The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-13 00:00:00

BRUTAL MURDER.

WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S

SISTER;
TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING POST._

Sir,—You will much oblige me by inserting the fol-
lowing letter —like the former one from the same per-
son, it V 928 quite oesdeited :
A "Lyndon Clergyman" writes angrily, but are his
arguments as strong as his expressions. At all events,
he confesses what Mr. Page Wood denied—the existence
of tho marriages—l find that there aro four. I rather
think five cafes in the Establishment to which Hicks be-
longs, and all men of religious character, readers of their
Bibles, and regular members of congregations in the
neighbourhood.
I am no divine, but I think the Arelldeacon of Levies
settled the que:tion a very few words:—
"In like manner, when the law in the 18th verse of
the 18th chapter of Leviticus enacts, Thou shalt not
teke a wife to her sister to vex h• 1 r, beside the other.
is her lifetime, it is plain that, inasmuch as the law
limits the prohibition to the lifetime of the first
wife, it does not puipote to extend the prohibition be-
yond her death. Else the prohibition would have been
expressed generally and absolutely. Had the intention
of the Jae giver been to prohibit tne marriage of a wife's
sister altogether, even human wisdom would never have
talc( n such a course, so sure to defeat its purpose, as
to lay down a rule forbidding it solely in one particular

case."
A reference to the s'andard copy, at the Rolls, or
even to the table of contents at the beginning of thv
Prayer-Bock, will show !hat the table of degree is no
tart of the Prayer• Book, and has been of late impro-
perly bound up with it.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
HENRY BAGSTER.
1, Featherstone-buildings, Holborn, Feb. 12, 1851.

On the contrary, though these marriages are not sanc-
tioned by the law u the land, and though cons(quently
thhy must be accompauli d by many disadvantage', they
are con:inually celebrated. The law may say one thing,
but when expediency, and feeling, and religion, and
Scripture say the opposite, the law never is, and never
will be, and never ought to be, treated with much re-
spect. We all know, too, that those who contract these
unions do not lose caste in the opinion of society. To
refer again to my own ease. I have already stated that
I am struggling to accumulate the means of being mar-
ried where lily marriage will be legal. But if I find no
hope of succeeding, and my hope is now but dim, I shall
certainly no longer hesitate to anticipate the alteration
of the low, by uniting myself in this country to her who
possesses my purest as well as my warmest affections.
Elope in the future shall give happiness to the present.
When any amendment of the law is made, it must have
a retro:year° effect. The justice conceded to Wheys
cannot bs denied to those who have been compelled by
the Legislature to violate the law.
There are many arguments in favour of Mr. Wortley's
Bill, and many replies to objections urged spinet it,
upon which I have not attempted to touch. I have
simply endeavoured to show from my own ease the
hardship of the existing law, as well as its absurdity in
a practical point of view, and its utter inefficiencv to
accomplish the object which it contemplates. I -now
conclude, as I commenced, by assuring you of the warm
and heart.elt gratitude entertained by myself, and all
those situated like re) self, fur your untiring exertions in
our behalf.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Feb. 13, 1851.

FIAT JUSTITIA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

&Ili—Does it not appear to yourself, and must it not
to the public, an absurdity to confine the thousands of
persons, not to say millions, visiting our intended Exhi-
bition to the unsubstantial, though refreshing, beverages
of soda and lemonade waters. Are we not aware that,
to speak only of the number of Americans that will
reach our shores, they ore in the constant habit of
mixing their light drinks with a little stimulus, whether
cf vtine, brandy, rum, &c., and from the cheapness of
which articles in their own country they are daily,' and
that frequently, in the habit of using; and how much
more will they require it from the fatigue attending an
Exhibition of so gigantic a nature, depuis Messieurs les
Francaises also are known to like the cognac or a little
of that aqua vita too much to admire the total abstinence
of all supporting drinks on such an an occasion?
Are they not to find in or about the building anything
in the way of malt. or that famous article for which the
London houses of Barclay, Reid; Whitbread, Guinness,
and others are so celebrated, and that no country but
England can excel in? Surely a word from your able
pen may suggest something more palatable to many
folks than tt.e combustible drinks of Messrs. Schweppe
and Co.—l am, Sir, &c.,
Feb. 11, 1851.

