The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-10 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE--Dec. 9.

MANSION-HOUSE.—James Powers, 26, was
brought up for final examination, upon a charge of
a felonious assault upon Hannah Percival, a girl 16
years of age, who was employed in -the warehouse
of Messrs. Chavasse, of Upper Thames-street, iron-
bedstead makers, where the prisoner was foreman,
the alleged offence having been stated to have been
committed on the premises.
The prisoner was originally charged before Mr.
Alderman Abbiss, and it was understood that the
case against him was completed, and that he would
be committed for trial ; but he was remanded on
his own application, in order that he might com-
municate with his solicitor.
Mr. Robinson now appeared on his behalf, and
the Lord Mayor sat with Mr. Alderman Abbiss to
diSpoSe of the case.
The depositions having been read over,
Mr. Robinson said he was in a position either to
call witnesses himself, or to cross-examine those
who had been produced for the prosecution, if he
chose to do so ; but. that he should not think it
necessary to do either, unless the Court first ex-
pressed an opinion that the evidence was sufficient
to justify the commitment of the prisoner for trial.
•So far as he could understand the case, he thought the
charge might as well be for burglary, or forgery, as
.for violation, which there was not a particle of evi-
dence to support, and he did not believe that there
was a single member of the bar who would stand up
'to support the charge before a jury ; and even it'
the prisoner were committed for trial no jury would
convict him upon such evidence, and the judges, he
was assured, would scout the charge as one which
there was nothing to sustain, and which ought
never to have been sent before them. The girl her-
self, from her own evidence, was clearly of a de-
praved mind, for she admitted that she possessed a
book of which personally lie knew nothing, but
which he understood was about the most abominable
in the English language, and abounded with tho

securely locked up. At five o'clock the next morn-
ing, however, it was discovered that the place had
been entered and the horse and cart and meat
were gone, upon which inquiry was immediately
made in Newgate-market, where the meat was
found, having been delivered to a sale'sman there
by porters employed by two men who accompanied
a. cart belonging to the prosecutors. The meat
was immediately delivered up, being identified
through some accidental cuts, and the horse
and cart were taken home by a labouring
man who had found them in the Blackfriars-
road, where they had been standing, as if lost, all
day. On the former examinations, the prisoners
having been apprehended upon different days, some
difficulty was experienced in establishing the iden-
tity of the prisoners as being the two men who ac-
companied the cart to Newgate-market, but the fact
was pretty well established now, so far as Shorey
was concerned, one of the witnesses admitting that
he had before sworn that he could not identify him
because he had been over persuaded to say nothing
about it.

Shorey therefore was committed for trial, but, as
the evidence was still defective with regart to nett-
mar, he was discharged.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.—Joseph Wright,
known to the police as " Brighton Joe," an asso-
ciate of thieves, and frequently in custody, con-
victed at this and other courts, was re-examined on
a charge of stealing from a coffee-house in Upper-
St. Martin's-lane, whore he had taken a bed for the
night, a mantle, a shawl, and various articles of
female wearing apparel, the property of the land-
lady ; and a coat and gold shirt-studs belonging to
a lodger.
The property was carried off on the morning of
26th August last, and Mrs. Skeggs, the prosecu-
trix, idenlfied the prisoner as taking a bed at her
house the previous night, and that he was the only
stranger there on that occasion. That the property,
seen safe the day of the night he arrived, was stolen
from a chest of drawers in the room, and that he
left at 8 o'clock in the morning, giving an order for
his breakfast in half an hour, but never returned.
The prosecutrix added that she afterwards recol-
lected that he looked particularly stout about the
body and broad across the chest on leaving, and
gave information to the police on discovery of her
loss.
A Mr. Bingham, from Brighton, who slept in the
room adjoining the prisoner's, proved missing his
property on getting up in the morning.
The daughter of the prosecutrix also positively
identified the prisoner.
The prisoner denied sleeping at the house, and
was committed for trial.

