The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-24 00:00:00

POLICE INT.

(THIS DAY).

MARLBOROUGH - STREET.— STEALING COPPER-
PLATES.—SamueI Bywater, a young man, was charged
with stealing a quantity of copper-plates, the property of
Mr. John Mitchell, copper-plate printer, of 24, Wardour-
street, Sohn.
William Stevens, 23 C, said—On Saturday last, having
received information that a quantity of copper-plates had
been stolen from 24, Wardour-street, I made inquiries at
the different marine store shops in the neighbourhood, and
found that a quantity had been sold at a shop in Grafton-
, street. On taking some of them to the prosecutor, he at
once identified them.
Joseph Park, rag merchant, of 5, Grafton-street, said—
On Saturday I bought the plates produced of the prisoner,
having asked him whether they were his own property, to
which be replied that they were. I weighed them and found
that they weighed 171b5., and gave him lls. for them.
Mr. John Mitchell, the prosecutor, said—l have no re-
collection of the prisoner whatever. My premises are un-
dergoing repair, and I have noticed a man like the prisoner
about washing ceilings, but have not particularly noticed
him. I saw the plates safe on Thursday last. Not seeitig
the plates in the place they should have been in, I spoke
to one of my young men, and on their being sought for they
were missed. They were chiefly old plates, and therefore
only of value as old copper. Had they been plates in use
they would have been of £2OO value.
A constable said he believed the prisoner had already been
convicted.
Remanded for a week.

THAMES.—CLOSING OF COUNTY COURTS.—Mr. C.
Young, solicitor, waited upon Mr. Selfe, to make an expla-
nation, which, he said, was necessary to relieve a most
respectable man froma serious imputation. It would, no
doubt, be in the recollection of his worship that Mr.
Huggins, a marine painter, made an application for a sum-
mons against Mr. J. Eaytnent, the proprietor of the railway
hotel, Grove-road, Mile End, for non-payment of a debt of
£6 7s. 6d., the balance of an account for,the painting of two
pictures. It was also stated by Mr. Huggins that Mr.
Rayment was about t) leave the country, and that he had
repeatedly applied to him in the course of the last two
mouths for the debt. His worship referred Mr. Huggins to the
County Court, and it was stated by him (Mr. Young) that
they were closed until the end of September, and that Mr.
Huggins would be without a remedy. He (Mr. Young) was
now instructed by Mr. Rayment to state that he had no in-
tention to leave England, and that he had no wish to avoid a
summons. Mr. Rayment had sold his house and business
on Friday last, at the Auction Mart, on account of ill health,
and intended to spend a week in the country, by the advice
of his physician. When the County Courts were opened,
Mr. Rayment would be glad to meet Mr. Huggins in one of
them, and could make a good defence to the claim set up by
Mr. Huggins. The fact was, Mr. Huggins contracted to do
two paintings for £l2, whereas he had charged £l7 Ns. for
them, and left the work unfinished. Mr. Rayment bad
paid Mr; Huggins £ll 12s. Od. on account, which was
more than the paintings were worth, and would resist any
further claim upon him. Mr. Rayment was now under
contract for buildings to the extent of £3,000, and was pos-
sessed of considerable property in the neighbourhood of the
Grove-road, and it was only by the advice of his physician,
who said that the business of a licensed victualler was too
exciting for him, that he had sold the railway hotel.
Mr. Selfe said the parties could discuss the case in a
County Court in October, and that he had no doubt, as the
bane had gone forth in the newspapers, the antidote would
also be published.
THE HASTY AND UNHAPPY MARRIAGE.—Mr. Lewis
Roby, one of the relieving officers of Whitechapel Union,
came before Mr. Selfe with Ellen Spurling, wife of Samuel
Spurling, a pensioner, who married her on the 9th inst.,
and abandoned her on the following day. Mr. Raby said
that Spurling had spent the £lO his wife had received on her
marriage from the committee of the Indian Mutiny Relief
Fund. Mrs. Spurling had since been relieved and main-
tained in the workhouse.

