27. GALLANT DEFENCE.-Coventry Assizes. - William Ford, aged 22, and Thomas Jeffcote, aged 19, were indicted for a burglary in the dwelling-house of Thomas Perkins, at Coleshill, on the 14th of May last. At the last Coventry Assizes a man named Lacey was convicted of this offence, and now appeared as a witness for the prosecution, and swore that the prisoners were two of the party of burglars who broke into Mr. Perkins's house on the night in question. This case was rendered remarkable by the courage exhibited on the occasion by Mr. and Mrs. Perkins, who were quite old people, and lived alone in the house. Hearing the noise of men attempting to break into the house, they immediately got up, went down stairs, and barricaded the door as well as they could, notwithstanding the violent threats of the men; but the burglars succeeded, after some time, in effecting an entrance by the window, and made their way to the stairs. By this time Perkins and his wife had retreated upstairs, and the former stood at the top with his loaded gun ready to receive them. As soon as the first man appeared he fired, and wounded Lacey so severely that his comrades took to flight, carrying off the wounded man. In addition to the testimony of Lacey, 29. DECLARATION OF WAR. Her Majesty's Declaration of War against the Emperor of Russia having appeared in a supplemental Gazette, a final close was put to the expectations of those who yet hoped that peace might be preserved. As this result had been foreseen by the mercantile world, no especial effect was produced on the funds by the Declaration. The whole fall occasioned by the imminence of hostilities was about 3 per cent.; and consols, on the 29th of March, were 853. On the 31st of March, according to ancient custom, the Serjeantat-Arms, with other officers of the City of London, proceeded to the Royal Exchange, from the steps of which he read her Majesty's Declaration of War. A large crowd witnessed the ceremony, and at the conclusion gave three cheers for the Queen. MURDER AND SUICIDE. Another instance of those complicated tragedies which have been recorded so frequently of late took place at No. 47, Clarence Gardens, Regent's Park. The house was tenanted by James Martin, a shoemaker, about 57 years of age, who, with his wife, occupied the parlours, letting out the remainder in lodgings to various persons. In one of the upper rooms lived his married daughter and her husband. Shortly after 8 o'clock in the morning, Mrs. Whybrow, Martin's daughter, came down stairs; and not finding either her father or mother up as usual, knocked several times at the front parlour door occupied as their bed-room, but receiving no answer forced an entrance, and then to her horror discovered the place to be deluged with blood, and the bodies of her parents lying across each other on the bed. Her screams brought the other lodgers and neighbours to her assistance, and it was then discovered that both the unfortunate murderer and his victim were quite dead. A shoemaker's knife, covered with blood, was found on the bed, near the right hand of the former. Both were in their ordinary night dress; the head of the poor woman was severed from her body. From the position in which she was found, it is believed that Martin must have waited till she was asleep, and then, having cut her throat, he had sat up in the bed and cut his own. On searching the room a letter was found addressed to his landlord, which explains the motives which induced the wretched man to perpetrate the terrible crime. "I dare say you will censure me for the rash act which I am about to commit; but if you think it over seriously you must know that your mother will be better off a great deal than being left behind me. Hoping you will get over the shock with as much firmness as you can, "I remain, dear children, "your affectionate father, "To Mr. Carter. I remain, Sir, yours most respectfully, and sincerely thank you for all favours.— J. M. 66 To my very particular friend, Mr. Reid, of William Street Good bye.-J. M." When the unhappy man had been seen and conversed with on the day preceding, he seemed in his usual spirits. 31. DESTRUCTION OF HUNGERFORD HALL.