The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-23 00:00:00

jury were engaged in tuing the cause of "Chaine v. Chaine
and Beattie," which was the husband's petition for the
dissolution of his marriage on the ground of his wife's
adultery with the co-respondent. He also claimed damages
from the latter. The petitioner was Major Chaine, of the
4th Royal Hussars, and he married the respondent, who
was formerly a Miss Sadler, a lady of some position in
the North of Ireland, in November, 1853. The co-respon-
dent, who was highly connected, was a lieutenant in the
same regiment. An intimacy sprang up between Mrs.
Chaine and the co-respondent at the house of the
petitioner's brother. Letters from the respon-
dent to the co-respondent were found which, though not
at the time looked on as more than evidence of indiscre-
tion, from subsequent events were believed as testimony
of criminality. The petitioner forbade his wife to hold
any communication with the co-respondent, and she
promised not to do so. In October 1867 the petitioner
and the co-respondent accompanied their regiment to
India, and from that country Lieutenant Beattie wrote
letters to the respondent asking her, in the plainest
language, to forsake her husband and become his mistress.
Soon after this he came over to England, and there was
no doubt that the respondent was enceinte by him.—
After hearing the evidence •of Mr. Chaine, the
brother of the petitioner, and the letters, Sergeant
Ballantine, for the co-respondent, said he could not
possibly resist the evidence of the adultery, and the only
question was as to the amount of damages.— Mr. H.
James, Q.C., for the petitioner, disclaimed any idea of
his client wishing to profit by his wife's infidelity, and he
never would have claimed damages had it not been that a
plea was put on the record, which accused the petitioner
of conduct conducing to his wife's adultery.—Sergeant
Ballantine said that there was no pretence for such a
charge, and all imputations would be withdrawn. His
client was almost a ruined man, and had been disinherited
in consequence of the 'present suit.—lt was ultimately
agreed that a verdict should be taken for the petitioner,
with 2,500 damages, Mr. James stating that he believed
that was the utmost sum the co-respondent could possibly
pay. -Lord Penzance pronounced the decree snsi for a
dissolution of the marriage.

TIIE 3IURDER NEAR CHELMSFORD.7

tic (11,,alyn,third s 7..ta cti zumy , isNac
31, labourer, was charged with the wilful murder of his
wife, Martha Finch, by cutting her throat, on the 25th of
May last. Mr. Walf3rd and Mr. Croome conducted the
prosecution. The prisoner had no legal assistance, but, at
the request of the learned judge, Mr. Codd watched

the case 'on his behalf. This was a case of a very
painful character, there being no doubt that the
unfortunate deceased woman, to whom the pri-
soner appeared to have been previously tenderly
attached, met her death at his har.ds by a dreadful act of
violence, and it being equally clear that at the time the
act was committed the prisoner was in such a state of
mind as not to be responsible for his actions. It appeared
that the prisoner and the deceased had been married for
12 years, and they had several children, the youngest at
the time of the occurrence being an infant in arms. On
the night of the 25th of May the prisoner and the de-
ceased went to bed at their usual time, two children,
aged respectively five and six years, sleeping in the same
room, and the baby being in the bed with its father and
mother. Nothing appeared to have been noticed during
the night, but there appeared to be no doubt that the
prisoner had got up early on the followin,, morning, and
that he had cut the throat of the unfortunate woman
while she was asleep. 111 on one of the elder children
going into the bedroom in the morning of the 26th of May
a dreadful sight presented itself—the mother lying dead,
with the baby restin,, upon her arm, and both being
almost covered with blood that had flowed from a fearful
wound in the throat of the deceased. The pri-
soner appeared to have been in a very low and
desponding state for several days before the
dreadful occurrence, and on the evening before it
happened it appeared that the unfortunate woman had
had some conversation with Mrs. Crow, a neighbour, in
the course of which she said that her husband had given
her such a look with his eyes that he had frightened her,
and she appeared to have a foreboding that something
dreadful was about to happen. After the prisoner had
committed the fearful act he seemed to be quite
unconscious of what he had done, and he repeatedly
called out to the deceased woman to come down to break-
fast, and he inquired why she was so long before she
came downstairs. The deed must have been done at an
early hour of the morning, for when the body of the de-
ceased woman was examined it was found to be quite
cold. The prisoner went away from his cottage imme-
diately after the discovery took place, and he was seen in
a field some distance off ; and when the parish constable
went towards him he jumped into a ditch, but imme-
diately afterwards be went up to the constable, who
told him that he should take hitn into custody on sus-
picion of murdering his wife, and he made no reply.
It transpired that the prisoner ha,d been eight months
confined in the county lunatic asylum, and that four of
his brothers had also been under restraint as lunatics, and
one of them died in the asylum. Besides this it appeared
that the prisoner's mother had also been confined in the
county asylum, and all the evidence tended to chew was
that just before the fatal occurrence the prisoner was in
a very low and desponding state, and exhibited every
indication of insanity. Upon the prisoner beingsearched
there were found in his possession a small knife and a
Bible, which was turned down at several pages in which
there were references to the shedding of blood. Upon a
search being made in the coal *cellar there was found a
chopper or bill-hook, upon which there was a quantity of
blood and hair, and it was no doubt with this weapon
that the fatal injuries were inflicted upon the unhappy
deceased. The jury acquitted the prisoner on the ground
of insanity, and he was ordered to be detained in safe
custody until her Majesty's pleasure should be made
known respecting him.

Mr. Mapleson is no longer associated with Mr. Gye
in the management of the Royal Italian Opera.
No less than three Cabinet Alinisters,— Mr.
Cardwell, Mr. Lowe, and Mr. Forster—visited Wim-
bledon Camp on Wednesday evening. The distinguished
party first dined with Lord Ducie, at Heathfield House,
and afterwards made the tour of the encampment.
A. BRIDGE ON FIRE.—The high level bridge at
Newcastle had a narrow escape from destruction on
Thursday night. The roadway for vehicles having been
under repair an apparatus for boiling pitch had been
left standing on it, when the woodwork in the vicinity
took fire, the bridge being covered with asphalte a foot
thick. The danger of its spreading was at one time
imminent, but owing to the prompt arrival of the fire
extinguishing apparatus the danger was averted.

At the Southwark Police Court, on Thursday, the
the complaint against Dr. John Steele, superintendent of
Guy's Hospital, for having violated one of the provisions
of the Anatomy Act, again came under the attention of
the magistrate. It was alleged that Dr. Steele had un-
lawfully caused the body of one Samuel Milbourne, who
had died in the hospital, to undergo anatomical
examination, without the consent of the relatives.
As the examination had been conducted without the
authority of the defendant, the summons was dismissed.
The Civilian states that very extensive reductions
are in progress in the tax branch of the Inland Revenue.
Thirty-eight stations, each of which has hitherto been
occupied by a Surveyor of Taxes, are to be abolished ;
but it is probable that several new stations will be created.
The services, however, of at least twenty-five surveyors will
ultimately be dispensed with. Several of these "redundant"
officials will be superannuated upon terms somewhat more
favourable than in .the case of voluntary retirements, and
the rest will most likely be temporarily employed in the
office of the chief inspector of taxes. The classification
for the " revised " service has not yet been decided upon,
and we learn from all sides that great confusion exists in
the department.