The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING% OCTOBER 11, 1862.

THE CIVIL TVAR IN AMERICA.

(From the Times' Correspondent.)

NEW YORK, SEPT. 26.
The President's proclamation, emancipating the
sl'Aves in all States in insurrection, without refer-
ence to the loyalty of their owners, though promis-
ing compensation to such of them as can prove that
they never aided, abetted, or comforted the rebels,
has created a very bad feeling in this city. Though
not a decree of universal emancipation—for any
slaveholding State that remains in the Union and
appoints representatives to Congress in the usual
manner may continue to keep slaves as long as it
pleases—it has alarmed the conservative sentiment
of the country, and gone far to show that the
threat of Gen. Butler at New Orleans of a servile
war, to be provoked and inaugurated, if not ex-
pressly recommended by the Chief Magistrate, was
premature but not unfounded. Wall-street is in a
flutter of painful excitement, and gold, the baro-
meter of its fears, has gone up to 21 per cent. prem.
Though many persons hold that the proclamation
will be inoperative, the large majority of people be-
yond the narrow boundaries of New England, who
have no social, political, or economic sympathy with
negroes, believe that its effect will be to embitter
and prolong the war ; and that it will lead to com-
plications in the North of worse augury for the
triumph of the Federal cause than the armed hosti-
lity of the South. It is evident that the President
has not taken this step of his own free will. In his
address to the representatives of the Border States,
immediately prior to the adjournment of Congress,
he warned those gentlemen that a pressure might
be brought to bear up nn him by the Abolitionist
party which he might be unable to resist, and so
lately as the 13th inst., only nine days before he
finally committed himself to the Abolitionist party,
he expressed to a deputation from Chicago his
doubts whether a proclamation of emancipation
would do any good, and stated, more suo, his objec-
tion to issue a document " that the whole world
-would see to be necessarily as inoperative as the ,
Tope's Bull against a comet."
At the same interview he admitted he had thought
for weeks and even for months upon the subject,
and that he was approached by men of different
opinions, some defending and some opposing the
institution of slavery, but both proclaiming " their
certainty that they represented the Divine Will."
As both could not be right, he thought that God
was just as likely to reveal His will to him as to
them, anti told the deputation that he earnestly
desired to know the will of Providence in the
matter, " and would act upon it if he could but
learn it with certainty." But nine days after these
sirciple-minded and very remarkable admissions,
and without claiming the inspiration of any new
light from Heaven, he made a movement towards
indiscriminate emancipation by publishing the peril-
ous halfway proclamation which has created as much
alarm as a defeat of M'Clellan would have done, and
far more perplexity and discouragement. The defeat
of M'Clellan would have but aroused the North to
the display of a more obstinate energy, and sent an
additional quarter of a million of men to the war ;
but the proclamation has darkened counsel with
vain words, made the South a more cohesive unit
than before, and split up the North more hopelessly
than ever.

