The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-04 00:00:00

TIIE SUN, LONDON, TUES V EV ENiNG, SEPTEMBER 4, 1866.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS--This Day.

(Beforo Mr. Sergeant Dowling.)

Two boys, named Baker and Peck, wero indicted for
stealing about 1 cwt. of lead, the property of Mr. Smith,
and a marine storekeeper, named Spiers, was indicted for
receiving the same, well knowing the same to have been
stolen.

From the evidence of a boy, named John Fox, it ap-
peared that he saw the prisoners Baker and Peck hanging
about the promises of Mr. Smith, a cowkoeper in Maryle-
bono, and the lead stolen was originally as old pump from
which the water supply of the yard was procured. Tho
pump was forcibly broken down by the prisoners, and
although it was worth about £5 to the owner it was sold at
the shop of the prisoner Spiers for a few shillings. A wit-
ness named Bacon said he was sleeping in a loft in the
yard unknown to Mr. Smith, and about half-past nine
o'clock on the night of the robbery the two younger pri-
soners came into the place. Shortly after Peck set to
work to cut down the pump with a chisel and a piece
of iron. It was got down and then broken up into pieces,
and removed in parts from the yard, and sold at the yard
of Spiers, in Tottenham-street. The witness also stated
that he followed the boys, and saw them go into the shop,
and afterwards that Spiers came to the door, and he heard
him ask the two boys if any one was looking about, when
Baker replied " No." Spiers then told them to bring in the
lead at the side door, and then to get away as fast as they
could.

The prisoner Baker said Bacon was the ono who was the
most guilty, as he invited him (prisoner) to take part in the
robbery. Peck said that Bacon was the party who actually
toro the pump down, and that he did it with a crowbar.
Mr. Smith, the prosecutor, said ho was a cowkeeper, and
occupied the premises in Oval-yard, Marylobono. The
pump was an old-fashioned one, and it had cost him be-
tween £6 and £7 to replace it.

Mr. Ribton (who defended Spiers)—You can't do with-
out it, then ?

Witness—No. (Laughter.)
Mr. Ribton —A pump has an extraordinary tendency to
increase the quantity of milk, has it not ? (Laughter.)
Witness—Yes, when it is required. (Laughter)

Mr. Bosley (who prosecuted)—But Mr. Ribton you must
not forget that cows drink water—(laughter) —and the
pump therefore was a necessity in a cowkeeper's yard.
The two boys, in their defence, said the real person who
stole the pump was Bacon.
Mr. Ribton, for Spiers, said that the evidence was of a
worthless character, and therefore he felt that the jury, as
men of intelligence, would at once acquit his client of any
felonious intention, who, in the present case, had been
made the victim of a gang of idle boys. Bacon did not
deny being the associate of the two lads at the bar, and,
indeed, admitted that he had had some conversation with
them relative to the robbery, therefore his evidence must
bo taken with the greatest suspicion.
The jury returned a verdict of not guilty against Spiers
and guilty against Baker and Peck.
The Court was then informed that the prisoner Spiers
was convicted last session of receiving a copper which had
been stolen, and it was in consequence of the circumstances
that came to light at that trial that the present charge had
arisen.

The learned Judge said it was fortunate for Spiers that
the jury had come to a favourable conclusion with regard
to the present charge, otherwise he should have been com-
pelled to pass a sentence of penal servitude upon him. Ile
could not conceal from his mind the great injury and
temptation that was hold out to boys to rob their
employers by the way in which business was transacted
in many of the shops similar to that kept by the prisoner,
and put out of view altogether the case which had just
concluded. Ile sentenced Spiers :0 12 months' imprison-
ment with hard labour. With respect to the boys, the
witness Bacon's evidence was not free from suspicion ;
therefore he should sentence them to a week's imprison-
ment, at the expiration of which they wore to be well
whipped and then discharged. By that means they, being
young in crime, would have a chance of redeeming their
character.

SURREY SESSIONS—This Day.

FIRST COURT.
(Boforo J. E. Johnson, Esq., Chairman.)
ROBBERY BY A CLERK.

