The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-16 00:00:00

('H ull Voila.

THE CASE OF DR. VAUGHAN.
THE trial of Dr. Vaughan, on three indictments,
for feloniously falsifying the bur;al registers, and
appropriating to his own use a portion of the burial
fees paid to him, commenced on Frith.), last and
terminated on that day in his acquittal upon the
first indictment.

This indictment included the case of Jane Webb,
who died at Park-place Park-road, in Clapham
parish, for the burial of whom it was stated double
tees had been paid through Maltby and Plummer,
the witnesses for the prosecution, to Dr. Vaughan,
and single fees only recorded in the entry. In cross-
examination, the charge broke down altogether, the
witness Maltby contradicting himself so grossly and
repeatedly that, without waiting for any evidence for
the defence, Mr. Justice Wightman briefly summed
up, and the jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
On Saturday, a second similar indictment, in the
case of William Raven, was preferred against Dr.
Vaughan. From the statement of Mr. Sergeant
Wilkins, who, in laying the case before the jury,
alluded to the disgraceful conduct of the witness
Maltby the day previous, it appeared that in Septem-
ber, ltis4, Mr. William Raven died of cholera at his
residence, Stockwell grove, Kennington, and his death
was properly registered. This was out of the district
of St. Matthew, Brixton, but a child of the deceased,
who had died some few weeks previously, being
buried there, it was the wish of deceased and his
relatives that he should lie there also. This fact
was made known to the Rev. Dr. Vaughan at a per-
sonal interview at the rectory at rulso hill, between
the rev. gentleman and Hayden, the undertaker.
Hayden stated in evidence that he saw Dr.
Vaughan, and told him the wish of the deceased and
his friends, in'orming h m 'bat the child had been
buried there a short time previously. Dr. Vaughan
said he could not take the burial, as it was out of the
district. Hayden again pressed it upon him, and
he said if be took it he must take double fees.
Double burial fees had been paid in the case of the
child. Hayden gave to Dr. Vaughan 21., and Dr.
Vaughan immediately went in and wrote a receipt
for 355., and gave Hayden ss. change. This receipt
he (Hayden) had umortunately lost.
The evidence of Maltby, who acknowledged having
in a previous examination made a false statement,
was then heard. Dr. Vaughan, he asserted, when
paid by Hayden, said, " If any one asks you where
the funeral comes from, or what fees were paid, tell
a lie and say Robert-street." He beard the money
chink in Dr. Vaughan's hands.
3 The Attorney-General then gave a brief outline of the
case he intended to lay before the jury, and called
his witnesses for the defence. Mary Smith, the house-
maid to Dr. Vaughan, and Miss Lydia and Miss
Decima Vaughan, were then examined. In their
evidence they unhesitatingly stated that, when Hay-
den and Maltby came to Dr. Vaughan to make ar-
rangements for the funeral of Raven, he referred
them to the churchwardens, that no conversation like
that spoken to by Hayden and Maltby took place,
that no money was given to Dr. Vaughan, and that
he did not give them a piece of paper.
Mr. Sergeant Wilkins, at this stage of the proceed-
ings, rose, and addressing the court, said that, if any
doubt had before been entertained with regard to the
sincerity of his statement in reference to the objects
of this prosecution, it would at all events be removed
by what lie was now going to state. He withdrew
from this prosecution. The evidence of the servant
and of the young ladies appeared to him to be so
overwhelming, and it was so evident that they were
speaking the truth, and they contradicted the wit-
nesses for the prosecution so distinctly, that he had
felt compelled to state the conviction that was created
in his mind to the churchwardens, and they at once
sanctioned the course he had taken. At the same
time he could not refrain from expressing his opiio9{}

165

that the churchwardens had only done their duty, in
instituting the inquiry, and that now the matter had
been set right. He would now, with his lordship's
sanction, withdraw from the prosecution, and he felt
a great deal more satisfaction at so doing than in
obtaining a verdict against truth.
_ _ _

The Attorney-General then said that it appeared
to him that the course that had been taken was
honourable to all parties.
Mr. Justice Wightman observed that it appeared
to him all along that there was this difficulty on the
part of the prosecution, that there was no proof, even
supposing Dr. Vaughan to have made the entry, that
he knew at the time that Robe:t•street was a false
address. It appeared to him that the prosecution
had been instituted under a mistaken notion on the
part of the churchwardens as to the facts.