While the legality of the document is question-
able, its impolicy is most unquestionable. Its re-
milts in Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, and even
in Maryland, may yet turn the scales of victory in
favour of the South ; and in the North itself they
may prove the germ of intestine strife that not even
peace between North and South will deprive of
vitality. But in taking this momentous step Mr.
Lincoln does not appear to be quite convinced in his
own mind that he was right. He speaks like a man
who was over persuaded by acuter logicians or more
pertinacious disputants than himself, like one upon
whose weaker mind the impress was made by strong
external agencies, against which he had not the in-
nate and irresistible conviction to contend. He re-
ceived the honours of a serenade from the Aboli-
tionists of Washington the evening after the pro-
clamation appeared, and addressed the crowd from
one of the windows of the White House in a few
melancholy and almost desponding -words. Allud-
ing to the proclamation as the only possible cause
of the unusual compliment conferred on him, he
declared that what he had done he had done after
very full deliberation and under a very heavy and
solemn sense of responsibility. "I can only trust
in God," he added, " that I have made no 7nistake.
In my position I am environed with difficulties."
Hard indeed would be the heart that would not
sympathise with Mr. Lincoln in the sore trials with
which he is beset by open enemies, by false friends,
and by foolish supporters. He offers to the world
the spectacle which the heathen philosopher affirmed
to be pleasing to the gods—that of a good man
struggling with adversity.
But no impartial student of the great events in
which he plays so prominent a part can give him
{credit for persistent vigour, great capacity, or sound
judgment. His vigour is spasmodic; he mistrusts
himself continually. He assumes responsibilities
that do not rightfully pertain to him. He plays
fast and loose with high principles. He acts despo-
tically, without the force which can alone make des-
potism respectable. He is as weak and vacillating
as Charles I. or Louis XVI., and does quite as much
mischief with the best of intentions as those un-
happy Sovereigns. He would have made an excel-
lent Governor for the State of Illinois, but hard fate
has converted him into an unfortunate and ineffi-
cient President. It remains to be seen whether,
having yielded as far as he has done to the party
that nes given up all hope of conciliating the South,
and that looks to its subjection by fire and
sword, and the extermination, if need be, of
the whole of the siaveholding population, as the
only solution of existing difficulties, he will hold
firm at his present stand-point. Whatever he may
do or think on the matter, it is certain that the
Abolitionists will strive to impel him onwards.
Hard theorists are not to be mollified, except by
the full triumph of their theory. They applaud
half measures for a little time, just as they ap-
I
prove the insertion of the thin point of the wedge;
but it is the necessity of their position, as well as ,
of their theory, to drive the wedge home, and
to be unsatisfied while anything remains to be
done. Hence their cry must be for emancipa-
tion full and complete, with compensation if the
South should yield ; without compensation if it
should persist in the struggle. The ery has not yet
been raised, lest it should embarrass and frighten I
the President, but it is as certain to be heard at its
appointed time as night is to follow day.
But no one, whether Abolitionist or not, asks
What shall be done with the negroes after emanci-
pation, except Mr. Lincoln. And he knows of no
-better course to pursue than to expatriate them by
wholesale, whether they like or dislike the process.
What can come of such wisdom as this but confusion
and defeat ?
In °lew of the certain extension of the war con-
Eeqe
eet upon the proclamation, the President is
said to be meditating the propriety of calling for the I
levy of a
reserve force of half a million of men.
They will all be needed. The existing armies of the
manifestly insufficient for the work in
hltaenpdu,bilfic are
thethretains its purpose of subjection.
The swarms of volunteers raised since the com-
mencement of the war
have been so vast as to cause
surprise at their
numbers andt admiration for the
patriotism of the people that could so readily
organize, equip, and send to battle
attle such enormous
hosts ; hut it is scarcely less
a
has become
of surprise
and wonder to know what
hae
hcome of them.
General M'Clellan is reported to haveb ad no more
than 90,000 men at the battles of
shtv.
Psh urg and
Antietam, General Butler has not more than
10,000 at New Orleans. General Buell is believed
to have scarcely 60,000 in Kentucky. Popular be-
lief assigns to General Mitchell, in North Carolina
20000; ; and to General Wadsworth about 50,000
men for the defence of Washington, and there may
bees many as .50,000 more under various officers,
distributed in other parts of the couctry, from
I
Baltimore to St. Louis.f these figures be even
approximately correct, the Federal armies, inde-
pendent of the new levies, few or none of which
have been despatched beyond the limits of
the States in which they were enrolled, must
number less than 280,000 men. This is an immense

fforce, and only appears small by comparison withl
the greater armies which were in existence at an
earlier period of the struggle. Six months ago the
Federr 1 Government had 700,000 troop, in its pay,
and the number was believed to be so much more
than sufficient for the suppression of the rebellion
ttan a cry arose in the Senate to stop enlistments,
and they were stopped accordingly, by authority of
the War Department. It appeared, however, on
subsequent investigation that only 540,000 men
were actually under command; the remaining
160,000 representing the full strength of regiments
and brigades that were not complete, although
somebody or other in high position, as yet undis-
covered or unpunished, drew pay and rations for
the whole, and allowed subordinates or accomplices
to pocket the difference.

During those six months the only battles or
series of battles attended with severe loss of life to
either side have been three. The first was at
Shiloh, when Generals Grant and Buell were op-
posed to General Beauregard, and when the
`slaughter on each side was greater than any ad-
vantage derived by either. The second was in the
unfortunate invasion of the Virginian Peninsula by
General M'Clellan, and the ill-advised change of his
base of operations from the Chickahominy to the
James. The third was the masterly movement of
the same General from Washington to Sharpsburg,
resulting in the quasi-evacuation of Maryland by the
Confederates, and what appears to have been, at
the best, the drawn battle of Antietam. The pre-
cise loss cf life on these occasions has never been
stated, and is probably unknown, but has been re-
presented as very large by the Generals engaged
and by the tradition of the soldiers who took part
in them. If the Federals lost 20,000 men in killed
and wounded in each of these series of battles,
which is a very high estimate, 60,000 men would
be accounted for. But between 540,000 and 280,000
the difference is 260,000. And if only 60,000 have
been killed in battle there still remain 200,000
men who have melted away from the armies
of the North in this short interval, or, in round
numbers, 1,100 per day. Fever, dysentery,
and sickness, and the hardships of camp
life, operating on the delicate frames of youths of
18 and 20, must have carried off a large percentage.
Capture by the enemy will account for many thou-
sands, and perhaps the military hospitals may at
this moment contain as many sick and suffering sol-
diers as might constitute a respectable army were
they competent to take the field. To these must be
added the three months' volunteers, who have re-
turned to their homes ; and if all these added toge-
ther do not fully account for 260,000 men, the bal-
ance must be ascribed to desertion.

