The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-25 00:00:00

hand into his pocket. Prosecutor felt and found
that the Prayer-book, which was the only thing he
had brought out in his pocket, was still safe.
Police-constable H. Toomen, 221 B, said he saw
the prosecutor talking to a gentleman when the
prisoner went up and put his hand into the rev.
gentleman's pocket, and after a minute or two with-
drew it without brio ging any thing out, when, seeing
that he was observed, he darted off at full speed and
escaped until Monday night, when witness took
him into custody. The prosecutor had scarcely
stopped a minute when he was surrounded by 20
young thieves.
Mr. Paynter commended the constable's vigi-
lance, and committed the accused for 14 days to
hard labour in tha_ House of Correction.

SOUTHWARK.--S. W. Kirk, a warehouseman
in the employ of Messrs. G. and H. Scovell, of Sy-
mond's-wharf, Tooley-street, and Mr. G. Rowe, of
the firm of May and Rowe, hemp merchants, Pa-
rade, Plymouth, were charged with stealing 1 ton
7 cwt. of Riga hemp from the warehouse of Messrs.
Scovell, in Tooley-street, Southwark.
It w\as stated that 20 tons of hemp, consigned to
Rowe, were being weighed into a Plymouth vessel
lying alongside Messrs. Scovell's wharf. Kirk's
duty was to enter the weights in a book, and there
was a man employed to ckeck the weights on a
board. While the back of the latter was turned,
two chalk marks, representing more than half a ton
each, were rubbed out. Rowe was present.
Mr. Combs remanded the case for a week.

John Caroline, asimple-looking man, wasbrought
before Mr. Coombe by Sergeant Cooper, 23 M,
charged with having several iron hooks, the pro-
perty of Messrs. Barclay, and other eminent brewe rs
in the metropolis.
Mr. E. Cook, the superintendent cf draymen at
Messrs. Barclay's, the brewers in Park-street, Bo-
rough, said within the last six weeks they had lost
a great number of hooks and chains from their drays
in various parts of the metropolis, especially about
Pedlar's-acre. The hooks and chains were used by
the draymen iu lowering butts of beer into the cel-
lars. About three weeks ago the prisoner called at the
brewery with oue of their hooks, saying that he
had found it in the Thames. Witness gave him some
beer, and he left. That morning he came again, and
brought with him three pairs of hooks, stating that
he had found them also in the Thames. Witness
identified two as their property, and believing that
the prisoner was the thief, he called in a constable
and gave him into custody.
The prisoner said it was quite true what the wit-
ness had stlted. He had found all the hooks near
Waterloo-bridge, and he took some to Barclay's,
others to Goding's, and others to Messrs. Meux's,
in Tottenham-court-road.
Mr. Combe asked him how be obtained his liveli-
hood ?

e replied that he wa4 a light porter, and worked
for Mr. Potter, at the York Hotel, Mr. Chetrle,
watchmaker, and other tradespeople in the Water-
loo-road.

Mr. Cook informed his worship that it was from
that neighbourhood the majority of the hooks bad
been stolen. He had no doubt the prisoner brought
them to him to get a better price than he could ob-
tain at the marine store dealers'. It was not only
tie hooks that bad been stolen, but the chains
attached to them, which put their draymen to great
inconvenience.

The prisoner declared he did not steal them. He
found them.

The prisoner was then fined 405., or one month's
imprisonment ; and on being removed by the
gaoler, he protested against the sentence, threaten-
ing to bring actions against all parties connected.

LAMBETH.—WiIIiam Hammond and William
Saunders were charged with assaulting Mr. Geo.
Rankin and covering his face with a thick layer of
pitch, with intent to rob him. Prosecutor, the
left side of whose face was cut and contused, on the
night before had been to an election meeting at the
Surrey Gardens, and subsequently joined some
friends, with whom he had drunk rather freely.
On his way home he got "picked up" by the pri-
soners, who claimed acquaintance with him, and
offered their services to take him home. On
arriving at a secluded place near the railway arch
Saunders knocked him down. He called out lustily
for the police and two officers came to his assist-
ance. They foUnd him lying on his back, with a
thick layer of pitch or tar over his face.
The prisoners denied the charge, but were re-
manded.

THE FATAL FIRE AT NEWINGTON.-
INQUIRY INTO THE CONDUCT OF THE
POLICE.

