The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-06 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

A new grand burlesque extravaganza, from the pen
of Albert Smith, entitled Aladdin and the Wonderful
Lamp; or, New Lamps for Old Ones, was produced
at this theatre last evening, with the most brilliant
success. The dialogue is full of neat hits at the follies of
the day, every one of which was given most effectively,
and told as well as the author himself could have de-
sired. The cast, too, was remarkably strong; with
Mrs. Keeley as Aladdin, Miss Woolgar as the Prin-
cess, and Keeley himself as the Enchanter, a piece
of much less intrinsic merit would have been certain
of success. The Pas de Poisonation, in the last act,
was most effectively given by these three ad-
mirable artistes, and at its conclusion bouquets and
wreaths were showered upon the stage after the most
approved fashion of her Majesty's theatre, and were
gathered up by Mrs. Keeley with a most Perrot-like
air, and handed by her to Miss Woolgar, who received
them with a most Cerito-like grace. Tho burlesque
upon the Pas de Fascination in Alma was complete.
It is needless to say that the dance was rapturously
encored. As a spectacle, this new burlesque is most
gorgeous. The procession of " female warriors in
coats of mail," attending the Princess to the
bath, was very fine, and the ladies went through
their military manoeuvres with a neatness and
precision which reflected the highest credit on
the drill-master to the establishment. The
marriage procession of Aladdin, in the second act,
was a most magnificent spectacle, and the flight of the
palace with its inhabitants through the air, is one
. of the most wonderful mechanical contrivances ever
exhibited. Alladin follows in a car, driving twenty-
four (Sylphs) in hand, which car has been furnished
him by the Genius of the Ring, Al Widdi-
comb, who appears whip in hand, and who,
according to his own account, has been the
Genius of the "Ring" ever since the flood. We
cannot close this notice without expressing our
admiration at the Kasrac of Mr. J. W. Collyer. It
is one of the most perfect pieces of pantomime of the
-rirt we have ever seen; he is the very beau
ideal ``f w 1
-+ion e may
to be
such allow a
ed
subject) o the expression
beau in re,:..._
Tales. The house was crammed
Afrite of the Arabian
to the ceiling, and the lieeL,ivs and Miss Woolgar
were called for at the fall of the Aladdin
is as great a hit as Open Sesame, and will cam.-,
Keeleys the
Keeleys gloriously to the end of the season.

MURDER OF A POLICE OFFICER.
IPSWICH, SATURDAY.—This county ,has of late ac-
quired an unenviable notoriety from a succession of in-
cendiary outrages. It has this week been stained by the
still more hateful crime of murder. Committed, too,
under circumstances of extreme daring and deliberate
purpose. It is worthy of remark that the day on which
this fatal event occurred was that on which the judges
of assize had taken their departure from this town. The
facts are as follows :—lt appears that in consequence
of frequent robberies of farm-yards, the police had
received strict orders to direct their utmost vigilance to
the movements of strangers, trampers, or other suspi-
cious characters, with the twofold view of securing
agricultural property from incendiaries and thieves.
On Sunday, the 28th ult., soon after midnight, a con-
stable of the rural police, named James M'Faddon,
who was stationed at Kessinglands, a secluded hamlet
in this district, when going round his beat, perceived
a party of men, five in number, approaching a farm in
the occupation of Mrs. Button, the stable-yard of which
stands close to the road. From the silence of the men, and
their stealthy motion, both of which are unusual with la-
bourers returning from the beer-shops, the constables con-
cluded that they were bent on mischief of some sort. De-
termined to watch their proceedings, he crouched down
close to the fence. The party, after looking round, pro-
ceeded to Mrs. Button's farm-yard, and went direct to
the barn-door, the fastenings of which they forced off.
One remained outside, to give notice to his associates
in case any one approached. The four who entered
speedily returned, laden with sacks of corn, with
which they were preparing to decamp, when the
policeman thought it time to interfere. Being then only
a few paces distant, and supposing them to be un-
provided with fire-arms, he resolved to capture at least one
of the gang. Having first challenged them to surrender,
he was advancing, when one of the party who had
mounted a lain hedge, raised a gun to his shoulder, and
fired with deliberate aim• at his victim, who received
the greater part of the charge in his thigh. The police-
man dropped into a dry ditch, and the gang ran off
rapidly in different directions, concluding that the report
of the shot would alarm the inmates of the farm-house.
M'Faddon, though suffering excessive pain, managed to
crawl to the house and aroused the servants, who ren-
dered the poor fellow such assistance as they could
command at that late hour. A messenger was dis-
patched to the superintendent of the force, and the
wounded man was provided with the best medical
aid. On the following morning, the symptoms assumed
a character so decidedly serious, that the district
Magistrate deemed it advisable to take the man's de-
position, which was signed and properly attested.
Although rapidly sinking, he was quite conscious ; he
described distinctly the circumstances already nar-
rated, Lend declared that the man who fired the shot was
William Howell, whom he had previously known, and
whose person he recognised when he presented the gun.
As to the rest of the party, he was unable to speak with
certainty. Poor M‘Faddon died the same evening, and
Howell was immediately taken into custody. On Thurs-
day Mr. J. E. Sparrow, the coroner, and a respectable
jury assembled. The death-bed statement of the de-
ceased was put in as evidence, together with corroborative
testimony as to the, burglary, the removal of the corn
sacks, and the medical evidence. The jury, after a long
consultation, returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder
against William Howell," who has been committed to
take his trial at the ensuing assizes. The deceased bore
a most excellent character, and was much, respected by
his superiors as a spirited and efficient officer.

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• ROYAL SURREY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—The re-
nowned General Tom Thumb made his first appearance
in a balloon yesterday afternoon at these gardens, and
despite the weather, attracted a vast number of persons.
The balloon was constructed and superintended by Mr.
Charles Green the celebrated aeronaut, and the appear-
ance of the Lilliputian hero, as he stood up in the car,
bowing to the visitors, was singular in the extreme. He
will repeat his performance on this evening, Wednesday,
and Thursday,
FORTNIGHTLY DISPATCH OF MAILS TO INDIA.--
We are informed on good authority t 1,4 her Majesty's Go-
vernment are industriously engaged in the considcraticp of
some important arrangements, tending to facilitate the over-
land communication with India, and the establishment of
mails once a fortnight to and from our possessions in the east,
nsteml QC 11193414 y 43 at present.