The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY Ev Emu G MARCH 6 "856,

01\ • :1!11.1 i rr

CRIMINAL COURT.—(This Day.)

TOTAL DESTRUCTION or COVENT-
GARDEN THEATRE BY FIRE.

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:th s day

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OLD COURT.

(Before Mr. Justice Erle, and Mr. Justice Wightrnan.)
Upon the application of Mr. Sleigh, the counsel for
the prisoner, the trial of Elizabeth Anne Barris, for the
murder of her two children at Uxbridge, was postponed
to the next session.

LATEST PARTICULARS.—(This Day.)

On visiting the scene of the late terrible conflagration
this morning, we found the firemen still occupied in
throwing water upon the black and smoking ruin?.
Precautions have been taken to temporarily secure the
wall of the theatre facing Hart street, by the erection of
immense props of timber ; but so dangerous is the place
at the present moment, that no person is allowed to pass
down the street on any pretence whatever.

Cornelius William Hardy and James Andrews, two
clerks in the Post-office, who had pleaded guilty to seve-
ral indictments for stealing letters containing money,
were brought up for judgment, and sentenced to be
transported for fourteen years.
Thomas Poster, a letter-carrier, who had pleaded guilty
to one charge of a similar kind, was sentenced to
six
years' penal servitude.
John Bernard Trevers who was convicted of an assault
on a seaman on board a ship, was sentenced to two
months' imprisonment in Newgate.
THE MIIRDEE IN Sono.—William I3ousfield, 29, was
indicted for the wilful murder of Sarah Bousfield.
He was also charged with the murder of three of his
children.

Early this morning the Duke and Duchess of Wel-
lington, the Duke of Bedford, and the Marquis of Lans-
downe, and various other distinguished personages, vi-
sited the spot and surveyed the scene from Princes-
place, in company with Mr. Ponteau. A great number
of the visitors wished to proceed into the theatre, or
rather within the walls, but the heat still contained in
the debris prevented anything like an approach being
made.; Through the exertions of Mr. Ponteau the whole
of the books and accounts of the theatre have been saved,
also the deed and engagement boxes. The hooks of Mr. A.
Harris, the stage manager of the Italian Opera, have also
we are gratified to announce, been preserved. These
books contained the whole of the " getting up" of all
the operas that have been produced since the commence•
ment of the Italian Opera, and the loss of which would
have been incalculable, as no amount of money could
have replaced them had they been destroyed. From in-
formation received from Mr. Gorton, the principal mini-
cal librarian to the establishment, we can state that the
entire score of 43 operas, immense quantities of ballet
music have been consumed. The property of M. Jallien,
consisting of music, drums, gongs, &c., have also shared
the same fate. The English library, which had some
time ago been removed to the houses in Princes-place,
has been preserved, but the prompt dramatic copies,
which amount to several thousand books, have all
perished. It was at one time thought that a young lady
named Hamilton had perished in the flames, indeed, the
family had given up all hope, but it has been discovered
that the poor young lady, by some means or
other, got conveyed to the Feathers public
house, in Hart-street, where she remained for come time
We believe she has sustained no injury. The vestiges of
the property saved from the fire has been placed for
safety in the yard adjoining the police-station in Bow-
street, and consists merely of a few chairs, several large
dressing glasses, clocks, some broken tables, and a quan-
tity of parcels of papers. Of course no examination o
the documents has yet taken place, so it is impossible to
say what these parcels may contain.
Up to two o'clock Mr. Gye bad not arrived in Lon-
don, although he was momentarily expected. It has
been said that this gentleman say staying at Vienna,
but at the moment the fire was;raging in London he was
in Paris.

Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Clark conducted the prosecution.
The prisoner was defended by Mr. Ballantine.
Mr. Bodkin opened the case very briefly, and the me-
lancholy circumstances connected with it must be fresh
in the recollection of the public. The prisoner and his
wife kept a small shop in Portland-street, Soho, and
they slept in a small room at the back of the shop. The
whole family retired to rest at their usual hour on the
night of the 2d February, the deceased woman being at
that time in her usual health, and nothing whatever was
observed remarkable about her appearance or that of the
prisoner. On the following morning, about 7 o'clock'
the prisoner made his appearance at the Bow-street
police•station, and told the constable who was on duty
that he had come to give himself up for the murder
of his wife. He was asked where she was and he
gave his address. Inspector Dodd took from him
a latch key, and proceeded to the house, and upon
going into the sleeping•room he discovered the dreadful
spectacle of the dead bodies of the unhappy woman
and the three children, all of them with their throats
cut. Under the dead body of the woman there was
found the blade of a razor covered with blood, and
also a chisel in the same state, and there was no
doubt that the fatal injuries had been inflicted with
these instruments. The prisoner was in a most
wretched state when he surrendered himself to the
police, and he endeavoured to beat his brains out against
the wall, and repeatedly exclaimed--" Kill me, kill Ins."
Upon his person being examined, it was found that he
had inflicted a slight wound upon his own throat, One
of the sleeves of his shirt appeared to have been torn off,
and it was found under the bed saturated with blood.
Mr. Ballantine addressed a few observations to the
jury, and said that he was almost overwhelmed by the
awful task that devolved upon him. There could be no
doubt that the prisoner had destroyed the lives of four
human beings, and ho confessed that he could not see
any facts that were likely to rescue him from the dread-
ful fate that awaited him. He would, however, remind
the jury that there was an entire absence of motive on
the part of the prisoner for committing such a dreadful
act, and that it was possible that the prisoner, when he
destroyed the lives of his innocent wife and family, was
in a state of sudden frenzy, and that ho did not know
what he was doing.
Mr. Justice Wightrnan having briefly summed up, the
jury immediately returned a verdict of " guilty."
Mr. Justice Wighttnan immediately passed sentence
of death in the usual form.

