The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-27 00:00:00

TILE TRAGEDY IN LUDGATE-RILL.

The following appeared in a portion of our impression of
yesterday evening :
The Coroner's inquiry into the causes connected with the
deaths of Anne Howard Vyse, aged seven, and AliceVyse,
aged five years, commenced this afternoon at the London
Coffee-house, Ludgate-hill, before Mr. Payne, the coroner
for the City of London,
Mr. Humphries, jun., the solicitor, watched the case on
the part of Messrs. Keating, chemists, St. Paul's Church-
yard, and Mr. Vining attended for the family of Mr. 'Vyse.
The jury having been sworn proceeded to View the
bodies.
On their return, the first witness called was,
Mr. John Saunders Moon, residing at Oakley-road,
Islington. IN as a member of the Stock Exchange
He knew the two deceased children, one was Anne Howard
Vyse, aged six years and 10 months, the other Alice Kate
Vyse, aged five years. They were the children of Valen-
tine and Ann Cornish Vyse.
Mr. S. Savory was next examined. He was one of the
assistant-surgeons at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. He
first saw the children on Thursday afternoon about
'five o'clock, in a front room in the top floor of
Mr. Vyse's house. They were both dead. The bodies
were much discoloured and livid, and although they were
quite warm, having almost the living temperature, they
were quite rigid. The youngest was rigid all over, the
eldest in that state about the jaws and neighbouring parts.
On Friday I made a post mortem examination of each,
but the rigidity of the bodies had almost entirely
disappeared, decomposition had already commenced. The
witness then proceeded to give a description of the appear-
ance of the intestines, but said he had not examined the
contents of the stomach, because he believed that it was
necessary that a chemist of authority should make the exa-
mination in preference to a surgeon. He might, however,
state that he had made certain experiments on a cat with a
portion of the contents of the body, and from effects pro-
duced, he was of opinion that strychnia was contained in
the stomach.
The Coroner—Then we aro for the present stopped.
Witness—l thought it necessary, as the examination of
the stomach would be connected with very ira portant re-

sults, it would be better that a chemist of eminence should
undertake the analysis in preference to a surgeon.
The Coroner—What has become of the contents of the
stomachs ?
Witness—They are in jars, under lock and key, in my

possession.
Coroner—Because it is important they should not be

tampered with.
Witness—That is the very reason I have not touched
them.

Coroner I should not et:al your tour:Moe them tamper-
ing. It is very important no one should interfere ;with
them.