These figures are by no means cheerful, but are
quite sufficient to justify the President, if he really
means to attempt the conquest of the South and its
retention afterwards as a military dependency, in
appealing to the North for an additional army of
600,000 men. The number will be none too many
for the purpose ; and if, after they are raised and
equipped, they melt away as rapidly as the former
levies, he will require at least the half-million more
which he is said to demand as a reserve, to enter
upon the spring campaign, should the war last as
long. Can the country stand such a drain ? Is there
patriotism, or obstinacy, or settled purpose enough
in the North to meet such enormous draughts upon
its energy ? The Abolitionists, a large section of the
Republicans, a smaller section of the Democrats,
and all who are making fortunes out of the war, re-
ply in the affirmative. These are for the present in
the ascendancy, if not in the majority. They rule
the country. They overawe or overbear public opi-
nion in the press. They imprison or otherwise coerce
those who dare to differ from them. They bluster so
loudly as to affright that large class of timid people
who pray for peace and quietness, and only ask of
their Government permission to attend to their own
affairs, untroubled by war, and untrammelled by
politics.

But there is a thinking class behind all these,who
answer the pregnant question in the negative; who
doubt the persistency of their countrymen ; who do
not think the retention of the South advisable, if
the Southern people object; and who, in any
case, are of opinion that the conquest of the
whole continent, from Panama to the grave of
Sir Sohn Franklin, would not be worth one-half
of the treasure that has been expended, or a thou-
sandth part of the blood that has been shed in the
apparently interminable strife. Time alone can
I show which of these is right; but if the war party
are accurate in their estimate of the resources, the
character, and the determination of their country-
men, neither Persian, nor Assyrian, nor Greek, nor
Roman, nor Briton, nor Gaul, was or is equal to
the Northern American. The Southern American,
being of the same race and equally brave, if not
more than equally obstinate—when shall two such
giants come to terms ? The premises being granted
hostilities must last until either the North on the
South be depopulated or exhausted ; and, instead
of being a war of 90 days, it will be one of 30 years
at the least, Perhaps, however, it may turn out
ere all is over that the Americans are not so much
better than the rest of the world, ancient or modern,
as the largeness of their continent leads them to
imagine ; and that pride, and patriotism, and obsti-
nacy, and " bounce," may all yield at the right mo-
ment to the inexorable necessity of paying the
piper—a personage who takes no more account of
great democracies than of small monarchies, and who
has no more respect for an autocrat and an Emperor
—tracing back his genealogy for a thousand years
—than he has for a simple-minded lawyer elected
by universal suffrage to the Presidency of a Re-
public, The turn of this potentate has yet to come ;
and his hand, when it falls, will be heavier than has
fallen upon any nation of our time.

Among the countless symptoms of disunion that
begim. to be apparent in the North, the meeting of
thirteen Governors of States in convention at
Altoona is among the most prominent. These
gentlemen, though supporting a war for the suppres-
sion of " State Rights" in the South, cling more or
less to " State Rights" in the North. They deli-
berated in secret, and adjourned after two meet-
lings from Altoona to Washington. The Republican
journals assert that their only object is to support
the Government; while the Democratic journals
assert, on the contrary, that their desire is to coerce
the Government, and compel Mr. Lincoln, if they
can, to dismiss General AlTlellan in favour of Gene-
ral Fremont, or some other Abolitionist, and to
issue at no distant date, a new proclamation of full,
complete, unconditional emancipation. These lat-
ter add that the President was fully informed of
and issued his proclamation of the
the wind out of their sails. The action
2 their 2 d t
od et
as ikgen s ,
of these persons is not only officious and unwarrant-
able, but appears to be unconstitutional, if they
claim in their assemblage or convention to be any-
thing more than private citizens. As Governors
they have no title or power, when they leave the
boundaries of their own little commonwealths, and
have no right to confer with each other ex officio, or
form alliances for controlling or even advising upon
public affairs. Their proceedings, whatever they
may turn out to be, will be watched with extreme
jealousy ; and if they presume to make stipulations
for enrolling volunteers on only such conditions as
they may choose to present, they will be clearly
liable to the operation of martial law, as set forth
in the President's second proclamation of the day
before yesterday. The progr4mme of their proceed-
ings which they have chosen to publish is harm-
less enough. There was no need of their assem-
bling at Altoona, or Washington, or anywhere else,
merely to inform the President that they supported
the Government arid approved his proclamation on
slavery ; and hence the wilful public persists in
believing that in this case, as in others, there was a
wheel within a wheel, and that the particular
wheel which they then allowed the world to see was
not the main or motor-wheel of the mechanism.

have
The Republican Convention at Syracuse
nominated General Wadsworth as their candidate
for Governor of New York. Generals Dix and
Fremont disappear from the lists ; and the struggle
Horatio Seymour
will be a fair and simple issue between the Hon.
fid,e.nt of success, arid
-Wadsworth on the other. The Democrats feel con-
on the one side and General
con-
which they antiFip
be such a. s may inau
Ette, the results in Congress will
,g should
,a. theyii gain
and the
im pvoi victory
chapter in the history of the
war and the fortunes
of Mr, Lincoln's Administratiou.

