The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 26, 1363,

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—CROYDON, Aug. 25.
(Before Baron Bramwell and a Special Jury.)
WOOLLEY V. POOLE.-EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL.

This was an action to recover £4,000 from the Sun Fire
Office upon a policy of insurance against fire effected in that
office.

The defendants pleaded several pleas, but only two of
them were material, and they involved a question of very
considerable importance, as by one of them the plaintiff was
alleged to have made a fraudulent claim in respect of the
property that was represented to have been. destroyed, and
by the other he was charged with having. wilfully caused
the fire that was the subject of the inquiry.
Mr. Bevil!, Q.C., Sergeant Ballantine, Mr. Merewether,
Mr. 11. James (these gentlemen being specially retained),
and Mr. Kosher were counsel for the plaintiff.
Mr. Lush, Q.C., the Hon. G. Denman, Q.C., and Mr.
Garth were counsel for the defendant.

The cause created a good deal of interest, on account of
the amount at stake in the inquiry, which is altogether
nearly £30,000, and also on account of the pleas which the
defendants had felt themselves justified in placing upon the
record.

As the case was expected to last several days, the gentle-
men who had been summoned to serve on the special jury
were very anxious to be excused from being sworn upon the
jury, and Baron Bramwell excused some of them, and even-
tually the learned counsel on both sides agreed that the case
should be tried by ten jurymen only.
A very well executed model of the premises was placed
upon the counsels' table, to enable the jury to understand
the points in the case.

