The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-06 00:00:00

HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY

EDINBURGH, APRIL 3.

This day Alexander Humphrey, or Alexander, who
claims to be Earl Stirling, appeared at the bar, and at the
request of his Counsel, Patrick Robertson, Esq. (with
whom was Adam Anderson, Esq.), the trial was postponed
to the 29th inst. Ths reason for the postponment is, that
the prisoner has sent a Counsel and agent to London and
Paris to prepare to meet the allegation brought against him.
This is one of the most extraordinary cases ever brought
before the public. If Mr. Humphrey is really the repre-
sentative of the Earls of Stirling,and succeeds in establish-
ing his claim, his story will be one of the most romantic on
record. If, on the other hand, it shall turn out that his
claim is merely an impudent attempt at fraud, a system of
villany will be laidibare almost unparalleled. We believe that
the accused was long resident in France, having gone
thither, when a youth, with his father, and was detained
from 1803 to the restoration of the Bourbons. Without
intending to indicate any opinion upon the case, we shall
endeavour as briefly as possible to detail the circumstances
or allegations against Mr. Humphrey, in so far as these
have come to our knowledge. The first document be
founds on is an extract from a charter or pretended charterf
by Charles the First in favour of William, the first Earl oa
Stirling, conveying to that Nobleman the whole of Nov
Scotia, with power to create Baronets, and a large portion
of Canada. Mr. Humphrey, as representing the said Earl
of Stirling, raised two actions against private parties, which
actions were dismissed. He then was served heir to the
said William, Earl of Stirling, in right of his mother, and
sought infeftment of certain lands claimed. Upon this the
Alleers of State in Scotland took measures to reduce this
service and infeftment; and the evidence Mr. Humphrey
produced in support of his pedigree not being deemed
satisfactory, he was called on to produce further proof.
This he sought to supply by an old map of Canada, on the
back of which was written what purported to be extracts
from the Charter of King Charles ; this writing having been
made, it was alleged, in 1707, by a gentleman who had
seen the original in Canada. The person who makes this
extract, we understand, is an unknown person ; but there are
several dockets or remarks attached to it, to which are
appended the names of the celebrated Fenelon, Archbishop
of Cambray ; the Bishop of Nismes ; and Louis XV.
This document the claimant states was given him by a fa_
maie bookseller, or fortune-teller, in Paris, to whom it had
j been sent by some one unknown. But not the least re
searkable part of the romance is, that appended to this old
I map, is the copy of an inscription said to have been on a I
I tombstone, which once was in the church yard at Temple-

EVENING

patricic, county of Antrim, but destroyed during the rebel-
lion, said to have been erected to the memory of the grand-
son of the first Earl of Stirling; and this inscription is
made to aid in supplying an important link in the chain of
evidence. There is also a letter from this person giving a
detailed account of the family about 1707, thanking his
friends in France for the extracts of the charter already
noticed, and stating that the public record in which that do-
cument was registered in Scotland had been removed dur-
ing the cornniotions of Oliver Cromwell's time, and lost at
A luoj,-r of p.:.,-wrs are said to have
gram tLo Humphrey (who claims
;:ha mot;ler) d restored through the twopenny
post in London, in 1837. There are are other particulars
connected with the case, but 'he above are the leading
outlines.

storm

THE SKELETON FOUND AT WANDSWORTH•
—Thursday morning an adjourned Coroner's inquest was
held at the 01,1 Sergeant, Garrett-lane, Wandsworth, on
view of the skeleton of a female which was found on the
premises of Mr. Creswick, paper. maker, on Monday, the
25th ult. Mr. John Day, one of the firm, who occupied
the premises fog nrmny years, stated that in 1816 a young
,voman, named Mure 1' tikes, left their service. She was
tall, and between t w,..,rity-four and twenty. five years of age•
He understood she had returned to her family at Denbigh ;
but he had never seen her since. She had an uncle, who
then lived at the Knightsbridge barracks. Never knew of
the turf of the plat having been removed, nor of any per-
son being buried in that spot, nor of any person having
brought a body to his house for the purpose of dissecting
it. Never knew any of the domestics to be missing under
mysterious circumstances. Verdict, " That the skeleton
found on the premises of Mr. Creswick, in Garrett-lane,
in this parish, late the premises of Messrs. Day, is, by the
evidence adduced, a female; but by what means she case
to her death, and by whom buried where found, there ifai
no evidence to prove."

