The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-13 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COUaT.—(This Day.)

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Martin.)
CHARGE OF SCUTTLING ♦ ern?.
William Lakey, seaman, late master of the Clipper,
was indicted for feloniously scuttling a ship, with *
view to defraud the insurers of the vessel.
Mr. Wilde, Q C., with Mr. Bodkin, appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Sergeant %dentine defended the
prisoner.

Mr. Foster, an insurance broker, proved that the
Clipper was insured for 8001., and the prisoner's effect•
also for 1501. The ship was lost afterwards, and a claim
was made.

Mr. John Lacey, the owner of the ship, said she was
valued at 1,2001. at Lloyds, and cost in reality in build-
ing 1,9001. The prisoner had a hundred pound share in
the vessel. He had known the prisoner 30 years.
Witnesses having been examined to prove the striking
c f the vessel off Dungeness,

Captain Nott, R.N., said—l am an agent for Lloyd's
at Deal. On the 26th of March operations were nom-
'Deuced to raise the Clipper. On the 27th she was got
up and brought ashore. The first thing discovered was,
the ballast port was open. In ordinary circumstances
it is closed. We then found a hole in the starboard
quarter. It was a large one, about two inches wide.
It had been cut with a chisel or some sharp instrument.
The hole was immediately under the captain's cabin.
On removing the ballast, which bad shifted, two auger
holes were discovered. After the holes were stopped
the vessel made no water.
A shipwright, named Sedgwick, confirmed Captain
Nott's statement.

A witness ❑amed Pallett, proved finding an auger on
board, which exactly fitted the holes in the ship's
bottom.
Mrs. Caroline Laxton, the wife of the mate of the
Clipper, said—ln consequence of certain circumstance■
she met the prisoner at the London•bridge station with
a cart, and there received a number of boxes and other
things his property. They were taken to her home. In
a short time afterwards the prisoner came to her house,
and told her to burn all the boxes and tear up all books
bearing his name. He took away a chronometer. Wit-
ness refused to do as the prisoner desired, as questions
might be asked about the books belonging to the ship.
John Chesney, cook on board the Capper, said the
prisoner was master of the vessel. When she got to
Dungeness Point, having had to put back on the voyage,
the prisoner went down below and bored a hole in the
ship's side with an auger. He (witness) also bored a
hole. The water then came in, and we returned to the
cabin. The ship became very full cf water, and the
prisoner then suggested, as no port could be reached,
that the vessel should be abandoned, as she, being
leaky, might prove a coffin for the whole of the crew.
He assisted the prisoner to knock out the ballast port
of the ship.
In cross-examination the witness said the ship was
made water-tight before she left port. As she was out-
ward bound she had to call at Newport fur coals. The
vessel leaked before we started. When we got as far as
the Isle of Wight the wind blew strong from the W.S.W.
The crew got tired of pumping, and we put back to
to Dungeness. The men kept pumping all night. The
pumps acted well. Eventually the ship sank in throe
f ithcms water.

Johd Manhood, the mate of the clipper, said he spoke
to the prisoner about the ship letting in ho much water,
and he said the best thing to do was to scuttle her and
let her go, for if she was to go into dock the bill for
repairs would be more than she was worth, and it would
be the ruin of him. lie heard the orders given to
knock out the ballast port, and it was knocked out.
The case for the prosecution having closed,
11 r. Sergeant Ballantine made a very powerful appeal
to the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and contended that
he might have committed an error of judgment, but h•
denied that he was influenced by any wicked or unlaw-
ful motive.
A number of witnesses were called who gave the pri-
soner the highest character for honesty and integrity.
The jury found the prisoner guilty, and he was sen-
tenced to eight yearb' penal servitude.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
Patrick O'Brien, an inspector of police, was indicted
for stealing two pieces of bacon, the property of Mr.
Page, a cheesenionger, residing in Westbourne-grove.
road.

