The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-15 00:00:00

/i.2_

No. 16,095. LONDON FRIDAY
EEN G ,
, MARC II 15, 1844.

PRICE sd.

THE SUN is Published EVERY MORNING at FIVE O'CLOCK, in Time for the EARLY TRAINS and TOWN DELIVERY ; a SECOND • EDITION (Evening Sun) is Published in Time for the AFTERNOON TRAINS

and a THIRD EDITION at SEVEN O'CLOCK, fur POST, containing PARLIAMENTARY and all other NEWS in LONDON up to that Hour.

It OP A POLYCII.OITTOIM.
BEUGHTON, MARCH 14.—Yesterday evening, shortly after
nine o'clock, the town was thrown into great confusion, by
a report that a savage attempt had been made to murder the
chief officer of our police force, Mr. Henry Solomon, which,
on inquiry, turned out to be too true. A young man named
Lawrence, a native of Tunbridge Wells, was apprehended
by policeman Barnden, shortly after eight, for stealing a
roll of carpet, which the prisoner had- on his back when
taken. The policeman took him _to the chief officer's
room in the Town-hall, where Mr. Solomon was engaged
in conversation with Mr. Butler, the collector of the poor-
rates. Messrs. Slight, junior, Alger, and Palmer, three of -
our Brighton tradesmen, were also in the room at the time. -
Solomon said to the prisoner, " You have been in the town
some time, I believe." The prisoner replied that he lied
not, and then- asked for a knife, saying, that life was bur,
densome to him, and that he would cut his throat, and he -
pulled off his stock, and sat himself down in the chair.
Solomon turned away from the prisoner to renew the con-
versation, whilst waiting for a witness to take the charge
against the prisoner. Five minutes had scarcely elapsed,
when the prisoner, unperceived by the persons in the room,
stepped across to the fire-place, took up the poker, and, as
Solomon was standing with his hat off, the prisoner aimed a
deadly blow at him with the poker, which alighted upon his
head, and felled him to the ground, inflicting a frightful
wound five -or six inches in length, just over his right ear.
Mr. Slight immediately seized the villain, who was speedily
secured, whilst the other persons in the room turned their
attention to the unfortunate sufferer, who. was senseless and
bleeding profusely. Two surgeons, Messrs. Cordy Burrowea
and Baldey were called in. The wound was dressed, and the
sufferer was their conveyed to his own home in a chair, in a
state of great exhaustion, and without any hopes of recovery.
Several surgeons were in attendance upon Mr. Solomon
during the night. He remained insensible till ten o'clock I his
morning, when he expired.
EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONER.
This morning the Town-hall was densely crowded by per•
sons anxious to hear the examination. At eleven o'clock the
magistrates,. Major Allen, Major Holy, J. Boner, Esq., and
Sir G. Westphal, took their seats, and the prisoner was shortly
afterwards brought in between two policemen. He looked
round the hall in a very unconcerned manner. He is a young
man, and apparently well brought up.
On being asked his name, prisoner answered composedly,
John Lawrence.
Major Allen—Prisoner, you are now charged with the
crime of murder. •
The prisoner nodded his head.
John Barnden examined—The prisoner was given into my
charge by Mr. Collins for stealing some carpet from his shop
in St. Jamees-street, and I brought him to the Towa-hall.
Mr. Collins-came down with me. On my arrival at the halt
I found Mr. Solomon, Mr. Samuel Slight, Mr. Butler, and
Mr. Alger. I told Mr. Solomon what he was charged with,
and Mr. Scilomon told me to go and get the carpet. I
stood outside of Mr. Solomon's door, and I heard a call of
" police." - I stood there several minutes, and heard some
one in the'office halloo " police." I ran into the office, and
saw Mr. s3lomon bleeding, and falling on thd floor, and then
caught hold of the prisoner. I saw no weapon of any kind.
I put the handcuffs on him, and put him into a chair. Pri-
soner said,-" I hope I have killed him, and then I shall be
hung for it, and the first chance I get I will make off with
myself."
Here the prisoner became exceedingly faint, and shed tears.
Major Allen—Ask the prisoner if he hears what is going on.
Thoburn—The prisoner says he does not wish to hear it.
The prisoner was here asked if he had anything further to
sav, and he-very coolly began to relate how it occurred.
•Mr. Samuel Slight, accountant—About half-past eight
o'clock last night, the prisoner was brought in by the last
witness. The prisoner was detained in Mr. Solomon's office.
Mr. Solomon inquired how long he had been in Brighton.
Prisoner answered, two days. Solomon replied, "he
had been longer than that, for he knew he had been there
a fortnight." Prisoner, in a very violent manner, then
took off his stock, and said, " It is no use saying any more
about it, give me a knife and I will murder myself." He
appeared quite sober. Mr. Solomon endeavoured to
genet him, and afterwards commenced a conversation with
some gentlemen in the office. Prisoner went to the corner of
the office opposite the fire place, and seated himself in a
large chair. Mr. Solomon, who, at the time, was sitting
on the stool with his side towards the prisoner, in the course
of conversation, rose from his stool, and walked across the
office towards me. As he turned to walk back again, the
prisoner darted behind me, picked up the poker, and struck
Mr. Solomon on the head. [The poker was produced, it was
an ordinary-sized parlour poker, and was considerably bent
by the force of the blow.] Mr. Solomon was struck on the
right side of the head. I saw the blow. I immediately
turned round, seized the prisoner, and took the poker from
him. The poker was bent as it now is, but I did not observe
whether it was bent before. When I seized him, the prisoner
said "I don't mind, I have done it, and I hope they will hang
me for it." There was no harsh language used by Mr.
Solomon.
Major Allen—Prisoner, would you wish to ask Mr. Slight
any question ? The prisoner shook his head.
Thomas Baldy, surgeon, examined—About half-past eight
o'clock I was called to attend Mr. Solomon, whom I found
sitting in a chair, and bleeding from a considerable wound
on the right side of the head, about midway between the ear
and the crown of the head. I examined the wound; it was
two inches and a half or three inches in length, and nearly
half an inch in breadth. I don't think the wound had reached
the skull. I could not ascertain any fracture of the skull.
Mr. John Cordy Burrowes, surgeon, said he was with So-
lomon when he died, about a quarter past ten o'clock that
morning.
This closed the case for the prosecution.
Major Allen then told the prisoner that he had committed
an unprovoked and cruel murder, and had deprived a wife
and eleven children of a protector, and that he must be com-
mitted to take his trial at the ensuing Lewes Assizes on the
'9th instant.