The inquiry into the deaths of Mrs. Emily Ray-
ner and her four children was resumed yesterday,
before Mr. W. Carter and a respectable jury, at
the Hour Glass, Walworth-common.
In consequence of the very general report that,
if it had not been for the conduct of the police in
preventing persons entering into the house, some
of the sufferers might have been saved, the
greatest excitement has pervaded the entireneigh-
bourhood. The house remains in the same state
as at the time of the first inquiry, and has been
visited by a very large number of people. The
rooms present a very singular appearance : in
some instances the floors, although burnt through,
remain standing, and the bed, chairs, and other
articles of furniture are all in the most perfect
order, although they are burnt to ashes, and when
touched crumble under the hand and fall to pieces.
Down stairs the supper was laid, and still remains ;
the bread and cheese on the table being burnt in
the dishes, and the various jugs and drinking yes-
sets being fused and broken by the intense heat.
Thefire appears to have raged with the greatest
fury in the stairs and upper rooms, which are com-
pletely consumed, with the exception of the single
spot in the attic in which the body of the woman
was found.
Tbe inquiry yesterday chiefly turned upon the
conduct of the
police. Superintendent Lund ap-
peared to watch the case on behalf of the P divi-
sion, and at his instance several witnesses were
examined, to prove that the police had done all,
under the circumstances, that they could. Mr.
Baddeley, the inspector of ..fire escapes under the
RoyarSociety for the Protection of Life from Fire,
was also present- during the inquiry, as well as
various other gentlemen, including the friends of
the deceased. The proceedings lasted the whole
of the day, the inquest-room being two or three
times cleared, and a very great deal of feeling, not
of the most pleasant character, being manifested
several times between the various authorities
during the proceedings.
The first witness was the servant, Elizabeth
Otley, who gave her account of the fire, and of her
being rescued from it, but her statement did not
differ materially from that of witnesses examined
list week. She was up stairs at the time, and was
brought down in a half-suffocated state by one of
the first persons who obtained an entrance into the
house. She attributed the fire entirely to acciden-
tal circumstances.
George Hope, a person in the employ of a fish-
monger opposite the house in question, deposed
that on the first alarm of the fire he ran across,
took the last witness out of the passage and at-
tempted to mount the stairs, in order to save the
lives of those in the rooms above, but the smoke
was so dense that after mounting three stairs he
could get no further, although he tried a second
time. He saw no policeman at the door.
This witness was subjected to a severe cross-
examination by the jury, when he admitted that
he had been summoned at the instance of the
police.

Walter Stephens, a carpenter, living in King's-
road, Walworth, deposed that a few minutes after
the fire broke ont he was at the door of the house,
which was then closed, but while he was trying to
get in it suddenly opened, and a female passed out.
He went to the foot of the stairs, when he found a
girl with a baby in her arms, whom he took to the
front door. He attempted to get up stairs, hoar-
ing screams from the rooms above, but being un-
able in consequence of the stifling smoke to walk
upright, he crawled on his hands and knees, and
thus reached the first landing, but was then over-
come, and fell down. He, however, managed to get
back again, and on going out of the door ran for a
ladder.

A jurythati said that he did not believe this mm's
evidence.

Another juryman stated that the witnes •had
previously told him that the, police had actually
prevented him from saving lives.
In answer to a question, the witness said he had
attended tho inquest at the request of the police,
and had understood from them that he would have
his expenses paid just the same as if he had been
summoned by the coroner.

The Coroner intimated that he certainly should
not order his expenses to be paid. At the same
time, he reminded the jury, who during the exa-
mination had several times expressed their opinions
on -the eviclerice, that it was not prudent to contra-
dict witnesses, who, if they gave false evidence,
rendered themselvei liable to an indictment for
p erj ury.
Mr. Charles Etarvey, the lodger referred to in the
previous examination, stated that he made an at-
tempt to go up stairs, but could not succeed. He
ve-as, however, of opinion that the police ought -.lot
to have interfered to have allowed a bold and reso-
lu to man from ascending, if he had volunteered to
do so. He stated that there was an officer at the
dc )or of the house when he got there, a few minutes
rifLer the fire broke out.
By the Jury—l think it possible that at that time
p. bold and. iesolute man might have mounted the