The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-15 00:00:00

ATTGUST-

FRIDAY

a VAL LN TELLICT'EN-CE.

PORTSMOUTn? Tut' LSDAY.—TiI iS morning the
Lords of the Admiralty embarked horn tho Sally-
i,ort•seaie.3, Portfinifeth; and weet on board the Bri-
tannia, 120, Ceptein Yates, to inspect her officers and
crew, Admiral Superintendent Prescott, C. 8., whose
flag the Britannia carries, was on board to receive
their Lordships. Trience the Bold went on hoard
the Blenheim steam guerdship, Captain W. H. Hen-
derson, C. 13., and made a similar isispection ; after
which the party. divided, when Sir Francis Baring,
Captain Milne, Mr. Parker, and Captain Hamilton,
proceeded to the Royal Clarence Victuallitig_yard
(Captain Superintendent Sir Edward Parry, F.R.S.),
and thence to the Royal Naval Hospital at Hasler
(also under the superintendence of Sir E. Parry),
which establishments they duly inspected. In the
former establishment-a most disgraceful discovery bas
just been made. A large quantity of preserved
meats in tin canisters, amounting to some thousands
of pounds in weight, were delivered at the Royal
Clarence Victualling-yard lately. Shortly after being
stored it became evident from the stench that a great
portion of the meat was in an unsound state, which,
upon examination, proved to be the case. As the
contractor had been paid the amount of his contract,
if the authorities of the yard had thrown the meat
overboard, the Admiralty would not have been able to
return it, or demand a proper fulfilment of the con•
tract. Another plan was tried. Mr. Greetham,
solicitor to the Admiralty at this port, requested two
respectable inhabitants of Gosport to hold a survey on
it. Mr. George Adams and Mr. Robert Hyalop ac-
cordingly went to the yard this week for that purpose,
and, in the presence of Mr,Peneold, the storekeeper,
those gentlemen examined the cases. Such was the
shameful state in which' the meat bad been packed,
that the surveyors hastened to leave the store, and
one of the men was taken ill and remained so for some
hours from the effects of the effluvia which he inhaled.
Dr. Andrew Clark, of Harder Hospital, and Dr.
Rundle, of High-street, Gosport, were then desired
to draw up a report upon the subject, which they did
in a very skilful manner. In the meantime, Messrs.
Adams and Hyslop have stated the case to the board
of guardians of the parish of Alverstoke, who, it is
rumoured, intend to indict the Admiralty on the
ground that it is injurious to the public health to
have such a quantity of putrid meat at Gosport. The
case will be heard before the county magistrates on
Saturday next. Meanwhile Rear• Admiral Berkeley,
Captain Sir Baldwin Walker, and Captain Eden em-
barked with Rear-Admiral Prescott in his galley,
and landed at the north corner of the dockyard ; they
went thence on board the Termagant and Blazer steam-
vessels, in the basin; after which they proceeded
up the 3ard, and transacted business with Mr. Ed-
wards, the storekeeper, and went thence on board the
Rodney, 92, Captain Charles Graham, in dock. After
funding this party at the north corner the barge re-
turned to the Blenheim for Rear- Admiral Dundas,
whom she landed at the Custom house stairs, whence
he proceeded to the George Hotel, where all the
members met soon after. In the evening their Lord-
ship entertained most sumptuously the heads of de-
partments at dinner. To-morrow, we are informed,
they will inspect the Excellent gunnery-ship, Captain
H. D. Chads, C. 8., and Portland Breakwater, &c.

TRIAL OF JOHN WINDSOR FOR
THE MURDER OF WS WIFE.
(From the Milford (Delaware) Beacon).