Witness—l will take care that no one 5b:.1.1 touch thorn
without your order. I simply did not make the analysis,
because I consider no surgeon, as a surgeon, is competent
to make that analysis.
Mr. John M. Taylor, assistant to Mr. Keating, chemist,
St. Paul's-churchyard, was the next witness examined.
The Coroner—Did you sell any poison on Thursday ?
Witness—Yes, to Mrs. Yyae, about a quarter to 12.
Coroner—Did she come to your shop ?
Witness—Yes. I knew her as a customer. She asked
to be shown some perfume. I showed her some, and sho
chose a bottle containing extract of spring flowers. She
said it was very nice. She afterwards said she was much
infested with rats and mice at her house, that it had lately
cost £5 to repair the damage they had done. She also said
they were much troubled with them in the bedroom, so
much so that she could not sleep, and that one even came
up on the bed to her, that she had to put her hand out to
shake it off, and that she heard it fall on the floor. She
was afraid that they would get to the baby, and she asked
for some prussic acid or other stuff to destroy them.
She was told she could not have it, and some
poisoned wheat was recommended. This she declined,
and asked whether any other thing was kept for the pur-
pose. I told her we had Butler and Battle's vermin killer.
She took away some of the latter.
at
using, and that she must be careful the
mixture
By a Juror—l told her it wt,uld require gre
contained
come near it. I did not know
in
a ws s
ai
housemaid t
They
tel
dswrsrh.
o.ah enrl
.hed.
seegkstearaooanwatit
knocked
gekghgere
to
children notthe
theeaa care
k e dt
of the
strychnia, or that it was of so deadly
stha
said Mr.h soldeFrederic theMarshall,servanta f anothern rhsse.
er
nn
s
y
Mrs
e
ipvwVoeeoyyr Maywrr
usseniedeaogtin. hr.nA
mistress
called
hadstsoheiSl rbelie beeneddmistresswSorw
nwdeonee eoswthmonanaanYfia. oddorps
oautagsrlibrdolhcso
:hen
tethshhs
afseleolvirsupi
tutmnoohdet
gin them
tleeshrhatm,sofu.
and
morning.
childrenon
nthe
beidn. tTheheayfthearndotohneirupbsotoatisrse.
ff.
whupstairsilsttold
h
and get a packet of the same powder she had had in the
heardat t hde
adoor
sbut
sgot
sneomaen
es wn
ee r
v.
in t
inn
gk. n oschkei nwge
natgaani nd
tsohl
de
the cook she could not get in to Mrs. Vyse's bedroom; but
on knocking a second time, Mrs. Vyse said, " Who's there;
you can't come in." She then went down into the shop
and told Miss Saunders, Mrs. Vyse's sister, that something
was the matter. They both went upstairs and broke
the door open, and found Mrs. Yyse near the marble wash-
stand with her throat cut. Miss Saunders said, " Pray
God, what are you doing ? Let me die with you." Mrs.
Vyse said, "I am mad. Let me hang myself. I wish to
die." She also said the two children were in heaven, and
she wished to be with them. Witness said she would go
for a doctor, but Mrs. Vyse said it was too late. She had
seen Mrs. Vyse since the occurrence, but she has not
spoken on the subject.
ouSt aorh
na Thursday,Saunders,a sistern dalsoto
her Mrs.
Vyse,
return
hroemc oel
.1 e c
Tt e
hd
eh
children
hr goingila ren
dined about 2 o'clock. She knew of nothing until the
housemaid called her upstairs. On going into her sister's
room witness said, " Dear, what have you done ? " Mrs.
Vyse pointed to the wall, and said, "Go there." It was in
the direction of the next room. She went there, and found
the two children quite dead. She had not spoken since to
her sister on the subject.
n the
By the Coroner—The children generally resided
country, but when they are with their mother
ually
lie down after dinner, by her wish.
ar-
rived in town on Wednesday morning, the
m
that she intended to take them to the Exhibition.iHaid he had tested
Mr. Savory, the surgeon, examined—He
it contained strych-
tnhi
nine
ep
ionw
some
, eandr e. wHa se ofg aovPei
fourran and a half grai iss
;the children
ether only
saying
to a
depend upon how it
rabbit, which killed it. Half
less, would kill a child. Mach
was administered.
adjourned.
givowindof strychnine, or even
was then The inquiry a

investigation of the magistrates
NOTICES.— CORK, THURSDAY.—
THREATENIN G
t day at the police-office, is, it is stated,
held yesterday an
the immediate arrest of the alleged
warrant for .
that a hreatening notices to Messrs. D. F. Leahy
sender of the t
issuedand -
1-..ey was
and W. Ga g
stabularly. The person said to be concerned is pretty
The result of the d
C°7l,, known, but for the present we deem it advisable not to
well • formation respecting him. Messrs. S. Gillman
give any in pr:ate
and P. O'Connell, crown solicitors, were present during the
investigation,—FßlDA.Y.—The following seven persons
were arrested and brought before the magistrates at the
police-office to-day, charged with sending threatening
letters to Mr. D, F. Leahy, J.P., viz.:—James Charles
O'Connell, Miltown Cottage, Kilmallock; John O'Connell,
Lisheens ; John O'Connell, junior, Morgan O'Connell,
Catherine O'Connell, Anna Maria O'Connell, and Jeremiah
Forde, Ballincollig. The letters, which were read, con-
tained the most dreadful threats, and were couched in theo
most violent language, The prisoners were refmanddeind for
eight days for further testimony.
—Examiner.
case of the male prisoners, but was aßccaeilpreadsforre the females.

~-__••

TUE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, MAY 26.

The Cunard steamship America has arrived,
bringing mails from New York to the 13th, from
Boston to the 14th, and from Halifax to the 16th
inst. alie brought 61,153 dole. in specie on freight.
In the Senate on the 12th the bill providing for
the collection of direct taxes in insurrectionary dis
tricts was taken up, debated at considerable length,
and finally passed with only three dissenting votes,
after being amended so as to provide for an addi-
tional tax to cover all the expenses of the collec-
tion and the salaries of officers appointed under the
bill.

