ENGLISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1660, 16 June 1879, Page 3

ENGLISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

The alterations now being carried out under the combined authority of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul’s, the ecclesiastical officials of the united parishes of St. Gregory and St. Faith and the Corporation of the City of London, have led to a most interesting discovery of great historical value in connection with the cathedral. Whilst laying out the proposed garden on the north-east side of the churchyard, the workmen, by the direction of Mr Penrose, surveyor to the cathedral, were desired to search most carefully on the spot of its presumed site for Paul’s Cross. At a depth of about six feet, in the direction indicated by that gentleman, the men came upon the identical platform upon which the superstructure originally stood. It was known to be octagonal in form, and the foundation now laid bare exactly corresponds to this form, as correctly as the site corresponds with the drawings and descriptions still extant. The Queen has been pleased to confer the Albert Medal of the First Class on Captain Peter Sharp and John Mclntosh, A. 8., of the Annabella Clark, of the Ardrossa-, for the following services: —On the 20th of November, 1878, at about 5.45 p.m , afire suddenly broke out on board the FrenJ. ship Melaine, which was lying in the river Adour, at Boucan, near Bayonne, loaded with 500 barrels of petroleum, of which forty were on deck. A mass of flame shot up from the main hatch, and the ship quivered all over from the explosion of some of the barrels. The ship s seams opened at once, and the petroleum pouring through spread a belt of flame around the ship. The master and a seaman then jumped overboard, but the mate remained to try to save his son, who was lying helpless under some heavy objects which had fallen on him. Captain Peter Sharp, master of the Annabella Clark, of Ardrossan (which was lying close by in the river), accompanied by a seaman named John Mclntosh, came at once to his assistance. They rowed their boat through the flames, picked up the seaman who had jumped overboard, and took the mate from the burning vessel. Captain Sharp and Mclntosh both sustained very severe injuries. It was feared at first that Captain Sharp would lose the sight of one eye, and John Mclntosh the use of his hands. A young Gernan, named Wehnert, has been arrested in London on an extradition

worrant. He is charged with presenting a forged bill of exchange for 36,000 marks upon the branch banking-house of Messrs Schuler, Bechum, Westphalia, He said ho wanted to discount the bill, and, in the belief that it was a genuine bill, the money was paid to him mimes the charge made for discounting. The prisoner absconded before the fraud was discovered, and fled to England, where Sergeant Reimers, the detective officer of Scotland-yard, traced him to the Adelphi Restaurant, in the Strand. The prisoner at first denied that his name was Wehnert, but when Reimers showed him a photograph of himself, which had been sent to the officer and introduced him to the Bank manager, who had just arrived from abroad, he at once admitted the fact. They then proceeded to Klein's Hotel, Finsbury, where the prisoner was living, and searched his bag, &c., recovering from it nearly 30,000 marks of the money. The prisoner said ho had sent some to his father and to another friend, taking up a handful each time without counting the amount The extradition was granted. Mr Isaac Fletcher, the member for Cockermouth, committed suicide, by shooting himself through the forehead at Morley’s Hotel, Charing Cross. The unfortunate gentleman was born in 1827. Ho was a J.P. for Cumberland, and was a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Astronomical Society, and the Geological Society. He was a Liberal in politics, and had voted in the House of Commons only three nights before. The will of Mr Richard Barnicot, formerly of the Rocklands, St. Lawrence, Isle of Wight, afterward of No. 3, Park Villa, Richmond hill, but late of Bangor Lodge, Dorking, woollen merchant, who died on December 22nd last, was proved on the 6bh March, the personal estate being sworn under £35,000. The testator, after giving special directions as to his funeral, states that if there is a place of Christian burial near where he may die, he wishes to be carried to it by poor men, to whom he bequeaths a sovereign each for so doing. The Grand Hotel, Charing Cross, occupies a position second to none in London. It stands on part of the site of Northumberland House, belonging to the Metropolitan Board of Works, who paid half a million to the Duke of Northumberland for his proportion of the ground forming the Avenue. The area on which the hotel is built measures nearly 20,000 superficial feet. The ground floor, facing Charing Cross and the Avenue, is designed for a series of thirteen shops, having an average area of 400 ft. each. On the ground floor of the hotel are the luncheon buffet, with grill room under, the grand central dining room, and spacious secondary dining rooms; the smoking room, with billiard room under : large serving rooms; the principal staircase ; and an elaborately finished entrance hall and vestibule. On the first floor are a large drawing room for ladies, and general library, and five suites of sitting and bed rooms, with necessary conveniences attached. The remainder of this floor, and the whole of the five floors above are divided into between 200 and 300 rooms, having an average area of 300 ft. At the Central Criminal Court, John Wood Miller and William Richardson pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to rob the London and Westminster Bank, in which they held responsible positions, of £IOOO. Richardson got into pecuniary difficulties, and appropriated the money, concealing the deficiency by representing a bag of silver to contain gold. When Richardson wont on his holidays he entrusted the secret to Miller, but the fraud was discovered. The prisoners were recommended to mercy by the directors, and were sentenced, Richardson to eight and Miller to two months’ hard labor.