The triel of Captain John Windsor, a Waal.by
ciTizen of this county, is now terminated in our Court
of Oyer and Ternainsr at Georgetown. Captain
Win leer is a man of wealth, and jealousy was the
cause of the murder, as will be seen by the testimony
and the admissions of the prisoner.
The Attorney- General opened the case to the jury.
He enlarged upon the grave character of the case,
and the enormity of the charge—defined the crime of
murder, and said that it was justly punishable with
death by the laws of God and man. He then
stated the leading facts of the case as they would be
proved by the prosecution. On the lat of May,
1850, the defendant deliberately wrote out a paper
referring to his wife and to the contemplated crime.
Oa the next day he loaded his gun, went abroad, and
returned, saying to a person, if he should hear of any-
thing serious happening at his house not to let it dis-
turb him. He returned home, went to the garret
where his wife was weaving, told her that he had
often said to her that the time would come when she
would tremble in his presence, bid her prepare, as her
time was short, drew out a pistol and shot her mor-
tally. He soon after said that he had contemplated
this act for many months, and if he had found ano-
ther person, whom he had been searching for, he
would die content ; that he would die in a very short
time, as he had taken laudanum, not meaning to be-
come a public example by going to the gallows. The
Attorney-General referred to the defence of insanity,
but would not anticipate it, except to say that it was a
defence to be made out by the prisoner, and must go
to the extent of establishing' incapacity to distinguish
between right and wrong.-
James Stewart sworn—Oa Wednesday morning,
May '2, about seven o'clock, I heard from my wife
that Captain Windsor had shot his wife. I ran over
to the house, and saw him standing in the yard with
a gun in his hand. He was pointing it at a man
who was passing. I said, " Captain, what's the
matter ?" He said, " I have shot my wife ;go up
stairs and see her if you choose." I went up, and
saw her lying on the floor, very pale, a child, nine
months old, sitting by her, crying. I spoke to her,
and she opened her eyes with an expression of glad-
ness; begged me to carry her down stairs, as she
should die in a few minutes, and said that her hus-
band had shot her. She ataid she was in the other
room, weaving for him, and he came into the room,
presenting a pistol, and told her she had but a short
time to live—that he was going to shoot her ; that she
fled, and got where she then was, and he shot her. I
went down stairs, found the prisoner in his store.
He refused to let me come in. I pushed the door
open, and found him still standing with the gun in
bands.his I demanded the gun, and he refused to
give it up, and I took bold of it to tyke it away,
when I smelt laudanum, and said to him, " You old
dog, you were not satisfied to kill one, but have been
killing yourself." He Buttered me to take the gun,
and asked me not to shoot him. He said he had
taken half a gill of laudanum, and would soon be
dead; that he had intended to kill Joseph Osborne,
then his wife, and Alexander Elligood and Milford
Saunders (negro), it they interfered with him. He
told me a long story of his grievances. Mentioned
a letter. Asked me to correct the spelling and
grammar, without altering the sense, and to have
it published at his expense. Told me to go to
the desk and get money to pay for the publication.
He banded me the key, and gave me also a list of
judgments. The laudanum soon began to operate on
him ; hut before this he told me be did shoot her,
and shot to kill her. Before she died, she sent for
him, and he went up to her. She desired to be lilted
in her bed, and said to him, " Take care of the
children. You have said they were not yours. I have
but a few minutes to live; before God, on my dying bed,
they are yours, and I want you todo a father's part by
them." She called him to look at her wound, and he
began to cry, and said be would not have done it for
a thousand worlds, and then left the room. In the
course of the day prisoner said he bad intended this for
some time. He gave as a reason for taking the lau-
danum that he did not mean to be hung. That he
would not be made a public example. He walked
about violently, until he became weak, and sat down,
and then fell. He asked me for more laudanum. I
said I had a quantity at home, enough to fix him off.
He begged Dr. Fisher for poison. Mrs. Windsor died
about three o'clock that afternoon.
The letter referred to is as follows :—"I have set
down in great distress, both in body and mind, to
think I married a woman that I love, and in four
weeks after I married her she should commence a
criminal correspondence with such a worthless man
as Joseph Osborne, that has a wife and five children ;
that she took the money out of the store by little at a
time and gave it to him ; and I could not leave the
house ; if I only stayed fifteen or twenty minutes, and
came in, I would catch him in the house or just
going away. On the 14th of April, 1847, I came to
the house and found it fastened up. I thumped at the
door and called quite loud ; received no answer.
Walked round the house to t'other door. Osborne
was just stepping out at the door. I walked in. Found
Nancy very much confused. Asked her how the door
came fast? She denied it. I told her she and Oehorne
was shut up together. 'She denied it. Ou the 21 of
A pril I ordered him not to come to my house any more.
After that she would meet him out at the stable, the old
cooper-shop, behind the smokehouse, of nights. You
might see where they stood, and the tracks where they
met. I found I lost 12 dolls. 60c. that she took and give
him. I don't know how much more, and from 30Ib.
to 501 b. of pork at one time to Elligood, a family that
kept a watch for them and carried news to each other
privately. He had Milford Saunders employed to
conjure for them, also Alexander Elligood and
daughter. They furnished her with some poison stuff
that she would put on my clothes and head, that
would almost distract me. I had to hire my wash-
ing from home, and quit sleeping with her, to keep
her from filling my clothes full in bed. The life she
leads me, I cannot describe it. Her children are not
mine. Joseph Osborne is the father of them both,
and she is now with child by him. *
If she should live, if it could be so, I think that it
would be sufficient proof of all that I have said con-
cerning the life that she and that man has led me.
I believe there is persons that know of their criminal
correspondence, but they keep it from me. Tney
may come out after lam gone. If not the two chil-
dren will speak for themselves; their favour will be
as good proof as those acquainted with him and the
family will want. I due% know according to the
marriage contract and my will whether my estate
will have them to raise up to seven years
old; if the law should compel my administrator to
raise them two illegitimate children to that age, I
wish him or the county to put them to good masters,
as I disown them as being children of mine. If they
were it would be a great consolation to think my
labour and industry should go to my offspring.
What I have here wrote is the truth ; the Lord is
my judge; and I wish it published to the world, as
it may perhaps be of service to some people. The
Great Jehovah I hope will pardon me for what may
hereafter take place. If it should be printed, I hope
it may be put in good form.

" JNO. WINDSOR.
And correct the bad spelling. Wrote May 1, 1850.
(Endorsed) —I hope that some friend of mine may have
this made public. " JNO. WINDSOR."