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ings with money lenders. Two affidavits made by the prisoner, on applying to be allowed bail and for a postponement of the trial, were put in as evidence. In these Joel stated, that the prosecutor had given him a blank acceptance while he was under age, with the understanding that Joel should fill it up for 1000l. when Mr. Clements had attained his majority, in August, 1847 this was the bill now said to be forged. Mr. Clements was examined. He knew Joel in Dublin, while himself was in the Thirteenth Light Dragoons. He had many transactions with him; obtaining money and jewellery for bills of exchange. He never signed a bill for 1000l.; never accepted a bill in blank; never authorized any one to accept a bill. He denied the statement in the prisoner's affidavits. He first heard of the 10007. bill in August last. In cross-examination, the witness admitted that he had acted in a most reckless way in raising money on bills and getting into debt with tradesmen during his minority; but arrangements were made by his guardian to pay all bonâ fide claims. Being asked “Did you borrow much money between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one?" Witness replied, "I did not get much." Two other bills, for smaller amounts, now in existence, he declared to be forgeries, but his recollection of money transactions was very imperfect. He had taken stones out of jewellery that he had bought, and sold them. He could not say whether he so disposed of them on the day after he received them from the prisoner, but he should think it was not so soon. He gave jewellery and "to a woman at Dublin."

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He had not been in a gamblinghouse in London since 1845. Mr. Pullman, a barrister who had been employed in 1847 to settle the prosecutor's affairs, deposed that Joel did not state to him that he had the 10007. bill; he only heard of it last summer. Evidence was adduced showing how the present holders of the bill received it from Joel, in Dublin, in September last. Divers witnesses expressed a belief that the signature to the bill was not Mr. Clements' writing.

Mr. Chambers for the defence pointed out that the prisoner had all along asserted the same probable account of the bill, and had made two affidavits to that effect. He commented on Mr. Clements' conduct, especially the breaking up of the jewellery immediately after he had purchased it of the prisoner and other persons. The withholding of the money admitted to be due to the prisoner had driven him to bankruptcy. The existence of the signature to the blank stamp was not mentioned to Mr. Pullman, because the matter was a confidential one.

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The Jury, gave a verdict of Guilty" of uttering the bill, knowing it to be forged. The Judge, remarking that he concurred in the verdict, sentenced Joel to be transported for ten years.

This was one of the many exposures which at this time took place, in the Law Courts, the Police Offices, and the Court of Bankruptcy, showing the frightful extent to which the offence of "Bill stealing" was at this period perpetrated.

11. HORRIBLE OCCURRENCE AT WOMBWELL'S MENAGERIE. - The senseless practice of making exhibitions in the dens of wild beasts

led to a frightful catastrophe at Chatham, where a young woman named Ellen Bright, known as the "Lion Queen," in the menagerie of her uncle, Mr. Wombwell, was killed by a tiger. At the inquest on her body, Stephen King, a keeper, stated that the deceased had been in the habit of entering the dens several times daily for the last twelve months. On Friday evening, she entered a den in which were a lion and a tiger. "She had only been in two or three minutes, but had gone through the main part of the performance, excepting that of making the lion sit down in a particular part of the cage, when the tiger being in her way, the deceased struck it slightly with a small whip which she carried in her hand. The beast growled as if in anger, and, crouching close to the bottom of the den, stretched out its paw as if at her leg or dress, causing the deceased to fall sideways against the cage; the animal at the same moment sprang at her, and, seizing her ferociously by the neck, inserted the teeth of the upper jaw in her chin, and in closing his mouth inflicted frightful injury in the throat with his fangs. He then appeared to change his position, making a second gripe across the throat of his victim. A keeper who was standing on the step of the den, armed with a whip, immediately rushed to her assistance; but the animal did not loose its hold until struck over the nose violently with an iron bar; and whilst King held the animal, the unfortunate female was removed from the cage, bleeding profusely, and life all but extinct. She was taken into one of the caravans, where she was immediately attended by two medical gentlemen who happened to be pre

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sent at the time of the occurrence." The tiger had never exhibited animosity before. The beasts were fond of Ellen Bright. Witness heard Mr. Wombwell say he wished there were no Lion Queens." The deceased would enter the dens when no company was present, for practice and pastime she had entered the cages on Mondays when the animals had not been fed on the preceding day. The poor girl died in a few minutes after she was taken from the den, from the wounds and from the shock to the system. The Jury returned a ver dict to the effect that deccased was killed by a male tiger whilst exhibiting in its den; and expressed a strong opinion against the practice of allowing persons to perform in a den with such animals.

