The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-12 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND
SUICIDE.

It may be remembered that, on Monday, a man of respec-
tability, named John Rolfe, was charged at Worship-street
Police court with attempting to cut the throat of his eldest
son, George, a youth fifteen years of age. He was stated to
be a man of classical education and various accomplishments,
and had been a private tutor, but that within the last three
or four years he had sustained domestic afflictions in the loss of
his wife and several children, which, with circumstances of
Pecuniary embarrassment, appeared to have a fearful effect
upon his nervously susceptible temperament. In the night,
between Friday and Saturday last, he wAs`discovcred in the
act of cutting the throat of his eldest son, who, however,
awoke after sustaining a slight wound, and, by his firmness
and presence of mind, averted the destruction of the whole
family. Mr. Rolfe was afterwards taken into custody by
Sergeant Dubois, and brought before the magistrate, who
remanded him, with a view to his committal for trial, in
order that a jury might decide as to his mental condition
when he made the attempt upon the life of his son.
On Wednesday, when Mr. Broughton, the Magistrate, took
his seat upon the bench, the following note was handed to
him from Colonel Tracey, the Governor of Westminster
Bridewell, in which prisoners examined are confined during
the rebuilding of the Clerkenwell Prison:—
" Sir—l am to acqUaint yoti that John RAN, a prisoner,
remanded from Worship-street Police-court, under a charge
of cutting. and wounding, committed suicide in this prison
this morning.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
"AUGUSTUS FREDERICK TRACEY."
Sergeant Redmond, who has charge of the police van,
stated that he called at the Westminster Bridewell yesterday
morning, as usual, to bring the prisoners who were remanded
for re-examination at this Court, and John Rolfe, the de-
ceased, was then amongst them, but he requested permission
to retire to the water-closet before he entered the vat:, and
accordingly did so. After a very few minutes, as he had not re-
turned, the officers of the prison went to the closet for him,
and then found him lifeless on the floor. He had contrived
to attach the end of his neckerchief to the knob of the door,
and by throwing himself down, he produced strangulation.
A surgeon was called in, but could not resuscitate the
deceased.

Mr_ BROUGHTON had some communication with the rela•
tives of the deceased as to the care of the children, and the
matter was then dropped until the inquest shall have been
held.

INDIA.

THE LATE BATTLES ON THE SUTLE.L—The following
is an extract from a letter dated Camp, near Hurakee, lett
bank of the Sutlej, January 15, 1846 I suspect the news
by the last mail will have caused great excitement in Eng-
land, and opened the eyes of the directors to the formidable
power'ot the Seikhs, and to the necessity of larger reinforce-
ments being sent from England to replace troops which must
be brought from Madras and Bombay. Our army is watch-
ing the fords of the Sutlej and the Seikh bridge of boats
within four miles of this camp. They are in very great force
on the other aide of the river, and think to pass the bridge ;
in fact, they have constructed a kind of tete du port on this
side, defended by their heavy guns on the other side,
and it is too formidable for us to attack. The more time we
can gain for reinforcements, the siege train, and commissariat
supplies and carriage, the better. I doubt whether a suffi-
ciency can be got this year. You must send out 8,000 or
•10,000 men to disperse the Seikh army effectually. We have
been playing at long-shoti yesterday afternoon and the pre-
vious one, but little harm was done. We have only one 24-
pounder, two 8-inch howitzers, six 18-pounders, and twelve
12-pounders here ; while the enemy have more than forty
heavy guns, with ight ones far superior to ours in numbers."
THE STATE OF INDlA.—(Extract of a Letter.)—Nice
peaceable times we have truly here ; almost every station
in India emptied of troops, almost all of which are sent
towards the Sutlej, and by this time six months they will be
in the Punjaub, and dictating terms under the walls at La-
hore. We are so bare of troops that the slightest row could
not be quelled, as we have actually not sufficient troops to do
more than take the different guards at our largest stations.
All very fair and very well, if we have nothing else to do
but furnish guards. However, the political agents are
getting fidgety at the appearance of the paucity of troops.
Sleeman is beginning to write about his fears, as you'll see
by the DePti Gazette, as is also the Komaun Political. Whe-
ther they take Lahore or not we can only guess,
but if they do they cannot keep the country as it is
this moment without a large increase of the army. The
Seikhs have proved that they ar' not such small chaff as Sir •
Hugh and Sir Henry fancied they were. They taught them
the difference at FCrozeshale which battle was fought by
Oude and Allahabad Men, brothers to our own Sepoys, who
first tried to get service in our regiments, but we had no room
for them ; now they fight against lie whenever they get pay
and employment, mid -don't care a straw at whose side, though
they'd live our regiments the preference had we room for
them. If we get those 25 new regiments, those restless boys
will all get employment, and although now in the enemy's
ranks, will prove as faithful as they always are to whomever
they are employed by. There are men enough in the pro-
vinces to recruit 100 new regiments, brothers and relations of
our own &Toys, daily seeking-for admittance into our ranks,
and are refused, as we have no room for them. God send
us those 25 new regiments. if they only form them in time
they can keep the 'unjaub as easily as they can keep any
llindoo village. If they do not, we shall have endless con-
spiracies and rows, without the power to set them at rest.
One so low down as Dinapore is this day talked of in conver-
sation, and in anticipation of the licking the Seikhs were
said to be certain of treating us to. Truly we did not expect
to be so roughly handled as we were near Ferozepore, which
opened the new Governor-General's eyes; but our Com-
mander-in-Chief is so thud of taLing the bull by the horns,
that he took no warning from our loss at Maharajpore, but
went on in the old style without waiting for, or bringing up,
one of the heavy guns. Had he done so, it is said there would
have been less killed and wounded, and a better account