The buildings belonged to four or five proprietors, who
had issued shares to upwards of a hundred gentlemen ;
but as it was not insured they lose everything, and the
shares, which were till yesterday worth hundreds of
pounds, ere now not worth the paper upoa which they
are written.

The prisoner, who was seated during the trial, and
who appeared to be in an almost fainting state, was
then removed from the bar.

ENGINEERS, MASONIC, (C: UNIVERSAL
MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY.

The nnnual general meeting of this society was held
yesterday at the Head-office, No. 345, Strand, when
the following report of business transacted during the
year was read :
" The directors of the Engineers, Masonic, and Univer-
sal Mutual Life Assurance Society have the pleasure to
present to their members the report of proceedings for the
past year.
"The member of proposals for assurance received has
been 245 ; of these 18 vi, producing an additional annual
income of 1,8971. 3e. 10d., and assuring the sum of 43,5501.,
have been completed; '25, for the sum of 7,5501., have
been declined ; and 35, for the sum of 12,0501., stand over
for further consideration or completion.
" The claims from death have been 6,103/., upon ten en-
sured members ; of this sum, however, the directors had
re-assured 2,5001.
" The directors have uniformly rejected the principle of
taking large amounts proposed to be mewed with the sole
view of re-assurances. Is one case, which will shortly be
brought before the public, an assurance of 10,000/. was
offered to the directors, who, however, declined to take
snore than 1,5001., the amount which they retain upon a
single life. They might, by accepting the proposal for the
whole sum, have swelled their amount of premiums, but
they considered that, by such leering, a fictitious statement
of business would be presented to their members.
"The directors take credit to themselves for having re-
jected proposals which were offered to thorn upon the lives
of Ann Palmer for 1,0001. in January,lBs4, anal of Walter
Palmer for 1,500/. in February, 1855. In the first ems.),
they considered that sufficient interest was not disclosed ;
and, in the second, that the feet stated, of Walter Palmer
having been attacked by delirium tremens, WAS sufficient
to make the life too hazardous for acceptance at any
amount of increased premium.
"The bonus calculations, woe by Mr. Scratehley, the
consulting actuary, have fislly realised the directors' antici-
pations as to the status of the society. The directors were
gratified in being enabled to add to the policy of each
member a reversionary sum, averaging about 40/. per cent.
of the whole amount of premiums paid.
" By personal exertion among their friends, the mem-
bers have it in their power to assist the directors iu ex-
tending the business of the society ; they will thus confer
material benefit on themselves or their families by increas-
ing the amount of future bonuses, whether present or
reversionary.
" The directors have given their earnest attention to the
best means of meeting the great competition among insur-
ance societies. They have come to the conclusion that a
limited share capital would enable them to extend loan
operations, to purchase reversions, and to transact other
legitimate business, based upon the law of averages,
whereby the interests of all concerned with the society
may be promoted, and its position and prospects materially
improved.
" The issue of shares would be limited, in the first
instance, to the existing members of the society, who
would be permitted to convert the beaus, already declared,
into paid up shares, and also, after a certain torus, to con-
vert shares into a provision for old age, or into deferred
annuities en the lives of themselves or their nominees, in-
creasing periodically out of profits.
" This plan will have the effect of retaining to the pre-
sent members their interest in the income now derived
from assurances; and, without interfering with their
power of rendering that interest available as a reversion
whenever they doom fit, it will increase the profits from
income by the extension of the society's operations, and
will enable all the members to participate in the advan-
tages derived from the alteration.
By order of the directors.
" GERAUD HAT ROBERTSON, Secretary.
" London, 315, Strand, Marsh 4, 1856." •

We are glad to see that this society is progressing
steadily and favourably, and that the directors continue
to exercise so much care in its management, which must
prove of service to the members. They are evidently
aware of the importance of losing no opportunity to ex-
tend the society's operations ; it is, therefore, not sur-
prising that at all their meetings so great a feeling of
confidence should be evinced, and thia will do much
towards renderieg the society a favourite with the
public.