The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-31 00:00:00

person engaged in the war ; a third authorises a
memorial to the President, praying him " not to
garrison the State with negro troops ;" and a me-
morial was also presented, " praying that steps be
taken in behalf of Jefferson Davis and Governor
Clark." The constitutional amendment with re-
gard to slavery is likely to be adopted in this State
with little or no opposition.
Naval and Military Intelligence.

---- ---...

The whole of the mounted and dismounted bat-
teries of the Royal Artillery in Woolwich garrison
available for the duty yesterday assembled on the
review ground, parading in marching order, in un-
dress uniforms, for the weekly inspection of Major-
General Warde, C. 8., Commandant, and performed
a course of active exercises representing the move-
ments of a battle. The drills which formerly com-
posed the programme of an ordinary field-day hav-
ing for some time past given place to those of a
more practical character, the evolutions of yesterday
consisted totally of that class, and are pronounced
to be beneficial and instructive, as well as advan-
tageous and interesting to the men themselves. The
men and horses were in admirable condition, and
the troops displayed a most exemplary state of dis-
cipline and drill. After dinner, the division of
Royal Marines Light Infantry occupied the ground.
They were brigaded in three battalions, in chief
command of the second Commandant, Col. Lam-
brick, Aide-de-Camp to the Queen, acting in the
absence of Col. Maxwell, whose leave will expire
on Saturday next. The battalions were in the re-
spective command of Major Pym, Capt. Allen, and
Capt. Haverfield ; Capt. Bunce, Major of Brigade.
The manoeuvres consisted of the usual brigade exer-
cises, volley and file firing, &c.
Mr. Smyth, director of the regimental band of
the Royal Artillery at headquarters, Woolwich, was
yesterday ordered by telegram from the Hork
Guards to assemble his corps, consisting of 70 per-
formers, and proceed with the shortest possible de-
lay to Portsmouth, to take part in the entertain-
ment now. being given to our allies, the French
squadron, now assembled.

The Beaumaris Castle, which has been chartered
by the Hon. Council of India for the conveyance of
reinforcements to India, embarked the following
detachments of cavalry and infantry corps from Go-
vernment quay, Gravesend, this morning, for Kur-
rachee :—Three officers, 1 officer's wife, 34 men, 5
women, and 9 children of the 101st Royal Bengal
Fusiliers; 1 man and 1 woman of the 21st Hussars;
1 officer, 105 non-commissioned officers and men, 10
women, and 11 children of the 90th Light Infantry;
1 officer and wife of the 82d Regiment ; 2 men, 2
women, and 6 children of the 3d battalion Rifle Bri-
gade; 3 officers, 1 officer's wife, 80 non-commis-
sioned officers and men, 3 women, and 3 children of
the 42d Highlanders ; 51 non-commissioned officers
and men, 8 women, and 12 children of the 79th High-
landers ; 1 man, 1 woman, and 2 cnildren of the
93d Highlanders ; 1 man of the King's Own Light
Infantry ; and 1 officer, 26 non-commissioned offi-
cers and men, 10 women, and 13 children of the 95th
Regiment, the whole under the medical charge of
Assist.-Surg. T. A. Thornhill, M. 8., 7th Queen's
Own Hussars. The Beaumaris Castle was inspected
yesterday by Col. H. Jackson and the officers of the
Medical Staff from Chatham garrison, in order that
it might be ascertained that all the necessary ar-
rangements had been made for the comfort and con-
venience of the troops during the voyage.
The boilers manufactured at the establishment of
Messrs. Rennie and Co. for the screw corvette Rein-
deer have arrived at Chatham dockyard in readiness
for shipment on board that vessel.
The mechanics employed on the ironclad frigate
Bellerophon, 16, 1,000-horse power, fitting at Chat-
ham, are working extra hours until half-past 8 p.m.
each evening, in order to expedite the completion of
that vessel by the 18th September, the date fixed for
her departure from the dock in which she at present
lies. Yesterday two of the 8-inch armour-plates
rolled at the works of Cammell and Co., Sheffield,
were fixed in the place they will occupy in the re-
connoitring tower fixed on the Bellerophon's upper
deck.

Extraordinary Attempt to Defraud by a

Woman.

