The Sun. — London, England, 1863-12-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 25, 1863 THE GUILDFORD MURDER. HOME CIRCUIT.—KINGSTON, Dec. 24. CROWN COURT. (Before Mr. Baron Pigott.) The learned Judge had appointed this morning to take the case of murder, which will be found to be rather a remarkable illustration of the importance of the science of medical jurisprudence, especially as applied to the discovery of the precise cause of the death of persons who have died by violence. On this account the attention of Professor Taylor had beta directed to the case by the direction of the Secretary of State, and he was in attendance to be examined as a witness. The great difficulty of the case, as a - problem of medical jurisprudence, was that there were appearances both of strangulation and poison by strychnine, and the latter of course might have resulted from suicide, whereas the former -would hardly be consistent with that view ; and there were two theories suggested by the prosecu tion and the prisoner's counsel, added a third—the one being that the prisoner and the deceased had agreed to take poison and destroy themselves to gether; the second being that he had pretended to enter into such a plan, designing to murder the woman ; the third, that she had poisoned herself without his co-operation. The prisoner, a soldier, named Joseph Mahaig, was placed at the bar, indicted for the murder of a young woman named Elizabeth Waterer. The case, which is very painful, as well as remark able, occurred at Guildford, and has lately been nar rated in our columns in our intelligence from that place, on the occasion of the coroner's inquest. The prisoner and the deceased were both young people. He was a sergeant, and a man of pre viously good character ; she was a girl, also appa rently of a respectable character, and had formed a strong attachment to him, and there seemed every reason to suppose that he had seduced her. His regiment had been ordered to India, and she was very anxious that he should marry her, and had written to him to beg of him to do so a few days before the fatal event. They then met, and took lodgings on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at a public-house in Guildford, where they occupied one room. On that day she was proved to have purchased a packet of Batty's Vermin Powder, a small packet of whi c h contains a grain of strychnine. They retired to rest on the Tuesday night, both quite well. On the Wednesday morning, when the landlady to';k up breakfast, the man took it in, and the landlady saw the woman lying on the bed, apparently as l ee p. When she took away the things the woman re maimed in the same position, not speak i ng, and apparently asleep, the prisoner accounting for it by saying that she had been unwell. No noise nor bound of quarrel nor of struggle had been heard. She was never seen alive after that, but the next day the prisoner was seen and asked for a razor, which he obtained. On Friday, Nov. 6, neither of them appearing, and the door being closed, it was broken open and the young woman was found lying on the bed quite dead, and the prisoner also lying with wounds on his throat, which had been healed. In the pocket of the man was found a paper which had contained Batty's Vermin Powder. The body of the yo ung woman was in a state of incipient de composition, and a local surgeon called in came to the conclusion that her death had been caused by violence_ The body, he said, was lying on the back on the bed, '° as if laid there, the limbs very placid." There was a pillow on the face. tie observed a rope in the room, with two or three long hairs upon it, which he thought the hairs of a woman. He saw marks upon the neck. There were no appearances of escaped or coagulated blood, which would have been generally expected to be found in cases of strangu lation. The tongue was protruded and swollen. The lungs were collapsed, and on each side in the cavity of the chest there was bloody serum. The vessels of the heart contained no clot or coagulated blood (which was expected generally in cases where death took place slowly, and especially in cases of strangulation), and the heart itself was firmly con tracted, which was usual in cases of sudden death, and, as far as it went, tended to show that death had not been caused by strangulation. He was led to infer from the appearances that strychnine, not strangulation, was the cause of death. He tested for strychnine, in conjunction with another local surgeon, and they thought they had discovered strychnine. Their examination, however, was cut short, in order to submit the matter to Professor Taylor, and from farther examination with him he came to the conclusion that this was a mistake, and that there was no strychnine, and that strychnine was not the cause of death, but strangulation,though at the same time strychnine might have been taken. The conclusion of strangulation was grounded on the peculiar moist appearance of the ht ad and upper part of neck, dryer appearance of the chest, and the marks upon the neck (as if constrict ing force had been used, whereby the return of the blood from the upper to the lower parts had been retarded), and the enormously distended state of the head (which, however, was partly owing to de composition) and the absence of blood. He thought, for these reasons, that strangulation was the cause of death, and not strychnine. The surgeon, in cross 'lamination, said he had formed the suspicion of , Tt !tgulation before he saw the rope, and he the tever been of opinion that strychnine was as . 05 0 of death, although at one time he thought it h a d bten taken, Its physiological appear ances • I Nht be present, though it had not caused d eath. H death had been He could not positively say that pi : i en. caused by strangulation, but such was his 0 the east-, heat • There were greater difficulties in war, only give an opinion. The opearances not inconsistent with poison, but were more e onb i t with strangulation. The other local surge on t a iNtr. S e ll s , s p o k e more posi tively'. He sai d the w hole of the face and under the chin was black, and a dark breadth of skin round the neck was of a the sur face of the Corpse generally rase colour, whereas only part tr,lces of dEcompotitifor They h whi t te, with they bad discovered traces of iltr _ e , n. houg an y eo n n but not satisfactorily, and had come e usion as to reisea. There were certain m arks ro und cor , e4l,outiir the neck outside, and also, on dissection, hea g a marks under the skin, and the vessels of found full of congested blo od which had been there e during life. From all these, appearances h e "t at the conclusion that the d eceased ha d be en strangled, and he at that time and ever Sin t , ha attributed death to strangulation, No blood,h ov, ever, was found in the heart, which was not us enl in cases of strangulation, nor did he know how it unid be accounted for, unless the deceased had also been subject during life to the effects of a poison acting on the spinal nerves and muscles —as strych nine; and if Batty's powder had been taken it would have effected the action of the heart, even if it had not caused death. He had, however, never known a case of strangulation combined with poison. There was extravasated blood in certain lines round the neck, and there was a remarkable fulness of blood in the head and face ; There could hardly be more extravasated blood then there was. Such were the appearances presented, and such the opinion formed by the local medical men. Certain letters were found in the room, one of which ;n c in the a omen's handwriting, and some of 7 t l ' h purported to be written by th e woma n, b u t, iappeared, were really written by the prisrner in a simulated hand, and expressed an intention on her pwahritctho w a committhe isticide. But in one of these letters, prisoner's, he stated that, having left the room, he found round her n ec k Which her on his return with a rope they both took he said he took o ff, an d th a t poison ; a ' taken and that she afterwards died in his arms. Th ere howeve r , it will be seen, no evidence of his hivi ng indeed, no positi ve eviden7l3l:tih_s her after h a e n h cl ad t , he fo re r no traces of it were found even r after a post mortem ex4mination ; and „ the surgeons who had seen the body (which Dr. Taylor had not) were both of opinion that the death wa s c aused by strangula tion, and not by poison. The letters, which were several of them p artl y destro y ed b y fire , and had several blanks in th em, were as foll ow :--One of them only—the first—was in the writin g of the woman, and was dated th e 3d of November, the day on which she bought the poison. It w as to her mother. Then there was one by the prisoner, and purported to be by the deceased to her mother, The other letters were all by the prisoner, and one was dated on the 4th of November—that is, the Wednesday, the day on which the landlady :aw the woman lying apparently asleep. There were two let ters by the prisoner, written after his ap ehension : (No. 1.) Copy of part of letter found in prisoner's pocket of trousers when searched, and supposed to have been written by the deceased, Elizabeth Waterer, to prisoner : Down Race, Guildford, Oct. 31. My Dear,—ln answer to your very kind and ever most welcome letter which I have received this morning I take this most favourable opportunity of sending you these few lines to let you know that I am in good health, as these few lines leaves me in at present, tru,ting these few lines will find you in the enjoyment of the same. Dear Joseph you say in yours.... (this part destroyed) ....with you. