The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-05 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY

OSBORNE, Jan: 4.
The, Queen accompanied by Prince Arthur and.
.Prince Leopold, walked in -the grounds ye,sterdal
morning, and drove in the afternoon with Princes'
Helena.

The Earl of Hardwicke; who has been in toWl
a few diys, left yesterday on his return to Wimpole Hall?
Cambridgeshire.

The Earl De Grey left Carlton-gardens yester'
day on a visit to the Queen at Osborne.

The Earl St. Mavr arrived yesterday at the,
Admiralty from Stover, the Duke of Somerset's seat iii
Devonshire.

The Hon. Lionel S. West passed through told
early in the week from visiting Mr. Hstings Russell, M.
and Lady Elizabeth Russell at Woburn Abbey, for Paris
on his way to Madrid to enter on hiS duties at the Britisll
Legation.

The Right Hon. Sir George Grey left toirn
yesterday for Heel.-field-place, Hants.

. ,
Major-General Lindsay and Captain the Ha'
C. Eliot, A.D.C., sailed on Saturday last, in the Cunad
steamship China, for New York, on their way to CanaLl3'
During the last week the gallant general, with his wife 1111(1
eldest daughter, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. EckersleY'
of Standish Hall, Wigan. Lady Sarah and Miss Lindssf
accompanied the general to the steamer, and, after taking
leave, returned to London, where they will remain dm
the winter months.

Charge_of Manslaughter against au officer
in the Army,

YEOVIL, Dec: 4.
This morning, Lieutenant Vincent Upton LangworthP
of her Majesty's Fusiliers, surrendered to his bail bef"tl
the sitting magistrates, Messrs. Harbin (chairman), Elot;1
neent, and Capt. Messiter, on the charge of having caused
the death of John Gear on the evening of Wednesday, the
28th nit. The case had created very considerable eNiett";
ment, and the court was very much crowded. It appear`{
that about 10 o'clock on the evening of Wednesday, tha
Yeovil Rifle Band was playing at Preston Plucknet, an Ad'
jacent village, when Lieut. Langworthy drove through th
crowd, and the unfortunate deceased was knocked doo
and .killed upon the spot by the fall. Three witnesses, Who=
were in the road at the time, were called at the inqu
and distinctly swore that Lieut. Langworthy whipped 0
horse_after they called out to him to stop. One of their,
carpenter, named Gamblin, averred that.the whip was rise
three times. One witness said that only Sergeant Pur4
of the rifle corps, was playing at the time ; while anothe
one stated that two or three might have been playing. 'J
evidence was contradictory as to whether the horse 10,
galloping before it got to the spot where tho band
playing. To negative the testimony of the Wit,'
flosses who deposed to the above facts, Lieut. Langwortht
stated that his horse had bolted, and that persons shoutili
frightened the animal still more, and that he could not stot
it for some time ; the whip was in the socket, and was We've'
used from the time he left Ilminster until ho got to the pla`'
of the unfortunate occurrence. ,Lieut.Lingworthy's grog
confirmed his master's statement, and especially was "cliti,"
positive that the whip was not touched, but that it was
the socketibehind the seat: Tho horse went away stead{
till it heard the music, and then it made a rush, ali
though both the lieutenant and the witness pulled as lot;i`
as they could, they could not stop him from going throe
the crowd." A witness named Rendall, the daughter ofj
farmer at Preston, gave evidence that when she :went
to the waggonette after the accident, the groom was stt'
ting in the carriage, and had the whip in his hand.
The groom being recalled a second time; positively 'lei
tiled it. Lieut. Langworthy was taken into custody, 39,
held to bail in 5001. and two sureties of 2501. each, and tilt:
morning, as above stated, surrendered in court, Mr.
solicitor. of Yeovil, appearing on his behalf.,
A long consultation was held between the magistratt
and the magi6trates' clerk ; and at its conclusion,
The chairman said that the bench had carefully loor
at. the report of the inquest, but they had been very 1111'e t'
,{
in hopes that some one would have been called who CO
have deposed as to whether the horse was struck or 13`:

because, if it had not been struck, but was running 110.
that would clearly have made it an accidental circa;
stance. In the opinion of the bench more evidence out
to have been produced as to whether the whip was.res.w
out of the socket.

Mr. Watts—We tried to get further evidence, 10'
really was so dark on the night in question that no I
could see. -

The Chairman observed that the bench would have
to have.seen:the evidence of the.groom confirmed.
Mr. Watts said that all the witnesses that could be
had been called before the coroner.

Mr. Charles Smith, superintendent of police, said, in
ply to the chairman, that he was present at the inquest
the body of the deceased, • John Gear, and the facts is'!

thoroughly investigated. The verdict was " Aceideol
death from being run over by a carriage driven by Lie'
LangwOrthy."

The-Magistrates' Clerk—Give me the exact words, if
please ?

Superintendent Smith—" That the deceased, John GI
did accidentally and casually come by his death frOnt ht
knocked doNirn by a horse and carriage driven by Lie
Langworthy, but there is not sufficient evidence to •51',°
that he used diligence to prevent the accident or otherl
and we think it is wrong the band should play in the,clitr
Those wore the exact words.
The Chairman desired to know if there was any fur
evidence than that before the coroner?

Superintendent Smith said he had not any further
dencfe to produce, but he thought ho ought to state tout)
bench that Lieut. Langworthy had attended the itul
before the coroner, and made a statement on oath.
The Chairman, after consultation with his brother nulg',
trates, said that the bench had before them the evidei);,,:
from the superintendent Of police as to the result of the j,l
quest. They, the magistrates, felt sure that no one
regret more, than Lieut, Langworthy himself the cleatl'‘,
the unfortunate man, consequent upon which Lieut. Lf.°3,
worthy appeared before them on a charge of ,manslaug'bt%,
Lieut. Langworthy must regret to the last hour of his e„
istenca the loss of a valuable life ; and though the e°r,,,l
ner's jury had been satisfied with the evidence acidue`ii
before them, and found a verdict of accidental deatli,
there was any further evidence the bench were. bound
hear it.

Mr. Watts hoped that the bench would allow him to
on behalf of Lieut. Langworthy that he had not taken LiPi,e,
means to procure the attendance of any witnesses, 13Do
ferring to leave the case to the statements of those
thought proper to make any. He was satisfied that tbeio'
occurrence had arisen from causes beyond control,
while his regret and sorrow was of course great, Yet,,'
(Mr. Watts) felt sure the bench would mete out the 711,1
justice as had been done by the coroner's jury, and "or°
say, in dismissing the charge, that Lieut. Langwortbliv
gentleman holding the commission of her Majesty, left 0,
court without any imputation of negligence in the unfol
nate matter.

The Chairman said that the matter had been fully g-pe
into before the coroner, and it had been the wish of
bench before whom Lieut. Langworthy had been charetv
the first instance, that the whole affair should underg°
most searching investigation: If the bench went thrt,
the matter again, only the same witnesses would be Ott:
and there would, bo a repetition of the evidence, lir`ii,ll
was not necessary, as the magistrates were satisfied 11'i,
the inquiry before the coroner. There was one r°ll,
however, upon which the bench would like to be infor°'-ot
whether anything was said by the jury, upon Lieutelif':f
Langworthy, as stated in the local journals, having,
the delivery of the verdict, expressed a hope that the 1*
was satisfied that the accident was not caused by ne6