H. C. B.

MARRIAGE IN HIGH LlrE.—The nuptials of the
Honourable Major Colborne, eldest son of Lord Seaton, and
the Honourable Charlotte De Burgh, second daughter of Lord
Downes, were yesterday celebrated by special licence at St.
Peter's Church, Eaton- square. The fair bride was attended
to the altar by a brilliant group of bridesmaids, in costumes
of exquisite taste. Several relatives and friends, who in-
tended joining the circle, were prevented doing so by the
noble families of Somerset, Scott, and Vansittart being re-
cently thrown into mourning. Among those present were
the Lady Margaret Bourke, the youthful Lady Maria Scott
(niece to the bride), the Honourable Cordelia and Jane
Colborne, Miss De Salis, and Miss Fleming. The ceremony
was performed by the Rev. Mr. Harris, brother-in-law to
Lady Seaton. At its conclusion, the happy pair proceeded
to Deer-park, the residence of Lord Seaton, in Devonshire.
The. company, among whom we noticed Lord and Lady
Seaton, the Earl and Countess of Mayo, Lord and Lady
Naas, Viscount and Viscountess Ponsonbv, the Countess of
Clonmel, Honourable Henry Law, Lord de Tabley, Viscount
Massareen, the Countess of Arundel, &c., afterwards partook
of a splendid dejeuntr at Farrance's Hotel. The health of
the bride and bridegroom was proposed by the Earl of Mayo,
and drunk with enthusiasm.

THE MERCANTILE MARINE ACT.—The Lords of
the Committee of Privy Council for Trade have caused the
Commissioners of Customs to be furnished with an approved
scale of medicines fa merchant ships, issued by their Lord-
ships under the 64th section of the Mercantile Marine Act,
and have at the same time caused them to be informed that
no regular medical inspectors have as yet been appointed by
their Lordships under that Act, and that it is not intenied to
appoint any immediately, and that there is therefore no
present reason for dispensing with such services in respect of
medicines as officers of the Customs have hitherto been ac-
customed to render for the purpose of preventing an evasion
of the law. In pursuance of this communication from the
Lords of Privy Council for Trade, the Commissioners of
the Customs have caused notice thereof to be transmitted to
the collectors and comptrollers, and other principal officers of
the department at the several ports of the kingdom fur their
information and future government.
MR. ANCTEY AND HIS CONSTITUENT..—It would
elver that the constituents of Mr. Anstey are anything but
satisfied with his distinction between the Court and Church
of Rome. On Sunday last a meeting of the body was held,
when it was unanimously resolved Cu call upon him to re-
sign. The resolution was embodied in an address to the
Honourable Gentleman, in which they state that.—" We
need not remind you of your advocacy of coercion even
against those of our countrymen whose principles you had
publicly adopted, nor of your total indifference to the
cause of legislative independence for Ireland on the occa-
sions on which that question has been introduced in the
House of Commons. But the act by which you have tor-
felted our confidence for ever, is your advocacy of penal
measures against the Catholic hierarchy of England, and
your support of a Minister, who, having already awakened
a fell spirit of religions bigotry in this country, now seeks
by legislative enactments to violate the rights of man,
and suppress liberty of conscience. Under these circum-
stances we feel it our bounden duty to desire that you will
at once resign the representation of this borough ; we need
not remind you of the distinct promise you made here
that you would do so whenever your constituents would
require Ir."

GA!s FROM WATER.—It would ;Mar that we are
on the eve of a luminous revolution, And, in common with
the rest of the cntpire, they lieges of Belfast, who have as
little disinclination as most men to cheap prices, have a
prospect 'of getting their town well lighted (which, by the
way, will be a novelty), at a very low rate indeed. All
our readers have heard of the reported invention of a plan
for making gas from water. The gas so produced is said.
to give more heat, and far more brilliant light, than coal
gas; and its cost, we are given to undhstand, will be very
much less. A patent has been taken out in these counties
by a Mr. Shepard, who states that his gas not only an-
swers for lighting purposes, and even for heating and gene-
rating steam, but will also, from its expansive nature, be as
powerful au agent in propelling machinery as steam itself.
We learn from the Times, that "one or two of the principal
railway companies have lately entered into an arrange-
ment with Mr. Shepard, who has patented an invention for
the decomposition of water, and negotiations are pending
with some steamboat and gas companies for the applica-
tion of this patent to propel steamboats; locomotives, and
other engines, by which the cost of working machinery, and
generating gaS, is likely to be greatly reduced." At the
coming exhibition we hope to have an opportunity of te:ting
the merits of this wonderful invention.—Northern Whig.
TESTIMONIAL TO A RAILWAY OFFICER.—The pro-
posed testimonial to Mr. Louth, the respected agent of the
Biahopstoke Station, near Southampton, is progressing most
favourably. i•owe of the moat influentiatgentlemen in the
county are on the committee.
THE LATE ELOP7.MENT WITH " THE HON. MISS:
Lusft.ey."—At the Nottingham board of guardians, on.
Tuesday, the first name on the relief list was that of Cathe-
rine 01,1ershaw, entered as follows:—" Catherine Oldershaw;
aged 23, abode, Carpenter's Arms; able-bodied; in distress,
her husband, icibert Oldershaw, having deserter her." Her
name was called several times by the relieving officer, but
the distressed wife did not appear.
POST OFFICE INTELLIGENCE.—Notices have been
issued from the General Post-office, that henceforth all news-
papers to be sent to the British colonies or possessions, or to
foreign parts, must be put into the post within seven days
after the day on which they were published. Her Majesty's
ship Sampson, which was appointed to sail from Devouport
on the Bth inst., with mails for Sierra Leone, Ascension, and
St. Helena, is detained until the morning of the 18th inst.
Mails for those places will be made up on the evening of the
17th inst. Newspapers free. By a Treasury warrant, on and
after the Ist March next, books for the following colonies
may be transmitted by post, at the undermentioned rates:—
Gibraltar, Malta, the lonian Islands, and the British posses-
sions in the West Indies, Newfoundland, Halifax, &c., vie.,
not exceeding llb., 6d. ; not exceeding 21b., is.; 41b., 2s. ;
and so on in proportion. They must be sent open at the
sides, the same as neospapers.