EXTENSIVE AND SINGULAR REFALCA-

i.lois O.F A TAX COLLECTOR.

A few weeks since considerable excitement was
created in Brighton by the fact becoming known
that Mr. W. H. Chittenden, one of the collectors
for the parish of Brighton, of land, assessed, and
income taxes, had been arrested on a detainer war-
rant in consequence of extensive defalcations dis-
. covered among his accounts. No public proceedings
were taken, the ex-collector being merely lodged in
Lewes gaol as a crown debtor, and the local commis-
sioners of taxes setting to the work of discovering
how extensive the defalcations really were. One
thousand pounds was the amount named in the
detaining warrant, but rumour said this would
cover but a small portion of the real deficit ; and so
it has turned out_ From a report just issued by the
clerk to the commissioners, it appears that the total
defalcation is £6,565 Bs. 7d., of which the surety
bond covers only £2,500. There is also some per-
sonal property mentioned, the realisation of which
may still further lessen the deficit; but no doubt a
very large sum will remain to be reimbursed to the
Government by an assessment on the who;e parish.
The narrative how the defalcations were brought
about contains some rather extraordinary facts. At
a certain period after the close of the tax .year, on
the sth April, the collector has to deliver a sche-
dule of defaulters, which should contain a list of
the names of all persons then in arrear, with the
amounts due from each, and it was on the delivery, at
the end of last July, of this list for the income-tax
to Mr. Maunder (who had been appointed surveyor
for the district in the preceding month of May,
that this gentleman first discovered irregularity is
the collector's documents, by noticing that th 3
totals cast up at the ends of the schedule were
much larger in amount than the amounts placed
opposite the names of defaulters in the preceding
part, and upon a closer investigation he found that
the figures of the totals had been altered by adding,
in many instances, the figure I—making, for
example, what in the cast column was £B2, in the
column of totals £lB2, and altering the figures at the
bottom of the cast of the totals by changing 1 to 2
thus making £l,OOO into £2,000. This was dont
in so palpable and blundering a manner as to ht
easy of detection. The surveyor called in the as
sistance of the clerk (Mr. Somers Clarke, solicitor',
and the collector was asked for an explanation. Ile
stated that the schedule had been carelessly made
out by his clerks, who had not taken the trouble to
copy out the names of the defaulters in it, and
altered the figures to make up the requisite amount
to balance the money paid over by the collector, and
the amount due from defaulters with the total of
the collector's duplicate assessment. This, how-
ever, was not considered a sufficient explanation.
and the surveyor required the collector to pro-
duce to him his receipt books, that he might check
the counterfoils of the receipts with the pay-
ments to the receiving officer, which he did, and
reported to the clerk that there appeared to be
nothing wrong in the money. This was so far sa-
tisfactory that the clerk, who was on the eve of de-
parting for the continent, did not think it necessary
to postpone his journey, the collector having pro-
mised
to make out a correct list of defaulters before
his return. A letter from the Board of Inland Re-
venue hastened the investigation, which the preva-
rication of the collector could not delay, and he was
ultimately apprehended as stated, all his documents
and real and personal estate being seized at the same
time. At his office were found no less than 54 receipt
books for the property tax for the year ending April
5, 1862, some of which were wholly used, some par-
tially used, and 13 not used at all. These must
have been delivered from the surveyor's office in
bulk to the collector, and formed a solution to the
misleading of Mr. Maunder when he looked into
the account, as the collector, instead of producing
all his receipt books, produced only such as suited
his purpose. A remarkable circumstance brought
out by the investigation was that the collector had
himself entered all his receipts in the cash book,
showing exactly when and from whom the moneys
were received, and which entries correspond with
the counterfoils of the receipts, and are to a great
extent properly posted up in the collector's dupli-
cate of assessments. This is certainly remarkable
when contrasted with the falsified list of defaulters
and the large amount of the defalcations.
We may here say that the abstractions were of the
most wholesale character. The statement of accounts
extends only from Oct. 25, 1861, to Sept. 16, 1862,
when the appointment of the defaulter was revoked;
yet during that time the deficit shown is £6,565 Bs.
7d. Of course peculation had been going on before,
but the previous year's account had been balanced
and closed as between the Crown and the parish.
As an instance, it may be stated that at one time
the sum received for income tax in the collector's
hands was £1,048 17s. 9d., but the payment made
by him, under the sanction of the surveyor, to the
bankers for the receiving officer was only £44 14s.
9d. It appears that the check ordained by the
Board of Inland Revenue had not been thoroughly
carried out by the surveyor. Although the collector
weekly transferred his cash to the banker, after
which he had no more control over it, and the cash
so transferred was supposed to represent the total
amount in hand, yet he was enabled by the absence
of almost all check to make such large abstractions
as we have stated. The report further adds to the
extraordinary circumstances attending the affair a
statement that the clerk had been totally unable to
discover what has become of the large sum of money
due from the collector. His unfortunate connection
with mining speculations and other transactions
arising out of them does not appear to have absorbed
more than from £l,OOO to £1,500, and there seems
no reason to believe that he is possessed, or any one
for him, of any money or effects not discovered.