11. CHANGE OF SIRNAME.-By a recent decision it appears that any person may change his sirname without the trouble and expense of a Royal licence to do so.

In the Bail Court this day leave was asked on behalf of Mr. William Daggett Ingledew to change the entry of his name on the roll of attorneys to that of William Daggett-Daggett being the sirname of his mother's family. The Court quoted Lord Tenterden to the effect that "when there is no fraud, and a man meant bonâ fide to change his name, he may do so without a Royal licence -"the voluntary assumption of the name of a testator is a legal assumption," and leave was given.

18. DREADFUL SHIPWRECKS.The newspapers record the loss of some valuable merchantmen, with great destruction of life.

The Hottinguer left Liverpool on Thursday last for New York. with a full cargo of merchandise

and about 20 passengers. On the 12th, at 6 A.M., during a gale from the eastward, she struck on Blackwater Bank, near Wexford. Shortly afterwards the passengers, with eight of the crew, landed in the boats at Morris Castle, the captain and the remainder of the crew, 13 in number, having remained on board. On Sunday morning she floated off the bank, and Captain Bursley endeavoured to take her into Kingstown Harbour, having the screw-steamer Rose in company acting as pilot. During the day, however, she struck on Ğlasmorgan Bank, and a heavy sea running at the time, the upper works of the vessel were washed away, and there remains little doubt that the captain and crew perished in the course of the following night. The Hottinguer was one of the splendid liners which run between Liverpool and New York, and Captain Bursley was one of the most experienced seamen on that station.

In last September the American ship Charleston was burnt at sea, while on a voyage from New York to Havannah. The master, Mr. Morrison, behaved with great prudence and courage, and the crew and passengers eventually got on board the brig Philura, of New York.

News has arrived of the wreck of the transport Richard Dart, with a lamentable loss of life. The transport left Gravesend on the 5th of April, for Auckland: besides the crew, there was a detachment of 28 Sappers and Miners, under the command of Lieutenant Liddell, Dr. Fitton, with his wife and child, Dr. Gale, Mr. Kelly, four soldiers' wives, and nine children. South of the Cape of Good Hope, bad weather was

experienced; and on the 19th of June the ship struck on the north side of Prince Edward's Islands. "The rollers ran terrifically high; and within a short time after the ship struck, the stern-cabinwindows were stove in, the boats were filled and torn from the quarter, and the uninterrupted breach of the sea over the deck swept away 47 of the passengers and crew. Of these, the chief mate alone contrived to reach the rocks. The commander, four seamen, an apprentice, and four of the soldiers, took refuge in the mainmast rigging; and the wreck having been driven broadside to the shore, the mainmast went by the board, falling fortunately upon the rock, and the survivors crawled along the spar to the shore. The rocks being exceedingly steep and difficult of access, the survivors had to undergo much labour and fatigue in reaching the summit of the cliff. The night was intensely cold, and there were frequent falls of snow; the sufferings of the unfortunate men were consequently most severe. They found on the shore a few blankets, which had been washed from the wreck; but they were unable to obtain any provisions beyond a piece of beef, and they subsisted upon the raw flesh of birds. In the course of six or seven days they determined on exploring the island; and here their toil and misery became greater. One of the soldiers perished from the intensity of the cold and the want of proper nourishment, and the same fate seemed to await the other poor fellows. After rambling about the island for no less than 42 days, they fell in with a party of men, explorers in the service of a Mr. Geary, of Cape Town; and for the following

32 days, no vessel touching at the island, these people generously shared with the sufferers their stock of food." The shipwrecked men were eventually conveyed to the Cape by a schooner that had brought a supply of provisions to the island.

The ship Emily has been has been wrecked on the Andaman Islands, and it is feared that all her crew have perished. On the arrival of the East India Company's steamer Proserpine, in search after the crew, the body of the second officer was found near the wreck, bearing spear-marks and wounds which had caused his death. No other token of the crew was found. The provision-casks had been broken up by the natives, to gain their iron hoops for conversion into weapons. The islanders were hostile, and were deterred from attacking the party on the wreck only by the discharge of grape-shot. They are spoken of as cannibals.

