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 ho 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 tnsjerity of creditors in num•
ber and value had assented to the deed. The debts amounted
to £22,000, and the debtsof the assenting creditors amounted
to £17,000. Colonel Toombs was also a ,ecured creditor.
The bankrupt asserted that that was the tact.
ilk Honour said that so fat as that case went there was
no ground of opposition.
Mr. Gonir.z then examined the bankrupt on behalf of Mr.
Blosara, 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 ❑amed 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.

-~►-----

Before 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 llastings, whose body was found by
a coastguardsman on Tuesday last, we have to report anot her
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 moat of our readers are probably
aware, it is the practice of the coasiguardsmen 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, E,stbourne, was performzd by Wm.
Benson, who, in his perigrinations, had to pass Bearbide
Gap, a pass down the cliff, about equi-distant between Rot-
tingdean and the port of Newhaver, and situate in the parish
of Piddinghoe. Of course the night duty of the coast-
guardsman 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
his 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 water mark,
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. Ho gave the call to Lieut. Littledale (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 tiare—was then made. It
was found to be that of a man about the 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 conies 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 his 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 skull 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, Kiddermin,ter, on Friday evening, en accident
occurred by which Mrs. Davenport, an actress, received se-
rious injuries. "Don Juan" had been played on the occasion,
and towards the close of the piece Mrs. Devonport's dress
was ignited by one of the fi:otsteps 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 ard
other things the intimacy seems 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 back to Liverpool ; but no evi-
dence being offered against her she was discharged,
her friends taking her under their care. She was con-
veyed home, but after remaining there a shurt 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 the
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
Rercul y.
GOLD IN VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.—The following
is an extract from stetter dated Victoria, Vancouver's
pI selcatni
ndg, O
partyct oe
orn 2
the l: i
sl;
ahned(Vancouver).
Governorau colately
u ver).
Theysent
came out a pors-
back
and reported good diggings within 13 miles of Victoria.
There has been a rush there, and everybody is cock-a-hoop
abotit it, W. and I took a share in the Gold Harbour
Mining Company. We gave an order yesterday to sell at
50 doll., but during the day a schooner came in with some
quartz from the company's works and the shares rose to
200 Me, We will now hold on. Considerable excitement
has been carved by a well-authenticated report of good dig-
gionlgsabtl: On USWhatt in an inhabitable district in British
Cutuia whole the place is
enou looking up—about a
month ago things looked gloorny gh."
A MAV ACTOB.—The Florence correspondent of
the France Musicale gives the following account of
a recent performance attheragliato Theatre in that city :
" Last night the Deviate' was given here, and the part of
Alfred 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
elrtyaoingehanced that he fell in
ago, and whose story is somewhat romantic. His name is
*Reired marriage, but was refused
Tolde Sernese, and four years ago he eahrni:dmaerleivhianng,biLsienlla-
loveby her parents To improve his
ono
vng
00 broomsotwithisaa n
obuonou powerfulg
ga there ausNn.
account
voice.
ecoeoefftf
his
poverty.
circumstances try his fortune on the
He had
a ho
g determinedood voice,
to
stage. some after little training
he obtained an engagement, and was well received by the
public. But fortune did not come so soon as ho expected,
haying once encountered some little disapprobation
ie,
and
and,
from his audience, he became raving mad, and was taken to
a lunatic asylum, in which he remained till within the last
few days, when he was discharged as cured. He eang
last night before a very full house, but, notwithstanding the
opinion of the doctors, I think he is still partially insane.
He showed the utmost impatience and dissatisfaction when
( left cried
the stage. With the
io
interrupted by applause in the middle of a phrase ; and iu
thex ceromance,
' Brave too some he
flatly
lrefused
of em
improper gestures, and an
occasional smile, in even the roost tragic scenes, he played
exception
some
theto
e finishptteb el publicit,
t havingant
eccentricities,
the part quite as well as many artists who have always en-
oyed the full use of their facultiesae_Galignani.
WONT TARE A REFUSAL !—A subscriber writes
to a Western editor,—" I don't want your paper any
longer." To which the editor replies,—" I wouldn't make
it any longer if you did.
Its present length Ellitf; me very
well,"

AMERICA.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)
QUEENSTOWN, DEC. 8.

The Inman steamer City of London, from New
York on the 28th ult., arrived here at 12.45 p.m.
to-day, and proceeded on her voyage to Liverpool.
She brings 152 passengers anti 155,966 dols. in
specie.

NEW YORK, Nov. 28, Morning.
General Meade crossed the Ripidan during the
26th and 27th at Jacob's, G.:Tinarlia, and Culpepper
Fords, and advanced by three different routes, cou-
veTging on the Orange Courthouse-road.
The Confederates off:red no resistance to Meade's
passage of the river.
Heavy firing was heard yesterday near Orange
Courthouse, lasting from morning till night, but no
particulars of the engagement Lave been received.
The Confederates have evacuated Fredericksburg
heights. Lee'a army is estimated to be 50,000
strong.
Gen. Ewell is ill, and has been superseded by
Gen. Early.
Advices from Chattanooga to last night report that
Hooker, Palmer, and Sherman are nearly 10 miles
from Chickmanga, pursuing Bragg, who is retreat-
ing on Dalton. It is reported that Sherman ye..
terday cut off 2,000 Confederates. Bragg's army is
represented to be destroyed.
Federal cavalry have destroyed the East Ten-
nessee railroad, fifteen miles above and below
Cleveland. This is said to isolate Longstreet from
Bragg.
Cincinnati despatches of yesterday represent
Confederate cavalry as being between Cumberland
Gap and Knoxville.
General Longstreet has not yet assaulted Knox-
ville, but has placed his batteries in a position com-
manding the city.
A Federal column is moving to relieve General
Burnside.

General Grant's victory has created compara-
tively little popular enthusiasm or public demon-
stration throughout the North.
Nassau advices to the 21st inst. report blockade
running as very active.

It was rumoured at Havana that the privateer
Georgia had beefs sunk by the Federal steamer St.
Louis.

The Net, York Tribune reaffirms that President
Lincoln will announce in his message a plan
for restoring the States to the Union, which will be
in accordance with the furtherance of the emanci-
pation proclamation.
Surgeons returned from Richmond report that
Federal prisoners arc dying at the rate of 50 per
day.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YORK, Nov. 28, Afternood.
There is no further news from Virginia. Gold
opened this morning at 431, and has since risen to
471, under unfavourable military rumours. Stocks
steady. New Ywrk Central 1338; Illinois, 1181 ;
Erie, 104.

LIVERPOOL, Weduesday.

By a telegraphic error the amount of specie
brought by the City of London was stated to be only
155,966 dole. It should be 1,055,966 dole.
Further advices from New York to the evening
of the 28th ultimo, received by the North Ameri-
can, state that the Confederate guerilla, General
Morgan, bad escaped from prison in Ohio.
Exchange on London, 161. Gold, 47. Erie
shares, 1061 ; Illinois, 119.