SEPTEMBER.

8. THE QUEEN'S RETURN FROM GERMANY.-Her Majesty left the castle at Rosenau with their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Helena and Louisa and Prince Leopold. Her Majesty stopped en route at Darmstadt, where she was met by the Grand Duke of Hesse, and their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse. Her Majesty stopped also at Ostend to visit King Leopold. Their Royal Highnesses Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice, with the remainder of the ladies and gentlemen and suite, went to Antwerp, and embarked in the Royal yacht "Victoria and Albert."

The Queen, after visiting the King, whom Her Majesty found in much improved health, left Ostend, and arrived by railway at Antwerp, and at once went on board.

The Royal yacht very soon afterwards got under weigh, and steamed down the Scheldt.

After a fine passage Her Majesty arrived off Greenhithe, where she left the Royal yacht, and, having embarked in the "Alberta," arrived at Woolwich at a quarter after ten o'clock on the 9th.

A special train from Woolwich Arsenal conveyed the Queen and Royal family to Windsor Castle at a quarter-past 12 p.m.

11. ROBBERY AT THE BANK OF LONDON.-Thomas Wood, a well-dressed man, residing at 12, Russell-villas, Lavender-grove, Dalston, cashier in the Bank of London, 52, Threadneedle-street, was brought before the Lord Mayor, on remand, in the custody of Sergeant Spital, a city detective officer, charged with stealing 35701., the moneys of his employers.

Mr. Mullens, solicitor to the London Banker's Association, conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Wontner the defence. Sir John Shelley, chairman of the bank, was present at the examination, with other of the directors.

The prisoner, a man of 38, had held the office of cashier in the Bank of London for some years, and had obtained the confidence of the directors. It is the duty of the cashiers of the bank at the close of the business of each day, as stated in evidence, to enter in a book the amount of the balance of cash then in their hands. A book was produced containing entries of that nature in the prisoner's handwriting, from which it appeared that the balance in his hands on the 1st of September inst. was 33047. 10s. 10d., and in order that the daily balance of the bank should be correct, the prisoner should have had that sum in his hands. There was a column in his book for petty deficiencies to be entered, and in that he had put himself down as short 31. 3s. 7d. On the morning of the 1st the prisoner was told by Mr. Massey, the deputy-manager of the bank, that it had become necessary to count the money in

his till. It was counted accordingly, and 13337. 138. 4d. only was found in it. The prisoner was asked to produce the rest, but he did not, and was speechless. He was asked how much he was deficient and what he had done with the money, but he made no reply. He was eventually given into custody for stealing the difference, amounting to 1970/. odd. The prisoner's till had been last examined on the 15th of May last, and was then found correct. Upon that evidence the prisoner had been remanded, and now Mr. Mullens, the solicitor for the prosecution, stated it would be his duty to charge him with stealing 16007., the moneys of his employers, in addition to the 19707. He had hoped at one time that the 16007. was part of the 19007. which the prisoner was charged with stealing, but that was not so. It appeared that in November last a Mr. Martin had a sum of 24007. on deposit at the bank, and also a current account. On the 8th of November last the prisoner made out a debit ticket requiring the clerk in the bank who kept the debit ledger to debit 16007. to Mr. Martin's current account. That being a mere transfer, credit ought to have been given for that sum in the deposit account. The debit ticket passed through the usual channels in the bank, but not the credit ticket, which was found in the prisoner's desk after his apprehension. In order to carry out the fraud, the prisoner took possession of 16007. in banknotes, and then made entries in his day-book of having paid two checks amounting together to that sum, though in truth no such checks had ever been drawn or paid. The bank-notes so procured must have been traced to the prisoner; but to prevent that, he paid them back again into the bank in a fictitious name, and made a fictitious entry of the transaction, receiving in return 16007. in gold.