The unfortunate hero of the case is a native of
Brighton, and was very much respected in the town.
It is not yet known what ulterior proceedings may
be taken.

It is not surprising to hear that the new collector
has not been able to obtain individual sureties.

HORRIBLE SUICIDE.

An inquest was held yesterday at the King's
Arms Tavern, Roadside, Commercial-road, Ratcliff,
on the body of a young woman named Elizabeth
Rose, who committed suicide in her dwelling, No.
3, Caroline-street, Rateliff.

It appeared that the deceased, who was not quite
21 years of age, was the wife of a labourer, em-
ployed in the establishment of Messrs. Ravenhill
and Salkeld, the engineers, in Ratcliff, and was
the mother of three young children. She had been
suffering from a tertiary fever for a few days only,
and had been attended by Mr. F. G. Aubin, a
surgeon and apothecary, of No. 18, Arbour-
terrace, Stepney, under whose treatment she was
progressing very favourably until Tuesday after-
noon, when she appeared very composed, and re-
quested her nurse to prepare some tea, and anxi-
ously inquired when the milk woman was likely to
call with the milk. A few minutes afterwards the
nurse observed that the deceased had covered her-
self over with the bedclothes, and that her head
was hanging on one side. The nurse spoke to the
deceased, and said "My dear woman, you mist
not cover yourself up in that manner, and don't lay
your head on one side." No answer was returned,
and the nurse turned down the bedclothes, and to
her great horror and surprise noticed blood flow-
ing copiously from her mouth, and the handle of a
razor projecting from it. The nurse called aloud
for help, several persons rushed into the room, and
among them a brewer's man from Mr. WeEt's
brewery opposite, who endeavoured to remove the
razor from the woman's throat, but failed to do so ;
and the handle was detached from it, and remailed
in his hand. Mr. Aubin was then sent for. On
his arrival the unfortunate woman was quite (had.
He succeeded in extracting the razor with a pair of
forceps.
Mr. Aubin, in his evidence, said the razor had
been thrust down the deceased's throat with great
all
bllteheen almostlargery ta
vessels were
Dfoercaethamnd hustthaatv

The deceased lost a large quantity of blood. She
lived on the best of terms with her husband, and
was very fond of her children. She bad been in
a low and melancholy state since her illness com-
menced, and talked somewhat incoherently to her
husband the night before she committed the dread-

ful at which deprived her of life. She managed
to obain possession of her husband's razor and con-
ceal tin the temporary absence of her nurse.

Th Jury returned a verdict, that the deceased
comtitted suicide while labouring under mental
deragement.

iIIEJANCHOLY SUICIDE OF A COLONIAL
BROKER IN MINCING-LANE.

Y6terday afternoon a long inquiry was gone
into )efore Mr. Payne, the City coroner, and a jury
of rerchants, at the Commercial Coffee-rooms,
Mining-lane, touching the death of Mr. Arthur
Storehouse Griffiths, a colonial broker, having
office at No. 9 in the above lane, who committed
suicie under the following painful circumstances.
Theinquest-room was crowded by merchants and
bro]ers, friends of the deceased. Mr. Smith, solici-
tor,thended to watch the proceedihgs for the rela-
tives.

I appeared from the evidence that on Wed-
neslay morning the deceased came to his busi-
ne& at his usual time, ten o'clock. He went
int( his private office, and told the clerk to
say he was engaged if any one called to see him.
A Ar. Whistler, who had au appointment with
thedeceased about some money matters, called to
see the deceased, and after waiting a short time
the housekeeper of the chambers looked through
the far.light of the door of the private room
ani saw the unfortunate gentleman lying back
on a chair in an apparently dying state. The
roan was entered and he was found insensible,
and in a few minutes he expired. There was
a strong odour of essential oil of almonds
abut the place, and there was a glass near
the deceased, which contained a few drops of
that Poison. On the table of the room were several
letter: which the unhappy man had just written.
One addressed to Mr. Whistler was to the following
effect:—

" Whistler forgive me. I did not intend to rob
you. I have been swindled. "A. S. G."

Anther letter was addressed to Mr. Parrott, who
was a large creditor. It was as follows :
" Thanks for all your kindness. May God repay
you for it, and forgive me all my sins. I have tried
earnestly to pay every one, and were it not for one
or two wh,, pprgpeutp ni should have. succeeded.
May those who have so cruelly robbed me be for-
given ; but my trouble is greater than I can bear.—
Yours, " ck. S. GRIFFITHS.
" Comfort my mother if you can."
The other letters were to his mother and to Mr.
Whitmore, who was formerly in partnership with
him.

