The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-10 00:00:00

TELLERS.

LAW INTELLIGENCE,--;July 9,

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.
ANECOMBE V. BONISSON.-LIFE IN THE KITCHEN.
This was an action for assault. The defendant
pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Henry James and Mr. Matthews were coun-
sel for the plaintiff; and Mr. Murphy for the de-
fendant.

The plaintiff, Matilda Anscomb, was a young
woman who formerly held the position of head kit-
chen maid at the Great Western Hotel, Paddington,
and the defendant, Alnaud Bonisson, the chiet
cook at the same establishment.

Mr. Henry James, in his opening statement, said
that the defendant, who engaged all the servants
employed in the kitchen of the hotel, had succeeded
in seducing the plaintiff under a promise of mar-
riage, and after the connexion had gone on for some
timt she urged him to fulfil his promise, when, to
her astonishment, she found that he had married
another person. Having been thus betrayed she
insisted upon breaking off the intimacy, but this
greatly exasperated him, and from that time he
practised towards her a system of cruelty which ul-
timately compelled her to leave the hotel. The
plaintiff brought an action for breach of promise of
marriage and assault, but the learned judge before
whom it came held that it must be divided into two
actions, which should be tried separately, On the
trial of the action for the breach of promise the
plaintiff could not be called as a witness, and the
only other evidence she was able to give being that
of a foreigner the learned judge held that there was
no case, and directed a nonsuit. The learned counsel
added that the action for the assault now came on

for trial, and he had no doubt that after they had
heard the evidence they would be of opinion that
the plaintiff was entitled to substantial damages.
Matilda Anscombe, the plaintiff, said that in
March, 1861, she was employed by the defendant
as head kitchen maid at the Great Western Hotel.
Afterwards they became engaged to be married,
and the defendant then seduced her. In August
last she first discovered that he was married, and
she then broke off all intimacy with him. On
the 20th of August she was speaking to Hardy,
the second cook, when the defendant passed
by on his way to the larder. Oa his return he
abused her in the most violent manner and spat in
her face. He then three a kitchen knife at her, but
it only just touched her shoulder. On another
occasion he said he would kill her, if he were hung
at Newgate for it. He was constantly using bad
language to her. At another titre, when she was
in conversation with Hardy, he told her he would
smash her face if he had to pa 3 £2OO for it. On
the 29th August he struck her a violent blow in the
face, and threatened he would kill her. On other
occasions a bottle and a silver entree dish were
aimed at her. He threatened to kill her if she
spoke to Hardy again, and once or twice
she was frigtened for her life, and ran into the
street or upstairs. The effect of one of his blows
remained on her forehead for a fortnight. In con-
sequence of this treatment she gave notice on the
2d of November to leave in a month, but at his re-
quest she remained a month longer. During that
time his violent conduct continued, threatening to
stab her and break her head, and throwing dishes
and various other missiles at her. She left the
hotel in January last.
Cross-examined—l remained after the expiration
