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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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^ ' w ^ ter i ^^ e ^ mfeflfeyfen vfidtLCt . This is of great length / and ' passes ovpr ^ the-lijae ^ of navigation between Ncr ^ iisht an& ^ wesfoffc , -svitii a swing bridge 3 n ' tfa © middle . In t 3 ps yiadu ' ct , ' the piles , braces , eapsille , longitudinal timbers , struts , and groundsills , on which the latter abut , were in a * dangerous state ¦ of djecay : ' Work people were busy at this poitit making repairs "; but -the result of their labours is dismissed by the inspecting Colonel with the same
criticism which , he had bestowed upon the improvements in the smaller openings . One point of the line appears to have been distinguished by peculiar insecurity ; it there consists of a viaduct which passes over what is called Sir William Beauchamp ' s Navigation . Tine original timbers are : described by Colonel Wynne asbeingtina state of titter rottenness . 'In many parts , ' he writes , these tvmbeva eovld be dug cut with q , ajovbde , lifts ffwden mould , and it is a matter of astonishment how a structure in such a
state was able to . bear the . loads which continually passed oyer it , ' It is but , fan * to add that , according to Colonel Wynne ' s report ,, this particular viaduct has been put in a state of good repair ; but one shudders at the thought of the danger to which the travellers whc passed over it were exposed before the company were driven to do something , lost their viaduct should crumble down some morning , like ' garden mould , ' under the pressure of a passingtrain , "The result of Colonel Wynne ' s report is that these branches of -the Eastern Counties line are decidedly unsafe , and unfitted for public traffic . " The Board of Trade has sent to the directors of the line a warning to place their line in a permanently safe condition .
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and has * been coninaitfceai—The tlnr ^ oblieiy' wal committed , on the . ^ isfc ofjjanuary " , in the ^ onimercial ) road East , and here ; again Fiina was called to ' substantiate the case ^ Which he did , with the same result as in the preceding cases . A Mi&be ' s Death . —An old man , named Howe , has died . in a house at Hoston from sheer starvation , though possessed of about two hundred pounds . He was fpujid in wrticulo mortis by the police ,, lying oh a mattress swarming with vermin . Just before his death , he ravedL about tis gold . Four of the rooms of the houBe were filled with books from floor to ceiling , the worth of which , though covered with cobweb , is , at a rough guess , about £ 800 , and numerous oil paintings hung against the walls .
The Disgraceful State ot Tacb : bbook-street , VattxhaIiIj . —Mr . Thomas Brodgers , a gentleman living in this street , was wakened a few nights ago by a scratching at bis street door . Examining the dpor , he found his name written on it , coupled with a disgraceful epithet . He went out into the street , and saw a Mr . William Duncan , described as- a merchant in the borough , whom he had seen just before quitting the door-step , and who now advanced , and repeated the offensive expression , threatening to punch Mr . Brodgers's head . The cause of this animosity results from Mr . Brodgers having interested himself to suppress the disreputable houses in the street , at
the windows of which women may at tunes be seen in a state of semi-nudity . At one of these houses , Mr . Duncan lived , and he seems to have resented the interference . Mr . Brodgers stated to the magistrate before whom Mr . Duncan was brought that sometimes men would drive up in cabs to his and . other houses in mistake ,. Only a few days ago , a drunken perso n , having the appearance ^ of a gentleman , entered hi s house in the daytime , and began rnawling his servant about ,. but > ascertaining the mistake , be had tbe decency to stammer out an apology . A fine of forty shillings was imposed on Mi-. Duncan , and £ Ue magistrate directed the police to take immediate steps to put down the nuisance .
Facto for tse Laureate .: —The Recorder , in addressing the Grand Jiiry , at the opening of the March , session of the Central Criminal Court , observed : — •" During the last twelvemonthBj after having for forty years enjoyed tie blessings of peace ; we have been familiarised with , all the horrors of war , and there is no doubt that during the same period the most heinous crimes lave been committed by persons of high station , by persona also holding a high position in the commercial and banking community , and alflo by persons in a more humble position of life ; and in this court there has certainly been a most unusual number of cases involving the destruction of human life . " If peace be reall y a " canker , " its removal does not cause the disappearance of a great many other cankers . ! *
AiiLeged Embezzlement . —Gfeorge Sandford Keymer was ' charged at the Central Criminal Court with embezzling various sums of money from his employers , Messrs . Chambers and Ellwood , wine-mer-• chants , in the city . It was alleged that he was to act as town traveller and collector , at a salary of £ 10 amonth . In 1853 , he was a defaulter to the amount of £ 472 ; but no criminal proceedings were taken at the time ; the amount was written off as a debt ; two bills were drawn on the accused for the amount , and it was agreed that his salary should be raised to £ S 0 a-month . In the course of last August , it was
discovered that other siims of money besides the £ 472 were not accounted for , and proceedings were at length taken . On ctoss-examination , it appeared that the prosecutors kept their books very badly ; and that they had a $ different times stated variously the amount of Keymer ' s defalcations . Mr . Ballantyne , the defence urged that it had been agreed on between Keymer and his employers that the former should have half -the profit of all the business he brought tothe firm , and that the prosecution originated from apite . The jury brought in a verdict of Not Guilty , and the accused was discharged .
