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    920 THE LEADER. [No. 340, Sa^urda^,

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    ACCIDENTS AND SUDDEN DEATHS. A crane at ...

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    Embezzlement.-—"William Farr, A Young- M...

    property , by -which he appears to have been made almost insane . He is in the habit of indulging to excess , and of taking disreputable women into his house , with whom , after drinking immoderately , he often quarrels . Sometimes he goes oat into the street , and smashes all his windows without any motive ; and he has contrived to run through 20 O 01 . in two months . In answer to some observations of the magistrate , Mr . Darnell said he did not think that Peckham , where he resided -while in towu , was by any means respectable . On the contrary ,

    it was the most blackguard place he ever was in , and he should get out of it without delay . The magistrate recommended that he should put something handsome in the poor-box ; to which the idle weed that grows in the sustaining corn of Huntingdonshire replied , " Here is a crown— -all the nioney I have about me , " and left the court . —There is something typical , almost mystical , in this gentleman ' s name . Darnel is not only an " idle weed , " but it is a weed which causes headaches and lethargies—from which , no doubt , tlie Huntingdonshire fanner has sometime suffered . .

    Attempted Murder . — A man , named William Smith , was charged at the " Worship-street police-office with an attempt upon the life of Mr . William " Ward , a cabinet-maker , living in Great Chart-street , Hoxton . Mr . Ward encountered Smith on the previous day in a public-house , and the moment the latter saw him , he exclaimed , " You don ' t know me , do you ? " Mr . Ward answered , that he did not desire to know him , upon which Smith drew a pistol from liis pocket , and presented it at the head of the other , saying that that would make him know- Mr . Ward seized hold of Smith's arm , and , having thus diverted the aim , hastily left the house , and took refuge at the dwelling of a friend who lived near . Smith followed Mr . Ward to the : other house , outside the door of which he remained for some time ; but , a policeman being sent for . he went

    away . Nothing more was seen of him until tlie afternoon of the same day , when Mr . WanJ , having- occasion to return to the public-house , again encountered Smith there , who immediately rushed at him , pistol in hand , and pulled the trigger close to his head . Fortunately , the powder did not ignite . The rufB . an then struck Mr . Ward four heavy blows on the head with the butt end , causing blood to flow copiously . Some of the bystanders interfered , and having -wrested the pistol from Smith ' s hand , gave him into custody . At the stationhouse , he declared that he intended to murder Mr . Ward , and added that "he would do for him yet , " alleging , as his reason , tliat Mr . Ward had seduced his wife , with whom he had carried on a , criminal conversation for the . last two years , in consequence of which she had gone raving mad . Smith was remanded .

    Attempt to Extort Money , —John Pi-ingle , clerk to a solicitor at Glasgow , has been charged at the Mansion House with having , in a letter-written to Mr . Benjamin Scott , secretary to the Bank of London , offered to suppress the publication of a pamphlet intended to do injury to the bank , on condition of being paid " a liberal sum of ¦ money . " Pririgle claimed to have projected a bank of the same name some time before the establishment of the concern in question , and asserted that the idea was . stolen from him—asseverations which were

    denied by Mr . Scott . When brought before the Lord Mayor , Pringle admitted that he had written the letter , but urged that he had only executed a commercial right , in endeavouring to get remunerated for the title of the bank . He -was remanded , but admittted to bail . The accused was on Wednesday committed for trial , but liberated on bail , having previously read over a document , purporting to be his defence , in which he complnined of having been very harshly used , and prevented communicating with liis friends . "

    A Shah Auction Room . —Beware of 88 , Regentstreet . ' In an action a few days ago in the Marylebone County" Court , it appeared that some rooms in the house thus indicated are , or -were , opened as sham auctionrooms , and several persona were engaged as ' toutcrs . ' A quantity of rubbish piled about gave a false appearance of business ; and the bidders were of course cruelly victimized . The action was brought by one of the 1 touters' against a Captain Hyne , to recover 12 ? ., a sum which Myers , the 'touter , ' said the defendant had

    engaged to pay him for his services in bidding for him in the mock auction-room . Myers described himself as a commission broker , and said that he could obtain articles cheaper than the public in general , because brokers do not bid against one another . Of course , ho added , the dealer sutlers by this agreement in a genuine sale ; " but that ia his own look out . " The goods purchased by Captain Hyne amounted to a little marc than 077 / . Several toapota and other articles charged for were not on the rrcmiees at the time , but wore afterwards obtained from Birmingham—Myers , the plaintiff , was nonsuited .