of the month's notice, because he prevailed upon
me to do so. I never made any complaint to Mr.
Higgs, the manager of the hotel, because I was
afraid of my life. The defendant is still head cook
at the hotel. I did not consult a docter about the
blow I received on the forehead, but I was con-
fined to bed three or four days. I was engaged to
be married to Hardy, but through the defendant's
behaviour lof course lost it. (Laughter.) He told
Hardy what happened between him and me, and
said to him, "If you marry her you must take the
consequence of her having a child."
Themes Johnsen, who had been employed at the
hotel, deposed to hearing defendant use filthy lan-
guage to the plaintiff, and seeing him throw things
at her.
Edwardy Hardy, the second cook, was called,
but did not appear. He was then called in the
customary form on his subpoena.
This was the case for the plaintiff.
Mr. Murphy then addressed the jury on the part
of the defendant. He commented on the improba-
bility of the defendant's story uncorroborated as it
was by any other testimony than of cue witness,
although the alleged cruelty and assaults must have
been seen by all the persons employed in the kitchen,
and characterised the action as one simply of extor-
tion. The defendant, who was a foreigner, having
last year got married and settled, and wishing to
brow Si veil over his bachelor life, the plaintiff or
her advisers no doubt thought that if she brought
this action against him he would rather settle the
matter than brave an exposure is court, and run the
risk probably of losing his situation.
Alnaud Bonisson, :he defendant, was then exa-
mined. He desired to he examined through an in-
terpreter, but there not being one present. he gave
his evidence in very intelligible English. He denied
in toto that he ever struck or beat the plaintiff, or
threw anything at her, or threatened to take her
life. He said he was married on April 28, 1862,
and that before he went to the Great Western
Hotel he had been in the service of the Duke of
Sutherland end the Marquis of Londonderry.
Cruse-examined—lc is true that I was intimate
with the plaintiff, but 1 cannot say when was the
last time. I never promised her marriage. I wee
married at St. George's, Hanover-equare. No
of e
from the hotel went with us to the church, nor did
I tell any one when I returned that I was now a
happy man. That was my buteness ; but the mar-
riage was soon known to every one. (Laughter.)
I did not put my marriage in the newspapers, nor
send round any cards. (Laughter.) We had no
marriage breakfast at the hotel, but we breakfasted
at my lodgings in Portchester-place. I did not ill-
u sethe plaintiff after she refused to renew the
intimacy.
Eliza Day, the fish maid at the hotel, was called
to prove that the defendant used no violence to the
plaintiff. She admitted that once, when the defen-
dant was in a passion with everybody in the
kitchen, ho threw a Silver entree dish at the charcoal
stove, but denied that ho aimed it at the plaintiff.
John Parkes, who was employed at the roast,
gave similar testimony.
Mr. Henry James said the witness Hardy had
arrived, and he applied to have him examined.
The Lord Chief Baron said as the plain.iff 's case
was closed he could not allow his evidence to he
taken.
The learned counsel having addressed the jury on
behalf of their respective clients,
The learned judge summed np, and the jury found
a verdict for the plaintiff--damages, 40s.