William Homewood, a clerk, was charged with stealing
a gallon of rum from the promises of his employers, Messrs.
Chaplin and Horne, the eminent carriers, to which he
pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Barnard appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Lilloy
for the prisoner.
From the evidence it appeared that on tho 7th ult. a
cask containing 28 gallons of rum, from Messrs. Wedder-
burn's distillery, was delivered at the premises of Messrs.
Chaplin and Horne, Southwark. it was placed, by direc-
tion of the foreman, in the upper warehouse, and was quite
safe at half-past eight iu the evening, at which time lie
locked up the warehouse and deposited the keys in the
usual place in the office. The next morning the prisoner
was found hiding behind some wool-sacks in the upper
warehouse by the manager of the establishment. On
searching the place he found about a gallon of rum in a
pint pot, a bottle, and a bucket, of which quantity the
cask, on examination, was found to be deficient.
The jury, after a short consultation, found the prisoner
not guilty.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

BOW-STREET.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE WITH THEM ?—Dennis
a tall, well-grown boy of nine years of age, but looking
much older, carrying, rather than wearing, a heap of rags,
which for auy purposes of clothing or decency might just
as well have been off as on, was charged with stealing 4s.
6d. from his mother, Mary Sullivan, a widow, living in
King-street, Drury-lane.
The mother, who gave her evidence with every appear-
ance of emotion, said that she went out to work yesterday
morning about 10 o'clock, leaving under her pillow a
pocket containing 4s. 6d., with which she intended to pay
her rent. When she came back at about six o'clock in the
evening she found that the money was gone. The neigh-
bours told her that they had seen the prisoner spending
money. It was not the first time he had robbod her, and
his bad conduct was breaking her heart. Ile was always
up and down the street with the worst of characters.
Mr. Flowers—Why did you leave the money where he
could get it if he had robbed you before ?
Witness— I thought he would not take it, me being so
poor and his father dead.
The Prisoner- -I did not take the money. I was out
selling flowers all day, and my mother came home blind
drunk.

Tho Mother—Don't believe him, your worship, he is a
dreadful liar. All the neighbours know it. _

Jeremiah MacCarthy, a labourer, living a few doors from
the prosecutrix, here tendered his evidence. He said tho
prisoner was a very bad boy, and in the habit of calling
his mother bad names. Ho had known the prisoner steal
money over and over again, but ho knew nothing about
this charge. _ _

Mr. Flowers—l thought this man was to prove either
that the mother was sober, or that the boy took the
money ?

MacCarthy--No, sir. I came to prove what an out-
rageous scoundrel ho is to his mother.

Mr. Flowers—But, you know, ho says ho did not take it,
and, by law, I can do nothing without proof.
MacCarthy said the boy ought to bo put into an insti-
tution.

Mr. Flowers observed that it was very well to say that,
but there were so many who wanted to put their children
into institutions that those places wero now full. There
was no room for any more.
_ _

The Mother—lt would be a groat charity, sir.
Mr. Flowers —The child is in a deplorable condition.
liedshill, the gaoler—Ho is, sir. Ho is nearly naked,
and his feet are bare. His toes are sore, and several of the
nails are off.

Mr. Flowers—l shall remand him for a week. You
must bring evidence to show that he took the money, and
I shall consider what is to be done.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

A BARMAN CHARGED WITH ROBBING HIS EMPLGYPIt.—
Benjamin Price, a young man, barman in the employ of
Mr. Edward Williams, of the Two Ships Tavern, Old
Compton-streot, was charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with
the following robbery.

Mr. Williams said the prisoner had been in his employ
about a week as a barman. Last night he discovered two
shillings and two sixpences in a part of a till where they
ought not to have been, and thinking the circumstance
very suspicious, ho replaced tho coins with marked ones
of a similar kind. The coins remained in the till all night,
and in the morning he followed the prisoner down stairs.
After the prisoner had cleaned out the till, that being
part of his duty, he wont down to the cellar, and on
coming up again ho (Mr. Williams) looked in the till, and
finding the marked coins gone, called the prisoner into his
bar parlour, and taxed him with robbing him. Tho pri-
soner said he had only taken ono shilling, and that he had
never done anything of the kind before. Ile then asked
the prisoner to let him see what money he had got about
him, and the prisoner then took from his pocket the whole
of the marked money, and two sixpences besides, and ho
then gave him into custody.
Win. Williams, cellarman to the prosecutor, proved
marking the money, and seeing the prisoner take it from
his pocket.
Thomas Davis, 227 C, said that on taking the prisoner
into custody he said he was very sorry, and that he had
never done anything of the kind before.
The prisoner wished the case settled at once, and pleaded
guilty.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said for the sake of two or three shillings
the prisoner had forfeited his character, and would be im-
prisoned, with hard labour, for six weeks.

Susses-street, Pimlico, said at about 10 o'clock last night
ho was ejecting a man from his house, and there was a
crowd at the door. Ile suddenly felt a hand at his scarf
and missed his pin. A gentleman then said prisoner had
got it, and the latter was dragged into the house, where he
showed fight, and witness struck him. Tho pin was not
found on him, but on tho ground near the door, and then
witness having got his pin ejected the prisoner from the
house.