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to come with you, but we had better get married first, and then go. My time will be up to leave on the 22d of the month, and you say you are going on the 26th of the month. My dear, you say you will come and see me as you come from London, we live on the road for Aldershot, so you could come and see me. I think we would be better married than single, and I would like to go abroad very.... Dear Joseph, you....if the time .... and let me. (No. 5.) Copy of a letter found on a table in the room at the Coacbmakers' Arms, where the deceased Eliza. beth Waterer and the prisoner were found on the morning of Friday, the 6th of November last : envelope addressed to Mrs. Catherine Mahaig, Rathfreland, County Down, Ireland. C. Guildford, Surrey, 31 ! 10 '63. Dear Mother, —I take this most favourable opportunity of sending you these few lines to let you know I am in good health at present, trusting to find you in the same. Dear mother, I thought of having the pleasure of sending you a letter from my brother John, but I have not received any answer as yet from him. I was intended of going on fur lough in this month, but circumstances at present will not allow at present. I may l et you know that t h ere i s rat h er a serious accident happened to me within this last few days. I was going out to India, but there was a young woman that I was keeping company with and she could not come along, so I was think in my time I have seen enough of the world, and I am sorry to intimate to you as a mother that ray time will be short, I think, in this world, so I hope, if we do not meet in this world, that we will have the pleasure of meeting in the world to come, where I hope our souls will be at rest and glorify Him above. Dear mother, I am sorry to have to intimate this letter to you, but, as a child to a parent, I think I am justified in sending you this, although to the heart I am sorry in doing so, although in some of the world's career you might hear of my name mentioned as regards this, but it is through nothing of dishonour, and yet when I am gone there will, I make no doubt, a good many regret the death of me as a non-commissioned officer; with the regret I freely bid you all adieu, my sister May, brother William in the kindest manner. I must conclude, trusting the Most High will pardon wherein I have done wrong, not that I have done anything I am ashamed of, but this young woman I had the unfortunate of bringing to this state, and on records, if there should be anything that should blame her, I hope if you don't some one will contradict the saying. "Good evening. May God of his infinite mercies bless, guide, and direct you all is the wishes of your ever loving son until death parts, which I know is near. " JOSEPH YONKIN MAHAIG, "late of her Majesty's 103 d Regiment." (No. 4.) Copy of a letter, partly burnt, found on a table in the same room at the Coachmakers' Arms. Ad dress on envelope : "To all concerned. This night, " Guildford, 4th Nov., 18G3. "So now dear Elizabeth she lies by my side, may the Lord have mercy upon our souls, that she loved did the same. .... I hope our bodies 3 this morning the draught she did take, although I partook of it, was not quite safe ; in 20 minutes after she did then ex pire, and I was left weeping, sure, in her cold arms. She said Are you coming ?' as we both drank together. I hope we will meet in the next world together, but in place of cold that she did me give was something ....do breath, I hope there's no blame .... although she cold, her spirit is near. I have watched and caressed, sure, all this day long ; but now dear Elizabeth is fit for the day, and shortly now after we both soon will part, if with that little article I can take my life. To all concerned; JOSEPH MAHAIG, Sergeant 103 d Regiment, Aldershott. (No. 2.) Copy of a letter found in the same room, addressed, Mrs. Waterer, at Head ley, near Epsom, Surrey : Guildford, Surrey 3 1, 10 I 'G3. Dear Mother,-1 think it rather strange in you not an swering my last letter which I sent to )ou. I think it very unkind in you not doing so, but in a short time you will sent to me the last farewell, as I intend of going from here wish that young man called J. Yonkin Mahaig, of the 103 d Regiment, Aldershot. But, dear mother, I am sorry to intimate to you that I think my time will be very short in this world, as him, I must confess to you as a mother I am very much attached, I blush when I intimate this to you, but, as a mother, you must know what youth is, and I have made my mind up, rather than part with him, that I will partake of something deadly draught, as 1 know that he would willing die with me ; but for a moment do not blame him with this, as you will, I dare say, in the news of the Times, hear of both of our names. Very likely he will get the blame of this, but 1 hope as regards my delleration, you will contradict it. Dear mother, I now kindly bid you all farewell, and as we will not meet in this world, I hope we will in the world to come. My boxes is at Guildford Station Railway, two in number. If you will come there you can have them. There is also a dress at that place, I left behind in drawers in the store-room, and you can ask the cook for it, as she knows about it. I must conclude at present. Good evening. With my best respects to all inquiring friends, it any, may God of His infinite mercies bless, guide, and direct you all, is the wish of your ever loving and affectionate daughter, ELIZABETH WATERER. [This letter is supposed to have been virittoa by the prisoner in a disguised hand.] - (No. 3.) Copy of a letter found found in the same room, ad dressed to Sergeant-Major William Ireland, 3d Regiment, Camp, Aldershott. Guildford, Nov. 3, 1863. " Sir,—l presume in sending you these few lines, as I know you were always a good friend of mine, I send this to you cs a farewell, and I hope you will accept the same from me, as I am about to have my departure from this world, and I hope you do take care of yourself as regards company, as I may say that it has brought me to this now; but no blame to them that is along with me. Sir, I con cude at present with my best respects to all the sergeants of the regiment. JOSEPH MAIIAIQ, Sergeant. I have written to my mother; my nuclei I will forward o her. Good evening. Copy of a letter, marked F, written by prisoner in the presence of Police-Constable Marshall, in the hospital of the Guildford Union, Nov. 26, 1863. I do not know what to write what the may ask upon. Shall I put this date, 26th of this month. Where am I going after that ? I may let you know that we both partook of the poison at the same time, but the poison that I took that she gave me was got in another shop. It was blue colour. In about half-an-hour she was dead. I think it was on the night of the 3d we both said, as she would not leave me, th4t we !hould die together. She died in my arms during the even- Z . When I went down stairs to the foot of the steps for The she had a rope cord on her neck when I came up. A, at night we both took the poison in some gin, about ,„„ the Ze both sent, at least left, a letter for both our Dear fri : a the table. I do not wish for any one to see this. with her, e, I do not care. I wish to God I had a went Upon th ese f JOSEPH MA.nlic. acts it is manifest that there were three whi ch whi, 8 might b e a d o pt e d—that the prisoner and the dtceua attempted to commit suicide together, in view,whicia`l of course, it would be in law a case of murder ; 01 . piatiewaitt_the prisoner pretended to