The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-28 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. RUTHVEN7 THE OLD BOW-STREET
OFFIcER.—On Tuesday, at a quarter to eleven o'clock, Mr.
George Ruthven, one of the old Bow-street officers, expired
at his residence, the One Tun Tavern, Chandos-street,
Covent-garden, aged fifty-two years. He was the oldest
and most notorious of the few remaining Bow-street runners,
among whom death has latterly made such ravages, and was
(considered as the most efficient police officer that existed
ituring his long career of usefulness. He was for thirty years
attached to the police force, having entered it at the age of
seventeen, but in 1839 he retired with a pension of 2201. per
annum from the British Government, and pensions likewise
from the Russian and Prussian Governments, for his services
in discovering forgeries to an immense extent, connected
with those countries. Since 1839, he has been landlord of
the One Tun Tavern, Chandos-street, Covent-garden, and
has visited most frequently the spot of his former active
associations. lie was taken ill on Thursday morning, and
did not rally from a paralytic fit except a little on Saturday
evening. Among his many notorious captares may be
reckoned those of Thistlewood, for the Cato street con-
„piracy, in which daring enterprise Smithers was killed,
;the taking of Thurtell, the murderer of Mr. Weare, and the
:discovery of bank robberies and forgeries on Government to
an enormous amount. lie was a most eccentric character,
and had written a history of his life, but would on no account
allow it to meet the public eye. During the last three
months no less than three of the old Bow-street officers,
namely, Goodson Salmon, and Ruthven, have paid the debt
of nature.

AN EARLY BROOD.—The following fact goes to
• show the extreme mildness of the past winter :—For several
months past a Mr. Curtis has been confined by illness, at the
/Albion, in Horsemonger-lane, and occupies an upper room
with a southern aspect. During the winter he was visited
IV a brace ofsparrows, who perched on the sill of the window
n mar hia bed, and id the severe weather they were supplied
h food. About the middle of February they began to
built I their nest on a ledge under the chamber window, and
such,, has been their industry and care that they have four
young ones, able to leave their nest and nearly fledged ; and
as the 'arent birds are well supplied with food, their chirping
offspring ' thrive fast. The circumstance is remarkable, as this
domestic bird seldom prepares for the work of incubation till
.the end of 'March. These appear to have forstalled St. Va-
lentine's day.
RO'BBEBY AT THE HAYMARKET THEATRE.—Tuos-
day information was received by the police that on the pre-
vious night it gentleman belonging to the firm of Messrs.
Hodge, Horne,' and Co., wholesale druggists, Nos. 102 and
103, Blackman-istreet, Southwark, was robbed in the pit of
the Haymarket Theatre, between ten and half-past ten
s 'clock, of a brown silk purse, containing ten sovereigns and
,some silver, and taank receipt for the stun of 451. and 404 in
ntVes•

League—they should rely upon the League, and
make speedy terms with the League.—(Hear, hear.)
The only terms that were to be made being, that they
would serve the League, and in the end serve them-
selves, by the total abolition of that infamous mono-
poly.—(Cheers.) He contended it was a warfare
against civilisation this wanton abuse by the land-
owners of their legislatorial powers ; for when and
where in the world's history had civilisation advanced
hut in connection with the harmonious and harmonising
influences of commercial intercourse. To whom did
the world owe its first alphabet but to those adven-
turous merchants, the Phoenicians ? There was
a sort ofcant abroad about the instability of commerce.
Why, the empire of the Phoenicians lasted 700 years.
'What was it but their commercial intercourse that
gave the elegant and polished Athenian his superiority
over the rude Spartan ? In the Middle Ages the
republics of Italy, while they kept alive some
notion of political freedom, did it in connection with
their commercial greatness. Their princely mer-
chants were the sources of wealth and civilisation to
. many succeeding ages. In that great start which
Europe took at the period of the Reformation, they
continually found the burgesses, the tradesmen, and
merchants, making good their position in society, and
by that advance raising the feudal. lords themselves ;
for what were they then, and what would they be
now, but for the benignant influence of commerce ?
