The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-02 00:00:00

THE MORDAUNT DIVORCE CASE.

Judgment was given this morning in the Warwick shire
divorce case, the hearing of which, from the disclosures
made in the early part of the year, created a great sensa-
tion. The petitioner was Sir Charles Mordaunt, who
prayed for a dissolution of his marriage on the ground of
his wife's alleged adultery with Viscount Cole, Sir Frederick
Johnstone, and other persons unknown. When the case was
set down for trial in February last the jury were only asked
to give an opinion as to the sanity of Lady Mordaunt,and they
eventually found she was insane when the citation was served
upon her,and had continued to be in an unsound state of mind
down to the day of trial. The question then raised was
whether insanity is a bar to a husband's remedy, presuming
his wife to have committed adultery, and the Court took
time to consider its decision.

Mr. Justice Keating pronounced his opinion upon the case.
His lordship said that a person who was proved to be in-
sane, no matter whether it was' for a criminal offence that
was imputed, or that of adultery, could not be put upon his
trial. His opinion was that the order originally made by
the Judge Ordinary should be upheld, and that so long as
Lady Mordaunt continued to be insane she could not be
called upon to plead.
Lord Penzance, the Judge Ordinary, said—No lunatic
petitioner could take proceedings to dissolve his marriage,
and why then should a sane one proceed against an insane
wife,and concluded by expressing his opinion that the order
originally made should be affirmed, but if it was the inten-
tion of the petitioner to appeal against this decision to the
House of Lords, then he would hoar any argument as to
whether the order might be varied.
The Lord Chief Baron was of opinion that the order
should be varied so as to stop the proceedings for a limited

period only.
The order of the Judge Ordinary was therefore affirmed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.)

DESPERATE ASSAULT BY A SOLDIER.—Wm. Youle, a
private in the Ist Battalion Grenadier Guards, was charged
at the Westminster Police-court with the following violent
assault : —Joseph Wye, who had to be seated while giving
his evidence, said at half-past one he was. going to his
home in Leader-street, Chelsea, when the prisoner, who,
without any provocation struck him a violent blow on the
head and rendered him insensible. He lost a great deal of
blood, and his watch and chain, but he did not know
whether he had left t hem with his friends.T he injured manwas
picked up in the road, and the prisoner wls stopped with
his belt in Lis hand, who, he said, had merely defended
himself when he was attacked., He was remanded.
ROBBING AN EMPLOYEI6.—Edward Tobin, errand boy to
Mr. James Batsford, comb-dealer, of No. 11, Warwick-street,
Regent-street, and Chatherine M'Carthey, a charman, were
charged at the Marlborough-street Police-court, before Mr.
Knox, with stealing some combs, the property of Mr. Buts -
ford. Tobin was seen yesterday to leave his employer's
shop and meet the prisoner M'Carthey at the corner of
Marshall-street, St. James's, and he banded her a white
paper parcel containing some combs, and they were
afterwards given into custody. On showing the combs to
Mr. Batsford he identified them as kis property, and of the
value of 7s. The prisoners were committed for trial.

CHARGE OF ADMINISTERING A NOXIOUS

DRUG TO A FEMALE.

