The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-15 00:00:00

On Sat

L OP THE "LADY THIEF.'

GLASGOW JUSTICI

v Jane I

tresie, or Harris, was char

he criale of theft, in so far as on t

Hotel, Ulassf

night of the 15th or

le 16th of October last, within the Commercial

ied by Mrs. Stewart

the pockets of Mr. Thonias Bayne, coin-

nercial traveller' frorr

sovereign,

from Mr. Robert Jacob

dam, aßank of England note of £5., and three sovereigns,
from same hotel ; also on the 16th of October, from the
Royal Hotel, George-square (Carrick's), from the pockets of

;er, two bank notes' , as also a Card-,

also from the pockets of Mr. Robert Paul, of the Commer-
cial Bank, Edinburgh, same place, manager of the Commer-
cial Bank of Scotland, L 7..; all the above sums having been
taken while the owners were asleep in bed.
The prisoner, in an audible voice, pleaded " not guilty."
The trial excited a deep interest in the public mind. The
singular circumstances attending the thefts with which the
prisoner stood charged—the boldness and dexterity which had
characterised their commission—the known superiority of
the prisoner in point of education, and, above all, the mys-
tery which hung .over her history, all combined to create a
strong feeling of curiosity, and to beget an anxious desire to
see the prisoner, and hear the proceedings on her trial. The
court was accordingly very much crowded, and among
the spectators there was a greater proportion of ladies
than is usual, On Mrs. Harris making her appear-
ance, the utmost eagerness was manifested to get a sight
of her countenance. She was veiled when she first en-
tered the court, but on her name being called to hear the
indictment read over, she lifted the veil from her face.
We were exceedingly struck with the alteration which had
taken place upon her from the period of her imprisonment.
Before her commitment to gaol we had au opportunity of
seeing the prisoner, and could not fail to mark what every
person who saw ber had obServed, that she had a pair of
most attractive, we had almost said bewitching, black eyes.
On Saturday, however, her eyes had undergone a most con\-
plete transformation. At a distance the white portion of the
eye-ball appeared to be unnaturally prominent ; while a
nearer inspection showed that she had a decided squint.
This singular change gave her countenance, as may be sup-
posed, an appearance very different from that which formerly
characterised it, and certainly not in the way of improve-
- !ssion upon some people in court was, that
;ned ; but on inquiry we find that it has
nd that the surgeon of

ae squi

been observable I

tbOve a month

as given it

his opinion that in all likelihood the
strange alteration has been caused by some disorder brought
on by excessive anxiety ,of mind. Unless when spoken to
by her counsel, Mr. Maxwell, or by her agent, Mr. A.
Young, the prisoner, throughout the whole of the trial, kept
her eyes shut, and, though pale, manifested the most perfect
composure. She was dressed in a straw hat and veil, and
black silk gown and shawl, and altogether her dress might
be called becoming, if -not elegant.
After all the evidence had been adduced, Mr. Maxwell,
the prisoner's counsel, addressed the jury, and Lord Cock-
burn having summed up, stated his perfect belief of the guilt
of the prisoner.

The jury, without retiring from the box, Save in a verdict,
unanimously finding the prisoner guilty of all the charges,
with the exception of that relating to the theft from Mr.
Mees, which had been departed from by the public prosecu-
tor.

The prisoner was then sentenced to 18 month's imprison-
ment in the prison of Glasgow. Lord Medwyn, in propo-
sing, and Lord Cockburn, in passing sentence, both expressed
a doubt that they had dealt too lenient a sentence. The
prisoner was evidently a woman above the rank and condi-
tion of the ordinary race of criminals, and, from her superior
education, must have well known the aggravated nature of
the crimes she had committed. They were not sure but
seven years' transportation ought to have been awarded, but
the court being always inclined to mercy, had, after consi-
deration, resolved on doing so on the present occasion.
The prisoner then left the bar.

LOSS OF THI

THAME

S STI

ANIE R,

(From the Morning Herald of Tuesdag.)

