The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-16 00:00:00

THAMES.

WESTMINSTER.

DANGEROUS JUVENILE AMUSEMENTS.—HenryIIett, a
child nine years of age, was charged with throwing stones
on Chelsea-bridge, yesterday, to the imminent danger of
persons on the river.

Police-constable Hopton, 245 B, said that he was on duty
yesterday afternoon at Chelsea new bridge, when he saw
the defendant throwing five stones into the river. A boat
had just passed under the bridge, but witness could not say
whether any one was struck in it.

Tho child's mother, a respectable-looking woman, said
ho was very harmless, and had only loft Sunday school.
She thought the constable must be wrong in supposing he
was doing it on purpose.

The constable said that the little boy had two stones in
his hand and his pockets full when taken into custody.

The Mother—He always picks upshells and all manner
of rubbish, and brings home as curiosities.

The policeman untied a large parcel of stones and ex•
hibited them.

Mr. Arnold—lie surely did not mean to take these stones
homo as curiosities ?

Policeman—He admitted he had thrown ten stones into
the river. There are so many on the bridge that lam put
there in plain clothes: Some boy had struck a man on the
head sharply before this.

Mr. Arnold—This is a great nuisanco and creates great
danger on the river and on the railway. Young as this
offender is, I must fine him 2s. 6d.

The mother—lle must go to prison ; I cannot pay it, I
am a poor widow without means, but what I earn by my
needle.

Mr. Arnold—You say you cannot pay ?
The mother—l do, positively.
Mr. Arnold—l cannot send this child to prison. Take
him away and correct him.

THE CASE OF MARGARET BAKER.—At the close
of the business of the Central Criminal Court, a
formal order was made that this unfortunate young woman
should be detained in custody until the next session upon
the charge of murdering her child. The prisoner, it will
be remembered, was tried upon that charge on Wednesday,
before the Lord Chief Justice, when the jury, after being
locked up a great many hours, were discharged at 12 o'clock
at night in consequence of their not being able to agree
upon their verdict. It has been stated that only a small
portion of the jury were in favour of a conviction for mur-
der, the majority being of opinion that a verdict of conceal-
ment of birth would have been sufficient. In consequence
of tho jury being discharged, the prisoner will have to
undergo the ordeal of another trial at the next sessions of
the Central Criminal Court.
_

TARDY JUSTICE.—Captain James Rawstorne
(1855), an officer who entered the navy so far back as 1806,
has been awarded a pension of £lOO per annum for injuries
sustained by him while in the execution of his duty in 1843
on the coast of China. Captain Rawstorne may fairly be
permitted to say "Better late than never."--Army and .Nary
Gazette. _

BOOK POST TO SWEDEN.—Book packets may in
future be forwarded to any part of Sweden by means
of the Swedish mail packets running between Hull and
Gottenburg, instead of their transmission being restricted,
as heretofore, to certain towns in Sweden, as stated in
Notice No. 12 of 1865. The postage chargeable on book
packets for Sweden when forwarded by Swedish packet
via Hull will be 3d. for every quarter of a pound or fraction
thereof. No additional charge will bo made upon book
packets for Gottenburg, but upon book packets ad-
dressed to any other place in Sweden a small inland rate
of postage will bo levied on delivery, for their conveyance
from Gottenburg to their destination.—By command of the
Postmaster-General.—General Post-office, July 16, 1866.