➢Tr. James Bayley proved seeing a hand go to Mr.
Pearse's scarf, where the pin was, seeing the hand come
away, and no pin in the scarf, and seizing the hand, which
was the prisoner's. There was no pin in it. Ho searched
for the pin, and found it near the doer, where it must have
been dropped by some ono after the prisoner was taken
into the house.

Edward Penny, a boy, said he saw prisoner take the
pin, but his evidence was contradictory.
• James Sutton, 1G•? B, saw the prisoner ejected : he
would not go away, saying ho would not be hit for
nothing. Shortly after he was called to take prisoner.
Mr. Selfo could not understand why Mr. Pearso, know-
ing he had the:thief, struck him, and pushed him out of the
house, not giving him in charge. It was not the act of a
thief to remain outside the door and not go away, and he
thought no jury would convict. The prisoner was well
known, and had better be careful. Ho was now dis-
charged.

THAMES.
SAVAGE ASSAULT ON A POLICEMAN.—SamueI Percoval,
William King, William Allen, and Charles Gallafunt,
mechanics, were brought before Mr. Partridge charged
with violently assaulting police-constable Hawkins, No.
224 K.

The complainant, who has been very severely injured,
said he found Perceval in tho East India-road, Poplar, at
1 o'clock this morning, and he lay down on the ground
and appeared to be quite helpless. lie raised him and told
him to go home. The prisoner immediately kicked him.
The other prisoners then came up and instigated Perceval
to ill-use him. King kicked him and knocked him do'wn,
and while he was down Allen came behind him
and struck him repeatedly with his fist. After struggling
with two of the prisoners on the ground he
managed to rise. Perceval struck him again, and he
then dreiv his staff and knocked him down with it.
Allen then renewed his attack, and he also knocked him
down with his staff. A man came up and sprung his
rattle and assistance came. A shower of stones was then
hurled at them, and one of them struck him on the helmet
and another on the back.

William Colo, shoemaker, of No. 25, Upper North-street,
Poplar, heard a rattle spring, and went into the East India-
road, and saw a row. lie could not swear to either of the
men.

Edward Layton, a police costable, No. 290 K, heard cries
of murder, and saw the 'prisoners upon the constable
Hawkins. lie heard King say to Gallafunt, "Give it him,
serve him out." Both men kicked him. Ho assisted
Hawkins and others in arresting the prisoners. Perceval
was very drunk. The other prisoners were also the worse
for liquor, but knew what they wore about.

Tho prisoners, who made light of the charge, said they
wero drunk, and that they had been knocked about by the
police.

A witness was called for King.—Ann Rent said the pri-
soner had lived in her house, No. 8, Park-place, Poplar,
for two years, and know him to be a very steady and
honest man.

Mr. Partridge, after a long investigation, said this was
a case which must be severely dealt with. A savage and
dastardly assault had boon committed on the constable
Dawkins,who was engaged with a drunken and violent
man,andnot only instigated the man Perceval to ill use
the constable, but brutally attacked him. One of the
prisoners, like a coward as he was, came behind
the constable and hit him while he was down. Two of the
prisoners were knocked down by the constable, who had a
right to use his staff after he was ill used. There was very
little difference in the guilt of the prisoners. If any there
was a shade in favour of Percoval, and he should give him
the option of paying a fine. I.le sentenced him to pay £5
to the Queen or be imprisoned for one month. Ile sen-
tenced the other prisoners to one month's imprisonment
and hard labour. Ali the prisoners were mechanics earn-
ing good wages, and ho felt quite ashamed of them.
Perceval paid the fine and was liberated.

MARKETS.—This Day.
my.

SMITIITIELD.—Meadow hay, £4 4s to £5 12s ; clover,
£4 15s Od to £6 lOs Od ; and straw, £2 Os to £2 lOs per
load. Demand inactive.

CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, £4 Os to .£5 15s Od; clover,
£4 15s to £6 lOs Od ; and straw, £2 to £2 10s per load.
Inquiry limited.
WHITECILAPEL.—MODAOIV hay, £4 Os to £5 12s ; clover,
£5 Os Od to £6 lOs Od ; and straw, £2 Os to £2 8s per load.
Trade dull.

SPORTING NOTES.

