The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-26 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE FRAUD ON.THE GASLIGHT AND COKE UOIIPANT.
At the Marlborough-street Police-court, before Mr.
Tyrwhitt, the further examination of Mr. Morris, pro-
prietor of the New York Hotel, Leicester-street, charged
with making a fraudulent claim of £2,700 on the Gas-
light and Coke Company, for alleged losses at the fire at
Savile House, has been proceeded with. William Scully,
who was employed at Savile House at the time of the
fire, gave evidence as to the absence of furniture in the
rooms. Other witnesses gave evidence to the same effect,
at the conclusion of which the magistrate remanded the
prisoner, refusing bail.
STORING GUNPOWDER.—Messrs. Dawe and Co., the in-
ventors and patentees of the famous central-fire cartridges,
have been charged before the Lord Mayor with having,
without license, a large quantity of gunpowder at their
factory, in Great Trinity-lane, City, contrary to the
statute. The charge was proved, but it was alleged in de-
fence that if one of the cartridges exploded amongst a
thousand others no ignition could take place. The de-
fendants were fined £lO.

MANSLAUGHTER.--There have been two cases of man-
slaughter at the Central Criminal Court, both resulting in
convictions, the sentences accompanying them being
eighteen months and two months' hard labour respectively.
The first was the result of a drunken row, in which the
victim had been stabbed ; the second the result of a fight,
in which deceased had been kicked by the prisoner.
ATTEMPTED MURDER.— - Clara Dixon, a married woman,
35 years of age, was indicted for feloniously shooting at
Annie Pilbean with a revolver, with intent to murder
her ; in another account it was alleged that she
intended to inflict grievous bodily harm. She kept a coffee-
house, and while the prosecutrix was lodging there she
shot at her with a revolver. The prisoner's father was
called, and stated that she was the wife of a seaman. On
the 17th August she came to him in a very excited state.
He had not seen her for fourteen or fifteen months before
that. She told him she had a revolver, and he begged her
to give it to him, but she refused, and appeared to be
labouring under the impression that some one was follow-

hig her for the purpose of robbing her. In cross-examina-
tion the witness stated the prisoner had been to America,
and that he had seen her several times after her return. She
had received a very severe injury on the head, and when
she took drink it produced extreme excitement, making her
frantic for the time. He had known her smash dishes and
things of great value without any provocation. This was
more than fifteen months ago. On the night in question
she made reference to her fears of delirium tremens coming
on. She said she had been drinking for two or three days
previously. On the night of the 17th August they had
two pints of ale between them. On this evidence the
jury returned a verdict, finding the prisoner not guilty,
on the ground of temporary insanity, and the judge
ordered her to be kept in confinement during her Majesty's
pleasure.

SETTING FIRE TO HAY-RicKs.--Adam Henderson ano
William Morrison, labourers, without homes, were
charged with wilfully setting fire to two hay-ricks, the
property of Mr. Charles Blake, of Brewhouse Farm,
Merton, and causing damage to the extent of between £4OO
and £5OO. On Thursday afternoon the prisoners were seen
to pass the ricks, which stood in the field by the side of the
road. They walked a short distance and then returned,
when smoke was seen issuing from the ricks, and one was
found on fire. The prisoners, who were the only strangers
near the ricks, were followed and given into custody. On
the way to the station Henderson said they had got into
it, and they must get out of it the best way they could.
Three lucifer matches were found upon Morrison, and
Henderson's back had pieces of hay adhering to it. It
also appeared that one rick was entirely destroyed by fire,
and the other partly burnt. Mr. Arnold remanded the
prisoners, who had nothing to say, for a week.

The electric telegraph is used much more than
is generally imagined. The great fire in the Southampton
Dock, about three weeks ago, was known in Alexandria,
in Egypt, the day after it happened.
RAILWAY TICKETS.—One part of our railway
system, in which it is difficult for outsiders to see any
reason, is the rule by which the issue of ordinary tickets
is restricted to the ten or fifteen minutes prior to the start-
ing of the train. On the continent longer time is generally
allowed. We do not see why it should not be in the
traveller's option to escape the five minutes' crush at the
ticket-window by taking out his ticket half an hour, half
a day—aye, or even a week beforehand. Why should not
tickets be sold in dozens, to be used as required, as well as
singly, to be used at the moment ?—Scotsman.
THE FORTHCOMING ELECTION OF LORD MAYOR.
--Mr. Alderman James Clarke Lawrence, who is next
upon the rota for the honour of the chief magistracy of
the metropolis, is the second son of the late Mr. William
Lawrence, alderman of Bread-street Ward, from 1848 to
1855, and who filled the office of sheriff during the mayor-
alty of Alderman Sir R. W. Carden. His brother, Mr.
Alderman W. Lawrence, M.P., was Lord Mayor in 1863.
Mr. Alderman J. C. Lawrence became alderman of the ward
of Walbrook upon the demise of Mr. Alderman Wire, in
1860, and filled the office of sheriff two years afterwards.
The next upon the list is Mr. Alderman Dakin, who toge-
ther with the former gentleman will be nominated by the
Livery in common hall on Tuesday next ; but as there
does not appea; a probability of any one else being nomi-
nated by the Livery, no doubt the choice of the aldermen
will fall upon Mr. Alderman J. C. Lawrence, who, it may
be mentioned here, is a candidate for the suffrages of the
electors of Lambeth.— City Press.
The Roman correspondent of a conteinpo-
rary mentions that private information having reached
Monsignor Randi that a large deposit of arms was con-
cealed in a house on the banks of the Tiber,
be instantly despatched some police agents with
a detachment of gendarmes, to search all the sur-
rounding buildings. The police set a watch,
and had their suspicions attracted to a house
whose owner W 25 seen crossing the Tiber in a
fishing wherry. This led to a second search, under the
direction of the detective Baldoni, who was recently tried
au the charge of collusion with thieves, and honourably ac-
quitted. Tho police were leaving the house, when Baldoni, ex-
ploring an obscure corner, discovered a masked door. Through
this door entrance was obtained into a dark room, com-
pletely filled with arms. The deposit included no less than
seven hundred double-headed hatchets, and twenty-four
cases of - daggers and pikes, weapons suited for a St.
Bartholomew massacre, but hardly, one would imagine,
available against regular troops. The Roman Liberals, in-
deed, declare that the thing has been got up by the police,
to furnish a pretext to France to prolong the occupation,
and that the other rccez4 diAgcrigioft 01_ liaLTl9ll2l, On
, .‘,.. ~
Mattstlitractfrt.