The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-11 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY DIVORCE CASE.

One of the most extraordinary cases of divorce which
we have ever heard of is at present on trial, at Brooklyn,
near New York. The Nei), York Herald, in its issue of
the 27th ult., give's the following resume of three days'
proceedings :—" A curious divorce ease was commenced
on Thursday, before Judge Lott, in the King's County
Circuit Court, in which Alfred Beardsley applies for a
divorce from his wife, Mary Elizabeth Beardsley, on the
ground of adultery with Dr. James Francis Mahan, of
New York, to whom she had represented herself as a
.single woman, daughter of a Mr. Seymour, of Halifax,
Nova Scotia, by which the doctor was induced to marry
her during the lifetime of her husband. The defence
set up is mistaken identity and adultery on the part of
the plaintiff with a principal witness. Great interest
is excited in consequence, of the respectable posi-
tion in life of all the parties concerned. Mrs.
Beardsley being a daughter of the Rev. Nathaniel D.
Law, a Methodist minister. The case was resumed at
Brooklyn, before Judge Lott, on Friday, when Dr.
Mahan, the party to the alleged adultery with the de-
fendant, was again placed on the stand, where he re-
mained nearly the whole day. Sonic of the details of
the evidence are too revolting for publication. An
attempt is being made to prove that the person Dr.
Mahan married was not Mrs. Beardsley, but a single
woman, a companion of hers. If this be proven, Dr.
Mahan, who has sworn to his subsequent marriage with
another woman,' will be liable to an indictment for
bigamy, as well as another for conspiracy. On the other
hand, if he did really marry Mrs. Beardsley, she will be
liable to the indictment for bigamy. The case is full of
mystery, and causes considerable excitement. The plot
thickens. New and strange disclosures were made before
the court on Saturday of the freaks of a rural editor, a
clergyman's son and the plaintiff, with gamblers and
other bad characters in houses of ill fame. The evi-
dence for the defence was closed last evening. Evidence
in rebutter will be brought by counsel for the plaintiff
to-day. The Rev. Joseph Law, the father of the defen-
dant, was on, the stand yesterday. It is expected that
counsel will begin to sum up this evening, but how this
most mysterious case will end nobody ventures to pre-
dict."

MUSICAL, DRAMATIC, LITERARY, AND
ARTISTIC NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Mr. Edward Everett has prepared a Life of Benjamin
Franklin.
The model for the monument to Ary Scheffer, at
Dordrecht, is ready for casting.
Madame Clara Novello has departed for Italy, where
she intends to take up her residence.
Mr. Woolner has in hand a statue of the late George
Stephenson, for the Oxford Museum.
On the 17th instant Messrs. Christie & Manson are to
sell the musical library of Mr. John Hullah.
Spohr's violin, a Stradivarius, we are assured, almost
unique in quality, is in the market.-41thenmunz.
The city of Florence is erecting a monument to the
memory of Cherubini, her most illustrious musician.
-Mr. and Mrs. Henri Drayton, according to recent
American advises, have been appearing with success at
MObile.
Mr. Robert Stothard, one of the sons of the designer,
proposes getting np, in the spring, an exhibition of his
father's works.—Critic.
" Ways and Words of Men of Letters" is the title of
the new work of the Rev. J. Pycroft, the author of
"Twenty Years in the Church," &c.
We understand that M. Stephen Heller is expected to
make a professional visit to London during the musical
season of 1861.—Athe'uaum.
The violinist Ernst is at present residing at Vienna, and
in a considerably improved state of health. He has
just put the last touches to his opera.
There will be a representation of Mr. Tom Taylor's
" Babes in the Wood," at Windsor Castle, on the 14th
instant, by the command of her Majesty.
Mr. J. Lothrop Motley's " History of the United
Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to
the Synod of Dort," is announced by Mr. Murray.
Mr: Bentley is preparing for publication a series of
" Lives of the Archbishops of York," to be followed
by the " Lives of the Archbishops of Armagh."
The intended performance of " La Traviata" in Berlin
has been forbidden by the authorities, on the ground
that the libretto is unfit for the ears of a Protestant city.
The new name of an opera composer comes from
Copenhagen. This is M. Berendt, whose opera, "A
Trial of the Heart," is said to have had a success at the
Royal Theatre.
The Rev. John Barlow, whose retirement from the
active duties of the secretaryship of the Royal Institu-
tion we lately announced, has been succeeded in his office
by Dr. H. Bence Jones.
The rehearsals of Rubinstein's new opera, " Les
Enfants des Landes," are going on actively at Vienna,
and it is probable that it may be brought out the end of
the present month.
Messrs. Chapman and Hall have nearly ready "The
Island of the Saints ; a Pilgrimage through Ireland,"
by Julius Rodenberg, translated from the German by
Lascelles Wraxall.
The Berlin state paper informs us that the commission
appointed to award the prize for the best drama of the
last three years, has given its vote to the effect that no
drama will be crowned this time.
Amongst the papers of M. Frederic Braun, a cele-
brated amateur of Dresden, lately deceased, has been
found the manuscript of an unpublished opera by
Winter, composer of the " Interrupted Sacrifice."
It is said iu Paris that Mr. Gye has found a tenor in
Italy; also, that among his operas of 1861 are to be
given "Guillaume Tell/' " L'Etoile" (with M. Faure
as Peter), and a version of the " Pre aux Clercs."
Mr. Sims Reeves has temporarily retired from his pro-
fessional duties, and the reason alleged is the .recent
death of his father. Mr. George Perren has been en-
gaged as first tenor at her Majesty's Theatre.
- 'Messrs. Macmillan announces a new book of travels.
Tt is entitled "Cambridge Tourists in 1860," and will
consist of a collection of accounts of tours by eminent
members of the University, in Iceland, Italy, on the
Alps, &e.
Messrs. W. and R. Chambers announce their "Cham-
bers' Household Shakespeare," to be issued in weekly
numbers. It will be on the same plan as Bowdler's,
and has beeh prepared under the editorship of Mr. 'Wil-
liam Chambers and of Mr. Robert Carruthers, of Inver-
ness.
,We have reason to believe that the Council of the
Institute of Architects propose immediately to take into
consideration what course shall be adopted that archi-
tecture may be completely illustrated, and construction
fully represented, in the Great Exhibition proposed to
be held in 1862.—Buildcr.
The " Trinummus" of Plautus will be performed by
the Queen's Scholars of Westminster on the following
nights :—Friday, December 14 ; Tuesday, December
18 ; and Thursday, December 20 ; with the addition of
a prologue and epilogue on the latter two nights.—
Saturday Review.
The eighteenth volume of M. Thiers' " Histoire du
Consulat et de Umpire" was published on Wednesday.,
by Messrs. Paulin and Co:, Paris. The volume is
divided into three books, entitled respectively, " Restaura-
tion des J3ourbons," " Gouvernement de Louis XVIII,"
and " Congres de Vienne."
An inventory of all the treasures of Art in the Paris
museums and imperial palaces is being made by order of
LllO r.inputui. 011111141 C.ll.i.tivEit.i.e. vi uojtui vi aiV 1.1/
the churches and public collectioirs of the whole empire
are contemplated. A grand Archaeological Art-Exhibi-
tion will soon be opened at Paris.
The new planets have been named as follows :—No.
60 (discovered by Mr. Ferguson on the 15th September
last), Titania ; Isto. 61 (discovered by M. Goldschmidt
on the 19th September), Dame ; and No. 62 (dis-
covered•by M. Forster in October), Erato. No 59 (dis.
covered by M. Chacornac on the 12th September last
is still unnamed.
Gossips
talkmysteriously of a gigantic commission.
_ _