Rifles taking the lead, as usual. This was precisel_
one of those cases in which British spirit, when ap-
pealed to, acts irresistiblyt in surmounting difficul-
.ties. The arrangeumtteenrls, asy
far as paid markers were
concerned, had
volunteering in their broken down ; any one
was entering on a serPvice acemomf apsrteysh•eadvedia.enitgtehra, that he
efficacy of the safeguards osytet. recently devised
having 'still to be established.
retetnbemairt.tines.
after the case had been fairly' put b•efloi
bly the difficulty was removed as completely
it had never existed ; for if by any nit2tunsr if
rary collapx could he avoided the Association flair-
ew bouts' notice might command tiny number oaf
markers they required. It is only fair to the Cold-
stream Guards 'to say that they never shrank from
the fulfilment of the task intrusted to them. If,
instead of IA wounds, their comrades had uns-
tained mortal injuries in the butts, they would, ap-
parently, have taken their places with equal sang
frond to the last man. When Col. Steele assembled
the men and questioned them yesterday, the only
suggestion offered by one of the Guards was,
that " perhaps if his comrade were up at the
firing point instead of the Hythe sergeant, things
might go on more ship-shape." They all admitted
that with only one man in each butt, and with
regularity enforced at the other end of the range,
he system of marking was unobjectionable. A
commanding officer, however, is bound to look to
the safety of his men, or they will no long- t
the same confidence in his orders ; ar.d --
Steele may very well be pardoned for thinking that
seven or eight "splashes" in the course of two days
was rather an undue percentage to fall to the lot of
his regiment. The volunteers meanwhile exhibited a
spirit no less praiseworthy. Under the leadership of
Lord Elcho and Lord Dacie, the men who had
volunteered for that special service marched off to
the butts, rejoicing in the belief that they would
be able to accomplish successfully what on the
previous days had been largely tinctured with
failure. They continued cheerfully at their work
throughout the afternoon, and no casualty whatever
was reported. This gratifying result was due in
part, no doubt, to the improved arrangements intro-
duced by the Council, but likewise in no small de-
gree to the superior intelligence of the Volunteers
themselves. They were moreover encouraged by
seeing the heads of the Association give the most
convincing proofs of their own faith in the system.
At one time, when railway collisions were of fre-
quent occurrence, it was jocularly suggested that
public confidence could only be restored by the pre-
sence in each train of a director of the line. Here
was an instance in which noble lords, members of
the Council, voluntarily assumed analogous func-
tions, and slaved for hours at marker's duty into the
bargain.
The following were the highest scores made at the
500 yards range in the competition for the Queen's
Prize :
Corporal Hooper, 22d Middlesex (Queen's) .. 17
Lieut. D. Bevan, 17th Glamorganshire .. 16
Private Rhead, 3d Gloster • . 17
Quartermaster Serjeant Turner, Bth Gloster 16
Private Walters, Ist Edinburgh .. .. 16
Lieutenant Toogood, 25th Devon .. 16
Lieutenant Yates, 2d Lancashire • • 16
Private Richardson, sth Lincoln • . .. 16
Private Redfern, 4th Lanark .. .• .. 16
Private Fidler, sth Isle of Wight • • 16
Corporal Wells, 3d Herts .• 16
Major Sir G. Douglas, 3d Roxburgh.. ..
16
Private Richardson, 10th Norfolk .. 16
16
Private Coles, Ist Notts
Private Noddall, Ist Notts . • .. 17
Lieutenant Watson, Ist Newcastle .. 19
Sergeant Dowe, 6th North York .. .. 16
Ensign Wynn, 12th North York .. .. 16
Corporal Rees, Ist East York.. • • .. 19
