The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-09-01 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-- YESTERDAY

CHARGE AGAINST A LETTER CARRIER.
Joseph Evans, a letter carrier, employed by the post office
authorities, was placed before Mr. Rushton, on a charge of
not having delivered a large number of letters in due and
proper time after he received them, and detaining the same,
to the loss and inconvenience of the parties to whom they
were addressed. A number of witnesses were iu attend-
ance, but only one of the more prominent cases was gone
into. A female stated that she had received three let-
ters from the prisoner on the afternoon of Sunday week.
These were produced. On examination by an officer of the

post-office, it was found that two of them bore the post-mark
of the 18th of August, and the other of the 22d. These let-
ters ought to have been delivered previously. Mr. Rushton
said that he had made previous enquiry into the case, and
that the offence was a misdemeanour, under the act of the I.
Victoria relating thereto. In reply to a question from Mr. IL.,
one of the post-office officers stated that the prisoner had de-
layed delivering other letters .to the number of about two
hundred. Mr. R. commented on the conduct a the prisoner
in having thus interrupted the course of a large correspondence,
to the great inconvenience and probably in many of the cases
to the serious loss of the parties to whom the letters were
addressed. The prisoner said in his defence that he had
been ill. Mr. Rushton replied, that if such were the fact,
he ought to have informed his employers who would have
found a person t 3 supply his place. He must commit him
for trial, for the misdemeanor ; but should meantime release
him, on bail being given for his appearance at the sessions,
himself in £5O, and two sureties in £3O each.

POCKET-PICKING:-
William Davenport and James M'Carthy, two boys, were
harged with endeavouring to pick the pocket of a young
dy. Mr. H. Evans said, that on Sunday last, he was
'-o• down the Haymarket, near the Old Infirmary wall,
three boys lurking after several persons who
tuspectin they were bent on some dis-
honest act, he watched theg m, and following them soon
afterwards saw them picket a lady's pocket in Manchester-
street. He went up and caught the two prisoners. The
other escaped. Davenport had before been committed fora
similar offence, and was ordered to gaol for three mouths.
The sentence of the other was deferred until enquiry should
be made into his character.

when he say
were passin

STEALING A COAT, &C.
George Johnson, a lad, was charged with stealing a coat
from a stable in Gildart-street, where it had been left by the
owner. It was afterwards sold for 10d. to a marine store
dealer ip Sir Thomas's-buildings. The prisoner had in his
possession when taken. a large piece of a lead spout, some
grease, &c., and was remanded until inquiry_ was,made with a
viv to discover the owner, or owners. •

SERIOUS CHARGE OF RAPE AGAINST A SHOP
KEEPER OF THIS TOWN.