Mr. Bovill, in opening the case to the jury, said that they
were about to enter into an inquiry of a very long and trou-
blesome description, but when they reflected upon the very
serious character of the imputations that were cast upon the
character of the plaintiff, he was sure they would not con-
sider any amount of time ill bestowed on such an investi-
gation. The object of the present action was to recover the
sum of £4,000 upon a policy of insurance against fire effected
by the plaintiff, and when they considered the nature of
the issues that were raised by the company, they would see
that it was impossible for the plaintiff to remain under such
imputations for a single moment longer than was abso-
lutely necessary, and these had, therefore, been sent down
for trial at these assizes. The plaintiff had resided for
a great many years at Camden House, Kensington,
which was represented by the model that was on the table,
and those gentlemen of the jury who looked at the model,
and who had seen the extent of the ruins, would be able to
form a very good idea of the character of the buildings. As
he had before stated the plaintiff had resided at Camden
House since the year 1847, and down to the morning of
Sunday the 23d March, 1862, on which day the whole of
the premises,with the exception of some of the outbutlaings,
and everything it contained, was entirely consumed by fire.
If the question to be decided merely had been in reference
to the insurence for £l,OOO, it would not have occupied an
hour in being disposed of, but he was bound to tell them
that besides this policy of £l,OOO upon which the present
action was brought, other insurances had been effected that
altogether amounted to £29,000. The sum might appear to
be a large one, but he believed he should be able to satisfy
them that, large as it was, it would be utterly insufficient
to restore the building and its contents to its former posi-
tion. The learned counsel then went on to explain that the
policy f0r.C4,000 now sought to be claimed upon was effected
on the 16th August, 1855, in the Sun ; in 1859 another in-
surance was effected in the same office for £6,000, and ano-
ther policy for £2,000 was effected in the Hand-in-Hand,
making the total sum for which the building alone was in-
sured £12,000. Another policy was effected subsequently 1
upon the fixtures and fittings, in the Sun for £4,000, and in
the Hand-in-Hand for £3,C@J. A policy for £5,0u0 was also
effected with the Sun upon household goods, • china, glass,
&c., and also a policy. for £5,000 with the Atlas upon pic-
tures ; so that the whole sum that was undoubtedly in-
volved in the inquiry was nearly £30,000. He had informed 1
them that the fire took place in March, 1862, and the whole
of the building and its contents were entirely destroyed,and 1
in due course the usual application was made to the insu-
rance
offices with which policies had been effected. The
first dispute that would seem to have arisen between the
parties was with regard to the policy upon the furniture, and
an action having reference to that subject was set down for
trial in London; but, owing to the pressure of business in
the courts of law there, it was found that it could not be
tried, and it was therefore arranged that the present action
should be first disposed of, as Mr. Woolley was determined
not to rest under the imputations that were cast upon him a
single moment longer then was absolutely necessary. The
defendants,os they had heard, had placed several pleas upon
the record, but it was impossible not to see that the real
ground of defence was, that the plaintiff had caused the de-
struction of the building and the property contained in it by
his own wilful act. The amount for which the building was
insured was £12,000, and to any one at all acquainted with
the nature of building operations, he said that with reference
to that part of the case it was obvious that this sum would
be totally insufficient to rebuild such extensive premises,
and, indeed, he did not bAteve that any dispute occurred
between the surveyors of the plaintiff and those appointed
by the company upon the point, but, on the contrary, he be-
lieved that the surveyors had arranged plans for the re-
erection of the house at the time the transactions occurred
that had led to this action being brought. It appeared that
the first subject of discussion was as to the contents of the
mansion and the value of those contents, and the companies
insisted upon having the most minute information in refer-
ence to this subject. Some delay was occasioned in giving
this information from the fact that Mr. Woolley, who nar-
rowly escaped with his life at the time the fire broke out,
was ill, and consequently unable to give the necessary infor-
mation ; and when the information was completed, the jury
would be able to form some idea as to the extent of the pro-
perty by the fact that the inventory filled a volume of consi-
derable size, and it contained 1,000 items. The learned
counsel went on to say that while these discussions were
going on upon the subject of the furniture, it appeared that
