The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-28 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MURDER OF MRS. DONATTY.
BOW-STREET.—Although the public have not lately heard
of any pursuit of the murderer of Mrs. Donatty, yet Mr. Tay-
lor, the Vestry Clerk, and a Gentleman well qualified, have
been indefatigable in their exertions, and no expense has been
spared to detect the wretch. They have at length got a man
and woman in custody, who are strongly suspected of being
concerned in the murder. They underwent a long private
examination yesterday before Sir Richard Birnie, in the pre-
sence of the above Gentlemen, the particulars of which were
not suffered to transpire, as its publication at this particular
juncture might prevent the detection of the actual perpetrator
of the crime.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARACTER.
On Saturday a young woman calling herself Donna Caro-
lina Isabella Isidora de Rcveleyaz, Countess de Chantal;alias
Caroline Riley, underwent an examination, on a charge of be-
ing an impostor, before Sir Richard Birnie, of which, although
private, some of the parties contrived to get the paiticulars.—
'Fhe object of the second investigation,. which took place yes-
terday, was not to visit the defendant with any legal proceed-
ings, but merely to give publicity to her real character. Blacks-
ley, the patrol, who went to serve the summons on the defend-
ant for her appearance, found her residing in a small but re-
spectable house, at No. 8, Hayes-place, Lisson Grove North.
The house contained four rooms, which were but scantily fur-
nished, and was supposed to be for the reception of ladies ol
distinction who visited her and took an interest in her welfare.
The Defendant and all the parties taking an interest for and
against her, contrary to expectation at the office, arrived about
two o'clock, as it was not supposed that any thing more would
be heard of her or the parties, as no proceedings against her
were intended, only an exposure wanted.
A chair was requested for the Defendant, which was readily
granted by Sir Richard Birnie ; and during the investigation
the Defendant constantly refreshed herself with a scent bottle.
John Westmore Buckell, of Chichester, a dentist, stated,
that he first knew the Defendant about nine years ago, when
he lived at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight : she then passed by
the'name of Miss Riley ; and when he first: saw her it was to
attend her professionally ; she being then extremely ill, occa-
sioned by a violent toothache, he found it necessary to draw
two of her teeth, and he was a short time afterwards obliged
to extract two more teeth. She then kept a small school
at Ryde, which decreasing, instead of increasing, the income
arising from it was not sufficient to support her, which . in-
duced her to relinquish it, and to engage herself with a Mrs.
Aikman as a Governess in her family to two of her grand
children. He asserted that he was quite positive that the de-
fendant was the same person whom he had known at Ryde,
and as a confirmation that he could not be mistaken, she had
been on a visit to his house at Chichester, which place she left
about five yeirs ago for London.
Frances Buckell, the wife of the last witness, stated that
she had examined the features of the defendant very particu-
larly, and was quite certain that she is the same person who
lived at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, about nine years since,
and passed in the name of Miss Riley, and who was afterwards
at her house at Chichester ; she had often dined and spent
days with the defendant.
This statement was confirmed by the daughter of Mrs.
Buckell, as to the identity of the defendant as Caroline Riley,
and living at Ryde.
It was upon this family coming to town on a visit to Mr.
Buckell's brother, of Orange-street, Red Lion-square, that the
discovery was made of the defendant's passing .as a foreign
Countess, and her extraordinary history and grievous misfor-
tunes had excited the commiseration of Mrs. Longly and other
wealthy ladies, who we understand had actually raised the sum
of one thousand pounds, and were about to purchase an annuity
for her, and that she had obtained relief from the Society for
the relief of foreigners in distress to prove which Mr.
Murray, of that Society, attended, and produced a number
of letters from the defendant ; one upon which 'she gained relief
was in the year 1819, in which she states she had applied to
the Duke of Gloucester, and Major Curzon, one of the Duke's
'equerries, answered her, letter, and referred her to the Secre-
tary. In consequence of the receipt of that letter, the Rev.