Mr. John Daniel Massey, the deputy-manager of the bank, was called, and deposed that they had a customer named Richard Martin, who had constantly money in the bank on deposit as well as on current account. On the 8th of November last Mr. Martin had 24007. on deposit at the bank. Witness produced a debit note and a credit note, both in the prisoner's handwriting. The debit note purported that on that day 16007. was to be transferred from Mr. Martin's deposit account to his current account, and the credit note showed that 16007. was to be placed to his current account as having been received from his deposit account. Mr. Martin's deposit account had been debited with 16007., and the debit note was found among the papers of the bank, but not so the credit note, as it ought to have been if the transaction had been a genuine one. It was found in the prisoner's desk after his apprehension, and had not gone through the books of the bank as it ought to have done. In the prisoner's day-book for the 8th of November last there was an entry of a check for 6007., purporting to have been drawn by Richard Martin and paid. There had also been an entry of a payment by the prisoner of a check for 1000l. to Richard Martin, but that name had afterwards been erased, and that of

Roger Mortimer written over the erasure. The entry as to Roger Mortimer was the last on that particular day. On the preceding page of the same book, under the same date, there was a receipt in the prisoner's handwriting of 16007. from a Mr. Taylor in notes in exchange for 16007. in gold, and the prisoner had entered the payment in gold in the proper column for cash payments. That 16007. was also cast in the total of his cash payments for that day.

Mr. Richard Martin, of 16, John-street, Crutchedfriars, cork merchant, said he kept both a deposit and a current account with the Bank of London, and that on the 8th of November last he had 24007. on deposit there. He never gave the prisoner any directions for the transfer of 16007. from his deposit to his current account, nor did he know of such a transaction having taken place until after the prisoner was in custody. Witness's current account had not been credited with that 16007. He did not on the 8th of November draw on the bank a check for 6007., nor did he receive bank-notes for 500l. and 100%. in exchange for any such check.

Mr. Alfred M'Nish, cashier to Mr. Roger Mortimer, of the Stock-Exchange, deposed that Mr. Mortimer kept an account with the Bank of London, and that witness was well acquainted with his cash transactions. Mr. Mortimer did not on the 8th of November draw a check on the bank for 10007., or for 6007., nor did he receive bank-notes to the amount of 16007.

Mr. White, a clerk in the Bank of London, said it was his duty to enter the particulars of bank-notes received there during the day, and that he had, on the 8th of November, entered the receipt of 16007. in bank-notes in exchange for gold from a Mr. Taylornamely, notes for 1000l., 500l., and 1007.

Mr. Lewis, a clerk in the same bank, who keeps the deposit ledger, proved that on the 8th of November, the day in question, he debited the account of Mr. Richard Martin with 16007., in pursuance of the debit note produced in the prisoner's handwriting.

That was the case for the prosecution, and Mr. Oke, the chief clerk, told the prisoner that he, being a servant of the Bank of London, would be charged with having stolen the sum of 1970l. 178. 6d. on the 2nd of September, inst., and 16007. on the 8th of November last, the moneys of his masters.

The prisoner having been cautioned as to any thing he might say, replied that he would leave his defence to his solicitor.

The Lord Mayor then committed the prisoner for trial at the Central Criminal Court.

12. VISIT OF THE PRINCESS OF WALES TO THE CRYSTAL PALACE. -The Princess paid her first visit to this popular place of instruction and amusement. It was also the second occasion this season on which there were a large number of French excursionists present. By the arrangements of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company, the French visitors were enabled

to come in the company's steam-boats and trains, and have a day's enjoyment of the Crystal Palace for the small sum of five francs. At four o'clock in the morning the town of Calais was all bustle; the company's steamers were ready for departure, the voyagers thronging to the place of embarkation, and their wives, sisters, and friends taking leave of them, as if they were bound for the antipodes. It was a feat for the company to bring them to and fro 200 miles, including the sea passage, within a day. Nearly 2000 were thus conveyed altogether; and had not the sale of tickets been stopped in France, owing to an apprehension that there would be too many applicants, there would have been many more. The first batch of our neighbours arrived at half-past ten, the second at eleven o'clock a.m. There were many Frenchwomen of the working classes in their picturesque costume-white starched caps, bright shawls over the shoulders, ear-rings some inches long, and remarkable petticoats. These were chiefly fishwomen and lace girls, many of whom had never before been three miles from home. They appeared to enjoy the attractions of the Palace much more than ordinary English visitors do, and in a different manner. They seemed especially to criticize the statuary and other works of art.

