The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-09 00:00:00

THE SuN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9, 1863.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day).

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Fane.)
IN RE COLONEL DEERING.

This was an application fOr release from custody. The
bankrupt was described as of Buckingham-place, gentleman.
Mr. Reed supported, and said this was a case very diffe-
rent from ordinary applications for release. The bankrupt
had entered into a deed under the provisions of the act, and
had obtained the certificate of the registrar, but to give full
effect to it it was necessary that the Court should order his
release.

Mr. Gompz said that he appeared on behalf of Colonel
Toombs, a creditor to the amount of £BB3, and who was a
dissentient creditor, and wished to examine the bankrupt.
Mr. Reed objected, as the majority of creditors in num •
ber and value had assented to the deed. The debts amounted
to £22,000, and the debts of the assenting creditors amounted
to £17,000. Colonel Toombs was also a secured creditor.
The bankrupt asserted that that was the fact.
His Honour said that so fat as that case went there was
no ground of opposition.

Mr. Gompz then examined the bankrupt on behalf of Mr.
Bloxam, who was also a creditor for £1,061, and dissented.
Mr. Reed contended that Mr. Gompz had no locus standi
as regarded other creditors than his own client.
Mr. Gompz said that he could show cause, but -
His Honour said that as the deed had been duly executed
and certified, he should order an immediate release.

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

A dreadful murder and attempted suicide occurred
at Ryde, Isle of Wight, early this morning. A
man named Robert Hallett cut off the head of a
woman named Phillips, with whom he has been
living, and afterwards cut his own throat and
stabbed himself. The murderer was alive when the
message left Ryde, at 8 a.m., but was not expected
to survive.

Another Mysterious Murder or Death by

Drowning on the Seashore.