FURTHER PARTIC

Extract of a letter received at Lloyd's from their agent at
Scilly, dated sth January, 1841 _ _ _

" it is our painful duty to report the loss of the Thames
steamer, Captain Gray, from Dublin, bound to Plymouth
and London. She struck on one of the westernmost rocks
off these islands, called Jackey's Rocks, at about six a.m.
yesterday morning, the 4th instant. Three women were
saved by being hauled with lines through the sea to a small
boat, that went, at great risk of life, to the vessel from St.
Agnes ; and whilst the boatmen were getting the women into
the boat, they shipped a heavy sea, which nearly filled her,
and obliged them to quit the wreck. Soon after,. the flood-
tide having made to the north,.against the wind, caused a
tremendous sea, and the ship unfortunately went to pieces,
and all the crew and passengers on board were drowned, ex-
cept the three women before-mentioned, and one seaman,
called Edward Karons, who, with about ten others of the
crew, got on a piece of the wreck, and were driven on the
small uninhabited island, or rocks, called Rosevear, but who
were so much exhausted when they reached the shore, that
they could not get up the rocks, and were drowned. Tho•
bodies have since been taken off the rocks, and carried to St.
Agnes, the l►ghthouse island, from whence Karons and the
three feinalcs'saved have this day been brought to St. Mary's.

JANUARY 6.—As far as 14:e can at present ascertain,
there were on board, when the vessel left Dublin on Satur-
day, the 2d instant, five gentlemen paisengers. twenty re-
cruits, two soldiers, and one serjeant (three of them were
lost in getting into one of the ship's boats, which was cap-
ized) ; two women and an infant ; Captain Gray, two mates,
and twelve crew ! - —f! believe, a few deck

and, w

passengers. Persons E
eases, and one sailor."

-One young lady, two steward-

The following is a copy of a letter from Lloyd's agent at
Sciily, to the Secretary of the City of Dublin Steam Packet
Company : _ . _ _ _ _

Lloyd's Agency Office, St. Mary's,
Scilly, 6th January, 1841.
MR. P. HOWELL, SECRETARY, CITY OF DUBLIN STEAM

COMPANY, EDEN-QUAY, DUBLIN

Sir,—lt is with the deepest concern we have to acquaint
you of the loss of the Thames steam-boat, Captain Gray, from
Dublin, bouncl.to London, and to record the very melancholy
account of the almost entire loss of the captain, crew, and
passengers, there being only the two stewardesses, one
young lady, Miss Cecilia :Morris, (whose father was one of
the passengers, and who unhappily perished), and one sea-
man, called Edward Kearns, saved. The captain and mate,
it appears, having mistaken the St. Agnes Lights for the
Longships, became entangled with the rocks near the Island
of St. Agnes, and that about four o'clock a.m., the vessel
having gone over a ledge of aunken rocks, a sea broke tre-
mendously into her and nearly filled her, so much so
that she became unmanageable; and the fire being quite
extinguished, Captain Gray ordered the mainsail, fore-
sail, and fore staysail to be set, in the hope that the
vessel would have worked out through a narrow sound
or passage ; but, being water-logged, she went broadside
in upon a dreadful reef of rocks, called Jolly Rock, when
she went to pieces about one o'clock p.m., and the
vessel and cargo consequently, we fear, totally lost. The
moment the Thames was discovered from the island of St.
Agnes, the nearest inhabited island to the vessel, three row-
ing-boats immediately put off, with the hope of reaching the
vessel, the sea and wind at the time being very violent. One
of the boats only, a small six-oared one, succeeded, with
great difficulty and imminent danger, in getting within two
or three times her length of the vessel, and having receired
lines from her, which were afterwards arranged and secured
round the waists of the two stewardesses and Miss Cecilia
Morris, they were, one after the other, drawn, through the
sea into the said boat ; and, in the hope of the wind and
sea not becoming more severe, the boatmen calculated
upon landing the three •females upon an island about- a
quarter of a mile from the wreck, and then returning to
save others of the passengers and crew ; but, alas ! both
wind and sea increased to such a tremendous height, that
it was quite impossible for her to return ; soon after which
the mainmast was carried away, with the captain and
about twenty other passengers, lashed fast to the rigging
and top, who were either killed or drowned by the falling
thereof. The quarter-deck having parted from the vessel, the
sailor, Edward Kearns, with several others, remained on it,
and was driven by the sea towards the little island of Rose-
vear ; but with the exception of the said Edward Kearns,
who was washed with the raft upon the rocks of said island,
and thereby saved, the rest were all washed off and drowned.
The stewardess and a young lady landed at the Island of St.
Agnes, about three o'clock p.m., and every attention was
paid to them, and they were removed with the seaman to-
day from thence-to this island, where they will receive every
care. The corpses. nine men and one woman, have been
found amongst the rocks; and washed on shore at Rosevear ;
and after being brought here, and an inquest' being held,
were interred at this island. We write in great haste to save
the packet, and beg to assure you, that should any of the
materials of the Thames, such as anchors, cables, or other
articles, or any part of the cargo, be taken- up or washed
ashore, we shall take care to claim them for the account of
your company and others interested therein, and will advise
you thereof; and, soliciting your instructions should any-
thing be taken up from the wreck, or washed on shore, we
remain, sir, your most obedient servants,
(Signed) EDWARDS and JOHNS.

