The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-12 00:00:00

THEE 111.17111:ANI5

News has lust been received from New York of the
acquittal on Tuesday of Mr. Daniel M'Farland for the
murder of Mr. Richardson. It will be remem-
bered that Mr. MTarland shot Mr. Richard-
son in the Tribune office, to whose staff he
belonged, owing to his wife having left him for Mr.
Richardson. Mrs. M'Farland obtained a divorce, and on
Richardson's deathbed she was married to him by Mr.
Beecher. The circumstances of the case excited the
greatest' Interest in the States, and the trial, which has
lasted more than a fortnight, produced intense excite-
Inent.

THE INTERNATIONAL YACHT RACE.
The American yacht Sappho has been victorious in the
first of the matches with the English yacht Cambria. At
twenty minutes past eight on Tuesday morning the yachts
were started off the Wight, the Cambria's bows being
slightly in advance of those of the Sappho at the moment
of departure. The Sappho carried a jib more than her
spponent, and in a few minutes after the
tun had been fired she was seen gaining
on the English vessel port tack in a surprising manner.
A. fleet of crack yachts followed, and the Solent was alive
With the white wings of all sorts of craft. The early
morning was dull, the sky leaden, and the atmosphere cold.
The wind blew from E.S.E. rather fresh, and the prospects
of a fine race were favourable. As the squadron dotting the
Solent bowled along eastward the clouds gradually disap-
peared, and the first race is being contested in "Queen's
weather." The breeze lulled during the next hour or two, but
as the morning advanced the wind freshened. There was a
west-going tide as the yachts went out,_ and the chances of
success on either side were, judging from the betting, quite
equal As long as the two yachts could be seen from the
umpires' steamer (which went a long way ahead), the
Sappho was continuing to gain rapidly ; but eventually,
as the competing ships kept landwards, whilst the
umpires' steamer preserved a straight coursa, they were
for some time lost sleht of. Between five and
six o'clock on Tuesday the Cambria was sighted with
the American yacht Dauntless on her quarter, but at 6.55
the former gradually bore up for home several miles short
of the whole course, which the Sappho completed, being
then_flfteen miles ahead of the Cambria. The latter was
out of the course of the umpire's steamer, which returned
without her. The Cambria reached Cowes at four
on Wednesday morning, the American representative
coming in two hours later, both in good trim.
Though the decision of the umpires has not yet been
formally glven, it is understood that no objection
will be raised to the Sappho being declared the winner.
No similar international race has been run on the Cowes
waters since the celebrated clipper America beat every
vessel that raced with her while she was in American
hands ; therefore the interest taken by the yachting
world in these races was great in proportion to the
novelty of the contest. When the Sappho sailed round
the Wight, about two years since, she disappointed her
admirers—not to say that she came tO grief. The Cam-
bria, which was built at Cowes in 1866, draws 12ft. 6in.
aft, and Bft. 6in. forward, and the greatest draught of the
Sappho is 12ft. 10In., being about two-thirds of her length
from the bow. Her draught forward cannot well be told,
because her keel is cambered. The American is a fine
handsome yacht, and a good representative craft. To
give some idea of the legitimate means adopted
to ensure success, it may be mentioned that the
Sappho was carefully covered with black lead
and polished from keel to gunwale. The Cambria also
had her copper blackleaded most oarefully. This was
done that the yachts might slip more freely through the
sea, and to make the water fly off the hull speedily. The
conditions of the races have been freely commented on,
and the fact that no " conditions" are attached to the race
is hailed with much approbation. That there is no time
allowance, and no conditions, despite the apparent dispa-
rity in measurement, might cause some surprise, but it
has been tritely argued by the American press that " the
feeling is justly assuming righteous proportions
that matches should not be trammelled by
purely arbitrary and technical conditions, for all
rules of measurement, and theories as to size and conse-
quent speed are faulty. The belief is that in the prelimi-
naries of a race the vessel that gets the better of the ' con-
ditions' manifestly obtains the better of the contest, and
allowances may be so tortured that a fast yacht may be
beaten by a canvassed snail." Since the American craft
sailed in English southern waters she has been increased
in breadth below her water line eighteen inches on either
side, thus giving her three feet more beam, and con-
sequently, a greater degree of stability, a quality she
was deficient in before the alteration. Her deek is
of the normal breadth, and the side now forms a "tumble
home."
A Central Press telegram says :—" There seems to have
been some little difficulty es to the Sappho passing the
winning boat ; but the umpires have awarded the prizes
to the Sappho. She now lies in the roadstead with all
her bunting flying ; but the rain spoils the beauty of the
ships in harbour.
the telegram to the Shipping Gazette says the owner of
Sap ho claims to have beaten the Cambria by nine
miles. Mr. Ashbury admits that his yacht was fairly
beaten. and abandons the cups.

The police hays been informed of the death of Mr
F. Tyrell, formerly of Bow-street Police-court, who over-
heard the conversation between Lord William Russell's
murderer, Courvoisier, and his friend, in the cell of the
former, and thus enabled the prosecution to prove the
murder and where the stolen property had been re-
moved to.
- - - - -

The Imparcial, a Madrid Ministerial journal, says,
on the sth, that the negotiations for a treaty of commerce
with England are being followed up in the Spanish
Foreign Office with the greatest activity: ; that the bases
proposed by Spain are not objected to in principle, and
that the only cause of delay is from the examination of
them on the part of the English Government for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether they are in opposition to
any other stipulations in existing treaties with other
countries.