Mr. Albert Smith, of Tower-street, a friend of
the deceased, said he had recently noticed him to
be very much depressed, which he attributed to his
pecuniary affairs. He alluded to his old partner
being in debt to him, that he had tried to meet his
engagements, and that he was endeavouring to
liquidate the debts of the old firm. Deceased was
24 years old.
Mr. Nathan Smith James, managing clerk to Mr.
Rae, solicitor, said they had been concerned for Mr.
Parrott in a claim of some £2,000 or £3,000 against
Mr. Griffiths, and a judgment had been obtained,
but there was no pressure put upon him, and he was
to pay off the creditors as the old debts were got in.
Deceased seemed depressed, but he was told that
with a little care he would go safely through his
affairs. He did not know what the deceased meant
by alluding to those who had so cruelly robbed him.
The creditors did not press him, and Mr. Whitmore
could not have done more than he had to arrange
the affairs.

Mr. Lewis, surgeon, having deposed to the fact
the deceased died from the effects of poison, the
Coroner summed up, and after some deliberation
the jury returned a verdict that the deceased de-
stroyed himself while in a state of temporary
insanity.

ALLEGED PROFLIGACY IN A TVORK-

HO USE.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

Yesterday morning, Mr. R. B. Cane, one the in-
pectors of the Poor Law Board, opened an investi-
gsition in the board-room of the Bethnal-green
Workhouse, Waterloo-road, Victoria-park, with
respect to certain charges of a grave nature against
Mr. 'Theobald Merrick, the master of Bethnal-green
Workhouse.

Mr. Lewis, of Ely-place, appeared on behalf of
Mr. Theobald Merrick, the master of the work-
house ; aad Mr. Angel, solicitor, represented those
of the parishioners whose memorial had given rise
to the present inquiry.
Mr. Cane said that there were several charges to
be investigated, but he should only at present enter
into that of :Mary Ann Scanner.
Sarah Anne Smith, 18, Buck's-buildings, Homer-
ton, said that nhe was a married woman. Her
maiden name was Scanner. She was formerly a
trousers-maker, and then went into service. She
was in service with two families and then went as
a seamstress to a lady at Clapham, and afterwards
in the Globe-road. After she left that place she
entered the Bethnal-green workhouse, because she
had no clothes, and thought she could get a place
afterwards from it. A Miss Brewer was then living
in the house. Only the staircase separated Miss
Brewer's room from the master's. -Witness entered
the house on the 19th of January, 1861. One Sun-
day morning afterwards she was going up to Miss
Brewer's roam with some water, when Mr. Merrick
called out to her, and she went to see what he wanted.
He told her to come into the room. When she did so
she found that he was only partly dressed. He
instantly locked the door, and seized her by the
shoulders, and threw her on the bed. She screamed
but he said he would take care of her. He effected
his purpose. When she got away she met upon the
stairs a Mrs. Brown, an inmate, and told her what
had happened. Witness was crying. Mr. Merrick
solicited her frequently afterwards, but she refused.
Three weeks afterwards she was leaving the work-
house, when the master sent for her to his office,
and told her not to tell any one what had happened,
and he would do well for her. He would give her
always plenty of clothing. She said she had told
Mrs. Brown about the matter. Mrs. Brown was
sent for, and was told by the master that he would
punish her if she told anything about it, and that
it'was not true. "Witness also told her it was not
true. He gave witness then a black silk mantle
(produced) and a shilling. She went into service
as a housemaid. When she went out for her holi-
day she used to visit the workhouse and see Mr.
Merrick. He gave her a dress and boots (produced).
She subsequently gave birth to the illegitimate
child in her arms at the Mile-end Workhouse. Mr.
Merrick was the father of the child. Before she
entered the workhouse to be confined she had to
give up her situation in Oxford-street at Mr.
Smart's publichouse and go to reside at a Mrs.
Hickman's. She told Mrs. Hickman what had oc-
curred and sent her to Mr. Merrick. The child was
born on the 7th of January last. Subsequently she
took out a summons before a magistrate to affiliate
the child upon Mr. Merrick, Before the summons
came due Mr. Angel and Mr. Onion called upon her,
and a proposition was mrde to her by the former,
in consequence of which she received money.
Mr. Lewis objected that Mr. Merrick was not
proved to have known about the proposition or the
money.

Mr-. Angel said that would be shown in evidence.
Witness—Mr Angel gave her £2O in sovereigns.
That was in the Mile-end Workhouse. She went
back to Mrs. Hickman, and remained with her for
two months. She then married her present husband.
Recently a tall gentleman, whom she did not know,
called and asked her whether she would deny at the
inquiry coming on that Mr. Merrick was the father
of the child ? He came again on Saturday week
and took her and her husband to a public•-house,
and said that Mr. Merrick sent him to ask her if she
would deny the whole affair, and he would give her
any amount of money. She said she would not.
Ho said that as she had not taken an oath (before
the magistrates) they could not now punish her for
denying the matter. She still refused.
Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis—She was a per-
fectly innocent girl before she entered the Bethnal-
green house. Never saw the man Gibles in her
house.