some rumours had got afloat about the fire, and these
rumours at last got to the ears of the insurance companies,
and they, and other persons, some of whom he believed
thought it was impossible for any fire to be accidental, at
once jumped to the conclusion that this fire at Camden House
was caused wilfully. The result of this was that the plaintiff
was required to give a full account with regard to the furni-
ture and where it was bought, and what price was given for it.
He was unable to give complete answers to these inquiries,
for the reason that a great deal cf the furniture consisted of
old and rare articles, a great many of which had been pur-
chased abroad, and at every place where old and valuable
curiosities could be obtained. The plaintiff, however, did
give them all the information in his power—he allowed
them to examine his servants, nothing was concealed ; and
after all this the insurance companies turned round upon the
plaintiff; and said that the whole transaction was a fraud on
his part, and that he had wilfully destroyed the property;
and upon these grounds they came forward and defended the
present action, It was impossible to conceive a more seri-
ous charge than this could be made against any man, and
it was one for which only a few years ago his life might
have been forfeited ; and this being the case the jury could
easily conceive what the feelings of Mr. 'Woolley must be
at having such a charge made against him, and could under-
stand his determination to have the matter fully inveati..
gated at the earliest possible moment. If there had really
been any foundation for such a serious charge against the
plaintiff, it would have been their duty, as it appeared to
him, to have had the matter investigated by a a magistrate,
but they had not done so, and down to the present moment
the plaintiff was utterly ignorant of the grounds upon
which the Sun Fire Insurance Office and the other com-
panies, who were, no doubt, all acting in concert, felt them-
selves justified in bringing forward this serious charge. The
plaintiff (Mr. Woolley) would be called before them. He
was told that he was to be cross-examined upon every
incident of his life ; but he would be placed in the box,
and would fearlessly face a cross-examination with which
he was threatened. He had not at this moment the
slightest notion what the circumstances were upon which
the charge that was made against him was founded.
They did know that the defendants had made inquiries
in every direction, and one of those inquiries he believed
was, whether Mr. Woolley was in the habit of sleeping
in a nightshirt. (A. laugh.) He believed that in the
hurry of escaping from the fire, Mr. Woolley did put
on a day. shirt, and this was one of the points, so
far as he could learn, upon which the charge of ar.on was
to be supported ; but if this should prove to be the case, it
would only show what miserable expedients the defendants
I fireentertained
that
slightest s
fit
rhei hint were compelled to resort to. Ho would observe at this point
of the case that 10 months were suffered to elapse after the
was other give
lit
anythan accidental, aI Usingsuspicion
it
was not until udesnpitcailo,
the plaintiff had expressed a determination ,to
enforce the policies that he was met by the charge that ho
had wilfully caused the destruction of the property. The
learned counrel then proceeded to inform the jury that
Camden House, the place in question, as they were proba-
bly aware, was a very old mansion, built more than two
centuries ago. It was formerly occupied by Lord Camden.
The Merry Monarch had held some of his revels there, and
it had also on several other occasions had the honour of en-
tertainin royalty. Th c plaintiff after he became possessed
g '
of it took a pride
in fitting it up in the most splendid and
There was a theatre attached to the
magnificent manner.,
fel was de elicated to the purposes of amateur
a
building', wh . ,
trts
performances an cone, , and he might state that the
whole of the proceeds were devoted to charitable purposes,
-P-1 OM had been expended in
and that between £3,000 and ..., ,
beautifully fitted up, and
this manner. The place was so
. ,
articles of art and
contained so many rare, extraordinary
'vertu, that it was considered a most interesting
rank
and sta-
tion,, many of whom were ii, exhibition,
and it was visited by persons of the highest
• dueed to take drawings of some
rned counsel
here the more remarkable portions of it. (The le -
here exhibited ,o the jury a number of the drawings to which
he referred.) He then said the jury would be enabled to
judge from these drawings what the charaeter of the build-
ing
and its decorations really were, and they would at the
same time be able to form their own conclusions as to
whether the amount for which the property was it sured
was an unreason able or en extravagant one. The fact was
t_li,t it was Mr. Woollky's hubby, or, if they liked to term
t I Er), his folly, to deLD:are this place in the most extrava-
ga.ut and g,,Tge•Ats manner, and his brother-in-law,