Beforo the public have recovered from the interest and
excitement occasioned by the finding of the body of a female
on the beach at Rottingdean, and the singular death of the
French merchant near Hastings, whose body was found by
a coastguardsman on Tuesday last, we have to report another
case which, for the mystery in which up to the present time
it is shrouded, and the peculiar circumstances connected
with the state of the body, and the place and way in which
it was found, far surpasses the others. The facts of this
case, which, it is supposed, is the result of a foul murder,
appear to be these. As most of our readers are probably
aware, it is the practice of the coastguardsman to patrol the
cliffs and beaches of our shores during the night in order to
prevent breaches of the revenue laws. Yesterday morning
the duty of patrolling the cliffs between Portobello station
and the next station, Eastbourne, was performed by Wm.
Benson, who, in his perigrinations, had to pass Bearhide
Gap, a pass down the cliff, about equi-distant between Rot-
tingdean and the port of Newhaven, and situate in the parish
of Piddinghoe. Of course the night duty of the coast-
guardsmen renders them much quicker sighted than ordi-
nary individuals are in the dark, and therefore it is perhaps
not extraordinary that any singular object on the beach
below should have attracted .the attention of Benson upon
hie looking down over the cliffs, which they are in the
habit of doing at intervals—particularly as his sight would
be much assisted by the phosphorescent kind of light
which is emitted by the sea as it dashes upon the rocks
and beach. At all events Benson, upon looking over Bear-
hide Gap, did perceive an extraordinary object upon the
beach below, and lost no time in proceeding to ascertain
what it was. On arriving at the spot he found the body
of a gentlemanly-looking man lying near high watermark,
from which the water had receded. He at once, in the
uncertain light, came to the conclusion that it was the
body of a drowned man which had been washed ashore,
and ascertaining that it was just after three by his own
watch, started back to the station at Portobello for as-
sistance. He gave the call to Lieut. Littledalo (in com-
mand of the station), and that officer and a number of men
accompanied him back to the spot. The body, of course, was
in the same state as he left it, and it was immediately taken
up the cliff. A closer examination of the body—which it
was evident could not have been in the water many hours,
it not being distended with water as is usual when bodies
have been submerged for some time—was then made. It
was found to be that of a man about five feet six inches in
height, and from 45 to 50 years of age, with dark whiskers
meeting under the chin, and bald-headed. It had on
neither coat, waistcoat, nor shirt, nor were any articles of
this description found near the spot : it was simply attired
in a white guernsey (such as many gentlemen are in the
habit of wearing under their linen ; around the neck was a
white turn-down collar, fastened by a narrow black silk tie ;
it had also on a pair of white cotton drawers, a pair of black
cloth trousers, socks, and Balmoral boots. The only mark
upon the clothes were the following :—" F. T. Sergeant,"
which was found upon the guernsey. And now comes the
question, was the poor fellow drowned, or did he meet his
death by foul means, and was afterwards placed in the
water ? As to the former hypothesis he might either have
endeavoured to swim ashore from a vessel which had
foundered at sea; and for this purpose had divested himself
of hie upper clothing, or he might have been drowned acci-
dentally or suicidally somewhere to the westward and ulti-
mately washed ashore; but, as it were in contradiction to
these suppositions, is a fact of a very suspicious nature—
upon the head were several serious wounds, and the police
have reason to suspect from what we can gather that
these wounds were inflicted before death. The most
serious of these wounds is at the top of the head, where a
clean cut penetrating the skall is observable, apparently
having been occasioned by a sharp heavy instrument. One
eye is also much blackened, and behind the right ear is the
mark of another heavy blow. As soon as possible Police-
constable Sherlock, of the East Sussex constabulary, sta-
tioned at Rottingdean, was sent for, and on his arrival he
took charge of the body and had it conveyed to Piddinghoe,
where it awaits a coroner's inquest. He next forwarded
information to Superintendent Jenner, at Lewes, and the
police are now actively engaged in endeavouring to ascer-
tain the facts of this extraordinary case,—Surrey Standard
of yesterday.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT TO AN ACTRESS.—Daring
the performances at Mr. Taylor's theatre in the Ox-
ford-road, Kidderminster, on Friday evening, an accident
occurred by which Mrs. Devonport, an actress, received se-
rious injuries. " Don Juan" had been played on the occasion,
and towards the close of the piece Mrs. Dovonport's dress
was ignited by one of the footsteps as she was leaving the
stage. The flames at once shot up round her, and she
uttered piercing screams. Outside the theatre, owing to the
reflection of the flames on the canvas, it was believed that
the interior was in flames, and inside intense excitement pre-
vailed. For a time, those near her were too paralysed to
render any assistance, and the poor creature ran hither and
thither, not knowing what to do, A carpet was seized and
thrown over her, and by this means the flames were extin-
guished. She had been burnt about the chest, face, arm,
and leg, and at first it was feared that the injuries she re-
ceived were even more serious than they have proved to be.
Mr. Cohen was called in to attend her. She will be pre-
vented from appearing on the stage again for several weeks.
The manager has taken measures for avoiding like occur•
rences in future, by having a wire gauze placed over the
footlights.

A SAD STORY.—Some time ago a young lady,
who is most respectably connected, went to reside
for a few weeks at a hotel in Liverpool. A middle-aged gen-
tleman, a captain of a barque, was living at the same place,
and an intimacy seems to have sprung up between him and
the young lady. From the disparity of age of the parties and
other things the intimacy Beans to have escaped the notice
of the other residents of the hotel. A fortnight ago, however,
the captain sailed in his vessel, and the young woman
left the place under the pretence of visiting some
relative, but her friends were led to suspect that
she had gone off with the captain. A near relative
of hers went to Holyhead, and found her there
with the captain on board his ship,
but, despite
,
all entreaties, she refused to leave him. As, however,
it was discovered that she had taken a shawl with
her belonging to a female relative a
warrant was pro-
cured for her apprehension on the charge of felony, and
she was then brought bank to Liverpool ; but no evi-
dence r being offered against her she was discharged,
her friends taking her under their care. She was con-
veyed home, but after remaining there a short time she
managed to get away. It is stated that she went to Holy-
head again and there met with the captain, whose vessel
was still lying at that place. During the terrific
gale on Thursday the vessel which the captain
commanded was wrecked near Holyhead, and he and all tbo
rest of the crew were drowned. It is also stated that the
body of a female, whose description answered to that of the
lady in question, was found on the beach at Holyhead, and
there is too much reason to fear that she has been drowned
also.--Liverpool Menu? y.

