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Leader (1850-1860), 14th February 1857, Edition 1 of 2, Page 152, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      servitude . —Six years' penal servitude was adjudged to two youths ( ticket-of-leave holders ) for stealing three gold rings from a shop—a charge to which they pleaded Guilty ; and the same sentence was passed on Thomas Leebridge ( also a ticket-of-leave convict ) for stealing a watch from the person . —Michael Cummins , a miserablelookmg youth , pleaded Guilty to stealing some beef from a shop . He said he did it through want , as he had been three times on that day refused assistance at the workhouse . It was stated in court that famishing creatures were constantly being . turnedaway from , the workhouse , and being driven by starvation into thef t . The prisoner added that his parents were " too great a pair of drunkards" to help him ; ia fact , they had turned him out . He was sentenced to twelve months' hard labour .

      Attempted Murder at Dartmoor Pbison \— A young man , nineteen years of age , a convict at Dartmoor Prison , has made an attempt to murder one of the warders by striking him on the head with a spade . It is but a short time since a similar crime was committed at the same place . The Double Mueder at Waiavorth . —A further examination of Bacon and his wife took place on Wednesday , in connexion with the charge of child-murder , when the case against the man was strengthened by evidence showing his flurried and distraught mauner the day after the murder , and the contradictions which he made in speaking of himself in connexion with the affair . Both prisoners were again remanded . Crime in the "West of Engla . ni > . —Accounts are received from the west of several outrages committed on the highways in Devonshire and Somersetshire .

      * Honest Patjl ' s' Assistant . — Joseph William Hawes , an occasional assistant to Paul , who has been found guilty of frauds on the City of London Union , has been committed for trial on a charge o > f forging receipts for 2901 . "Workhouse Tyranny . —Four destitute young women were charged at Southwark with creating a disturbance outside the workhouse . They said they were starving , and had been turned out by the authorities . The magistrate discharged them , saying that the conduct of the parish officers was very harsh , and might have the effect of driving the young women to prostitution .

      Suspected Murder . —A man named Richard Smith , who has been in custody for some weeks on suspicion of having caused the death of William Kieffe , a person employed at the Edinburgh Castle tavern at Peckham , has been discharged , the evidence against him amounting to nothing more than that he iad given some contradictory accounts . The probability seems to be that the man Kieffe lay down in the stables while drunk , and that his brains were kicked out by a horse .

      Gatherings From The Law And

      tained the body of a policeman who had just died of a malignant fever . He called at Mr . Tovralpy ' s house , and mentioned the circumstance , and he believed that the coach aud hearse were afterwards removed , but they were speedily succeeded by other vehicles of the same sort , which remained there for six days together ; and this caused such an obstruction in the roadway , that the officer at last felt himself bound to summon Mr . Townley . The undertaker stated to the magistrate that , in consequence of the road being under repair , he bad been unable for several days to obtain access to the stableyard in whi « h he kept his carriages , and was therefore compelled to leave them in the open street . He had , however , made arrangements to prevent a recurrence of the nuisance complained of . Mr . Hammill believed that Mr . Townley had not committed the act with any bad intention , and therefore merely ordered him to pay the costs of the proceedings , without imposing any penalty .

      Two men named Mallan , alias Sykes and Paton , were charged at the Westminster police-office , on Tuesday , with an astoundingly impudent attempt at cheating . They went to the house of a Mr . Bannister , in Coleshillstreet , Pinalico , and , intruding themselves into the dining-room , were found there making themselves very much at home , the former lounging upon the sofa , and the latter warming himself in an easy chair . On Mr . Bannister's entrance , Paton , although a perfect stranger , familiarly extended his hand , which Mr . Bannister , in the surprise of the moment , took ; but , on ; recovering himself , he said he 3 iad not the pleasure of being

      acquainted with either of them . Paton affected much surprise that Mr . Bannister did not know him , and , having introduced Mallan as a Crimean hero who had lost a leg , entreated Mr . Bannister ' s sympathy , and a private interview . Mr . Bannister declined the interview , and told the men they had better be off . They took him at his word , but had no sooner turned their backs than he missed his silver spectacles from the room . He went in pursuit of the fellows , and collared them , when Mallan dropped the spectacles , and both were given into custody . It afterwards appeared that they had made similar attempts at other houses . They were committed for trial .