EXTENSIVE FIRE AT WESTMINSTER.—Last night,
shortly before eleven o'clock, a fire broke out on the premises
belonging to Mr. Hawkins, tea-dealer and grocer, situate
No. 54, Stratton-ground, Westminster. The building was
three stories high, and closely bounded on each side. Flames
issuing through the aperture in the shop window caused the
discovery to be made by some of the neighbours, who, after
raising the necessary alarm_, began to arouse the inmates of the
contigous premises. Mr. Hawkins having left home to go to
the theatre at an early part of the evening, for some consi-
derable period the utmost anxiety was manifested for his
safety, it being feared that he was in the burying pre-
mises. Such was the rapidity of the flamed, that in the
short space of five minutes every part of the shop was in a
general blaze, and the fire was fast ascending to the upper
part of the building. The intelligence having reached
the engine stations, with all promptitude the Horseferry-
road engine was on the spot, followed by the County-engine,
and :two more belonging to the brigade. The West of
England engine, with Mr. Connorton, next reached the spot,
and was succeeded by Mr. Fogo, with several other engines
of the London Fire Establishment. An immediate supply
of water from the Chelsea Water-works was procured
from which the engines were set to work, and they poured
a vast torrent upon the flames, which had the desired
effect of preventing their extending. The hose of the
County engine was carried through one of the adjoining
houses, and Carter, the foreman, brought the branch in such
a position as to cut off the communication existing at that
time between Mr. Hawkin's premises and those of Mr. Mills,
grocer and cheesemonger, No. 53, in the same place. Owing
to the exertions of the firemen they happily succeeded in
extinguishing the fire by half-past 12 o'clock, not,
before the building in which it commenced was entirely
consumed, nothing being left besides the bare outer walls.
The undermentioned premises are likewise damaged :—Nu.
53, Stratton-ground, occupied by Mr. Farr, general dealer—
upper portion of building very extensively burnt, and stock
damaged by water, &c. ; insured in the County Fire-office.
No. 52, Mr. Mills, cheesemonger and grocer—stock severely
damaged by water and hasty removal ; insured in the
Phoenix. Mr. Cresswell, greengrocer and potato-merchant,
No. 55, the upper part of the building greatly damaged by
fire, and the lower part by water; not known if insured.
The origin of the calamity could not be ascertained, and the
proprietor (Mr. Hawkins) not • having reached home when
the reporter left, of course it was impossible to learn whether
he was insured. The police, under the direction of Inspector
Barfoot, were of great service to the inhabitants in guarding
their property, some of which was placed in the open street,
to escape the fury of the conflagration.
THE BOOKSELLERS' PROVIDENT INSTITUTION.—A
general meeting of the subscribers to this excellent charity
was held yesterday, at the Albion Tavern, Aldersgate-street.
Mr. Orme was in the chair. The minutes of the previous
general meeting having been read and confirmed, the Secre•
tary proceeded to read the Report. It stated that the Direc-
tors had been called on to grant assistance to twenty of the
members, and although this had unavoidably caused a some-
what greater expenditure than in former years, consuming
nearly the whole of the funds at their disposal, the Directory
felt happy in having been the instruments by which the aged
and infirm, the widow and fatherless, had been relieved in
the season of their distress; and they could not, they said,
refrain from observing the independence of feeling which in-
duced several of the applicants to suffer much inconvenience
before they applied to the institution for assistance. Since
the last annual meeting thirty-three members had been ad-
mitted, thirteen had been removed by death, two had been
excluded by non-payment of their subscriptions, and two
had changed from annual to life members. The number
of members now on the books was 446. With respect to
the state of the funds of the Institution, the Directors said
they felt happy in being able to state that, although at
present they fell considerably below the sum named as
constituting the permanent fund (20,0001.), yet that they
were justified by the continued increase in believing that at
no very distant time the sum, large as it at first appeared,
would be realised. The sum of 12,8371.. Bs. had been fn..
vested, producing nearly 5001. per annum. The annual sub.
scriptions amounted to upwards of 2701., and the interest re.
ceived from the commencement of the Institution amounted
to the sum of 2,2371. Bs. The Directors expressed their gra.
tification in being able to state that the slight allusion made
in the last Report to an asylum for the aged and decayed,
and the hope therein mentioned that it would be carried let(
effect, was likely to be fully realised. Munificent donations
had been contributed, and other valuable assistance given,
by the numerous body connected with the trade; and the
project, which at first appeared more than doubtful, had now
been matured, and had so far progressed as to render its final
completion of absolute certainty. The Report was unani.
amongstmo us l y
theadopted,
in emabne dr 8 oorfdtehreedsoteoie bep r d• an t y
Theiete
meeting
eetdingeirtchulenatriued
solved that the Committee of Directors should have the
temporary or permanent assistance to the
members, and also of giving at their diseretion the
sumwpoiwd7r of g
of 61. of in6/.'g
towardsri the funeral expenses of any of its de-.
parted members. Some formal resolutions were passed, and
a vote of thanks was given to the Chairman, whose services
in aid of the Charity were warmly eulogised. The meeting
then broke up.

