The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-17 00:00:00

THE COUNTESS OF DERWENTWATER.

A "demonstration" took place in favour of the lady who
styles herself " Amelia, Countess of Derwentwater, and
Baroness Langley," on Saturday, at Consett, in the county
of Durham. A few days ago some live stock, comprising
22 sheep, 11 cattle, and 2 horses, were seized at the instance
of the " countess " upon the farm of Walter Dodds (New
lands South Farm), near Shotleybridge, for rent alleged
to be due to the countess, amounting to £270.
The stock were conveyed to Consett, a mile or two
distant, and remain in possession of the
On Saturday, Mr. C. G. Grey, of Dilston, agent to the
Greenwich Hospital Committee, visited Consett, accom-
panied by another bailiff and some of the county con-
stabulary, with the view of recovering possession of
the stock, but he was compelled to leave the place
his life being threatened if he interfered with the
property; the sympathies of the people—a very numerous
pit and ironworks population—are entirely with the
claimant to the Dilston estates. "The countess," appa-
rently with the view, by her presence, of inspiring her
partisans to take such steps as might be necessary to
maintain possession of the seized stock, also visited
Consett. She drove to that place by way of Ebchester
and Blackhill, attired in an antique dress, a military
cloak, and a bonnet with tall waving plume, and carrying
a sword. She was received by the populace with the
greatest enthusiasm and the heartiest congratulations.
She dined at the Railway Hotel, and frequently acknow-
ledged, by waving her handkerchief, the greetings she
received. On her way she had .dug the soil and planted
a flag on Newlands Farm as a token of her taking
possession, and she carried away a "pocketful" of the
soil. At the hotel the bailiff, at the desire of the
countess, addressed the crowds, and intimated that,
though her ladyship could not invite them all to dine
with her on that occasion, yet when she came into
full possession of her property, she would take care
that every man, woman, and child who had througed the
streets on that memorable 15th of January should be
regaled with princely hospitality. On leaving the town
her carriage was drawn by the people, the horses being
removed from the shafts, and she passed on her way to
Corbridge, where she at present resides, amidst the most
vociferous cheering. The sale of stock was fixed for
the 17th, and an action has been entered in the Shotley-
bridge County Court for the recovery of the same. It may
be added that the countess has promised to cause an ox to
be roasted on the Blue Heaps if she obtains possession of
the proceeds of the sale.

THE FINSBURY MURDER.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE DECEASED.

