The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-24 00:00:00

24 1816

PERSUNATING A GflOSr.

A long investigation took pace at Greenhill-lane,
near Alfreton, on Monday afternoon, before Mr.
Busby, one of the coroners for Derbyshire, touch-
ing the death of Robert Mitchell, agricultural
labourer, aged 15 years, the son of Joseph Mit-
chell, who died on Friday evening last from the
effects of fright. The deceased was a healthy, it-
telligent lad, and used to work with his father in
the fields. He had been in the habit each night
for about a fortnight past, after leaving his work
at 5 o'clock in the evening, to go from Mrs. Fliit's,
where he and his parents lodged, to the farmhouse
'of Mr. Day, at Roby-fields, near Alfreton, for milk.
The deceased and his father worked for Mr. Day in
draining the land. Mr. Day had two servant lads,
one named John Percival, about 20 years of age,
and the other Isaac Hudson, 15 years old. On Mon-
day evening, the 15th inst., about a quarter to 6
o'clock, Robert Mitchell, the deceased, came as
usual for the milk, and remained till between 7
and 8 o'clock. Mr. and Mrs. Day, Percival, Hud-
son, and the deceased were the only persons in the
house, and telling tales about some knocks that
they had been frightened with. Percival and
Hudson arranged together, unknown to the de-
ceased, that they should play the ghost. It was
agreed that Percival should take a white tablecloth
and put it over him, and stand in a close not far
from the house, and Hudson was to conduct the
deceased to the place, and pretend to be frightened
when he (Hudson) saw Percival with the sheet on.
About half-past 7 o'clock Percival called Hudson
out and said he was ready. He had a white table-
cloth under his arm, and he told Hudson to follow
him with the deceased shortly after. In about 10
minutes or a quarter of an hour after this Hudson
took the deceased out of Mr. Day's house, and
Hudsou told the deceased that he would go with
him to Mrs. Flint's, where he lodged. They went
together along the footpath across the field
in that direction. After they had got about 120
yards from Day's house Hudson saw Percival
with the tablecloth over him. Hudson said "Look,
Robert, what's that ?" Deceased said "Nothing,
come along." Percival, " the ghost," was then
about 40 yards from them. Hudson and deceased
then went nil further, until they came within seven
or eight yards of the ghost. Hudson feigned a
scream, and the ghost was standing by the stile
which they had to pass through. The "ghost" then
moved about a yard and a half behind the stile.
Deceased stood still and said " Jack." There was
no answer, and Hudson ran and hid himself behind
a tree in the hedge. Deceased went up to the stile
and called "Jack" a second time. There was no
answer, and deceased went through the stile, when
Percival made a noise like a moan. Hudson was
only 10 or 12 yards off. Hudson then heard deceased
say, "Is it Jack ?" and there was another moan,
but afterwards Percival threw off his disguise, but
the deceased was much terrified, and went home
and arrived there about 8 o'clock with the milk.
He was "all of a tremble," looked white, and stared
wildly, and on being interrogated by his father re-
lated what had occurred, though he did not believe
it was the scrvant-man Percival, and he could not
account how he got home. Deceased ate nothing
that night and went to bed, and to his work the next
day, but he was seized with vomiting, and was
obliged to be conveyed home, and complained of a
pain iu his throat. The deceased grew worse, and
raved in his bed about what had happened, and he
died on Friday evening. Mr. Belcher, surgeon,
attended the deceased, who, he said, was suffering
from extreme nervous excitement. He believed
death to have resulted from exhaustion occasioned
by a shock on the nervous system which he had
received on the previous Monday evening. The
coroner told the jury that they must be satisfied
that the death arose from fright, and, if so, whe-
ther it was a frolic in which all the boys were par-
ties. If it arose from fright, the frightening was
unlawful, and Percival would be responsible. After
some deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of
" Manslaughter". against Percival, who was com-
mitted to the w s izes.

THE FRAUDS BY THE OFFICERS OF THE
GUARDIANS OF THE CITY t/NION.

The investigation as to the frauds and robberies c,itn
mitted by Manini and Paul, who have disappeared, leay.
lag an immense amount of money unaccounted tor, is
proceeding vigorou=ly. It is believed that the defalca-
tions exceed 50,0001. Mr. Rowsell, clerk to the guar
dians of the several parishes, has been—greatly to the
regret of many of the most respectable inhaoitants, who
have known him many years—suspended from his office,
although it is not imputed to hiin that he was at all cog.
nisant of the fraudulent transactions which have taken
place.

The following is a copy of the warrant of suspension,
which was signed and sealed on Monday at the Mansion

house :

" °ITT OF LONDON UNION.

"To the Guardians of the Poor of the City of London, in
the City of London, and the liberties thereof ;
"To Mr, John. Rowsell, clerk to the Guardians of the
Poor of the said Union ;
"To the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of
the several parishes and places comprised in the said
Union ;
"To the Clerk, or Clerks, of the Justices of the Petty
Sessions, held for the division, or divisions, in Milo!:
the said Union is situate ;
"And to all others whom it may concern :
" We, the Poor Law Board, hereby declare that we
deem it expedient that John Tblmas Rowsell should be
suspended from the office of clerk to the guardians of the
poor of the City of London Union, in the City of Lon-
don and the liberties thereof ; and in pursuance of the
powers given in and by tue statutes in that behalf made
and provided, we do hereby suspend him from the said
office, and order and direct the said Thomas Rowsell to
cease to exercise and discharge the powers and duties of
the said office, until we shall, by any order under our
hand and seal of office, otherwise direct.

