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    _ Ko. 436, Jul y 31,1858.] THE LEADER. ^...

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    A SIMPLE GERMAN. There would appear to b...

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    THE SECRETS OF THE PRISON-HOUSE. A commi...

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    N Continental Notes

    metres broad , which is itself only the bottom of a great bay , bounded on the east by Cape Levi , and on the west by Cape La Hague . The dyke stretches like a vast wall of solid masonry , broken by tremendous-looking round forts , for a distance of nearly two miles and a half . There are forty-one islands and promontories further to defend the entrances ; but the place has not quite the tremendous look , seen front the land , as Cronstadt or Sebastopol . The twelve forts , however , mount 593 guns ; and if to these we add the vessels of all sizes which would be within in case of attack , it is easy to understand what a powerful force would be necessary to repeat the exp loit of last century . At present , although the Mediterranean fleet has not arrived , and there are many other vessels expected from Brest , Lorient , and Rochefort , eight line-of-battle ships , one of first-class , are riding" at anchor , besides frigates and such small fry . Our ' squadron of honour' will look very insignificant , I ana afraid , on the great occasion . " BELGIUM . A . debate on the Antwerp fortifications has been going on in the Belgian Legislature ; but it has not yet terminated . MONTENEGRO . A letter from the frontiers of Montenegro states , on what it represents to be good authority , that Prince Danilo has had communicated to him , through the Russian Consulate at Ragusa , a letter from the Russian department of Foreign Affairs , recommending him , in the name of the Emperor Alexander , to grant a complete amnesty to the Montenegrin refugees at Zara , and to replace them in the offices which they had held . The letter adds that this recommendation has been supported by the French Consul , and that Prince Danilo has promised to take the matter into consideration , but that his brother opposes it , because he is hostile to exiled persons . Oa the 24 th of July , the Turks attacked the Montendgrins at Leechaazka . The latter lost forty-eight men killed and -wounded , and retreated to the mountains . Prince Danilo is sending reinforcements . ' . - ¦ .. ¦'¦ - ¦ ' ¦¦¦ ' . ¦ . '¦ ' . ' , ¦ - ' ¦ ¦ ' . spain . ¦ . , ' ,. -.. ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ ¦¦ ¦ ¦; ' . ' ¦ . ' : ; A . naval division of Spain has taken possession , in the ^ Queen ' s name , of some islands , which have been called Santa Isabella , in the Gulf of Guinea , and the commander of the division had made himself Governor of them . The Queen and King left on the 23 rd for the Astarias , and reached Valladolid on the evening of the same day . The Madrid Gazette oi July 22 nd contains Royal decrees appointing SenorRios Rosas to the ambassadorship at Rome , and Sefior Mon to that at Paris .

    ITALY . The Salerno trials have at length been brought to a close . The sentences were delivered at ten o ' clock on the night of the 19 th ult . They are as follow : —Death : Kicctera ( Neapolitan ) , Sahtandrea ( Romagnano ) , Gagliani ( Milanese ) , Giordano , Valletta , Martino , and La Sala ( Neapolitans ) . Twenty-five years in irons : G . Foggi , F . Poggi , Rotta , and other foreigners . Sentenced to the Ergastolo : Nine . Several others are set at liberty , and the punishment of death has been suspended . A quarantine of ten days was recently put upon all vessels coming from Malta and Marseilles , in consequence of the existence of the plague at Tunis . It is now practically taken off .

    TURKEY . The Minister of Police , Mehemet Pacha , has been sent to Candia on a special mission by his Government . He is provided with fresh instructions . Tranquillity is far from being restored at Canea . Teii thousand Christians are said to be under arms in the island , and they show no disposition to surrender ; but they have returned to their homes , in order to > prepare for the elections . The Turks refuse to evacuate the fortresses , and at Hetimo they have been guilty of great excesses . The Christian camp were about to avenge themselves , when Saini Pacha yielded .

    The Presxe < TOrient gives nn account of three Frenchmen having swum across the Bospliorus , from tho landing place . of Stenia to the Asiatic coast , near Knndlidjn — a feat which took them about fifty minutes to perform . In the fresh petition which the Christians in Candia liave addressed to the . consuls ,. they say : — ' * Wo again protect against the sanguinary and infamous treatment to which wo are constantlv exposed on the port of the

    native Turks . "We huvo hitherto suffered in silence . Wo now make our sufferings known to you , Legging that they may bo laid as soon an possible before the Sublime lorte through your legations at Constantinople , so Hint am end may be put to them . " Then follows a statement of grievances , and t ho petitioners conclude : — " Wo can no longer bear euch treatment on the part of tho native Turks of our island . We beseech you , therefore , in our despair , to make known our sufferings to the Porte , in ° r that our a"gust Soverei take pity on us . "

    m , gn may The disturbances among tho mountain tribes of Syria continue . . ,., £ ¦ Turk has insulted tho Prussian consular flag at Belgrade .