Delirium Tbbbcens . — Elizabeth WebBter , tlie woman charged on 'tier own confession with the murder of her infant , has been dismissed , as it appears that there ifl no foundation for her story . She seema to be suffering from ddirivm tremens , and while in gaol" she made an attempt to strangle herself . Before the magistrate she promised to leave off drinking . Robberies prow Jbweixbuis' Winbows . —Three cases of robbery fr , o , m jewellers' and silversmiths ' windows came before the magistrates on Monday . The first case was brought forward at Marlborov ^ ghfttveet . The robbeiy had been committed at the shop of ^ Messrs . Lambert and Qo . Coventry-street , about fire o ' clock in tlie afternoon , and the smash of broken
glass first called attention to the fact . Tho man who commitfcofl tho outrage appeared to be throwing the goods on the pavement , and not to bo carrying them off . He wo ? committed for trial . —Tho second oaso was hoard at the Tluunea-ofnco , where Wuham Cooko , a noted tnief , tmft supposed to bo a ticket-of-lcnvo man . Fivo silver watohos wore abstracted . On the oveniag of t ^ p day j ( which was aa long ago as tho 81 at of last DeceixiTbor ) ,, Oool : e returned to hie home in a registered . oon > mon lodging-houao , with ono hand sevoroly out , and . in answer tp the landlord , Thomas PUnn , ho said ho liad dashed hia hand through a pane of gloss in a jeweller ' s shop , wad had robbed tho bUop , but had only got one watch- After « considerable timo ho was nrrosted ,
The Matiteu Murder . —James Conrpy , 26 , basketmaker ; Michael Allen , otherwise Anderson , 23 , hawker ; Isabella Alien , otherwise Anderson , 55 ., hawker ; Jane Anderson , 18 , hawker ; Eleanor Anderson , 15 , ^ hawker ; and Elizabeth Conrciy , wife of James Cbnroy , none of whom could either read or write , were charged at the Newcastle Assizes with the wilful murder of Dorothy Bewicke , at the parish of Stamfordham , on the 21 st of October last . On being charged , they pleaded not guilty . The murder , it will be recollected , was committed on an old woman living in a hut in a secluded part of the country frequented in the summer by persons engaged in broom-making and chair-mending . The hut had been broken into at night , apparently for the purpose
In further cross-eV&TOinatkra it was elicited that , upon Ibwx * bills for £ 50 each , at three months , S-pokes had charged ^ 2 Q interest , and could only accountfor £ 120 giye ' n to Sturt , although he held security for J § t 91 . Mtr . Ballantyne , for t $ e defence , denounced the < Earegtiiablefpllaracter of the proceedings ; a . nd the Recorder saja ' , $ bat Spokes was one of those disgraceful then trading as a loan society , and that the criminal law" had been stretched i& try a civil right . The defendants were , acquitted . A PoACHnra Case . —James Thurgood ., Williain Thurgood ^ Thomas T / jiurgood ( brothers ) , and James Guiver—all athletic young ; men—were tried at the Chelmsford Assizes , on a charge of murdering Williani
Hales , a gamekeeper on Si ? John Tyrrell ' s estate , on the 18 th ult . The evidence b 6 i chiefly against James Thurgood . It appeared from the statement ox Ebenezer Chalk , an . accomplice in the poaching , ' who turned Queen ' s evidence , ttat oil sallying forth James Thurgood said he would not he taken , as he would shoot any one who- opposed him . The affray took place in a wood ; the murdered man was a little in advance of his-comrades , and no qne actually sa \ y the shot fired , though the report was heard ; but James Thurgood was the nearest to the dead bo-dy , and he was seized , his coiaapanions for the time escaping . The shot taken from the neck of Hales correspotiaeot with that in the possession of the . accused , the others
being totally d i fferent , and there were othex points of circumstantial evidence . The jury foirnd James Thurgood guilty of being accessory to the murder j but they were not satisfied that he had actually disr charged the gun . " The other prisoners were acquitted of the charge of murder , bolt found guilty of another charge of poaching , and were sentenced each to four years' penal servitude . James Thurgood was sentenced to death , the law regarding the being accessory to murder as tantamount to nlurder itself ; but the Judge said he would make a representation of the opinion of the jury . On bearing this , James Thurgood , who was not in the least affected , said— " Thank you , sir . God bless you all I" ¦ " ..
