The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-17 00:00:00

THE GREAT EASTERN.

LIVERPOOL ASSIZES, AUGUST 16.
CIVIL SIDE,
(Before Mr Baron Pigott.)
RAE V. CUNARD AND ANOTIVR,
In this case the plaintiff was Mr John Rae, and the de.
fendants Mr Joseph Cunard and Mr James Archiba Id Kerr
Wilson, and the action was brought to recover compe;ai ation
from the auctioneers engaged in the sale by auction c f the
Great Eastern for not having handed her over ro the plain-
tiff, who claimed to have made the highest bid, and to, have
complied with all the conditions of the sale.
air James, Q.C., stated the case for the plaintiff, from
which it appeared that on Feb. 17 last the Great E. tstern
was put up to auction by Mr Cunard, who performe 3 the
office of auctioneer, Mr Wilson assisting him, and it I'Deing
a sale without reserve as announced, the defendant e tated
that he was ready to receive any bid that might be !Dade.
He waited some time, and at last a bid was made of £20,000.
A bid then came from the further end of the room of £25,030.
"Name" was called out, and the gentlerean'a name was
announced as Mr John Rae, who had been for upwards of
40 years a shipowner in Liverpool, and was extremely well
known. There was E pause, and some conversation seemed
to take place between Mr Cunard, Mr Viilson, and Mr Gill,
an attorney. After another pause Mr Wilson proceeded to
Mr Rae and said "Are you prepared to pay the deposit ?"
Mr Rae replied "Why, one has not always money to this
large extent in one's pocket. Knock the vessel down to me
and I will provide the money forthwith." Mr Wilson went
away, and there was some further parley between the gen-
tlemen there, when Mr Cunard put up the vessel at the
former bid of £20,000. Then there was a bid of 20,000
guineas, and at last £25,000 was bid again, and after dwel-
ling for some time it was demanded who was the purchaser,
when a Mr Yates was announced to be the bidder, and to
him the vessel was knocked down on behalf of the New Great
Eastern Steam Ship Company (Limited), Mr Rae there-
upon stepped up and said, "I am the bidder of £25,000,
and I demand to have the ship." But Mr Cunard replied,
" I have knocked it down to Mr Yates, or to the new com-
pany ; it is not yours.' _ .

These were the main facts of the case for the plaintiff;
and evidence having been heard in their support,
Mr Brett. for the defence, denied that there was a bona
fide bid for the ship by the plaintiff, and that he was in a
condition to have paid either the deposit or purchase money.
He Wade a bid which he knew could not be accepted, and
after it was found that the vessel had gone at a low price,
other people sought in his name to get possession of the
ship.

His Lordship, in summing up, put the questions—Did
the plaintiff bid as an intending purchaser ; did he intend
to stand by his bid; did he give it in good faith; was the
authority to sell revoked by Mr Gill, solicitor to the trustees,
before the purchase was declared; was the plaintiff ready
to pay the deposit either within the room or in a reasonable
time at the Bank, supposing he had satisfied the auctioneers
in the room of his intention and ability to do so. Thor.
there was the question of damages, and they should reply
to these questions.
The jury retired to consider their verdict, and after six
hours' consultation returned a verdict for the plaintiff—
damages 40s.

The Judge ruled that, upon the jury's reading of the con-
ditions, the sale money should have been paid in the room.
He therefore entered the verdict for the defendants, with
leave to the plaintiff to move for a new trial.

The Wife Murder at Sheffield.

LEEDS TOWN HILL.
(Before Mr Justice Keating.)

Yesterday Joseph Myers, table-knife grinder, was placed
at the bar charged with the murder of his wife, Nancy
Myers. He was evidently very weak, breathed heavily, and
suffered from a slight cough. In a weak voice he pleaded
not guilty to the indictment,
Mr Blackburn stated the case. The prisoner had been
married for some years to Nancy Myers, and they lived
together at Sheffield. He was about 43 years of age, and
at the time of her death the deceased was about 44. They
had several children, but at the period in question only two
of them resided with them. On the 10th cf June, about 9
o'clock, the deceased went down stairs, dressed, with the
exception of one boot. Shorly afterwards her husband went
down with the boot in his hand, and threw it at her feet.
The deceased made use of an expression to the effect that if
he did not like it he might put the boot down his throat,and
this appeared to be the only angry expression made use of
by her. Nothing further was then said, and the prisoner
went oat. Presently afterwards Mrs. Myers went out, but
ultimately returned to her own house, and was seen by a
neighbour stooping down by the staircase leading from the
house part up to the chamber. The next thing was that the
prisoner was seen to go into the house and to stab his wife
suddenly and rapidly two or three times. The poor woman
was on the ground, but she jumped up, and a woman named
Hoole, attracted by the cries and the scuffle, observed that
the deceased was bleeding from the throat and face, and
that the prisoner was cutting his own throat with a table
knife. The deceased was taken by Mrs Hoole to the house
of Mrs Marshall, but died in a few minutes.
After the examination of a number of witnesses,
Mr Middleton addressed the jury for the prisoner.
His Lordship summed up the evidence, and the jury con.
suited together for about three minutes, and then found the
prisoner guilty of murder.
His Lordship passed sentence in a most impressive man-
ner, and the prisoner was removed, apparently little affected
by his awful position.