enter into such a billaeeirl really intending only that she should die, and rov ing insufficient, aiding h er dett aps,the poison ph by strangulation or lastly, that the woman committed her u c e by poi son, and that the prison, fi nd dead, tried to kill himself through anguish. _ that theory ‘-it course, on the theory that death was caused by etra„,.u,a.. then the latter view was not tenable. And 1 tion then Q the theory of death by poison was consistent with or the first. Mr. Lilley, in stating the case for the prosecution, did not distinctly and definitively adopt Eith er the theory of a real or simulated scheme of suicide, p o i nt _ ing cut to the jury that there were facts consistent with either, and that, in point of law, even though the prisoner ieally meant to commit suicide with the deceased, he would be equally guilty of her murder. But he observed that the fact that the prisoner had written letters in which he simulated her handwrit ing, evidently with the view of making it appear that she intended to commit suicide, seemed to indi cate an intention on his pert thus to disguise her murder under the appearance of suicide. And there were, he said, passages in the letters which seemed to point tothe conclusion that he had seduced the poor girl, that she had pressed him to marry her, and that he had designed to murder her in order to get rid of her, d an then cast upon her the shame and guilt of suicide. The theory of strangulation, if it could be upheld, would, of coarse, establish this view ; but the learned counsel intimated that he was aware that the eminent professor whom he should call as a witness, Dr. Taylor, would negative that theory, Of that, however, the jury would have to judge, and, though it might affect the moral guilt of the prisoner, it would not affect his legal guilt. Mr. Lilley and Mr. H. W. Sharp conducted the case for the prosecution. The prisoner had not retained counsel. Mr. Oppenheim, at the request of the learned Judge, watched the case on his behalf. Mr. Philips, one of the local surgeons, being examined, and giving evidence to the above effect, stated that in cases of death by strychnine all traces of the poison may be eliminated, and not discover able in the body. But he thought that the absence of extravasati on o f bl oo d was not cons i stent w i t h strangulation. The other local surgeon, Mr. Sells, spoke, it will be seen, more positively, but being pressed by the prisoner's counsel as to whether he could swear that the death arose from strangula tion, he could only say that he had never known a case of death except from strangulation present such appearances. Neither of these witnesses, however, had seen more than two or three cases of strangu lation, and neither of them had seen a case of death by strychnine. He thought that the woman was under the influence of strychnine when she was strangled; that strangulation was the actual cause of death, and that the appearances were not con• sistent with death by strychnine alone. _ _ Professor Taylor was then examined by Mr. Sharp. He had, he said, examined those portions of the body which had been examined by the local surgeons and also other portions as well. He had submitted them to chemical analysis, and he had applied the tests for strychnine, and he discovered none, nor any trace of it. Ho employed micros copical as well as chemieal tests. He had shown the result to Mr. Philips, the local surgeon, and requested him to repeat his experiments, putting strychnine into a portion of the remains in order to satisfy himself that it could, if present, be de tected ; and they both were satisfied that it was not present except in the portion to which they had added it. He believed Mr. Philips had been misled at first by a colour test, which was fallacious. He had heard the accounts of the post mortem exami nation and the appearances presented; and his opinion was, that the only data for medical judg ment were the condition of the heart and lungs. The appearances of the heart and lungs were quite consistent with death from strychnine, and not consistent with death from strangulation, as far as his observation had extended. Supposing the de ceased had taken a quantity of strychnine not auffi cient to cause death, and had been strangled, or sup posing that she had taken strychnine sufficient to cause death, but strangulation had been applied before death, he believed that in neither case, and in no case, would strychnine present the appear ances in the heart and lungs usual in cases of death by strangulation. Those usual appearances were the presence of a large quantity of blood in heart and lungs. This ease in its precise circumstances was prima impressionis. He had known a case of death by strangulation, in which prussic acid was taken (after the rope was round his neck), but there was no post mortena examination in that case. The effect of strychnine was great contraction of the heart and muscles. If there was death from strych l i - nine, but the dose was small, none of it might be found after death—that is,if the dose was just suffi cient to cause death and no more, but if there was any residuum or surplus it would be detected. There was nothing found in the stomach, and that would be a state favourable to the absorption of strychnine. He found no powder or flour or soot in the stomach. His own opinion was that the pro bable, and the only probable, cause of death was poisoning from strychnine, half a grain of which would destroy an adult in 20 minutes. In a packet of Batty's powder there was a grain of strychnine, and if the whole was taken by the woman there would be a residuum discoverable after death. The effect of strangulation would certainly be to drive the blood up into the head, and parts congested with blood were more prone to decomposition than others. A cord twisted round the neck would pro duce the appearances observed upon the neck. De composition in this case had been unsually rapid even fir a case of strangulation. He never, that he remembered, knew a case of decomposition so rapid for a death within 48 hours. The appearances were rather such as would be observed in a case in which death had taken place several days before. Decomposition never set in until all rigidity had ceased ; it was the chemical change which followed the last action of life in the body. Strychnine caused paroxysms of rigidity in life, but they did not continue after death. The tongue might be found protruded from the mouth in a case of death from strychnine, supposing decomposition had gone on a certain time. If the body had not been putre fied, protrusion of the tongue would certainly have shown death by strangulation. He had had very great experience in cases of death by poison, and had for 30 years made toxicology his study. And his opinion was that death might be caused by a small dose of strychnine, just sufficient to cause death, without leaving any traces of it discoverable. He had known cases of persons who had died from strychnine, i❑ which it could not be discovered. Two of these were cases of murder. He was clearly of opinion that strychnine would not present the usual appearance of a death from strangulation; and he thought that certain appearances i❑ this case were inconsistent with death from strangula- tion. The appearances consistent with it were— ' livid and bluated conditio❑ of face and neck, con gestion in the veins of the neck, but there were no internal appearance. consistent with death by stran gulation,and there) were those external appearances inconsistent with such a death; the absence of any deep indentation of the neck, or of laceration of the skin, or appearances in the muscles, windpipe, and soft parts below the skin, indicating mechanical in jury by pressure, or of effusion of blood under the parte supposed to be compressed, as to which, how ever, Dr. Taylor observed, the two local men dif fered. And the appearances of the heart and lungs were also inconsistent with death by strangulation. All the appearances on the head and face were, in his opinion, ascribable to putrefaction, and his opinion was that death in this case was caused by strychnine, Being pressed by the counsel for the prosecution whether strangulation in bed by soft materials, as pillows, &e., might not be produced without those appearances which would result from the use of rougher means, or whether the appear ances might not have been erased by decomposition, he replied in the negative to both questions, and adhered firmly to his theory of death by strych nine. The first effect of strychnine would be vio lent paroxysms and