The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-29 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK.

Thomas Ready, described as a member of the swell
mob, was placed at the bar for re-examination, charged
with being concerned with three other men, since
transported, in breaking into the premises of Mr.
Thomas Weir, woollen draper, in the London-road,
and stealing nearly 2001. worth of cloth, his property.
The circumstances attending the case were briefly
as follows, the evidence being too lengthy to enter into
all the particulars minutely :—lt appeared that at an
early hour on the morning of the sth of June, 1849,
a man named Fox, a painter, on proceeding across
West-square to his work, observed four men dragging
a cab, which had no horse attached, in the direction of
West-street. Suspecting the men to be bad charac-
ters, one of them (the prisoner) having been pointed
out to him as a member of the swell mob pre-
viously, he immediately communicated his sus-
picions to a police:nen in the London-road, and
they both returned in the direction where the
vehicle was last seen, but upon their arriving at
the spot the four men had decamped, two of them
having run down Walnuttree-walk, leaving the cab,
which, on being opened, was found to be filled with
cloth, tweeds, and other articles of woollendrapery.
Two of the men were pursued and taken into cus-
tody, but the prisoner and another associate escaped,
and in the course of the same morning it was ascer-
tained that the premises of the complainant in the
London-road had been broken into, the thieves having
effected an entrance at the rear in Mansfield-street,
and plundered them of the property above enume-
rated. With a view to prevent detection, the burglars
procured an empty cab from an adjoining stableyard,
and, having drawn it up close to the house which they
had broken into, they deposited the plunder therein,
and were in the act of dragging it in the direction of
the abode of one of them when they were discovered
as already described.
Sergeant Barry stated that two of the men engaged
in the offence were tried, convicted, and sentenced
to transportation at the Central Criminal Court Ses-
sions. The sergeant then related the circumstances
attending the prisoner's apprehension after such a
lapse of time, by stating that a few days ago he (the
sergeant) had occasion to be at Manchester on other
business, and accidentally went into a tavern at which
a concert was being held, and at the bar he saw the
Prisoner and at once knew him, and took him into
custody, informing him at the same time of the
offence with which he stood charged. The prisoner
expressed his willingness to accompany him, but said
nothing in reference to the charge, and he accordingly
brought him to London.
A solicitor attended on behalf of the prisoner, and
cross-examined the different witnesses with a view
to show that they might have been mistaken as to his
being one of the four men who were seen dragging
the cab along laden with the plunder. The witnesses,
however, all spoke with confidence as to the prisoner's
identity, he having been observed near the com-
plainant's house in the company of the men since
transported previously to its having been broken into,
es well as having been seen afterwards helping to
drag the cab with its load of plunder from the premises.
The prisoner, who declined making any defence,
was committed.

WORKING OF METROPOLITAN BUILDINGS ACT.—
Those among our readers who remember the remarks we
have made, from time to time, on the antagonistic position
of the Referees and the Registrar, at the Office of Metro-
politan Buildings, the constantly-occurring appeals for deci-
sion of their differences to the Office of Works, the con-
sequent delay, and contradictory awards, will not be sur-
prised to learn that an inquiry has been instituted by Lord
Seymour, as Chief Commissioner of Works, to discover, if
possible, where the fault lies. Two gentlemen (whether the
right men or not we will not now inquire) have been ap-
pointed to hear and examine the statements of the parties
concerned, and to decide, if possible, whether the evil is to
be attributed to provisions in the Act, or to the officers per-
sonally. If the former, an endeavour will be made, in the
new Bill, to produce a different result; if the latter, there
will probably be changes in the office. The inquiry has
been conducted in secresy, and we shall not render that
abortive by communicating any of the facts that have trans-
pired, or speculate on the probable issue. Suffice it, that we
s t at rest by this statement some unfounded rumours, in
connexion with the of that have been forwarded to us.

The Art-Union of Glasgow have awarded the sum
of 50/. to Mr. E. M. Ward; A.R.A., for his picture of James
the Second receiving intelligence f the landing
of Orange, which was exhibited last year at the Royal
Academy. A similar sum was given a few years ago for the
picture of " The Fallen Minister" by the Art-Union of
Liyerpool. of the Prince

DREADFUL BOILER EXPLOSION.
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
BRADFORD, Nuv. 27.—There has been a dreadful
*oiler explosion here this afternoon, at the mill of Mr.
Christopher Waud in Manchester-road. Two
persons have been killed, and three seriously injured.

LATEST PARTICULARS.
From inquiries made upon _the spot we glean the
following :—The works of Messrs. Vaud are y
extensive, covering an area of four acres and
High mills and warehouses occupy the western
tion of the ground, and the combing and spinning
sheds cover the eastern side. Adjoining these sheds,
at the western corner, were two 80-horse engines and
five boilers. About a quarter-past four o'clock the
southernmost boiler blew up with terrific noise; the
air was literally darkened for the moment by the iron,
stones, and bricks, which flew up and radiated thence
in every direction. The destruction of property was
immense, though as yet it cannot be estimated. The
heavy boiler was rent almost to shreds, and one por-
tion of it, some tons in weight, was tossed far into the
adjoining yard ; another portion, nearly as heavy, was
cast into the adjoining shed, used for combing; whilst
a third portion, weighing five or six tons, was carried
in the air to a distance of fifty or sixty yards, and
driven through the roof of an adjacent preparing shed.
It is unnecessary to say that these heavy masses
scattered destruction around. Beams and rafters were
driven in bodily, and the whole roof, the greater part
of which is covered with glass, was riddled by the
tremendous shower of iron, stones, and bricks. it is
little less than a miracle that there was not a greater
sacrifice of life than has taken place. No less than
400 persons (men, women, and children) were work.
ing in the sheds at the time of the explosion, who as
soon as the , report was heard cowered beneath the
machinery to escape the fearful storm of iron and
bricks. Scarcely bad the noise ceased when it was
discovered that the mass of fire cast forth by the
explosion had ignited the sheds, and it was with much
difficulty that the flames were subdued. The engine-
tender, a young man named John Hall, was found
dead beneath the ruins in the neighbourhood of the
engine-house. Mary Nevin, a newly-married and
young woman, was also found lifeless in the combing-
shed. She, it is pretty clear, was crushed to death by
a heavy piece of iron or stone falling upon her.
Bridget Gauty, aged 18 ; Winifred Brener), 21 ;
Thomas Varley, 19 ; Margaret O'Donnell, 16 ; and
Michael M'Namara, 17, were dreadfully bruised,
burnt, and scalded ; and it <is very doubtful whether
they can survive—indeed, the death of the last two
are hourly expected. They are all lying in the In-
firmary. Five other persons were also injured, but
not so dangerously, though still seriously. Nothing
is known of the cause of the accident, and it is right
to say that the boiler which exploded was not more
than twelve months old. A coroner's inquest was
held on Thursday, and was sitting when our report
left.