Gibles, a sweep, was brought in encl. confronted
with the witness,
Witness said she would swear she never saw the
man before. She had seen Mr. Bolderson, the
enginer, she thought, once. He never complained
of her to the master. She was once before the
master, and she told the master that Bolderson had
been improperly intimate with another person. A
girl named Marshall never asked her what she was
doing in the clerk's office, and never threatened to
report her if she kept going about the workhouse as
she was in the habit of doing. Mr. Ayles, the
porter, never taxed witness with being in
the family-way, and she never told him that Gibles
was the father. Mr. Onion called on her after her
confinement, but did not ask her to write a letter.
She had got a person named Newsom to write the
letter produced. Four days after it was written
Mr. Onion called on her. He did not call upon
her twenty times, but he might have done so twelve
times. He gave her no money. He took her
clothes and kept them to show, because she gave
them to him. Mr. Merrick forcibly threw her on
the bed. She screamed out, but she did not scratch
him, Miss Brewer's room was near, and a scream
might have been heard there. She was ten minutes
or a quarter of an hour in the room. She only
screamed once. She did not scream very long The
screams were directly she was got into the room—
when he locked the door. She knew what he was
going to do, as he had in his office asked her F. everal

times. She did not scream very loud, because he
told her not to do so and he would take care of her.
He threw her with great violence on the bedstead,
and her knee was struck by the post and bruised.
Her hair was all disarranged, and her cap pulled off.
She was crying when she left the room, and when
she met Mrs. Brown on the stairs. Mrs. Brown
said, " You have been in the master's bedroom.
You will remember it, too, for you are not the only
one." On subsequent occasions the master sent for
her to his office under pretext of fetching some-
thing, and solicited her there to a renewal of the
familiarity.
The cross-examination of the witness was con-
tinued to a great length, but apparently without
shaking her evidence in effect.
Mr. Wm. M'Donald, master of the Mile-end
Workhouse, swcrn, said that last witness was deli-
vered of a child at that workhouse on the 7th of
January last, Mr. Merrick called twice at his office
and asked what had taken place between the girl
and Mr. Onion in the office. He said on the second
occasion he wished he could know how the girl
could be got out of the way, and he would not
mind giving £5O. Witness told him he had better
see the girl, but he said he would not. Witness
then said, " Well, could you not manage to get some
one else to see her, and take her away 9" He said
he did not know what to do. He asked if witness
could ascertain for him from the girl what witnesses
she was to bring up at the police-court. Witness
asked her the following morning, and she refused
to tell. He wrote to Mr. Merrick that he had the
girl in the office, and she would not say who the
witnesses were. He had no further communication
with Mr. Merrick on the subject.
Cross-examined--Mr. Merrick did not say that
there was a conspiracy between Mr. Onion
and the girl. He did not say that his object
was to find out the names of the witnesses, that
he might institute inquiries as to their character.
Witness did not say," Such a summons is an awk-
ward affair, and you must get the girl out of the
way." He might have said that the best way would
be to get her out of the way. Witness was not in-
terested in destroying Mr. Merrick or otherwise.
Mr. Merrick might have said, " I would have given
£lO or £5O rather than have such a charge against
me." Witness did not recollect his saying that in
his position such a charge, right or wrong, was an
exposure. It was not Mr. Merrick that said the
charge reflected on all the masters. It was not
witness said so. Mr. Merrick never said he was
anxious to meet the charge, but was at a loss how
to set about it. Witness had seen Mr. Onion about
the case, and went to a public-house with him. Mr.
Ooion told him he was a guardian of the poor in
Mr. Merrick's union, and that he was getting up an
inquiry. Witness never received a present of any
one, or anything else from Mr. Onion. He said he
called on witness in consequence of having received
a letter from Sarah Anne Skinner. Mr. Merrick
had called on witness in consequence of a message
from witness that inquiries had been made about
the case at the gate.
The proceedings at this stage were adjourned.

POLICE IN7ELLIGENCE.—Oct. 10.

MANSION-HOUSE.—A gentlemanly-looking
young man, about 27 years of age, named Thomas
Heeps, was brought before the Lord Mayor, in cus-
tody of George Russell, detective officer, upon a
warrant charging him with stealing an order for the
payment of £127, the property of his employers, the
Brighton Hotel Company, limited.
Mr. Builton, the solicitor to the company, prose-
cuted, and Mr. Wontner appeared to watch the case
on behalf of the prisoner.
Mr. Builton said the prisoner had been in the
service of the Brighton Hotel Company as secretary,
and a cheque for £127 was given to him for the
purpose of paying in to the bankers to the company's
account, and instead of doing so he had paid it in
to his own bankers. On the 16th August last an ac-
count was due to a Messrs. Barker and Son, and at
a board meeting on that date a cheque for £64 was
drawn for the purpose of paying that account, and
given to the prisoner for that purpose. He had,
however, paid that cheque in to his own account at
Messrs. Vlasterman's. He should charge him with
stealing those two cheques, and also with forging
and utttring an endorsement to the cheque for
£64. He was not in a position to complete both
the cases against the prisoner; but he would pro-
ceed with the charge of stealing the cheque for
£64, and forging the endorsement, as all the wit-
nesses were not then present.
George Russell, detective officer, said he appre-
hended the prisoner at Pimlico, on the previous
evening, upon a warrant signed by the Lord Mayor.
He read the charge to him, and he said he had
written to the chairman, explaining the matter.
He took him to the station, and on searching him
found, amongst other things, two c tncelled cheques
and a blank cheque. The two cancelled cheques
purported to be signed by the prisoner. He atter-
wards went to the prisoner's house, where he found
a cash-box, containing £lBO in gold and two pass-
books. One of the pass-books belonged to the com-
pany, and ho found inside it two cancelled cheques
on the City Bank, which he produced. One of the
cheques was for £64 75., dated Aug. 13, payable to
the order of Chas. Barker and Sons, and purport.
ing to bear their endorsement. The other pass-book
was in the prisoner's own name, with Messrs.
Masterman's.