'And we do declare that the urgency of the case re-
quires that this order should take ell!ct within the pe, ied
of 14 days, and do accordingly direct that the same shall
come into force forthwith.

" Given !under our hand and seal of office thii 22d
day of December, in the year 1856,

" E. P. BOUVERIE, Presichnt.
"COURTNEY, Secretary."

THE WARDMOTES.—The result of the poll in Aldgate
vas the election of Mr. Lusk, in place of Mr. Stephenson.
In Coleman-street ward Mr. Kenyon pullet but 64 votes.
In C,ird wainers' Mr. Lamb was elected to the vaoancy
caused by the removal of Mr. Trees. In Dowgilte
ward Mr. White, in place of Mr. M'Laren. In Far-
ringdon ward Mr. Langbatn was chosen instead of Mr.
Clemo w. In Cripplegate, in consequeuce of the numbers
polled by Mr. Sewell and Mr. Spencer, a fresh election
will take place.
THE GREAT CENTRAL AND THE CITY GAS COMPANIES.
—Au adjourned meeting of the shareholders of the
Great Central Gas Consumers' Company was held at the
London Tavern last evening, to resume the discus-
sion of a project for effecting an amalgamation with
the City Gas Company. Mr. Dakin, the chairman,
moved a resolution committing the meeting to an ap•
proval of the amalgamation upon the terms laid before
the first meeting, but referring the matter back to the
board that it might in investigate the state of the City
Gas Co.'s plant, and make other preliminary inquiries.
The motion having been seconded by Mr. Virtue, a long
and animated discussion ensued, in the course of
which Mr. Bennoch (a director) strongly condemned
the proposed amalgamation, characterising it as a whole-
sale sacrifice of the property of the younger company,
whose plant was perfect, while that of its old and almost
effete rival was in the last stage of decay. Amid the
general applause of the meeting, Mr. Bennoch proposed
an amendment declaring the principle of taking the
gross income of the City Gas Company as a basis of
calculation, without regard to net profits, to be utterly
fallacious. The amendment was carried without a
dissentient voice.
ANOTHER BURGLAR REPULSED BY A LADT.—Doe of
the burglarious gang who infest the West Riding of
Yorkshire suffered on Sunday morning a repulse at the
hands of a lady while attempting to break into a dwelling.
house. Mr. S. Blamires and his daughter, a maiden lady,
reside in one of the least populous parts of the village of
Great Horton, near Bradford. About half-past 1 a.m. on
Sunday the lady, who was sleeping in a room on the
ground floor, was alarmed at hearing a noise. She started
up, turned on the gas, and saw a man's bead projecting
through the window into the interior of the room. The
hOuse bad been but recently broken into, and therefore,
for protection, Miss Blamires kept in her sleeping apart
meat an iron orow-bar. With this she struck several
heavy blows at the intruding head, severely maulino, it ;
was as Bonn.
and while this was being done an accomplice th
owner of the head had outside cried out " Strike her e;
marked
strike her with the bludgeon, Jack." The advice, hcm
ever, could not be followed, but the heal
as possible withdrawn, and then the party
Although
leaviog behind them two iron crow-bars.
with decamped,
b 1 oo d
ye
urnnedal'enrhsmeo f
a lattice.
their track was for some distance
they have not yet been captured.
enthtiloenveeds
game
v
EXTRAORDINARY attempting to ent e r
SPORT.—The
the o
Rhouse T bi
was killed by the following noblemen
the Earl of Stamford and Warrington'sand egsetnattlee,maetn ,Bonn.
ville, Staffordshire, last week,
ford, Earl of Strathmore,
o
• the a Forrester,
Col. the Hon. R. Charteris, Ca t.
Col, lz. :—The Earl of Stam-
ford,
Hon. S. Lyttleton,PM B. Milbanke, Mr.
W. Grazebrook, Mr.
Rowe br; and Mr. A. Payne.
bits, 14 Mills, Sir G.
Dec. 15 (10 guns)-232 pheasantsrt 232 bares, 187 rah-
total, 681. Dec. 1
partridges, 12 woodcocks' 3 snipes, and 1 jay ;
hens, and 1 weasel ; total 1,001. Dec. 17 (11
bares, 192 rabbits, 13 partridges, 5 vroodoockst 6 water-
-0.0 guns)-311 pheasants, 473
guns)—
645 pheasants, 92 hares, 296 rabbits 10 partridges, 1
woodcock, 4 water-bens' and 2 hybrids ; total, 1,050.
Dec. 18 (10 guns)-71 pheasants, 126 hares, 93 rabbits,
and 3 pigeons ; total, 308.
Dec. in woodcocks
19 (8 guns)---129 pheasants, 241 hares, 242 rabbits,
2 partridgrs,
626
aking a grand total of 3,666. The two beautiful
10 woodcocks, and 2 water-hens ; total,
'fl
hybrids that were killed on the 17th were bred in his
iordslaip'e preserves, from a golden pheasant hen and a
common pheasant cock ; four more splendid birds of the
Isame cross, and bred this season, are now in his lord-
ship's aviary.