convulsions, and struggling, all of which would render it more difficult to cause death by strangulation. Mr. Sells, being recalled, stated that there was a great deal of extravasated blood in the neck, from the chin down to the chest. The letters were put in, and all but one proved to have been really written by the prisoner. This was the case for the prosecution. The prisoner, in answer to the learned Judge, said he should wish the counsel who had watched the case on his behalf to address the jury in his defence. Mr. Oppenheim accordingly addr?ssed the jury on his behalf, relying, of course, strongly on the evi dence of Dr. Taylor, as showing that death had not beencaused by strangulation,and that therefore there had been no active participation by the prisoner in the death of the deceased, and that all the evidence and appearances of the case were consistent with the theory of death by suicide without any participa• tion by the prisoner whatever in the act. There was 00_ anger. trace . t Of a motive for murder; there were no signs ° The prisoner and the woman seemed to be on good terms together. It was proved that the woman purchased poison. He admitted that the law had been correctly laid down by the counsel for the prosecution, nod that th ere f ore, if t h e pr i soner was a party to the act of taking poison by the deceased, he would be in law guilty of murder. But if the death were not caused by strangulation, then there was, he contended, no sufficient evidence of any such participation by the prisoner in the administration of poison as would make him a. party to the act of suicide. The theory of the prosecution, indeed, leas death by strangulation, and not by poison. If, therefore, the theory of death by strangulation was disposed of, then the prisoner ought not to be convicted. That strychnine had been taken there could not be, he said, a doubt, and the jury surely could not convict the prisoner of murder on the mere opinion of two country practitioners, opposed to that of so eminent a man as Dr. Taylor. He could not seriously ask the jury to entertain the hypothesis of natural death ; but he contended that everything in the case was consis tent with the theory of voluntary suicide, and of an attempted suicide by the prisoner in a state of de spair. As to the letters the learned counsel argued that they tended to show that neither the prisoner nor the deceased were in a sound state of mind, and that they had agreed jointly to take away their own lives. The natural solution of the case, he suggested, was that the woman had committed suicide in de spair—not because the prisoner could not marry her, but because he was going to India, and by military regulation he could not take her with him. In fiction such events were often represented, and in foreign life they unhappily occurred; and, supposing that the two together, in a state of distraction caused by their im pending separation, had resolved to destroy them selves, hers would not be the guilt of suicide, nor his that of murder. Had the prisoner completed his own act of attempted suicide, any jury would have found it a case of temporary insanity, and such, he con tended, should be their verdict now. The learned Judge then summed up the case, ob serving that certainly the circumstances were very distressing. There could be no doubt that the un fortunate woman had met with her death either from strangulation or poison. But the great ques• tion was whether the prisoner had any part in her death. If they were of opinion that it was caused by the rope and by his act, then their verdict must, of course, be wilful murder. If they were of opinion that the death was caused by poi son, then they would have to consider whether she took the poison without any participation on his part, aiding and abetting her act, and if they thought she did, then they must acquit him. But if they were of Opinion that they agreed together to take poison, and took it together and she died and he survived, then their verdict must be wilful murder. He had cut his throat, and they would have to consider whether it Was part of a joint agreement to kill themselves, or was a sub sequent act without any connection between the parties, then the circumstances of the case, and lastly and especially, the medical evidence on which the case must mainly depend. In the first place they must consider the letters. The first, dated Oct. 31, written the day before the parties met and took the lodgings together, was by the woman, and was partially destroyed. But it run this—" We had better be married ;" and it referred to his going abroad. That was a letter undoubtedly written by the deceased woman to the prisoner just before they left. It would be very material for the jury to consider whether the woman was dead on the Wednesday, for, if so it would be very extraordinary that the prisoner should not have mentioned it to the landlady when he saw her, and asked for a rozor. The learned judge di rected the attention of the jury very carefully to all the surrounding circumstances attending the posi tion of the bodies and the condition of the room when they were discovered. He adverted to the fact that the woman had procured poison, and that the paper which had contained it was found in the room, and that it would contain poison sufficient to kill two persons. The learned judge then read and commented on the letters found in the room, in the name of the deceased, but in the handwriting of the prisoner. The first of these, dated on the 3d, the day the poison w as b oug h t, ran t h us :—" My ti me in this world will be short. I intend to take some deadly draught. I know that he will willingly die with me." The learned judge observed that the letter was said to be written by the prisoner in a feigned hand, but the signature was rather in a dif ferent hand from the body of the letter. Its terms, he observed, rather indicated that it was dictated by the woman, and the probability of that was con firmed by the fact of her purchase of the poison, and its mentioning a fact only known to her. The next letter was clearly by the prisoner, and purported to be a farewell, as he was " about to take his depar ture from this world," and "no blame to those who were with him." The jury would put their own construction upon these letters, keeping their minds upon the position of the parties. The next letter was avowedly by the prisoner, and was dated the 4th, the Wednesday. It ran thus :—" So now dear Elizabeth lies by my side," end purported from its terms to be written at night, and it was the evening of the day on the morning of which the landlady had seen the young:woman lying apparently asleep. The letter went on :—"May the Lord hav e m erc y on h er soul ; may both our bodies lie in one grave." There s ere erasures in the letter, but it appeared to run thus—" This morning she took the draught, though I took a part of it, and she died in 20 minutes ; and I was left weeping in her cold arms. She said Are you coming ?'" It was very singular, the learned judge observed, that Dr. Taylor had stated that hail a grain of strychnine would cause a per son's death in 20 minutes. 'The letter went on : " I have watched and caressed her all the long day, but now dear Elizabeth is fit for clay, and shortly after we shall be together if that little article will end my life"—probably alluding to the knife or razor. It was very remarkable that this was writ ten, or purported to be written, on the the night of the 4th, when it was probable the poor woman was dead. There was another letter by the prisoner to his mother, and ran thus :—" I was going out to India, but there was a young woman who I kept com pany with, but she could not go oat with me, and so I thought it was time for me to leave this world." Tne learned judge then went on to read and comment on the medical evidence, telling the jury to bear in mind the two theories set up—of death by strych nine or by strangulation. He pointed out that Mr. Philips's reason for not thinking that death was caused by poison was, that none could be detected ; whereas Dr. Taylor did not deem this reason at all adequate, and considered that there might be death from strychnine without traces of it being left in the body, provided the dose was not more than sufficient to cause death. And Mr. Philips would not undertake to say that strychnine had not boen taken, and admitted that the appearances were con sistent with death having been caused by strych nine. The jury would have to consider whether the evidence of the local medical men satisfied them that the death was caused by