The Press. — London, England, 1853-08-13 00:00:00

AUGUST 13, 1853. COMMITTEE STAKES of b sofa. each, with 2.5 added, for two-eear•oWs. Mr. ♦l. T. Copeland's Antonia (11 e 112.1 1 31r. W. Haltw•d's Ya th Betting : 5 to 4 on Antonia. The Lams' PURSE was won, iu three heats, by Drayton gelding. Thirteen ran. TUESPAY. PATSHULL lisimicAr of 10 sovs. eoeh, with $0 added. Mr. Leech's Master Weeder ('1•. Cliff) 1 Lord Chesterfield's Gladiole Mr. Saxon's Calot 3 Betting : 7 to 4, against Calot, b to 2 against Master Slender, 4 to 1 against Gladiole. A fine race from the distance with the first two. Gladiule swerved slightly in the last effort, and was beaten by a short neck. CHILLINOTON STAKES of 10 Soya each, with tet added, for two-year-olds. 11r. W. Belford nd. Coda (Aldcroft) 1 Mr. J. Merry's The Wild Huntsman '2 Nine ran. Betting : 6t04 on Wild Huntsman. forin making a tremendous rush, when within a few yards of the chair, achieved the victory by a neck. THE CLEVELAND CuP of 100 stns. in specie, with 50 added. Mr. Shelmenline's Morning Star.... (Marlow ) Mr. Saxon's Cleveland Betting: Even on Cleveland, ti to 4 against Morning Star. Von easily by two lengths. Furze HANDICAP of 5 cove. each, with 50 added. Mr. G. Taylor's Knight Errant (Ashman) 1 Mr. R. Hesseltine's Lough Sawn Betting : ti to 4 against Lough Hawn, 4 to 1 against Knight Errant. A good race in, won by half a length. BOROUGH MEMBRRIe PLATE of 60 soya. Mr. Moss's Theorem (Wakefield) 1 Mr. Sherherdson'a ch. f. by Ithuriel Mr. Goddard's Priam the Third 3 Betting: 7 to 4 against Priam the Third, 3 to 1 against Ithuriel filly, 5 to 1 against Theorem, who made all the running, and won by two lengths. WEDIIMSDAY. WROTTESLEY STAKES of 10 sovs.each, with 30 added. 3h. C. Blauton's Vaultress (G. E. Sharpe) 1 Mr. Meeson's Laycock Betting: 5 to 2on Vaultress, 4 to 1 against Laycock. Won in a canter. THE HOLYOAKE STAKES of 16 rows. each, with 50 added. Mr. J. Osborne's The Alp. (J. Osborne) 1 Mr. Saxon's Black Doctor .. Betting a length. : 2 to 1 against Black Doctor, who was beaten by THEATRE STAKES of 5 in ws. each, with 40 added. Mr. C. Blanton's Vaultresa (G. E. Sharpe) 1 Mr. J. Goding's May day .. Betting: Even on Ve ultress. Won easily. THE INNIKEEPEns . PLATT : of 50 mots. did not fill. READINU BACA S.—WEDNESDAY. TEE EASTILUFPOTEAD PARK 4.TAKES of 5 @OM eaeb, with 35 added. Mr. Spencer's Prevention ( 1 boater) 1 Mr Powell's Ann Page THE ABBEY STA.KEN of 10 BOYS. each, with fill added. Mr. prewe's Vixen Mr. Oliver's Ethelbert Betting : A to 4 against Vixen, 7 to 4 against Ethelbert. Vixen won very easily by two length. THE BBRXIOURE STAKES of 20 sovs. each, with 50 added. Mr. Waller's °eta% is Mr. Isaac Day's Waterfall Wilmont, Cor•ibantes, Hybla, and Inder also ran. Betting : 2 to 1 against Corybantes, 4 to I against Wil mont, sto 1 against Waterfall. The last named was beaten by a head only. THE LADIES' PLATE of 30 boys. Mr. G. Drewe's F.Nipwreck (Kendall) Captain liarnett ' s Mayfly .. THE BOROUGH P ;LATE WAS won at. two heats by Mr..lonos's Young Cecilia, 2 yi tars, beating Mr. T. Smith's c by Touch stone out of lipilo;Fue, 2 years, Mr. Reeves's Lady Isabel, and six others. THURSDAY, TIIE CAT LIISHAM STAKES of A sow rich. Mr. H. Hill's In dand's Eye (A. Day) 1 Mr. Lister's Ma idstone THE READINO ST. 11LE8 of 15 soya each, with 50 added ; for two-year•olds. Mr. Wanchope's Calliope (Kendall) 1 Mr. Brown's Bali floral The following ; tlso ran :—Glens.trae. cult by Sir Tatton Sykes, Marc Ante ►ny, Rosanne, Epinician, Jack Frost. Betting : 5 to ; f against Rosaliue, 7 to '2 against Calliope, to 1 against GI enstrae, and 6 to 1 against Jack Frost. A good race in with the first two coded in favour of Calliope by a length. Pt. Alt: of .211 SOTS. (handicap). Mr. Dilworth's Tbe Queen's Own . ( Kendall) 1 Mr. Cox's Flou ace Betting: Just at the close Queen's Own was made an immense favouri te. oto 4 was taken freely, and 4 to 1 offered against wty other. Won in a canter. THE INK LEPERS' STAKES of I 0 sous. each. Mr. Isaac Day's Waterfall Mr. liewitt's Wi imout . . 