      Some cases of cruelty to horses have come before the magistrates this week , and been met with appropriate punishment . An action brought by a tailor in the Court of Exchequer , on Tuesday , for the recovery of 107 / ., alleged to be due for clothes supplied to a Mr . Propert , was remarkable on account of an admission made by the plaintiff . The defendant pleaded infancy , " as he will not be of age till next September ; to which it was replied that the clothes were " necessaries . " It came out , however , that 13 / . 13 s . of the sum was money lent , but charged as clothes , in order to deceive the young man ' s father , a surgeon in New Cavendish-street . The Chief Baron expressed hirnself warmly as to " the gross and abominable" nature of this fraud , which lie thought was worse than picking a pocket ; and he told the tailor that , had he obtained the money , he would have been liable

      GATHERINGS FROM THE LAW AND POLICE COURTS . A man who is described as a beershop-keeper in the neighbourhood of Whitechapel , but wlio is known to the police as a bad character , lias been examined before the Worship-street magistrate on a charge of being concerned , with another man who has escaped , in attempting to break into a house in the Mile-end-road . A policeman came upon them while stealthily at work , between five and six o ' clock in the morning , on the street door , and , with the assistance of another constable , he succeeded in making one of them his prisoner . The man , when before the magistrate , asked whether it was not after six . o'clock in the morning wlien the occurrence took place ; and he carefully drew the magistrate ' s attention to the answer . The policemen said no ; it was before that hour . Had they answered in the affirmative , the offence would have been removed from the class

      of burglaries , and made it a common attempt at robbery . The man was committed for trial . Alderman Wilson , at the Mansion House , has severely rebuked a police inspector for not allowing boys to pursue their trade as shoeblacks in the space between the Royal Exchange and Exchange-buildings . The officer said the boys wore thieves , and assembled for dishonest purposes ; but the alderman replied that , if they were hindered in getting an honest livelihood , they were very likely to become thieves . In the particular case in question , a gentleman who was going to a dinner party employed a boy to black his boots . Ono boot was finished when tho police officer interfered , and the gentleman was obliged to go to hia friend ' s house with ono boot dirty and tho other cleaned—" which , " ho sorowfull out to

      r y pointed tho alderman , " made him look perfectly ridiculous . " The sympathetic magistrate thought that made tho case worse against the inspector . A rather singular chargo wns brought forward at the Worship-street police court a few days ago , against an undertaker living in Park-street , Finsbury , named Charles Townloy , tho burial contractor , as was alleged for the metropolitan police force . A police Borgennt , while on duty ono night in tho locality , saw drawn up in front of Mr . Townlcy ' a premises a . liearso and mourning coach ; and , on passing through tho street again tho following morning , ho found them still there , and was afterwards told by a constable on tho beat that they had Btood there tho whole night . Ho subsequently learned that two coffins were in the hearse , ono of which

      conto fourteen years transportation . The young man was at college , and appears to have been very expensive in his habits . Mr . Woulfe , the tailor , wrote some letters to him , promising tliat , if he would introduce customers , he ( Woulfe ) " would not fail to return the compliment when Mr . Propert was in need of assistance . " Ultimately , however , finding he could not get his money , he threatened to arrcs * the young man on the day he was going to be examined at college ; and , in the" affidavit sworn by Woulfo on this occasion , he stated that the sum of 107 / . was far goods supplied . At this point , the Chief Baron ordered the plaintiff to remain in court till the end of the case , and asked him if he was not aware ho had committed jierjury in that affidavit . He answered that he was not . The arrest , it appeared , was prevented by some arrangement . A verdict was given for tho defendant .

      An action to recover GGl . 8 s . has been brought in the Court of Exchequer by a Mr . Simmonds , a silversmith , against a Mr . Hughes , alias O'lveith , and Miss Emma Stanley , tho proprietors of the entertainment called " The Seven Ages of Woman . " Mr . Simmonda had fitted u |> tho room , and , after a large part was completed , lie had to take tho things down and begin again , because Miss Stanley said it would not do . Ono of the witnesses called was Mr . Joseph Stammers , who said ho had been concerned in the speculation , but that Miss Stanley did not pay anv one

      except a few trilling sums . Nobody was paid but tho landlord , and ho stopped tho rent . Mr . Hughes and Miss Stanley , according to Mr . Stammers , were living together an man and wife . " That ia rather ungallant townrdd Misa Stanley , " said the Lord Chief Barui . " How do you know it ? " The witness replied that it was notorious among tho musical profession ; and his statement waa confirmed by tho landlord of a house where tho couple lived . Tho Chief JJaron thought no case had been made out aguinst the defendants ; and tho plttintiiF was accordingly nonsuited .