A gardener in Scotland has discovered that our finest win-
ter apple, the Ribston pippin, may be preserved from the
ravages of the American aphis or bug, an insect which has of
late years been very destructive to wall fruit, by grafting the
pippin on the stock of the jargoned pear, which the. insect is
never known to attack. This engraftmeut also improves the
fruit in size and flavour.

Madame Laffarge, who is in a very precarious state of
health, has just addressed a petition to the King, signed by
her medical attendants, praying that she may be removed to
a maisbn, de sent.•

DEATHS AMUIO— THE "ABISTOCRACIr..-,---During the past
year the following members of the peerage of the United
Kingdom have died :The Duke of Malborough, the
Marquis Camden', the Earl of Durham, the Earl of Ducie,
the Earl of Mansfield, the Earl of Ranfurly, the Earl of
Stair, the Earl of Seafield, Viscount Kenmure, Lord Head-
ley, Lord Garvagh, Lord Holland, Lord Arden, • Lord
Ashtown, and LordCastlemaine. In addition to the above,
the Countess of Burlington, the Dowager Viscountess
Hawarden. the Dowager Lady Rodney, Lady de Vesci, Lady
.Skelmersdale ; General the Hon. Sir Henry Fane, the Right
Hon. Sir Arthur Paget, Lord Bruce, Lady Frances Beres
ford, Lord John Churchill, Lord Arthur Chichester, Lady
Charles Churchill. Lady B. Newdigate, Lady Mary Saurin,
the Hon. James Stuart, and the Bishops of St. David's Chi-
cheater, Lichfield sod Coventry, and Meath, have also died
within the year. The baronets deceased since 1839 are Sir
Francis Lynch Blosse, Sir Charles R. Blunt, Sir William J.
Brabazon, Sir W. Burdett, Sir Frederick Grey Cooper, Sir
William Dick, Sir Charles Drake Dillon, Sir 'George Pocock,
Sir George B. Prescott, and Sir Watkin Williams Wynn.
THE REAL OBJECT OF THE PYRAMIDS.—The following
is extracted from a letter from M. D'Abdaie, dated Cairo,
December 3 :—.‘ Except some favoured spots in Arabia and
Palestine, there are few places where the philosophic mind is
oftener called on to elucidate the mysteries of past ages than
Cairo. In our days of science and enterprise, those pyramids
on which I now gaze from my terrace are still the most stu-
pendous efforts of human skill and perseverance. I have had
lately the good fortune to meet Professor W. Forchammer,
of the Kiel University, in the Duchy of Holstein, and I may
venture to affirm that the grand arcanuni, the cui bony of
those singular structures is at length solved by that able anti-
quarian. As he-published in the year 1837, a little disserta-
tion on this subject, I need not rehearse the chain of reason-
ing by which he establishes that the pyramids are artificial
hills, built over vast receptacles of water. It is not, perhaps,
extraordinary, that the Ethiopians, who first colonised Egypt,
should have taken such precautions to supply their newly built
cities with water cleansed by subsidiency and cooled by out-
lets always turned to the north. We learn from Bruce and
Pearce, in what singular veneration pure water is still held
by the Agows, who will never offer any to a stranger. But,
however satisfied with his new theory, the profess,.r was still
anxious to extend his researches by ocular demonstration,
and although extremely diffident before he set out, he had the
good fortune to collect new proofs from a careful survey of
several pyramids. In this part of his inquiries he derived
considerable assistance from the labours of Col. Wyse, who,
by a succession of most praiseworthy attempts, has succeeded
iu discovering a new chamber and several of those syringes
mentioned by Strabo. It is much to be regretted that some
of the spirited scientific associations of the British empire
have not taken up the question of a thorough history and
survey of the pyramids. The latter part of the undertaking
might be accomplished by a well-combined system of boring."
—Atheneum.