2 THE FORBURY STAKES were won in three heats by Mr. T. Smith's b. c. ' oy Touchstone. The meeting, from first to last, was the best ever known at Reading. t THE PRESS. DIEPPE GRAND STEEPLE-CHASE. This event. which excited great interest in the French and English steeplechase circles, came oil on Sunday last, in the presence of thousands of spectator 4, drawn together from all parts of France. The weather was delightful, and the arrangements excellent. The line of c ulinary was ex tremely severe, and numerous accidents occurred. Sub• joined is a brief return : Ploughboy (S. Darling) I Sam Ho (Salt) 2 Bedford .. (lAutplugh) 3 Eight others started. Ploughboy made all the running, and won cleverly at the finish by a length and a half. Friendless, Lady Arthur. Johnnie Barrie, and Cerruti, fell. Donaldson, who was riding Lady Arthur, fell at a wall, and we regret to state that he now lies in a very dangerous condition. AQUATICS. IiREAT ROWINO M.►Tru.—The conteat fin• the coat, badge, mid freedolu, preacnted by the Leander Club to watermen's apprentices, took place ou Tuesday eveniug at Putney, and was, as usual, highly attaactive. The race was in three heats, the course being from Putney to Liam metsmith-bridge. VIRST lit4T. Alfred Ralph 1 Edward Redknap The winner took the lead, and came in with a lead. Three others stetted. SECOND REST. George lienknas .... 1 George Newman 2 Four others started. The two winner* showed in front, Newman with the lead, immediately after the start, and kept it. PV AL BEAT. Ralph They were all off at mice ' and a most beautiful race followed. Ralph took the l ead and kept it, closely pressed to within two hundred yards of home by Hemmings, who, being put out of his course by a steamer, lust the second place by half a length only. THE • GREAT BOAT MATCH eon 1001., between Robert Newell, of liorselydown, and William Pocock, of Linubeth, took place on Wednesday evening, and was one of the most gallant on record. Both men have been befiire the public for years. and are 11rst•rate professors of the art of rowing. Newell thrice contended unsuccessfully against Robert Coombes for the championship of the 'Thames, having defeated everybody else, including the renowned Clasper, the then champio n ► of the Tyne. Pocock was defeated by the north countryman about the same time ; but, having vanquished him this season. was considered by his friends good enough for Newell, who was put down as " stale," there being nearly four years' difference between them in favour of Pocock. The distance was from Putney to Mortlake, end four steamers crowded with company, and an immense number of other boats. accompanied the race besides which, there was a great number of horsemen, and persons stationary wherever a view could be commanded of the struggle. Newell had the Middlesex station, and jumped off with the lead at a most extraurdivary pace, but had not proceeded `'oo yards before his opponent was alongside. The next dozen strokes drew Pocock half a length iu advance, and then for the next mile with alter. nate leads. A most splendid race ensued, but, on nearing liammersmith-bridge, Newell rowed with such enormous pluck and power as to draw himself clear of his adversary, and from that point went on improving, ultimately beating Pocock by eight clear lengths, and doing the distance with a very bad tide in the extremely short time of twentyais minutes. gala ad Volitt. THE SMYTH CLAIM.