The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-27 00:00:00

rilE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 27, 1857.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-April 25.

WORSHIP-STREET. Benjamin Hill, alias
Benny Lurch, a very well-dressed young fellow,
but a known thief, was placed at the bar upon a
charge of having robbed an elderly and respectable-
looking man named William Cavalier.
The latter was on his way home, about three
o'clock in the morning of the 7th inst., through
Thomas-street, Whitechapel, when three men sud-
denly came upon him, and one of them put au
a,m round his throat, while the prisoner, who stood
in front of him, took the watch from his waistcoat-
pocket, and deliberately unscrewing it from the
guard chain, transferred it to his own pocket. The
prosecutor saw this done, but was prevented from
crying out by the pressure upon his throat, which
was so severe that, when relaxed, he fell to the
ground, stunned, but recovered in about a minute,
and gave an alarm, which was heard by policeman
Earl, who knew him, and had bade him " good
morning" at Sthe corner of Thomas-street not five
minutes before. The constable bad also seen the
prisoner and two others together at a public-house
door. _

Both persons made a rambling defence, French
said he had nothing to do with the cart, and was
merely passing by accident. Janes said he was
alone and that some one drove the cart away ; and
he could not account for the coat being found in the
dust.

The magistrate said it would be necessary to
make further inquiry about them, and he should
therefore remand them for a week.
Remanded accordingly.

WOOLWlCH.—Benjamin Martin, a gunner and
driver in the Bth company 14th battalion Royal
Artillery, was placed at the bar before Mr. Seeker,
charged on suspicion of cau,:iog the death of a fe-
male named Sweet, by throwing her into the river.
The prisoner and deceased were observed walk-
ing together about ten o'clock on Friday night,
towards the Bell Water-gate, and on their arriving
at Roff's Steam-boat-pier, the soldier inquired when
there would be another boat, as the young woman
wanted to go to Charlton. On being informed that
the last boat had left, they both turned back as if
about to leave the pier. Shortly afterwards a cry
of " A woman overboard !" was heard, and on as-
sistance hurrying to the spot, the soldier was found
standing alone on the pier, from which-tho woman
had disappeared. The pier was in height about 25
feet from the water. The woman was taken from
the water, which was then low, and conveyed to a
surgeon's in the vicinity, who pronounced her to
be dead, and the prisoner was taken into custody.
The deceased is a married woman, with three
children, and was drunk as well as the soldier.
The evidence of the principal witness tended to
prove that the deceased might have fallen off the
pier, as the soldier appeared to be three or four
yards away from her at the time of the occurrence.
Mr. Seeker informed the prisoner that he was
charged with causing the death of the young woman
with whom be was in company, but at present he
sail- nothing to fix it upon him. He must, how-
ever, remand him for further inquiries, but would
receive his (prisoner's) recognisance to appear on
Saturday next.

Mary Hurley, a girl of the town, who eaw the
robbery committed, distinctly proved, also, that the
prisoner, whom she had known for three years, was
the one who stood in front of the prosecutor, and
took his watch. After they had all left th• spot,
she picked up the prosecutor's hat, which had fall•u
off, and was herself taken into custody by a police-
man, who found her with the hat under her shawl,
but she was subsequently discharged.
Dob.ll, 195 H, said he found the prisoner, at
one o'clock yesterday morning, in the Mile-end-
road, and called him by his flash name of " Benny
Lurch." He admitted that was his name, but said
he knew nothing of the robbery he was accused of.
He now asserted that it was got up by the girl
Hurley, and the police. He was, however, com-
mitted to Newgate for trial.

WESTMINSTER.— This morning the only
charge of felony upon the pollee-sheet was
against William Hutton, a man fifty years ot•
age, for -stealing a pair of soles and two mac-
kerel from the shop of his master, Mr. Thomas
Charles, an extensive fishmonger, at 9, Arabella-
row, Pimlico.
On the case be;ng called on, the prosecutor was
absent, and the prisoner was consequently dis-
charged. Presuming upon this unexpected change
in circumstances, prisoner stoutly laid claim to the
fish, which was in the hands of the constable, as
his own; and it was ordered to be restored to him.
While this was being done in the police-station,
Mr. Charles entered the court, and having stated
that, with his large establishment, it was necessary
to prosecute the accused, who had a_ good salary
for five years as his warehouseman, a policeman
was sent after the prisoner, who was found trudging
along about fifty yards from the court, with his
master's fish in his hand.
On his being again placed in the felon's dock,
Mr. Charles said that on the previous night, as
prisoner was leaving, he observed his appearance
was very bulky, and asked him to turn out the fish
he had got about him, whereupon prisoner pulled
out "a sole from his breast," a mackerel from each
of his tiousers pockets, and a second sole from
under his waistcoat. He was then given into cus-
tody, and said it was a bad job, and he was very
sorry for it.
Prisoner, who was now completely chap-fallen,
was committed for trial.