But for that those very persons who denied to the
labourer the food which his labour had earned,
while they surrounded themselves with all the
luxuries they could accumulate from every fo-
reign., region—these men would have been, instead
of living in richly carpeted rooms, dwelling in rush-
strewn floors; sin cold and stony residences, more like
dungeons than anything else, with unglazed windows,
which:let in the sleet and snow, as well as the air of
(leaven. They would still, if sanctioning the char-
ter of some mercantile guild, affix to it their marks
instead of writing their names ; and would have been
as well informed of those distant countries, over the
destinies of which they exercised so large an in-
fluence as those feudal barons, who, when they set
out on the crusade to Palestine, expected in that
country to encounter giants riding on unicorns, to
find black magicians, who for breakfast sucked
phoenix's eggs, and who expected to find griffins and
dragons as plenty as barn-door fowls.—(Laughter.)
Why, it was commerce had made men of them.
Poor and beggarly was the boon that was asked of
them in return, to allow the very humblest of the
labourers the reward of his labour which Providence
had allotted him. Laws for the restriction of com-
merce were an absurdity under any circumstances,
and a wickedness as well as an absurdity—much
more were they both in such a country as this.
Why, this land was made for commerce—it was
marked out for commerce by the hand of Heaven
itself. Creative power had stamped that as its des-
tiny. Their long lines of coast—their beautiful
rivers—their safe harbours—all indicated that every
wind that blew ought to waft from their shores some
freight of wealth or knowledge or charity to every
region of the world. It was marked out for com-
merce by its coal-beds and mineral treasures, by ma-
terials which nature itself had put into their hands
to enable them to minister to the subsistence of their
own millions, and feeding and clothing millions and
millions more. The industry, the unwearied toil,
the accumulated capital, and the persevering skill and
science of this land—the means by which
it had already attained all they could show—
these were the conquests they had to make,
this was their mission from Heaven for the universal
benefit of mankind. Then who or what was this
Finded class, that they should stand up and say that
this shall not be done, because it would deteriorate
their property and lower their rents ? 'Why, sup-
pose it should do so, was there anything in that class,
which had for ages such immense advantages over all
the rest of society, supposing they were to suffer a
temporary privation, that they should allow it to
stand in the way of accomplishing all that humanity
had a right to claim, and which charity
and justice alike awarded their sacred sanction to?
Could they permanently divert this island from its
proper work—could they succeed in permanently
upholding laws which must cripple the manufac
Curers and commerce, by which they had been en-
riched, which had 'made them a great and strong
nation—could they go on in suppressing these ?
Could they keep down the ebullition of misery and sup-
press all indications of discontent—could they, through
the coming years, to the fullest extent carry out, which
they were far from being able to do, the purpose for
which the monopolist laws were enacted, what dis-
astrous results would take place from end to end of this
country ? With a growing population, and a declining
trade—with ports barred against the foreigner by
duties—disease and famine would continually stalk
abroad—frightful demoralisation would ensue—
the iron arm of power must be put forth to keep
down the millions ; they must " Make a solitude and
call it peace ;" such peace as would he the peace of a
churchyard, where every man was nerveless, every
heart was cold, and all were mouldering fast into one
mass of corruption. The land would be portioned
out into little squirearchies, and each rural tyrant
would stalk, in all the solitary majesty of self-as-
sumption, over his own petty domain. The peasant
would think it a great prize when he got a good
sound potatoe. Intellect, the arts, all that civilised
and softened life, would leave the country, which, de-
graded and abandoned, would become so fearful a spec-
tacle, that we should say, "God of heaven ! let this island
he whelmed again beneath the ocean from which it
rose. Let it find a worthier grave there, rather than
that the long annals of its glory should end in any-
thing so infamous and so disgusting!"—(Loud cheers.)