In the House of Representatives on the 12th Mr,
Wickliffe, of Kentucky, introduced resolutions de-
claring the Emancipation and Confiscation Bills un-
constitutional, but objection was made to them, and
they were withdrawn for the present. Mr. Love-
joy's bill, assuring freedom in all the territories, was
then taken up, and, after considerable debate, was
passed, with modifications suggested by Mr. Love-
-jay himself. The title was amended so as to read,
as An Act to Secure Freedom to all Persons within
the Territories of the United States." A bill was
introduced to define and punish as a high crime and
misdemeanour the adhering to or giving aid and
comfort to persons in rebellion against the Govern-
ment. The bill giving bounties to soldiers injured
in the present war was debated at considerable
length, and finally passed. It appropriates six
millions for the bounties.
A committee of Conservative members of Con-
gress had held a meeting, and adopted the following
resolutions

"First—That the Constitution, the Union, and
the laws of the United States must be enforced, and
the rebellion against them put down, and that it is
their daty to vote for every measure necessary and
proper to that end.
__ ..

" Second.—That it is the dictate of policy, as well
of humanity, that no more war, violence, or injury
should be inflicted than are absolutely necessary to
suppress the rebellion. That while no blow should
be spared the rebellion as long as it is in arms
against the Government, we should remember that
those engaged in it have been our fellow-citizens,
and they and their descendants must again make
and partake in a common destiny.
Third.—That the States are component and
essential parts of the Union, bound together by the
Constitution ; that rebels cannot divest States of
their rights and powers as such parts of the Union,
and, though they may obstruct for a time the enjoy-
ment of these rights and powers, upon the removal
of the obstruction, by the suppression of the rebel-
lion, the States must revert to their original rights
and relations, and so remain as long as the Consti.
tution of the United States, which binds them into
one Government, shall endure.
" Fourth.—That while condign punishment
should be visited on leading rebels to mark and
stigmatise their detestable crime, the masses of the
people of the seceded States are not equal offenders,
and deserve immediate amnesty oa abandoning their
opposition to the Government.
" Fifth.—That on these principles the general
Confiscation and Emancipation Bills pending before
Congress are impolitic, unconstitutional, and highly
dangerous to the future peace of the country, and
should not become laws.

" Sixth.—That the members of Congress, uniting
in the expression of these sentiments, while not all
fully indorsing everything that President Lincoln
has done, do nevertheless have an abiding confi-
dence in his honesty, patriotism, and desire to pre-
serve the constitutional rights of the States."
On the 10th a disastrous fire occurred at Troy;
the damage was estimated at 2,000,000 dole., and
some lives were lost.

A vessel had arrived at New York with 1,943
bales of cotton from Port-Royal.
From the correspondence, dated May 10, of the
New York Times, we extract the following account
of the operations at Norfolk :
" Norfolk and Gosport Navy-yard again belong
to the United States. Our troops under Gen. Wool
entered and took possession of the town at 5 o'clock
this afternoon, reculviug Ilb surrenuer at the /114110 b
of the Mayor and Common Council. All the troops
who had been holding it under Gen. linger were
withdrawn yesterday ; the publics buildings and
public property in the Navy-yard were all de-
stroyed ; the people remained in the city, and our
forces entered into peaceable possession, being en-
camped two miles out of the town, in what is called
the entrenched camp, which was very strongly for-
tified, and in which 30 pieces of cannon fell into
our possession. Brigadier-General Egbert L. Viele
has been appointed Military Governor of the place,
and the strongest assurances were given by General
Wool and by Secretary Chase, who accompanied
him throughout the march, that the persons and
property of all the inhabitants should be treated
with the utmost respect. After the fall of York-
town, and the withdrawal of the great body of the
rebel army it was believed that the abandonment of
Norfolk would speedily follow as a necessary con-
sequence. When General M'Clellan, therefore, on
Monday, after the fall of Yorktown, telegraphed to
Gen. Wool asking for more troops in order to make
an effective pursuit of the rebels up the York
River, General Wool declined to send any, on the
ground that it might become necessary for him to
take and hold Norfolk. On Thursday the little
steamtug J. B. White came in from Norfolk,
having deserted from the rebel service. She had
been sent to bring in a couple of schooners
from the mouth of Tanner's Creek, the officers in
charge of her being Northern men. On arriving,
they reported to General -Wool that the rebel troops
were evacuating Norfolk. Under these circum-
stances General Wool decided to make a military
demonstration upon Norfolk. A large body of
troops was embarked upon the transports lying in
the Roads, and all preparations were made with a
view to a landingon Sewall'e Point during Thursday.
Several vessels were sent to shell the Point the
preceding day, and, as you have already heard, 1
they did it with a good deal of effect. But they re-
ceived very vigorous replies from the batteries there,
and were finally put to flight by the appearance of
the Merrimac, which came up to take part in the
confliA. This vigorous demonstration on the part
of the rebels satisfied the military authorities that.
the attack could not safely be made at that time or
a* that point. The troops were accordingly dis-
embarked on Friday morning, and the expedition
was for the time abandoned. On Friday Secretary
Chase, who had been spending several days here,
as had also President Lincoln and Secretary Stan-
ton, learnt from a pilot familiar with the coast that
there was a place where a lauding could be effected
a mile or so beyond Willoughby Point, and that a
very good road led directly from that shore to Nor-
folk. In company with General Wool and Colonel
T. J. Cram, of the Topographical Engineers, Secre-
tary Chase, on Friday, crossed over in the steam
revenue cutter Miami, and sent a boat to sound the
depth of water and examine the shore, with a view
to a landing of troops. While doing so, they per-
ceived signs of a mounted picket guard on the shore
above, and not deeming it safe to venture too far
they pulled back for the Miami. On their way, how-
ever, a woman was seen in a house on shore waving
a white flag. She gave the party a good deal of valu-
able information concerning the roads and the con-
dition of the country between there and Norfolk.
Secretary Chase and Colonel Cram went ashore and
satisfied themselves that a landing was perfectly
feasible. On returning to Fortress Munroe they
found that President Lincoln and Secretary Stan-
ton, on examining the maps, had been led to make
similar exploration and had come to a similar
Conclusion. The result of all this was that General
Wool decided upon an immediate march upon Nor-
folk from that point, and orders were at once issued
to carry it into effect. The steamer Adelaide,
which was filled
with freight and passengers for
Biltimore, was 4topped half an hour before her time
of sailing, and with half a dozen others was at once
occupied by the infantry and artillery destined for
the expedition. They began to embark about four
o'clock on Friday afternoon, and by midnight seve-
ral of them had started for the opposite shore. A
vigorous bombardment Wes opened from the Rip
Raps upon Sewall's Point, and kept up for two
hours, to induce the belief that this was the in- ,

