The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-15 00:00:00

THAMES.

THE LATE REVOLTING CASE OF RAPE.-Mr. H. J.
Newman, the secretary of the Associate Institution for
Improving and Enforcing the Laws for the Protection of
Women, came before Mr. Yardley, and stated that in the
early part of the week a German sailor, named Carl Butts,
had been committed for trial for a criminal assault on a

little girl, named Ellen Miles, eigitye;s-Of age. The
magistrate then expressed an earnest hope that the society,
which he (Mr. Newman) represented, would take care of
the child if it came within the scope of its operations. He
was directed to state that the committee of the society
would, under the peculiar circumstances of the case
take charge of the girl. Arrangements had been
made for the admission of the girl into the
Lock Hospital, Westbourne-grove, where she would re-
ceive proper medical advice and treatment, and be cured of
the loathsome disease communicated to her by the sailor.
Mr. Yardley—l am very glad to hear of this.
Mr. Newman—l hope, sir, you approve of what has been
done in this matter.

Mr. Yardley—Approve of it ! certainly—nothing could
be worse than the condition of the girl before she was
brought to this court.
Mr. Newman asked for an order for the girl to be de-
livered up to him.
Mr. Yardley said the girl was under care and the control
of the parochial authorities of the Stepney Union, and the
matter was entirely out of his hands.

Mr. Newman was then directed to apply at Liniehouse
Workhouse for the girl, and left the court for that purpose

DEATH THROUGH ALLEGED OMNIBUS
RACING AT KENNINGTON.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. Sergeant Payne, coroner
for the City of London and Southwark, instituted
an inquiry at Guy's Hospital, which lasted about
five hours, relative to the circumstances attending
the death of Mary Pratt, aged three years, the
daughter of Mr. Henry Seymour Pratt, doorkeeper
to the House of Commons. _ _

Mr. Pratt was represented by a solicitor Mr.
Solomon attended on behalf of the driver King ;
and Acting Inspector Iremonger, of the P division,.
to watch the case for the police authorities.
Mrs. Pratt stated that sh 6 was the wife of Mr.
Henry Seymour Pratt, doorkeeper of the House of
Commons, and mother of the deceased. On Tues-
day last, about half-past five o'clock in the evening,
she was standing near to Kennington Church,
holding her daughter by the left hand. Two
omnibuses were then approaching from Kenning-
ton-gate, the first of which she hailed, and it
stopped in the middle of the road. She stepped
off the kerb, when she observed the other omnibus
coming towards her; and as it did so the driver
struck the horses with his whip, and before she
could get out of the way the pole struck her on the
forehead, knocking her and the deceased down.
The vehicle passed over her, the horse kicking and
bruising her. She was picked up by a gentleman,
and did not at the time know what had become of
the child. They were both taken to a surgeon's,
and afterwards to the hospital.
By the Coroner—Was perfectly certain that the
driver of the second omnibus whipped his horses
and came on at an increased pace to pass the one
she had called.
James Murphy, aged 11, corroborated the above
evidence, adding, although cross-examined, that
the driver King whipped his horses as he ap-
proached the lady.
Mary Hiscock stated that she did not witness the
accident, but took charge of the deceased after it
occurred. The spot was not dark, as there were
close by five gas lamps.
Daniel Hayward, conductor of the omnibus
hailed by Mrs. Pratt, said that both vehicles be-
longed to Mr. Matthew Balls, and there was,
therefore, no need for racing. Mrs. Pratt came to
him within half a yard, as he had the door open,
but evidently, hearing the other omnibus approach,
became frightened and ran under the horses' legs.
The last evidence was supported by Mr. Russell,
of 12, Park-terrace, Brixton, hop and seed merchant,
and Mr. Wm. Carpmael, jun., of Southampton-
buildings, Chancery-lane.
Mr. J. Rand, house surgeon, said deceased died
on Thursday morning. She had a lacerated wound
extending from the knee to the hip, death being
caused by exhaustion consequent upon the injuries.
Mrs. Pratt, on being recalled, denied running
back as stated, and said that the driver, King,
acknowledged at the hospital that he did whip his
horses and endeavoured to pass the first omnibus.
Other evidence having been adduced, the coroner
summed up, and the jury retired to consider their
verdict. After a lengthened conversation, upon
their return into court they recorded a verdict of
accidental death.