Captain Cope, and his sister seemed also actuated
by the same views. He might mention, as an in •
stance of the lengths to which Mr. Woolley went to gratify
his feelings in this respect, that upon one occasion being de-
sirous to purchase some rare carving work that was in en
old farmhouse in Essex, finding that the owner would not
allow it to be removed, he actually bought the estate in order
that he might obtain possession of it, and having done so it
was taken out and placed among the other curiosities in
Camden House. In fact he was justified in saying that Mr.
Woolley was a very extraordinary man. Although pos-
sessed of considerable wealth he kept no horses or carriages,
and even the servants who were dressed up in silver and
blue livery on great occasions were not his own servants,
but waiters and persons liv,ng in the neighbourhood who
were hired for the purpose. In fact he spent all the money
he could get in beautifying and decorating Camden House
in the way he had stated, and he had borrowed a large sum
of money of his brother and sister-in-law upon mortgage of
the property, the whole of which was devoted to the pur-
poses he had alluded to. The learned counsel then pro-
ceeded to state that it appeared that in November, 1861,
Mr. Woolley took a house at Brighton, and he believed an
attempt would be made to show that he had removed a por-
tion of the property from Camden House to Brighton ; but
he should be able to prove to them by the most satisfactory
evidence that there was not the slightest foundation
for this suggestion. With regard to the supposition
that the property had been destroyed wilfully, he
should be in a position to prove that, although the
amount of the insurance which was effected was
certainly very considerable, still that in point of fact, if
the whole sum were paid, the plaintiff would in reality
obtain little or no benefit, for the £12,000 for which the
building was insured would not cover the expense of its re-
erection, and nearly the whole of the remainder would go
to the mortgagees. lle might also state that the surveyors
of the fire office had had the fullest opportunity for looking
over the property and ascertaining its value, and that they
took pretty good care of their own interest in the matter by
declining to take the risk except upon a double and hazard-
ous premium, which was 4s Gd per cent., and the amount
of the annual premium was £l3O. Mr. Bovill next pro-
ceeded to state that the llaintiff had at one period occupied
Tunbridge Castle, and during his absence his wife was un-
fortunately drowned. It was supposed that she was feed-
ing the swans, and that she fell into the water ; but it was
never known how the accident actually happened. To show,
however, the course that had been taken with regard to the
plaintiff, and the unfounded assertions that were made re •
specting him, he might state that " they " had actually
circulated a report, founded upon the fact to which he had
alluded, that Mr. Woolley had murdered his wife.
Mr. Lush said he did not know who his learned friend
meant by " they;" but on the part of the defendants he
most positively denied that they were any parties to such a
suggestion.