WORSHIP-STREET.—A well-dressed woman,
named Mary Anne Hill, was charged with the fol-
lowing robbery :
Two ladies, named Evans and Barker, got into
an omnibus at Kingsland on the preceding evening
to be carried to the Surrey side of the water, but
found it so crowded with passengers that Mrs. Bar-
ker .was obliged to sit in Mrs. Evans's lap for some
part of the distance till two of the passengers got
out. Just before this took place Mrs. Barker felt
somebody touch her dress, but imagined Mrs. Evans
had done so, and therefore took no notice of it, but
presently, after the prisoner, who had been seated
beside them, called to the conductor to let her out,
and for some reason which was not explained Mrs.
Barker suddenly suspected her, and on feeling in
her dress pocket found that her purse had been
stolen. She therefore called to the conductor to
stop her, which he did, and the prisoner was charged
with the robbery ; the prisoner indignantly denied
the charge, but was taken to the station, and on
the road dropped a shilling. The officer drew her
attention to the shilling, but she refused to pick it
up, saying it was not hers, evidently from a fear of
its being identified, the •contents of Mrs. Barker's
purse consisting of silver; but on nearing the station
she acknowledged the shilling was her s, and told
the officer he might get drink with it, if he chose.
On searching her the purse could not be discovered,
but Inspector Webster said he felt satisfied, from
what he had learnt, that the prisoner belonged to
a gang of women who got a living in this way ;
and the prisoner, who stoutly declared that she
kneiv nothing whatever of the robbery, was re-
manded.

LAMIAETII.—Mr. Norton was engaged for some
time in investigating a case in which a poor woman
named Davis sought to recover compensation from
a furniture dealer named Ellis, residing at Camber-
well, for her furniture, amounting to £l5O.
It appeared that in 1854 the complainant mar-
ried a man named Wilcox, a plumber and glazier,
and having at the time £3OO, her own property, she
furnished a house in High-street, Peckham, and
established her husband in business. In the spring
of 1858, owing to the badness of trade, her husband
became embarrassed, and Ellis, who had previously
worked for him, advised that the furniture in the
house, which was very valuable, should be removed
to an empty house of his to avoid the creditors.
The furniture was accordingly removed to a house
in Sumner-street, Borough, where they were left
under lock and key, the latter being in Wilcox's
possession. Complainant and her husband went to
the country after the latter passed through the In-
solvent Debtors' Court, and while there the hus-
band absconded, and the wife not only found out
that he was married to another woman, but found
the former wife out; After this she gave Wilcox
into custody, and he was brought to this court,
committed for trial, found guilty at the late Old
Bailey Sessions, and sentenced to three years' penal
servitude. While the prosecution was going on
the complainant called one day at the house of the
defendant, and seeing a portion of her property
there, she asked how he came by it, and Ellis ac-
hnowledged that he had picked the lock.
In reply to a question from the Magistrate, the
witness said she was not aware that the defendant
lent Wilcox any money, or that the latter owed
Ellis any.

In cress, examination by Mr. Solomon, for the
defendant, the witness admitted that the house in
Mead's-court had been taken in her maiden name,
and that she had been aware that the goods had
been removed to defraud the creditors. She was
not aware that th, defendant had lent them any
money, but, on the contrary, believed that Wilcox
had lent the defendant £7; for he told her so, and
heard the defendant say he should pay £7.. That
was last Christmas. Sho (witness) did not hear
Wilcox say, at the Southwark Police-court, that ho
had. signed a paper, but he said something about it
in conversation.

A Mrs. Rogers and other witnesses gave evi-
dence in favour of the complainant, and the de-
fence set up was that the property had been pur-
chased for X 26; money advanced to Wilcox, and a re-

