Extraordinary Charge.—Captain, William Tune, the Commander of a steam packet called the City of Boulogne, the property of the New Commercial Steam-Packet Company, on Monday appeared at the Mansion House to answer the complaint of the directors of that company, by whom he was charged with being privy to the abstraction of four packages, each containing gold, checks on bankers, bank-notes, and bills of exchange, which had been previously booked at the company's office in Boulogne, and paid for according to the rates agreed upon by the company, and which, with others, had been entrusted to his care. After evidence had been adduced, Mr Wire requested that Captain Tune should be remanded for a week, and stated that the directors being anxious that he should receive as much accommodation as might be consistent with the respectability of his character and the nature of the difficulty in which he was at present involved, were desirous that bail should be taken for his appearance on the next day of investigation.—Alderman Gibbs: I shall require two respectable securities for 500l. each, and Captain Tune to be bound himself in the sum of 1,000l.—The captain was then remanded for a week. A curious fact came out on the inquiry as to the value of each package. They were all, it appeared, entered and paid for as containing a sum of money much inferior to what each package really contained.
Matrimonial Advertisements.—An unlucky man, who, in order to get a family by a deceased wife taken care of, had been induced to marry a worthless drunken woman, through the medium of a matrimonial advertisement, applied at Union Hall for advice, but, of course, nothing could be done for him.
Awkward Predicament.—A man advanced in years, named David Simms, who was claimed by two wives, and nearly torn in pieces by them, was committed from Union Hall, on a charge of bigamy.
Singular Detection of an Extensive Swindler.—A man named William Cairnes, alias Thomas Sissons, with a host of other aliases, was placed before the magistrates at the Borough Court, Manchester, charged with one of the most singular attempts at fraud we ever remember to have heard. The prisoner, who was a respectable-looking old man, gave his name William Carnes. Under the pretence of giving employment to a labouring man, on getting specimens of his handwriting, he got him to write his name across two blank bills, in the form of acceptance. He has been remanded for further inquiry.
Embezzlement.—Theodore Grumbrecht, a confidential clerk in the extensive India house of Messrs Huth and Co., was arrested on board the Bucephalus, bound for New Zealand, whither he was going. The charge against him is extensive embezzlement.
ACCIDENTS, OCCURRENCES, AND OFFENCES.
Singular Accident.—An accident occurred at Outwell on the 29th ult. A child, three years old, went to play in a donkey cart, in which a rope coiled and knotted had been placed to dry. The rope was doubled the greater part of the way; and, being knotted, was full of steps or meshes; in one of these the child got his head and unfortunately falling at the same time from the cart, which was propped up as if the donkey were between the shafts, the rope caught on the hook in front of the cart, and held the child suspended a short distance from the ground. He was found quite dead. An inquest was held on the body of the child, and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.—Bury Post.
Affray with Soldiers.—On Tuesday the greatest excitement prevailed throughout Westminster in consequence of repeated outbreaks between the military and the lower, or perhaps we might with propriety say the lowest order of inhabitants of this populous district. The tumult having continued during the whole of the day it was anticipated, and justly, that when night came on, it would increase rather than diminish, although during the whole of the afternoon various parties of the military were seen searching for and escorting to the barracks, the delinquent and disorderly soldiers engaged in the affray.
Fires in the Metropolis.—On Saturday night the greater portion of the extensive premises of Messrs Cleaseley, floor-cloth manufacturers, Grove street, Walworth common, were destroyed by fire.—On Monday morning the shop of Mr Crawcour, a tobacconist, Surrey place, Old Kent road, was burnt to the ground.—On Tuesday morning, about a quarter to four o'clock, a city police constable discovered fire in the lower part of the extensive premises, nearly rebuilt, of the Religious Tract Society, Paternoster row, through some unslacked lime having been left by the workmen among some timber the previous night. To the vigilance of the officer may justly be attributed the saving of much valuable property from destruction.
Fire at Bristol.—The old Castle Tavern, Bristol, was burned on Thursday, the 7th inst., and the landlord, who was an invalid, perished in the flames. The fire was caused by the carelessness of a niece, in attendance on the invalid, who set fire to the bed furniture accidentally with a candle. The little girl Lydia Groves, who so courageously attempted to extinguish the bed curtains, has sunk under the shock she then experienced.
SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
Doncaster Meeting.—This much-talked-of meeting commenced on Monday, Sept. 11, at two o'clock precisely. The regulations, in every minor detail, answered the purposes for which they were respectively intended; particularly the one affecting those persons who have proved themselves "defaulters," as such were refused admission to the stands, the ring, the betting-rooms, and every other place under the jurisdiction of of the stewards. Many improvements and alterations have been made, and no expense spared towards securing the comfort of all. The different stands have undergone a complete renovation, and present a very striking and handsome appearance, very unlike their neglected condition in former years. On Sunday evening a tremendous storm came on, accompanied with hail and extraordinarily vivid lightning; in fact, it was truly awful to witness—the rain literally pouring down in torrents, and the flashes of lightning following each other in rapid succession. Happily the storm was not of very long continuance, commencing about half-past six, and terminating about seven o'clock; but, during that short period, it was sufficient nearly to drown the "unfortunates," who were travelling outside per coach from Sheffield, York, Leeds, &c., and who, on alighting, presented a most wretched appearance. The morning of Monday was dark and lowering, but towards eleven or twelve o'clock the weather cleared up and remained very fine. The course, notwithstanding the rain, was in the very best possible order, the attendance large, beyond any former example on the first day, punctuality as to the time of starting was very strictly observed, and the sport was first rate. The great event of these races is the St Leger stakes, which on this occasion were run for in three minutes and twenty seconds. Mr Bowes's "Cotherstone," the winner of the Derby, was the favourite, and was confidently expected to gain the St Leger. But it only came in second, being beaten by Mr Wrather's Nutwith, and only gained by a neck on Lord Chesterfield's Prizefighter, which was third.
Woolwich Garrison Races.—The officers of the garrison at Woolwich having resolved on testing the value and quality of their horses by races, the first day's sport came off on Wednesday; and owing to the great number of spectators, of whom there were upwards of 10,000, on the ground, and the fineness of the weather, the scene was more animated than on any former occasion. A spacious booth was erected on the ground and was well filled throughout the day. Upwards of 100 carriages, containing families, were drawn up along both sides of the course, and hundreds of gentlemen on horseback occupied various parts of the Common where the races took place; presenting altogether an enlivening and interesting spectacle. The band of the Royal Artillery attended in front of the booth, and played, with very little intermission, some of the finest airs from one o'clock to seven o'clock, p.m.
On Thursday, the second day, a slight shower of rain, about one o'clock, p.m. prevented the races from being so well attended by spectators as they were yesterdy, yet the attendance was numerous in the afternoon, and great interest existed amongst the officers of the garrison, and many sporting gentlemen, to witness the result.
