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

WIMBLEDON PRIZE MEETING.

COURT OP DIVORCE.
(Before the Judge Ordinary, Mr. JusticelVightman,
and Mr. Baron Channell.)
STONE V. STONE AND APPLETON.
Mr. -kerslake, Q.C. (with him Mr. Spinks and
Mr. Searle) addressed the court on behalf of the
:ule nisi for a new trial which had been obtained
for Mrs. Stone. The learned counsel dwelt with
great emphasis on the injustice which had been
done hia client by the involuntary mixing up of her
case with that of Mr. Appleton, who had been
treated as if he had confessed to adultery, although
there was no reason to think that he was not even
aware of the suit. He also showed that no particle
of evidence which was in the least degree credible
was inconsistent with the hypothesis of perfect in-
nocence ; and he trusted, therefore, that the court,
considering the very peculiar circumstances and the
magnitude of the interests involved, would think it
right to submit the question to another jury.
Dr. Spinks and Mr. Searle followed on the same
side.

The court took time to consider, and intimated
chat they would not be able to give their judgment
till after the circuit.

(Before the Judge Ordinary.)
BREMNER V. BREMNER AND BRETT.
Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., and Dr. Spinks for the pe-
titioner ; Mr. Karslake, Q.C., and Mr. Harrison for
the respondent.

This case was partly heard on Saturday last ; and
to-day Elizabeth Pye, the sister of the respondent,
was called to prove an allegati6n of cruel►y. An-
other witness, since married, admitted that Bremner
had had an improper intimacy with her. She said
that she was not a prostitute, but that she had a
tew friends who used to visit her. Some other
women gave evidence of a similar character.
The case was strain adjourned.

