The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-01 00:00:00

Yalu anb Volta.

THE PRISONER STEPHEN Fox, charged with shoot-
ing Mary Ann Hadley on the 14th May last at
Canterbury, was tried on Monday at Maidstone, con-
victed of murder, and sentenced to death.
A SLANDER CASE of unusual interest, and in which
the Countess of Harrington was the defendant, was
tried at Derby before Mr. Justice Cresswell on Wed-
nesday. The action lay between the Rev. F. N.
Highmore, vicar of Elvaston, v. the Earl and Countess
of Harrington, and was brought for slanderous words
spoken by the countess, imputing misconduct to the
rev. plaintiff. The principal witness in the case was
the parish curate, Mr. Jones, who deposed to having
lunched at Elvaston Castle with the Countess of
Harrington on Feb. 2 :
After the ordinary compliments of the day Lady Harring-
ton asked me who was likely to administer the sacrament
next Sunday. I answered, I did not know, but would
ascertain and let her know during the week. Lady
Harrington said," We never take the sacrament from that
man Highmore, because he is so wicked a man. When-
ever I take the sacrament I go to Elvaston or have it ad-
ministered to me at Gawsworth. I never take the sacra•
ment here because of that man Highmore." She then
went on to say, "He keeps the sacrament money and
never gives any to the poor, and pocketed the money the
Duke of Leinster gave for the repairing of the church."
Her ladyship also added, "He is so low and vulgar a
fellow, and such a drunken character, that Lord Harring-
ton cannot receive him. He is always playing at cards and
gambling, and encoucagea the people in the village in all
kinds of gambling, card-playing, and debauchery, and he
and his wife are constantly rolling drunk on the floot." She
concluded this little harangue by saying " I should consider
it sacrilege to take the sacrament from so wicked and bad
a man." Afterward, I asked Mr. Highmore whether be
would be able to administer the sacrament on Sunday, and
he said he hoped to do so himself.

Upon another occasion, Lady Harrington declared
that Mr. Highmore was "always telling lies," that
he kept " a most disreputable house :"

" They are always playing at cards, from morning to
night. They are a set of drunken people. I know the
trutb of it, for Sir Francis Stanhope told me that he saw
all three of them drunk upon the floor." The third
person alluded to was the Dowager Countess of Harrington.
I told her I feared she had been sadly misinformed, as I
had told her on previous occasions. I said, " I have
found Mr. Highmore'a house nicely or respectably con-
ducted, and Mrs. Highmore a lady of considerable talent
and good manners." I said, also, he had been very kind
to me, and that I found him very charitable. Her lady-
ship replied, "Oh no, it cannot be ; it is impossible." I
said I had had pleasing evidence of the fact, for I had
seen him give both wine and money to the poor. She
said, " Oh no, it won't do ; ho is a bad man and she is a
bad woman." I again said I feared she had been misin-
formed, and, as a funeral was waiting, I must bid her
good day. Since then I have not been to the castle.

Her ladyship, upon her examination, admitted having
said to Mr. Jones that there had been a great deal
of card-playing and gambling going on at the castle
during the late lord's lifetime, but denied having
used the word " debauchery," or having said that
Mr. Higmore and his wife had been seen rolling
drunk upon the floor :
I said, Sir Francis Stanhope had told me that he had
seen Mrs. Foot drunk on the floor; but I never used
the words " all three " drunk on the floor. And Sir
Francis told me that there had formerly been a great deal
of drink at the castle; but it could not apply to the late
lord, who was the soberest of men. In using the expres.
sion " rolling on the floor" I alluded to Mr. Collins, the
previous curate.
Upon cross•examination her ladyship admitted that
in the village school they had forbidden the school-
master and schoolmistress to have anything to do
with Mr. Highmore
It is written up as one of the roles, " No clerical inter.
ference allowed." Ransom (the schoolmaster) and his
wife had been in the habit of going to Mr. Highmore's. I
told the schoolmistress, in the school, on one occasion,
that I would not allow her to go near the Highmores. I
I was obliged to speak loud, because the woman was a
virago, and would not allow me to speak quietly. I did
not say that Mr. Highmore was a low fellow or a drunken
fellow, or a ruffian or a villain. I did not say that he was
in the habit of getting drunk with Ransom. I was not
aware that Ransom drank. I did not say that he got drank
with Chambers, the saddler. I may. have said to Mr.
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747

that is not in the declaration. I did not say that to Mrs.
Ransom. I have said that there had been rumours of
his drinking before I came to Elvaston, but that his
state of health was such that he could not drink now.

In reply to the judge, Lady Harrington said tha
she had declined to take the sacrament from M
Highmore, and thought him a wicked man, becaus
he had " raised a terrier," endeavoured to increas
the tithes, and on account of his appointment of bad
curates; and that she had spoken of his house as
disorderly on account of what she bad beard about
his pupils. The jury returned a verdict for Mr .
Highmore—Damages, 7501.
There was another action brought by Mr. High.
more against Lord Harrington for an assault, arising
out of some proceedings at a vestry meeting ; but is
this case a juror was withdrawn.

THE PRISONERS, Hays and Harris, who escaped
from Newcastle Gaol last week, have been recap.
ture4. Harris has been tried for his attempt to
murder Catherine Robson, and sentenced to death ;
and Hays has been acquitted of the charge against
him of highway robbery.

• .
THE GREAT SHREWSBURY CASE, Which iS still
pending before the Committee of Privileges, stands
adjourned till next Thursday. The evidence is
ordered to be printed.
. .

CHARLES FINCH, conv.oted of the murder of his
sweetheart at Kelvedon. ,nd,Tnlin Lewis, convicted of
the murder of his wile at Glamorgan, were banged
on Wednesday and Saturday at Chelmsford and at
Merthyr Tydvil.
THE PRISONER BACON, charged with poisoning
his mother with arsenic in May, 1855, was tried at
Lincoln on Saturday last, found guilty, and sentenced
to death, although the judge intimated that the
extreme penalty of the law would not be carried out.
A NURSE at the Great Yarmouth Workhouse has
been committed for trial for brutal illtreatment of a
paralytic pauper, thereby causing death.