from the premises 882 books, 3870 prints, 110 catalogues,
9 lithographic stones, several copper plates, and 16 cwt.
and 9 lb. of letter-press unsewn, altogether two heavy
cart loads. A number of them were produced in court
and submitted to the jury. It was contended, in defence,
that the officers had no legal right to enter the premises,
and that as there was no count in the indictment charging
the defendant with exposing the articles to sale,
there was no evidence upon which the indictment could
go to a jury. The jury found the prisoner Guilty; and,
it having been urged in aggravation that the defendant
had previously been three times convicted of the same
offence, the judge sentenced him to two years' imprisonment
in the House of Correction, and afterwards to find
sureties, himself in £50, and two others in £25, for his
good behaviour for one year further.

Samuel Lacey, a boy ten years old, was charged, on
the 25th, at the Clerkenwell Police Court, with having
Injured the Electric Telegraph of the London and
Blackwall Railway. Bailey, an officer, stated that he
saw the defendant on the bridge near the Weavers'
Arms, Stoke Newington, deliberately throw a piece of
granite, full 3 lbs. weight, upon the wires of the
electric telegraph, which were slightly injured in
consequence. He immediately took him into custody, when
he admitted the offence, and excused himself by stating
that he had flung the stone at a bird which was perching
on the wire, and he was not aware that he could do
harm. Mr. Tyrwhitt wished to know how the
company desired he should deal with the defendant. A
gentleman said, they were anxious an example should
be made, for the offence had become so serious and
frequent, that the company had lately offered a reward of
£100 for the detection and conviction of a person guilty
of the offence attributed to the defendant. Mr.
Tyrwhitt said he must either discharge the prisoner or
commit him for trial; the charge for wilfully damaging
any portion of an electric telegraph being, in law, a
misdemeanour, and rendering a person convicted of it
liable to twelve months' imprisonment. It certainly was
an abominable offence, calculated to lead to disastrous
consequences in many ways. Could, however, the
defendant be said to have wilfully, within the meaning of
the act, committed the offence? The gentleman
representing the company said he thought not, and he would
leave the case in the hands of the court. The prisoner's
mother stepped forward, and begged mercy for her
child, who, she was sure, would not again be guilty of
such an act. She would be answerable for his future
good conduct. Mr. Tyrwhitt stated that under those
circumstances he would deliver him to her care, and,
after a suitable admonition, he was set at liberty.

John Morris was tried at the Middlesex Sessions, on
the 25th, for an Assault on Maria Cook, the wife of a
police constable. Mrs. Cook, and a female friend, were
returning home from a visit at the house of a relative,
between 12 and 1 o'clock in the morning; as they were
crossing some gardens near Bethnal-green, Mrs. Cook
noticed the defendant following them. He got close to
them, and remarked that it was rather late for young
ladies like them to be out at that hour, but this was
unnoticed, and he repeated the observation, and Mrs. Cook
then replied that it was no business of his. He then
put his hand upon her shoulder, and she desired him to
desist, informing him that there was plenty of room for
him to pass on the other side of the way. He then
proceeded to commit an act of gross indecency upon her.
She screamed, told him she was a married woman, and
endeavoured to get away from him, and her friend ran
in advance to get a policeman. She could not find one,
and learning from Mrs. Cook's cries that the defendant
was persisting in his conduct, she returned, and tried to
her utmost to pull him away, but she could not, and
she again ran to get an officer. She was successful this
time, and on the officer arriving at the spot, he found
the defendant still assaulting the prosecutrix in the
same indelicate manner, and he seized him by the collar,
and Mrs. Cook gave him into custody. The jury found
the defendant guilty of a common assault, and the
Court sentenced him to three months' imprisonment in
the House of Correction.

A number of Omnibus Proprietors were summoned
on the 22d before the sitting magistrate at Guildhall,
for not having the Table of Fares painted inside their
Carriages, in conformity with the act of parliament.
All that was visible was, "To or from the Crystal
Palace, 6d.," the omission, it was stated, being made to
enable the driver to stop his carriage at any part of
London he pleased, turn all his customers out, stating
"he went no further," and make each one pay the six-
penny fare, while he would return directly for another
load, and serve them the same. Alderman Wilson said
he should not only protect the public against such
tricks, but he would support the honest proprietor
against the frauds of the dishonest ones, for he knew
full well, from innumerable complaints, as well as
practical experience, that the fares were so set out inside for
no other purpose than to cheat the public. The
omnibuses which usually run to the Bank (and some even
much further) would, at the close of the Exhibition,
and more particularly if a shower of rain came on, stop
at Charing-cross, Temple-bar, or St. Paul's, and saying,
"We go no further," turn the passengers out in the
rain, point to the fare of 6d. on the door, and
immediately return for another load of victims. The
proprietors had the privilege of charging what they pleased,
either 4d., 6d., or 5s.; but then they must at the same
time say precisely what this was for, and indeed this
was generally done, the disreputable portion of the
proprietors forming the exception. He fined the defendants
20s. and costs in each case; and desired the police to
continue their vigilance in bringing up every proprietor
so offending.

NARRATIVE OF ACCIDENT AND
DISASTER.

Many Railway Accidents have occurred during the
month. The most disastrous occurred on the evening of
Saturday the 6th, at the Bicester station of the
Buckinghamshire Railway. An excursion train left the Euston
station for Oxford. It consisted of fourteen carriages,
and there were about two hundred passengers on their
way to Oxford. The train left London about five o'clock,
and approached the Bicester station at a rapid rate at
half-past seven. On passing the "points" the engine
became disconnected from the tender, went off the line
from the right, knocked down the farther gate-post by
the side of the turnpike-road for Aylesbury, which crosses
the line on the level, and approached close to the porch
of the station-master's house, which in all probability
would have been forced down but for one of the rails
becoming twisted round the wheel of the engine, and
the ponderous machine becoming embedded in the sand.
The three carriages next to the engine went off the
line to the left, knocked down the opposite gate-post to
that razed by the engine, and went over with a dreadful
crash. One of the carriages went over on its side into
the turnpike road, another also went completely over,
and the iron-work crushed it in, and from the third the
bottom was torn off. Endeavours were forthwith used
to assist the sufferers. Some had thrown themselves out
of the carriages, others were unable to do so, and some
were dead. The work of extrication lasted till morning.
Besides many who were seriously injured, the following
persons were killed:—Corporal Noon, of the 7th
company of the Royal Sappers and Miners. He is the son
of a builder at Oxford, and had leave of absence from
Kensington Barracks. Mrs. Sheldon and infant child,
of Ashley place, Oxford. Elizabeth Easley, a young
woman of about 18, from London.—Carrier, a lad of
about 14, son of the driver of the engine; and James
Luckett, a young man who was on his way to Oxford.
An inquest on the bodies of the dead commenced on the
8th, at Bicester. The following extracts from the
evidence of passengers, will give an idea of the terrible
nature of the accident. Mr William Bolton heard a
cracking and crushing, and "resigned himself to bear
what might come"—"The whole bore down as with a
clap of thunder. I don 't know any more. It took
three hours and a half to saw me out from underneath
the carriages. I could not see any lights, for I lay with
my face to the ground. The man lying over me was also