The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-22 00:00:00

DESPERATE ATTEMPT OF A
HUSBAND TO MURDER HIS WIFE.

An occurrence of a tragical character has taken place
within the last few days at Mitcham, and which has
very naturally created a great sensation throughout the
whole neighbourhood. It appears that a young man
named Thomas Potts, a calico printer, who has only
been married about eighteen months, from some do
mestic disagreements conceived the horrible project of
destroying his wife, and afterwards committing suicide,
and his design was only frustrated by what would al-
most appear to be an act of Providence. It was ob-
served in the early part of last week that be appeared
to be low-spirited and melancholy, and seem: d much
exasperated against his wife ; and on Tuesday he left
home and did not return until nine o'clock at night, and
he immediately went into the room where his wife was
sitting with her mother, and without saying a word he
pulled a pistol from his pocket, presented it at his wife,
and fired it off, and the greater portion of its contents
passed through her check. The shrieks of the women
fortunately attracted attention, and a labouring man
who was passing, came irate the house and seized
hold of Potts, nod, after a struggle, forced him into a
chair, and held him there until West, the beadle of
Mitcham, arrived, and secured him. The prisoner then
said, " 1 have done it—l have done it. I haVe mur-
dered my wife, and I hope I stall be bun,e." The
constable asked him what he had done with the pistol,
and he produced the• one he bad just discharged at hi;.
wife. West then searched him, and in one of his pockets
he found another pistol leaded to the muzzle, and in
his coat pocket a razor ; and he asked Pctts what he
was going to do with the razor, and he replied that he
intended to have destroyed himself with it after lie had
killed his wife. Mr. Tipper, a medical gentleman, of
Mitcham, had by this time arrived, and he ascertained
that the woman had received a very severe injury, and
he administered to her the necessary assistance.
On Thursday the prisoner was taken before S. El-
yard, Esq., a Magistrate for the county of Surrey, at his
residence at Streatham, upon the charges of feloniously
discharging a loaded pistol at his wife, with intent to
murder her, but as she was not in a condition
to attend and give evidence, the charge was briefly
gone into.

West, the officer, was examined, and he produced a
certificate horn the surgeon, to the effect that the pro-
secutor had been severely wounded in the chick by a
pistol shot, and was not in a fit state to give evidence
before the Magistrates, in consequence of the injury he
had received.

Mr. Elyard, then addressing the prisoner, who was
apparently nearly unconscious of what was going for-
ward, said that he was charged with a most serious of-
fence. He had heard the statements that were
made against him, and if he pleased he was at liberty
to say anything he liked in answer to them ; and he
thought it his duty to inform him that all he said might
be used as evidence against him, and he cautioned him
to be careful in what he said.

The prisoner replied, " I have nothing to say."
Mr. Dyard then said that it was his duty to remand
him until his wife was in a fit state to attend and give
evidence.
He was accordingly remanded for a week.

BUSTS OF THE TWELVE C]ESAIIS
-SINGULAR RECOVERY OF SPLENDID
WORKS OF ART.

About the year 1518, twelve busts of the Roman
Emperors, executed in terracotta, beautifully enamelled,
and nearly the size of life, were forwarded to Cardinal
Wolsev, to decorate his Palace of Hampton Court, by
Pope Leo the Tenth. Eight of these splendid works
of art have elways existed in the first and second courts
at the Palace ; but not one of the remaining four, to
complete the valuable series, could be found until
within the last few months, although many years ago
strict search had been made for them by the various
authorities connected with Hampton Court. In the
reign of George the Fourth the search and inquiries
were again renewed, but without any discovery of their
biding places resulting from the labours of those to
whom the task was confided of endeavouring to trace
them. A few months ago, one of the missing four was,
by mere chance, discovered in a back room at Hampton
Court Palace, attached to one of the private apartments,
in a fine state of preservation.
Since then another of the series has been recovered,
and by the merest chance also, in a small cottage;
close to the Stag Paddocks, in Windsor Great Park.
It appears that this cottage has just undergone some
repairs, preparatory to its being occupied by one of
Prince Albert's gamekeepers. The workmen,' in the
course of their labours, found a bust fixed in the wall,
about ten ft et from the ground ; and upon this dis-
covery reaching the ears of a gentleman connected
with the Court he proceeded to the cottage, when he
found it was one of the four long-lost wills, per-
fectly free from injury, and in a most excellent state
of preservation. It was immediately taken down, and
soon afterwards forwarded to Hampton Court.
Within the last few days another cf. these valuable
works of art was discovered by Mr. Jesse, the Surveyor
of Woods and Works, at one of the Royal lodges in
the Great Park, known as the World's-end Lodge, in-
habited by one of the park-keepers. It was found let
into the external wall, about 10 or 12 feet from the
ground, where it must have been for considerably more
than a century. It was always considered by the per-
sons living at the lodge to be a bust of Queen Anne !
Of so little value was it supposed to be, that the boys
of the neighbourhood, as they have passed by the house
have frequently been known to amuse themselves by
pelting it with stones and clay. Notwithstanding the
rough and Goth-like usage it has been subjected to for
years past, it is but very slightly injured—portions of
the enamel being chipped off but here and there. In
all other respects it is perfect. It has just been care-
fully removed from the building, and will be forwarded
to Hampton Court Palace in the course of a few days,
where, with the other two alluded to, it will be placed
in appropriate niches in the first and second courts.
There is now the twelfth of the series which rema;ns
to be discovered ; and it is hoped in a short time (from
the exertions which are being made, and the numercus
inquiries set on foot) that these perfectly unique and
splendid works of art will be rendered comple!e. It is
almost impossible to estimate their value ; but many
excellent and experienced judges have pronounced them
to be worth several 'hundreds of pounds.
Of course, their value wit be very materially en-
hanced by the discovery of the one, which is no.v miss-
ing, to render the series perfect.

