The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 21, 1858.

FOREIGN.

CRIMINAL COURT-(THIS DAY)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)

'WATCH ROBBERY.

William Johnson, aged 30, was indicted fos. stealing a
watch, the property of Frederick Randall.
Mr. Cooper appeared for the prosecution.
Frederick Randall said, on the 11th of September last, he
was passing the top of Botolph-lane, and in endeavouring
to'get through a crowd which had collected there, he met
the prisoner, who seemed inclined to prevent his progress.
He (witness) went back a few steps, but the prisoner, who
was accompanied by another man, followed him, eventually
got close to him, and immediately afterwards he found his
watch chain hanging from his waistcoat, it having been
cut, and his watch , stolen. He immediately collared the
prisoner, and charged him with the robbery, which he
stoutly denied, and struggled violently to get away. While
the prisoner was being detained until the arrival of a con-
stable, something was heard to fall on the pavement, which
turned out to be the witness's watch. There were some
other persons near, but the witch was picked up close to
where the prisoner was standing.
Thomas Marshall, a Cusfom-house officer, said he was
passing Botolph-lane on the day in question, when his
attention was attracted by a crowd, in which he saw two
persons struggling. The prosecutor held a watch in. his
hand, which he charged the, other man (the prisoner) with
stealing. He detained him until a constable arrived, wheal
he was given into custody.

Henry Mumford (City police), said the prisoner was
given into his custody, charged with robbing the prose-
cutor. On being searched at the itlaniiion-house some money
and eight duplicates were found upon him.
The prisoner said the prosecutor was quite mistaken in
saying he was the person who took his watch. At the
police court he (the prosecutor) expressed a doubt as to his
being the person who had robbed him.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty.
The Recorder sentenced him to nine months' imprison.
meat, with hard labour.

PICKING POCKETS:

Henry Jones pleaded guilty to an indictment charging
him with stealing a purse containing money, the property
of Mary Ann Dobson. He was sentenced to six months'
imprisonment, with hard labour.

Catherine Morris and Ellen Roach, both respectably-
attired women, each of whom held an infant in their arms,
pleaded guilty to picking the pocket of a lady "tallied Ran-
dall, as ahe• quitted. the Woehrieh-steatn-boat at the Lon-
don-bridge pier. The police stated that both prisoners were
well. known.

The Recorder sentencod them to six months' imprison-
ment, with hard labour. •

NEW COURT.

The Common Sergeant was occupied the whole of the
morning in disposing of Mint prosecutions, none of which
possessed sufficient ifttereif to call for a report.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE.--Eliza Jones, a good-look-
ing young female, respectably attired, was charged under
the following circumstances before Mr. Beadon

Mrs. Elizabeth Steadman, of 31, Burke-place, Kensing-
ton, said she was on the prec,eding day looking in at a window
in Regent-street, she being shopping at the time, when the
accused, who had lived with her twelve months ago in Upper
Berkeley-street, came up and stared at her in the face in a
most annoying and impudent manner. She asked her why
she did so, when she said she would follow her wherever
She went. She (complainant) then went into, a shop, where
she stopped a quarter of an hour, and on coming out she
wag followed by the accused, who was joined by another
female, till they got near Rupert-street, they both making
use of the most disgusting language, and 'ultimately the
prisoner giving her a violent blow.
Prisoner said she did it because she was called a thief.

Complainant mid the accused, while living with her, had
gone into the storeroom and taken away linen, plate,
sheets, &c., but she forgave her. Inquiries made by the
police showed she had robbed• every place she lived at.
The accused said she had never lived with the com-
plainant.
The Chief Clerk asked the complainant if she was sure
she was the same person. ,

The complainant said she was quite sure, although she
had not given her right name. Her five sisters had also
threatened her.

In answer to Mr. Beadon, the prisoner said she was
looking in a window when the complainant called her a
thief. She soon after met• a friend and told her, and they
went after her to speak to the police, when the complainant
pushed up against her, and she pushed her. She had never
lived with her as a servant. She was quite innocent of
what the complainant said of her having robbed her. She
had lived in Hercules-Imildings, Milsom-street, Bath, and
had been an unfortunate ever since she had been in London.