      Untitled Article

      a meeting held on the 4 th inst ., has been published . It has reference to the cruelties frequently practised on > oard American mercantile vessels upon men who have been induced to serve as sailors . Of these men we read * — - " Some of them have been carried off by forc e or stratagem , leaving behind parents , wives , and children others are enticed by the promise of good wages and the great majority are turned away entirely destitute on their arrival in England . " The Society examined during the last year as many as seventy-nine cases , and since the beginning of the new year the cases have actually amounted to twenty-seven . " It is on record , " says the report , " that many have been offered work on board a steamer in the river , or to unload ships , and are th . ua to into small boat

      prevailed upon step a to be carried on board , which leaves them as soon as they are put on the deck of the ship , where they are retained forcibly Among the applicants for relief there have been coopers carpenters , cooks , waiters , clerks , and surgeons , who have been carried off in this nefarious way . The cruelties which are practised upon these poor unprotected men on board these ships would be incredible , had they not been of late frequently confirmed by the proceedings in the Liverpool police court ; but unfortunately in redress for these ferocious assaults , committed upon the high seas there is no practical remedy for these poor men on their arrival in this country . It has been proved in that court that on board the Ocean Monarch men have been forced to draw with their teeth iron nails from the dec ! into which they had been driven for that purpose to tie

      depth of two inches ; that they had been compelled literally to lick up the dust from the deck of the cabin flooT * and at the inquest held upon a Dutchman who had be « n beaten to death by the third mate and boatswain of tie Guy Mannering , the surgeon who made the ^ ost morUm examination deposed ' that the head presented an enormously contused mass , the face was completely battered in , and there were from seventy so eighty contused wounds upon the feet , legs , thighs , and back . ' The hospitals of Liverpool record many instances of the lamentable condition in which the majority of these victims of savage ferocity are brought in . . . . It is , however , but justice to exonerate the majority of the captains from any participation in the actual ill-treatment . This has been generally practised by the mates , boatswains , aud crews . "

      Shipwrecks . —The Anita steamer , belonging to the Magdalena Steam Navigation Company , has been wrecked off Moro Hermoso , which was some twenty miles to the south-east . Captain Hills , the commander , saved himself by clinging to a cask and an oar ; and be and eleven more of the crow were taken off by . tb * Estrella , another vessel belonging to th » -eo"it * a * jjr , winch was pursuing the aame course . Twelve of the crew , however , perished ; half of which number had formed part of the crew of the Tay , which was lost a few months ago in the Gulf of Mexico . The Anita left Savanilla on the 23 rd of December , for London . She had not been out more than two hours before a

      formidable leak was discovered ; a gale sprang up ; all efforts to reduce the in-pouring of the water failed ; the furnaces and boilers were speedily reached by the waves ; and , in five hours from the starting of the vessel , she foundered . —The Ravensbourne , London and Antwerp steamer , has been wrecked at Flushing , owing to a heavy sea staving in her bows . —The French barque Sally , bound from Bordeaux to Liverpool , has been wrecked in Carnarvon Bay . Out of a crew of sixteen , only two were saved . The vessel broke up in fifteen minutes after

      she struck . —The Water Wj-vem yacht , the property of James Edward Stopford , Esq ., Vice- Commodore of the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland , and managing director of tho Royal Irish Fisheries Company , is a total wreck . She was on a voyage from Dublin to Galway Buy , but , striking on a reef of rocks to the westward of Mutton Island , she went to pieces . —A Scotch cornmerciul vessel , the Welaford , was wrecked at Cape Race on Christinas-day , and all hands but the mate and two men —in all , twenty-three persons—perished . The ship and cargo are totally lost .

      Reductions at Woolwich . —A great many temporary clerks , employed in , the Government Department at Woolwich , are to bo dismissed . Some two thousand labourers and artisans are also to be discharged at the end of March . Many of those persons who arc now engaged in the store branch of tho War Department , and who are advanced in life , are to retire on the superannuation list . Reports , also , are current to the effect that the majority of the artillery officers employed in superintending the departments of . Woolwich Arsenal arc to be superseded by civilians experienced in tlie duties of tho departments , the Bervicea of the military officers having been demanded by tho Comman < ler-in-Chief . Anothkii Arctic ExpicimTorr . —Lady Franklin lias addressed and published a letter to Lord Palmerston , seeking to engage tho sympathy of those in power iu the despatch of an expedition in search of tho romaina of the Franklin party . She endeavours to show that the proposed search may bo made with slight hazard of life and very small cost ; and observes : " Thia final » n ' exhausting search is all I seek in behalf of the first nn < l only martyrs to Arctic discovery in modern times , it is all I ever intend to ask . "

      NAVAL AND MILITARY . Cituicr . THcs on Board Amkrican Smrs . —A special report from tho managing committee of the Liverpool Society of Frienda of Foreigners in Distress , adopted at

      Untitled Article

      152 _ T ^ H ^ E ^ 1 < EAJ ) ER . [ No . 360 , Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 14, 1857, page 152, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2180/page/8/