The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-06 00:00:00

MORE LIGHT ON THE METZ TRAGEDY.

One of the echappes from Metz writes to a Lyons paper
giving an account of the varying feelings of the garrison
during the siege. After the fall of the Imperial Govern-
ment, ho says, Marshal Bazaine remained in the most in-
comprehensible inactivity. A sortie was expected, and
was eagerly desired by the troops, who were weary of their
position, They were conscious that such a sortie might
save France, for the army was courageous and well disci-
plined, and . could certainly have forced its pas-
sage., The marshal was secretly accused of only wish-
ing 7, to serve the dynasty, and of withholding
his support from the new order of things.
Miiery increased at Metz and the luxury of the leaders of
the army and their staff incensed the troops and the
population of the town. While the horses of the staffs
devoured 15,000 hectolitres of grain, the citizens re-
ceived only a slender ration of Back bread full
of bran, and the artillery and cavalry horses
were sacrificed for want of forage. The soldiers were
'camped in mud and insufficiently fed. They went begging
into the town for bread while the pastrycook's shops were
full of the favoured officers. At the beginning of
October there were rumours of capitulation. The
National Guard was agitated, and sent its
chiefs to General Coffinieres to demand explanations. He
replied that lie kneW nothing whatever of it and when
the municpal council repeated the same question the
General replied he would shoot anyone who dared to
speak of capitulation. Marshal Bazaine issued a procla-
mation in the same spirit,' and as evidence of sincerity
made two sorties, which only served to exasperate the
enemy, since the advantages gained were never followed
up. At last the pear was ripe. Surrender was openly
talked of. To prevent the troops from joining
the inhabitants they were made to believe they
would be sent home. Some few officers tried to
organise resistance, but it was too late. "An
English journalist, Mr. Robinson, of the Manchester
Guardian, foretold the event long before. He told me
more than six weeks before the surrender that Metz was
sold, but I would not believe it. I did not know that our
language was to be enriched .by a new epithet, by side of
which the word traitor will lose its force. The name of
Bazaine will be for ever infamous."

LAW AND POLICE.