'They were not then advocating any mere manufac-
turers' question ; they were not pleading for any mere
,charity to the poor; they were asserting one common
and great right of humanity, and one interest, which
was not merely a pecuniary interest of the passing
day, but the interest of human nature in all countries
and for all ages—a cause which was the cause of ci-
vilisation itself. That for which they strove was,
that the world's progress should not be turned back
under the effect of this mischief and wrong. It was
a cause that would call forth the warmest
feelings of their hearts and the intensest devotion of
their souls ; a cause that would be before them from
slay to- day, and from nigjit to night, and from year to
year, till the result they contemplated was obtained ;
and that it was regarded, in all its importance, by
:those whose station gave them ampler means of
%ringing on that result. For should the Sovereign
of these realms have her moments of perplexity and
anxiousness' distracted by conflicting councils, and
should she look wistfully at the battles of warring
statesmen ; should she, in such a moment, desire to
know what it was which would make her reign
Messed. as to wipe away the tears of the distressed,
Id clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, and
raise those who were trampled down ; should
she desire to know what it was that
would render her reign illustrious, not only by
averting misery and recovering her people from
wrong, but by giving a higher splendour, one before
which the glories of conquest and of legislation, insti-
tutions and of revolutions in former times should all
wax pale in comparison ;—should she desire to know
what was that magic which should render her reign
an ,era in the world's history, and the best and
:brightest in the annals of Great Britain ; when she
-desired this, oh that some good angel would whisper
in her ear that the talismanic words that would do all
.this were " Commercial Freedom !"—(Loud cheers,
'followed the conclusion of the Hon. Gentleman's
speech.)
The CHAIRMAN then announced that these meet-
ings would be re-commenced after Easter, and that
due notice of the day of meeting would be given.
'The assembly then dispersed.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT, Kingston, March 27.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON.)
THE MURDER OF LORD GRANTLEY'S GAMEKEEPER.
—James Elsley, 38, was indicted for the wilful murder
of James Edwards.
There were four counts in the indictment. The first
charged the prisoner with shooting the deceased ; the
second with shooting him, andalso beating him to death;
the third with beating him only ; and the fourth charged
the murder to have been committed by casting the de-
ceased into the water, and thereby suffocating and
drowning him.
Mr. Clarkson, with Mr. Locke, conducted the prose-
cution ; and Mr. Charnock appeared for the prisoner.
The case seemed to create a good deal of interest, and
the Court was crowded during the trial, which lasted
some hours.
Mr. CLARKSON stated the case for the prosecution,
which he said was instituted by Lord Grantley, in
whose service the deceased was employed as gamekeeper.
He observed that although his Lordship had felt it his
duty to prosecute the present indictment against the pri-
soner for the murder of an old and faithful servant, yet,
of course, he had no desire but that the case should be
fully and fairly investigated, and if in the result the
jury should be satisfied that the more serious charge had
not been made out against the prisoner, such a result
coming from a conscientious conviction in the minds of
the jury, upon the evidence, would be quite satisfactory
to his Lordship and to all concerned in the prosecution.
The Learned Counsel then proceeded to state the facts
of the case as they afterwards appeared in evidence, and
also the law upon the subject, concluding by calling the
following witnesses :
Joseph Head, examined by Mr. LoCKE—I am bailiff
to Lord Grantley, and live at Bromley. I knew the de-
ceased, James Edwards. He acted as gamekeeper to
Lord Grantley. I recollect the 6th of January, and on
that day I went along the Wey and Avon Canal, to-
wards Wonersh. I knew the lock which separates the
canal from the Lynarsh-field. (A plan of the neigh-
bourhood was here produced and proved to be correct).
Examination continued—l was on horseback by the
side of the canal about nine o'clock in the morning,
when I saw something on the water, which, at first, I
thought was a piece of sack or tarpauling. I dismounted,
and threw in stones for my dog to go into the water, but
he would not do so. I made some inquiries, and ob-
tained assistance and returned to the spot. At this time
the body was out of the water, and I recognised it to be
that of the deceased, who was in his usual dress. The
body appeared very much beaten. The head was
wounded in several places. I examined the round near
the canal, particularly on the Lynarsh side; and on that
side it rises up to the edge of the canal, for a distance of
two feet. I observed a large pool of blood, and from
that spot it is five or six yards to the edge of the canal.
