The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-20 00:00:00

LA.W AND POLICE.

ROMANTIC WILL CASE.—In the Probate Court, the
case of Berdoe v. Smeeton was heard. The plaintiff, who
was the stepmother of Mr. Lane, a gentleman some
twenty-three years of age, propounded his will, by which
she became possessed of the whole of his property. It
seemed that Mr.. Lane, when heliattained his majority,
became possessor of the sum of .€5,000, and if he had
attained the age of 25 years, ho would have been
in receipt of an additional £12,000. He was,
unfortunately, addicted to habits of intemperance.
He made the acquaintance of a Miss Smeeton,
the daughter of a photographer, and became
engaged to her. Soon after this he made a will by which
he bequeathed £lO,OOO to Miss Smeeton, and a considerable
portion of the remainder of his property to the London
Hospital. One day he was lying on the sofa apparently
asleep, when he, it was alleged, heard Miss Smeeton say
that she did not care much for him, and that she
wished he was gone. After this the testator made
a fresh will—that in dispute—by which he left
the whole of his property to his stepmother. Mr. Smee-
ton opposed it, on the ground that it had been obtained
by undue influence, and that the deceased did not know
and approve of the contents. The plaintiff and other wit-
nesses gave evidence which disclosed the fact that, owing
to intemperate habits, the deceased had an affection of the
liver and lungs, and that his death was, in a great degree,
attributable to his irregular habits.

THE BURGLARY AT STRATFORD.
DEATH OF MR. GALLOWAY.
On Friday Mr. Lewis, the coroner for Essex, held

inquest at the Pigeon's Inn, Ilford-road; Stratford, on
the body of Mr. Samuel Galloway, who died from the
effects of a stab-wound inflicted on his face by one of a
gang of burglars who entered the house, and who effected
a robbery partially through using chloroform on the
inmates. The jury having viewed the body of the deceased
gentleman at his residence, Oxford-villas, Ilford-road, and
taken the evidence of his widow, who is at present ill
in bed, Miss Hewlett, niece of deceased, deposed to the
facts of the case. Mr. A. Spurling, who lived opposite
to the late Mr. Galloway, said that on hearing screams he
rushed out of his house, and found that gentleman lying
on the road, bleeding from one eye. George Young, K R
53, stated that about twenty minutes to nine o'clock on
the night in question, he was on duty in the Romford:
road, when he heard the screams of a female. He then
hastened to the spot, and found the deceased lying on his
back on the pathway, and a lady looking over him. He
asked her what was the matter, and she said
several times "My poor husband is stabbed."
He asked her who did it. She told him three men, who
had run away. He then assisted in taking the deceased
into the house. Witness had been past about eight minutes
before, and saw nobody loitering about, and was coming
back the same way when he heard the screams. Dr.
Kennedy, of Stratford, said that on the evening in ques-
tion he was called to the deceased, and found him insen-
sible, and bleeding. The wound was just under the eye,
and extended through the orbit, and pierced the brain. He
believed the wound was inflicted by some sharp-pointed
instrument. He attended him three times a day, and
last saw him on Wednesday evening, at seven o'clock,
when, he was last sinking. Death ensued a little after nine
o'clock. The injury to the brain was the cause of death.
Other medical men saw him. The Coroner said it would
be necessary to adjourn the inquiry in order to enable the
police to produce other evidence, and the investigation
was accordingly adjourned. A reward of £lOO is now
offered for the apprehension of the murderer, and a free
pardon promised to any accomplice who shall give infor-
mation..