amounting, it is said, to £lo,ooosferling—given, or a.
least offered. to Mr. Frith, R.A. It is too dark, this
dullest of Decembers, to see anything in the studios, SQ
we are unable, even in our mind's eye, to discern the
faintest outline of a sketch on Mr. Frith's rumoured
canvas.--Illustrated News.
Some half century ago, there were novels in vogue
which, under the titles of " Madeline," " The Abbey of
St. Asaph," &c., created a sensation similar to that now
produced by the works of Bulwer or Thackeray. A
descendant of the author of these novels has, we are
told, written a work of fiction, which will be shortly
published, under the quaint and attractive title, "The
Ws)rld's _Furniture."—Athenwum.
A very graceful compliment to dramatic art has just
been paid by two of the most eminent literary professors
of the art pictorial. Messrs. Clarkson Stanfield, R.A.,
and David Roberts, R.A., in kindly remembrance of
their old connection with the theatres as scene painters, havejointly announced their intention of building a
house in the Royal Draniatic College, and adorning it
with Oictures from their pencils.—lllustrated News.,
One of the masterpieces of the French school ot. the
nineteenth century, Goricault's "Naufrage de la Me-
.in the Museum of the Louvre, shows such traces
of pending destruction and corrosion that the govern-
ment has thought proper to have a copy taken, so that
at least a remembrance of this masterly creation shall
be preserved. This large picture is at the most forty
y ears old.

The performances at the Theatre des Varie'te's at
Toulouse were interrupted, a few nights back, by a sin-
gular incident. During the first act of the "Pecheresse,"
an enormous 'rat fell from the roof into the pit, whence
it ran to the orchestra, and at last took refuge on the
stage, to the great terror of the actresses, who uttered
exclamations not to be found in the prompter's copy.
Order was soon restored by the death of the intruder,
which sins killed by one of the musicians.
Messrs. Alexandre, the celebrated harmonium manu-
facturers, have just brought out an instrument, the
name of which, indicates- its use--rannexe-piano. It
seems to be A sort of harmonium on a small scale, with
three octaves of notes, and three stops—the flute, the
oboe, and another somewhat resembling.the.vox humane
in an organ. The keyboard of the instrument is placed
almostimmediately under that of the piano, so that the
right hand can Play the melody on the annexe, whilst
the left band takes the accompaniment on the piano.
A few days
-•ago the• German names of the streets in
Agram were daubed over with black paint, and on the
28th of November there was an anti-German demonsta-
tion in the theatre. The German actors and actresses
were not allowed to perform, and when they attempted
to address the public, they were pelted with rotten eggs
and other equally offensive missiles. The orchestra
played " God Save -the Emperor," but the noise made
by the audience was so tremendous that hardly a note
tonic). be heard. The disturbance continued until a
Croat actor appeared and promised his fellow-country-
mea that in future the Sclavonic language should be
used on the:stage.

HoLiewAv's Orxi,,,,m,r
ANI--------------r------..
n,L,.--ChestAffections: The
frame deteriorati
unus.m.ally mild darn
—1) weatler fearfully tells on-the human
its reservoir,
en'oir, the lugnn-the blood, and producing morbid results in
by bronchitis g 8: Hence on all sides we are surrounded
might be cured' readily cured
, asthma, consumption; all of *which
„hose active rinciple
bY Holloway's never-failing remedies,
nil,4.
- —wes the blood, and causes all mor-
bale matter speedily to be expelled from the body. With such
means at hand, near
bathshe o fountain, will they groan
and die •. No : use and saved! If the sufferers be listless,
let eir friends and relatives urge a trial of Holloway's medi-
cines, which 'WOrk wOnders on every tissue, by substituting
pure for impu,re blood, and giving nervous power.... , . .