    SWEDEN . An extraordinary condemnation is recorded in the Stockholm journals . A tradesman of Gothemburg took a quantity of peas to a regiment in garrison , in execution of a contract ; a lieutenant , not thinking them of good quality , refused them ; an altercation ensued , and the tradesman , in a rage , struck the officer several blows . For this he was tried and condemned to be beheaded !

    " . SWITZERLAND . The special committee of the Council of the Swiss States has unanimously recommended the rejection of the protest made by Geneva against fixing the residence of the Italian refugees . M . Staempflihas been elected President of the Federal Council . The people of Neufchatel have rejected the new constitution of the canton by 6084 votes against 3841 . The Constituent Assembly has therefore decided on modifying three of the articles , and resubmitting the constitution to the vote of the people on the 8 th of August .

    DENMARK . The Ministry for the common affairs of Denmark and the Duchies has been suppressed .

    _ Ko. 436, Jul Y 31,1858.] The Leader. ^...

    _ Ko . 436 , Jul y 31 , 1858 . ] THE LEADER . ^ 737

    A Simple German. There Would Appear To B...

    A SIMPLE GERMAN . There would appear to be some tutelary saint of swindlers , who constantly provides them with softheaded fools for -victims . The said fools are caught by the most obvious , the most often-repeated , and the poorest of tricks ; ana no amount of publicity in the newspapers appears to open their eyes to the devices of the sharpers , who , consequently , do not find themselves under any necessity of varying their contrivances . Scotchmen and North of England men , notwithstanding their shrewdness , are the most frequent victims ; but this week a German name is added to the modern Book of Martyrology . A bearded and sliowily-dressed individual , named Richard llalph , alias Norman , was charged at Worship-street , a lew days ago , with fraudulently obtaining 43 t from Wilhelm Brockhen , a watchmaker of Hamburg , at present staying in London . We find the case thus reported in the daily papers : —• " The prosecutor , on the 9 th inst ., came over to this country , which he had frequently before visited for business purposes , and , while sauntering along Fish-streethill a few days after his arrival , was abruptly accosted , in an uncouth , drawling accent , by the prisoner , who inquired the name of the lofty tower on the opposite side of the street . On telling him that it was the Monument , the man thanked him for the information , and intimated that he was a native of New York , from which place he had expressly travelled for the purpose of seeing the lions of London , and that he was anxious , above all things , to get a view of the Tower , if be only knew the way to it . Having some spare

    time on his hands , Brockben proceeded with his Transatlantic acquaintance to the Tower , after surveying which and the adjoining docks , the courteous stranger insisted upon his taking some refreshment in return for his civility . They accordingly repaired to an adjoining tavern , in the pariour qf - > vhich they found a gentleman seated in a state of exuberant hilarity , which , he explained to them , had been occasioned by the unexpected death of a wealthy uncle , who had left 30 , 000 ? . to be equally divided between himself and his sister . On the strength of this legacy , he insisted upon treating them with champagne , which they were jovially discussing , when he informed them that he was no other than

    the well-known Mr . Jackson , of Northampton , and that he had put up at the Crown Hotel , Bayswater , from which he had journeyed to that low neighbourhood in the hope of meeting a lady by appointment , but that slie appeared to have jilted him , as he had waited in vain for her more than two hours . He then turned the conversation to the subject of gymnastics , in which lie professed himself to be so proficient that he could vault over eighteen yards of ground at three leaps . The American received this boastful announcement with a

    rude roar of laughter , at which their wealthy companion expressed extreme disgust , and challenged them to accompany him into tho yard , where he would perform the feut at once . They accordingly went there with lain ; but , finding that there was not sufficient space for the exhibition , they nil repaired in a cab to two other houses in succession , with the like result ; and , while expressing tlitir disappointment in tho parlour of the luat liouse , a scduto elderly gentleman looked at them over his puper , and observed that , ns ho was himself an ardent admirer of athletic

    oxcrc . se ? , lie wouhl gladly take them to a place where they would find the required accommodation . Under tho - conduct of their fresh acquaintance , they thereupon proceeded to a public-house in Virginia-row , liclhnnl-gruGii , whero they at length found a « ufllciently spacious yard ; but it was unfortunately intersected by a cross beam , with hooks attached to it , on examining which , the sprightly gentleman observed that ho would probably bo caught under the chin by one of the hooks in tho course of his leaps , and , without intending a pun , ho would bo hanged if ho did it there . A proposal was then ninde to amuse themsulvce In the skittle-ground , and a game was commenced