tended point of debarkation. The steamers crossed
over, and at daylight preparations were made for
landing. The shore is a smooth sandy beach, the
sand being very deep as you leave the water, and
suddenly rising into long mounds 10 or 15 feet
high, thrown up by the heavy winds blowing on
shore, and forming a complete breastwork around
the fields which they invade. The water, shallow
at the shore line, deepens very gradually, and only
at some 50 feet oat becomes deep enough for vessels
drawing five or six feet of water. Three or four
canal boats were towed over, and placed side by
side lengthwise of the coast; an inclined platform
was constructed to the land, and this served for a
temporary wharf, across which the troops, cannon,
and other indispensables of the expedition were
landed. The infantry regiments were landed first,
and started at once upon their march. The negroes,
who alone remained behind, said that a mounted
picket had been there the day before, but had left,
saying the Union men wero coming over in a day or
two. The troops were landed, and started forward.
One object of pushing forward the infantry rapidly
was to secure, if possible, the bridge across Tanner's
Creek, by which the route to Norfolk would be
shortened several miles. The route lay through
pine woods and over roads in only tolerable condi-
tion. At about one o'clock the leading regiment,
under Max Weber, came to the bridge and found it
burning, having just been set on fire by a body of
men who had planted a couple of small guns on the
opposite bank, which they opened upon oar advance.
General Mansfield, who had come over from New-
port News, at General Wool's request, to join the
expedition, thought this indicated an intention to
resist the further progress of our troops, and that
nothing could be done without artillery and a
larger force. He accordingly started back to hurry
up the batteries and to provide for bringing over a
portion of his command as a reinforcement. Gen.
Wool, however, meantime decided to push forward.
The column marched back about two miles and a
half, to a point where a diverging road led around
the head of Tanner's Creek, and took that route to
Norfolk. Nothing further was heard from the party
that had fired upon our columns, and it was evident
that the demonstration was merely intended to pro-
tect them in the destruction of the bridge. They
fired about a dozen shots, none of which took effect.
Our troops pushed rapidly forward, in spite of the
heat of the day, and at five o'clock reached the en-
trenched camp, some two miles this side of Norfolk,
which had been very strongly fortified with earth-
works, on which were mounted 29 pieces of artil-
lery. No troops were in the place, and our
forces passed through it on their way to the town.
Just before reaching it they were met by a flag
of truce, to which an officer was at once sent for-
ward to inquire its object. Receiving information
that it was to treat for the surrender of the city, the
officer returned, and General Wool and staff, with
Secretary Chase, advanced to meet the mayor of
the city, who had come out under the flag. Both
parties dismounted and entered a cottage by the road-
side, when the mayor informed the General of the
evacuation of the city, and of the object of his visit.
It seems that a meeting was held at Norfolk some
days since, not long, probably, after the evacuation
of Yorktown was resolved upon, of the rebel secre-
tary of War, General Huger, General Longstreet,
and some others of the leading military authorities,
at which it was determined not to attempt to hold
the city against any demonstration of the national
forces to effect its capture. This decision was fol-
lowed by the withdrawal of the main body of the
troops. Upon receiving a note from General Huger
stating that this had been done, the Mayor immedi-
ately convened the select and common councils of
the city, and a Committee was appointed to confer
with the Federal commander.