CORN-LAw AGITATION.—TaIk of Church
Extension I We want an extension of Walsall. There
they are at work like men, organising an Anti-Core-law
Registration Society. Let their example be foil awed
throughout the kingdom, wherever there are three Corn.
law repeaters met together. These Societies will prepare
the constituencies for the struggle, if it be deferred till
after the registration—if it come sooner, they can act as
Canvassing Committees. But come when the election
)2. ay, let their cry be total and immediate repeal of the
-laws. Every man they can carry is a vote gained for
eal. As to the revision of the tariff, nothing can
total re)..
the attempt. The total repealer, although
be lost b
outvoted in t;. ('' House , will vote for the best revision of
the tariff be c.,13. If he lose his election, both Whig and
Tory are anxious to
gain popularity by mending the ta-
as another.—Manchester Times.
riff, so one is as g00,'..1
MEETING AT )(i.‘111( TO PROTEST AGAINST
LORD STANLEY'S BILL, ,kNI) TO SUPPORT TIIE 811.1. s OP
LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND ~T.4ORD IVIORPETIL —On Thurs-
day evening last, a meeting d.f the liberal electors, of
Ceitl•gite, Walnigate, and Micklegate wards was held in
the Me. chants' Hall, Fossgate, in this city, for the pur-
pose of ridoptieg, petitions to the Legislature. in favour of
Lord Morpeth's Irish Registration Bill, and against the
issiglstratioss Bill introduced by Lord Stanley. Although
no public intimation ,f the meeting had been giver, the
attendance was most numerous • and amongst those present
we noticed Henry Redhead Yorke, Esq., the candidate
for the representation of this city. Resolutions in cern-
formity to the objects for which the meeting was called
were unanimously agreed tc. The example ought to be
imitated.
We . have seen with pain and surprise, that the
" New Zealand Company" has succumbed to the Bishops.
For the sake of pleasing the " Church Missionary Society,"
whoAe ministers have engaged to a shameful extent in
what is called land-sharking ; and fur the sake of Lord
John Russell's most unwarrantable condition of their char-
! ter, that they should, in connexicn with Parliament at
home, support a Church cf Ergland oat there—they have
pleeged themselves to run counter to every principle of
commercial policy. At the dinner given to Lord John
Russell by that Company a few days ago, this object was
actually one of the toasts ! And Mr. Shiol was present
and said nothirg. The Directors of the Company have
no right to make the compact : it is beside their power and
objects.. Let them lane-shark as much as they please—
but this soul-,harking by such redoubted saints as sonic of
them arc, is ineffably disgusting. We are nstoni,h7cl that
Mr. E. G. Wakefield, with Lis dernocratic professions,
Flouts] have lent his sanction to such a scheme; especially
after his experience of the working of ecelesiasical jea-
lousies in Canada. The friends of the Voluntary Prin-
ciple must rely on themselves. The treachery of this Co-
lonization Company is only ancther startling warning fir
them. The whole force of the aristocracy, commercial as
well as feudal, is forayed against ie
The funeral of Sir Astley Cooper took place on
Saturday at Guy's Hospital. The chief mourners were
Sir Astlev (aches.' of the deceased), and Mr. Astley
Cooper. The pall was supported by MeJustice Patteson,
Ms, Justice Coleridge, B. Harrison, Esq., Dr. Franks,
Sir Robert Inglis, M. P., Sir John Henry Petty, and
Matthew Harrison, F.sq. The coffir-plate had the follow-
ing inscription :—" Sir Astley Cooper, Bart., G. C. H.,
died Feb. 15, 1841, aged 73."
AVERAGE PRICE OF CORN ON WHICH PAY-
MENva ARE MADE UNDER THE TITRE COMMUTATION ACT.
—Return stating, what has been during seven yens, end-
ing on the Thursday next before Christmas day, 1840, the
average price of an imperial bushel of Bri ish wheat,
barley, or oats, computed from the weekly average of the
Corn Returns. Published, pursuant to an Act passed in
the reign of William IV., hit: tuled " An Act for the
Commutation of Tithes in England and Wales.—Wheat,
63. I ; Barley, 4s. Id. ; Oats, 9s. 10P.—WILLIASI
JACOB, Comptroller of Corn Returns."
The Countess of Shelburne has been (lan-
• gerously ill during the week, but we are happy to hsar
she is beam— Wilts Independent,