cole said he be-
lieved they were both known.
The depositions having been read over, the prisoners
were committed for trial.

THAMES.
MICBETHDISCOVERED.—UTILITY Or POLICE REPORTS
IN NEWSPAPERS.—A few days since a poor Scotch woman,
named Macbeth, with five starving children, came before
Mr. Yardley, 'and stated that her husband, who was ad.

dieted to unusual drinking and very unsteady, abandoned
her in Scotland, five months ago, and hearing that he was
in London working at his business of a watchmaker, she

came here in search of him. She had been all over Clerken.
well, and at every house of call where watchmakers are
likely to be found, but could obtain no tidings of him. She
was in great distress, and her children were in want of food..
Mr. Yardley said the conduct of the husband was selfish

and heartless in abandoning his wife and children as he had

done, but the unfortunate applicant had acted imprudently
in coming here. He gave her five shillings from the poor
box fund to relieve her present necessities, and advised her
to seek parish relief and gekback to Scotland as soon as
possible. The case having obtained publicity, several
benevolent persons forwarded money to Mr. Yardley,
in the course of the week, for the use of Mrs.
Macbeth and her little ones. The family were ad-
mitted into the Whitechapel Union Workhouse, and it
was intended to send them back to Scotland at the expense
of the union if Macbeth could not be found. Mr. Free-
man, one of the churchwardens of Whitechapel and a
guardian of the poor, waited upon the magistrate, and said
that a man called at the workhouse and inquired what
would be done with Macbeth if he did not take his wife and
children out of the workhouse and maintain them, and he
was informed that a reward would .be offered for the ap-
prehension of the runaway husband, and that he was liable
to three months' imprisonment and hard labour if he did
not support his wife and family. A few minutes afterwards
Macbeth appeared at the workhouse gate in person, claimed

his wife and children, and said he had been at work in
Reading, Bucks, where he read an account of his wife's
application to the magistrate in the newspapers. Macbeth.
received his wife and children, who were much gratified at
meeting with him, although he was in liquor at the time.
Mr. Yardley said Macbeth's wife described him to be a
drunkard when she applied at that court for relief, and,
that accounted for the abandonment of his family.

STEALING AN INGOT OF COPPER.—Charles Benjamin,
carpenter of the ship Empress, lying in. the East India
Dock, was charged as follows :

A constable in the employ of the East and West India
Dock Company, said that he was stationed at the entrance
gate of the East and West India import dock, and saw the
prisoner leaving the dock and walking in a very unsteady
manner. He also observed the prisoner was very bulky.
He stopped the prisoner, searched him, and found an ingot
of new copper, weighing 301b5., concealed under his clothes.
The prisoner said he had brought the copper from the ship
Empress. The mate of the Empress said the prisoner was
ship's carpenter, and was engaged to proceed upon an in-
tended voyage to Madras. There were 150 ingots of copper
on hoard. The prisoner, in defence, said he was very sorry
for what he had done—he had never done so before—he
had good testimonials of charaoter and conduct.
Mr. Yardley—You were carpenter of this ship, the
Empress, and confidence was reposed in you. You were
a kind of petty officer on board who ought to have shown
a good example. You were receiving very good wages, and
you utusL bcgi. Faro. ...wne,,a and captain of thir--
ship have had a very narrow escape of taking a thief to se*
where you would have had an opportunity of plundering to
a much larger extent. You say you arc.: sorry. No doubt
you are, because you know you are going to be punished. I
sentence you to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for
two calendar months.