The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-10 00:00:00

CLAIMING zi. HUSBAND.

BRIGHTON, THURSDAY.—The magistrates of the Brighton
bench were engaged a couple of hours this morning in con-
sidering a summons for sureties of the peace against a young
woman named Dinning, arising out of a claim by her to be
the wife of Captain Mercer, a half-pay naval officer, and
nephew of Vice-Admiral Sir William Powis.
Mr. Somers Clarke appeared for the complaining party, Mr.
G. Dempster for the woman. The court was crowded to
suffocation.

Mr. CLARKE detailed at length the facts of the case. It
appeared that on the evening of Midsummer's-day, Captain
Mercer, while walking with his daughter near St. Peter's
Church, Brighton, was accosted by the defendant, who
claimed him as her husband. Captain Mercer, we may
state, appears to be about sixty years of age; the woman
could not have seen half so many summers. The captain
told her she was a fool ; but from that time forward she re-
peatedly intruded into his lodgings, claiming a right to do
so as his lawful wife, and she also applied for advice
to the magistrates, apparently believing that the captain
was her husband. Her statement was that she met the
captain at Brighton, and that after seeing him three times
she consented to become his wife, and that they accordingly
left Brighton by the first train on the morning of the
Ist October ; that they were married at the church of
St. Matthew, Bethnal-green, the same day, the captain re-
presenting his name to be Harper; that they' lived together
13 days, when he left her, and she did not see him again till
she met him at Brighton. She also produced the certificate
of her marriage. This statement would be rebutted by the
production of a declaration, for the purpose of procuring his
half-pay, made by Captain Mercer before the Brighton bench,
on the day when it was alleged that the marriage took place,
and by his receipt of the money at the Custom House, and
several circumstances which would show incontestably that
Captain Mercer was in Brighton during the time the woman
alleged that her husband was with her in London.
Captain Mercer and several other witnesses were then ex-
amined. The captain proved that his wife died 25 years ago
in the West Indies—that he was in Brighton on the day the
defendant alleged that he married her at Bethnal-green, and
his daughter deposed that he was at home every day and
every night from the Ist to the 14th of October. It was
alleged by the woman he had lived with her as her husband.
Mr. DEMPSTER said that by virtue of his discretion as an
advocate he had determined not to proceed further with the
case.
Major Allen said the clergyman who married the woman
stated that Captain Mercer was the husband.
The' case was then withdrawn, Mr. Dempster and the ma-
gistrates declaring their belief that the defendant bad acted
under a bond fide belief that Captain Mercer was her hus-
band, but that she was mistaken.

SUSPECTED MURDER AT SUNDERLAND.—A painful
datiuonndoerf
htoar beenbyt hmeueridr circulation of
a rumour that a young woman has been murde ruel
asernusinatoiounr hthaastbeae7yeaouusngedwoinmtanhis
somewhat mysterious circumstances. It appears that about
three o'clock on Sunday morning, as a workman employed
at Fenwick's Glass Works, was walking on the Rector's Gill,
near those works, he saw a bonnet and a plate with 4IAd.
lying on it, on the edge of the bank. In going up to it he
looked over the bank, and then observed near the tunnel On
the Lambton Coal Railway below the body of a woman. As
he was near the Bishopwearmouth police station, he did not -
deem it prudent to go near the body, but at once obtained
the assistance of two policemen, who removed the body to
the ;,infirmary. It was that of a young woman still alive.
Her face was bruised, and she was otherwise slightly injured
externally, but in an utterly helpless and dying condition.
Medical aid was unavailing; she was never able to speak,
and died yesterday afternoon. Her name is Catherine
Hinclniarsh, and her step-father, Rowland Smith, is a re-
spectable mas leftir and brazier in the town. The un-
fortunate girl her father's house about twelve o'clock
on Saturday night for the purpose of buying some butter
and eggs at a neighbouring shop, kept by a person named
Fairbairn. As she did not return within a reasonable time,
he went to Fairbairn's to seek her, and was informed she
had never been there. The unhappy man wandered about
all night, and early in the morning heard that a young
woman had been found on the Lambton Railway and-- taken
to the infirmary. He went thither, and his grief can be
better conceived than described when he found that it was
his daughter, and that she was unable to speak to him or
even to know him. How she reached the Rector's Gill,
which is about a quarter of a mile from her dwelling, and
a lonely place, is unknown; but it is supposed (from a ya-
riety of minute circumstances which have been ascertained)
that she had been drawn there by a worthless seducer, who,
after destroying her virtue, had, to escape detection and
punishment, thrown her over the bank and destroyed her
life. Suspicion attaches to a person who is not yet in cus-
tody. The police are making the most diligent inquiries
into the matter. This afternoon (Tuesday) an inquest was
held at the Londonderry Arms, before Mr. Maynard, one
of the county coroners, and a respectable jury. Some
formal evidence was adduced, and the inquiry adjourned to
Friday.
DREADFUL DEATH OF A CARMAN.—Last evening,
Mr. J. Payne held an inquest at St. Thomas's Hospital, on
the body of Stephen Brooker, aged thirty-five years, lately
residing at No. 59, Regent street, Lambeth. The deceased
was a carman in the employ of Messrs. Chapman and Co.,
proprietors of the Union Brewery, Lambeth walk. On Wed-
nesday afternoon last the deceased had been to the cooperage
for some empty puncheons, and while on the way home he
stopped to hand down a bundle of shavings, and in so doing,
the tail-board of the waggon gave way, and two of the pun-
cheons rolled over him and completely flattened his head.
He screamed out, when several persons ran to him and lifted
him up, with the blood gushing out of his eyes, nose, and
mouth. He was removed to the above hospital, where he
died soon after his admission. Mr. G. Talbot, house-surgeon,
said the deceased died from laceration of the brain and frac-
ture of the skull. The jury returned a verdict of " Acci-
dental death."
WINCHESTER, JuLY.—Notice has been given that
Captain Hawkey will surrender to take his trial ekee U•
sizes for killing = a duel Lieutenant SoltPut it 5a710
'Gosport, about fourteen raontbo ago.