The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-17 00:00:00

TIIE EXPLOSION IN CLERKENWELL.

The Clerk of the Peace laid before the Court the
copy of a letter to the Home Secretary upon the
subject of the late explosion in Clerkenwell
" Sessions House, Clerkenwell.

" Sir,--The Government having decided to move
for a Parliamentary grant to compensate the parties
who suffered damage and loss through the explosion
that took place outside the wall of the House of
Detention on the 13th of December last, they have,
on behalf of the Justices of the Peace of Middlesex,
to enclose to you a bill of Messrs. Mansfield and
Prhe, amounting to £6Bl 53. 41, certified by the
County Surveyor, being the ac'.ual cost of reinstat-
ing the wall blown down, and repairing the other
damage done to the prison, and I am to request that
you will be pleased to cause the same to be included
in the proposed grant.
(Signed) "H. M. KEIISHEAD, Chairman
of the Court of Common Council.
" To the Right lion. Gathorne Hardy, M.P., &c."
To the above the following reply was read :
" Whitehall, July 6, 1868.

" Sir-1 am-directed by Mr. Secretary hardy to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3d
inst., enclosing the bill for repairing the prison at
Clerkenwell, which you request may be included in
the proposed Parliamentary grant, and I am to in-
form you that it has been sent to the Lords Com-
missioners of her Majesty's Treasury.
(Signed) F. 0. LIDDELL.
"To 11. M. Kemshead, Esq., Chairman of
Account Committee."
The report was adopted.
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

A letter was read from Mr. Gathorne Hardy, ac-
knowledging the address of the justices to the
Queen, and which she was graciously pleased to re-
ceive.

The letter was ordered to be entered in the
minutes of the Court.

APPOINTMENT OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN.

The motion of Mr. R. SWIFT, of which notice
had been given as follows :—" That, in considera-
tion of the Roman Catholic priests attending the
House of Correction at Westminster, a salary of
£2OO per annum be awarded to each under the
provisions of the Prison Ministers' Act, 1863, as a
reasonable recompence for their ministrations to
the Roman Catholic prisoners confined therein "
was, after some consideration, adjourned to the
October county day, and the other business of a
miscellaneous character having been transacted,
The Court adjourned.

THE CHARGE OF FORGERY AND

ELOPEMENT.

Catherine Allen, of Bleclayden-mews, Notting-
hill, the wife of a horse and cattle dealer, charged
with forging an order on the London and West-
minster Bank for £902 Os. 3d., and Charles Prince,
master butcher, \Valmer-terrace, Notting-hill, were
brought before Mr. Knox, at the Marlborough-
street Police-court yesterday for final examination.
Mr. F. Lewis appearel for Mr. Allen, the hus-
band ; Mr. Poland appeared for the London and
Westminster Bank ; and Mr. Froggat for the pri-

soners.

Mr. Lewis said the original charge against the
prisoners was forgery; but as there was another
charge against Prince for the larceny of the prose-
cutor's goods, and as the female prisoner coul i not
be tried on a joint indictment with the male pri-
soner, he proposed to complete the case of larceny
against the male prisoner, his friend Mr. Poland
proposing to prosecute the female prisoner for for-
gery on the London and Westminster Bank.
Patrick Mahony, one of the Irish constabulary,
proved that he went on board the City of Cork
steamer when that vessel arrived at Queenstown,
and found the two prisoners together. He told the
prisoners there was a charge of forgery against
them, and cautioned them against saying anything,
except of their own free will. He found on the pri-
soners £7O 10s., a silver watch and gold chain, and
gave
en
witnessa t the policeoan prisonertnehdr a
that
she that
might she
have
a ring. On coming ashore, and
office, Prince told the female
Nabvbehtoitucchtr h
cehora.nntdarri
nohevede
femaler
16,
5 anything
iprisoner
bank notes, and a joint
passage ticket for New York. Before taking the
prisoners into custody he hid received a letter con-
taining the numbers of the notes, which he found
to correspond with the numbers of the notes in the
bag. The male prisoner pointed out several boxes
as their luggage; the boxes were labelled "Prince."
The prisoner Prince said the property belonged to
himself and wife.
Cross-examined by Mr. Froggatt—The labels
were rubbed off while the boxes were in transit to
Scotland-yard. Had a telegraphic message to arrest
the prisoners, but no warrant.
1 Henry Allen said he was married on the 27th of
June, 1853, at Harefield Church, near Uxbridge,
to Catherine Hurd, the prisoner. Had known the
that the coming to
to h
prisoner
male prisoner for about three years, het having
house.
The been
in theprisoner
ihabitson e r p
of r occasionallyinee knew
th
was his wife. Discovered, on returning home from
Thorney Fair, Cambridge, that his wife had left
his house the night previously, at which time he
had given her £3O to take care of for him. Had
seen the boxes produced by the police, and found
them to contain property belonging to him, con-
sisting of silk handkerchiefs, bed-linen, and other
property. There was also a pair of shoes which he
had sold to the prisoner Prince some time before.
The property in the boxes was worth £2O.
Cross-examined—Never, to his knowledge, had
told his wife she might go away and leave him.
When he missed her from home he thought she had
gone to her father's, and rode 20 miles to see if sbe
was there.
Mr. Lewis said that was the case against Prince.
Mr. Froggatt said he would reserve the defence ;
but he hoped the case would be sent to the Middle-
sex Sessions, and bail would be taken.
Mr. Knox said it was a heinous offence, and he
could not comply with the application. There was
evidence before him that the prisoner Prince ran
away with another man's wife, and that the goods
of the husband were found in his possession. As the
woman, if committed, must be tried at the Central
Criminal Court, the male prisoner must also be sent
there for trial.
Mr. Froggatt wished that the husband should be
prevented from annoying his wife.
The prosecutor denied that he had any intention
of annoying his wife.
The case against Catherine Allen was then pro-
ceeded with. She was charged with forging a de-
posit note for £9OO on the London and West-
minster Bank.
Mr. Poland said the prisoner was charged in the
first instance by her husband with having forged
the order to receive the money. The London and
Westminster Bank thought it was their duty to take
up the matter. There was a difficulty in the case,
inasmuch as he could not examine the husband
against his wife. If, however, he proved that the
particular document was not in the handwriting of
the husband, he considered he should have estab-
-1
lished a prima facie case for sending the wife to trial.
Patrick Mahony repeated his evidence, and
proved that he received a bag from the prisoner