the Mechanics' Institutes,and other kindred societies,
then rapidly multiplying throughout the provincial
towns of the United Kingdom. To such institutions
the close of the Polytechnic now would be the loss
of a pattern and coadjutor, and a discouragement to
the friends of useful efforts throughout the coun-
try. The saloons of the Polytechnic have been al-
ways open to the gratuitous exhibitions of new or
old works of art, improvements in manufacture and
machinery, and to useful inventions, affording op-
portunity to artisans and inventors to give public
explanations of their respective productions. The
institution has extended a taste for scientific know-
ledge, by its popular lectures and experiments, and
charmed its visitors, young and old, by a constantly-
diversified series of beautiful dissolving views, the
largest and most brilliant ever exhibited in similar
institutions in Great Britain or on the continent. A
quarter of a million of paying or gratuitus visitors
has been the average number of attendants annu-
allly on its performances from the period of its
commencement, nor is the public interest in them
materially diminished. A feature of great practical
value to the young men of the metropolis the insti-
tution presents in its evening classes. These impart
systematic instruction in natural philosophy, draw-
ing, languages. and general literature, at the mode-
rate charge of ss. per term, liberally accepted by,
the professors, whose services are gratefully appre-
ciated, and an average of 700 students per term have
availed themselves of the privilege. About 50 pupils,
from the instructions received here, have obtained
appointments in the government departments and
the service of railway companies, many of whom
have since attained considerable reputation in their
callings. One hundred and three naval officers
have obtained certificates of efficiency in steam
practice from their studies at the Polytechnic.
The pupils have always borne off prizes and hono-
rary distinctions at the Royal Society of Arts. At
that society's examination at Christmas, out of 29
Polytechnic pupils who contended for its certifi-
cates four obtained those of the first class, four of
the second class, and 13 of the third class. Two
obtained money prizes, and one money prize was
awarded to the institution. During the first two
years of the Working Men's' Lectures, on Saturday
and Monday evenings, admitted at half-price, viz.,
sixpence each, between 60,000 and 70,000 working
men and their families attended. The committee
scarcely alluded to the successive discoveries in art,
science, and social economy, which have owed their
first publicity and popular exposition to the lec-
tures of the Polytechnic, or to the many advan-
tages of a central and easily accessible chemical
laboratory, with every means at hand, and a com-
petent professor always in attendance, to conduct
experiments, apply adequate tests, and furnish in-
formation. They urged, moreover, on philanthropic,
moral, and religious grounds' the importance of
providing pure recreation for the working classes,
instead of leaving them no resource but sensual
and vicious amusements.
Having, since the meeting last August, tho-
roughly investigated the whole matter, the committee
had arrived at the conviction that the new under-
taking, if conducted with ordinary prudence and
discretion, would be sufficiently remunerative to the
shareholders. Notwithstanding the disadvantage
of most persons being out of town at the season
when the committee entered on their labours, they
had received promises of support to the amount of
£8,365. It NN as thought there would be no difficulty
in raising the whole of the funds required by mak-
ing a little effort.
Mr. JANSON, chairman pro. tent., of the commit-
tee, said it was mainly by the generosity of Mr.
Gurney they had got so far on their way. Several
other gentlemen had liberally put down their names.
If the old Polytechnic, with a capital of £35,000,
paid for many successive years a dividend of 11 per
cent., it was probable that the new one, with a
much smaller capital, would also yield a dividend ;
but whether the shareholders got a dividend or not,
he could promise them a bonus—the satisfaction of
doing some real good. It would be a disgrace to
London if the Polytechnic were allowed to disap-
pear, with nothing to take its place.
Mr. WYNN, the hon. secretary, stated that 832
shares had already been taken, and it was proposed
that £7 should be the amount called up on each
share. The money value of the shares was £5,852,
and £435 had been received in donations, making
a total of £6,289 previous to that morning. With
£B,OOO the committee would feel at liberty to enter
into a contract for the purchase of the property.
They wanted to get £14,000, but £BOOO was the
minimum.
The meeting was addressed by Mr. Jos. Payne,
by Mr. Hanbuury, M.P., by Sir C. Rowley, Mr.
Gaussen, Mr. Phene, the Rev. C. Mackenzie, Mr.
Locks (of Regent-street), Mr. Maxwell, Mr. T.
Webster, Mr. Frith, and other gentlemen, in sup-
port of the formal resolutions, or in recommendation
of particular features of the proposed scheme. The
resoluions, which were unanimously adopted, set
forth that the progress made by the provisional
committee justifies the registration of a limited
liability company, with a capital of £20,000, in
2,000 shares of £lO each. The committee wore re-
quested to take steps for that purpose, and to act in
their provisional character until a general meeting
of the shareholders could be convened, to elect a
board of direction, and to settle the future consti-
tution of the company. It was mentioned by the
way that one gentleman conducting an extensive
business near the Polytechnic Institution, of which
he was a shareholder, had come forward mid made
himself liable for £1,500, to prevent its being even
temporarily closed. Several of the speakers bore
direct testimony to its usefulness under the past
management.

..The operations for the recovery of the treasure
sunk in the Royal Charter wore suspended yesterday,
owing to boisterous weather.
[ADVERTISEMENT.] Mr. Benson, Ludgate-hill, has
just published a new illustrated pamphlet on watches (free
by post for two stamps). It should be road by all who are
about buying a watch, as it contains prices and important
information as to-,--What watch to buy I where to buy it !
and Low. to use it