The story of the Finsbury murder is now completed in
all but one point—the cause of the crime. The following
are the facts :—At No. 1, Christopher-stre et, Finsbury-
square, Mr. Christopher Buecker carries on the business of
an hotel keeper. Among the persons employed by him has
been a young man, Jacob Spinas, a Swiss night porter.
Spinas is a young man, and is described as remarkable for
his good looks and good behaviour. On Friday afternoon he
left the hotel without 1 eave, and seems to have spent some
hours drinking in the vicinity of the Kingsland-road, for
he was brought to the police-station of that district during
the evening on a charge of being concerned in a disturb-
ance. The charge was not considered sufficiently serious
to detain Spinas, and he was permitted to go at large.
How he spent the time that elapsed between then and
half-past one o'clock has not been ascertained. At half.
past one o'clock on Saturday morning Spinas was let into
the hotel by Joseph Webber, one of the day porters. Spinas
was then nearly drunk. Webber left Spinas in the kitchen
of the hotel at a quarter to two, and went upstairs
to bed. In about four hours after, Mr. Buecker and
Webber, the porter, were roused from their sleep by the
smashing of glass and loud talking. Webber got out of
bed and went down stairs to see what was the matter.
He found Spinas near the front door, raving and
shouting. He cried out frequently in German that
the devil was in the kitchen. Mrs. Buecker
became so alarmed that she also hurried downstairs, fol
lo wed by others of the household. In the kitchen the
gas was burning. In the room which Spinas occupied, a
small apartment off the kitchen, a shocking sight was pre-
sented. Blood was spattered about in all directions, and
on the floor, near the doorway, lay the body of a woman,
horribly mutilated. The miserable clothes on her—she
was poorly clad—were quite saturated with blood. When
first seen, the face and head seemed a shapeless mass.
The appearance of the room and of the body of
the unfortunate woman denoted that the murder had
been preceded by a violent strugele. At the head of
the bed which Spinas was in the habit of occupying was
hung a print representing the "Crucifixion," and close at
hand a silver watch was found to be going. It is supposed
that soon after Webber went upstairs to bed, Spinas went
out again, met the deceased woman in the street, and in in-
duced her to come into the kitchen of the hotel with him.
He seems to have broken into a cellar which is at the back
of the kitchen, and taken several bottles of spirits and wine.
It is probable that after drinking together freely a quarrel
arose between them which led to the woman's murder.
The bottles and a little candlestick seemed to have been
used as weapons on each side. Blood and pieces of flesh
were found adhering to fragments of bottles lying in the
room. The police were sent for, and Spinas was taken
nto custody. The clothes he had on were smeared with
blood, but this evidence was not needed, as the
position in which the wretched man was found, and
his weld exclamations, left no room for doubt. When
formally accused of the murder the prisoner returned no
reply. The body of the woman was as soon as possible
conveyed to the dead-house of St. Luke's parish. In the
course of Saturday the prisoner was brought before the
magistrate at the Worship-street Police-court, and was
remanded till next Saturday. Later in the evening Mr.
J. Humphreys held an inquest on the body of the mur-
dered woman, at the Windmill Tavern, Windmill-street,
City-road ; but as no evidence as to identity was
forthcoming, an adjournment was decided upon
On Sunday evening three women came to the
Old-street Police-station to see the body. In reply to
Inspector Fife, who was on duty, they stated that a femal:,
friend of theirs being missing and their attention having
been called to the reports of the murder, they had re-
solved to make this application. Inspector Fife ad-
mitted them to the parish dead-house, when they imme-
diately recognised the body to be that of their friend.
They all agreed. in stating that they could not be mis-
taken in the identity. They stated that they lived at
56, Flower and Dean-street, Spitalfields. Deceased, was
one of the lodgers in the same house. She was an "unfor-
tunate' She had been in the habit of frequenting Fins-
bury-square and Chiswell street. She left home on Friday
evening at about nine o'clock, since when they had not
seen her alive. Although they had known her two years
they could not tell her name. She was always known as
"Sissy," and nothing more. Deceased seemed to have
neither a relative nor friend. They recognised her by
the dress she wore and by her teeth. She was thirty
years of ago last month, but lookod younger. In reply to
a question as to what coloured eyes deceased had, the
women readily said, " Blue—light blue." The description
given by these women of the eyes, teeth, and other distin-
guishing marks on deceased, tallied with the discoveries
made during the post-mortem examination which took
place in the course of Saturday. It was arranged that the
three women should appear as witnesses at the adjourned
coroner's inquest.

The Dublin corporate officers have presented an
address of thanks to Sir John Gray, M.P., for his exertions
in promoting the Local Officers' Superannuation Bill.
In compliance with a requisition, signed by thirty
magistrates, Lord Erne has called a meeting in Fermanagh
to express the opinion of certain magistrates on the dis-
missal of Mr. Madden by the Irish Government.

The Irish Times states that it has been deter-
mined not to proceed with tho petition against the re-
turn of Sir Henry Winston Barron for the borough of
Wat e ford.

There is a sudden change in the tone of the Irish
Church press. In prospect of the meeting of the central
Convention of Delegates, articles are appearing inculcat-
ing harmonious action between clergy and laity, and coun-
selling both to submit absolutely to the authrity of that
body.

MILLBANK PENITENTIARY.—The Government
baying decided upon converting Millbank Penitentiary
building into a general military prison, all soldiers whose
terms of imprisonment exceed 56 days will be forwarded
henceforth to that destination, and the various military
prisons at different stations in England will be abolished.