Mr. Bovill said that the statement had come round to
them, and the plaintiff was well aware of the source from
which it emanated. He then proceeded to give a detail of
the circumstances under which the fire occurred. The per-
sons in the house at the time were Mr. Woolley, his butler
Crozier, and a man named Temple and his 'wife and son.
Mr. Woolley slept in one portion of the house, and his
butler occupied a room not far from it. Ha was awokfr,
by some noise, and upon his opening his bedroom door he
found the house was in flames, Ile awoke his butler, and
he at first attempted to give an alarm to the man Temple
and his family, but the fire prevented him from doing so,
and he and Crozier were compelled to make their escape
by a back staircase. They then proceeded to give the alarm
to the other inmates of the house, and Mrs. Temple in her
fright jumped out of the window and was seriously injured,
and her husband and son got out of the burning mansion
by means of the fire-escape. Mr. Woolley had nothing on
at this time but his shirt, and he was removed to a neigh-
bowing house, and in consequence of his exposure to the
cold and wet—for it was raining at the time the fire hap-
pened—he was rendered seriously ill, and this to a certain
extent prevented him from giving the information that was
required by the insurance companies so
quickly as they
wished it,

Baron Bramwell asked the learned counsel whether he in-
tended to give the jury any information with regard to the
origin of the fire.

Mr. Bovill said they had no information whatever upon
the subject; all they knew wa., that no one was in the
hoase but the persons he had mentioned ; but the man
Temple had stated that on the evening previous to the fire
he had been engaged in trying sausages, in what was called
the green-room of the theatre, for his sapper, and this might
account for the fire, as the flue of the chimney of that room
communicated with a beam that had been found to be on fire
on a previous occasion. In these old houses, however, it was
very difficult to tell how a fire happened, and he was not in a
position to give the jury any further information as to how
the fire in question originated, He added that the whole
family were examined, everybody about the premises was
subjected to a searching inquiry by persons connected with
the insurance companies, and he submitted, therefore, that
if there had really been any ground for supposing that Mr.
Woolley had been guilty of the serious crime imputed to
him, the course they should have adopted would have been
to have given him into custody, and have had the matter
fully investigated by a magistrate. They had not ventured
to do this, and it was clear, in his opinion, that having got
hold by some means or other of the knowledge of some cir-
cumstances which in their opinion amounted to something
like suspicion, they had resolved upon defending the present
action, in the hope that they might induce the jury to give
them a verdict, rho learned counsel then proceeded to nar-
rate some of the other circumstances he proposed to give in
evidence, and concluded a most clear and able speech by
observing that the only issue the jury had to decide was,
whether the plaintiff, without the slightest motive, had wil-
fully destroyed that property which it appeared to have
been the sole object of his life to obtain possession of
The following evidence was then adduced :
Miss Anne Barker said—l am the sister of the late Sir
G. Barker, and I am acquainted with the plaintiff, and be-
came so shortly after the death of his first wife, in the winter
of 1858. Miss Cope, the sister-in-law of the plaintiff, and
her brother, Capt. Cope, were living with Mr. Woolley. I
had heard that some drawings of portions of Camden House
had been taken and sold for charitable purposes, and I my-
self made some drawings which were sold for the same pur-
pose. Some of the drawings that were produced were made
by me, and some by Lady Belcher. Very little furniture
ta.aprpni myeerusreinfrom them draewrainwg:: and my reasons for leaving out the
that the drawing would have ap-
peared confused it the furniture had been introduced ; for
the same reap)). I left out chandeliers and vases in some of
the drawings. I was well acquainted with the house, and
it was so extremely beautiful that it was a pleasure to go
over it. There was a large quantity of statues, pictures,
and beautiful carving and gilding all over the house. There
were also a number of old pictures, and a great many were
in panels in the drawing-room and library. The furniture
was very rich, and all in character with the decorations of
the house. There was a great deal of very rare and valu-
able embroidery in some of the rooms, and the carpets were
also of a most valuable description. There was a theatre at
toe back of the house. I played there a great many times.
The performances were amateur ones, and got up for the
purposes of charity. The first I played at was got up by
Lord Raynham. Upon one occasion £B9 was received, which
was devoted to charitable purposes, the proceeds of one per-
formance being given to the Warehousemen and Clerks'
School. Thet e was plenty of scenery for the purposes of an
amateur theatre. Mr. Woolley took very great interest in
his house. I never saw any one take so much interest in an
establishment. It was all the amusement he appeared to
have, and he and Miss Cope were constantly engaged in
making alterations in the different rooms, There was no
alteration in the furniture or anything else at the time the
fire happened. lam quite sure none of the furniture that
was in Mr. Woolley's house at Brighton had been brought
from Camden House. There were two very large looking-
glasses in the ball-room and the drawing-room. There was
a profusion of valuable looking-glasses all over the house.
I last saw Camden House in November, and at that time I
did not miss anything.