GOLD IN VANCOUVER'S IsLAND.--The following
is an extract from a letter dated Victoria, VarlcutlVe
Island, October 21:—The Governor lately sent out a pies-
pecting party on the island (Vancouver). They came back
and reported good diggings within 13 MUM of Victoria.
There has been a rush there, and everybdy is cock-ta-hoop
about it. W. and I took a share in the Gold Harbour
Mining Company. We gave an order yesterday to sell at
50 dela., but during the day a schooner came in with some
quartz from the company's works and the shares rose to
200 dole. We will now hold on. Considerable excitement
has been caused by a well-authenticated report of good dig-
gings at Luswhass, in an inhabitable district in British
Columbia. On the whole the place is looking up—about a
A MAD ACTOR.—The Florence correspondent of
the France Musicale gives the following account of
month ago things looked gloomy enough."
a recent performance atthePagliatoTheatre in that city :
.. Last night the "fraviata' was given here, and the part of
Alit ed was filled by a tenor whose name I need not mention,
and the part of the father by a madman—at least by a man
who was discharged from a lunatic asylum only a few days
ago, and whose story is somewhat romantic. His name is
Tolde Sernese, and four years ago he earned a living by sell•
ing brooms about the streets, crying his merchan iee in a
after some little training
h
sonorous and powerful voice. It so chanced that he fell in
love with a young girl and offered marriage, bourttuwnaes refused
by by her parents on account of his poverty. To improve his
settearcaue obtainedmstHa an engagement,
nee
hesadhae good determined
voice,
nnt a and try
is f
o r4Bwell received by the
public. But fortune did not come so eoon as he expected,
and, having once encountered some little disapprobation
friimliis
asylum,audiene in whiche'hebeca he remained
meravinginad and was taken to
a lunatic till within the last
few days, when he was discharged as cured. He sang
last night before a very full house, but, notwithstanding the
opinion of the doctors, I think he is still partially insane.
Ile showed the utmost impatience and dissatisfaction when
interrupted by applause in the middle of a phrase; and in
the romance, the public having cried Brave 1' too soon, he
flatly refused to finish it, and left the stage. With the
exception of some eccentricities, improper gestures, and an
occasional smile, in even the most tragic scenes, he played
the part quite as well as many artists who have always en-
eyed the full use of their faculties. —Galignani.
WON'T TAKE A REFUSAL !—A subscriber writes
to a Western editor,—" I don't want your paper any
longer." To which the editor replias,—" I wouldn't make
it any longer if you did. Its present length suits use yell
well,"

THE GREAT FIGHT,

We believe it may now be said that all the preliminaries
for the Great Fight between Heenan and King are com-
pleted. The "authorities" met to-day, and a programme
was sketched out, which, if followed implicity, will ensure
a satisfactory termination. If assurances can be depended
upon, then, one and all of the parties, to whom the custody
of the " ring" will be entrusted, have made up their minds
not only to adhere most strictly to their instructions, but
to guarantee the good conduct of those who may be called
upon to assist them. The utmost anxiety prevails to learn
the spot selected for the "friendly encounter," but the
most masonic secrecy is observed with respect to that
locality. At many of the sporting houses to-day numerous
hints were given to those curious enough to enquire the
whereabouts, but whentho information was tested by again
inquiring at another of the pugilistic hostelries " a tip"
was given quite in the opposite direction. At one place,
" London-bridge, at three" was lowly whispered ; at
another, " G. W. R., at four" ; and thus all parties desirous
of early information were kept completely in the dark.
goes on correctly, we believe the intending
Supposing all
voyageurs wLII be put in possession of " the secret" about
nine o'clock this evening. At the West-end Heenan is an
immense favourite, while the East-enders take all the 7,8
to 4 they can get about King.