There is some furze about two yards from the canal,
which is used as a preserve for game. I examined these
furze bushes, and saw some small portions of human
flesh on parts of them, and the pool of blood lay on the
ground below the furze. I also saw the marks of heels
and toes of shoes near the bank of the canal, and a few
years nearer to the lock of the canal, I saw other marks
of the same size and description, and I there found the
hat and stick of the deceased, which I now produce.—
(The hat bore an indentation on one side evidently oc-
casioned by a very violent blow. The stick was a very
slight one.)
Cross-examined—lt is dead water in the canal except
when the lock is let off. At the place where the body
was found there are about three or four feet of water.
The furze may be about two or three yards from the
bank of the canal. At the open part of the furze a per-
son might very easily get into the canal. There is a good
deal of traffic at times on the canal.
Re-examined—The land on the opposite side of the
lock is not preserved. The land, all along, retires to-
wards the Lynarsh-field, and if the body had rolled at
all, it must have rolled up a hill. I have seen the de-
ceased wear the hat I produce, and also know the stick
to have been his.
Mr. Duncombe, a surveyor, who had been previously
called to prove the correctness of the plan, was again
placed in the box, and he described the details and the
position of the different localities, with a view to show
that it was impossible for the deceased to have rolled into
the river, as represented by the prisoner in his state-
ment.
William Stanton, examined by Mr. CLARKSON—My
father has a wharf on the canal, near Lord Grantley's
preserve. On the morning the body was found, in con-
sequence of something Mr. Head said to me, I went to
the canal and saw an object floating in the water. I as-
sisted to bring it to the bank, and it turned out to ba the
body of the deceased. I knew him directly, and I re-
marked that one of his ears was very much lacerated,
and on the opposite side the skull seemed to be beaten
in. The wounds appeared to have bled a good deal, and
they were bleeding at the time the body was taken out
of the water.
Humphreys Durrant confirmed the testimony of the
last witness, relative to the finding of the body. He
also said he observed that the ear was jammed all to
pieces.—(This corresponded with the marks on the hat.)
The ear was cut in every direction.
Charles Jenkins, inspector of police, produced a
broken gun-stock, which was found near the canal, also
the broken lock of a gun.
Henry Day, examined by Mr. LocßE—On Saturday,
the 6th of January, I was close to the canal in the Ly-
narsh-field, and I picked up the broken gun-stock. It
was in the furze. There was blood upon it, and also a
small quantity of human hair. The brass upon the butt
of the gun-stock was bent up, and upon that I saw
the hair.
Henry Green deposed that on the same day the water
was drawn off the canal, and he found in the bed of the
canal the remaining portion of the broken gun-stock.
Edmund Walker, examined by Mr. LoCKE—I am
gamekeeper to Mr. John Sparkes. I knew the deceased
well, and was with him at the Jolly Farmer public-house
at Bromley, on the evening of the sth January. There
was a raffle going on, and a good many people were in
the house. The deceased came in about half-past seven
o'clock in the evening, and we drank together. He was
quite sober when he went away, which was about eight
o'clock in the evening. When Edwards went away he
had such a stick in his hand as the one that has been
produced, and I have no doubt it is the same.
Cross-examined—l cannot undertake to swear posi-
tively that it is the same stick. We had only two pints
of beer together, but I don't know what the deceased
had drank before. I stayed an hour, expecting the de-
ceased would return as he •had promised, hut as he did
not come I went away.