Sergeant Butler, Ist Wilts .. 18
Colour Sergeant Cook, 4ta Warwick.. .. 17
Corporal Taylor, 17th Somerset • . .. 16
Sergeant Chase, 4th Suffolk .. . • .. 17
Sergeant O'Reilly, sth Wilts .. • • .. 17
Private Phillips, Ist Shropshire .. 17
Sergeant Allen, 25th Somerset.. .. .. 17
Private Hodson, Sth Cambridge 16
Corporal Rudd, Ist Cumberland 16
Corporal Henderson, Cornwall .. 16
Sergeant Maddock, 14th Cheshire .. 16
Private Rowe, sth Dorset •.• •.. 17
Sergeant Reed, 36th Middlesex .. 16
Corporal Gould, 37th Middlesex .. 16
16
Sergeant White, 39th Middlesex
Private "%Venison, Ist City of London .. 16
Private Birkley, 2d Tosser Hamlets .. 16
Corporal Sharp,, 4.. d
Kent .. 16
..
Sergeant Noakes, 42d Kent 16
Sergeant Brook, 12th Middlesex
. .. 16
Captain Dear, 9th Middlesex 16
..
Lieutenant Marrnier, 9th Middlesex .. .. 16
Private Smith, 9th Middlesex— .. 16
Private Rowe, 11th St. George's 16
Sergeant Millard, 11th St. George's .. 16
Sergeant Garnett, 20th Middlesex 16
Lieutenantr Shipway, 22d Middlesex (Queen's) 17
In the first stage of the House of Lords Prize
some good scores were made at the 500 yards range,
of which the following ranked highest :
Captain Goodliffe, 11th Herts .. 23
Sergeant Instructor Smith, 3d Surrey .. 21
Sergeant Bruce, sth Warwick .. 21
Colour Sergeant Chipperfield, 2d Norfolk .. 21
Sergeant White, 10th Wilts .. 22
Private Hitchcock, 7th Wilts .. 22
2cl Northumberland .. 22
Corporal White,
Sergeant Palmer, 36th Stafford .. .. 21
Private Child, 4th Shropshire .. 22
Sergeant Maddock, 14th Cheshire 21
Private Wisker, 2d Essex .. 21
Private G. Miller, Ist Bristol .• 22
Private Tothill, Ist Bristol ..• •.. 23
Gunner Hyde, Ist Bristol Artillery .. 22
Lieut. Pollard, 13th Cornwall•• 21
21
Private Skelton, 2d Hants .• • • ••
22
Sergeant Inman, Ist Lancashire .. ••
21
Private Davis, Ist Lancashire • • 21
Private Brown, Ist Exeter .• ..
23
Corporal Humphrey, 9th Surrey •. • • 22
Private Sladden, 24th Kent .. • •
24
Corporal Wells, 3d Herts .• ••• 034
other
Private Morris, Ist Hants • • .• •
Prizes shot for
The highest scores for the
were as follows
ALL COMERS—SmaII Bore-600 yards.. .
23
••
Private Simons, 24 Middlesex 24
Captain Scrope, 4th N. York
Private Leete,•Queen's Westunaster • • .. 23
22
Count de Gendre, Swiss
Captain Oxley, 19th Middlesex 2226
Captain Heaton, 3d Mane t
Private Doe, Victories .
.r.; • • • • 23
Len • ' •
Ensign Brazil', • 24
61st
Lord AVharaclitto . •
0 n;-1-200.. ••
22
ENFIELD—
..
Private Garland, 24 Dorse
27th .."(1
.•
23
• • 23
Private Theakston, West York
2r6i
tho Ke
Riflesn 23
SO O.
Private Aninndtreor
13,
Private 25
Private Bidder, Inns of Court
" .0 21
Private Miller, Ist Bristol
es • • • • 21
Lieut. Pollard, 13th Cornwall
• • 23
Sergeant Marriott, 4th West York
23
private Dawson, 4th West York
Sergeant Lunnon, Ist Bucks • • 26
Durham
ENFIELD—ALL COMER • • .. 24
Private Clemitson, 14th DurhB—
Pane, Oxford
•• 22
Lieutenant Burt, Ist Warwick.•
Lieutenant Por-h2223
her, 11th Surrey 29
ALL COMERS—SmaII Bore-20.0.Yard•al
Lieutenant Brougham, 13th Stafford .. 24
Lieutenant Hitchcock,Fienith Wilts .. .. 23
'Major Boothby,.. 23
Ensigh Anstie, sth Wilts Artillery
•• •
•
Lieut.-Colonel Belford, Ist Leicester :: 2933
ALL COMERS-500 Yards.
J. 11. Mitchell, 2d Essex 25
C. Potter, Queen's Westminster .. .. '24
Laid Wharacliffe, 2d West York 24
Quartermaster Serj. Potter, Sch. of Musket' y 24
Lord Iladdo, 24 Aberdeen .. .. 24
Lieutenant Thompson, 3d Durham .. 25
FIRST SERIES EXTRA PRIZES-800 Yards
Ensign White, 25th West York
Hoare, Volunteer ..
T. Turner, ditto
A. Mitchell, Ist Clackmannan..
J. Doe, Victoria Rifles
G. Gibbs, Bristol • • • •
SECOND SEIIIES-600 Yards.
Captain Dunne, 7th Kent ..
•• 18
Private Horner • • •• ••
Through an error in the statistical department