The sergeant of the company guaranieed his ap-
pearance, and the prisoner wa3 at once liberated.

CONFESSION OF A WIFE MURDERER

MARLBOROUGH-STREET. —lsidore Gask,
Garson Albinski, and Peter Urbani, were charged
with combining to prevent journeymen tailors
from working for Mr. Gautier, tailor, of Regent-
street. _ _

The prisoners were all foreigners, working- as
tailors for West-end houses, and formed part of a
body of about 100 tailors, principally foreigners,
who are now on strike for higher wages than some
of the trade are dispos?d to pay.
The dispute, it was stated by a person in court,
with Mr. Gautier was that he was offering 16s. for
dress coats, while full-priced masters were paying
225. _ .

Several cases ware gone into where the defen:.
dants had called upon journeymen who worked for
N. Gautier, and intimidated them by threatening
to cut their heads open, flourishing sticks at them,
and by other means, unless they at once left their
work and put their names down on the list of man
on strike.

It was urged in mitigation of the offence that,
being foreigners, they were not acquainted with the
English law in reference to strikes and intimidation
of persons to compel them to do so.
Mr. Bingham, on the promise of the defendants
not to repeat the offence, agreed to accept their own
recognisances to keep the peace, but fully explained
the severe pun'shment which would attend a repeti-
tion of the offence.

MARYLEBONE.—CharIotte Smith, an elderly
woman, was charged with stealing an oil painting
from the shop of Mr. H. W. Oder, picture dealer
Dudley-grove, Paddington.
It appeared from the evidence of Mrs. Oder, that
the previous night, about seven o'clock, she was in
her parlour, when she beard some one going out of
the shop. She got up and looked towards the shop
door. She then saw the bonnet of the prisoner, who
was hastily making ber way out. She (complainant)
proceeded out of the parlour, and on her way through
the shop she missed an oil painting that was hung up
near the street door. She ran after the prisoner
and stopped her. Complainant then saw that she
htd something under her shawl. Complainant laid
hold of it and found that it was an oil painting.
Mr. Long—When did you last see it safe ?
Complainant—ln the morning. I have lately
mi-see several oil-paintings, a valuable looking-
glass, and other articles. I called a policeman an I
gave her into custody.
D 327 produced the painting, which was a sketch
of a winter scene.

Mr. Long (to prisonea)—What have you to say
to the charge ? Ara you guilty or not guilty
Prisoner—l am guilty, sir. It was distress that
drove me to steal the picture.
Mr. Franklin, chief usher, said that she was an
old offender, and had been severol times at the bar
where she then stood.

She was sent a month tothe House of Correction.
Several drivers of rival omnibuses were fined for
loitering in the public thoroughfare. The penalties
were, paid.

SOUTHWARK.—EzekieI. Barrett, a journey-
mui hatter, was brought before Mr. Combe, by
ChaThand, 216 M, one of the warrant officers at-
tac+led to this court, charged with committing a
brutal and cowardly assault on Susan Barrett, his
wife.

The latter, a tidy-looking female, but apparently
half-starved, and who exhibitede, black eye, statedth it she had been married to the prisoner 15 years
and had 4 children. Her husband earned more than
21. a week by dealing in Pawnbrokers' duplicates,
but he neglected her and the children, so that some
days they were without food. For the last 6or 7
years he had been in the habit of ill-treating ber,
and in, May last he left her without a vestige of fur-
niture or the means of bnying food. She was com-
pelled to work very hard to enable her to keep the
children from starving for several months. In Ja-
nuary the prisoner came home, promising t o be kind
to her, but he had not been living long with her
when he recommenced his ill-usage. On Tuesday
he came home drunk and abused her in a dreadful
manner, and when she remonstrated with him be
knocked her down like a bullock, and struck her
several times on the face, giving her a black eye,
and otherwise bruising her face. He then ran out
of the house, and on the following morning she ap-
plied to the court and obtained a warrant for h. s
apprehension. She, however, did not wish to have
him punished, as all she required was that he should
keep the peace towards ber, and not come near her.
Mr. Combe asked her whether he had frequently
beat her Lately?
She replied that he bad, but that was only when
he cams home drunk, and that was nearly every
night.
Mr. Combe asked the prisoner what he had to
say in answer to the charge ?
He said that his wife aggravated him and bit his
nose, so that he was compelled to pfish her off and
she fell down. That was how she came by her
black eye.
The complainant denied the assertion. She, how-
ever, acknowledged scratching his face when he was
beating and kicking her.
Mr. Combs told him he wan a cowardly brutal
fellow, and ho should not be doing his duty unless
he punished him with some severity. He must be
e9mmitted to the House of Correction for Oree
months, with hard labour.

