The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-30 00:00:00

SHOCKING EVENT.

Mr. Hamber, the messenger, reported to the Court
that a bankrupt, named Ephraim Godbolt, had died
raving mad that (Saturday) morning. Ephraim and
George Godbolt were builders and carpenters, at 14 and
15, College-place, Chelsea, and on Thursday last were
made bankrupts for a debt due to Mr. Joseph Lambert,
merchant, of Pimlico-wharf. Notices of adjudication
were served upon the bankrupts on Friday evening.
The bankrupt Ephraim Godbolt had previously laboured
under ill-health, and the fact of having been made a
bankrupt produced such a shook upon the nervous s) stem
that he expired in a state of raving madness.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL.

In the course of the morning Mr. Alderman IIUK•
PIIERY stated that the drawers in the cashier's desk, in
one of which the poor-box, containing the fund for dis-
tributing temporary relief to the deserving poor, was
kept, had been broken open by means of a chisel or small
crowbar, between the hours of seven o'clock on Thursday
evening and seven o'clock on Friday morning, and 21., a
donation that had been recen.ly forwarded to the sitting
Alderman for the poor-box, with about 1/. ss. of other
moneys, stolen therefrom. He said it was a most ex-
traordinary thing that a court which was established for
the protection cf the public should itself be liable to the
depredations of burglars, as was evident from the manner
in which that particular desk had been forced. The
worthy Alderman then expressed his intention to inves-
tigate the matter, and for that purpose directed one of
the officers of the court to call in the watchmen of Guild-
hall-yard, who have the superintendence of the premises
after the business of the day was finished.
Shortly after, two of the beadles who have the super-
intendendo of the arrangements for the hall watchmen
came into court, and were placed in front of the tible,
and questioned as to the manner in which the justice-
roam had been entered by the person who took the
money.
John Wood and S 3 Ivanus Notley said (in answer to
questions from Alderman Finnis and Alderman Hum-
phery), that they had heard of the robbery, but could
not account for !he manner in which it bad been done.
They had instructions to look after the other men, and
to watch the hall. They generally opened the door of
the justice-room about six o'clock in the morning to let
in the charwoman, and sometimes the plumbers, carpen-
ters, and window-cleaners.
Alderman HUMPHERY thought it was evidently done
by some persons thoroughly acquainted with the ar-
rangements of the court, as none of the other desks in
the court had been tampered with in the slightest. The
woman who had the cleaning of the effice declared that
she did not come until an hour after the door had been
opened by the officer Notley, and then she found the
door closed and fast. Besides, the breaking open of the
drawers in the de k could not have been eff-cted without
making considerable noise, and there must be some
want of caution on the part of those who were on duty,
and left the place open to be robbed.
Notley said that he let the bolt down far the char-
woman, and then left a watchman of the name of Don-
ney, a supernumerary, outside the court, to look after it.
Alderman El ITINIPTIERY—As the names of those per-
sons who were on duty are down in a book in Mr.
Temple's office, we must have that gentleman and the
book before us, that we may be able to ascertain who
are the individuals to blame.

Mr. Temple having been fetched from Guildhall, he
said that he employed Wood and Notley, and had great
confidence in their integrity, as they had both been a
greet many years in the service of the corporation.
Alderman HUMPHERY said he thought that a judicious
discretion had not been exercised in placing the
watchmen on duty, and in consequocce some dishonest
character had taken advantage of that to get into the
court soon after the door bad been opened.
Mr. Temple said he was sorry to hear the Alderman
pass such severe strictures on the characters of the men
before him, as it would probably tend to shake his con-
fidence in them.

Alderman FINNIS said that it was a subject that re-
quired to be well sifted, and until such was done the
two men, as superintendents of the watchmen, ought to
be suspended.
In answer to a que3tion from Alderman Hu➢IpIIER7,
Mr. Temple said that thew men had 28s. per week, and
the watchman 21s. in winter.

Alderman HUMPHERY was of opinion with Alderman
',lnnis that the two men before him ought to be sus-
rended until the matter was brought properly before the
Court of Aldermen.

The two men pleaded hard not to be suspended, as it
was a part of their duty to open the doors of the court at
an early hour to allow the woman to come in and light
the furnaces.
Alderman I.II3IIIPHERY said that after it had been in-
vestigated, if it were found that they were free from
censure they would get the money for the time of their
suspension; but until then they must adopt the same
mode of proceeding as the Commissioners of Police did
under similar circumstances.

