The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-10 00:00:00

THAMES.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF ROBBERY.—EIIen Field, a
strange-looking woman, about 40 years of age, was brought
before Mr. Paget, charged with stealing two gold seals,
part of a gold chain, a gold key, and a French 5f.-pieco
from the person of Mr. Jacob Merchant, a licensed vic-
tualler.

The prosecutor is the landlord of the Bromley Arms
public-house, in the Fairfield-road, Bow. Yesterday
morning the prisoner, who was understood to be a hard-
working woman, but addicted to strong drinks, entered the
Bromley Arms. She was intoxicated, and demanded re-
freshment, which Mr. Merchant refused to serve her with.
She then became very disorderly and abusive,
and used bad language and threats towards Mr.
Merchant and some guests, who were drinking
brandy and water. Mr. Merchant remonstrated with her,
and finding that to be ineffectual he took her by the shoul-
der with one hand and opened his door with the other, and
attempted to put her out of the house. She immediately
snatched at his gold watch chain, to which two gold seals,
a gold key, and a five-franc piece were attached. The
chain broke, and part of it was left in the prisoner's hand,
with the seals, key, and coin, which she put into her bosom.
Mr. Merchant and Mr. Thomas Sayers, a sign writer, fol-
lowed her, and met with a police sergeant, named Itipp,
No. 5 K, opposite the station-house in the Bow-road. She
threw herself down, and made a determined resistance be-
fore she was secured. Nothing was found upon her. This
morning at daybreak Mr. Sayers travelled over the zig-zag
course which the prisoner took last night, and upon the
very spot where she had the struggle with Ripp one of
the gold keys was found. The other property was not
recovered, and Mr. Merchant valued it at £3. The case
against the prisoner was plain and direct. She is a widow,
and was in custody ten years ago, but for what offence
had passed out of the recollection of the police. She
made a long defence, admitting that she was intoxicated
and abusive last night, but denied having snatched at Mr.
Merchant's chain. He threw her on her back and cut her
head, and it was while leaning on her that his chain broke,
no doubt, and in no other way.
Mr. Merchant denied using any violence.
Mr. Paget committed the prisoner for trial.

Execution at Lewes.--•-;This Day.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

John Leigh, who was convicted at the last
assizes of the wilful murder of Mrs. Horton, a
relative of his own, and the keeper of a public-
house at Brighton, was executed this morning in
front of Lewes Gaol.

There was a large assemblage of spectators to
witness the dread sentence of the law being carried
into effect.

THE GREAT ENFIELD VOLUNTEER
RIFLE MATCH.

Yesterday the great Enfield Rifle Volunteer
(simultaneous) Match, among battalions and com-
panies of Volunteer corps throughout Great Britain,
was commenced; and, continuing as it will till Sa-
turday next, the 14th inst., it promises to be the
largest and most important event in connection with
the shooting of the Volunteer force during the year.
The entries this year amount to the sum of £9OO,
being £4OO more than last year.
The general committee for promoting the success
of the Match includes the names of upwards of 60
well-known rifle shots, and the management of it
(which, as it will be seen, is no slight duty) is in the
hands of the following gentlemen :
Captain Macgregor London Scottish Rifles.

Ensign Pixley ..............:Victorian.
Captain Mackenzie ........ 3d Ross-shire.
Captain Field Hon. Artillery Coy.
Mr. Dighton ............... . l2th Middlesex.
Captain Goodiiffe London Rifle Brigade.
Sergeant Baines `2d Middlesex Ad. Batt.

A large number of the representatives of the
metropolitan Volunteer regiments commenced
shooting yesterday, as also did many of the
provincial regiments. The ranges of which the
match is being shot are 200, 500, and 600 yards,
seven rounds, and the conditions are as follows :
Position—at 200 yards, from the shoulder ;at 500
and 600 yards, any position. Any number of men
are entitled to compete, and for battalions the high-
est 20 scores, and for companies the highest 10 scores
on the registers of the shooting, will be taken as the
match score.

There will be between 7,000 and 8,000 Competi-
tors in the contest.

LIFEBOAT SERVICE.—CAISTOR (near Great Yar-
mouth), APRIL 7.—During hazy weather and a strong wind
from ENE. yesterday, lights of distress were seen in the
direction of the Cockle Sand. The Birmingham No. 2
lifeboat of the National Lifeboat Institution, stationed at
Caistor, was at once launched, and found a large steamer
to the northward of the sands. Her engines had broken
down, and she was quite unmanageable and was drifting
with the tide. She was the steamer Corton, of Newcastle,
bound from that port to Havre with a cargo of coals. With
the assistance of the Scratby lifeboat, which had also put
off to the steamer, the Caister lifeboat men succeeded in
taking the vessel and her crew into Yarmouth Roads.—
PALLING (Norfolk), APRIL 7.—A barque struck the beach
at Wexham, about two miles and a half south of this place,
last night (reports Mr. J. Riches). The wind was blowing
hard at the time from N.E., and there was a heavy sea on.
The lifeboat of the National Lifeboat Institution was at
once got out and proceeded to the scene of the wreck ; but
before her arrival the crew had been fortunately rescued
by the Horsey beachmen in one of their boats. The vessel
proved to be the Thomasino, of South Shields, laden with
coals and coke, and she is likely to become a total wreck.
COURTOWN (County Wexford), APRIL 6.—The schooner
Victory, of Wexford, bound from Dublin to Penarth with
a cargo of oats, parted from her cables during a gale of
wind this morning, and came ashore near Glyn Head (says
James S. Scott, Esq.). Tho Manchester No. 4 lifeboat
(the Alfred and Ernest) of the National Lifeboat Institu-
tution was thereupon at once launched ; but after she had
been out about two hours news came to Courtown that the
shipwrecked crews had been saved by other means, and
the lifeboat was accordingly recalled to the shore.