The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-10 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE CHARGE OF SHOOTING AT FOUR CHILDREN IN
1-1 RIC ESTER. —The boatman named Mitchell, who shot at
four children, near Leicester, has been brought before the
magistrate. One of the Sunday-school teachers detailed
the facts once again. He saw the boat pass, and some
children throwing stones into the canal, when he heard
the report of a gun. On turning round he saw the
prisoner, at the helm, take a gun from his shoulder
and put it into the cabin. Brown's face was streaming
with blood, and witness ran towards the boat
and told the boy in charge of the horse to stop ; but
the prisoner would not let him, and said he was to
go on, as there was nothing the matter. On the boat
nearing the bankside witness boarded it, and asked the
prisoner what he fired for, when he replied that he did
not know the gun was loaded. Witness told him that
was nonsense, he must have known it, when he answered,
" I did not think it would have carried so far. I never
had a gun in my hand before in my life, and did not think
I could have aimed so straight." On reaching the locks
Mr. Annis, another teacher, came up, as well as the
captain of the boat, and prisoner was taken into custody.
He pointed out where the gun was in the cabin, as well as
the powder-flask. John Sheldon said he was with some
boys who were throwing stones, first at a swallow and then
at the boat as it passed, when prisoner fired, saying he
would " put that into them." Witness was struck by
the shot on the right eyelid, left temple, and left wrist.
A certificate was read from Mr. C. E. Crossley, surgeon,
stating that, although progressing favourably, Edwin
Brown was not able to attend the court and give evidence.
The prisoner was then further remanded for a week.
DAMAGING A LADY'S CLOTHING.—Mr. J. Pitt Taylor,
the judge at the Greenwich County Court, gave judgment
on Friday in a singular case. Miss Bishop, a young lady
residing at Greenwich, was passing some buildings in the
course of erection at New-cross, when some liquid
containing lime fell upon her bonnet and velvet mantle,
doing damage to the extent of £4. The land upon which
the houses are being erected had been taken on
lease by a Mr. Turner, a builder, and against this
person an action had been brought to recover the amount
of damage stated. The defendant contended he was not
liable, on the ground that another person had agreed with
him to do the brickwork of the buildings at so much per
rod, and that, in law, such person was a contractor, and
would alone be liable. His Honour ruled that this person
was, in the eye of the law, the servant of the defendant,
and an order was made for the full amount claimed, with
costs.

THE SPECTROSCOPE.—This instrument, invented
by Mr. Huggins, enables the astronomer to tell whether a
star approaches or recedes. Sirius, one of the brighest of
the stars, is approaching our solar system at the rate of
nearly thirty miles a second.
A return moved for by Mr. Bazley has Leen pub-
lished showing the rates of all taxes from which the impe-
rial revenue of the 'United Kingdom was raised in the year
ended the 31st March last, and of the aggregate amounts of
the two previous years. The aggregates are as follow :-
186 G, £66,188,088; 1867, £67,220,883; 1868, £68,181,085.
JOSH BILLINGS'S ESSAY ON SwlNE.—Hoggs gene-
rally are quadriped. The extreme length of thare
antiquity haz never been fully discovered ; they existed a
long time before the flood, and hey existed a long time
since. Mare is a great deal ov internal reyenew in
a hog ; thare ain't much more waste in them than
thare iz in an. oyster. Even thare tails can be
worked up into. whissles. Hoggs are good, quiet
boarders ; they always eat what is set before them,
and don't ask any foolish questions. They never hey any
disease but the ineazles, and they never hey that but once ;
once seems to satisfy triem. Some are full in the face like
a town clock, and come are as long and as lean as a cow-
catcher with a steel-pirated noze on them. They are a short-
lived animal, and generally die as soon as they git fait.
The hog can be larnt a great many cunning things, such as
pulling front gates off from the hinges, tippling over
the swill barrels, and finding a hole in the fence tew get
into a corn-field ; but thare ain't any length to there
memory ; it is awful hard work for them to find the sante
hole to get out, especially if you are at all anxious they
should. Hogs are very contrary, and seldom drive well
the same way you are going ; they drive most the other
way. This has never bin fully. explained; but speaks
volumes for the hog,