The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-16 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

On Saturday afternoon a commission of lunacy was
opeaed in the Sheriffs' Court, Red Lion-square, before
Mr. Commissioner Blount, to inquire into the lunacy of
Miss Elizabeth Fisher, niece of the late Jokn Silvester,
Esq., of Kensington-square, who died in the early part
of last year in the possession of 20,000/. The commis-
sion was sued at the instance of Miss Fisher's sister.

Elton Tubb, one of the nurses of St. Luke's Hospital,
stated that Miss Fisher was admitted a patient on the
23d of October, 1840. She was brought there in a
strait-waistcoat, and it was repeatedly necessary to
restrain her violence. She imaginei that some of the
female patients were men, and had acted indecently
towards her, and she often destroyed horAithes and
ill treated the nurses and the other t atiettSl- She la-
boured under the delusion that she ial.- On terms
of intimacy with the King and the Queen of
England and an exte.usirc circle of the,. nobility, and
frequently held incoherent conversations with imagi-
nary beings. At times she made use of very, im-
proper language, and at other times would sing most
boisterously. She was removed from St. Luke's last
October to Dr. Phillips's lunatic asylum, at Kensington,
as the regulations of the hospital would not permit her
to remain there longer than a year.
Elizabeth Powell, a nurse in Dr. Phillip's eitablish-
ment, gave subttiutially similar testimony as to the
conduct of Miss Fisher. After several other wit-
nesses had spoken to the same effect, Miss Fisher
was brought into the room, and, on being questioned by
the Learned Commissioner, she said that she bad been
placed in St. Luke's against her will, and complained of
buying been grossly maltreated there. She was
stripped naked, and shower-baths were poured over
her ; her hair was closely cut, and she was handcuffed
and chained clown, and indecently treated by the
medics' men. Some even were dressed up as " molly-
cots," which was against the laws of the country, and
they ought to be punished. Upon further interrogation
Miss Fisher insisted upon the reality of the delusions
spoken of, and v..0.1--ad herself up into a high pitch of
excitement against the Commissioners.
Mr. BLOUNT—WeII, Miss Fisher, you may trust to
us to do what. we can for you.

Miss Fisher (vehemently)—No, Sir, I will tryst to
nobody but to God ; I see you are a tyrant, by your
eyes ; but I will not be tyrannised over by you, you
blackguard, although you have black whiskers. The
unfortunate lady proceeded in a violent strain to insist
upon her right to have four meals a day, sherry, &c. ;
and the Jury, having intimated that they were satisfied,
she was conducted out of the Court, and the Jury re•
turned a verdict, dating her insanity from Oct. 23,1840.

ATTEMPTED MURDER IN DE-

VONSHIRE.

SOUTHMOLTON, FRIDAY NIGHT.--.We have scarcely
escaped the late awful visitations of two angry elements
in the shape of fire and water, when our peaceful vii-
lage is doomed to be the scene of bloodshed, and to
witness the savage use of the assassin's knife, which of
late has unfortunately become so general in this land.
The melancholy circumstance alluded to occurred last.
Sunday. On that day a man, named Robert Hid,
a native of Rlckenford (about ten rules from here),
visited the parish of Knowstone (about eight miles
from hence, and not far from Knowstone, both being
adjoining parishes). In the afternoon he went into
the %chum public house, where he met and drank
with William Cbapple, an old friend and com-
panion. Havieg drank for some time together, they
left the public-house, and accompanied each other to
Knowstone. On their way they met two others,
when a quarrel ensued about a girl, to whom Hill
had been ps)ing some attention. Hill and Chap-
ple:get so enraged with each other that they commencd
fighting, •and were several times parted by the,others,
who did All in their power to reconcile them. Eut it
was'all in vain, as jealousy excited ehapple and Hill
to the highest pitch of rage. During one of the con-
flicts Hill stabbed Chapple with a knife in the abdo-
men, and blood flowed in the most frightful profusion
from the dreadful wound. Chapple fell insensible.
Surgical aid was immediately procured, when it' was'
found that through the orifice a portion of the omenttims
and intestine protruded. The wounded man was conveyed
to Knowstone by Sharpcott, one of the two who tried to
make peace ; Hill and the other fled to tlit) Racbam
public-house, but, much to the credit of the landlord, be
' would not admit them. The Constable immediately
went in pursuit of Hill, whom be arrested about two I
o'clock on Monday morning in a labourer's cottage at
Racham, and brought him a prisoner to the Town•ball
of his place. In the afternoon be was placed at the
bar before a Bench of Magistrates, and after a strict
and able examination by Mr. Karslake, of Meshaw, one
of the County Magistrates, be was committed to Exeter
gaol. I may here, en passant, observe, that unfortu-
nately for this town we have lost the commission of the
peace. I say unfortunately, as the body corporate are
rich, and we have a handsome Town•hall, with a new
built prison. Chapple and Hill are wrestlers ; the former
is first cousin to the noted William Chapple, of Bishops-
nvmpton, who played so many times in Loudon, about
four years ago, at I think the Eagle Tavern, or some
other similar place of amusement. William Chapple is
living, but very slight hopes were entertained of his re-
covery yesterday.
_

SCOTTISH TITLES OF THE PRINCE OF
WALES.—The Prince of Wales is by birth Duke of
Rothsay and Steward of Scotland. From the year 1469,
the Principality
and Stewartry of Scotland, the Duke-
dom of Rothsay, the Earldom of Carrick, the Lordship
of the Isles and Barony of Renfrew, have been vested
in the first-born son and heir apparent of the
Sovereign. It is a remarkable circumstance that from
the fi, eticreation of Vie Dukedom of Rothsay in 1393 to
1714, a period of 316 years, nut one of the possessors
attained the years of majority in the lifetime of his
father, with the single exception of King Charles 1., who
came of age, Nov. 16, 1621, and-succeeded his father
icing James VI., March 27, 1625.