Mr Woolrych resumed an important investigation
to-day at the Thames Police-court arising out of a very
serious charge made against William Harding, aged
59, of administering a noxious drug to a married woman
named Isabella Tuson, better known as Miss George, of the
Alhambra Theatre and Music Hall, Shoreditch, with intent,
d:c. The unfortunate woman a few days since gave birth
to a child at her dwelling, No. 28, John-street, Stepney, and
died immediately afterwards. The child was prematurely
born dead. The evidence only went to show the sudden
illness and death of the unfortunate woman, and that the
prisoner had ♦isited her several times shortly before her
death, and that in her dying agony she took his hand,
pressed it, and put it on her chest. A large quantity of
brandy was administered to the deceased on the day she
expired. The prisoner, when she was dying, said, "You
have left it too late; you should have sent to me before."
When the poor creature died he said he should return, and
left the house, He never called afterwards. He was seen
in the Alhambra Theatre while "Miss George" was per-
forming. The deceased bad been long separated from her
husband. John Cook, a detective of the K division, appre-
hended the prisoner inWi n dsor-terrace, City-road, on Tuesday
night. The prisoner was described as a retir3d medical prac-
titioner. He told him the charge, and he said nothing in reply.
Evidence was given of the ♦isits of the deceased to the pri-
soner at his house and to his visiting her at her dwelling ;
and that the deceased said to a Mrs Mitchell, after one of her
visits to the prisoner, in allusion to her pregnancy, "Oh, it
will be stopped ;" and it is believed she was then taking
some deleterious drug. Miss Laura Stevens, whose profes-
sional nom de guerre is Madame Lorenzya, said she was a
performer at the Alhambra, and deposed to the visits of the
prisoner to the deceased. Mr Stoddart, solicitor for the pri-
soner, maintained there was not a tittle of evidence to im-
plicate the prisoner in any immorality or criminality what-
ever. Cook, the detective, produced three powders he found
in the room where the woman died, and a Dr Mahoney, who
saw the body after death, thought there was something
suspicious in them. Mr Woolrych: That amounts to nothing
at all. The case was proceeding when this report was
despatched.

The Right Hon. B. Disraeli and the Viscountess
Beaconsfield have left Grosvenor-gate for Hughenden
Manor, Bucks.
ST. MARY, laLINGTON.—A benefit performance,
for charitable purposes in connection with this parish, is
announced to take place this evening at Sadler's Wells
Theatre.

His Royal Highness the Field-Marshal Com-
manding-in-Chief will hold a levde at one o'clock on
Thursday, the 9th inst., the number to be received being
limited to 150.

Three young ladies have been admitted as students
in the Vienna University, and one in the philosophical
faculty of the University of Prague. It is stated that
these ladies have already passed several of the ordinary
university examinations with great credit.
DEATH OF MR. T. NUNNELEY.--Thit3 eminent
surgeon and analyst died yesterday morning at Leeds, in
the 62d year of his age. His name was popularly known in
connection with poisoning cases, in which he was frequently
examined. He was a witness in the famous Rugeley case,
in 1856, when Palmer was tried for the murder of J. P. Cook
and others.

TERRIFIC HAILSTORM IN AMERICA.—On Sunday,
May Bth, Philadelphia was visited by one of the most
remarkable storms on record. The season for thunder
showers in this section is beginning, and about two o'clock
one was observed approaching from the south-west. The
temperature was about 70 deg. Fahrenheit. As the storm
came up it met with an adverse air current from the north-
east; and shortly afterwards another from the north-west,
so that for several moments the clouds hung in suspense
over the city, but could be seen in most violent commotion.
At 2,15 p.m. the north weste►a current gained the mastery,
and the storm began moving in a south easterly direction,
while five minutes later rain began to fall. This soon turned
to hail ; and the hailstones, at first small, soon came as large
as walnuts and hens' eggs, and in enormous numbers. For
15 minutes Philadelphia was treated to a terrific fusillade
of these huge hailstones, which made sad havoc among
window-panes, skylights, hot-houses, and conservatories.
Fruit trees and shrubbery windows exposed to the north-
western wind were completely riddled, while the streets
were strewn with broken glass, hailstones, leaves, shingles,
and rubbish of all kinds. The storm, which began sud-
denly, ended asjquietly at 2.25 p.m., but in that time had
broken half the windows in tho city, and caused at least
500,000 dollars damage. Horses took fright from the
pitiless pelting, and many persons were injured, while one
man died from fright. The average size of the hailstones
was Jim, to 2in. in diameter, while one is reported that
was 11in. in circumference, and weighed 7oz. They were
beautifully formed, being conglomerations of smaller hail-
stones frozen together. Only the thickest and heaviest glass
could withstand the storm, and the windows after it pre-
sented a most dilapidated appearance. Window glass is at a
premium, while glaziers are in demand and everywhere the
chief business progressing is putting in new window panes.
The storm did not extend over a very wide section, and
seems to have spent its fury on this city. The heaviest da-
mage was done to the large and valuable windows of
churches and to the glass rots of onservatories.