    between Mr . Jackson and his Yankee acquaintance , the latter of -whom played so unskilfully that Brockhen , who was penuaded to bet in his favour , speedily lost all the money he had , amounting to about 81 Mr . Jackson then offered to bet Brockhen that he was unable to knock down the pins in nine throws , to which he replied , that he had no more money , although , he felt confident that he could easily do it . Having been urged tc repair to his lodgings and replenish his purse , he went therein a cab , accompanied by the old gentleman , and obtained 35 ? . from his landlord , with which he returned to the ground , where he found the other parties still playing , and having staked the whole amount upon the pending game , lie almost instantaneously lost it . He was then

    asked to make another bet , but , having ruefully replied that he was again without a farthing , a pen and ink was placed before him , with a slip of paper , at the bottom of which he was requested to subscribe his name and address , which he had no sooner done than one of the men carefully folded it up and transferred it to his waistcoat pocket . At this stage of the proceedings , the elderly gentleman beckoned him out at the side door , and , on reaching the street , confidentially told him that he was afraid he had got among a set of rogues , who had swindled him out of his cash and a probable promissory note to any amount ;

    but that he would certainly see him righted , and compel the thieves to disgorge their booty if he only -waited there a few minutes . After patiently remaining about half an hour without seeing any more of his sympathising protector , he returned into the skittle-ground , and found the place deserted . He saw no more of either of the parties until the preceding afternoon , when he accidentally encountered Ralph , alias Norman , in the street . The sharper started off as soon as he caught sight of his victim ; but the latter overtook him , after a sharp chase , and hell him fast until the arrival of a policeman . "

    This ingenious gentleman , -who is known to the police as a skilful and experienced hand at his vocation , was remanded . Another case in which sharpers were concerned has come before the Bow-street magistrate . This time , the victim was not a simple German , but a simple Englishwoman . She was a servant out of place , and , becoming acquainted with one Mary Ann Xiverniore , went with her to a public-house in Hungerford-market , where a bet was made that her watch was not gold . The gamblers were a person who

    professed to be a detective officer , but who is really a betting man , and a " perfect gentleman . " Ultimately , the foolish girl allowed the supposed detective to take her watch away , to ascertain its value . He returned with a pawnbroker ' s duplicate , showing that the watch had been pledged for 21 . 2 s . ; but , after a time , the girl gave him into custody , and he was charged at Bow-street , together with Mary Ann Iiiverniore , on Monday , Tlie woman , however , was discharged , as it appeared she really believed in the police functions of the betting man , who was remanded .

    The Secrets Of The Prison-House. A Commi...

    THE SECRETS OF THE PRISON-HOUSE . A commission de lunatico inquirendo was opened at York Castle , at the close of last week , to ascertain the state of mind of Mrs . Mary Jane Turner , wife of Charles Turner , Esq ., official assignee in the Liverpool Court of Bankruptcy . Mrs . Turner was a person of humble birth , and for some time was the mistress of a man of high rank . She was then married to Mr . Turner , who gave her a good education ( in which she had been sadly deficient ) , and with whom she lived happily for some few years . But one day a letter , directed to > a Mr . Turner ( though not , it would seem , intended for her husband ) , fell into her hands , and awakened the most furious jealousy . It was from a servant girl in Wales , and made an appointment for a meeting . Mrs . Turner went to the place named , saw the woman , and conceived that she had obtained further evidence of her husband ' s iniidelity . From that time she conducted herself towards him in a very perplexing manner . She was jealous on tho most frivolous pretexts ; believed that Mr . Turner was constantly intriguing with servant maids ; an < l several times assaulted him very violently—on one occasion to tho extent of fracturing his skull with a poker . For that offence she was put in Birkenhend gaol ; but the husband refused to prosecute . It would seem , however , that Mr . Turner sometimes gave her cause for jealousy in remaining n-way for some days together ; and ho admitted in cross-examination tliat "he lost his temper at times when his wife was -very violent , and had called her a strumpet . " Once , sho leaped out of window , and broke

    one of her legs . At length , the husband and wife separated , and , after a time , tho latter accused two or three persons of attempting to poison her ; but , on one occusion , sho went to tho shop cf a chemist , and requested to bo supplied with an « metic—apparently , to assist the appearances of poisoning . At tho close of last year , her hunbuud caused her to bo conveyed to tho priviUo asylum , called Acomb House , near York , from which sho twice escaped , but was brought back . Mr . J . W . Mclenlfo , surgeon , the proprietor of this establishment , made some admissions in his cross-examination which greatly told against him . He had once called tho lady by an opprobrious epithet , and , he added , " sho had undressed before him 9 ho would

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 31, 1858, page 9, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31071858/page/9/