A MYTHICAL ESTATE IN AMERICA.
(From the North British Mail)
_ _ _

On the 22d July last the following advertisement ap
peared in the North British Advertiser:—" Wanted, a per-
manent person to go to America to take possession of an
estate. A copy of the title-deeds will be given. Apply at
Mr. Battray's, 7, 0 vergate, Dundee." To this, there is
reason to believe, a largo number of replies were made. From
the applicants one from this city was selected, who was in-
formed by the advertiser that ho was deemed a very suitable
person as regarded qualifications and abilities. A corres-
pondence at once took place. The first two or three letters
received here had no signature, and their peculiar and dis-
jointed composition otherwise having suggested the belief
that the statements they contained were in the Baron Mun-
chanson style, the matter was placed in the hands of Mr.
Miller, of the Guardian Society, with a request for advice
and assistance.

The advertiser, who in a subsequent letter signs "M. E.
C. Rochester," and in another "E. M. C. Rochester," goes
on to explain that she is the heiress of an estate in Ame-
rica, which is situated 350 miles from New York, near
Rochester Vale, and bounded by the Genessee Valley ; that
it formerly belonged to Mr. David Rochester, son of Mr.
David Rochester, minister in America, who died and left the
estate to her under several conditions, one of which was
that she should assume the name of Rochester; that two
trustees were appointed to see the wishes of deceased
carried out, both of whom are now dead ; that the estate,
for want of a proper person to look after it, had been "shut
up" for two years, and it was for the purpose of rendering it
remunerative that a person was now wanted to go out and
take charge of it ; that the property was worth £50,000,
and a person understanding the cultivation of land would
in the first year clear for himself an income of from £6OO
to £7OO, the extent or boundary being two miles in length
and breadth; tea, wines, and perfumery having been culti-
vated to a great extent, while oils were extracted from the
plants. But now comes the important and essential part of
the business. The lady heiress goes on to say that in con-
sequence of the great trust which would necessarily be re-
posed in the person appointed to take charge of the estate,
a sum of £lOO would require to be deposited in her hands,
and security given for a like sum—the deposit to be re-
turned at the end of the first six months, in the event of
the person appointed proving " honourable," while his
salary would be running on besides. In one of the letters
referred to she states that she had chosen him (the Glasgow
correspondent) out of 50, and adds that she has just been
waited on by a respectable party from Warwickshire, who
had brought with him £l5O in money and £2,000 of secu-
rity ; that six others called on her with £lOO of deposit,
and £2,000 of security, but that as they did not know so
much about land as she wished she had declined their appli-
cations, while she urgently requests the former to come
to Dundee and have a personal interview, when the agree-
ment would bo signed and settled.
It was deemed expedient that the heiress should be visited,
and Mr. Miller sent a person from his establishment to see
her and make investigation. The lady was found lodging
in an attic of a four-storey house in a low quarter of Dundee.
She is described as being about 50 years of age, swarthy
complexion, full dark eyes, long dark glossy ringlets, promi-
nent check bones, and wants some of her front teeth. Her
dress is shabby genteel, and she attempts to speak with an
English accent with a slight lisp. On further investigation
it was found that for several years this woman has been living
on her wits, and is known to the police of Dundee as a fortune-
teller and swindler ; that on the 11th September, 1862,
she was convicted of falsehood, fraud, and wilful imposi-
tion before the sheriff and a jury at Forfar, when she was
sentenced to 40 days' imprisonment under the name of Helen
Maria Meldrum ; that on the 14th March, 1863, she was con-
victed of theft and fraud before the sheriff at Aberdeen,
under the name of Maria Crichton or Adams. It is said she
imposed on a professional gentleman in Edinburgh by her
story of the large estate, and that he made her certain ad-
vances, till, by correspondence, ho ascertained the whole
affair to be a myth.

We hear every day of the ingenious devices resorted to
by male swindlers throughout the country, but it is a rare
thing to meet with a female possessed of so much impudent
assurance as is displayed in the case we have narrated. She
has, however, quite overdrawn the picture. Who ever heard
of the Genessee Valley producing tea and wines ? Though
the amount of gullibility on the part of some people isquite
astonishing, there is little fear that this woman's story will
bring her the desired £lOO. Not a few, however, must have
been put to inconvenience, loss, and annoyance, and it is
desirable that the career of this female advertiser should
speedily be brought to a close.

THE WOLVERHAMPICCIN 'MURDER.—Yesterday
afternoon the corpse of the murdered woman was interred
near to that of her mother, in the churchyard of Tetten-
hall. The prisoner continues to harp upon the money that
was taken from his pockets when he was arrested ; and to
a constable in private clothes who is watching him, but
who he thought was a patient, he has remarked, " As soon
as I get a little better and can get my money, 1 shall
hook it."