The Servant and her Tale of Robbery ; . - — Lucy Constable has been examined at Larabeth on a charge arising out of the strange tale of burgj ^ iry at her master ' s house in Sutherland-square , Walw ort ^ which we mentioned , in our last week ' s paper . S % & was remanded for a "week . AlXEGED M 0 RD 33 B OS" A . CHIED BY A BOY . —A b 6 y of twelve years of age , named William . Sopp , " was charged at the Reading Assizes with the rnurder of a child of foxir years old . Sopp had been out with the little boy , Silas Rosier , on the downs , cutting fuxzej but he returned alone , and the dead body of the child was afterwards discovered , in a pit , wibh . its head
hacked in several places . Suspicion falh' ng on Sopp , he was taken into custody ; and lie then said to the constable ;— "When we got to the downs , I began to cut furze , and the billhaok came out of the handle and hit the poor little fellow about the head and knocked him down . He tumbled and rolled about on the ground , and I was afraid , if people thought I had tried to do it , I should go to gaol ; and I killed him . " There was no apparent motive for the boy wilfully murdering the child ; and , considering that Sopp , according to the interpretation of the law , was not of an age to have a " mischievous discretion , " the jury leant leant to a naerciful , consideration , on the ground that the death might have been the result of accident , and acquitted tbie youth .
Self-Betray At op a . BiJitaLAB . —A notorious thief , named Charles MorriB , was charged at the Lambeth police-office , together with a " ticket-ofleave" , with having committed sx burglary at the house of Mr . Stow , a je-weller and silversmith , living at Camberwell-green . In the course of hast Ko « vember , one of the turnkeys of the House of Correction , where Morris was then confined , baring overheard him . say to a fellow-prisoner that , when he was released , ho meant to break into Mr . Stow ' H shop , the
governor of the prison c © mmuniootod taiB intelligence to Sir Richard Mayno , who informed Mr . Stow of Morris ' s intention , and warned him to be on hifl guard , Mr . Stow , therefore , had extra fastenings P" * on to the doors leading to his shop , bo thnt when the two men broko into hie premises , although they succeeded in getting through tho outer door of tho house into the kitohou , from -which they stole a few silver spoons and other property , they could not get beyond it . Both tho thioves were apprehended next morning at the lodging of Morris-. They were re : mandod .
Assize Casiss . —William Henry May , James May , and Henry Phillips woro indiotud at Winchester for , burglariously breaking into tho house of Messrs . Emanuel , jeweUar , at Portsmouth , and&toaling a largo quantity of jewellery . Tho faota of the robbory have alroady appeared iu this journal . Tho discovery was apparently brought about by William May leaving « box in his room , while on a visit to London , and . telk iug his niBter that there was BOjcnotbin ^ in it which ho should not like ivny ono to » oo . The nistor , like Bluebeard ' H wifo , imixiedifttoly dotiirmiuod to look , and fouud bowo jowolloryiana watohea , of whioh she ultimately took some . It appear ^ olao that eorno ono olso ftbetraotcd part of tho property , a , nd Jnnaca May
of robbery , and the old woman was killed . A stick , the handle of a hammer , a strap used to tie the legs of the poor creature , and some other fragments left behind by the murderers , which corresponded with similar articles possessed by the accused , seemed to fix suspicion on them ; and one witness ( who had turned Queen ' s evidence ) stated that Michael Allen slept with him in a barn part of the night of the murder , but , was absent another part . For the defence , it was contended that the evidence was not sufficient to convict ; and a complaint was made of the prisoners having been subjected to the spy syBtem , and prevented from , conversing freely with , their counsel- —a complaint the fairness of whioh the judge admitted in his summing-up . The jury declared all the prisoners Not Guilty .
A Disreputable Case . —Some amusement and much disgust was created in the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday , by the trial of John Sturt , Sophia Sturt , ThomaB Dowse , tt , Charles Dowaett , and . David Hart , on a charge of conspiring to defraud . It appeared that tho prosecutor , James "William Spokes , was connected with " a loan and disoount society ;" and that ho advanced a loan to Sturt , on the soourity of a bill of sale on some furniture . He was afterwards informed by Mrs . Sturfc that an execution had beer * put into her lrusband ' s house hy some upholsterers , and she called on him to proteot tho goods under hia bill of sale . Ho therefore put in another execution , under oharge of Thomas Dowsett ; but ultimately it appeared that Dowsett ( with whose transactions his brother Chavles and David Hart seem
to have n > ixed up ) had paid the a-ent , and therefore claimed the goods . An appeal to the police , and afterwards to the magistrates , produced no result . In oross-oxammatjon , Spokes said : — "I am a bookseller by trade * J , do not follow it . 1 ana an nuationoor , houfte-agent , and manager of a loan sooioty . I dooline to any who flonstituto tho aocioty . This wan a private affair of my own . There are other inembors of tho loan society , but I will not give any namos . I wna a bankrupt } n 1847 . I did not oommonoo monoy-londing directly . Some yoare elapsed . I kuow that tho houses kept by Sturt woro tenanted and need by gay women . 1 do not call that a houno of ill-famo . I have taken tea there , but nob gin-aiid water . I did not take Mra . Sturt to Cantor . bury . hall . I did uofc propose to do so ; slio ia not to my tauto . " ( Laughter . )
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Leader (1850-1860), March 8, 1856, page 223, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2131/page/7/
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