The jury then returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
No evidence was then offered upon the third in-
dictment, and his lordship ordered Dr. Vaughan to
be immediately discharged.

THE ADJOURNED EXAMINATION OF STIIAHAN, PAM,
AND BATES took place in the Bankruptcy Court on
Tuesday, before Mr. Commissioner Evans. Sir J. D.
Paul was the principal witness examined. A ques-
tion having arisen as to whether certain securities
deposited in the bank were the property of the
assignees or of Sir John Paul and Mr. Strahan in
their capacity of trustees, under the marriage settle-
ment of Sir John's daughter with Captain Fitzgerald,
from the evidence of Sir John Paul, it appeared that
about 15,0001. were transferred to him as co-trustee
with the late Lord Alvanley. This money was lent
to the bank, and afterwards advanced on security of
four bonds in various sums to general Cavendish,
Lord Normanby, Lord Newport, and Mr. Broadwood.
As these bonds were paid off others were substituted
in their place, and the money credited to the trustees,
but applied to the uses Df the bank. In September,
1852, Lord Newport's bond was paid off and another
substituted, and transferred to the security-box of the
trustees. Some furtner evidence was given with a
view to trace the other bonds, and the sitting was
adjourned. The last examination of the bankrupts
was adjourned till a future day. A dividend of 18.9 d.
is in course of payment under the joint estate, and a
further dividend is expected to be paid in June next.
A dividend of od. in the pound is also payable under
each of the separate estates of Strahan and Paul, and
ld. under the separate estate of Bates.
THE REv. ALFRED Lusa, Curate of Greywell,
Hampshire, has been fully committed for trial at the
next assizes for a violation of the law legalising dis-
senting marriages, and for falsifying the parish
register—first on re marrying a couple who, sixteen
months previous, had been married in an Indepen-
dent chapel by publishing the banns as between
bachelor and spinster, and secondly by making an
entry of the sante. The rev. gentlemen was ad-
mitted to bail in two sureties of 1001. each.
A VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER has been returned
agains-, Mr. Beauchamp, of Chertsey, the well-knoin
cricketer, for causing the death of his wife by strikirg
her with his fist. Mr. Beauchamp was committed
for trial and removed to Horsemonger-lane Gaol.
Two ASSISTANT SURGEONS Of the 15th Regiment,
at Chatham, Mr. Augustus Turner and Mr. Henry
,Bedwell, have been convicted of manslaughter, and
committed to take their trial for causing the death
of a private by administering to him a dose of opium
instead of seuna. It appeared from the evidence
given at the coroner's inquest, on Thursday, that the
deceased was ordered a purgative by Mr. Turner,
who went into the surgery to mix the same, and by
mistake took down the bottle of tincture of opium
instead of senna, and pouring out six ounces gave it
to the orderly for two patients. In the course of the
night the deceased became very ill, and Mr. Bedwell
was sent for. Mr. Bedwell, •in his evidence, ad-
mitted that the orderly showed him the medicine
the man had taken, but witness "bad a bad cold
and could not smell it." He thought the deceased
was in a fit, and prescribed sulphuric ether. The
patient rapidly became worse, and died in the night
The evidence of other military surgeons went to prove
that if pr per precautions had been taken in time
the life of the deceased might have been saved. The
coroner summed up with great core, and, after an
absence of two hours, the jury returned a verdict of
"Manslaughter." The prisoners were at once com-
mitted to Maidstone Gaol. The second patient, to
whom a dose of opium was administered, lies in it
dangerous state.
THE INVESTIGATION into the cause of the collision
between the Josephine Willis and the Mangerton,
Limerick steamer, commenced on Thursday, at the
Town-hall, Poplar, before Mr. Yardley and Captain
Robertson, R.N. Mr. O'Dowd appeared on behalf
of the Customs, Mr. Ballantine for the London and
Limerick Company, and Mr. Parry for the owners of
the Josephine Willis. The evidence of Mr. %Wei.
Clayton, the chief mate, of the seaman Sheen, and
Mr. Ray, one of the passenger° saved, and of two et
the seamen of the Josephine Willis, was heard. pa
inquiry was continnad on Friday,,