„ .
Lewis J. Hart, a shopkeeper in the. crescent, some time a
jeweller, but. more recently a picture-dealer, was last week
apprehended by constable John M 'Comb, under a charge of
having committed a capital offence in assaulting a female,
Mrs. °Elizabeth Gordon, sister-in-law to Mr.. Fadenilhe,
wine merchant, of No. 111, London-road. The prisoner had
engaged Mr. Virilkius, barrister, to defend him, and Mr.
Yates, as his attorney. A preliminary investigation took
place on Thursday evening, and on Saturday the prisoner
was brought up for final examination. Mr. Arenables ap-
peared on behalf of the prosecution, with Mr. Pugh solici-
tor.. Mr. Wilkins attended for the prisoner, Theexamina-
tion was taken at a very great length ; but, as well from the
peculiar nature of the case as from the quantity of extraneous
matter embodied in the cross-examination, our report of it
must be confined within very small limits. Mrs. Gordon is
a married lady. Before her union with Mr. Gordon, the
complainant resided with her sister, Mrs. Fadenilhe. Her
marriage. occurred eight or nine years .ago, but, for some
reason, she has not lived with her husband one year altoge-
ther since she was married. She and her daughter, who is
now seven years old, have, during her separation from Mr.
Gordon, resided with Mr. Fadenilhe. Some time ago, the
prisoner went to lodge with Mr.. Fadenilhe, at. whose -Luse
he occupied a drawing-room and bed-room. On Friday
morniif
g week, the prisoner went home between., one and
two o'clock. The door was opened for him by Mr: I"aden-
ilhe, who offered him a candle, which he declined. Ile went
up stairs to his bed-room, and Mr. Fadenilhe retired to rest.
lie had been asleep but a short time when he, his wife, and
the servant were awakened by an unusual noise, which he. a
foreigner, described by ejaculating ” Oh ! oh !" in a peculiar
manner. Mrs. Fadenilhe described it as cries of surprise
and alarm, and the servant as a loud scream. Mr. Faden-
ilhe, hearing that the cry came from his sister-in-law's
room, proceeded thither, He entered, and saw the
prisoner going from Mrs. Gordon's bed. The prisoner
was without his coat, waistcoat, or boots, but had his
trowsers on. Mr. Fadenilhe asked what the matter
was, and Mrs. Gordon replied, " It's Mr. Hart !" He asked
the prisoner what he wanted there, and he replied, that,
having had some liquor, he had mistaken his room. Mrs.
Gordon told her brother-in-law what had occurred. Mrs.
Gordon's account of the affair before the court was, that the
prisoner had proceeded to perpetrate his design before she
awoke; on finding how she was situated, she screamed mur-
der, hut he placed his hands over her mouth, saving, " Now
I have you, and, in spite of her struggles, kept possession
of her parson till a moment or two before her brother-in-law
entered. Mrs. Gordon's daughter slept with her, but the
child's evidence was not taken. Next morning the prisoner,
according to the evidence for the prosecution, sought Mrs.
Gordon, and requested her not to bring any charge against
him, for it would be a serious matter. She avoided him.
He sent several times afterwards, requesting an interview,
but she refused to see him. Mr. Fadenilhe went to him and
asked him if Mrs. Gordon had consented to his going to her
room. He replied, that she had not, upon his honour. Mr.
Fadenilhe replied, upon this, " Then you have conducted
yourself in my house like a blackguard, and out you must
go. The prisoner quitted the house. Information of what
had occurred was given to Mr. Dowling, and the prisoner
was apprehended. Both Mrs. and Mr. Fadenilhe stated,.
that they bad never observed any improper familiarity on the
part of Mrs. Gordon- in her conduct towards the prisoner.
The lengthy examination of the prisoner's counsel was all
put upon the depositions. Mrs. Gordon admitted that she
had once told the prisoner that she was a widow. She had,
it appeared, walked with the prisoner several times, and on
one occasion, when she met him in the street, on her way to
.market,
she dined with him, at the White Bear Inn, Dale-
street, and, after dinner, sat with him in a private room for an
hour and a half or two hours. She also, admitted- that the
pri.4oner'had• made her a preserit'of seep, a bonnet, some
artificial flowers, a collar, and a ring. He had offered her a
watch, which she refused to accept. At the conclusion of the
examination by Mr. Wilkins, Mr. Venablcs rose and said, on
the part of the prosecution, he should now ask the magistrate
to commit the prisoner, as the charge of rape had been fully
substantiated. Mr. Venables was proceeding to show, that
all the evidence which the law required to make out such
a charge had been brought forward, when Mr. Rushton in-
terrupted him and said, as he was entirely of the same
opinion, he would spare the learned counsel the trouble of
proceeding any farther with his remarks. Mr. Wilkins said,
he hoped that he should not be thought arrogant, if he ex-
pressed his hopes that he should be able to change that opi-
nion. Mr. Wilkins spoke at great length. He laboured to
impress on the magistrate the view which, be said, he took
of the case, which was, in effect, that thelady had allowed
the prisoner great favours and familiarities, and that he had
been with her on the morning in question by her full con-
sent. The cries which had been heard, he contended, were
not those of alarm, but, when they had disturbed and brought
down her brother-in-law, she had then endeavoured to hide
her own guilt and shame. Mr. Rushton interrupted the
learned counsel at this part of his speech, observing, that
perfect accuracy required him to state, that the cries had
awakened every person in the house. Mrs. Fadenilhe de-
scribed them as cries of alarm and surprise ; the girl, as a
great shriek ; and Mr. Fadenilhe as the sobbings of a person
abused. Mr. Wilkins dwelt on the presents which had been
received; and said, in conclusion, that if the magistrate still
thought it necessary to commit the prisoner, he hoped he
would, at least, admit him to bail, and, when he appeared be-
fore a jury, he did not despair of getting him acquitted. Mr.
Rushton said, he did not know any one who might, with
greater confidence, speak of getting a prisoner acquitted than
Mr. Wilkins ; but, for his own part, he had one solemn
and important duty to perform, and he could not, with such
evidence as that which was before him, suffer the prisonerto
go at large. Mr. Rushton recapitulated that part of the
evidence and the corroborative circumstances which press
most against the prisoner. This was a capital charge, and
he could not take upon himself the responsibility of ad-
mitting the prisoner to bail. There was one of the learned
Judges inn town, and, it' they thought proper to apply to him,
and he thought, on an examination of the depositions, that it
was a proper case in which to allow the prisoner to be at
large, it would relieve him of a very heavy responsibility.
Mr. Wilkins said, there was a person who kept an inn, in
Dale-street, who had absconded, and all the servants were
away. They wished to have these servants as witnesses.
He wished Mr. Rushton to fix another day for hearing their
evidence, and, in the mean time, to further remand the pri-
soner. It appeared that Mr. Wilkins wished to produce evi-
dence to show, that, when one of the servants had tried the
door of the room in which the prisoner and Mrs. Gordon
sat, at the White Bear, it was locked, which was denied by
the latter. Mr. Rushton intimated, that, if such were
proved, it would not alter his opinion on viewing the whole
case. It was intimated, that an application would be made
to Baron Rolfe to liberate the prisoner on bail. The prisoner,
having been cautioned in the usual manner, was asked what
he had to say. He replied, " I leave the case in the hands
of my barrister." The recognizances were taken in £lOO,
that each of the witnesses should appear to give evidence
against the prisoner at the next assizes. Mr. Yates applied
for a copy of the depositions, which were ordered to be
made out and delivered forthwith. Mr. Yates requested to
be allowed to have access to the prisoner. Mr. Rushton
said, in order that this request might be Ceinmplied with, be
would not•sign the conimitment until Monday. Mr. Wil-
kins said, the prisoner's father was on his way from London
to see him, and he hoped he might be Allowed to have access
to him when lie arrived. Mr. Rushton said, he might see
him in the presence of atm officer. Mr. Rushton took occa-
sion, in the course of:the proceedings, on some observations
from Mr. Wilkins, to compliment Mr. Fadenilhe very highly
on his conduct throughout this affair