Mr. Ranspike, belonging to the Society, was deputed to make
inquiries respecting the defendant. His report of the defendant
was riot very favourable, but upon some further representations
by Mr. Horneyman, the Assistani Secretary, she was relieved
with two pounds, and since that time she had received 11. at va-
rious times, amounting to 101. more. In these representations
she had stated ticitself to have been in England only five years ;
it was asked if it was not possible that she might have made .a
mistake, and confounded London with the country, but this was
explained, and it was stated that she had called it Great Britain.
The most extraordinary and contradictory part is, that she de-
nies all knowledge of the Buckell family, and that their state-
ment about their having been acquainted with her for nine
years, and that she was residing at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight,
was wholly unfounded ; although they endeavoured, by a
great variety of circumstances, to make her acknowledge the
correctness of their representation. It was even said that she
had burnt a mole, with hairs on it, off her face, to prevent her
being identified by it.
She was questioned how she came into this country, to which
she answered that she came from Dieppe to Harwich; she did
not know the name of the vessel she came in.
It was stated that vessels from Dieppe did not come to Har-
wich; this she explained by saying that they put into Harwich
in consequence of a storm.
She was asked how she was entered at the Alien Office at
Harwich • she replied that she was not entered at all, and was
never applied to on the subject. This was considered false, as
no foreigners are allowed to land without entering their descrip-
tion .&c. at the Alien Office.
A' desultory and uninteresting conversation ensued, in which
several persons took a part, amongst whom were a Mr. New-
port and a Mr. Collett, which concluded by Sir Richard Birnie
addressing the defendant, observing, that he was instructed to
say that it was not the intention of the Society to prosecute, but
all foreigners might be assured that if they attempted any im-
position they would be exposed.
The defendant was then taken home to Mr. Newport's house
n York-place, Baker-street.

VISTURBANCES IN MONMOUTHSHIRE,—We have
much pleasure in having it in our power to inform our Readers,
from good authority, that the ferment which for weeks past has
existed in the Mining and Manufacturing Districts in the inte-
rior of the county, is subsiding, and that, on Mcmday last, the
men employed in the several, departments of Blaenafon Works,
to the number (at least) of 500, returned to their respective em-
ployments. Others,we are informed, are disposed to follow their
good example.—( The Canibritz4.)

Gnoss ImposTort.—A young man of the name
of Pilkington, about 21 years of age, has been, for some time,
imposing upon many respectable persons in this city, and in va-
rious other places, by stating himself to be deaf and dumb, and
has, in all instances, excited commisseration and relief. His
general tale is, that he has been at the London Asylum for the
Deaf and Dumb, but being unhappy, and anxious to return
home, he had left clandestinely, and got out of his way. He
described himself in several instances as the son of the Minister
of Haslingdon, Lancashire, of the name of Philips ; in another
as the son of a Quaker, of the name of Binns, of Crawshaw-
booth, near Haslingdan ; at Birmingham, where he has resided
-for the last two months, he has gone under his right name,
of John Pilkington • but stated, that he was the son of an
Archdeacon in London. After a minute investigation all his
representations have been proved to be false, and he has given
ample proof that he is neither deficient in speech nor hearing.—
The reason he has chosen Haslingdon and Crawshawbooth for
the places of his residence is, that he has an uncle at the former
with whom he has lived, by which means he is enabled to de-
scribe those places accurately. He is a young man of slender
make, about five 'feet eight inches high, rather fair com-
plexion, light brown hair and whiskers, very interesting in
appearance; his ideas flow with great facility, and his man-
ners are polite and gentlemanly. He has evinced the most
perfect indifference to all sudden and unexpected sounds,
which have been made to detect him, nor can we find that the
least emotion has been at any time discovered in his counte-
nance, when his case has been the subject of open and severe
animadversion, in his presence ; though at other times he has
feigned the utmost sensibility offeeling. We have thought it pro-
per to state these particulars with the view of putting our readers
upon their guard, since, from the circumstances with which we
have been made acquainted, he must be a young man of con-
siderable ability, and likely to deceive the most cautious. We
think it desirable that this case should obtain publicity through
• the medium of other journals.—( Worcester Herald, May 24.)