Cross-examined—lf the large glass in the drawing-room
had been removed it would have been missed immediately.
I first went to Camden House about three or four years ago.
Everybody who went there was always shown all over the
house, at least over all the show rooms. I was introduced
to Mr. Woolley by Mrs. Milner Gibson. In the year 1861 I
was constantly at Camden House. A great many of the
pictures were portraits. They consisted of portraits of
saints, Madonnas, and Holy Families. I should think there
were three hundred pictures altogether. I think that the
chandeliers in the drawing-room were intended for candles.
I have seen so msny as 500 persons present at some of the
parties that were given at Camden House. The guests had
supper, wine, and the usual refreshment. The season at
Camden House lasted so long as the London season ; but
it was no use to give parties when there was no one to
go to them. I was aware that Mr. Woolley was in town at
the time the fire happened, but I did not see him at Camden
House. I met him at Mr. Milner Gibson's three or four
days before the fire happened, and he told me he was only
going to stop in town a few days. It had been arranged that
there should be an amateur performance at the time the fire
took place. I knew Crozier, the butler, as one of the servants
of the family.
He-examined—Mr. Woolley's sight is very bad, and ho is
obliged to have souse one to accompany him when ho goes
out after dusk.

Lady Belcher said—l have been acquainted with Mr.
Woolley since 1818, and I know his wife before she was
married to him. I was in the habit of going to Camden
House down to the period of the fire, and I concur in what
was stated by Miss Barker as to the character of the furni-
ture and the decorations. The house was crowded with fur-
niture. Some of the pictures were very good, particularly
the portraits, and many of them were by old Italian masters.
Lady Belcher then identified same drawings of different
pictures of the mansion, as copies of drawings she had her-
self made, and said they were quite correct.
Cross-examined—The pictures I considered the most
valuable were those by the old masters, and there were,
perhaps, about twenty of them. I heard Mr. Woolley say
that he brought some of those pictures from Florence.
Sir John Burgoyno said—l am a general officer in the
army and Inspector of Engineers. I have known the
plaintiff, and have been en whet I call terms of friendly
intimaey with him for a great many years. I havo been
frcwwitly to Camden Ifouse, and I agree with the two last

witnesses that it was most magnificently furnished. It ap-
peared to be quite a mr...nia on the part of Mr. Woolley to
have everything in his house of the most re'enercht, cha-
racter. Everything was most beautiful.

Cross-examined—l have been to the theatrical perform-
ances at Camden House upon several occasions.
Count Mellor do Woelze said—l have known Mr. Wool-
ley 11 or 12 years, and I have stayed at Camden House on
several occasions. I agree with the last witnesses as to the
magnificent character of the furniture. I remember Mr.
Woolley going to Brighton in November, 1861. At that
time there was no difference in the state of the furniture.
Mr. Woolley was to have breakfasted with me on the morn-
ing after the fire—but I received a letter from him and
saw him the same morning at Dr. Hamilton's, in Grafton-
street, and that gentleman was attending him. Ho appeared
to be very ill.

Cross-examined—l was at Camden House three or four
days before the fir©. I only saw Temple the man who had
charge of the house. Mr. Woolley wag not at home.
Re-examined—When I saw Mr. Woolley at Dr. Hamil
ton's he appeared in a very excited state.

Colonel Alexander Macdonald said—l have known Mr.
Woolley eight or ten years, and I frequently used to go to
Camden House formerly, but I have not done so for the last
two years because I have been engaged. Everything in the
house gave me an idea that they were articles of great
rarity and value. There was abundance of furniture ; in
fact, the house appeared crowded.
One or two other witnesses wore examined, who gave
evidence to the same effect. .
The Court then adjourned.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