strangulation. Un doubtedly the other medical man, Mr. Sells, spoke more positively as to death by strangulation, and spoke diatinct,y to extravasation of the blood, which he said took place only in life, and was a sign of strangulation. But, then, there was the evidence of Dr. Taylor, a gentleman of great eminence, the author of a well known work on Medi cal Jurisprudence, regarded as one of considerable authority, and who gave his evidence with remark able candour and moderation. Dr. Taylor, he showed, disproved the actual presence of strych nine, but declared that it might have caused death and yet leave no trace discoverable after death. And he stated that the appearances were inconsistent with death by strangulation. He remarked that Dr. Taylor stated that, if the woman had taken the whole packet, there would have been a residuum left in the body. But Dr. Taylor's conclusion from the appearances was that death was caused by strangulation, and not by strychnine. Such, said the learned Judge, was the whole of the evidence in the case, and upon it the jury would have first to say whether they were satisfied that the woman died of strangulation, and by the act of the prisoner; and if so, then he was of course guilty of murder. Next, they would ask themselves—if the death was caused by poison—whether the prisoner and deceased had agreed together to cause their deaths by poison, Upon this point they must consider the two latter of the letters. Did the jury believe that the woman took the poison of her own accord, or by mutual agreement between her and the prisoner ? In the latter case it would cleaely be murder in the pri soner. So it had been held again and again that if two persons agreed to commit suicide and one sur vived, the survivor was guilty of murder in point of law. The learned counsel for the prisoner sug gested that the prisoner might hue been in a state of distraction, and sa would not be legally answer able. But in that he could not agree, and in one of the very eases cited, an eminent judge, the late Mr. Justice Patteson, said that coroners' juries were often in the habit of finding verdicts of temporary insanity in cases of suicide without any sufficient evidence of insanity. In that he quite agreed, and he saw in this case no evidence of it, but on the con. trary down to the last he saw every appearance of the full possession of sense and reason. It would be another question whether the jury found in the letter any sufficient trace of a mutual agreement to take poison, or to destroy themselves, If not, and they thought rather that the woman's taking of the poison was her own act, without the prisoner's con currence, then he would not be guilty of murder. The duty the jury had to discharge was one of a very grave and serious character; and though, on the one hand, if there was any reasonable doubt, the prisoner was entitled to the benefit of it, yet, on the other hand, if there was no reasonable doubt, the jury ought not to shrink from doing their duty firmly, and finding the prisoner guilty. The trial took all day. The summing up was net over until half-past five o'clock, and the jury then retired to consider their verdict. They were absent about half an hour. On their return they found a verdict of guilty as accessory before the fact, and recommending him ,o mercy. The learned Judge—On what grounds? The jury said on account of his previous good conduct. The verdict in law was one of "guilty." The prisoner being called upon to say why sen tence of death shoula not be passed upon him, said simply, " Not guilty." _ The learned Judge in a tone of profound feeling ,hen passed sentence of death in the usual form. _ The prisoner who, throughout his protracted trial had stood as soldiers do, upright and firm, heard his sentence without flinching, and was then removed from the bar. Breach of Promise of Marriage, MEYER V, GOTTINGER. This was an action brought in the Court of Common Pleas to recover damages for breach of promise of marriage. Mr. Huddleston, Q.C., and Mr. H. James appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and Mr. J. Brown for the defendant. Mr, Huddleston said the plaintiff, Miss Frances Meyer, was a young lady 28 years of age, the daughter of a gentle man who carries on business as an importer of foreign goods in Hounsditch. The defendant was of more mature age—he was CO years old ; and having carried on a lucrative busi ness as a merchant, he had retired to live in Noel-street, Islington, He had been for some time a widower, and in July last year he became acquainted with some members of plaintiff's family - , whom he had met at the Synagogue, both parties to the suit being of the Hebrew persuasion. Mr. Meye r had ten children, of whom plaintiff was the eldest. The defendant having seen the plaintiff requested permis sion to be introduced to her, and he became intimate with the plaintiff's family in the course of August and Septem ber. In October his attentions to Miss Meyer became very marked, and they continued through the remaining months of 1862. In May, 1863, defendant spoke to the mother of Miss Meyer on the subject of marrying the young lady, and mentioned to the mother his position in society. He said that he was a widower, that ho was possessed of £6OO or £BOO a-year derived from property. He also said that he would be prepared to settle upon plaintiff £5,000 to be at her own disposal. Mrs. Meyer said that she could scarcely make any arrangement without first having the consent of the young lady and of her father. It was therefore desired that the defendant should see the young lady, make his proposal, and ascertain whether he would be accepted or not. He had an interview with the plaintiff, she accepted him, and he came out of the room in a state of great exul tation, saying that he had been accepted, and from that moment the parties were treated as being affianced to eaeh other. The defendant was very eager that the marriage should take place almost immediately, indeed ho wanted to be married within a month after the proposal was made, but the father suggested that this would be too soon, and the sth of August was fixed for the wedding day. After the proposal had been made the defendant took a house in Noel. street, Islington, and began to furnish it. He visited the plaintiff continually, presented her with a gold watch and ear-rings, and said that he had been looking out for a dia mond necklace, but could not find one that was sufficiently expensive. He was also taken to Ramsgate and intro duced to the plaintiff's relations in that town, and every thing was done upon the faith that the marriage was was to take place upon the sth of August. The defendsn became ill, and during that illness he asked most ten derly after his intended bride, and said that if anything should happen to him he had taken precautions that she should not suffer. Having recovered the parties went for a drive in Victoria-park, and on that occasion the defendant asked her to accompany him to Scarborough, and aho said she thought that this would not be quite right until after they were married. Whether from this cause or not the defendant soon afterwards toiet the plaiiatiff's brother that he had changed his mind, and he refused to marry the plain tiff. The plaintiff's mother went to the defendant to ask him what he meant by this, and the only answer she got was " I do not intend to marry her, and you can do what you like." In conclusion the learned counsel said that he did not put this case before the jury as one in which any great affection or romantic sentiment was involved, but still the fact remained that a lady of mature age had lost the chance of being settled in life, and there was no doubt she was entitled to substantial damages. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine—Will your lordships allow me to make uneobservation. My client is here in court, ready at any moment to marry the lady, and indeed is most anxious to do so. I may add that he very deeply deplores that there should have been any breach of the engagement. Mr. Huddleston —I wish he had said so before the matter got into the hands of counsel, but it is clear that the offer is now but an excuse for evading damages. Mr. Sergeant B allantine—l repeat that defendant will marry the plaintiff. The Lord Chief Justice—There may be something in that if you will pay £5,000 into court, upon the condition that it is to be paid to plaintiff if she is not married in a month. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine—l will. Mr. Huddleston—Will you settle £5,000 upon her? Mr. Sergeant Ballantine—Oh, that is another thing. The condition of the defendant has been somewhat exaggeratt3d, but I will take care that a sum of money which is amply sufficient to bind the defendant to perform his contract is paid into court. My client is ready to enter into a covenant to make such a sealemcnt upon the lady as his means will allow. The Lord Chief Justice—To make such a settlement as some prudent person will say ie reasonable. Mr. Huddlestou—How can I enter into this arrangement, after the way in which the defendant has treated this young lady ? My friend has never mentioned this proposal to me, and it is now only made for a purpose. The evidence was then given : Mr. Meyer—l am the plaintiff's father. I am a Birm!ng ham and Sheffield warehouseman and an importer of foreign goods. In July, 1862, I saw the defendant at our place of worship, and he spoke to me and said he was an independent gentleman, was very lonely, and had been living for eight years retired. I asked him to call at my house, in conse quence of his situation. I had known him two or three months before I asked him to call, In September or October he first called at my house, and continued to call from that time until May, 1863. In May my wife communicated with me as to a conversation she had had with the defendant, and when he called on the following day I told him that my wife had:spoken to me respecting his proposition. I said of course it wit. , my duty as a parent to see to the interests of my daughter and I remarked that there was a disparity of age. He said with emphasis that he was aware of that, but that previ ously to saying what he would do for the plaintiff he wished to see her privately. I said, " My daughter is in the draw ing-room, and you can go in there." He did so, and when he came out again he was perfectly satisfied and happy, He said, " the proposal I make is to settle £5,000 upon her, to be at her disposal, and if she survives me, she will have the whole of my property if we have no children." He said he made this reserve, because he was strong and hearty, and expected to have a family. As to his income he referred me to Messrs. Samuel and Montague, who receives his divi dends. I caused inquiries to me made, and was perfectly satisfied. The defendant said " I am the happiest man in the world." He wanted to be married within a fortnight or three weeks, but we objected to that, and the sth of August was fixed for the wedding. This date was distant five or six weeks. We proposed the sth of August, and he reluctantly accepted it. He wanted to be married much earlier. I went with the defendant to Dr. Adler, the chief rabbi, and procured from him this Hebrew document, It contains the names of the parties, and fixed the day for the marriage, The defendant spoke to Dr. Adler, and said "Am I not right, doctor, in getting married ?" and the doctor said " Certainly; by all means." After this 1 made preparations for the marriage, and expended nearly £lOO in doing so. The defendant presented my daughter with two silk dresses, a gold watch and chain, and a gold bracelet. He said, " These are only for common wear ; and I have been looking out for a diamond necklace, but I have seen nothing to my fancy, and I will look out for a better." He said he would get one. On the 24th of June the defendant moved to a larger house in Noel-street, Islington. About that time my wife made a statement to me about furniture, and I went to the defendant's house with my son. I saw the bedroom, and it was certainly not sufficiently furnished according to English notions. I spoke to the defendant to about some extra furniture which he had promised get. He said that he was a German, and had always been furnished in the German style. I sa id my h e had promised get the things, and that I was sorry to to had so little influence with him. a7l: that asked me t daughter no o look at the bedroom, and I said, 's Vhor o is the wardrobe whew my daughter can put her clothes ?" There was no washirg stand in the room. lie said he would see my daughter and wife, and make it all right with them. This took place on the 9th July. The defendant said that he had £OOO or £7OO a year, and that his property consisted of railway shares and houses in Berlin. Cross-examined—My daughter has made no other en gagement. She is entirely free now. I did not on the 9th July find fault with all the furniture. Ido not think that there was anything I praised. I think the defendant's wife had been dead only a few weeks when I made his acquaint ance. When I alluded to my daughter having little influence with the defendant, I did not say that I could see clearly that they would not be happy together. I never said it had better be broken off. My daughter has no letter from the defendant. Re-examined—l never heard of any renewed offer by the defendant to marry my daughter until this morning. In the defendant's bedroom there was a small bedstead and two or three chairs, and there might have been some few other articles. After the defendant's engagement he generally called every day to see my daughter. Mrs. Hannah Meyer, the mother of the plaintiff, said— The defendant asked me at various times how it was my daughter was not married, she being such a very nice young lady. I said, being an educated young lady, she requires what I cannot give—a fortune sufficiently large to put her in the situation I wish her to be in. He asked me this a great many times. He afterwards asked if she had any ob - jection to a German; and I said "Certainly not, for my family are German." My daughter speaks German. He afterwards asked if I had any objection to his recommending a " party." I said, "Certainly not." Two or three days afterwards he asked if I should have any objection to him self. I was rather surprised, and did not answer. He told me that his income was £6OO or £7OO a year, that he would make a kind and affectionate husband, and that my daughter should have everything that a lady could desire. He said he would se Ale upon her £5,000 for her own use and disposal, and that ii he had no children he would leave her the whole of his property with the exception of a legacy to his sister. Afterwards I saw the defendant, and asked him if it was true what my son had told me, that he refused to fulfil his engagement, and he said, " Yes." I asked him for the reason, and he got out of temper and said he could not be troubled, and would give no answer. He said we might go to law or do what we liked, for he would not fulfil his engage ment. Cross-examined—From inquiries of Messrs, Samuel and Montague we found that the defendant had to their know ledge an account not equal to what he had represented; but the defendant said that he had landed property and state papers, as they called them, in Berlin, in addition, The defendant only kept one servaitt, Mr; Sergeant Ballantine—The defendant is nearly 70, is he not ? Witness—He told me he was 60. I\lr. Sergeant Ballantine—But would you believe an elderly gentleman as to his age ? (Laughter.) Witness—l believe he was not more than 60, for he could walk smartly from Islington to Hounsditch. (Laughter.) Re-examined—The defendant said that after he was married ho would keep a cook and housemaid, and my daughter should have a lady's maid if she required it, Mr. Alfred Meyer—l am the brother of the plaintiff, On the 9th of July I went with my father to the defendant. He said he would buy any furniture that was requisite. I saw the defendant on the 12th July, when he was ill. He said his illness was caused by eating fruit, ice, and wine. (A laugh.) I saw him again with my mother, when he said, " Tell my dear Frances that if I die everything will be hers." On Thursday, the 16th July, I saw the defendant, when he said he would not marry, and had changed his mind. He told ma to carry home the message. This was the day after the plaintiff had declined to go to Scarborough with the de fendant until after they were married, Cross-examined—My father did not tell the defendant that he clearly saw the parties could not be happy together. I am not certain that the Thursday when I saw the defen dant was tke 16th July. Mr. Meyer (the plaintiff's father) re-called and examined by Mr, Sergeant Ballantine-1 instructed my solicitor to write this letter of the 17th July to the defendant, Mr. Sergeant Ballantine submitted that the promise here was to marry and settle £5,000, and that these two items formed one promise. This being so the promise must be in writing, The Lord Chief Justice said there was no conditional pro mise to marry upon a settlement being made; and his opinion was that