The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-26 00:00:00

DE NOE v. DE VILLEMESSANT.

The first chamber of the Civil Tribunal gave
judgment on Saturday in this extraordinary case.
It will be remembered that at the trial at Ver-
sailles of the Duke de Grammont-Caderousse and
others, for the duel in which the unfortunate Mr.
Dillon lost his life, a very painful scene occurred.
Colonel de Noe, Mr. Dillon's second, and M. de
Villemessant, the editor of the Figaro, publicly
gave each other the lie. It had been stated in
several newspapers—and the opinion was adopted
by the presiding judge and the Procureur-Impe-
rial—that the very foolish quarrel would have
been arranged but for an irritating paragraph in
the Figaro, which represented that the Duke de
Gramont-Caderousse had hesitated to meet Mr.
Dillon on account of his being a plebian (comma
etant de roture). M. de Villemessant being severely
reproved by the President (M. Flandrin) for pub..
lishing this paragraph, said that he had done it on
information furnished by Colonel de Noe and at
his request. Thereupon the latter rose, and in the
clearest terms, and with vehement indignation. de-
clared that si far from having asked M. de Ville-
messant to publish the news of the duel being on
the tapis he begged him to say nothing about it ;
and in particular Colonel de Noe denied that he had
ever told M. de Villemessant that the Duke de
Caderousse scrupled to give satisfaction to Mr. Dil-
lon on account of his inferior rank. The impression
at Versailles was a together favourable to Colonel
de Noe. Everybody took part with the grey-haired
colonel of noble family against the scurrilous jour-
nalist. But two days later the .Figaro published
the astounding statement (noticed in this corres-
pondence at the time) that Colonel de Noe bed not
only furnished the matter of the paragraph, but had
ac ually gone into the printing-office and corrected
the proof in his own handwriting. That he did so
was attested by the Viscount de Bragelonne, M. do
Villemessa:-A's secretary, and several other persons,
printers, readers, or compositors of the ligaro.
Colonel de Noe thereupon wrote a letter to the
papers protesting that the story of M. de Villemes-
sant and his witnesses was a pure fabrication, and
he brought an action for libel, laying his damages
at 100,000 f. The case has been argued on three
successive Fridays by M. Jules Favre for Colonel
de Noe, and by M. Lichaud for M. de Villemes-
sant. The Proeurcur-Imperial pronounced in
favour of M. de Villemessant. No report of these
speeches has yet been published. On Saturday the
Paris court, in a judgment terrible indeed for Col.
de Noe, dismissed his action with costs, declar..
ing that the statement of the Figaro was in all re-
spects true, that Colonel de Noe did not only suggest
the paragraph, but corrected the proof in his own
handwriting, and that " after having with deplo-
rable heedlessness sought a dangerous publicity for
facts which the most ordinary prudence commanded
to be kept secret, he, Colonel Viscount de Noe, at-
tempted by a false affirmation to shift a part of the
responsibility upon the defendant De Villemessant.

On the 30th ult , died suddenly, at Ramsgate, in
the prime of life, Captain James Bunce Curling,
late Adjutant of her Majesty's corps of Gentlemen-at-
Arms, and brother of the popular novelist, Captain Henry
Curling. For several years the lamented deceased was
connected with the St. James's Theatre, and many a strug-
gling actor and actress had cause to bless his kind heart
and helping hand. Society has lost in him one of it
choicest spirits, and his own immediate circle will long de-
plore in him that best of hearts, " The heart that could,
feel for another." He was the eldest male representative
of the two old Kentish families of Bunce and Curling.
rHE CONVICT WM. ROUPELL.—The late M.P.
for Lambeth still remains at the Model Prison,
Pentonville, and is employed with the other prisoners in
picking oakum, which he does with the same indifference as
characterised his conduct whilst in Newgate. No steps have
yet been taken by the heir-at-law to dispossess those who
hold the property under the forged deeds received from the
convict, but negotiations have been going on between the
solicitors of both parties for some time.—Ohserrer.
(Jn Saturday the loss of no fewer than three ships
were reported at Lloyd's, and we regret to say that
in each of the three cases nearly all hands went to the
bottom. One of the ships foundered at sea ; the two others
went ashore, but the loss of life was the same in all.
EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN A COURT OF JUSTICE.
—One of the most extraordinary affiliation cases
ever brought into a court of justice has just been heard by
the magistrates of Derbyshire at the Repton petty sessions.
The Rev. Ralph Watson, curate of Crozall, was summoned
to show cause why he should not contribute to the support
of the illegitimate child of Catharine Hatchitt, aged 26,
single woman, also of Croxall, of which he was the putative
father. The case commenced on Wednesday last, and did
not terminate until a late hour on Saturday night. :Mr.
Leech, solicitor, Derby, appeared for the complainant, and
Mr. Argle, town clerk of Tamwortb, for the rev. defendant.
The evidence was of the most contradictory nature, and re-.
suited in the bench making an order of 2s a week upon the
rev. gentleman. Mr. Argle had just served notice of a 1
sbupeprnoacnnhgl
wtaoht cehh
thet ,
feet t the
Re
aatsmono,stwunhoeasratthlnyext yell.toghim,
aeenvod.nll,l3lmlraa.idwneant, and was addressin appeal
stamped his feet, and cried, " Bring me pistols, lAng me
pistols, lads ; I am ruined 1" Snatching up a large bottle of
ink, he threw it at the heads of the reporters, and a jug of
water he aimed at the magistrates, whilst the magisterial
table was upset. All this time the greatest confusion en-
sued, the rev, gentleman being held by five or six police-
men. He cried out—" That Decimus Gadsby did for
me—l am ruined—they are devils—the magistrates and
their clerks are against me--oh dear, oh dear—l have not
had a fair trial—they have sworn falsely This continued
for a few minutes, when the wretched man lay senseless
upon the floor. On rallying he was removed from the room,
and at the top of the stairs he attempted to throw himself to
the bottom, but was prevented. Later in the evening he
was served with a bill of costs of the trial, and again he be.
came very excited, his reason having evidently, for a time,
forsook him. He remained the whole of Saturday evening
at the Mitre Inn, Repton, Inspector Rossell, of the county
constabulary, watching him. The scene causedanl, a s
steamer
sensation in court.
periales Comp
Estirrahmeadtasheagsejrusiets'airrimved at Bordeaux from the Brazils,
with 22 passengers on board, among whom is General
Pelissier, on his return from Senegal; also, M. de Breuil,
French Consul at Lisbon.
The Regatta Society of Cannes has appointed
the 6th April for the spring competition. The duke
de Valambro sa has been elected President of the club. This
regatta, which is expected to be this year unusually bril-
liant, will probably Qoincide with the opening of the railway
from Toulon to Cannes,