POST.—If any hope could be indulged in that the
dreadful crime of murder could ever come to be so
abhorred in this country as to ensure thereby its rare
occurrence, the faith might perhaps be cherished by
the reflection that it is very seldom found to be the
deed of any save the lower and consequently unedu-
cated classes. We might trust that as education
advanced there might at last remain scarcely any
left so utterly uncivilised as not to be restrained in
their ungovernable passions by the feeling of social
responsibility, if not of religious sentiment. The
crime might be expected to almost die out, and fell
into the same semi-desuetude as arson or" bucking."
But every now and then cases arise painfully prov-
ing to us that the most smoothing processes of in-
telligence or refinement aro totally inadequate to
quell the natural ferocity of some savage natures,
and that we are as far off from totally eradicating
murder from among the higher classes as we seem
to be from even diminishing it in the lower. It
must be admitted that when individuals somewhat
lifted above the common herd by station and intel-
ligence once pass the boundary of moral restraint so
tar as to compass, ever in thought, the taking away
the life of a fellow-creature, the ride that sweeps
them onwards seems to be irresistible. Our later
Instances of it have been appalling in the wild in•
tensity with which the designs, once formed, have
been carried out. The fiendish hypocrisy, yet un-
swerving tenacity with which Palmer murdered by
Inches his companion, Cook, the whirlwind of savage
hate which urged on Roberts to his assault upon
Captain Murray; the unpiteingcowardice pervading
another deed of violence which official but mistaken
leniency prevents us from characterising as we could
wish, have all something in them more horrible and
appalling than the stab of a clown half drunk with
spirits, and half mad with anger, or the blow of a
ruffian. whose only hope of plunder is the death
of his victim. But we should be careful lest we
allow the amazement and curiosity with which we
regard this intense development of human frailty
to obliterate our abhorrence and degenerate into
interest. At this moment an instance of it is
ringing through the: land, which for the extraordi
nary contradiction of the passions engaged, the
wondrous inconsistencies of the various feelings
successively elicited, the palpable premeditation of
the crime, the deceit which succeeded in concealing
the intent, and the implacable ferocity with which
it was finally carried out, will scarcely find any
parallel even in the pages of fiction. We deprecate
whilst we fear the mental obtuseness which may
create these incidents, and the sympathy accorded
to the crimes of fiction ; but we trust that a plain
statement of them may rouse a little common sense,
and exhibit them in their real abhorrent light. As
far as they can be gathered from the coroner's in-
quest, the examination before the magistrates, and
the confession of the murderer himself, they appear
to be these. A Mr. Robert Victor Townley, de-
scribed as a handsome young man of five-and-twenty,
had become the accepted suitor of a Miss Goodwin,
a young lady, residing with her grandfather at
Wigwell Grange, in Derbyshire. Miss Goodwin
subsequently desired that the engagement should be
b. roken off. Mr. Townley acquiesced, but desired an
interview, and for this purpose repaired on Friday
last to Wigwell Grange. He arrived in the neigh-
bourhood in the morning, and, by questioning an
acquaintance, evidently ascertained the truth of
what he had before suspected, namely, that Miss
Goodwin preferred another to him. He, however,
expressed himself to the acquaintance that " she had
a right to please herself, and that he would not
stand in her way." In the evening he proceeded to
the Grange, and was admitted, and shortly after-
wards Miss Goodwin quitted the house with him,
and strolled about the grounds. She had, however,
previously told a servant to come in half an hour to
say that "she was wanted." The servant did so,
and found the two apparently conversing calmly
enough. But as they returned to the house Mies
Goodwin told the servant that Mr. Townley had said
to her that " if she 'would not have him, he would
take care she should not have any one else." Atter
remaining in the house for about an hour, Miss
Goodwin saying she had promised Mr. Townley
another interview, again left it, despite the remon-
strances of the servant, who thought it hezardous
after the threat which had been made. At about
half-past eight a farm labourer returning home,
alarmed by groans, proceeded in search of their
cause, and found Miss Goodwin in a lane adjoin-
ing the grounds, mortally wounded, but staggering
in the direction of her home by the aid of the a all.
She told the astounded labourer that " a gentleman
had cut her throat," and entreated him to take her
home. Whilst tie was endeavouring to do so
Townley came up, and to the man's natural ques-
tion replied—'' I stabbed her ; she has proved false
to me." He then seemed to relapse into tenderness
for her, repeatedly kissed her, using fond expres-
sions, and finally assisted in carrying her up to her
home, himself holding her head. The poor girl
died on the road. She was found to have received
two mortal wounds—one in the neck dividing the
carotid artery, the other in the shoulder, which had
extended to the spine. Her fingers were
.also cut,
as if the poor thing had endeavoured to defend her-
self after the first attack. The murderer main-
tained during the whole time the most calm and
demeanour. He repeatedly avowed him-
self to have committed the crime, voluntarily gave
himself up to the constable who had been sent for,
and himself produced out of his pocket the clasp
knife with which he had perpetrated the horrid
deed. Before he went away in
.custody he calmly
looked again on the face of his unhappy victim,
said he felt "all the happier now he had done it,,
and hoped "poor Bessie was in a better world."
All these facts were proved in evidence before the
magistrates oo Monday; and after being asked if
he had anything to say in answer to them, and hav-
ing replied "nothing,"it i▪ s needless to say he was
duly committed for trial. This is one of the most
cold-blooded and appalling murders on record. We
trust its incidents will excite only abhorrence for the
murderer. A letter was alluded to at the examination
which, connected with the result, would seem to
prove that the dreadful deed was premeditated from
the very beginning. It only adds another hateful
ingredient to the rest of the vile qualities evinced
in the matter. Smotheri▪
ng his horrid intent, the
miscreant must have entirely deceived the poor
girl into his acquiescence in her wishes. He must
have thus secured the second interview at a later
hour, and then have persuaded her to leave her own
grounds, for what may have seemed to him a more
fitting place. When we think that his victim was
an unprotected girl, that lie had loved her, and
hoped to make her his wife, how he could ever have
brought himself to have struck the cowardly blow,
baffles all conjecture; and perhaps we shall never
know: But we do know that he could stand aloof
and watch her staggering along the wall-side with
two mortal wounds—hi: deed—draining her life
fast away. Had not the labourer appeared it is
probable he would have allowed her to drop in
the ditch and die there, unmoved. He is an object
of utter abhorrence, and we trust will be regarded
only in that light. We could wish that he may be
punted only in his true colours—that of a pitiless
brutal murderer. We would fain hope that his case
rui4 lit be divested of the interest and publicity
which seem to foster only the delusions of a maudlin
sentiment. We would willingly be spared " the
portrait of the victim," or " the photograph of the
murderer," together with numerous " views of
IVigwell Grange," which are sure to divert the per-
ception of the public from the true end stern appre
elation of thee atrocious act. the murderer,
gentleman though he be, expiate his crime as such
crimes should be atoned for. Let him remain in
his cell till his hour arrives, with the cure know-
ledge that he is accursed among rren for. his in-
famous deed. Let him be brought forth to die the
death that is only too good for him, among the
execrations of such as can look upon such scenes ;
but let him not be commiserated or excused upon
this earth, for he is one of the most cowardly and
unpardonable murderers on record.
HERAT,D.—The last luxury of a thoronethly des-
potic Government has b provided for tile peop!f,
of the Northern States of America. PrLsidLnt
Lincoln and 1,43 Cabinet have inaugurated, as
.an