CAPTAIN MARRYATT'S NEW NovElo,
..THE PHANTOM SHIP."—The extraer'!:
inary interest and
curiosity which will greet this new p
redict,
roduction of our
will. 7. e venture to
great naval novelist, be more
p
than satisfied, with .
his treatment of, perhaps, the
most impressi"'; and picturesque sup.e.stition that Ills
ever ari,:ei out of the public taste for the wild and
wonliiee ful. The traditional belief in the sea lege'?di
of " The Flying Dutchman" prevails to this day to
all countries whose inhabitants are addicted to naval
adventure ; and the various and extensive scope which this
belief affords to the unrivalled powers of Captain Marryat.
has, in this instance, been applied with a force and felicity
that have never been surpassed. But .. The Phantcer.
Ship" is but one among many sources of interest in this
production, which will probably be looked upon as We
master-piece of Captain Marryatt's Fen.
THE UNITED SERVICE JOURNAL for April
is enriched by a most interesting paper on .. The La°
Moments of Prince Talleyr and," by an Eye-witness. ill
which, besides a more particular detail of Louis Philippe!
celebrated last visit to his old friend and minister, InapJ
curious traits, hitherto unpublished, of the veteran states
man, are given by one caidently well acquainted with 10
and his household. The description, especially of the
" troops of friends " assembled in the Prince's drawing.;
room, awaiting the intelligence of his death, and of the
precipitate flight to spread ihe actual dissolution among
their particular sets or coteries, is written with great
unction, and will become as celebrated as those of the
ic
death-bed scenes of Nlaxarin and Richelieu. Captain
Basil Hall, in a paper on " Naval Hydrography," drags
attention to the peculiar merits and labours of Naval oe.;
veyors, and gives a sketch of all that has been hithert
done, and is now doing, in that important branch of tie
e
public service. Among the lighter articles is an admirrima",
one, entitled " Tecumseh, the Indian Warrior." "
Canadas and Lord Durham's Report," is a particularly Ist;
teresting paper at this moment. Bugle has " Hints
Officers embarking for Canada, relative to Outfits. itc"
and the regular departments of the journal embrace a great
variety of useful and important subjects.
THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN THE Ejr
WAR[—Moneay an inquest was held before o'ci
Wakley, at the Victory, Newnham-street, Edgware.res
on view of the body of John Sullivan, aged six years. "'Phi,
several witnesses had been examined, the Coroner sal„."bio
thought the evidence was perfectly satisfactory. by
case showed most strongly how necessary it was to judge to
the evidence and evidence alone. At the time the chol!t
was raging this de..th would have been attributed tti's
or if the child had taken quack medicines, it might "tee
been supposed they caused its death, while, in fact, it had
peered to have been a natural death. If this case ;0
happened among the higher classes they might not hit°
heard o(it ; but, for the future, they intended not onrieo
hold inquests on gentlemen, but they intended gentle? ~,,
should also serve on juries. The law too wanted alter
WA
for if by an error of judgment a man's arm was badli,°/is
damages to the amount of 2,000/. could be' recovereniaoo
one case 1,000/, had been recovered); but if a 11'11 not
his life by error of judgment in the surgeon he ecedu
be punished for it. The beadle said when a gentle
died he always summoned gentlemen on the jury"
laugh.) Verdict—" Accidental death."
e dai
A CHASE AND A CAPTURE.—On Weuen , s
last a post chaise drove to Sweet's Hotel, and a youthhis
gentlemanly demeanour and dress alighted and ordered 0.
dinner. He had scarcely so done before another poor
chaise followed at full speed, and introduced some con ft.
bles, who forthwith arrested the youth on a charge of t"nog
It appears that, during the Sessions at Wells, the you
gentleman gentleman was, as is often the case when inns are crowd
sent to sleep in a room with two other gentlemen,Ydo,
whom he took their watches and seven sovereigns, an
° il
camped early in the morning, walking to Glastonbury, o
to
there taking a chaise. Four pounds and the watch lee
t
found upon him. He refused to give his name, saying tli
it would kill his friends to hear of his situation; and is
deed it was evident from his manner that he is of resPeZes
able family. From bills found upon him it appeared
he had been visiting Brighton, Tiverton, and other Phi"—
but no clue could be found as to his real name or oar,
tions. He was taken back to Wells, and tried at the °`l.
sions, and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisoerochnn
He afterwards acknowledged that his name was VVegeern-
that he was the son
.of. a respectable tradesman at Del;oto
ford. He had been in the Spanish Legion, returned hem
wounded, was refitted with money by his friends Weed,
purpose of going again to Spain, but preferred spenurig
it in England. He had travelled about the country trill of
was spent, and then supplied himself from the peehettsod,
other people. He walked to Glastonbury, but the aid
lady, thinking it strange that a gentleman of foot she oe
order a chaise, requested the waiter to keep an eye be
him. While the waiter's back was turned, however' is
contrived to take from the traveller's room a Macintosh,
which he travelled to Taunton.—Somerset Gazette.
METROPOLITAN FREE HOSPITAL, Clittbe
STREET, LINCOLN'S INN.—The annual meeting °I 00
Governors of this Charity was held at tha Hospits the
Thursday last. It appears by the report that, durinttee
three years past this institution has relieved ser ail•
thousand six hundred and fifty-seven patients. T"eitete
tinguishing feature of this charity is, that every des` r
person who requires surgical or medical relief is, on efirJis.
cation, immediately received, without letter or otheror,
troduction. The services of three physicians, three h
ey
geons, and the Secretary, are honorary. Nearly one 0.
dred patients are daily relieved, and the whole suel bi
pended on each sufferer, on an average, as ascertaine d rosl
the Committee, does not exceed 2s. 3d. An unive,
thevices was expressed by the meeting of the great tbe
vices rendered to the poor of the metropolis through she
agency of the hospital, and it was resolved that ner tee
should be spared to recommend it to the attention of
en.
public, with a view to increase its funds, and thereby
large the sphere of its utility.
SALMON.—We are sorry to remark how
this
produceve the salmon fisheries of the North have beep
season, and from the great scarcity of grilse last yea dose
apprehend the severity of the preceding winter has...rter
serious injury to the breed of the salmon. In this 91'. 01
the fishing is so bad that for the last ten days there bas 0
fivet
been a salmon killed in the Deveron, although the ere
has been part of the time flooded. The sea fishings,
they have been tried, have been equally unsuccess".
Edinburgh Courant