The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-04 00:00:00

COURT OF REQUESTS, OCT. 3.

THE DANCING MASTER AND THE "TRIPPING" QUAKERESS,

OR DE BOURG V. SMITH.

The plaintiff in this case was a professor of dancing, who
sought to recover from the defendant, a Quaker, the sum
of 395. l Id., reduced from two guineas to bring it under
the jurisdiction of this Court, for two quarters' instruction
given to Miss Esther Smith, his daughter.
The plaintiff, who was about forty years of age, with
moustachios and bushy black whiskers, stated that Miss
Smith had received half a year's private instruction in
dancing from him, and when he sent in his bill to the de-
fendant he refused to pay it.
The Defendant said—Friends, I can assure thee, I la-
ways pay the dues to whom I am indebted, but to this man
I owe nothing, and Esther hath told me that she bath had
no acquaintance with him. She is here, and thou canst
inquire of her whether she bath learned the ungodly prac-
tice or not.

Miss Esther then came forward. She was a very pretty
young Quakeress, and appeared to be about eighteen years
of age. She stood with her back towards the plaintiff while
in answer to the questions of the Commissioners, she af-
firmed that she had never been under his instruction, but
evaded giving an answer as to whether or not she had seen
him before.

The plaintiff (addressing her) said—Miss Esther, you
know that you have been to my house three or four times a
week.
Miss Esther (still keeping her back to him) said—Nay,
What I have said is so. _ _ _

.... -
The plaintiff then called a Miss Wells, at whose appear-
ance Esther appeared quite disconcerted, and the defendant
much surprised. She stated that she had been a pupil of
the plaintiff's, and until lately an intimtte acquaintance of
Miss Smith, who had many times accompanied her to the
plaintiff's house, on which occasions she had seen her take
lessons, and trip" the light fantastic toe." Miss Smith had
also gone there repeatedly by herself, when she understood

On Monday last, at Terrington St. John, two men,
having cleaned out a well belonging to Mr. Shorten, passed
over to the opposite house for the same purpose. As soon as
the tcp was uncovered one of the men immediately descended,
when he slipped, fell to the bottom, and broke his neck. The
other went to his assistance, but the length of time he was ab-
sent excited suspicion, and a third followed, who was with dif-
ficulty rescued from the fate of the other two, who were both
found to be dead. No precaution having been taken to purify
the air in the well, it is supposed they were suffocated. We
understand one of the men has left a wife and seven children.
An Inquest was yesterday held on the bodies.— Cambridge
Chronicle.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—O❑ Thursday evening
the keepers in Hyde Park were aroused by the screams of a
drowning person ; they hastened to the bridge, and in time to
rescue a man (who had twice sunk from a watery grave) in the
Serpentine River. He was taken to St. George's Hospital.
The individual was the servant of Colonel Wemyss, of Ken-
sington, excited by drink, but the temporary madness ceased
when he came in contact with the water.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—The neighbourhood of
Covent- garden was last night thrown into a considerable state
of excitement by the circulation of a report of a gentleman
having committed suicide. On inquiry it appeared that a gen-
tleman who-had resided at the Garrick's Head, in Bow-street,
for nearly three years, at about half-past eight yesterday even-
ing had thrown himself from the window of the third story of
that house, and, although not immediately killed, is so dread-
fully injured that his recovery is considered impossible. A boy
who was passing at the moment had a narrow escape, the un-
fortunate gentleman in his fall having just "brushed " him.
ATTEMPT AT MURDER.—On Friday, Louisa
Stradling gave information at the Guildhall, Bath, of a pre.
meditated attempt made by her husband, James Stradling, to
take away her life on the preceding night. About twelve
months since this man, who had previously sold his wife at
Lansdowne fair, again exhibited her for sale in our public
market-place, when a warrant was issued against him for a
breach of the peace, and he was committed for six months'
imprisonment. Since that period the parties bad lived toge-
ther only six weeks. On Thursday, Stradling, with apparent
kindness, proposed to his wife to take a walk with her along
the banks of the canal, adding that lie intended to catch some
eels. They proceeded to the canal at the back of Sydney
Parade, when he placed his wife between the lock gates, and
desired her to throw the hook and line into the water whilst
he sought for a worm. After a short absence he returned,
and suddenly pushed his wife into the water, a fall of twelve
feet, and then immediately ran off. Her clothes, however,
became inflated as she fell, and her cries having brought, as-
sistance, she was rescued. He was apprehended the follow-
ing day and committed for trial.
SENTENCE OF THE COURT MARTIAL ON JOHN
HUTCHINSON, OF THE SCOTS FUSILEER GUARDS.—On Thurs-
day morning the Ist battalion of Scots Fusileer Guards, under
the command of Col. Bowater, mustered at the usual place,
at the barracks at Windsor, when private John Hutchinson,
who had been tried on Friday last on an alleged charge of
desertion, was brought out from the guard-room in custody
into the centre of the battalion, when Captain Taubman, the
Adjutant of the Regiment, proceeded to read over the mi-
nutes of the court martial, which was composed of the follow-
ing officers :
.Colonel Prendergast, Captain Moncrief, Captain
Rooke, Captain Stavely, Captain Rolle, Lieutenant Lidtlle,
and Lieutenant Rushbrook. After Reading over the minutes,
the substance of which have already appeared, the prisoner
was pronounced. guilty, and the sentence of the court
:martial
was, that the prisoner be imprisoned for six months, and kept to
hard labour, in any prison the commanding officer might think
proper. The prisoner was then taken back to the guard-room,
to await the ditections of the commanding officer as to what
prison he should be sent to; which is expected to be Brixton.

_'PRICE OF SUGAR

The Average Price of Brown riilllu;co;id..) Sugar, c( mputed from
the Returns made in the week endiug the 30th day of September, !Sat,. is
294. bid. per Hundred Weight, exclusive of the i .uties of Customs
paid or payable thereon on the importation thereof Into Great Britain.