14. RARE BOOKS.-At the sale of the library of the late Mr. John Poynder, a first edition of the Plays of Shakspeare and an autograph of Milton were sold. The work to which the autograph was attached was entitled "Arati Solenses Phænomena, cum scholiis Gr.," which had been in Milton's possession, and which in itself was of no particular value. The autograph signature was-"Jo. Milton. Pre 2s. 6d.; 1631." On the title-page were the words "Cum sole et luna semp. aratus erit." There were also numerous autograph annotations interspersed throughout the book. After an active competition the lot was sold for 401. 10s. The first edition of the Plays of Shakspeare was knocked down for 35l. 10s.

The library of Dr. Libri was

sold in February, when many valuable and rare books were dispersed. The collection was particularly rich in all classes of Oriental literature, and contained some of the late M. Jules de Klaproth's MSS.; also a very interesting series of works, written in the various dialects of Italy, France, and Spain. "Cicero de Officiis," printed upon vellum, the first edition, and the first classic author ever printed, date 1465, sold for 361. 15s.; some time since a copy brought the absurd price of 3007. "The German edition of Columbus's Lettter on the Discovery of America," a tract of eight leaves, sold for 261. "Danse Macabre," with a variation in the date, hitherto undescribed ("X.jour d'Avril, 1491"), sold for 11. 15s.

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Lactantii Opera," 1465, first edition, and the first book printed in Italy, sold for 321. Lancelot du Lac," 1494, printed upon vellum, a fragment only of this noble book, sold for 91. 5s. "Molina Vocabulario en Lengua Castellana y Mexicana," 1577, sold for 167. 10s. This book was long supposed to be the earliest work printed in South America; such, however, is not the case. "Orloge de Sapience," 1493, printed upon vellum, with illuminations, sold for 331. "Historia Apocalypsis Sancti Johannis," a very rare book, printed from wooden blocks, before the invention of movable types, about 1440, sold for 401.; this copy had two leaves supplied in fac-simile.

18. DESTRUCTION OF CAVERSHAM-PARK HOUSE BY FIRE.-Between 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning a fire broke out at Caversham Park, the mansion of William Crawshay, Esq., situated on a commanding eminence about two miles from Reading, which was entirely

destroyed. The family had been absent, but their immediate return being expected, the house had been airing for their reception, and it is supposed that the fire was caused by the over-heating of a flue. On the domestics rising at the usual hour in the morning, a strong smell, as of something burning, was noticed, and on the drawing-room being entered shortly afterwards a dense body of smoke and flame presented itself. An alarm was instantly raised, and a messenger was dispatched to Reading for the engines, while all the labourers on the estate were hastily summoned to render assistance. In the meantime the fire had gained rapid ascendancy, the flames having penetrated several rooms communicating with the drawingroom, until at length they had enveloped the whole building. As all hopes of saving the mansion were now at an end, the efforts of the workmen present continued to be directed to rescuing such portion of the furniture and other valuable property as could be safely approached, which afterwards lay strewn out in the park. Unfortunately, no water was near at hand, there being only a pond at some distance from the house, and in consequence, the engines, several of which the light of the conflagration had speedily summoned to the spot, could not work with any effect. The conflagration presented a scene of fearful grandeur, especially on some portions of the roof ing giving way, when the flames burst forth with increased fury. The work of demolition internally continued unabated for several hours, and as each portion of the burning mass gradually gave way, the utmost alarm and anxiety were felt for the safety of some of the

workmen and others, who evinced great courage in endeavouring to save some portion of the household property. The roof of the large dining-hall gave way with a tremendous crash, and, all the internal portion of the mansion being destroyed, nothing remained but the mere skeleton of the once noble residence. The outer walls gradually fell in, and the work of destruction went on so rapidly that within six hours after the outbreak of the flames nothing but a heap of ruins presented itself.

The greater portion of the household furniture, plate, and other valuable effects was saved, though other property, to a considerable amount, was destroyed.

19. OUTRAGE IN MILLBANK PRISON.-The Millbank Penitentiary has been again the scene of a most desperate outrage, which was committed by one of the prisoners under sentence of 10 years' transportation, upon a warder named Balls, who narrowly escaped being murdered in the same manner as the late unfortunate

warder Hall. (See ANN. REG., 1849, p. 145.) It appears that the warder, Balls, let the prisoner in question out of his cell for the purpose of allowing him to empty his chamber utensil in the customary manner. The warder followed the prisoner to the end of the passage where the closet was situated. After the prisoner had emptied the slops, the warder proceeded along the passage, this time followed by the prisoner. They had not gone far when Balls noticed the shadow of the chamber utensil upon the wall, and the next instant received a violent blow upon the side of the head, which partially stunned him, but

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