Mr. Metcalfe appeared for the prosecution, and Mr.
Gifford defended the prisoner
Mr. Metcalfe having stated the oase against the pri-
soner, called

Wm. Rummies, who sail I am in the employ of Mr.
Page, a cheesemonger, in Westbourne-grove-road. " 00
the morning of the day in question I placed a quantity
of bacon, in pieces, on the board in front of the shop
window, and in a short time after wards I missed a piece
of about three pounds—it was cut from the shoulder.
Mr. Page said—l keep a shop in the Westbourne-
grove-road. It is a corner shop, one side is in West-
bourne-grove-road and the other in Monmoeth-read.
Galway-road is in an opposite direction.
Sarah Wright—l am a married woman and I reside
at 45, Westbourne-grove road, it is the next house to the
prosecutor,. I have known the prisoner, by sight only,
for some time. On the 19th of April I saw the prisoner
in his inspector's uniform pass our shop door twice with
his arms quite full. He went to Mr. Page's shop, which
he passed and, having crossed the Monmouth-road,
he re-crossed the road, and I then saw him take a7piece of
bacon from the window and place it under the skirt of
his frock coat. He went towards the Galway-road, and
in a few minutes he returned with a bundle under hie
arra. He stood five or six minutes before Mr.
Page's shop again and then he took another piece
bacon, which he covered with the bundle, and walked

a may towards the Galwaay-road. I afterwards went to
Mr. Page and told him of the circumstances by direction
of my husband. A constable happened to be passing at
the time, and Mr. Page told him he had been robbed.
The first piece I saw the prisoner take was a square
piece, and the second was a long fat piece. I thought,
at first, it was merely a joke the first time, bat shortly
after the second piece was stolen. I ran to Mr. Page,
and told him of the circumstance. I was standing at
our shop door, so I had a complete view of all that took
place.

Cross-examined by Mr. Gifford—The prisoner passed
me in all five times. I saw my hasbaud after I saw
him take the first piece, bat he thought it was merely
a joke, and said he wanted to bring it back. did
not see Mr. Page come outside the shop between the
first and second taking. I saw his wife. I saw Mr. Page
come out before the offence was committed. I saw the
policeman to whom Mr. Page spoke before I ran
across the road to inform him of the robbery. My
husband was never fined for assaulting the police,
but he has been fined five shillings for something
connected with the police and a drunken man. The
magistrate told my husband be could indict the police-
man for perjury if he could procure any witbesses to
prove that be had spoken falsely. I was standing at the
shop door with my baby. For a short time we kept a
marine-store shop but it was never searched by the
police.

Re-examined by Mr. Metcalfe—The shop was never
searched by the police. We sever had the slightest
complaint laid against us by the police. The reason I

did not go over to Mr. Rage until 20 minutes elapsed
was because I thought Inspector O'Brien would bring
the baco:. back.

Henry Palmer—l am in the service of Mr. Tanner who
keeps a shop exactly opposite Mr. Page's. It was my
duty to keep a watch outside my master's shop. On the
evening of the robbery I saw Inspector O'Brien pails
our shop, he went to the opposite corner of the Monmouth-
road, next to Mr. Page's shop, he stood there a few'
minutes, then in passing the shop he taok a piece of
bacon and put it under the skirt of his coat. He walked
towards the Galway-road. I had occasion to go in my
mater's shop to serve some customers, but I came out
again shortly after, and I then saw O'Brien returningfrom
tqe Galway-road on Page's side of the way and having
stood a few minutes he re-crossed the road and in passing
the shop again he took a second piece of bacon. I saW
more. He had nothing with him the first time
I saw him, but on the second occasion he had a bun Ile

under his arm. He wore his inspector'suE:ini —Mr&
Wright came over and told me about the circumstance
after t picee was taken.
Cross-examined—l did not say anything about the
ro'ibfry until after Mr,. Wright spoke about it. The

!risoner has never threatened to chastise we.

The Recorder having summed up, the jury returned*
vet dict of nct gu.lty.

THE FACTORY OMNIBUS. —The largest omnibus ill
France is to be found in the small town of Cavaillon
(Vaucluse), and the origin of it is somewhat singular.
he proprietor of an extensive silk-spinning mill in that,
)Lice employs about 80 women or young girls, most or
whom belong to the surrounding villages, and are in the
labit of spending the Sunday with their families. For
hat purpose, they were accu-tomed to start on the
iatinclty evening and walk distances varying from tivelt
to to elve miles, and return on the Sunday evening noir('
fatigued than by a long day's work. In order to remo4l
nat inconvenience, their employer had this oninibM
con-;tructed, which has two rows of seats, one over the
,ther, and can contain about 60 passengers. When the
hill is closed on Saturday evening, four strong horses
are attached to it, and it conveys the females to their •
respective villages, and on Sunday evening proceeds to
oollect and bring them back.