11.1 r. Charles Barry has been swcrn in as Attorney-
General for Ireland. The Freeman's Journal believes that
the announcement will meet with the approval of allwho
respect private worth, admire public virtue, and value
great forensic ability. Mr. Barry, whatever position he
occupied, never forgot that be was an Irishman, and never
sacrificed his principles to personal advancement.
EXPLOSION IN A CHURCH. Something like a
anic was caused at the new church of St. Andrew and
St. Luke, Kcnsal—an outpost of London—by an explosion
which was heard during the reading of the Creed. The
church was filled with smoke; and the people—about 900
—who feared a fire, rushed towards the doors. Several
persons were slightly injured. The fire is attributed
to the malicious disposition of some boy attached to the
e

COl/ttIGNIOIE.Y elYPnalf t

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Jan. 16.

Her Majesty, accompanied by their Royal High-
nesses Princess Christian, Princess Louise, Prin-
cess Beatrice, and Prince Christian, attended
Divine service at Whippingham Church this morn-
ing.

LATEST INTELL CGENCE

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

• (Per French Atlantic Cable.)
NEW Yon:, Jan. 15.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CLOSING PRICES.

Gold closed at 1211; the highest quotation dur-
ing the day was 1211 ; the lowest, 1214.
Sterling Exchange on London lOBl.
5-20 U. S. Bonds, 1882 ll3l.
64 " 1885 ll3.
64 " 1867 ll5l.
10-40 66
Illinois
Erie 2ll.
Cotton—Mid. upland 2sBc.
Petroleum—Standard White 3o4c.
Flour, extra state, $5.30c. to $5.60c. Corn, old
mixed, sl.4c.

THE BRAZILIAN MAILS.
LISBON, Jan. 15.

The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's ship
Oneida, from the Brazils and River Plate, arrived
here at 11 a.m. to-day, and left in the afternoon for
Southampton, with 29 passengers, /29,628 in specie,
234 bales of cotton, 75 barrels of tapioca, 100 rolls
of tobacco, and 76 packages of sundries.
The Douro, with the outward mails of the 10th
inst., left Lisbon at 3 p.m. on the 11th (?) inst. for
Brazil.

A thick fog delayed the Oneida at Lisbon.

FRANCE.
BOURSE, Jan. 15.—Three io'clock—The market
closed as follows :

1} ver Cont.
End of month._ Ital'an wives 56 60
3 per Cent
End of month._ 74 75 Ottoman Loan ... 333
Credit Mobilier ~. 207 50 Do. Debt 45 35
Transatlantic • 220 Spanish Threes ... 26}
Credit Foncier _1722 50 Home Debt —
Paris Gas 1640 Deferred — —.
RAILWAY

Orleans
Western
Northern
Strasburg

's, Cash_
957
637 k
1125
590

iiyons and Mediterranean
Southern..... 592k
Sardinian
Austrian B2O
Lombard 525
North of Spain 46
Saragossa

Homan 4l

ADELPHI THEATRE.

The production of Mr. Robertson's new five-act
drama at this theatre on Saturday proved any-
thing but a success. The drama is entitled " Th•
Nightingale," and unlike the author's former pro-
ductions it is of the sensational type ; but the re-
sult proves that Mr. Robertson is entirely out of
his element in such a work. The plot turns upon
the acts of a villain, one Ishmael (played by Mr. B.
Webster), to secure the hand and fortune of a young
lady, called the Nightingale (Mi®a Furtado.) To
secure his object Ishmael forges, poisons, steals,
and, in fact, does everything that a bad man can
do to achieve his object, but of course he fails, and
happiness finally is accorded to the Nightingale by
her union with her first love. The great sensation
scene takes place where the young mother loses
her senses on the discovery of the loss of her child
(stolen by Ishmael). Here she, in her delirium,
enters an open boat and is carried out to sea, sing-
ing her song of the Nightingale. The arrange-
ment of the scene is by no means satisfac-
tory, as the audience are repeatedly in-
formed that her death is certain, as a
dense haze or fog prevails, yet, notwithstanding
this announcement, a convenient moonbeam, by the
aid of a lime light, is thrown full on the aforesaid
young lady, who stands as still as a statue in the
most approved attitude, singing her song as she
floats away. The audience expressed their strong
disapproval of portions of the play before its con-
clusion, but at the fall of the curtain the applause
of the author's friends preponderated over the
sounds of dissatisfaction manifested in various parts
of the house.