23
24
.. .. .. 24

••
••

•• • •

THE NAVY.
Major-Gen. Lord W. Paulet, C. 8., and Vice-Ad-
miral Sir Michael Seymour, G.C.8., the military
and naval commanders-in-chief a t Portsmouth, pro-
ended to Osborne in the Fire Queen steam yacht
yesterday, returning again to Portsmouth in the
Fire Queen at the conclusion of their visit to her

Majesty.
Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, G.C.8., is-
sued cards of invitation to a dinner at the Admiralty-
house, Portsmouth Dockyard, last evening, to meet
Capt. Luce and the officers of the United States
training frigate Macedonian, prior to the frigate
'caving Spithead. She is expected to s:zit this
morning. for Cherbourg, 13rest, Cadiz, and Oih!nitar,

and finally for the United States about the colt-

wunccruent of OctubtT.

The Warrior, iron higate, C3pt. the Hen. A. A.
Cochrane, C. 8., steamed out of Portvmouth ilsrbour

Yesterday, at 5.30 p.m., and joined the Channel
fleet at Spithead anchorage.
Signal was made yesterday to the L
Cl-nuue 1 fleet
to prepare to leave Spithead this morning' for the
I)owns and the North Sea. l
have been provisioned and cruise,ee'ahleedwfhoorletboefitrheshs
oafndthite isd demand
amvaeirlyd
beingcred mitabalede f
on
and t that from the time
the Royal Clarence
yard for the fleet's provisions a
in 12 hours ell the supplies were medicalcomforts,
alongside
spective ships. One of the items conssted otfhl7,lroeo-
bags of biscuit, and beef, pork, and other articles
were in proportion.
A good deal of anxiety is being manifested by
'',e officials to cotn?lete the Royal Sovereign at
Drismouth by the time which I,'s been officially.
named, September, if possible, and the hands em-
ployed on her are being increased in number with
this object. An immense amount of work, how-
ever, yet remains to be done, and it may safely
be stated that the ship will not be complete, 1.e.,
armed, stored, and ready for active service before the
end of November or the beginning of December.
On Tuesday George Hinckley, quarter-master of
her Majesty's sloop Sphynx, at Plymouth, was pre-
sented by Port Admiral Sir H. Stewart, en Mount
Wise, with the Victoria cross, in presence of the
Mayor of Plymouth, the Commander-in-Chief of the
Forces, all the seamen off duty from the ships of
war in port, and a large concourse of spectators.
The cross is accompanied by a pension of £lO a
year, increasing £5 annually for every good conduct
bar obtained subsequently. Hinckley won the
honour on the 9th Oct., 1862, during the attack
upon the city of Fungwha, in China, where, under
a heavy fire, ha succeeded in rescuing two wounded
officers and carrying them to a place of safety.
The Spanish war steamer Concepcion, from
Southampton, arrived yesterday morning at Ply-
mouth, where she will embark his Royal Highness
the Duke de Montpensier and suite probably to-
morrow, and then sail for Spain.
The new iron-clad frigate Prince Consort, 35, in
Keyham basin, Devonport, is rigged, and will be
ready for the first division of the steam reserve early
in August. On Wednesday she was placed in No.
1 dock to have her bottom examined and cleaned.
The crew of the paddle-wheel steam sloop Sphynx,
at Devonport, were paid off yesterday (Thursday).
The sloop will be dismantled and placed at moorings
with the third division of the steam reserve.
The Salamander, 6, paddle-wheel sloop, 818 tons.
200 horse power, chief engineer Bey. Barker, hav-
ing undergone thorough and extensive repairs, and
been supplied with new boilers at Deptford, is being
fitted in the large basin at Sheerness dockyard for
the first division of the Steam Reserve at this place.
The Radamanthus, paddle-wheel store ship, 813
tons, 220 horse-power, has been taken into the large
basin at Sheerness dockyard to be fitted with new
boilers and receive a general overhauling.
The Wye, iron screw store ship, 700 tuns, 100
horse-power, Master-commanding Valentine G.
Roberts, having undergone extensive repairs at
Sheerness, will be taken out of the basin to-morrow,
and will proceed at once to resume her ditties.
The Scylla, 21, screw steam corvette, 1,467 tons,
400 horse-power, chief engineer James Gillies, is
being thoroughly repaired in No. 1 dock, Sheer-
ness-yard, and will shortly be taken to her moor-
ings in the harbour, fitted for the first division of
the Sheerness Steam Reserve.
The following appointments were made at the Admiralty
yesterday afternoon :
Mr. Walter Hailstone and Mr. C. E. IV. 11. Hutton,
midshipmen, to the Warrior.
Mr. C. W. Dickinson and Mr. Francis S. Knowles,
naval cadets, to the Warrior.
Mr John Giles and Mr H. B. Beresford, midshipmen, to