    Kobbkry in Plymouth Citadel . —Between noon ana midnight on Saturday , the pay-office of the 66 th itegtment waa robbed of 90 * . in Plymouth Branch Bank v £ « notc ^ 60 / - in sovereigns . The small tin casn-box in which it yras contained was found in the pan L « tnLTi T }> y th « ° ra « W servants , the rivets which h « ™ tl , ° k ha T ' £ been noatly P unchod in » ««<» all the contents removed but a banker'a cheque . _ ' Sweet Skvkntken . —Further ovidenco wa 3 on Monday , received at the Mnnelon Hooso in the case of John

    Pratt , a yoath of seventeen , charged -with stealing 98 / . 10 s . from the Chartered Bank of Australasia , where lie was employed as a junior clerk . On the re-examination , the keeper of the house of ill-fame where the youth was arrested , and one of the girls in whose . company he wa 3 found , were among the witnesses ; and it appeared from cross-examination that both the man and the woman ( though they denied it ) were cognizant of the robbery . A 20 ? . note , part of the plunder , was taken by the man to the Bank of England and changed for gold . It had the man ' s name and address on it . The girl stated that the youth , Pratt , " used to drink lots of neat spirits out of a tumbler . " She added : — " I had about 10 / . of him in two days . ¦ He bought me * two new dresses , a visite , a cloak , and a hat—one of those ' flop' ones . " When Pratt found he could not escape from arrest , he burnt so 7 iie of the notes , and said to the girl , " Don ' t frighten

    yourself , Harriet , dear ; I m all right now , if you -will be true "—and she said she would be true . The youth was in the habit of taking Mr . and Mrs . Withers ( the keepers of the house ) , together with the girls , out on parties of pleasure . The man Withers , in the course of his evidence , gave a singular definition of ' wilful lying . ' He said that , on the Sunday morning when the arrest took place , he obtained brandy for the youth , under pretence of its being "wanted for a person with cholera . " Then you did not mind telling a lie ? " asked Mr . Lewis , counsel for the prosecution . "No , " answered " Withers , " but I never tell wilful lies . " Alderman Carter asked -what he called the story about the brandy buta wilful lie : to which he answered , " Iknew I could not get the brandy unless I-said it was fora case of cholera . "—Pratt was committed for trial , but liberated on bail .

    Central Crimixal Court . —William Hawthorn , William Cook , and Charles Fowler , three boys , were indicted for feloniously setting fire to a waterproof clothing manufactory . They were seen to enter a shed attached to the factory , and Cook , was heard to say , " What a lark it would be to set it on fire ! " They then got some snaviiigs and a match , and the shed was very soon in flames , the result being that nearly 150 ? . worth , of property was destroyed . The jury found air three Guilty ,.-with mischievous , not malicious , intent , and the Mosecutor recommended them to mercy . They were sentenced to two months' hard labour . —Elizabeth Ann Holwell was tried for the manslaughter of her infant by neglecting to provide it with proper nourishment . She was a married woman , separated from her husband , who

    allowed her 14 s . a week ; but it was alleged by the prosecution that she squandered the money in drunkenness . The parish authorities found the child dead in . a wretched room , and the mother lying in a torpid state , with a bottle of poison beside her . The evidence adduced to prove the habitual drunkenness broke down , and it appeared that the accused did her best to suckle the child , but that the infant refused the breast . She was Acquitted .- —A well-dressed woman , named Clara Gowland "Voustarke , was indicted for stealing a drinking glass from a public-house in Knightsbridgo . She was in the habit of going to the house for ' gin-andwater , and one day she offered for sale in Chelsea some glasses belonging to the publican in question , and with his name cut into them . She was given into

    custody , and , on being charged with stealing the glasses , said the accusation was " quite amusing , " since she had honestly bought them , and sold them again on account of being in distress . There was some doubt as to the theft having been committed , and the prisoner ' s counsel called several witnesses , who spoke to her previous good character , and her accomplishments as a teacher of music . She was Acquitted , and her counsel undertook to return the glasse 3 to the prosecutor . —John Maiistru , a welldressed young man , has been found Guilty of embezzling various sums of money received by him on account of Edward Moore , a surgeon , and his employer . Ho-was sentenced to six months' hard labour . —Sarah Prout , a well-dressed , middle-aged woman , surrendered to take her trial on an indictment in which she was charged with having stolen threo pounds of composite candles from the shop of Henry Hassell . This case lasted a considerable time , and seemed . to create a good deal of interest , the

    prisoner being a person of good education , respectably connected , and of somewhat easy circumstances , having until recently kept a lodging-house at Great Coramstreet , Ruasell-squaro . She had been ordering goods at the shop , and had endeavoured , to secroto the candles , alleging , when found out , that she was going to or < lcr them to bei sent to her house . Being found Guilty , she was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour . She asserted , however , that she had not had a fair trial : things had becu omitted which ought to have been brought out , and things liad been said which wore not true ; and how could any jury think she would bring down ruin and calamity upon herself for the sako of a paltry Is . 10 id . worth of candles ? Non-Smoke-consubiers . —Threo firms belonging to the tanning and leather-dressing business in Bcrmondsey have been lined fit the Southivark police-court , in the mitigated penalty of 51 . each , and costs , for having their furnaces so constructed as not to consume tlieir

    smoke . Tint Old Story . —A man , named Thomas Cross , is in custody , and under remand at Southwark , on a charge

    of stealing three sovereigns from Reuben Overy a simple countryman . The story is as old as country gullibility and London knowragness . The muchbelieving Heuben had suffered himself to be drawn into a public-house , where Cross induced him to lend 3 ? in order that he ( Cross ) might make a bet with a pietended countryman that he could open a certain lock " Of course he failed to do so , and the confederate snatched up the money and fled . Cross then pretended to look after him , but was given into custody . The man who acted the part of a countryman said , just before the betting , that he wished he had never come to London as he had lost his watch . Reuben then said he too was a countryman , and shomld be careful of hismonev ; but the very next moment , he fell into the snare .

