The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-26 00:00:00

ALLEGED INDECENT ASSAULT.

A respectably-dreessed man named Lock, an engraver,
carrying on business in the Old-jewry, surrendered to an
indictment charging him with indecently assaulting Eliza-
beth Webb, aged 13 years. The prisoner pleaded not
guilty.
Mr. Sleigh appeared for the proscution, and Mr. Met-
calf defended the prisoner.
The evidence in this case appeared at length in The Sun
while the prisoner was under examination before the ma-
gistrate at Guildhall. The prosecutriz, it will be remem-
bered, was the .daughter of a working engraver, who was
occasionally employed by the prisoner, and she sometimes
took home work for her father. On one of these occasions
the prosecutrix alleged that the prisoner had indecently
assaulted her. The parents of the child gave the prisoner
into custody on the charge, which he entirely denied, and
said it was an attempt to extort money from him.
Witnesses fur the defence were being examined when we
went to press.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE--(THIS DAL

AT A TIT.BOROUGH STREET.

AN ExrENsrvE DRIVE.—Two respectable-looking men,
named Thomas Acklam and James Powell, were charged
with being drunk and furiously driving and smashing a
cab, and injuring the driver of the same.
Mr. Edward Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street, ap-
peared for the defendants.
From the evidence of Coomber, a cab driver, badge 3,286,
it appeared that while going up the hill of Piccadilly the
defendants, who were in a light gig, coming down the hill
at the rate of 12 miles an hour, their horse galloping, came
into collision with his cab, knocking him (Coomber) off the
box into the road, rendering him insensible and smashing
the cab almost to pieces, besides injuring the gig ; the de-
fendants being at the time on the wrong side of the way,
and not sober.
Evidence being given in support of the case by a witness
named Bolton, and also by Herring, a constable, who
proved the defendants drunk,
The owner of the cab said the damage done was quite to
the amount of £2O, the cab being all to pieces, and the cab
having only recently cost £25.
Acklam said he had only borrowed the gig of a friend
for a drive, and it was much injured.
Fined £2 each, for the wilful damage; the owner being
. left to seek his remedy in the County Court.

THAMES.
STEALING SUGAR FROM THE LONDON DOGS.—Mat-
thew Bunnly, a well-dressed boy, aged 13 years, whose
parents reside at 7, St. Peter's-road, Mile-end, was brought
before Mr. Yardley, charged with stealing 71bs. of sugar,
the property of the London Dock Company.
Edward Ellis, a gatekeeper in the employ of the dock
company, said the prisoner was leaving the dock on Satur-
day afternoon coon after five o'clock, and he stopped him
and searched him, and found a canvas bag in his trou-
sers which contained 71bs. of sugar, the value of which
was 2s. The sugar was very ingeniously concealed in
frklitt of the'prisoner's body, and covered over with his coat.
The prisoner, in defence, said that he was told by some
one that if he took some sugar out of any of the hogsheads
in the dock he should not be touched. He found a
hogshead of sugar open in a warehouse, and filled a bag
with some.
Mr. Yardley—Who told you that you could steal sugar
out of the dock with impunity ?
The prisoner—A boy named Healey, who has gone out
in the ship Hotspur. It is the first time, sir, I ever did it.
Mr. Yardley—l hope it is. Are the parents of the boy
here ?
The mother of the lad stepped forward, and said she gave
her consent to her son going into the dock to look for a
ship. A gentleman had promised to engage him and send
him to sea.
Mr. Yardley—This is a very bad beginning, indeed.
The merchant service will not have pilferers. I know
that captains of chips will net engage thieves. Honest
boys of good character only are admitted into the merchant

service.
The mother of the prisoner said her son waswell brought
up, and his father was a superannuated officer of Custon'ms.
Mr. Yardley—The prisoner ought to know better. I a
sorry he has not been taught better. I am afraid he has
not been well taught, or he would not have gone luta the
dock. His father has been an officer appointed to detect
offenders, and here is his son pilfering. I bhall fine hliv
10s. on this occasion for the unlawful r'"n of the
sugar. If he is brought hcie again, and convicted of a
.;...11.L °llene°, the will go to sea in a way Ihe will not like
—in the reformatorwall.

SPRAT-FISHING IN TII,E FIRTH OF FORTH.—The
acting
Scottish on the discretionary
act of last session, have
Scottish Board of Fitshheenirieisay
powers conferred on
.biting
the use of nets having meshes
issued an order p tai
one inch from knot to knot, and thereby
of less width thta-nr°
te sprat-fishing in the Firth of Forth,
putting a sto
is held to be destructive to the herring_
the take of young herrings in the small
The sprat. fishingto
iifiehtsi,l3agn d°lrt hit-d
eostruct ion of spawn by the beam trawl by
the sprat-fishingis sometimes.. prosecuted. Thera
which
0 ever, great difference of opinion on the subject,
'a.slicliithwe absolute restriction now imposed by the Fishery
Board has put an end to the winter occupation of the fisher-
men in the upper part of the Firth. Hundreds of families
have been temporarily deprived of their daily Inca, and the
dealers also complain of the removal of this branch of trade;
for, though the sprats get eompara ively little sale in the
local market, they are eagerly purchased in the inland
towns of England and the south of Scotlaed, where they
are disposed of fresh. Legal proceedings have been insti-
tuted by the fishermen of Newhaven, on the ground that
the Board have 'exceeded their powers in the matter. In
some of the fishing towns the state of feeling is very high
among the fishermen thus rendered idle and destitute, and
a few evenings since a large police force was assembled at
South Queensferry, in anticipation of an outbreak. Hap-
pily, however, the fear was unwarranted, and thefishermen
have expressed their willingness to abide the negotiations
in progress with the Board of Trade and Fishery Board to
have the prohibition removed.
I SIR PETER FAIRBAIRN.—We are glad t o hear,
gentle-
says the Leeds hatelligencer of Saturday, that thisir
man's health has improved during the week.
still continues in a very weak and feeble tiatei f
I recover.
Peter
i 5 1120r0 growld for hopieg that be may avant 1 but there