ANTI-CORN-LAW and FREE-TRADE

LECTURE.

Lawrence Heyworth, EN., and Mr. Robert Jones,
of Liverpool, who were making a temporary stay in
Dewsbury, having been requested by a number of influ-
ential individuals to lecture here on the above subjects,
agreed to do se, and placards announcing that the in-
tended lecture would take place on Thursday evening
last, in the Wesleyan school-room, were posted through-
out the town and neighbourhood about a week ago. So
long a period could not elapse without all parties being
well apprised of it. The Chartists determined to op 7
pose the Repealns, and held a meeting at their room to
consider how they should proceed to act. A silk wea-
ver of the name of West was employed for this purpose,
who, accompanied by a large body of Chartists, accord-
ingly met at the above place, eager for discussion ; some
time before the Repeaters arrived, some consultation
ensued between the parties as to whether or not such
discussion should take place. The Corn-law Repeaters
at bet consented. Benjamin Wilson, Esq., of Mir-
Mil, Caen briefly introduced Lawrence Heyworth, Esq.,
but no sooner was this done than the Chartists com-
menced an interruption, and amid a noisy contention
moved that two chairmen should be appointed, one for
each party, which proposition was seconded and even-
tually carried, the Chartists proposing Mr. Ephraim
Clarke as theirs, which proposition was also adopted.
The business of the meeting was, however, not allowed
to proceed,except on condition that the Repealers would
agree that each speaker should occupy not more than
half an hour at a time, which they readily acceded to.
Silence and order having been restored, Lawrence Hey-
worth, Esq., was introduced, whose address was marked
by great calmness and strength of reasoning, and eluci-
dated brinany familiar illustrations and anecdotes, the
recital blibich elicited much. apPlause. -He was suc-
ceeded by:Mr. West, who contended tbat the only re-
drets For the. Present grievance: of this country was the
people's,Charter. Mr. Jones next :Poke, who, being a
working man, his remarks were listened to with much
interest. In the abstract, both the lecturers perfectly
Coincided with the views of Mr. West, as to the primary
evil existing in class legislation, but they were by no
means disposed to wait for a repeal of the bread-tat
until Universal Suffrage became the law of the land.—
Leeds Times.

SAM SLICK'S DIFFERENCE BE-
TWEEN A SWEETHEART AND A WIFE.

This must be an everlastin fine country beyond all
doubt, for the folks have notbin to do but ride about and
talk politics. In winter, when the ground is covered
with snow, what grand times they have a slaying over
these hero marshes with the gals, or plain ball on the
ice, or gain to quiltin frolics of nice long winter evenings,
and thee a drivin home like mad by moonlight. Natur
meant that season on purpose for courtin. A little tidy
scrumtious-looking slay, a real clipper of a horse, a
string of bells as long as a string of inions round his
neck, and a sprig en his back, lookin for all the world
like a bunch of apples broke off at gatherin time, and a
sweetheart alongside, all muffled up but her eyes and
lips, the one lookin right at you, is e'en almost to drive
one ravin, tarin, distracted mad with pleasure, aint it
And then the dear critters say the bells make such a
din there's no brarin one's self speak ; so they put
their pretty little mugs close up to the face, and
talk, talk, talk, till one can't help lookia at them in-
stead of the horse, and then whap you both go capsized
into a snow-drift together, skins, cushions, and al!. And
then to see the little critter shake herself when she gets
up, like a duck landing from a pond, a chattering away
all the time like a canary bird, and you a haw-haevin
with pleasure, is fun alive, you may depend. In this
way blue-nose gets led on to offer himself as a lover be-
fore he knows where he is. But when he gets married,
he recovers his eye-sight in little less than half no tires.
lie soon finds he's trted ; his flint is fixed then, you
may depend. She larns him how vinegar is made ;
Put plenty of sugar into the water aforehaud, ray dear,"
says she, "if you want it real sharp." The fart is on
the other side of his mouth then. If his slay gets up-
shot, its no longer a funny matter, I tell you ; he catches
it right and lett. Her eyes don't look up to his'n any
more, nor her little tongue ring like a bell any longer ;
but a great big hood covers her head, and a whappin
great muff covers her face, and she looks like a bag of
old clothes, agoin to the brook to be washed. When
they get out, she don't want any more for him to walk
lock and lock with her, but they march like a horse and
cow to water, in each gutter. If there aint a transmo-
grification, i'ts a pity. The difference between a wife
and a sweetheart is near about as great as there is be-
tween new and bard cider—a man never tires of puttin
one to his lips, bet makes plaguy wry faces at t'other.
It makes me so kinder wamblecropt when I think on it,
that I am afeared to ventur on matrimony at all. I
have seen some blue-noses most properly bit, you may
depend. The marriage yoke is plaguy apt to gall the
neck as the ash-bow does the ox in rainy weather, un-
less it.be most particlarly well fitted. You've seen a
yoke of cattle that warn't properly mated ; they spend ,
more time in pullin agin each other than in pullin tree
load. Well, that's apt t') be the case wlth them as
chooses their wives in slay in parties, quiltin frolics,: and
scven,instead of the dairies, looms, and cheese-house.