-This fine building, one of the speculative structures of the Exhibition year, was totally destroyed by a fire which broke out about half-past 7 o'clock in the evening. The hall had been hired for the exhibition of a diorama of the Duke of Wellington's funeral. The painting had been just finished, and had been exhibited during the afternoon; and at the period of the outbreak, the workmen employed were preparing for the evening exhibition, which would have commenced at 8 o'clock. About half-past 7 a police constable on duty in the west avenue of the market, observed a bright reflection through the skylight roof, as if the central hall were on fire. The officer immediately ran round to the front door, and, finding no obstruction to his entrance, hastened up the stairs leading into the hall or theatre. Just as he had reached the top of the stairs he met two men employed on the diorama running out of the hall in great alarm, declaring the place was on fire and must inevitably be burnt down. The two men who had run away presently returned, and told the constable there were two boys in the building. The flames had now, however, spread so rapidly, that all their efforts to enter were unavailing. The engines now arrived, but before any of them could be got to work the flames had spread with frightful rapidity and shot through the roof, far above the surrounding buildings, causing the utmost consternation through the neighbourhood, and attracting many thousands of spectators to the spot. By great exertions of the firemen, the flames were prevented from spreading to the shops of the market, although the timbers of the roof which covers the whole were repeatedly on fire; but the hall was entirely destroyed. There was no truth in the report that two lads had lost their lives. APRIL. 4. SEIZURE OF RUSSIAN SHIPS OF WAR.-It being known to Her Majesty's Government that Messrs. Pitcher, the eminent ship-builders of Northfleet, were building two steam-frigates for the Emperor of Russia, the vessels have been seized by order of the Treasury as "the property of an enemy." The vessels thus appropriated are two, of about 1300 tons burden each, intended to carry 20 guns, and to be propelled by screw, and are built upon the most improved principles of naval construction. The machinery, which was being made at Liverpool, was also seized. The vessels have since been launched, and added to Her Majesty's navy, in which they bear the names of the Cossack and the Tartar. 5. INGRATITUDE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER.-Central Criminal Court. James Tucker, 37, traveller, was indicted for feloniously, with a pistol, shooting at George William Umpleby, with intent to murder him. The prisoner pleaded "Not Guilty" to the indictment charging the attempt to murder, but Guilty" to an indictment for embezzlement. 66 The prosecutor is a woollendraper, living upon Holborn Hill. The prisoner had been in his employment, and about two months previous to this offence had absconded, having committed a series of robberies upon his master. The prosecutor was on the lookout for him for that offence, and upon the evening of the 7th of March met him in the Kingslandroad. The moment the prisoner found himself recognised, he drew a felt hat over his eyes, and ran up a court to avoid him. The prosecutor, however, followed and stopped him, and after some conversation called a constable and gave him into custody. The prisoner was taken to the Smithfield police-station, where he was placed in the bar. While Inspector Teague was taking down the par ticulars of the charge, the criminal drew a pistol and fired it at his late master. The ball passed through a glass window within the station, and, having partly penetrated the wainscot facing the window, fell upon the floor in an adjoining apartment. The shot was fired in a downward direction, and the prisoner, being in the dock of the station, was slightly above the prosecutor. It was quite evident he had deliberately aimed at the prosecutor's head. As soon as the prisoner found that the shot had not taken effect, he stared with the utmost astonishment, and, after being secured, said that he intended the shot for the prosecutor, and stood laughing. Mrs. Marshall, the housekeeper at the station, said, "It is no laughing matter to attempt to take a man's life." Teague and the prosecutor were standing close together at that time. The prisoner nodded his head towards them, and said, "I did not mean it for that gentleman, but the other one." When being locked up in the cell, he said to Inspector Teague, "I did not intend it for you.' Upon the morning after the offence had been committed, the cabman who had brought the officer and his prisoner to the station produced two bullet-moulds, a large claspknife, and a tin can, which he had found in the cab. The prisoner had bought the pistol at the shop of a Mr. Davis, general dealer, Henrietta Street, Manchester Square, upon the same day the offence was committed. The pistol wanted a nipple, and that he had got supplied directly after by a jobbing gunsmith. The prisoner, in his defence, said that during the day he had been at Lower East Smithfield, and, returning home, he saw the prosecutor, and turned up a court to avoid him. After he was taken to the station, he was taking the pistol from his pocket, when it went off by accident. The jury found the prisoner "Guilty" of firing the pistol with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Mr. Ballantine said the prisoner had been before convicted in this court, and that the prosecutor, with a knowledge of this, had, from motives of humanity, taken him into his employment, and that he was warned against so doing by Mr. Lewis the attorney; but the prosecutor's answer was, "If I don't give him a chance nobody else will." Mr. Baron Martin said that, had not the jury taken a most merciful view of the case, he should have left the prisoner for execution. In his mind the prisoner had made a most deliberate attempt to murder the man who had acted most kindly to him; and he should not be doing his duty if he did not pass upon him the most severe sentence he couldand that was, that he be transported for life. 6. EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF GOLD AND NOTES.-Central Criminal Court.-Frederick Norris, 19, plasterer, Samuel Bacon, 21, labourer, Thomas Brunton, 28, labourer, Richard Hilton, 19, bricklayer, and Eliza Bacon, 17, spinster, were indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling-house of James Harvey, and stealing 1650 sovereigns and 1501. in bank-notes, his property. The prisoners Brunton, Hilton, and Eliza Bacon were also charged with receiving the property, knowing it to have been stolen. The prosecutor, who is an elderly man, lived by himself at No. 11, Carter Street, Walworth, and had On the reputation of being a miser, and it was generally supposed that he always had a large sum of money in the house. The robbery was committed on the 4th of March. It appeared that on the previous day the prosecutor had gone out as usual in the middle of the day, locking up his house, and upon his return at night he observed that some one had been trying the lock, or tampering in some way with the street-door, during his absence. He, however, took no notice of the circumstance, although he ascertained that his money was then quite safe. the following day he went out again, and upon his return discovered that the place had been forcibly entered, that his drawers and boxes had been broken open, and the large sum of money mentioned in the indictment taken from them. The inquiries of the police indicated that the prisoners were the guilty parties. The evidence against them was entirely circumstantial. It appeared that the girl Bacon had been in the habit of charing at the prosecutor's, and she thus probably became aware of the fact of his having money, and of his general habits; and there seemed very little doubt that she had given the necessary information to the persons by whom the robbery was afterwards committed. It was shown that on the 3rd of March, Norris, Hilton, and Brunton were seen close to the prosecutor's house, and that Norris went up to the door, and stood by it a minute or two; it is supposed that during this time he was try ing to open the door; but being unsuccessful he rejoined his companions, and they went away. The next day Norris and Hilton were seen close to the premises, and it was also stated that Bacon accom panied them; on this occasion the house was entered and the property stolen. It was proved that on the following day Norris spent five sovereigns in purchasing new clothes, and that shortly afterwards he was at a public-house, where he was seen to pull out a handful of sovereigns. With regard to the other male prisoners, the additional fact was proved that they were in company with Norris about the time the robbery was committed; and it also appeared that Hilton had said to one of the witnesses that Norris had been into a house, and that if he did not give him some of the money he should tell Sergeant Quinnear all about it. It was likewise proved by another witness, that the girl Bacon said upon one occasion that she had put Norris up to all the old man's money," and added that if the witness would meet them in the London-road, there would be a "rare lush." There were other facts in the case tending pretty clearly to bring the charge home to Norris and the girl, but the evidence against the other prisoners was of a much slighter character. 66 The Jury returned a verdict of "Guilty" against all the prisoners. The learned Judge said that the charge had been clearly made out against Norris and Eliza Bacon, and, as he believed the former had been the principal agent in the robbery, he should feel it his duty, under all the circumstances, to order him to be transported for life. With regard to the other male prisoners, it appeared to him that the evidence was not so conclusive, and, if they could lay any facts before the Secretary of State that would throw any doubt upon the propriety of the conviction, he would give them his most careful attention. At present he must |