The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-19 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE LEEDS BANK FORGERIES.-At the Central Cri-
minal Court the case of Mr. Thomas Edgley came before
Mr. Justice Lush. Application was made for the post-
ponement of the trial on the ground that Mr. Greenland,
the late manager of the Leeds Bank, was in Geneva, and
in his absence the defendant could not safely proceed
to trial. Mr. Greenland had written a letter
to the solicitors for the prcsecution, in which he
stated that, having considered she matter, he remem-
bered that a good deal of the evidence given before
the Lord Mayor was incorrect. The concession of
the Maydampeck Forest by the Servian Government had
been placed in his hands as security, and it was intended
to form a limited company so soon as the samples of the
timber should arrive in this country. Mr.-Greenland
added that he believed that but for the stoppage of the
Leeds Bank the project would have turned out a successful
one. His lordship ordered the trial to stand over till
May.

TOWN COUNCILLORS CONVICTED OF BRIBERY.-At the
Welshpocl County Court, John Jones and David
Humphreys, two of the councillors elected at the last
municipal election, were summoned to recover the sum
of 405., " for that they were guilty of bribery at the
last election, whereby they forfeited 40s. to the plain-
tiffs." The bribery consisted of treating with ale,
and it appeared from what was said in the course
of the case, that this form of bribery had become an
established custom at Welshpool, where, according to
the solicitor for the plaintiffs, a man had little chance of
getting into the council except through the public-house.
One of the plaintiffs was a defeated candidate who had
refused to " treat," and the actions were brought, it was
said, for the purpose of stopping the practices complained
of. The judge said the cases were fully proved, and
warned the borough that it ran the risk of disfranchise-
ment. Judgment was given in each case for 40s.
REFUSING TO HEAR AN ATTORNEY.-At the City
rolice-court, on Tuesday morning, during the hearing of
a case of robbery from a dwelling-house, in which Mr.
Ward, attorney, appeared for the prisoners, Mr. Fowler,
the stipendiary magistrate, said : " Mr. Ward, until you eon.
descend to give me in writing a reply to the matter about
which I sent to you several times, I decline to hear you in
this court. You promised to do so, and upon your promise
I refused to issue a warrant against you." The case was
adjourned at the request of the police officer in charge of
it. —Ma n Mester Courier.

COMPETING GAS COMPANIES.—The Lora Justices or
Chancery Appeal have had before them a case in which the
Imperial Gas and Coke Company sought to restrain the
West Junction Gas Company from supplying gas to the
Great Western Railway Company for their station at
Paddington. There was also a bill against the Great
Western Railway Company to prevent them from enter•
ing into any agreeement to supply gas to the hotel at
Paddington. By the Act of 1860 a certain district
was allotted to each company, and no company was to
supply gas in the district of another company. Padding-
ton Station was in the district of the plaintiffs, but the
railway company had a meter of their own outside the
said district, in the district of the West London Company,
and through which the gas was received. The company
conveyed the gas to their station from this meter at their
own risk. The Vice-Chancellor dismissed both bills, and
now, on appeal, the Lords Justices thought that the
company sold the gas outside the district, and refused to
prevent the alleged threatened wrong.

ATTEMPT TO UPSET A RAILWAY Cocker-
mouth, on Monday, two lads, named Joseph Wren and
Archibald Collins, the one apparently 15 years of age and
the other 12, were charged with having wilfully and
maliciously attempted to upset a train on the Cockermouth
and Workington Railway. The lads had opened all
the points at Melgrum Fitz and put stones in to keep
them open. A passenger train was due shortly afterwards,
and had the condition of the points not been discovered
the train would have run into a siding among some coal
waggons, and the result might have been fearful. Near
the same place a plank 2i inches thick was laid across
the line. The lads were committed for trial.

THE RECENT SEIZURE OF ARMS AT MANCHESTER.—
The two men, William Pherson Thompson and William
Hogan, were again brought up on remand at Manchester,
charged with being concerned in the illegal possession of
firearms, and with having taken part in the attack on the
prison-van and the murder of Sergeant Brett. Hogan was
discharged, but Thompson was committed for trial at the
assizes on the latter charge.

ACTION FOR LIBEL AGAINST THE LIVERPOOL " PHIL
CUPINE."-At the Liverpool Assizes, before Mr. Justice
Shee, the case of Wearing v. Shemmin was tried. The
plaintiff is the secretary of the Liverpool Seamen's
Mutual Friendly Society, and the defendant the
editor and proprietor of the Liverpool Porcupine,
a local satirical journal. This action was for an
alleged libel published in the Porcupine, headed
" Keeping Watch for the Life of Poor Jack." A comment
CD the last annual report of the society constituted the
alleged libel. The defendant in his article stated that while
the receipts of the society amounted to £1,555, the expenses
had reduced that sum to £B4l 12s. ld., and that about
£6O had been disbursed in benefits. The great feature of
the review was that £713 10s. 6d. had been appropriated
for the officers, six in number, while only the £6O before
alluded to had been expended for the benefit of the
members. • Plaintiff proved that th,' members were quite
satisfied with the management of the society, that the
accounts were always open for inspection, and that the
business of the society was inorlt regularly conducted.
The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff ; damages, £lO.

DEATH OF MR. CHARLES RANN KENNEDY.
Mr. Charles Rann Kennedy, who will be remembered for
his connection with the great Swinfen case, died at Bir-
mingham, in very reduced circumstances. He was the son
of the Rev. R. Kennedy, a man of considerable literary
taste. Charles Rann Kennedy was born in 1808, in the
town in which fifty-nine years later he breathed his last.
In 1817 he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, as exhibi-
tioner of King Edward's School, Birmingham. He
achieved considerable success at his university, and was
elected fellow of Trinity College in 1831. In 1835 he was
called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn.

FATAL FALL OF A CHURCH.—On Tuesday, an
accident occurred at the church of St. Paul, Astley-bridge,
near Bolton, by which one.man was killed and two others
severely injured. The edifice was being widened, and forth()
purpose of carrying out the extension the workmen had
sprung some arches, and it was noticed on Tuesday morning
that one of these was fast giving way. The breach became
so great that one of the " needles "-- an upright piece of
timber supporting the keystone of the arch—slipped
from under, and a tremendous crash followed. The roof
of the church and the greater part of the building fell in.
Three of the men were caught by the falling_walls, and
Several others narrowly escaped. William Carruthers, a
joiner, was so seriously hurt that he died whilst being
conveyed to the infirmary. He was a married man. Two
others, who are also seriously hurt, lie in the infirmary.