THE LATEST NEW THING.—A spider-tank is the last
novelty, and likely to be the most popular one intro-
duced. Ir. t-hoel,l be furnished with a perforated glazed
top, and be not less than ten or twelve inches high,
formed upon a square base of some six or more inches.
The one we have contains three &sea spiders, acting,
like a body of ants or like a hive of bees, under a
chosen ruler, and the arrangem nt of the. nest and
the formation of the web have been the work of the
most perfect subdivision of labour, each individual spider
performing its .hotted task, without interfering with
that of Its neiglibmr. The Argyronet* Aquatics,
the diving water spider, when isolated from its
companions, builrls a cup Lite nest close to the top of
the water, and the membrane which surrounds the body
being transparent, when inflated with air, assumes the
appearance ef, a glittering metallic substance. So
charged, the spider descends to the bottom in search of
prey, but frequently is itself devoured by fish before it
reaches its de-dilation. To guard against this,nature has
taught it that unity is strength, and when acting together
in a body, the web ins so strong and of such dimensions,
that fish themselves are entrapped and become food for the
colony. The immense activity of the spider, continually
ascending and descending, glittering and bright in its
airy dress, makes it one of the most amusingadditions to
the vivarium, and the epider tank guards it from the
danger to -which it is suhject if placed within the general
aquariuw.

GREENWICH.—James French, 25, and Wm.
Janes, 19, dust collectors ant donkey drivers, were
pl.ccd at the bar charged with stealing a coat, the
pr.ftperty of Mr. Robert Taxby, a retired naval
officer, while in the performance of their calling.
it appeared that the prisoners called at the ra-
shlence of prosecutor, situate in' Queen Elizabeth-
row, Greenwich-road, and were .engaged to carry
out the dust. Janes was_ the internal operator,
while French took care of the cart at the door.
The servant of the house rem.iined iii the passage,
and observed Janes, es he carfied out a basketful
of dust before ~him knock ,down one of six coats
which weie hanging in the passage. She immedi-
ately replaced it, thinking it was an accident,
and Janes,- after depositing- his load, returned
for a second. On this occasion --he contrived
to carry off a coat by placing it on his basket, and

while he returned for a third basketful, the cart was
driven from the door by French. Ou the thiid load
being taken to the door, Janes went after the cart,
The following is a complete list of Members of tl‘e late
House of Commons and, on its return, the deposit was made, and a who have either voluntarily retired
fourth journey performed, during which Janes from Parliament, who have been defeated in their at-
pulled at a second coat ; bu‘, being observed, the tempts at re-election :
robbery of the first coat was detected, and Janes
given into custody, the other man, for the time,
escaping. On searching the cart, the coat was
found concealed in the dust.

THE OLD PARLIAMENT.