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--- ---
The crisis which had been impending at Wimble-
don for the previous two days in reference to the
marking on the Swiss principle took place yester-
day. The military authorities on the ground de-
clined any longer to expose the troops to what they
considered the dangers of the system. But, as there
was something remarkable both in the mode of
communicating this decision and in the spirit wish
which the announcement was met by the Council
and the Volunteers, a slight retrosr.et is necessary
to convey a clear idea of the proceeding. On Wed-
nesday evening matters were in this position—re-
peated accidents having occurred to the markers,
application was made to the Commander-in-Chief,
who heard all that the Council had to suggest in the
way of additional precautions, and finally declared
that, if neat morning, on viewing the alterations
which were proposed, Gen. Hay and Col. Steele, of
the Coldstream Guards, were of opinion that the
shooting might safely proceed, the Swiss principle
of marking should be adhered to; but if their deci-
sion was adverse to that method the old flag-system
should at once be employed. At half-past 7on
Wednesday night the only arrangements in exist-
ence were those made previous to the meeting for
marking on the Swiss principle. By half-past 9
o'clock next morning, if faith were to be kept with
the Volunteers, it was necessary that the Council
should be in a position to act on either alternative,
according to the decision of the military authorities.
The business of a week had to be compressed into a
single night, a second range of markers' butts
suited for flag marking to be erected, and the
sets of flags, forming an indispensable portion
of their furniture, to be procured from town. Ob-
viously, there could be little rest for the execu-
tive that night. Lord Elcho, Captain Drake, ILE.,
Captain Wigram, of the Coldstream Guards, and
Captain Page literally spent the intervening hours
on foot or in the saddle, while fatigue parties of
soldiers and civilians worked till 10 p.m., and began
again with the first light at 2.30 a.m. Captain
Drake, in addition to his exertions at this point, had
undertaken some evenings before to give a reading
of " Mr. Bob Sawyer's Party" in the Club-room, at
9 o'clock. If this were postponed the camp at large
would suspect the existence of some grievous hitch,
and the success, or, at all events, the enjoyment of
the meeting of 1863 would be endangered. Accord-
ingly this able and versatile commander fulfilled hip
promise to the volunteers, and when he once more
returned to work no one could have guessed that
his own thoughts were less pleasantly engaged than
theirs had been in listening to him. Morning
dawned, and, after the most strenuous and unre-
mitting exertions, the Council, at half-past 9
o'clock, were in a position to say to the military
authorities, "We await your decision." This Gen.
Hay was not prepared to give, as Colonel Steele
was unfortunately detained in town, and did not
reach Wimbledon till past 11 o'clock. In the mean-
time, of course, the arrangements with the firing
parties were getting behind-hand, so it was agreed,
pending Colonel Steele's arrival, the marking at
those ranges where the greatest pressure was felt
should be on the old flag system. When the corn-
naanding officer of the Guards ultimately arrived he
was taken, with General Hay, to view the changes
which had been made, and which, with the rules
to be insisted upon at the firing points, the Council
hoped would prevent the recurrence of accidents.
The boards which were erected at some distance in
front of each firing point to prevent the marksman
from seeing any target but the one he ought to
aim at were pointed out; the rule by which volun-
teers would be prevented from getting into position
before the danger signal had been taken down was
discussed; and, finally, the butts, in each of which
there was only to be one marker at a time, were
visited. The following special order had been
widely circulated:—
" Several accidents having occurred to markers, the fol.
lowing regulations will be most strictly enforced :
" 1. No person will take up his position to fire at any
target until the Register-keeper gives the word ' Ready,'
and names the target at which he is to fire.
"2. The person about to fire will take care that he fires
between the boards, which are numbered the same as the
target at which he is ordered to fire.
"3. Any competitor firing at or hitting the wrong target,
or infringing these rules, will be excluded from all further
competition throughout the meeting. "By order,
S. FLOOD PAGE.
"N.B.—The Council earnestly appeal to every competitor
to assist them in giving effect to the above necessary rules."
General Hay and Colonel Steele admitted that in
their opinion no more effective precautions could be
taken than those which had been devised, and that,
if the instructions were only adhered to at both
ends of the range, all danger of accident ought to
be at an end. Later in the day they seem to have
been under the impression that a qualified consent
only was given by them to the Swiss system of
marking ; but at the time the impression conveyed
to the Council certainly was that these officers
sanctioned the measures adopted during the night,
and that the shooting was to proceed as usual. In
that belief Lord Elcho quitted General Hay and
Colonel Steele, and, telling the Guardsmen that he
would not ask any man to undertake a duty from the
discharge of which ho himself shrank, went into one
of the butts, and remained there for upwards of an
hour. In the meantime, General Hay and Colonel
Steele arrived at the conclusion that, although acci-
dents ought not to happen, it was still possible that
they ?night happen ; and the British officers' bug-
bear "responsibility" having been placed on their
shoulders by the Commander-in-Chief they deter-
mined to get rid of it as soon as possible. They
accordingly drew up and signed the following do-
cument, which was duly forwarded to the Execu-
tive of the National Rifle Association :
" Wimbledon.common, July 9.
"Having most carefully considered the question of the
present system of disc marking, and feeling the very grave
responsibility a continuance of that system entails on us,
we are compelled with much regret to decline to accept such
responsibility beyond this day's shooting.
"CHARLES HAY, Major-General.
"THOS. STEELE, Colonel, Coldstream Guards.
" The Executive of the National Rifle Association."
Manifestly, such an announcement was as un-
pleasant as it was unexpected. The Council having,
at great labour and expense, placed themselves in a
pesition to adopt either system of marking which
the military authorities might select had a right to
expect that one or other would be chosen. The
sanctioning, for a single day, of a system of mark-
ing which at the same time they condemned was
not only inconsistent, hut mischievous, as regards
the conditions of the contest. General Hay and
Colonel Steele said, and, no doubt, intended, that in
the partial sanction given to the disc system the
convenience of the Council should be consulted. illse
much as possible. But the fundamental prinethpat
of the competition for the Queen's prize being
Volunteers shall shoot, as far as possible,
°nfie 'isc
when it was i
of equality, it follows that to
continuceontlempuiti_
system for a whole day
durning
tho rest
lion to return to the flag-rn
asking
wiest inequality
of the meeting must create theLo
When
Lord
Dello was ap
between competitors. taken he lost no
d of the step which bad been
prise Volunteers—it was then
time in assembling the
laine d to them the position
about lunch hour—and exp
whether it was their wish
of affairs. Ile then ~eked
s_
.)e
continued
voicethat the disc system
With one
or be ab-.ndonefi.
the old nag system, and intimated
to b© preferable to
rate
" n any meas • ures which
their willingness to co-ope
would insure its continuance. Lord Elcho said
there was only one way in which this could be done,
and that was by volunteering to go into the butte
themselves till arrangements could be entered • into
for supplying the places of the Guards.
If others
were wit ling to follow them, members of the Council
would set the example. The effect of this address
was such that in a few moments names more than
sufficient to supply ail the vacant places, not only
during the day but throughout the best part of the
meeting, were given in, the members of the Victoria