BENEVOLENCE THROWN AWAY.—Mary Emily Harris
a respectably attired woman, about 30 years of age, was
charged, at the Westminster Police-court, with stealing
12s. Bd, the monies of a charity. Mrs. Ann Morris, a
widow, residing at 13, Cumberland-street, Pimlico, was
first examined, and said that the house was a home for
deserted women and children, of which Miss Broughton,
a lady, residing in St. Georges-square, Pimlico, was the
patroness. The prisoner was an inmate, and on Saturday
had a holiday, returning drunk, but perfectly sensible ;
when she came into the room a sovereign's worth of silver
was on the table ; she pushed a parcel across the table,
and when she left the 'room to go -to-Miss Broughton's
witness missed 12s. Gd. of the money ; on the return of the
prisoner she was accused of the theft, and the nurse
took her purse out of her pocket. The money was not
there, but witness put 'her hand into prisoner's pocket
and found the 12s. Gd. loose in her pocket. Prisoner still
denied it, and said she could not account for it. No one
of the other 20 inmates had been in the room meanwhile,
only at the door. Evidence was then given that the pri-
soner was dismissed by Miss Broughton, but returned at
two o'clock on Sunday morning and was given in charge.
Mr. Woolrych asked the prisoner whether she were
guilty or not guilty ? Prisoner, emphatically : Not
guilty, sir. Mr. Woolrych : My duty then will be to
commit you for trial. I offer no remarks upon the prin
cipal charge, but as to your bad conduct I can only ex-
press the greatest surprise that you a recipient of charity
should have shown such ingratitude. Your conduct de-
serves severe censure.
SHAMMING FITS.—A TROUBLESOME WOMXN.—Mary
Rourke was charged before Mr. Chance, at Marlborough-
street Police-court, with being drunk and disorderly.
Police-constable Page, 168, saw the prisoner in Rathbone-
place on Saturday night apparently in a fit. He lifted
her up, and as soon as he did so she abused him, and
flourished her umbrella about, and tried to strike him.
As she had been drunk and was very disorderly he took
her to the station. At the station the prisoner pretended
to go into another fit, and on the doctor being sent
for, he said there was nothing the matter with her. The
prisoner had been locked up several times, and they
always had to fetch the doctor to her as she pretended to
to have fits. Barns, the gaoler, said the prisoner had
been locked up several times for disorderly conduct. The
prisoner said that she was tipsy and sometimes had hyste-
rics. Sergeant Burrough, E division, said that each time
the prisoner was locked up the doctor had to be sent for
once or twice, each visit costing 7s. 6d., and that the pri-
soner gave the police a geeat deal of trouble. Mr. Chance,
after remarking that the prisoner appeared to be a very
troublesome woman, fined her 405., or a month. -
A SINGULAR CASE.—The Lord Chancellor had before
him the case of Hill v. Hibbett, in which a young woman,
called Sarah Angus Hay, claimed to be admitted as one
of the heirs-at-law and next of kin of a Mr. John Wight
(formerly Hibbett) who died intestate in 1869,
leaving real property worth £5,000 a year, and
personal property amounting to £50,000. The facts
appeared to be shortly. these :—ln 1841 a sister of the
intestate, named Harriet Hibbett was believed by her
friends to have gone to America, and in 1860 they were
informed by an old man, named James Angus Hay,
that he was the widower of the Harriet Hibbett,
who died about seven years previously, leaving him
with one daughter named Sarah. If this story were
true, Sarah Hay wonld be one of Mr. Wight's
heirs-at-law, and next of kin. Her claim, however,
was resisted by a widow named Mary Wight Hill, on
the grounds that Harriet Hibbett was not her mother,
that she was not born in lawful wedlock, and that the
marriage of James Angus Hay with Harriet Hibbett was
bigamous and invalid. The case was originally heard be-
fore Lord Justice James, while Vice-Chancellor, who on
the last ground alone dismissed the
claim of Sarah Angus
s
Hay, from which decision an app
ieal was now
to the Lord Chancellor. The case s likely to occupy
several days.

TORPEDOES.—It is stated that the Government
have ordered a considerable number of torpedoes, and
have made large contracts for the supply of field artillery
and field battery harness.
THE BIRMINGHAM LABOUR REPRESENTATION
LEAGUE.—The second annual meeting of the League was
held in Birmingham on Saturday evening. The officers
for the ensuing year were elected, and it was resolved
to enter upon an active campaign during the next year to
secure the direct representation of labour in all elective
bodies. Mr. Lanyard was re-elected president. During
the past year the League had succeeded in returning two
working-class representatives to the town council, and its
influence was felt in the late School Board contest.
SEASONABLE BENEVOLENCE.—During the past
month the Metropolitan Visiting and Relief Association,
Regent-street, have distributed £1,480 amongst the clergy
of seventy-one of the most needy and helpless districts of
the metropolis, thus exhausting the funds at their
disposal. The clergy are supplied with money,
conditionally that the relief, which is mainly in food:
clothing, and fuel, should be given at the homes of
the deserving poor by themselves or their unpaid district
visitors ; thus each case is known and investigated be-
fore assistance is rendered, and indiscriminate almsgiving
avoided.

SHAVING A GALLANT CAPTAIN,—A captain, but
recently retired from the 16th Foot, stationed at Ennis-
killen, and who is residing in the same town as his old
regiment, received on Saturday a communication to proceed
to Killyhevlin, a residence on the north bank of Upper Lough
Erne,about a mile from Enniskillen. He went as requested.
On reaching the place he was rudely seized by four or five
men, was tied, gagged, and taken to the seat of a well-
known gentleman. There his head was shaved, and he
was soundly thrashed before being releqd. It is said
that there is a lady in the case. There aswill probably be
law proceedings in the matter.