Mr. Selfe said be had some little difficulty in the mat-
ter. Spurling bad behaved as badly as Le could do
towards the unhappy woman,man, and be (Mr. Selfe) felt
very strongly on the subject, but he must not strain the
law or do anything
.that was illegal because he had a strong
feeling on the subject. Spurling had offered to take his
wife back yesterday, and she refused to return home with
him. It could not, therefore, be said that Spurling refused
to maintain his wife.
Mrs. Spurling said that Spurling was a very savage and
brutal fellow, that he ill-used her the day after marriage,
ran away with £lO, and had ruined her prospoets in life.
All her husband said yesterday was quite false. Her new
husband left her without a farthing, and went away with
two prostitutes, for whom he paid 4s. cab hire the day after
her unlucky marriage. She beard a bad character of him
before marriage, and refused to have him ; but two respect-
able soldiers' wives invited her to tea, and persuaded her
against her will to have him. Nothing would ever induce
her to live with Spurling again. He would ill-use and
murder her if she returned to him.

Mr. Selfe was very sorry that Mrs. Spurling had taken
such a fellow on trust, and ha also regretted that the poor
woman, the widow cf a valiant soldier, who had fought and
bled for his country, was reduced to a workhouse. He did
not feel justified in granting the warrant, but, under the
peculiar circumstances of the case, he would recommend
that Mrs. Spurling should be still further relieved in the
workhouse, where she must conform to the rules and regula-
tions.

FRIGHTFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—Last evening
(Monday) a dreadful collision took place near the Round
Oak station, on the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhamp-
ton Railway, between two excursion trains from Worcester.
At the time this despatch left nine persons were dead and a
large number were wounded in a frightful manner. Dudley
station, where the excursionists chiefly reside, was a scene
of great excitement.

TuE WHALE FISHERY.—The following telegram
has been received from Aberdeen, dated Aug. 23:—" The
Lady Franklin and Sophia have arrived here from the
Arctic Winter Whale Fishery with 28 whales and 16 tons of
bone •, both ships full. The Traveller, of Peterhead, was
lost by the breaking up of the ice iu the spring; crew
saved."
THE CHURCH-RATE QUESTION.—The parish church
at Waddingliant, near Brigg, North Lincolnshire, having
got very much out of repair, a meeting of the parishioners
was called for the purpose of levying a rate to defray the ex-
penses of restoring the building. The proposition was stoutly
opposed, and when put to the vote was rejected by a majo-
rity of •20 to 2. On Thursday last a meeting of the
parishioners of Marsden, Yorkshire, was held for a similar
object. An estimate for the repairs of the church, amount-
ing to LOG was brought forward by the churchwardens, and
a resolution was moved and seconded that a rate of3d. in
the pound be granted. This was met by a direct negative
on the part of a churchman , (Mr. J. 13. Robinson), and on
the motion being put it was lost by a majority of 100 to 16.
This is the first time a rate has been refused at Marsden.