THIRD EDITION

NAVAL TRAINING OF WILLIAM IV-

(From the United Service Gazette.)
We have received letters from various corres-
pondents relative to the proceedings at Malta, and
requesting us to draw a comparison between the
training of his late Majesty King William IV
when Prince William Henry, and Prince Alfred.
In deference to their wishes we draw the following
parallel : Prince William Henry embarked in the
loyal Navy as a midshipman on the 15th June,
1 779, not having quite completed his fourteenth
y, ear. The first ship in which he served was the
"ince George, 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admi-
-ral. the Hon. Henry Digby. The Prince's private
tutor was Dr. Majendie, afterwards Bishop of
. Bangor; and the late Admiral Sir Richard Keats,
1 ieutenant of the ship, one of the strictest and most
,olished officers in the service, was chosen to be
h is Royal Highness's professional instructor. The
f 'rince George was attached to the Channel Fleet
u ntil the latter end of the year, when the ship was
o. "dered to form part of the fleet proceeding to the
'lief of Gibraltar, which for some time had been
c! osely blockaded by the Spaniards. A Spanish
G l•gun ship, captured on this occasion by the fleet,
vs as re-named the Prince William, out of compli-
u to the youthful midshipman.
After participating in this important service the
Pi ince George returned to England, and remained
at, ached to the Channel Fleet until the spring of
17/s'l, when she was employed at a second relief of
Gibe altar, after which she proceeded to North
Ameelea, as flag ship at that station. To avoid the
tedium and temptation incident to a stationary ship
the Prince was transferred to the Warwick, 50,
commanded by Captain the Hon. G. K. Elphin-
stone' afterwards Lord Keith, under whose com-
mand he served until the 3d Nov., 1782, at which
latter period he joined the Barfleur, bearing the
flag of Rear-Admiral Lord Hood. While in the
Barfleur the Prince first met Nelson, and the ac-
quaintance then commenced was closely maintained
until the hero's death.

His Royal Highness had been three years and a
half at sea before we meet with any particular
mark of attention paid to his exalted rank, as the
son of George 111. He appears to have been rigidly
kept to his duty as a subordinate naval officer.
During the time he served in the Barfleur he
strictly performed very much the same routine of
boat service and watch keeping as any other mid-
shipman, a portion of each day only being allotted
by the particular orders of Lord Hood, to the ac-
quisition of theoretical knowledge and the general
improvement of his education. This task was su-
perintended by Captain Knight, who was Lord
Hood's flag captain.
On the arrival of the Barfleur at Port Royal, in
Feb., 1783, the Prince being then in his eighteenth
year, the first recorded marks of public attention to
the midshipman in his princely character were paid.
During the stay of the Barfleur at Jamaica his
Royal Highness was treated with every mark of
respect and distinction by all ranks of people. The
inhabitants presented a suitable address, and a ca-
valry corps was expressly raised under the denomi-
nation of " Prince William Henry's Regiment," by
the merchants and planters, for the purpose of at-
tending him while he remained on the island. After
the termination of hostilities Lord Hood permitted
his Royal Highness to visit Cape Francois and the
Havannah, embarking on board the Bloodhound
forthat purpose. He was received at Cape Francois
with the honours due to his exalted rank, and
6,000 French and Spanish troops lined the streets
on his way to the governor's house. He was
made the happy instrument of releasing from death
several British subjects and other persons who had
been concerned in a revolt at Natchez, the prisoners
having been released in honour of his royal high-
ness's visit. The Barfleur returned to England in
June, 1783, the Prince having been upwards of two
years .out of England. The subsequent career of our
late beloved Sailor King is foreign to our present
object, which is to show that for the first four or
five years of his professional life he was under the
restraints of the service, and employed during that
time under the strictest and best officers who ever
hoisted flag or pendant. Until he had attained a
state of manhood, he was subject to the same coer-
cion as other well-bred young officers, and he is said
to have entered heart and soul into the performance
of his professional duties.
The contrast between the training of the royal
midshipman in 1779-84 and 1858-59 is very great.
At the outset Prince Alfred was carefully and ably
instructed. He passed his preliminary examination
well, evincing on the occasion much natural ability,
highly cultivated. He embarked on board a fine
frigate, under one of the steadiest and best officers
in the service ; but, instead of going abroad, out of
the way of foreign courts, he was sent first to Co-
runna, where he was feted andescorted by generals
and courtiers ; from thence to Lisbon, where royal
courtesies awaited him; thence to Gibraltar,Tangiers,
and Malta. Wherever else the Euryalus may anchor
similar displays await upon a lad, who will not
complete his 15th year until next August. Is it at
all probable that such feasting and gay goings-on
will assist the acquisition of nautical knowledge, or
strengthen the authority of those who sire account-
able to her Majesty for the .professiov 11 education
and discipline of the royal cadet ?
We presumed, in November last, to suggest that
the Euryalus should be despatched to the other
hemisphere, where dinners, balls, and routs would
be out of the question. We repeat that advice, and
trust that, ere it is too late, some such plan
will be acted upon. We look upon the young
Prince as " the Hope of the Navy." To the prestige
which he, if well indoctrinated, will establish we
rely for the restoration of that glorious branch of
the service—the navy—to its once proud position ;
and we, consequently, watch his steps with a de-
gree of painful anxiety which may prompt our
venturing on tender ground.
The training of Prince William Henry was the
admiration of all nations. The Admiral Don Juan
de Langara, who commanded the Spanish squadron
dispersed and captured by the fleet under Rodney,
in which his Royal Highness was serving, is re-
ported to have said—" Well does Great Britain
merit the empire of the seas, when the humblest
stations in the navy are supported by princes of the
blood Royal !" The observation, it is well known,
has been cherished as one of the most elegant tri-
butes ever paid to British Royalty. Let us hope to
find some such pleasing compliment elicited by the
Royal cadet who now graces the British navy.