Between eleven and twelve o'clock, their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by the Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse, the Princess Hilda of Anhalt, LieutenantColonel Keppel, who has succeeded Major Teasdale as Equerryin-Waiting to the Prince of Wales, and a large suite of ladies and gentlemen, arrived at the Palace, and were shown privately through the various courts by Mr. Bowley, the manager. Owing to the larger number of visitors in the building at the time of the arrival of the Royal party being French, they were not recognized until they reached the great transept. Their Royal Highnesses and suite subsequently partook of luncheon in the new dining-room, from the windows of which they witnessed the display of the great fountains. The air being still, these were seen to great advantage, the water being thrown to a great height.

The French band, that of the Sapeurs Pompiers of St. Pierre, which had performed in the orchestra, and been warmly applauded after each piece, when they heard of the presence of the English Royal party, expressed a desire to serenade them under the windows of the dining-room. They played there for half an hour, ending with "God Save the Queen," which was splendidly performed. They afterwards gave "Vive la Reine," with regular British cheers. The Prince was much pleased with their demonstrations of amity, and deputed Mr. Bowley to express his thanks to the members of the band. The Royal party left as they had come, by a special train on the high level line to Victoria Station, at about half-past four o'clock.

The fine band of our own Royal Marine Light Infantry was also present, and performed alternately with that of the Sapeurs

Pompiers during the day, as did also Mr. Mann's Crystal Palace

band.

At six o'clock the French visitors left the Palace, expecting to arrive at Calais between ten and eleven o'clock, p.m.

13. ROYAL VISIT TO THE TOWER OF LONDON.-This afternoon Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales made her first visit to the fortress of the Tower of London. The Princess was accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Princess Louis of Hesse and Princess Hilda of Anhalt, attended by the Hon. Mrs. W. Grey, Lady-in-Waiting, Baronness de Schenk, Lieutenant-Colonel Keppel, and Baron de Nordeck Rabenau. The authorities of the Tower had received intimation of the intended Royal visit in the earlier part of the day, but that it was to be considered perfectly private, and there was to be no guard of honour or saluting, as upon previous Royal visits. Their Royal Highnesses arrived at the Tower shortly after four o'clock, and were received on alighting by Major-General Sir George Bowles, K.C.B., the LieutenantGovernor of the fortress; Colonel Wemper, Resident-Governor; and Colonel Wyndham, keeper of Her Majety's jewels and regalia. The Yeoman Warder was also in attendance. The Royal visitors were first conducted to the horse armoury and small arms repository, and then ascended into the White Tower, which has recently been converted into a grand hall for the store of arms of every description, arranged in the style adopted in the old Armoury when it was burned down some years back. The Princesses minutely inspected the Royal Chapel in the White Tower, the scene of coronations and imposing state ceremonies in former days. This part of the Tower has only recently been thrown open for public inspection. For upwards of a century it was used as a military store, and was filled with cases of firearms and accoutrements. The chapel is now fitted up for Divine Service for the use of the residents in the Tower. The Princesses then proceeded to the Jewel House, and remained some time examining the Crown jewels and the Royal regalia. From these they walked across the green to Beauchamp Tower, and ascended to the various prisonlike chambers, and closely inspected the carvings and inscriptions in the stone walls. One of the chambers is said to be the place where Lady Jane Grey was confined up to the period of her execution. The Royal party, on quitting Beauchamp Tower, were conducted to the Resident-Governor's house in the Bell Tower, containing the Council Chamber wherein the commission on Guy Fawkes held its inquiries. The chambers contain some curious carvings on the walls, which are adorned with a portrait of James I. Their Royal Highnesses remained in the Tower upwards of an hour, and on their departure thanked Major-General Sir George Bowles and the Resident-Governor for the attention shown them. 17. DONCASTER RACES-THE ST. LEGER.-The great racing contest at Doncaster came off this day with the following result :— The St. Leger Stakes of 25 sovs. each, for three-year-olds; colts