Through the politeness of our worthy sheriff, Mr.
S. J. Springer, we, last evening, paid a visit to R.
J. M. Ward, who gave us the following confession
in relation to the murder of his wife. Ward seemed
to be deeply affected, frequently interrupting his
disclosure by exclamations of deep sorrow and re-
gret for the crime he had committed, and giving us
a full and complete disclosure of the same. After
taking down his confessionwe read the same to him,
when he pronounced it correct. We give it to our
readers as we had it from his own lips, in the pre-
sence of the sheriff and others :—" On Tuesday
evening, Feb. 3, Mrs. Wart and myself had. some
words, during which Mt s. Ward struck me onthe head
with a fluid lainp, also on the right side of the nose
causing the same to bleed freely. I begged her
not to strike me, took the lamp away from her,
and went to bed. We arose between 6 and 7 o'clock,
on Wednesday morning. I spoke to her about the
b'ow she had given me, showing her where she had
stuck me on tae evening previous, also the blood
on the bolster and tick. She said she wished I had
bled to death, and, picking up a stick of hickory
wood, she attempted to strike me. I warded off the
blow, 'which fell upon my right thumb, laming it
severely. The stick fell from her hand, and as
she stooped to pick it up I seized a flatiron, and in
the heat of passion struck her with it on the right
side of the head, upon and under the ear, driving
the earring into the flesh. She fell to the floor, ex-
claiming, " Werd, you have killed me 1' I
dropped the flatiron, and went to her; she was
lying on her side I turned her over on, her back,
and placed a petticoat under her head, supposing
she was only stunned. I use 1 all means in my power
to restore her, but in half an hour she died, having
only spoken once, Oh, my Nellie,' meaning, as I
suppose, her little girl. I wrapped her head in a
petticoat andedrew the body under the bed, to con-
ceal it in case any one should come iu. About half-
past 8 Wm. H. Nathan, a mulatto boy, came to
the door with some milk. I went into the shop,
took the milk from him and he left. I then went
to Liba All grocery, bought a pound of sugar,
and told him I was going away. I then returned to
the house, and after a short time commenced cut-
ting 1113 the body. I tore the clothes open from the
throat down. I then took a small pocket-knife and
opened the body ; took out the bowels first, and
then put them in the stove, upon the wood ; they
being filled with air would make a noise in expl'd
ing, so I took my knife, and pricked holes through
them, to prevent the noise ; then took out the
liver and heart, aed put them in the stove ; found
it very difficult to burn them; bad to take the
poker and frequently stir them before they could
be destroyed ; I found the lungs very much de-
cayed. I took out the blood remaining in the ca-
vity of the body by . placing a copper kettle
close to the same, and scooping it out with my
hands. I then dipped portions of her clothing in
the same, and burnt it together, fearing, if I put
the blood in the store alone, that it might be dis-
covered. then made an incision through the
flesh, along down each side, broke off the ribs and
took out the breast bone, and throwing it into a
large boiler, unjointed the arms at the shoulders,,
doubled them up and placed them in the boiler ;
then severed the remaining portions of the body by
placing a stick of wood under the back and break-
ing the backbone over the same, cutting away the
flesh and ligament with a knife ; then tried to sever
the head from the body.; it proving ineffectual, I
put the whole upper portion of the body in the
boiler ; then took a large carving knife and severed
the lower portions of the body, unjointed the legs
at the knee, and again at the hip-joint ; cut the
thighs open, and took out the bones .and burnt
them up ; they burnt very rapidly. On Thuisday
night I commenced burning the body, by placing
the upper and back portions of the same, together
with the head, iu the stove. On Friday morning,
finding it had not been consumed, I bu It a large
fire by placing wood around and under it, and in a
short time it was wholly consumed, exalt some
small portions of the larger bones of the skull. The
remaining potions of the body were kept in the
boiler and in tubs under the bed, covered up with
a corded petticoat, and were there at the time the
first search was made on Saturday by constable
Curtis. Hearing on Saturday evening that the
citizens were not satisfied with the search made
by Mr. Curtis, I proceeded on Sunday morn-
ing to destroy the remainder of the body,
by burning the same in the stove, cutting the
fleshy parts of the thighs iu small strips, the
more readily to dispose of them.. On Monday
morning I took up the ashes in a small keg, sifting
out the larger pieces of bone with my hands,
placing the same in my overcoat pockets, which I
scattered in various places in the fields at different
times. Also took the major portion of the trunk
nails, together with the hinges, and scattered them
in different places. I then blunt her trunk and
every vestige of her clothing, disposing of small
portions at a time, to prevent their creating too
much smoke." On the 6th inst., R. J. M. Ward,
the murderer, was brought in, dressed as usual in
a full suit of black, appearing much downcast, and
as the Court commanded him to stand up, he arose,
breathing heavily, his eyes fixed upon the floor,
and only momentarily seeking the face of the
judge. With one hand he leaned heavily on the
chair, while the other hung trembling at his side.
After the judge had pronounced sentence of death
Ward knelt down, and, leaning on the chair,
buried his face in his hands, weeping and groan-
ing. He was suffered to remain thus for a few
moments, as the forms of adjourning the court till
the afternoon were gone through with, when Sheriff
Springer, touched him on the shoulder and he
arose, apparently much more composed, and was
taken to the gaol.—l'oledo Commercial, April 6.