ACCIDENTAL HANGlNG.—Yesterday Mr. Wa
M.P., held an inquest at the New Inn, Edgeware-road, on
the body of George Wiltshire, aged 13, who hung himself
under the following circumstances :—George .Willshire said
he was father of deceased, and kept stables in Northumber.
land-mews, Edgeware-road. On Monday afternoon last,
about half-past four o'clock, he left deceased alone in the
stables, whilst he went as far as Orchard-street. He returned
in about a quarter of an hour, and on entering the stable was
surprised to find the deceased hanging by a halter which he
had fastened round the top of one of the stall posts. He
thought at first he was at play, but on closer approach his
son appeared lifeless. He raised an alarm, and some neigh•
bours came and cut deceased down, and Mr. Brown and Mr.
Davis, surgeons, were sent for ; they bled deceased in the
h
neck and arm, but life was quite extinct. When witness left
the boy he was alone in the stable, and. in Perfect
spirits. He believed that the deceased did not Sang himself
intentionally. He was in the habit of playing with the
halter, by placing the noose round the back of his head, and
then, by catching hold of the other end, walk up the stall
post, and perform other gymnastic feats. The boy, was of a
very cheerful disposition, and he had never heardhim threaten
to destroy himself. Verdict—" That the deceased, by his
own act, died from accidental hanging." •
COMPETITION FOR FAnats.--A. correspondent of
the Hereford Journal says that a farm in the neighbourhood
of Lcommster, having become vacant by the death of the
occupier, there were m throe days no fewer than 57 spplie
cants for it.