The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-12 00:00:00

THAMES.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF ASSAULT.—Alexander
Crawford, a man about 40 years of age, was brought before
Mr. Partridge charged with violently assaulting Henry
Pink, a watchmaker, of No. 18, Beaumont-terrace,
Stepney.
The complainant, whose face was marked, said ho was
passing along the Mile-end-road on Saturday evening
when the prisoner, who was a total stranger to him, tapped
him on the shoulder and said, " I wish to speak a few
words to you on a matter of great importance, will you
retire a few steps. He refused to do so, and asked the
prisoner what he meant. The prisoner said, "If you
don't come with me I'll look you up for robbing my wifo of
a jacket 12 or 18 months ago." Ile begged of the prisoner
to leave him. The prisoner immediately struck him a
fearful blow and knocked him down. When ho got up
the prisoner struck him three " consecutive" and " very
distinct" blows, and he was immediately covered with
blood. The prisoner then dragged him to the opposite side
of the way, and said to hls wife, "Do you know this
man ?" to which she said "No, I do not."
Mr. Partridge—How do you know it was his wife ?
Witness—lie said it was his wife. He beat me again,
and while doing so a policeman interfered and pulled him
off me.

Two witnesses confirmed the statement of the corn-
plainant.

The prisoner said he was very sorry for what he had
done—he had made a dreadful mistake. His wife pointed
out a man as having robbed her some time ago, and he
thought the complainant was the man, and on his refusal
to confer with him ho did strike him. He was now satis-
fied of his mistake. He was now anxious to make au apo-
logy to the prosecutor.

Mr. Partridge— What are you ?
Prisoner—l am a wood engraver.
Mr. Partridge—l will let you retire with the prosecutor.
You may come to terms if you please.
The parties were away for a few minutes, and on their
reappearance the complainant said he was satisfied with
the apology made by the prisoner.
Mr. Partridge•-You aro very forbearing. The prisoner
has committed a very gross and unjustifiable assault, and
I hope this will prove a caution to him in future. He is
discharged.

The Chaiing•Cross Hotel Company, Limited.

HALF-YEARLY MEETING (TINS DAY).

The seventh general half-yearly meeting of the
Charing-cross Hotel Company took place at the
Board-room of the hotel this morning ; the Hon.
James Byng in the chair.
Mr. Haines, the secretary, was called upon to
read the report, which was as follows :—" That the
directors congratulated the shareholders on the very
satisfactory condition of the company, as shown by
the accounts. It would be observed that their an-
ticipations of increased business, as referred to in
the last report, had had been fully realised, and that
the receipts during the six months were £38,603
ss. Bd., and that after placing £2,000 to the credit
of the fund for depreciation and renewals, charging
interest on debentures, and £690 14s. 9d., the
balance of the cost of the South Shades, there re-
mained £9,016 13s. 2d., which, with £74 19s. 10d.
brought forward from last year, would amount to
£9,091 13s. The proprietors would observe that
the directors had been enabled to write off the re-
maining costs of the South Shades, by which the
future profit arising from that department would
be added to the revenue without any increase of
capital. The directors recommended that a dividend
at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum, free of in-
come-tax be declared, which would absorb £B,OOO,
and leave a balance of £1,091 13s. Id. to be car-
ried over to the next half-year—the dividend war-
rants to be payable on the 15th August, at the
Imperial Bank, Victoria-street, Westminster.
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the proprietors on
the position of the company, and the report having
been unanimously adopted, and the retiring direc-
tors and auditors re-elected, proposed a vote of
thanks to Mr. Higgs, the manager, eulogising in
very strong terms the ability and energy displayed
by that gentleman.
Mr. HIGGs briefly replied, and, after the cus-
tomary formalities to the chair, the meeting
terminated.

Pigeon Shooting.

THE GUN CLUB, SHEPHERD'S BUSH.

The pigeon shooting at the Gun-club Grounds, Shep-
herd's Bush, was brought to a close on Saturday. A£s
handicap sweep was announced as the final event, but the
attendance of members being small, and the majority of
those present objecting to so large a stake, it was aban-
donekand nothing beyond sovereign sweeps were arrived
at. The first, for which there were only eleven entries,
was well contested, five gentlemen—Mr Gregory, Captain
Talbot, Mr Neville, Mr Rudd, and Mr Monk, M.P.—kill-
ing all their birds. On shooting off the ties Captain
Talbot and Mr Rudd fell of at the second round, leaving
the contest between Messrs. Gregory, Neville, and Monk,
the first of whom missed at the fifth round. The remain-
ing two killed their five birds each, and consented to di-
vide rather than prolong the contest. A large number of
similar events were shot off, in the whole of which the
shooting was very fair, being quite up to the average
The ground will be closed, except for practice, until the
Ist of: April next, by which time it is expected there will
be a very large accession of members.

THE HOME DEPARTMENT.—We regret to state
that owing to continued ill-health the Right Hon. Horatio
Waddington has tendered his resignation as permanent
Under Secretary for the Homo Department, an office
which he has fur years filled with so much credit to him-
self and usefulness to the country.—John Bull.
DROWNED WHILE BATIIING.—A sad accident
happened at Bode, Cornwall, on Thursday. A gentleman
named W. G. Langdon, late of the firm of James Black
and Co., Exchange-square, Glasgow, was bathing with his
son, when a breaker was seen to strike his head, and he
sank. Hie body was discovered about a quarter of an
hour aterlyardm