The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-22 00:00:00

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.-(THIS DAY.)

Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque was the commissioner
of the day, but there was nothing doing this morning
of the slightest interest.

SECONDARIES' COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

(Before J. K. Potter, Esq.)
PALZSCHKE V. VIZETELLY.
CHRISTMAS AMUSEMENTS OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION,
OR THE GAME OF CROSS PURPOSES.—This was an action
on A' bill of exchange, and defendant pleaded non-
acceptance.

Tile plaintiff's attorney put in the bill, and said that
to prove the handwriting he must call the defendant's
solicitor. Defendant's solicitor was called, but knew
nothing of the handwriting, even as to " belief." The
learned secondary having observed that as to handwriting
it was not necessary to speak positively, the clerk was
called, and had " no knowledge," or " belief."
Plaintiff's attorney said it was hard• upon him ; he
had subpoenaed the defendant and all his people to prove
the handwriting, but none of them appeared.
The Secondary—Then the case falls for want of proof.
Plaintiffs attorney—Then my remedy is to call all
the witnesses on the subpoena. This was done.
Plaintiff's attorney said he was somewhat non-plussed,
but not non-suited.
At this moment a gentleman appeared in breathless
haste to say that all the witnesses were drinking wine,
and making jolly at the Guildhall, and wouldn't come if
they could, and couldn't come if they would.
The learned Secondary censured any system to keep
witnesses away.
A witness was at length obtained to prove the hand-
writing.
Defendant's attorney then insisted on the plaintiff to
prove his own identity and domicile, to save costs.
Plaintiff did not appear, and he also was called on his
subpoena in the usual form.
The verdict was entered for plaintiff, all points re-
served for the superior court.

MELANCHOLY LOSS OF LIFE NEAR WlNDSOR.—Yes-
terday afternoon, an inquest was held at the Bells of Ouse-
ley, Old Windsor, before Rupert Clarke, Esq., coroner, on
the bodies of John Tarrant, aged 21, and Henry Tarrant,
aged 28, who wore accidentally drowned, under verymelan-
choly circumstances, during the late, or, more properly
speaking, at the commencement of the present floods. So
long ago as the 23d ult., the deceased, who were own
cousins, and the sons of respectable farmers, residing in the
parish of Datchet, started down the Thames, towards Old
Windsor, in a punt, for the purpose of having a shot at the
numerous flocks of wild fowl then hovering about. A
neighbour who had proceeded with them was landed on a
piece of elevated land, in the hope of intercepting a large
flock of plovers in their flight, but had not fired a shot be-
fore he turned round, and to his horror and dismay found
that the boat and his companions had been swallowed up
by the turbulent stream. The boat was found entangled in
some brushwood near Runnymede, next day, but the utmost
efforts of the Windsor and Eton Humane Society's men
failed to discover their bodies, and after three or four
days, the search was discontinued. On Saturday last, by
a singular coincidence, the body of John Tarrant was first
descried by John Haynes, the brother of the boy who lost
his life on the 24th ult., near the same spot, while assisting
Mr. Man-, the surveyor of taxes, in his endeavour to reach
the Berkshire side of the river from Mania-Charts Island.
John Haynes, who has succeeded his deceased brother in
the service of Mr. Man-' was assisting that gentleman to
cross from the island to Runnymede on Saturday, and,
very naturally, mistaking the corpse for that of his lost re-
lative, became so extremely terrified that it was with diffi-
culty Mr. Man. kept him in the punt. Assistance being
procured, the body was removed to the public-house, and
identified as that of John Tarrant. The parish constable
communicated with the coroner, and the inquest was fixed
for yesterday, when, within an hour of the assembling of
the jury, the body of Henry Tarrant was discovered floating
down the river, about 200 yards from the spot where the
accident occurred. An inquest was consequently taken o n
both bodies, and the preceding facts having been proved in
evidence, a verdict of " Accidentally drowned" was re-
turned in each case. The body of the boy Haynes has not
yet been recovered.
ALARMING FIRE AT CAMBERWELL.—Last night, about
nine o'clock, a fire, attended with a destruction of property valued at several hundred pounds, broke out in the exten-
sive premises belonging to Mr. R. Smith, linendraper and
silk-mercer, carrying on business at Camberwell-grove.
The front of the warehouse was all but destroyed, and it is
computed that upwards of 5001. worth of the stock in trade
was consumed. The sufferer, it is understood, was insured
in the Sun Fire-office.