The St. Leger is the only race that there is a;ny
legitimate betting on, Lord Lyon still maintaining
the premiership, notwithstanding the large outlay's
on Savernake. Rustic seems to be a" gone coon.'
Westwick is certain to beat Strathconan the nex t
time they meet, and it would not astonish me to se' a
him repeat the Warlock coup of 1856 by winning;
both the Ebor and the Leger. Speculation is now
-carried on simultaneously at so many different loca-
lities as to render a complete compilation of tho
quotations almost impossible. It frequently hap-
pens nowadays that more betting takes place at one
or two of the West-end clubs in the course of .a few
hours, than is transacted in as many weeks at the
recognised resorts of the professionals. During the
last day or two, however, some disposition has been
evinced to back Knight of the Crescent, but
notwithstanding his forward position, both in
the Two Thousand and Derby, I have
little faith iu his capabilities, and fully expect
to see Westwick finish before him, in the race.
The publication of the weights for the Cesarewitch
and Cambridgeshire, about Thursday next, is
looked forward to this year with an absorbing in-
terest, and, as usual, a whole legion of " Amateur
Casuals" have besieged the sporting journals with
attempts —often marvellously conflicting, to antici-
pate the Admiral's pronunciamento. It is to be
hoped that the Admiral will not forget the " roping"
performances of several horses during the last two
months.

The Cup, run to-morrow at Warwick, will be
won by Rama or Elland, the former for choice, and
Brick should secure the Welter Cup. The Nursery
Handicap looks a good thing for Miller's Maid ;
and the Grand Stand Plate Beeswing
ought to win. 'On Monday I hope I will be as
fortunate in anticipating the judges decision for the
St. Leger as I was in the Great Ebor Handicap, in
my prophecy in The Sun of Monday, August 20,
when I actually placed the one, two, three, in the
order they came in, viz.,

Westwick
Gomera
Scamander 3
A prophecy rarely accomplished by any sporting
writer. A FRESH MAN.

The Great Explosion Opposite New York,

The papers brought by the Java give details of
the terrific oil explosion opposite New York, the
facts of which were published by telegraph on Satur-
day. The .New York Herald says :
Shortly after 8 o'clock on Sunday morning the
inhabitants of Jersey City and Hoboken were alarmed
by a loud rumbling, like thunder, that shook the earth
and conjured up to timid hearts premonitory symp-
toms of an earthquake. Immediately after volumes
of black smoke rolled into the air, and it was per-
ceived to proceed from a spot adjacent to the Pavonia
ferry. The kerosene oil dock, leased by C. H. Valen-
tine and Co., the tobacco and cotton dock held by
Jarvis and Co., and the Erie Railway Dock, were all on
fire. The latter escaped pretty well, through the ex-
traordinary exertions of the firemen, but the whirling
surge elsewhere had struck with such terrific effect
that it mocked the puny efforts of man to cope with
it. Storehouses on land and vessels in the water
succumbed to the fiery element, and in the general
ruin 13 human beings perished. One man lies
agonising at the verge of the grave, several others
are undergoing more or less suffering, and, con-
sidering the sudden and devouring sweep of the fire,
it is miraculous how the others escaped. Neither
life nor property was pitied, and the occasion is one
not soon to be forgotten.

"At 10 minutes to eight o'clock on Sunday
morning Henry Kevral, mate of the schooner
Alfred Barrett, of Boston, brought breakfast to
Captain Kelly, who was lying ill in the cabin.
Another man was in the vessel, familiarly known
as Arthur,' besides the mate and Kelly. When
the mate was returning he heard something crack
under his foot like a match, and instantly he was
surrounded by a sheet of flame. He ran on deck,
and, having reached the deck sank down from con-
sternation and the prostrating effect of the heat
through which he had passed. He was quickly
aroused by the crash and rumbling of the barrels
which were falling after the explosion, and he reached
the clear air with difficulty. His hair and beard were
burnt off, his clothes almost consumed, and when he
reached the hospital it was found that his face was
badly burned and his fingers were almost•a crisp.
There was scarcely a part of his body that escaped
the fire. It is thought that he cannot possibly
recover.