given of the Seikh gentlefolk, to whom now we shall have to
give another hiding before they come to terms. This has
been an eventful fifteen days, and the next will be more so.
Tun BATTLES ON THE SUTLEJ.—Every day adds intelli-
gence of interest to our knowledge of occurrences on " the
memorable three days" of our encounter with the army of
the Ptuiiaub, and all that reaches us proves that not only
was the hurricane of war terrific in its violence, but that our
dear- bought victory was such, that in regard to loss of
valuable lives, we could not afford to gain another like it.
Thanks be to that overruling Providence, whose controlling
power the head of our Government and the forces under
him publicly acknowledged in the vicinity cf the scene
of slaughter, we escaped, and only narrowly escaped,
a most disastrous defeat ; one &cm which it would
have been most difficult to rally. The letters from
camp give not only the usual mishaps of battle,
but communicate intelligence which creates regret for
the living as well as for the dead ; and were it not
that the confidence of the enemy has been broken, we
should look with painful apprehension towards our retalia-
tory invasion, when a kingdom undergoing dissolution while
in possession of all its physical strength will strain every
nerve in its last convulsive struggle, resisting the power that
crushes it. Amongst the earliest intelligence received was
that of failure on the part of Major-General Sir J. Littler's
division, the result being. what no man who knows anything
of the character and fame of this gallant oflicercould for a
moment have anticipated. It seems that on the morning of
the 21st the action began by the left division, under his com-
mand, which, on the advance being sounded, moved on in line
against the western face of the enemy's camp. The first half
of the distance was through a bush-jungle, but the most
admirable order was preserved. The rest of the ground
was an open plain, affording to the enemy a full view of the
advance; of which immediate advantage was taken, the
whole fire of the intrenchment on that side being concen-
trated on the right wing of the Queen's 62d, and the left
wing of the 12th Native Infantry, causing great havoc in
their ranks. 'Our men went on undeterred, and rapidly
closed upon the intrenched position under a fire as furious
and destructive as any on record. Their brave leader had
two horses shut under him—both within a few minutes--
and his Aide-de camp, Lieutenant Harvey, of her Majesty's
30th, fell mortally wounded in the act of cheering on the
men of her Majesty's 62d. This occurred within a few
paces of the enemy, whose tire became, if possible, still more
terrific every moment ; and then their musketry and camel
jezails sent in a deadly shower, under which the 62d reeled
and-staggered. Up to this point -we had reserved our fire,
in order to give it full effect, but in the coutlision the men
began to fire indiscriminately, and without producing the
least impression_ They had now to reload and halted—a
panic seized them, the whole went to the right about, and
retreated. The 12th Native infantry held its way fur a few
paces, when the example of the Europeans proved con-
tagious. The Sipahees called out to their officers " Goralog
hue, jata,” and at this moment, to complete the disaster,
their Colonel (Bruce) had his arm shot off. Thepanic imme-
diately spread to the 14th Native Infantry, on the left of the
62d, and the whole division turned and did not stop till out
of reaeh of tire. The other division was similarly affected,
the artillery of the enemy, served as it way with admirable
precision and alacrity, and of weight far overpowering
ours, having with the small arms done fearful execution
amongst them, and they retired in the same manner for the
night,not having been able to dislodge the enemy at a single
point. The whole of the divisions bivouacked as near each
other as they could get in the dark. The night was a ter-
rible one, the cannonade being kept up by both parties, and
on our side, the exhausted men, suffering from hunger and
thirst, fatigue and cold, had to attend to the wants of the
numerous wounded and dying, whose number still kept ou
the increase. At daybreak of the following morning the
Governor-General put himself at the head of her Majesty's
SOth, and the Commander-in-Chief in like manner led the
31st. Sir Harry Smith, Queen's Adjutant-General, tried to
cheer on her Majesty's 80th, but they would not respond till
the Governer-General put himself at their head, and called
out, " 80th, do your duty !" The attack was then renewer
with a gallantry which enabled the second and third divi-
sions to break through every obstacle and gain an entrance,
by which they secured the guns, the Ist and 4th divisions
meanwhile co-operating en their flanks. In an hour the
position was completely in our possession. Sir H. Hardinge
is said 'to have been quite exhausted by his exertions, and
he and the Commander in-Chief passed a wretched night.
The former, as brave and gallant a soldier as ever led into
action (as, indeed, is his companion in arms, Sir H. Gough),
is reported to have said that he must conquer or fall, for he
could not survive defeat ; and so, summoning up his ener-
gies, the morning saw him retrieve the fortunes of the field.
—Agra Ukbar, Jan. 10.
Tem 62n REGDIENT.—The following extract from a letter
dated Ferozepore, January 15, will be read with interest, as
showing how little foundation existed for the charge brought
against her Majesty's 62d Regiment :—" Both the Governor-
General and Sir Hugh Gough frequently visit the Ikspital,
which was formed in the 62d Barracks, the tents pitched for
that purpose in the fort being quite inadequate, in addition
to the proper building always used; they send mince-pies
with other dainties, and have a word fur each sick man; to
one who was writing home, Sir Hugh Gough said, Tell
your friends that /say the 62d foughtne alsobirnaqvuired whenelyas
regiment in the service ever did.'
NttylVboeulfidtbaet f-tehaedeinfdorolfiiamntio decorate
titiltietn,
iilearnidoslopristvalnany
.;1,