-EXTRAORDINARY FRAUD. Extensive estates in Somerset and Wilts, two barn • netcies, and the heirship to the late Sir Hugh Smyth, of Ashton-park, in the former county, were the splendid prizes tried for in an action of r eject ment, on the Oxford Circuit, during the past week. The importance of the issue, and the examination of a multitude of witnesses, caused much interest 'to be excited, and protracted the proceedings throughout three successive (lays of trial. In this action, a per son, formerly calling himself Dr. Smyth, but now claiming the title of Sir Richard Smyth, was plaintiff, and the defendants were the present owners of the property, to whom it had descended through the female branch, from the alleged common ancestor. The general facts which the claimant set up, and sought to establish, were thus given by Mr. Hovill, his leading cousel, in an opening narration. Thomas Smyth, of Stapelton, who died about 1810, devised his estates as follows :—First, to his youngest son, Hugh, and his heirs ; failing that line, to his eldest son, John, and heirs ; and if both sons died without issue, then to his daughters or their descendants. Hugh, who also inherited a baronetcy, enjoyed the estates until 1824, when he died, as was supposed, without issue. His brother then took the title of Sir John Smyth, and entered upon possession of the property, which on his death, in 1819, passed into the hands of the present defendants. The plaintiff claimed as being the legitimate and only son of Sir Hugh, whom he alleged to have married, in 179f1, in Ireland, the daughter of a Count Vanderburgh, and to have sent his wife to Warminster, in the following year, where she gave birth to a son. at the house of one Provis, a carpenter, but died in childbirth. The father, having another match in view, concealed his former marriage and the feet that an heir to his expected property was born ; but, nevertheless, took care of his education, placing him at different school, of high character as he grew older, and subsequently removed him to Winchester. Theee affairs were, however, entrusted by Sir Hugh to his butler, Grase, who turned out a rogue, kept back the money designed for school bills, and afterwards persuaded Sir Hugh that his child was dead. The plaintiff now asserted that. while at school he was visited by se veral mentbers of distinguished families, whom he visited in turn during Ins holidays, such as the Marchioness of Bath, at longleat, and Lord Cork, at Marston ; but never quite knew who his tither was, and getting a tolerable supply of mousy from the Dowager Marchioness of Rath, somewhere about 1514, went over to the Continent, where he lived for many years, and latterly occupied himself in giving lectures on education, oratory, Ac. This profession he followed upon his return to England, which took place in 1520. It obliged him to travel about a good deal, and during these journeys he came across many parties who were in different degrees acquainted with the family affairs of the deceased Sir Hugh Smyth. The learned counsel then gave a detail of the manner in which the chain of evidence iu support of the claim now advanced was linked together, and 'deo pleaded a variety of hindrances, arising front uncertainty and poverty, as the causes why it had been so long de layed. Some documentary evident.e was put in to sub stantiate the cue. Among this was • family bible eontaining two entries, one purporting to be a certifi cate of the marriage of Hugh Smyth and Jane Vanberburgh, at Coartmaesherry, in the county Cerk, dated May 1, 11951, and the other a sertilicate of the baptism of Richard Hugh Smyth, son of the store said, at Warminster, in Wilts, on the 10th Septem ber, 17118. Two papers containing a full and par ticular detail of this marriage, the birth of the son, and acknowledging that sift as heir to the Smyth estates, were also produced, with a statement that they were prepared in 164241, at the order of Sir Hugh, who was then seriously ill, and had begun to suspect the story told him by Grace, the butler, and to which were appended his signature and seal, properly authenticated. The► plaintiff also stated that, having made up his mind to prosecute his claim, he called iu 1540 on Sir John Smyth, the then holder of the property, who recognised his title at once, and was so affected by the shock and dis covery that he fell ill the same night and died in a few hours. Evidence of signatures, handwritings, identity, de., having been given at great length, and severely handled on cross-examination, the claimant himself appeared in the witness-box and gave a minute history of his life anti adventures : When