Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-04-10 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THEFT OF SPECIE ON BOARD SHIP. The late steward of the steamer GOrji, a man named Backman, has been charged at West Ham policecourt with having stolen a box of specie valued at 1:800.—Mr. G. A. Lug-dale, chief officer of the Giirji, said that when the vessel was at Jeddah, they took on board seven cases of specie—aix large Calltql and one small cape. The value of the small case was declared as 1:81.0. Witness put the specie in the after-peak, beong assisted by the prisoner and a coolie limn ashore. No one else was there at the time. The packets were passed by hand into the lazarette, and witness passed them from there to the after. peak. Some days afterwards witness having been aroused from his sleep early in the morning by the second mate and the captain,went aft,where he found all the &ore of the saloon open, and heard the steward (the prisoner) knocking inside his room to get out. "Let ins out, for God's sake; the key is lying on the deck," he shouted. Witness founds key lying in the centre of the laz trette batch, and unlocked the prisoner's door. Backman then said that he woke at "1.5," and on rising to leave his room found the door Wit, lucked. He commenced knocking, and had continued knocking from that time until he wam let out. Its had also, he added, fired three shots from a revolver to attract attention. The key, he said, had been on the outside, and he had heard it fall on the deck when he kicked the door. Asked why he had not attempted to get out of the window, he said he had tried, but found the button too stilt. He further stated that when be turned into bed be left the door open, and hooked it back. Having let him out, witness called for lights, and finding the hatch of the lazaretto open be went below with the carpenter. He then noticed the alter.peak hatch open,and, lowering the lamp, saw that the small packet of specie was missing. No one was down there. A rope was seen lying on the Fort side if the hatch, and it was recognised an the same one used in lowering the specie into the batch. Subsequently 799 sovereigns were found in the saloon in a bag resembling one that had been issued to the prisoner. At Port Said the prisoner was given into custody, and examined at the Consular Court. lie was committed for trial, tut in consequence of a protest by the officers end crew of the Giirji the prisoner was trausferred to the City of Agra for conveyance home. Witness added that en the outward voyage prisoner was accused of having stolen some property of the chief steward. At Jeddah, before the specie was taken aboard, prisoner said he had seen some coolies coming out of witness's room with a bundle, which appeared to be something like revolvers. Witness at one went to his rootmand missed his night or opera glasses—those now produced.—Corroborative evidence having been ! given, prisoner was remanded.  The African Society, founded in Vienna some years ago as a branch of the Internationa: Ifrican Society, has been dissolved. Three days after the Inman Line steamer City of Chester, just airived at Queenstown, had left New York a man named James Scotch, believed to be a native of Edinburgh, committed suicide by jumping overb ard. A boat was lowered, but failed to reach the man in time to save him. Whilst a gang of men were working in some excavations near Oldham, a quantity of earth fell, burying a man named Whittaker, and partly burying others. By the time the other men had dug Whittaker out, be was quite dead. A man named Kemp was severely crushed.