a:1 1 ni:
•
rooliia d
at r,E,
his boyish dace , grammar-school
i 1 1. 4 On a pane of glass in one of the win-
under the liev. Dr. 3 c to a..
had scratched his name, which has often been an object of
Slrt .011b'RaTimi
pupil
SAL, ;To Terbryteedrog
iilnotievms
sit'elvitir the Alumni of the establishment. A curious coincident
connects this memorial and the man : the former continued in safety
111111 d !CllOOl perils until a few weeks since, when about the period of
it Robert Sale's death the pane was unfortunately broken, and thus
memorial and man may be said to have perished together. The name
of George Sale, Sir Robert's elder brother, who also distinguished him-
self in India, scratched by himself, still stands on a .pane in tbe ad-
joining window. A third brother, Henry, was also educated at
Ealing.—Cortafg Cleionicte.
ROI Al. HORSE AU TILLER Y FORA INDI A .-A strong
rumour prevails in the town and garrison of Woolwich, that it is
the intention of Ids Grace the Duke of Wellington, Commander-Ju-
tt this
t,f w agia•
Met', to Immediately order a certain number of troops of the Royal
ltiiti, ricer,,to
Artillery,embark f
stationedor the scat
in rhriisiDinia,ino:intsh
ittheisirtilieigohlin
t}siiox;
i
of many experienced officers that if one or two troops of the Royal
Horse Artillery had been present at the lest memorable action, that
they would have completely destroyed the enemy.' Should these
troops be ordered there, they will be the first of her Majesty's Royal
Horse Artillery who have ever done duty in the Indian territories.
NovAn FOREST, toss-sinnE —A' portion of this
forest, consisting of 10,042 Scots fir trees, was brought to sale by
Mr. Munro. of 'Nova; on the 2.-ith nit. . 'llle price realised was
5,7041., or au average of. 10s. li 4. per tree. One lot of 1,248 trees
brought 1,010/. ; and some of the trees brought 2/. each. So nitre
tor our native pine, whou properly managed,—,Edinkre4 rot