I first remember anyllsiug I war reskUtigeAWarelluater, in the cotnity of Wilts, at tho hope of Mr. lesotths, Ile/presto, aild builder. I thou wale about three years or three years and a half old. Beniained there till *even tutus Alta a half of age. Una.. Sir Ilugifs butler, took me IC Previte's. Did not kuow then whose run I was.. Did not know soy wuther. She died tlse mo. mem 1 war horst ; sl, I nutlerstmal than Vrovio. I was taken to fartubtonie ha Ashton village. I remained there about two year*. While there I oaten saw Sir Hugh Smyth riding through the densmuse. Ile spoke to use often. I did sot know whilst et Lower court who was my father. I afterwards, wont to Mr. Hill's, at lirishuglon. Mr. 11111 kepi a huge lamoling a 441001-- rather respectable. Itepoued there about two years. I went Willie at Briblingten to visit old Culutwl thew several times, to No 1. Ituyatereseent, Bath, then inhabiusl by the Earl of Ilandon'a fahnth, who had been there innst the time of the dis turbance iu At that Uwe I hatted very little about my mother—warily cursory übsory miaow by the ladles or the family --prisons who knew the loss of my mother. Left Brislingtsin school about two years after I was there. Wax taken from thins u, Warminster Grammar-school by rota. Iriba Haul laluggleat huuw. the residence .4 the Marquis uf Bath. Dr. Arnold the, late master of the Rugby Sehuol, ails say companion at achool. Whilst at 1041001 piny ladle's eclair tlaau Balls and Longleas to see mu, but I was its, yoUlig II) pay much attention le those things. Tile Nlktieliii.tieni4 I,f lINIIt wits cue, wad Ludy Isabella was smother. I remained about two planet Warminster School, lb. is went to Winchester School. sus a conuomser, under Dr. Goml• thud. Itemained there until IMO. I loft iss cousseshieues, of what Dr. Uoildsuxl said, that my bills had soot been paid tor the last eighteen months,. I went to lA/111110U by his advice, to the Mar chioness of Bath, iii Gronvenur-street, mid told her what had oe. curred. Did not hear 'bunt say faissily until the host interview with the marehioness. Sloe was a wounut of high Vase, and, thinking that I was getting would for her protection, she advised sum Vs go to A shuns CI t 4 • may Wiwi., whom she tbmt partitioned Rlr t he first time am im father. alail she let no-have the moon, my mother left at her death. My tither was not prestos( at her death. !the said she roma hot give me uny infonnatiou about my mother at that time, but add fns I xhuuld Vain that iiiii•rnsatio in from the Bandon fatuity. Skit alms told roe that in the pallaiillaitlla of Mr. Davis, her steward, at War, iii i i ister, would be Osumi th e tabl e of my mother's, pictures, and other things belonging to her. At first the possession of the noon) , to a boy like me took away all other thoughts, mid that is the, way I pve it up. The gamey WAS some hundreds ~ f pounds- —some 1,41511. or 1,5001. It, was In notes. Ibid not go to say fathers. Went to pay • visit to a lady Nt Wickham Abbey--iltree or Muir menthe—send then returned to Loudon bock again. The marchiosiess warn not at home. Some little tine after I was (Skill 111 at Lila tnarellioness'a lions* tit London wills the ounallpos. Was nimoved to a house iu Perna. menvstreet, under the care of a Dr. Williams. WWI ill there about eighteen mouths. Atter my recovery I went on the Con tinent wills a gentleman, a youisg no , 4 the name of Knos. Met will, hini by accident its [minims passing along. He is dead. I had known hint before, and played wills him as a boy at Lord Cork's, with whose family I was more into then with any other family. Ilsol known him during different periods in youtls• NI days when visiting at the Marquis of !lath's. The Cork fa mily lived near Longleaf. Mr. Knot wan the son of Lord Bantus-Iy. Went abroad iu 1414 or Ittlb. Was in Brussels at the time of the battle of Waterloo. Alter the battle I travelled through the whole at Central Europe —after the proclaimed's of perm I beams eaquatated with two isdividuals, Bell mid Lancaster, at, that time amalag aq