The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-17 00:00:00

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, FRo. 16

ALEXANDER AND OTHERS V. DITCHBOURNE AND OTHERS.
This was an action brought by the plaintiffs, the owners of
an Ipswich trader called the William Hildeman, to recover
from the defendants, the proprietors of the Gem, Gravesend
steamer, compensation in damages for injuries done to the
plaintiffs' vessel, by the defendants', on the evening of the
16th of October lad. Several witnesses were examined on
both sides, whose accounts of the transaction were, of course,
different.
The Jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs—damages
Sal• as., 281. for the damage done to the vessel, and 21. SE.
for the wages of the crew for live days, (luring which the ves-
sel was undergoing repairs.

PREROGATIVE COURT, FEB. 16.
WOOD AND OTHERS V. GOONAKE, IIF.LPS, AND OTHERS.
This was an allegation in a suit respecting the will of the
late Mr. James Wood, of Gloucester, propounding an alleged
codicil to the will. The testator died on the 20th of April,
1836, aged 80, possessed of very considerable property, the
real estate pleaded in the allegation to be worth 250,000/., but
which the deceased is said to have estimated at 10,000/. per
annum, and the personal property is upwards of a million.
On the day but one after the deceased's death, instructions
were given for a commission to swear the executors, who
are Alderman Matthew Wood, Mr. John Chadborn, Mr.
Jacob Osborne, and Mr. John Surman Surman. The com-
mission was issued, and was executed at Gloucester on
the 25th of April. Caveats, however, were entered on
behalf of Mr. Thomas Helps and Mr. Thomas Wood, sup-
posing themselves to be, next of kin, by which probate
was stopped. On the first session of Trinity Term a
proxy was exhibited for Mrs. Elizabeth Goodlake, widow,
alleging herself to be second cousin and next of kin of the
deceased ; upon which Messrs. Helps and Wood authorized
their proctor to discontinue proceedings on their behalf as
next of kin, having ascertained that they were more remote
relations of the deceased than Mrs. Goodlake. The will was
propounded on behalf of the executers, and opposed by Mrs.
Goodlake. Thus the matter stood, when, on the Bth of June,
Mr. Helps received, through the medium of the threepenny_
post, a letter addressed to him at his residence at Balham-hill,
enclosing the codicil now propounded, the contents of which
have been already given. This document was accompanied by
an anonymous letter, written with pencil, to the following
effect :—" Enclosed is a paper saved out of many burnt by par-
ties I could hang. They pretend it is not James Wood's
hand ; many will swear to it. They want to swindle me.
Let the rest know." On the 13th of July these documents
were brought into the registry of this Court, sealed up, and
on the 14th they were, on the petition of the executors,
directed to be opened. On the 2d of August an appearance
was given for Mr. John Phillpotts, and on the 15th of Novem-
ber for Mr. E. Hitchins, alleging himself to be a second cousin
and next of kin of the deceased. The allegation now before
the Court consists of 58 articles with 26 exhibits.

The Learned JUDGE gave judgment this day, as to the ad-
missibility of the allegation propounding the codicil. The
Court, in considering the objections raised against this allega-
tion, must recollect that the parties offering it were not living
near the residence of the deceased ; that they, therefore, must
necessarily have been in ignorance of many of the facts, and
that their information must be derived from sources nearly in-
accessible to them, and from persons unwilling to throw any
light on the subject, unless forced by oath. The Learned
Judge then went through each article of the allegation, and
stated that though the allegation was generally admissible, yet
a few alterations, which he pointed out, would be necessary.
fie accordingly sent the allegation back to Counsel, to be
generally reformed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

Several sailors who had worked on board the ship Windsor,
on her passage from this country to Calcutta, and had been
wrecked in her on her passage from Calcutta to Canton, ap-
peared
before the Loan MAYOR, for the purpose of complain-
ing against the captain or owners for having refused to pay
them the whole amount of the wages due to them.
The defendants sailed from the East India Docks with a
crew of 116 men, and arrived at Calcutta with a cargo, which
they partially unshipped there, taking in at the same time
some goods for Canton. In the passage to Canton the vessel
and cargo were completely lost, but the crew all escaped, with
however, the loss of their clothes. They had received four
months' pay, but upon applying for two months' pay more,
which they considered to be justly due to them, their claim
was positively rejected, notwithstanding the hardships they
had undergone, and the loss of every atom of covering.
Alderman Plain told the complainants that they were in
error in supposing that they had a claim for wages after the
'Joss of the vessel, and it appeared that they had been paid up
to the moment she became a wreck. It might appear a very
hard case that after such severities as the crew must have ex-
perienced, their claim fell to nought; but such was the law.
The complainants departed, evidently much dissatisfied at
the Alderman's decision, but not disposed to appeal from it to
any other tribunal.

Lady Dudley Stuart will, it is expected, shortly re-
Aurae her interesting musical soirees in Wilton.crescent.

Yesterday afternoon, while Mrs. Wyatt, a respect-
able woman, residing in Evelyn-street, Deptford, was absent
from her home (from whence she had gone to market but a
short time previously, leaving her own two children and a boy,
aged eight years, of the name of Mackenzie, locked up in a
front room) the neighbourhood was alarmed by a loud explo-
sion. On bursting open the door of the room whence it pro-
ceeded it was found tilled with smoke. On its partial dis-
persion the boy' Mackenzie was discovered on the ground
dreadfully scorched, aQd his hand much injured. The sur-
geon who attended (Mr. Atkins, of Deptford) thought it ne-
cessary immediately to amputate the thumb. It is feared
the fingers will require the came process, but until he is pro-
nounced out of danger from Lhe other injuries tho operation
will be deferred. The accideet arose t',.om a flask containing
gunpowder having been incautiously left on the chimney-piece.
On Wednesday morning the celerated trotting
mare belonging to Mr. Dixon, the proprietor the extensive
gorse repository, Barbican, was discovered to h,Ave been de-
stroyed by poison. The noble animal was found in its stall
dead and stiff. She has lately competed with some of tio
finest trotting horses in the kingdom, in all of which matches
she was successful. Mr. Dixon valued her at five hundred
guineas. As yet no one has been taken into custody charged
with the act ; but strong suspicion is attached to certain
parties. Mr. Dixon has caused the body of the animal to he
,opened by some very experienced veterinary surgeons, the
result of which ha; been that a quantity of poison of a very
lestructive nature was found in the stomach. Tho proprietor
in unediately on the discovery, sent information of the circum-
sta: see to the different police -stations, offering a reward of
loot.. for the apprehension of the perpetrators of the cruel
and t intuanly act.