Alexander Lambert examined by Mr. CLARKSON—
I was at the Jolly Farmer public-house on Friday, the
sth of January, and I remember the prisoner coming
into the house in question about seven o'clock. His legs
appeared to be vet, and he asked me to let him dry his
clothes by the fire. I did so, and went into the bar,
where I saw the deceased, and drank some beer with
him. He was quite sober. He left the room for a short
time, and asked me to hold his stick while he was
gone. I did so, and I have no doubt the stick that has
been produced is the same.—(The portions of the
broken gun were here handed to the witness, and he
identified them as having originally formed a gun
which he had seen in the possession of the prisoner.
By Mr. CHARNOCK—I was not examined before the
Coroner. The prisoner is a married man, with a family
of six or seven children. It is a very old stock indeed,
and appears to be worm- eaten. Ido not swear positively
to the stick, but to the best of my belief it is the same.
Re-examined—The prisoner had been working for a
person named Tickner.
George Lucas, pot-boy at the Jolly Farmer, proved
that he saw the prisoner leave the house about eight
o'clock.
Charlotte Brown examined by Mr. CLLRICSON—I lire
at Bromley, and about eight o'clock in the evening of the
sth January I. heard the report of a gun come - directly
from the Lynarsh field, and shortly afterwards I heard a
second report in the same direction. Ten minutes might
have elapsed between the two reports.
John Turrell proved that he also heard the report of
a gun, and likewise heard some person cry out very
much. The cries were repeated several times, and at
last he went out, and then heard some one call out " Oh
dear!" The sound came in a direction from the lock.
He heard no other sound after the person called out
" Oh dear!"
Thomas Champion, examined by Mr. CLARKSON—On
the night of the sth January I heard the report of a gun,
and about five minutes afterwards thcre was a cry of
" Come on." Immediately afterwards I heard a second
report.

Joseph Head re-called—The deceased had persons
under him called watchers, whose duty it was at night
to watch these preserves.
By Mr. CHARNOCK—The deceased was taller and
stouter than the prisoner, but I cannot say whether he
was a stronger man.
John Burl, examined by Mr. LOCKE—I know the pri-
soner, and have frequently had conversations with him.
About a twelvemonth ago he told me that he would
never be taken by any one man.
Cross-examined—I don't know what we were talking
about which led to the observation, nor whether it was a
3 ear and half or two years ago.
Charles Jenkins re-called—l am the inspector of po-
lice stationed at Shere, near Guildford. On Saturday,
the 6th January, in consequence of what I had heard I
went to Bromley, and from thence to a place called Run
Common, where I found the prisoner working for a per-
son named Tickner, and took him into custody. I con-
veyed him to the Jolly Farmer at Bromley, and left him
in charge of a parish constable while I searched the pri-
soner's house. I found in his house a short smock frock
with spots of blood upon it, and which appeared to have
been partly washed and hung to the fire to dry. The
blood was upon the breast and upon both sleeves. I
took the frock back to the prisoner, and he told me, in
answer to a question I put to him, that it was his own
frock. I then told the prisoner I should take him on
suspicion of the murder of the keeper, and he replied
" Thank God, I am innocent." Shortly after this I
searched the prisoner. and found a powder-horn and a
clasp knife in his pockets. I next examined the pri-
soner's person, but could not discover any bruises or
other marks of violence. I made a further search at the
house of the prisoner the next day, and found a large
quantity of chisels,planes, and tools of every description.
William Biddlecomb, examined by Mr. LocKE—I am
chief constable of Godalming, and accompanied the last
witness, when he searched the prisoner's house. I
examined the prisoner's arms, chest, legs, and head,
and found no mark of violence on any part of his per-
son. I subsequently searched the prisoner's cottage, and
in the grate in the bed-room I found a shirt covered
over with old rags. The shirt was torn in the breast,
and there were marks of blood on that part, and also on
the left wristband. The right wristband appeared as
though it had been in dirty water and afterwards dried.
I searched the prisoner's wood-house, and found the coat
which I now produce. It was wet, and in the pocket
there-were some pheasant's feathers. I also found two
gum In the prisoner's house
guns, and part of another