" The Mayor, after presenting the resolutions
come to at the meeting, said he had come, in con-
formity with the instructions they contained, to
surrender the city into the hands of the United
States, and to ask protection for the persons and
property of the citizens.

" General Wood replied that his request was
granted in advance, that the Government of the
United States had not the slightest wish or thought
of interfering with the rights of any peaceable citi-
zen, and mar all await] harp r.ll .5.1.. L
violence of every kind. The first thing he had
done on setting out in the morning had been to
issue an order prohibiting, under the severest penal-
ties, any interference with the private property or
rights of any citizen, and this prohibition should be
enforced with the utmost rigour. He begged the
Mayor to rest assured that every thing he had asked
should be granted.
" The party then broke up to go to the City-hall,
where the Commanding-General issued a general
order appointing Brigadier-General Viele military
governor for the time being, authorizing him to see
that all citizens were carefully protected in their
rights and privileges; and instructing him to take
the utmost care to preserve order.
" Immediately after issuing this order General
Wool with his Staff and Secretary Chase withdrew,
and rode back across the country to Ocean View,
the place of debqrcation, which they reached a
little after 8 o'clock.

" General Viele at once entered upon the dis-
charge of his duties. His first act was to issue a
proclamation, in which he stated that the occupancy
of the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth was for the
protection of public property, and the maintenance
of the public laws of the United States; that pri-
vate associations and domestic quiet would not be
disturbed, but that violations of order and disre-
spect to the Government would be followed by the
immediate arrest of the offenders.

" Immediatey after General Wool left the City-
hall a large concourse of citizens assembled around
the City-hall. Major Lamb came forward and ad-
dressed them briefly, confining himself mainly to
recital of the incidents of the day. He enjoined
upon the citizens the maintenance of peace and
quiet, and exhorted them to abstain from all acts of
violence and disorder. If the decision had rested
with him he would have defended the city to the
last man; but their Government had decided dif-
ferently, and they must yield to its authority. The
Mayor's remarks were cheered by the crowd, who
also gave three cheers for President Davis with a
great deal of enthusiasm, and also responded with
less heartiness to a demand for three groans for
Lincoln.

" The embarcation of the expedition began at 4
o'clock yesterday. It was landed upon a slightly
known shore, without a whalf, sway nou.t
General Wool slept in Fortress Monroe last night,
marched with his troops some twenty miles, cap-
tured Norfolk, and was in bed again in his own
quarters before midnight."
A letter, dated Fortress Monroe, May 11, says :
" At 4 o'clock this morning a bright light was
Observed from Fortress Monroe, in the direction of
Craney Island, which was supposed at first to be a
signal of some description from the Merrimac. Pre-
cisely at half-past 4 o'clock an explosion took place,
which made the earth and water tremble for miles
around. In the midst of the bright flame which
shot up in the
distance,
the timber and iron of the
monster steamer
air. No doubt was
could bo seen flying through the
Merrimac had ceased
entertained
Ft he
aagt
otffih ec
evre rGi toal
db
sl
borough, on receiving this report, ordered two armed
n tval tugs, the Zouave and the Dragon, to proceed
towards Craney Island on a reconnaissance, and as-
certain the truth of the
rurnou
two tugsboats were seen emir); In the meantime
on towards the
endeavouring to
for-
tress at full speed, each apparently
outvie the other, and when nearing the wharf the
radient countenance of Captain Case, of the Minne-
sota, gave assurance that the news they brought was
of a most gratifying character. The report was true
F
—he had met parts of the floating wreck.
men found on the island we ascertained that the
the
Merrimac had lain during Saturday at a point nearly
a mile below the position from which the fragments
were observed. During the night, however, she had
been brought back and run ashore. The whole of
her officers and crew were landed on the island, and
a slow match was applied to her magazine. She was
torn to fragments by the time the crew were out of
reach of her. Negroes state that the officers and
cre w passed through the adjoining country, on the
mainland, about 8 in the morning, to the number of
200. They said they were on their way to Suffolk. I
bave no doubt whatever of the destruction of the