this action was brought upon the mere promise to marry. He thought that there was no founda tion for the objection, Mr. Sergeant Bellantine then addressed the jury in mit gation of damages. He pressed upon the jury the fact that there was no scrap of writing in the case, and no witnesset but members of the plaintiff's family, so that the jury had only heard one side—and by law the defendant in a case of this kind was incapacitated from giving evidence himself. A defendant was therefore left helpless in the hands of his enemies, and it behoved juries to watch evidence given for plaintiffs who sued for such a cause of action, in order to take care that no undue weight should be given to it. The Lord Chief Justice in summing up went through the evidence, and in reference to what had been said about the defendant now marrying the plaintiff,said that he regarded that offer as being in the nature of a thing done for dramatic effect ; for it was an offer which could hardly be accepted. It, however, confirmed the evidence that the defendant had made a promise to marry, and the jury would have to say what danaasco the phantiffsrao entitled to for an uncaylained, absolute, capricious refusal to perform his engagement. The Jury, after a few minutes' consideration, found for the plaintiff, damages £750, This was the last case tried, and at its conclusion the Co urt rose for the holidays, Fighting on the Frontier of India. There is no later news as to the war on the frontier. The telegrams in the Bombay papers as to the action on the 20th November were fully transmitted, via Suez, about ten days ago. The following are details of the earlier engagements of the British force : "The force assembled at Nawakilla on the 10th October. At nine p.m. on the 20th, Colonel Wild's brigade (as it then stood—Guides, 20th Infantry, sth Punjaub Infantry, 100 sabre Guides, and 100 of the 11th Bengal Cavalry) marched over awful ground. At daybreak on the 21st they halted at the entrance to this pass and were then joined by let Pun jaub Infantry and sth Goorkhas and a mountain train battery. At about nine they had entered as far as Roostum Bazar, had a short halt, and moved on over what Colonel Wilde said was the worst pass he had ever seen. The enemy first showed at twelve, but not in number. The Ist Punjaub Infantry Guides, and the 20th Punjaub Infantry crowned the heights. The let and Guides then went on, the 20th supporting the guns. At about two heavy firing commenced, and the guns and 20th were pushed on; the 20th Punjaub.lnfantry left the guns firing, and pressed on to the head of this pass (where our camp is now below) to see the enemy flying. Pickets were posted, and during night and next day the rest of the fcrce came in, baggage not arriving (completely) till the 23d. On the 24th a re• connaissance was ordered—cavalry and 20th Punjaub In fantry—up the Chumbla Valley. The enemy crowded (a thousand or two) on the Buneyr Height to our left. The cavalry rode on 11 miles, and had they come back early all would have been well. The enemy, however, tried to cut off their retreat, and we had to fight our way back to the pass. It rapidly get dark, and the enemy then worried our rear, charging among us sword and spear in hand, to be bayoneted down. Our orders were to retire protecting the cavalry, and the enemy followed us right into camp most bravely, past guns, Europeans, and all. They were soon driven back with fearful loss, but fired all night. The next day the Guides and Ist Punjaub Infantry pickets repulsed them on the right, aided by guns and European marksmen, so they did not attempt to stand, and lost fearfully. Next day the Buneyrwar, some 1,000 strong, attacked Eagle's Nest Picket, held by 30 Europeans .and 80 of the 20th Punjaub Infantry, charging straight to the breastwork up a steep hill, sword and matchlock in hand, time after time, for nearly four hours. The guns (mountain train) and some of the 3d, sth, and 6th Punjaub Infantry peppered their right flanks in aid of our pickets, and, not counting those killed by them, 150 were counted dead in front of our picket. They acknowledged to 400 disabled. They attacked the camp and this picket and fought furiously, just as we were going, by order, up another spur to attack them. The let P. I. behaved splendidly, and if ever man deserved the Victoria Cross, Major Keys does. He has lost two fingers of the left hand, and his adjutant was knocked down by a stone, but is all right. sixty of the enemy lie dead here ; lots more must be up the hill, and we shot a lot as they bolted. All killed on the 30th are Hin• dustanis; they fought most splendidly, rushing up hill sword in hand at the breastwork. The 20th have lost 50 killed and wounded; the 6th about the same; other corps trifling. Lieut. Richmond, 20th, Lieut. Gillie, H.A., and Lieut. Clifford, Punjaub Cavalry, are officers killed since coming out ; Lieut. Drake, 32d, Lieut. Bar:ow, Survey, Lieut. Pit cher, and Major Keys, Ist Punjab Infantry, are wounded. The enemy now bolted to Buneyr on the 30th. difficult hill " An affair, which was attended with unfortunate results, but which was one of those liable to occur in a (I d country new to the officers and troops enga s g e . t The cover about 2 o'clock on the afternoon of the 6eilellealuntry was under ing party of the 71st Foot and Native Infantry 2d Sikh Infantry, iffi Lcurred the command of Major Harding; try and had commenced unfortunately held to his after they had received orderbsutto to do so, support was s o e ff n a t wounded European soldier wh o was firDel,ajor ilarding, in his natu ral anxiety to bring was lying under the opera was but with The detachment and. a Y s surrounded. its extrication, the following loss, which cannot be sufficiently regretted : — Major Hard ing,gevroeunntudall y too effectedlon g, Sigh Infantry, killed; Lieut, Murray, 71st Foot, 2d Guides, wounded ; Lieut. Oliphant, Ghoorkas, kil'ed ; Lieut. Dougal, 71st Foot (doing duty), killed ; Lieut. wounded ; of the men four Europeans, with one native offi cer, and 30 sepoys, were killed; and four Europeans, with two native officers and 33 sepoys wounded—total, 38 killed and 41 wounded. Th e enemy ' exhibited much boldness, coming on sword in hand, " The ad vanced pickets on the right flank of Sir Neville Ch amberlain's rear position were five times attacked on the night of the 12th, but these successive attacks were well a ePUI4c4 under the direction of tlajor Drownlow, whose services from the conamenoment of this warfare have be, very distinguished. On the morning of the 13th the pickets having changed, another attack in great force was made by the enemy. The officer in command, Capt. J. P. Davidson, died nobly at his post, but the resistance of his men was not successful, and the picket was temporarily occupied by the enemy. It was soon, however, recovered in a most gallant style by her Majesty's 101st Fusiliers under Lieut.-Colone l Salisbury. Our loss in these operations was, we regret to say, severe, one officer and 50 men being killed, and one offi cer (Lieut. Pitcher) and 107 men wounded. The enemy's loss was at least equal to ours." AN ARISTOCRATIC FRENCH FETE. We read in the Paris Presce of Tuesday :—" The Duke do Muchy's grand fete at his superb domain of Aloud)), Noalles, came off on Saturday with all the Mat and mag'. nificeuoe which was to be expected from his exquisite taste and large fortune. Two special trains were organised, one of which brought 40 guests to dinner at five o'clock, the other arrived at seven with the rest of the company. At the Heilles-Mouchy station the visitors found the duke's carriages and four and postillions in powdered wigs waiting to take them to the chateau At half-past nine private theatricals commenced. The theatre was improvised in 3 tempoary building adjoining the orange conservatory. at a little distance from the house. All the ladies were con veyed thither in Bath chairs, called " Vinaigrettes." The gardens were brilliantly illuminated, The performances were " l'Histoire d'un Sou," and an occasional piece called " Les Cascades de Mouchy,:' written by the Marquis de Massa. All the performers were princes, dukes, marquises, or counts. The Fairy of the Cascades were represente d with great success by the Countess de Pourtales ; the Mar quise de Gahffet played a Vivandiere, and sang several couplets with the Duke de Mouchy. After the play, the ladies king taken back to the house in their rolling chairs, there was a first supper. This over, dancing began, and at two o'clock there was an animated cotillon. The first re turn train took away a great