    Tiik Notting-hilx Burglaks . —One of this gang , a man named James Barnes , has been examined at Hammersmith , on a charge of breaking into , and robbing the house of Mr . G . II . Ullathorne , No . 2 , Lansdowr . eterrace , N " otting-hill . In consequence of the numerous burglaries , and robberies that have recently taken place at N " ottiiig-hill , and ihe alleged deficiency of the police to protect the property of the inhabitants , it has been suggested , by a gentleman who has been a sufferer to appoint watchmen and provide each of them with one of Colt ' s revolving pistols , against the midnight attacks of the gangs which infest the locality . The entry in this case seems to have been effected with great skill , and to have been an elaborate piece of work . Barnes was remanded . —Another of the gang is also in custody .

    A Crimean Guabdsmak charged with Thest . — Robert Sindall , a private in the Guards , with a Crimean medal , stands charged at Guildhall with stealing a 10 / . note from the prosecutor , a young-looking gentleman named JoUnCooke , who had invited the soldier and some others into a public-house to have ale . The note had been tendered in payment at various houses , but always refused . Sindall then said he would get change , and the note was given to him , but he appropriated it , and said it was his own . A Dkonken WiF 35 . — : A charge of violent conduct was brought against a Mrs . Edmonds , at Worship-street , by her husband . The woman is described as well dressed and pretty , but as exhibiting signs of dissipation ; and it app eared from the statements of the husband , a cabinet-maker at Hoxton , who evinced great distress ,

    that she is iri . the constant habit of getting drunk , and outrageously assaulting him . She is a very good -woman ,, he said , -when she is sober , but she has been intoxicated nearly every day for the last four years , and this has made her ferocious . The husband was obliged to take her before the magistrate last Monday , when she agreed to separate and to acccept a , certain sum for maintenance ; but she savagely assaulted him on getting home , and bit him in the back very severely . Edmonds stated to the magistrate , when the woman was brought before him again on Wednesday , that his business -was ruined by her , and that he was so very fond of her that . grief at her misconduct had broken up his constitution . Nevertheless , lie did not wish to prosecute her ; and the wife , having promised tc keep away from her husband in , future , was allowed to go .

    Robbery .- — Henry Stevens , clerk to Messrs . Rowling ; and Co ., Friday-street , Norwich warehousemen , -was charged at the Mansion House with having embezzled moneys to the amount of SO ? ., the property of the firm . He was committed for trial . Diseased Meat . —Mr . Reece Williams , of Mitcliamstrect , Insson-grove , was charged at Marylebone with having in his custody the carcase of a cow and some pieces of meat in tlie course of preparation for sale , the same being unfit for the food of man . The meat had been condemned by Mr . Broughton , and ordered to be destroyed , after , an , examination which he had ma < le of them iipon a former occasion in the street in front of tlie magistrate ' s entrance to the court , but it was found necessary to prefer tlie charge again . A mitigated fine of forty sh Mings , together with costs , was imposed .

    920 The Leader. [No. 340, Sa^Urda^,

    920 THE LEADER . [ No . 340 , Sa ^ urda ^ ,

    Accidents And Sudden Deaths. A Crane At ...

    ACCIDENTS AND SUDDEN DEATHS . A crane at the railway foundry at Leeds , while lifting a heavy weight n few days ago , suddenly snapped . Four or five men were , on the crane platform whew the fracture took place : two were precipitated to the ground , and so severely injured that tlieir lives are despaired of , and a third man , who was directing the operations , was struck by a bar of metal , and killed on the spot . A man , nnmed Thomas Walker , employed o the London and North . Western Eailway , tumbled off a ballast train , and fell under the wheels . Both legs -were severely fractured ^ grea t loss of blood ensued , and the man died soon afterwards at the Hudderafield Infirmary Some children in the country have met with a very singular and shocking death . A little boy , not quito four years old , living at Huddcrsfield , strayed into a barley-field , and was literally lost among the high corn . Ho -was found dead five days afterwards , only three yards from tho licdge or fence of the field , and tho father , who had been out looking for him , had passed close to the spot . Two similar instances have occurred in other localities ; in one of which the child was found alive . A woman in tlte Lancaster Lunatic Asylum , manica

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 27, 1856, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_27091856/page/8/