" Captain Kelly and his brother, the mate, with
Arthur, above alluded to, perished. Two women and
a child, on a canal boat, were seen rushing on deck
in flames, and, uttering fearful shrieks, sank back
into the fiery pool. The child tottered over-
board. Three other children who were in this bOat
were also lost. The captain and two men of a lighter
lying outside the Barrett fell victims to the flames.
On the lighter Smith a man rushed wildly along
the deck in flames, and, seeing no hope of succour,
plunged into the water and disappeared. The
mate, Kelly, of the Barrett, was seen hanging
over the stern of the vessel, while his clothes were
on fire, and his body remained in this position for
nearly three-quarters of an hour. A sailor of the
brig Matron had a vest burned off his back i still
he persevered in efforts to save his vessel. A cap-
tain of a lighter ran away while his clothes were on
fire, badly burned about the fac2. He was so
terror-stricken that persons who pursued him were
left far behind in the chase. Few, if any, es-
caped uninjured. In the explosion of the lighter
lying next the Barrett, mentioned above, a man
was blown up 60 feet in the air, and fell into
the river. Those who witnessed the frantic
rushing to and fro of the women were almost
paralysed with terror. One of them, who ap-
peared to be the child's mother, dashed forward be-
side
the little one wild and frenzied with despair.
Their terrible condition was horror in all its phases.
Reason must have departed, for they rushed across
the deck in places where they could have found no
footing, and they seemed to tread on air. A mur-
mur of terror and grief burst from the bystanders
as the ill-fated beings sank into the water. The
tenacity with which they clung to life must have
been strengthened by the assurance that help would
momentarily arrive. The little fellow instinctively
resisted the decree of an inexorable fatality ; but in
a few moments he had passed with his mother be-
yond the portals of life into the region of eternity.
"No sooner had the schooner blown up than
a scene of - terrible sublimity presented itself.
Barrel after barrel of oil caught fire with great
rapidity, until on a space of over two acres there
was one vast sheet of flame, capped, as it
were, by black mashes of rolling smoke, which
mounted up like a pyramid until lost in the sky.
Three piers, nearly 20,000 barrels of oil, and the
sailing craft mentioned elsewhere, were blazing,
defying the efforts of the firemen to subdue the
fiery element. The oil floating on the water also
caught, until here and there could be seen tiny jets
of flame, which seemed to issue from the depths of
the river.

" The lighters were soon consumed, not being
heavily laden ; but the schooner Alfred Barrett
continued burning throughout the entire day. It
was remarked that, although floating in 17 feet
of water, she did not sink, even after her stern
was burned to the water's edge. So fearfully
intense was the heat that it appeared to prevent
the water from rushing into the hold. About
dusk a brisk breeze sprang up, which fanned
the smoke away and revealed the flames and as
each barrel in the hold caught, a long and
round column of fire, large at the base and tapering
into a slender, lightning-like streak, shot out from
amid the general blaze and swayed to and fro until
the oil was consumed. Column after column of this
fire burst forth in rapid succession, forming a mag-
nificent panoramic view. On the vessels laden with
tobacco the fire burned slowly and without consi-
derable extent of flame. Nevertheless, the efforts
to sudne it failed, in consequence of its being low
down the hold. Late in the evening several jets of
flame burst from the sides, and, after creeping up to
the deck, exposed the ribs of the vesseli and showed
the burning tobacco.
" The office of the oil company was totally de-
stroyed, together with all its contents. A large
number of valuable papers were also consumed, to-
gether with the books. The safe is reported to have
sunk into the dock, and will be got out."

NOTES

FROM
TRAINING DISTRICTS.

[The Doncaster St. Leger is near at hand, to
be rapidly succeeded by the Cesare Witch and Cam-
bridgeshire, the weights for which are due this
week. Turfites are deeply interested in the results
of these three great events, and are anxious to
glean all reliable information as to how the several
candidates are progressing in their preparation.
To meet the requirements of our numerous sporting
subscribers, we have made arrangements to be fur-
nished daily with Special Notes from the various
Training Districts, so as to keep our readers well
" posted up" on the actual work done each morn-
ing by the principal cotnpet►tors for the leading
current racing tournays.]

NEWMARKET.
Honiton galloped a mile and three quarters this morn-
ing, again led by Penelope Plotwell, and looks-none the
worse for his severe Saturday's four-mile sweat with
the latter. Lord Glasgow's pair of Leger horses were
cased a bit, doing a mile only twice. The two Robin
Hoods galloped a mile and a quarter, and Nu was canter-
ing smartly. Tourmalin strided along, and so did
Breadalbane, but 'Broomielaw was doing very little, as
were Chignon and Dalesman, who had sweated on
Saturday. Pedagogue, The Hermit, The Rake, The
Raven, and Problem were severally doing more work than
either of the other youngsters, as D'Estournel, Hippia, and
other two-year-old clippers were taking it quietly. Seve-
ral animals left for Warwick yesterday ; and we have a few
gone to Baden-Baden, Tom Jennings having accompanied
them. Breadalbane never went better than he does now ;
and Blois has also Blinkhoo]ie, Knight of the Garter, and
Target doing well: The elder Hayhoe is preparing Breeze
again ; and Janitor goes first class. Young Hayhoe was
setting Warrior to school Ambition, Armadillo, the
Hatter, La Dauphine, Rose Nera, and Whitby. Advance
was spinning smartly along, and Le Mandarin also.