NAVVY LIFE.—The astounding sum of £6O was
the other day consumed in drink at a public-house in the
vicinity cf a line of railway now constructing in this
county. No one will wonder when we add that at night
more than 20 navvies were carried out by two or three
policemen- who were in attendance, and laid in a common
stable, dead drunk. Of course this is only a climax in a
course of habitual and chronic drunkenness which nightly
presents scenes sufficiently horrible.—Aberdeen Free Press.
BIGHT HUNDRED SHEEP POISONED.—MT. Bird,
farmer, at Burton, near Bamburgh, Northumberland, has
just sustained a heavy less in a singular manner. He bad
a flock of 867 sheep, width were recently " dipped" in a
chemical solution used for destroying ticks, lice, &c., and
then turned out to grass, It is supposed that this solution
was washed off the sheep by a shower of rain and fell upon
the grass, which being eaten by the sheep poisoned them,
as they began to die on the 16th inst., and on the 21st inst.,
only 26 out of the flock of 867 remained alive.
FUNERAL OF THE LATE MR. GEORGE COMBE.—
Yesterday (Friday) the mortal remains of the late Mr.
George Combe were interred in the Dean Cemetery, having
been brought from Moor Park, Surrey, for that purpose on
Tuesday last. The funeral was a strictly private one, and
the company, numbering about thirty, was confined to the
relatives and a few intimate friends of the deceased. After
religious services, conducted by the Rev. Principal Barclay,
the melancholy procession, consisting of the hearse and seven
mourning carriages, left the house of the deceased in Mel-
ville-street, and proceeded to the cemetery by the Dean
Bridge. The burial-ground of the family, where the late
distinguished phrenologist is interred, is close to the north
wall of the cemetery, about 200 yards from the east gate-
way; and we learn that itis in contemplation to raise funds
by private subscription for the purpose of placing upon the
spot a monument suitable to the genius and virtues of the
deceased—Edinburgh .Rxpress.
CITY OF LONDON THEATRE.—A lively little
sketch is now playing at the above establishment, entitled
a Everybody's Tailor." The idea is taken from a neigh-
bouring emporium, Mr. A. Lyne's, of Shoreditcb, who is
familiarly called by the million in that locality, " Every-
body's Tailor." The piece is :nightly received with great
applause.—We are sorry to have to announce a most pain-
ful robbery that has been discovered at this theatre, which
has been going on for a patiod of twelve years between the
check-takers and money-takers— the system pursued was
one of the most complete ever adopted. We trust the
worthy proprietors will be more fortunate in their selection
next season. We understand the theatre closes on the 4th,
and re-opens on the 20th of September, when it will be en-
larged and beautified, in fact, a new theatre.
THE NEW WATERWORKS AT OLDHAM.-011 Sa-
turday the Mayor of Oldham (Josiah Radcliffe, Esq.) laid
the foundation stone of the new waterworks for Oldham, in
the presence of a number of the Town Council who had
been invited to inspect the works and witness the ceremony.
The new waterworks are situated in the Piethorn Valley,
about seven miles from Oldham. It is the next valley to
that in which the Hollingworth reservoir is constructed,
from which it is distant about a mile and a half, as the crow
om
flies. The road to it fr Oldhem is through Shaw, East
Crompton,
New Hey, Haugh Hey, to Bottom of Lane
(Baptist) Chapel, and thence by a read constructed by the
i corporation direct to the works. It s intended to make
three reservoirs. The first, at the top of the valley
between Norman Hill and Piethorn Farm, will be fed prin-
cipally by the Piethorn stream, which takes its rise on
Bleakedgate Moor. It will act as a filtering lodge for the
water before it gets to the middle reservoir, and will be
fitted with "sloughs, to turn the water into the middle
reserve or down a by-wash. Above this reservoir there will
be a small dam to intercept wreck brought down by floods.
The middle will be the principal reservoir, and will receive
water by the Coldgreave stream, which rises on Foxstone
Edge, a little above the Hipnenden road, about eight
miles from Oldham. At the lower end of the valley
an embankment will be thrown across to form the lower
end of the reservoir. The embankment, in the centre
of which will be a puddled wall, will contain 385,000 square
yards, and the area of the reservoir will be upwards of 30
acres. The water from this reservoir is to be conveyed into
the town by a 20-inch pipe, i and n w the louver reservoir (which
is a compensation one for
the mills down the valley, who
would otherwise have their watersupplyeet off),
by a 14-inch
pipe; both pipes being placed in a culvert 6 feet in diameter
and 100 yards long, arched over with three separate courses
of stone, running through the embankment and terminating
in a valve house; the corner stone of which was the stone
laid by the mayor as the foundation stone.-11funchesier
Guardian.
THE MANCHESTER POST-OFFICE.—The Manchester
Past-office site, in John Dalton street, after being decided
upon twice, is again unsettled, by the leading merchants
having taken up the question. These gentlemen are much
dissatisfied at the selection of a place outside business circles
for the new Post-office, and at a special meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce, held yesterday, en the subject, it
was all but unanimously agreed that the be,t site would be
one at present partly occupied by the Queen's Theatre, and
bounded on three sides by Spring-gardens, York-street and
Fountain-street, and to urge its adoption upon the Post-
office authorities. There was a strong expression of opinion
that considering the revenue of the Manchester Post-office
Government ought to act in a more liberal spirit than they
had yet manifested.
The vessels belonging to the experimental squadron
which accompanied the Emperor from Cherbourg to Brest
have since left the 'Ater port for Toulon.