The matter then dropped, on the understanding that
it would be inquired into before the Court of Aldermen.
Alderman WILSON said he had visited a young child
that was at present in the hospital, in consequence of
having been knocked down on Friday afternoon by the
cab that was conveying Mr. Sloane from this court to
the Compter, and he was happy to say that she had re-
ceived no injuries of a serious nature.

Alderman-HuatesEnv said, ho would take care that
the subject of the necessity of a prison van for trans-
mitting the prisoners from the Compter to this court and
back should be brought bef.,re the notice of the next
Court of Aldermen. The corporation had already a
prison van, and the only question for consideration was
the expense of a horse to work it and a man to drive.
It was by far the safer mode for the transit of criminals,
and he hoped the corporation wculd adopt it.
Alderman lIUMPIIERY acknowledged the receipt of
201. as a donation from the Goldsmiths' Company to
the poor-box; also 61., being the amount of damage
awarded and fine imposed for surreptitiously burning the
gas of the Gaslight and Coke Company, from the said
company, for the poor-box.
Alderman WILSON acknowledged 1/. for Jane Wilbred,
from " Anonymous."
At the conclusion of the general business of the court,
and as the Alderman was about to leave it, the cabman
who tad been engaged to drive Mr. Sloane to the Comp-
ter applied to know who was to pay him for the damage
done to his vehicle by the violence of the infuriated mob.
He stated that the plate-glass a indows were literally
smashed, and the doors put completely out of order. The
varnish and paint were grazed off the sides of the cab in
consequence of the polieman hanging on to keep off the
people, who impeded him at every step.
Mr. Roe, having communicated with Alderman Hum-
phery, paid the man 1/. for the damage and faro, and
gave him 2s. 6d. for the loss of time he sustained in hav-
ing to apply for the money.
The cabman appeared very glad on receiving the full
amount of damage that he claimed, and expressed a de-
termination never to run such risk again, if he knew it
beforehand.
MARYLEBONE.

William Reed, a determined-looking fellow, wes
brought bofore Mr. Long upon the following serious
charge, preferred against him by Mr. Thomas Potter, a
member of the board of guardians and directors of the
parish of St. Marylebone:—
Complainant, who resides at No. 73, Crawford-street,
deposed that on the previous evening the prisoner came
to his house and demanded relief. The servant told him
that he (complainant) was engaged, and that he must
call again, upon which he became very abusive and
threatening. Mr. Potter added, that in consequence of
the noise which he heard at his shop door he went out,
and, seeing the prisoner, asked him what he wanted? to
which he replied, " I wish to knew if you mean to do
anything for me?" He (Mr. Potter) told him to go to
Mr. Messer, the relieving-officer, or to Mr. Scaice, if he
wanted work in the stoneyard, when he exclaimed,
" D—n Mr. Scaice; if I don't have relief here I'll be
revenged, and I'll try what a bit of cold steel .will do."
Prisoner, who was somewhat the worse for drink, was
given into custody, and at the station-house he again
threatened to give complainant some "cold steel," when-
ever an opportunity offered.
Prisoner (looking savagely at complainant)—And so I
mean to'do, and that's 5111 about it.
Mr. Potter—This man, Sir, is a most determined
character. About two years ago he broke my windows
by throwing stones and other missiles, and upon that
occasion my niece, who was in the shop, narrowly es-
caped being killed by a large piece of granite, which
passed close to her head.
Mr. Lone (to prisoner)—You have used threats of a
most serious and alarming nature towards this gentle-
man. Do you mean still to say that you intend to
murder him ? Prisoner—Yes, I do.
Mr. Lorrc —Then it is my duty to give him all the
protection in my power. The bail I shall require of
you will be, yourself in 1001. and two sureties in 50.
each, for your keeping the peace for the next six months.
As it was impossible for him to procure the bail, he
will be imprisoned for the whole period alluded to.,
Mr. LONG received from the Goldsmiths' Company
their annual donation of 201, for the poor-box of this
court.

WORSHIP-STREET.
Frederick George Jones, recently a confidential clerk
in the service of Mr. Wilmot Landridge, a lime-burner
et Rochester, was charged with having defrauded his
employers to the amount of 2001.

The prosecutor stated that he was induced from
charitable motives to take the prisoner (whose character
had been seriously affected) into his employ. He made
him manager of a branch business in town. At first his
conduct was good, but subsequently his habits became so
expensive that suspicions were raised, and his acce)unts