the Resistance.
Lord Lewis Gordon and Mr. 11. J. Knight, naval cadets,
to the Resistance.
Mr. IL Francis E. Haigh, midshipman, to the Liver-

pool.
Thomas C. Heathcote, Clement Royds, and William A.
001.
Beccies, Naval Cadets, to the Liverp
G. T. Temple, Midshipman, to the Defend .
Horace H.
Alexander W. Ogilvy, J. S. Hammet,
Barnard, Naval Cadets, to the Defencehe Royal Oak.
.
Julian A. Barker, Midshipman, to t
Frederick S. Polly, Edward J. Bawtree, and Frederick
Maitland, Naval Cadets, to the Royal Oak.
R. F. Hoskyn, midshipman, to the Emerald.
Reginald 0.13. Carey, and K. 1). B. Bruce, naval cadets,
to the Emerald.
Pierre G. Evans, midshipman, to the Black Prince.
eane,
Edward Goldney, Archibald li.llarence, and j
naval cadets, to the Black Prince.
Mr. James Erskine Russell, nominated to a naval
cadetship.

Brutal and Fatal Fight at Hammersmith,

A protracted investigation was held late on
Wednesday night by Mr. J. Bird, one of the Mid-
dlesex coroners, at the Traveller's lt2st Tavern,
starch-green, Hammersmith, respecting the death
of Richard Philip Collins, aged 36, who was killed
under circumstances of great brutality.
Mr. George Lewis, jun., represented Joseph
West, who was charged with the manslaughter of
the deceased.

Joseph Dorsett, 8, Paradise-row, said that on the
evening of June 6 the deceased and a man named
West were in the Seven Stars public-house, New-
road, Hammersmith. Deceased was tipsy, and
West only partially so. West threw down a sove-
reign and said, " I will fight you now." Deceased
said he would fight if any one would back
him up. John Simpson, a brickmaker, said
that he would do SO. A man named Newell stopped
the fight at that moment, but when he left for a few
minutes they pulled off their coats and fought out-
side the house. West knocked deceased down nearly
every time, and fell on and over him. Simpson
picked West up, although he had promised to pick
up deceased. Before the last round deceased said
he would give in, but West knocked him down.
After that they both went into the house. West
then wanted to renew the fight, but deceased re-
fused.
By the Jury—West deliberately went up to de-
ceasedhe and knocked him down after be said
would give in. The man Newell picked up de-

ceased.
Maria Collins, 3, Albert-place, Starch-green, said
that deceased was a brickmaker. Ho worked until
lately for West, but had left him and went to work
for Messrs. Bird. West was angry at that. lie
was dreadfully injured when he returned home
after the fight. He had four wounds on the-head.
A doctor was sent for, but he never rallied, and
died on the following Tuesday.
1)r. P. H. Tomlinson sail there were open wounds
on deceased's head, resniting from blows. Fr:in'
the appearance presented he was of opon that
something hard was in the band when th!, blow
was inflicted. The post mortent erant:nation
showed death to have resulted from abscess on the
brain from the blows.
The Coroner then summed up, and the jury,
manslaughter against Jose
after a brief deliberationi3hrwrctuersutste,
slaying Richard P. Collins.
The Coroner then made out
rs
trial
at of West to Newgate,hi
at the Central Criminal r:ourt• owaf oaararwrkavain:i ltrtidhnfio:e t and