Robert Smith, ledger-keeper at Messrs. Master-
man and Co., bankers, Nicholas-lane, said the pri-
soner kept an account at their bank. The cheque for
£64 Is., dated Aug. 13, was paid in to the prisoner's
account on Sept. 2. _ _

Ed. Gibbons Mullins, cashier at the City Bank,
said the Brighton Hotel Company kept an account
at that Bank. The cheque produced for £64 7s. was
passed through the clearing-house, and was charged
to the account of the company. The cheque was
payable to the order of Messrs. Barker and Sons,
and would require an endorsement purporting to be
theirs, before it was paid.
Henry Evans, cashier to Messrs. Baker and Sons,
Birehin-lane, advertising agents, said there was an
account of £64 7s. due to that firm on the 15th of
August from the Brighton Hotel Company. That
account was paid on Sept. 25, but not with the
cheque produced, nor by the prisoner. The endorse-
ment on the back of the cheque purporting to be
the signature of Messrs. Barker and Sons was not
signed by any member of the firm.
Mr. IL Linford, secretary to the company, said he
believed the endorsement at the back of the cheque
to be in the handwriting of the prisoner. The ac-
count of £64 7s, was paid to Messrs. Barker by him
on the 25th of September last.
The chairman of the company said he signed the
cheque produced, at a board meeting, on the 13th of
August, and it was given to the prisoner for the pur-
pose of paying' Messrs. Barker's account.
The prisoner was remanded.

BOW-STREET.—THREATENING SIR RICHARD
MAINE.—John Paget Tremlett was again brought
before Mr. Henry on the charge of writing a threa-
tening letter to Sir R. Mayne.
Mr. Wm. R. Fredk. Lane, M.R.C.S., and licen-
tiate of Apothecaries-hall, said-1 live at North-
aide, Bethnal-green. I have attended the prisoner
for months. I think he is in his right state of mind,
but when excited he is somewhat rash and disposed
to use stronger language than is prudent,
Mr. Henry—Do you think he is competent to
distinguish between right and wrong ?
Mr. Lane-1 have never had reason to suppose to
the contrary. He is very exciteable when put out
or when he has been drinking, and if he thinks he
is in the right he will go to great lengths.
Mr. Henry—Ah, but he must be restrained from
going great lengths as to threaten persons with the
example of Rush and Williams. You had_
_y better
read that letter, Mr. Lane ; you will probably
re-
member that the persons referred to were persons
who were executed for murder.

Mr. Lane, after reading the letter, said he did not
consider that the defendant's mind was disordered.
The prisoner, addressing the magistrate in an
angry and vehement manner, said he should be very
guarded in his observations, as it had gone forth
that at the former examination he expressed him-
self incoherently.
Mr. Henry—Now, Tremlett, let me advise you
to be calm.
The Prisoner (fiercely)—Calm, sir ? Oh, I will
be calm! I will be calm !
Mr. Henry—You certainly were very excited
yesterday.
The Prisoner—Any man may be excited at times.
Mr. Henry—Yes, but I want you to endeavour
to control that excitement. I want to point out to
you how you have erred. You seem to have thought
that you had a grievance, and that Sir Richard
Mayne wished to withhold from you the name and
number of the policeman. Now, you werequite
ui t e
wrong in that. There is no hesitation o
However, if
or
difficulty
about giving his name and number.
there were, nothing can justify such threats. No
antecedent letters, no previous circumstances what-
ever could justify them.
mrn I tink I was
The Prisoner—l beg your pado as. te rde think
to
quite
has° a jnusanswer as Rush
I onl Bal
wasato do what he did.
u
There is no threat in that.
Mr. Henry—No reasonable person would interpret
it as you say.
The Prisoner—Had that letter been written to
an ordinary private individualo would you have
__
taken any notice lit
MrHenry—Certainlythe position in life of
the parties
difference whatever.
The Prisoner—The makes n
decisions of. magistrates vary
so much that the law is nothing but a lottery.
The prisoner then re-called Mrs. Harvey, to prove .