many ladies at three o'clock• but enough of the party remained to keep up dancing al night. There was a second supper at four o'clock, and it was not till half-past seven a.m. that the lights were put out, and the last train left for Paris, The fete was worthy of the most brilliant days of Louis XVI., and will never be forgotten. The following is a list of some of the corn• pany, besides those above-named:--The Prince and Prin cess de Metternich, the Princess de Sagan, the Count de Saint-Roman, M. and Mine. de Ganay, M. and M i ne. de Courval, M. and Mme. Alphonse de Rothschild, M. and Mme. Gustave de Rothschild, Mme. de Cazes and her sister, M. and Mme. Contat Desfontaines, Mine. de Bel leyme, M. Fould, the Prefect of the Oise, Baron Finot, MM. de Saint-Pries, de Merlemont, Reiset, Lupin, de l'Aigle, Auguste de Belleyme, de Balleroy, Talleyrand de Perigord, Poniatowski, de Miramon, Hottinguer, de Bel" beuf, de Montreuil, &c. COUNTRY MARKETS, --ii MANCHESTER—Mtntsnas. At our market this morning the English wheat offering sold slowly, with a thin attendance. Wheat firm, but the proceedings were quite of a holiday character. BRISTOL—THURSDAY. We had a good supply of English wheat today, which sold slowly, at a alight decline upon last week. All other articles dull. IPSWICH. •TTJESDAY. Old white wheat..44s to 40s Old red wheat, 42s to 43 0 New do. ..468 to 48s I New do. 4ls to 42 0 Malting barley....34s to 38s I Oats. 22s to 6 9' 1 Grinding d0.....28s to 31s I Beans 36s to 3ifi B IRMING HAM—THURSDAY. Wheat was in less supply to-day, and sales were made at very little change in prices, and with a limited trade. English wheat was sold at 418 to 45s for white, and 05 to 43s per 36 stone for red, Barley, new malting, 30s t° 40s per qr ; grinding, 26s to 30s Oats, old, 248 to 2 89 per 30 stone ; Irish, 18s to 245. Beans, 40s to 448 per qr• Peas, 36s to 44s per 36 stone. EDINBURGH GRAIN—DEo. 23. A fair supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which met a slow sale at about is per qr lower than the prices of last week. Barley was in better demand, and prices rather lower. Oats dull, and 6d down. Beans and peas were un• altered. Wheat on the top Os 6d down average Os 10d down. Barley on the top is Od up average Os 3d down. Oats on the top 9d down... . average Os 8d down• Beans on the top Os 6d up average Os lid clown. Total Supply and Sales. Wheat .. 842 qrs Sold 574 qrs 8ar1ey........1935 qrs Sold 1570 qrs Oats Beans l9O qrs Sold 123 qrs Flour sells as follows :—Whites, 40s Od ; extras, 38s Od ; superfine, 36s Od ; fine, 33s Od. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. lustralia and Mauritius, via Southampton .. Jan. 18. via Marseilles Jan. 12 Jrazil and Cape Verds, by British pacßet. Jan. 4. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Jan. 29. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Suuthallipton Jan. 2 • via Marseilles Dec. 27' Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton Dec. 27. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Jan. 2. via Marseilles Dec. 27• India (Bombay), via Southampton Dec. 27. via Marseilles Jan. 5 . Portugal.... Jan. 4 . Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Dec. 27. via Marseilles Dec. 27 Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... Dec. 3 1 by U.S. packet.... by Canadian packet.. Jan 1. W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneritle .. Bahamas, via New York Jan. 14. Mexico.. Dec• 29 ' •• . • • All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, i Dec . 29. California. and British Columbia.. THE BOAR'S HEAD AT CHRlST3fAs,—Aniong et the earliest specimens of carols are those for bring" ing in the boar's head. The boar's head was the first dieli served up at ancient feasts, and was carried in with g rey solemnity, dressed with garlands. Flourishes of trutnP et° and singing of carols accompanied the pageant. The cur torn of bringing in the boar's head is still observed in grea t houses, and (as has been stated over and over again) 5 " Queen's College, Oxford, where upon Christmas night the preceutor and choir sing a modernised version of wyo l ' i° de Worde's carol.—Once a Week. [ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holloway's Ointment.—Pain lee° Cures.—Sores, wounds, ulcerations, and other diseased affecting the skin are amendable by thi s c oo li ng a nd hea l ing unguent. It has called forth the loudest praises fro 11 persons who had suffered for years horn abscesses e ll a chronic ulcers, after every hope of cure had long Pi's: away. None but those who have experienced the sootbl effect of this ointment can form an idea of the comfort .1 bestows by restraining inflammation and allaying P a ' !.: Whenever this ointment has been once used it has ee blished its own worth, and has again been eagerly soug h for as the easiest and safest remedy for all ulcerous O P "; plaints. In neuralgia, rheumatism, and' gout, the O ra application. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—Consumption, all nervous, bilionef liver, and stomach complaints, in every stage, are only a g gravated and accelerated by drugs of every description , bu t perfectly curable by Du Barry's health restoring Reva l c nt ! Arabica Food, as proved by thousands of cases which he ° ' been considered hopeless. We quote a few.—Cure No. 62,914 Miss Lange, 18 years of age, cured after the medical men b adi abandoned all hopes of her recovery from the last stag e °f pulmonary consumption, with fearful cough, expectoratio.n, exhaustion, spitting of blood, perspirations, hollow ch eekBq emaciated to a skeleton. She is now, thank God, a perfectly healthy, blooming, fleshy girl—N. Lange, Commissaire de Police. Cure, No. 48,270. Mr. James Roberts, of FrinileYr Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting, of bloodOlv e , derangement, and partial deafness.—Cure, No. 47,121. Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion o : gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies. —Cure, v rfom 54,816. the Rev. James T. Campbell, Fakenhan i a , k d r esisted of indigestion and torpidity of the liver, Whi, fiy 11 40 6d ; 51b, all medical treatment. In tins, lib, 2 s 9d ; ' 11s; 121 b, 220; 241 b, 40s. Barry du Barry and isfason; and all a nd Ca, No. 7 7, Regent-street, London ; also Fortnu m -United liing,dona grocers and chemists in every tow n of tll-0 Births. ARKWRIGHT.—On the 23d inst., at 12, P ortui 1 7-street Eaton" the Hon. Mrs. George Arkwright, of a s on. at The E sq., of a son. an-squaro, Captain 2d So- Ebll SALTER.—On the 23d inst., at •39, , TowNa) --On the 22d ro sq e u r a s r e e t ,t i h i e lit w ia i, c o o f f a son. Salter, E sq., SWAINSON.-0a the 21st inst., at East Ar Croft, S‘%indon, the the wile o f Edwin N. Swaim(); .._—missy, Surreft wife of 1:* C°l3Plest°ll inst,,Townsend , Esq., of a daughter. Marriages. pAra—OLIVER.—On the 23d inst., at Bodmin, Cornwall, p, Pate, Esq., o f Leghorn, to Miss Oliver, of Mayoralty House, Bodmin. CITURCII ILL --- HOOPER.—On the 23d inst., at St. Bartho lomew's, Sydenham Henry Churchill, Esq., of Clap/ 103 _ road, to Elizabeth, only surviving daughter of the late Robert Hooper, Esq., of Worcester. Deaths. CLARKE.—On the 21st inst., William Tredway Clarks. Esq,of 39, Bedford-place, Russell-square, solicitor, aged 60. TRYIsTNE —On the 23d inst., Cecilia Constance Catherine, infant daughter of Lord and Lady Edward Thynne. VAWDREY.— On the 15th inst., at Gwinear, Cornwall. Elizabeth, widow of the late Rev. W. Vawdrey , age 92. VIRTUE,—On the 22d inst., at 2, Cornwall-road, Jirolc; green, Hammersmith, Mrs. Frances Virtue, re lict of J. Virtue, formerly of Newman-street, Oxford-street, age‘ 79. Woony.—On the 22d inst., at The Moat House, Tal3l` worth, Alice, relict of the late Robert Woody, scl.' '" V$ London : Printed and Pub:felted by WILLIAM ANDIO , of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TnE Sufi Office No. 11- Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the cennti December 25,.1e03. T` (The Geor , stale Geer,. st . • v..T. Lon Th (J Ayr anie , rho.) * Rug.] * Rich *Sam N '( P' ToC , et of irali eltPet men a Chichi Wells tninst. St• Al Wret brcidg, 6i , To be whi, arno First that It h Tamp: ~ICSBP In f co-op( vatos( ot.!ect disc ot G en Conso Okaro. I requ in res Co NO' for sv Illi , e, It ' ca .!•1(3 ( str ee t, Dw Plititl4 Clarei X' The XBs,e( 410,0 E A b Pani c 'Urns 110 W I ThE VOr Ptrcet friars Tilt T' 11.1% iZ ee , 1/I,llli Lit / 'ailtf __Pr( may Pali. ......_____ PIR , I' f Corp In l Varc Of a Th raze 4 , (1 kniy, A Tife,r p ..ay 1 ,, 5 ) t 'lllO Vol t bh e C.. 4) . ' R I ;7 1 o„ ItaF the-