DESTRUCTIVE. FIRES IN LONDON:—On Thursday morn-
ing two most destructive fires broke out. It is said property
to the amount of z£70,000 has been destroyed. The first
occurred at twenty minutes to twos in the upper floors of
the warehouse of HOre's Wharf, East Smithfield, adjoining
the entrance to the London' Docks. The watchman on duty
discovered the fire by a great blaze in the fifth story, which
was filled with inflammable goods, suds as oil, turpentine,
whiskey, resin, &c. The fire was also seen by some men on
the swing bridge, who informed the police of the II division.
In a few minutes several of the men and officers belonging to
the 'docks brought out the new floating-engine belonging to
the fire-brigade, and having obtained the aid of nearly two-
hundred men, set it to work. Several of the land engines
also arrived, but by this time the whole of the floor was one
body of flames. The floating engine from Rotherlsithe and
Southwark Bridge also arrived, and were soon got to work,
throwing immense bodies of water on the flames but ap-
parently without success, as they continued to extend, and in
the course of an hour the whole of the Horse Wharf and its
contents was destroyed, as well as the wharf of Mr. Ite
nolds, whose nephew was burnt a few weeks ago, at the ere-
at Wapping. By four o'clock nothing was to be seen but
one pile of burning ruins. As soon as the danger had in
some degree subsided, an inquiry as to the origin of the fire
took place. Rumours of all sorts were freely_ circulated,
but it is generally supposed to be accidental. The loss here
is supposed to exceed 410,000.—Just as some of the engines
were about returning to their stations, another alarming tire
broke out in the steam saw-mills of Mr.rea, Slater-street.
Long-lane, Bermondsey. Several of he London brigade
and the 'West of England men went at once to the place.
The fire, however, had obtained such a strong hold as to
render the exertions of the firemen of no avail. A strong
body of police (M) were preset
materially. The premises being nWooldtitlidedasthweel?raesnz
stock, were destroyed, the loss bing estimated at £lO,OOO.
Between the hours of twelve and one o'clock, a fire broke
out in Oxford-street, Whitechapel-road. The occupant of
the house, a gentleman holding a situation in the docks, and
his wife and children, were
with difficulty rescued. The
house was completely gutted, andibut little furniture saved.
EXTRAORDINARY MINING.—CoaI has been dug in Knott
Lams, near Oldham, at the extraordinary depth of three
.hundred yards beneath the surface. Three years and two
.weeks have been occupied in penetrating to this distance. A
quantity of this coal was, on Saturday, conveyed in a cart,
decorated by the British flag, through the street's of*Oldhain
to Clarkefield, the residence of the Lees family, opulent coal
proprietorE.