The complainant said she made the charge at the time at
the station-house.

Mr. Beadon said he would send for the officer to see if
she was the same person.
The complainant said the police had never seen the ac-
cused. They could not find her.

In answer to the Chief Clerk, the complainant said she
lived with her brother, who was in the wine trade in the
City, but she declined to saywhere, as she did not think ho
would like. He had failed and been to Germany.
The accused said it was a false charge altogether against
her. _ .

The complainant said she did not wish to say anything
about the robbery.
Mr. Beadon said he should order the accused to enter
into her own recognisance to appear again to-morrow, so
that inquiries might be made, the complainant's statement
not being at all satisfactory.

EXPLOSION ON BOARD • THE HAM-
BURG AND NEW YORK STEAMER
HAMMONIA.

HAMBURG, Supt. 18. --Great excitement was
created in this city on. Thursday by the announce-
ment of an accid tnt, of a mysterious nature having
happened on boa ,rd the iron screw steamer Ham
-
mom, Captain S ichwensen, of and from this port to
New York, whi .ch left Cuxhaven the day before
yesterday with the usual bi-monthly mails, a large
and valuable ca rgo of manufactured goods, and 293
passengers. If. appears that the steamer—which
belongs to the'gGerman line of packets that touch at
Southampton., and have hitherto been distinguished
by their sp:endid runs across, the Atlantic and the
total abseace of all accidents or misfortunes—left
the Elbe on Thursday afternoon, and had not been
many laours at sea, when from some hitherto
unexplained cause an explosion took place in the
after part of the ship, and it was found that
the powder magazine, containing the vessel's stock
of blue lights,- signal rockets, and powder for
salliting, had blown up. This magazine being
situated under the chief saloon, the passen,gers of
the first-class cabins were the principal sufferers,
as the poop decks were forced up by the violence
of the explosion. The ship was immediately turned
round to return to the Elbe, whilst medical assis-
*llee was speedily offered by the surgeon of the
Hammonia, and Dr. Neander, one of the cabin pas-
sengers. _

I-subjoin the list of wounded as given by the
company :-1, Madame Andre, from Offenbach,
residing at Philadelphia, slight contusion of the
right hip ; 2, Herr Barth, from Costa Rica, dislo-
cation of the left knee cap ; 3, Miss Fanny Bier-
mann, from Furth, a slight wound on the left
cheek% 4, Herr Friedrich Muller, from Oldenburg,
lower part of left thigh bone broken, and fracture
of right leg below the knee.

to the energetic exertions made by the
directors of the company, the repairs of the injury
will be completed this evening, and the manager
has publicly announced to-day that the vessel will
sail to-morrow morning (Sunday) for New York.
Although the police authorities have made, the
most searching investigation, and examined the
officers, passengers, and crew, nothing has been
elicited to throw the slightest light on the cause of
the explosion, which is consequently wrapt in the
same shrOud of mystery as before, but generally
attributed to spontaneous combustion. The powder
magazine contained forty blank cartridges for the
saluting four-pounders, five dozen blue lights, and
about an equal quantity of signal rockets. There
were also some gunpowder in it belonging to the
French Government. Some of the slightly wounded
proceed to New York by. the Hammonia; but Mr.
Muller, who was sitting in the smoking saloon im-
mediately- over the powder magazine when the ex-
plosion took place, lies in the General Hospital of
this city in a most critical state, and Dr. Knorre,
the head surgeon of the establishment, is going to
amputate both his legs to-day, and entertains but
very feeble hopes of his surviving the operation.
Madame Andre is also not able to proceed to her
destination by this steamer, and remains for the
present at the Hotel de l'Europe under the surgical
care of Dr. Knorre. No damage was done to the
screw or any other part of the machinery of the
Hammonia, which is an iron-built vessel of 2,500
tons.