auxiliary to their public means of information, a
peculiar state institution, rather obsolete with us,
which was perfected in the French Empire by the
elder Bonaparte and the Duke of Otranto. To see
the strides of the giant republic towards all attri-
butes of Imperial autocracy is a sight to bewilder
even Mr. John Bright, and to turn him, were it
possible, from his accustomed and ready disposition
to trace all corruption, and wrong-doing, and ne
farious political action to that incubus over English
society, an aristocracy. In the brief two years since
the American brothers came to open blows, we now
trace, in the words of the King of the Brobdignags,
a heap of conspiracies, rebellions, murders,
massacres, revolutions, banishments, the very worst
effects that avarice, faction, hypocrisy, perfidious-
ness, cruelty, madness, hatred, envy, Ins-,
and ambition could produce. There is not a single
crime which monarchs, oligarchies, or dictators
have committed on the Old Continent, that has not
found—though we are regarding but a reriod of
twice twelve months—a parallel in the history of
the New Continent since the outbreak of the
American civil war. An immense debt, with a
paper currency ; a standing army of the most brutal
character, if all that is told of it be true ; the con-
script law, the press-gang, and high bounties, all
working at one and the same time, attend the mili-
tary career of the Northern half of the United
States. A terrified and bridled press, place-hunting
and favouritism, venality and the sale of offices, the
most shameless frauds in the army and navy com-
missariat, elections determined at the point of the
bayonet, the invitation to the helots of the soil to
supplement the army, imprisonment or banishment
for citizens speaking adverse opinions to the Go-
vernment—make up a list of excesses such as the
worst European chaos of empire never evoked in
so brief a space of time. Death has been so busy
with the army that the Cabinet has not yet invited
him to aid their civic legislation. There are two
pictures, however, which we would fain present
from the latest intelligence respecting both the
American citizens who stay at home, and those who
go out to fight their country's battles. The local
journals tell us that "the substitutes for clraughted
men are kept in a large room " in the guard-house,
on the second story, and are strongly guarded.
"The guard carry Springfield muskets loaded with
cartridges, in which the powder is topped by a
bullet and several buckshot." Was there ever a
more terse and sufficient description ? The corre-
spondent of the Hartford Times is, indeed, most
choice in his epithets, and takes care to point out
that any attempt at " skedaddling" would be pratty
sure to result in a " wounded substitute," or a dead
one. These substitutes are evidently a very slippery
set of recruits, and must have impressed the autho-
rities with a notion of their facile and elastic views
of military enlistment, tojustify the treatment they
receive when once on the books of a regiment.
Whenever one of them wants to go about town on
any errand ho is accompanied by one—generally
two—armed soldiers ! Just as if he were a convict
or a criminal doomed to a soldier's career as a penalty,
with incidental death in the background. When
these recruits are equipped with uniforms—weapons
at first of course are not put in their hands—they
are quietly, we read, taken off in squads of six to
twenty in the cars, and sent to the Consbript Camp
at New Harlem. No wonder at the lack of disci-
pline. or personal carriage, or pride in appearance,
so frequently reported of them, and which, amongst
us old-fashioned people, all go to make up a smart
soldier. The unhappy civilian left in inglorious
ease behind is equally, however, the object of the
unceasing attentions of his paternal Government.
The spies of the State Department are übiquitous.
These emissarit s of Mr. Seward, writes a public
correspondent,even from the English side of Niagara,
evidently after close experience of the wretches, are
both amateur and professional, male and female,
American and foreign. "They catch up scraps and
odds and ends of conversation ; they sit Yankee
fashion, balancing their chairs, with their heels on
the window sills or the balustrades, pretending to
read the newspapers, but straining their ears to
catch the disjointed fragments of the confidential
talk of the bystanders." Of course these vermin
are everywhere, but that it should be thought ne-
cessary to transport them across the Border, and
infest the watering places resorted to by English
and Canadian visitors, is only a proof how
thoroughly they are at last engrafted into the
" ways and means" of President Lincoln and his
subordinates. Doubtless we may find them, and
have found them, at Liverpool and in London ; but
happily, to Englishmen they are of no more moment
than the creeping things which are always thought
to inhabit old furniture when it has been neglected
or laid aside to decay. Each American community,
whether at New York, Baltimore, or Cincinnatti,
is, it would seem, haunted with alt the " terrors of
old-fashioned Italian espionage." In all public
places, and especially at the hotels, the gentleman
who greets you "casts an uneasy glance over his
shoulder as he shakes hands, fidgets in his chair,
as he starts the monotonous subject of the weather,
and at last fairly begs you to take him into your
private room, as no talk can safely be carried on in
these spy-beset public apartments." No wonder
at the continents) watering places being this year
reported to be more crowded with Americans, of
every stamp, than they have ever been known to
be. It wanted but this infamy of a paid and
organised espionage to fill up the measure of the
folly and fear of the Washington Government.
Assuredly there is the direct promise of absolutism
in its most hideous form, in this suspicion, which
inflates itself into tyranny and injustice, by hired
spies and informers. A. military dictator, supported
by a mercenary army, is the next degree of govern-
ment to that which seeks to muzzle free speech, or
misrepresent it, by depending on the hireling
eavesdropper. And though no one but General
Schenk or General Butler has attained a sufficient
attitude of cruelty and brutal and merciless oppres-
sion to entitle him to be pointed out as the leader in
a coup d'etat, with the event will come the instru-
ment to execute its scope and purposes. No more
better illustration of the rotten condition of
" Yankee politics" has yet reached us than the
tecit acceptance of the spy system, by which the
lightc.,,,t word msy he e legerated to the importance
of the gravest deed. Tue nation which acquiesces
in the employment of this secret police is already
as rz?uch gagged and mannacled as though it spent
its life in prison. Next to the terrors of a life,
where silence alone is a safe condition, many will
say that the penalty of death must be the one
final evil in store.