The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-14 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE SMUGGLING.

On Tuesday morning about nine o'clock, William
Simpson, acting chief officer of the Coast Guard, seized
a vessel called the Joseph and Sarah, off the Powder
Creek in Long Reach, in the parish of Dartford, laden
with ninety-five bales of contraband tobacco, together
with five baskets of French apples, and twenty-three
ether baskets. Mr. Simpson with four men boarded th,
vessel oft' Greenhithe, and found two men in charge of
the vessel.
The vessel and cargo was yesterday brought up to
Woolwich, and the prisoners Henry Wilkins arj Henry
.Jones were taken in custody by the Inspector of the
Woolwich Police, before the sitting magistrate, Mr.
G rove, when the following evidence was adduced.
Mr. Podbury, solicitor of Customs, attended to pro-
secute,

Mr. Simpson deposed that he had examined the vessel
and found twenty-one bales of' manufactured tobacco,
weighing eleven hundred and forty pounds, subject to a
duty of 9s. sd. per lb. ; thirty bales weighing fourteen
hundred and sixty-eight pounds leaf tobacco, liable to
a duty of 3s. 2d. per lb. ; and forty bales of stalk to•
bacco, weighing two thousand two hundred and forty-
seven pounds, prohibited ; together with twenty-three
and five baskets of foreign-grown apples.
Mr. Thomas Cornell, Queen's appraiser of Customs,
deposed minutely as to the extensive manner in which
the revenue was evaded by the contraband trade of to—
bacco in the port of London, and stated the duty on the
twenty-one bales produced amounted to 538!. 13s. ; oft
the thirty bales to 231!. 4s. 2d. ; and on the forty-four
bales of prohibited stalk tobacco, valued at 3651. 2s. 9d.
The value and duty, he said, amounted to 1,228!. I3s. I Id.
Mr. Simpson said the present was the second seizure
he had made within twelve months. The first capture
he made was one of sixty bales, found on board the Iris,
which he was quite satisfied belonged to the same
parties as owned the Joseph and Sarah, which vessel
was forfeited to the Crown as well as the cargo.
The prisoners pleaded guilty to the charge.
Mr. Grove told them they had made themselves each
liable to a penalty of 100!., and in default of payment
to be imprisoned during her Majesty's pleasure.
The prisoners said they were not in a condition to pay
the penalties.
Mr. Grove told them that it only remained for him to
commit them to Maidstone gaol.—Committed.
F A

ATAL .CCIDENT AT VAUXHALL GARDENS.—
On Friday afternoon an inquest was held at the Coach
and Horses public-house, Flood-street, Dean's-yard,
before Mr. Higgs, the Coroner fur Westminster, un the
body of Robert Hunt, aged fifty years. The deceased,
for fifteen years, had been employed as a lamplighter at
the Gardens, and about eleven o'clock on Tuesday night
last, as he was standing on a stage, five feet two inches
from the ground, in one of the covered ways, reaching
over to the last lamp he had to light, he overbalanced
himself, and fell on to the back of his head, fracturing
his skull on the right side from the top to the base. He
was conveyed to Westminster Hospital, and died at five
o'clock on the following morning. This is the only fatal
accident that has occurred at Vauxhall Gardens during
the last forty years. Verdict—" Accidental death."
INCENDIARISM IN SUFFOLK.—lnCendiariSm ID this
county appears at the present time to be alarmingly on
the increase. A most destructive tire took place on
Wednesday evening last in the parish of %Vhepstead, on.
a farm in the occupation of Mr. Holden. It was discovered
in the stack-yard, and in a short time ten stacks of diffe-
rent kinds:of produce were burning at once, illuminating
that part of the country for malty miles. The Suffblk
fire-engines soon after arrived, but, strange to say, the
largest of them went without the necessary pipes, and
when it reached the spot the men in attendance were
obliged to send down to Bury in a cart for them before
they could render the slightest service. The fire in
the meanwhile raging with such unchecked fury,
that it became evidnt it would be useless to attempt
to save the stacks, the attention of the firemen was
therefore directed to the dwelling-house, which was
within a short distance, and which by continual damp-
ing was saved from any material damage. This makes
the fourth incendiary fire which has taken place in the
neighbourhood of Bury St. Edmund's since last Friday
—a fire taking place that day at Cheveley Park, belong-
ing to the Duke of Rutland; one at Waltham de Willows,
on Saturday; another at Hengrave (which we believe
3 The in-
habitants,at Winstead on the evening
of the some
state. of great
was extinguished), on Wednesday afternoon;
generally speaking,
are
Itu is immense.
alarm, and the destruction of property and a fire
Thursday Mr.
SUICIDE THROUGH DR k.B.e
it
I York-street, Lam-
Carter held an inquest
it
E abeth Pearson, aged 48, the
beth, on the body
of Elizabeth
at 3S, York-street, who, it
wife of a sawyer,
of her son, a lad about 17,
who was deeply• affected, , . svii(iercethat about four o'clock on
home, and found his mo-
ther,• fl a cord round her neck, suspended to one of
with
the bed posts. Medical assistance was instantly pro-
cured, but she was quite dead. She had for a long time
'3:UpeeSdarayed.aff:reoln:llotoiile,rte'he came
been accustomed to drink gin immoderately, which had
about three months since caused her to complain of
pains
in the head and back, when she was attended by asauhrls•
geon, and advised to discontinue spirits ; but she drank
to greater excess, which impaired her mind, and drove
hweirt
sneel sf s es,
whilehe
ojufryunsfoouunndd
that
n c“opr reoebeoats• ae tde d
debsytrooytheedr
her no doubt to commit suicide. This testimony haring
mind, produced by the excessive use of ardent spirits."
The Coroner observed that this was but one of many si-
milar cases which had recently come under his notice.
AV ESTMINSTER. BRIDGE.--The approaches to this
bridge, which have been most objectionable in conse-
quence of the steep " gradience," are about to be consi-
derably improved, it being iu contemplation to remove a
great quantity of earth from the crown of the arch, and
to add something to the extremes. The works will com-
mence to-day ane the carriage road will again be stopped
notice to that effect having been already exhibited in
most of the principal streets leading to this important
thoroughfare.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE THIS DAY.
Morning ... 51 minutes after 2 f Evening ... 18 minutes after 3