TILE DET CTIVE POLICE.—It was only a few days
since that we had occasion to compliment the officers of this
force for the remarkable ingenuity they invariably dispiny in
tracing out offenders of every grade in crime. A very striking
instance of their efficiency occurred yesterday in the capture
of a man charged with the commission of a desperate mur-
der at Warrington, in Lancashire, a short time since. The
prisoner is an Irishman, named Patrick Lyons, and after his
commission of the crime with which he stands charged in-
formation was forwarded to the Dublin police-officers, by
some of whom the fellow was well-known, to the effect
that he had enlisted into the service of the East India Com-
pany. One of the Dublin officers, named Thomas Kavanagh,
was immediately set upon his track, and soon traced him to
London, where he ascertained that he had arrived by the
mail train at four o'clock yesterday morning. Kavanagh at
once communicated with Mr. Mayne, the Chief Commis-
sioner, who immediately directed Inspector Field, of the de-
tective force, to render all the assistance in his power to the
Dublin officer. Mr. Field, with Sergeant Thornton, of the
detectives, having made some inquiries, very soon traced the
prisoner to a public-house in Charles-street, Westminster,
where the officers succeeded in apprehending the fellow yes:
terday afternoon, just as he was sitting down to enjoy a g,e_o_.!
dinner. The prisoner was at once conveyed to ain
station, and will to-day be sent down to Warringerionwin ‘ee
would
tody of Kavanagh, the Dublin officer.
have been sent to Worley-barracks to-day h officers suc-
embarkation for the East Indies, had not t
Tphreeepairatory to his
ceeded in effecting his apprehension.
t appears that the
SEAMEN'S REGISTER TICKETOB.e
provisions of the New
seamen still refuse to comply with
the shipping of crews,
Mercantile Marine Act whichijetaLatoy
be well, hower(r, to
and to the register-
sBreecgtion ot the Merchant Seamen's
register-tickets.
state, that under the ister-ticket involves a penalty
Act, the ,ithholdinfeoLftee of Seamen's Association
of V/. ; and as tlie.U.7.
Qaid, taken thuspsession of a number of
in the North have,
gnil-the men signingarticles, it is proper
these tickets to
previenade e
ewer of the consequences of such
that they should
.be
, Gazette
proceedings.— Papp, y
RAILWAY ACT-.—From a return to Parliament,
yesterday printed, it appears that 34 Railway Acts were
I,assed in the session of ISLO, of which two were for autho-
rizing krises, &c. 14 for the extension of time anti sundry
amendments of Acts; six for deviations, extersion, and other
works, for which ro new capital seas required ; tin ee for
branches for which now capital was required; three for the
dissolution of company or reduction of capital; and six
additional Capital for Works previously authorized. 'I he de-
crease of mileage occasioned by the above Acts was 11 miles
and 57 ch:.ins. The increase of capital, 1,273,3004 and the
increase of loans, 1,080,7324 making 3,254,032/.
LanuAN.— An account is published, among the
Parliamentary papery, of the East India Company's charges
for steamers and troops employed at Labuan and on the
coast of Borneo from 1t,39 to 1849 inclusive. The expenses
of the Bombay troops and steamers amounted to 1,b1,030
rupees, and of those belonging to the £.indras Government to
43,626 ppeo, algs,ills tti tctal of 1,94,656 Mee&

The romantic village of Nempnett, Somerset, situate
near the Mendip hills, and about 11 miles' distance
frcm Bristol, has just been thrown into a state of un-
wonted excitement by the perpetration of a most brutal
murder. The crime, as will be seen from the details
subjoined. is one of a very atrocious character, and was
perpetrated under circumstances of peculiar daring. In
broad daylight an aged inoffensive couple were set upon
in their own house, and within a stone's throw of seve•
ral of their neighbours, by ruffians, who we are happy
to state have since been secured, and such was the mur-
derous nature of the attack that one of them only sur-
vived a few hours, and of the recovery of the other but
very slight hopes are entertained. From a lengthened
inquiry entered into on Tuesday the following narrative
of facts was elicited:—

It appears that between nine and ten o'clock on Sa-
turday last two man, named John Wiles and John
Smith, entered the house of Mr. William Wilkins, who
kept what is termed a general shop at Nempnett, and
asked for a loaf of bread. While Mrs. Wilkins turned
to reach it, the elder man, Wiles, struck her over the
head with an iron shod stick which he carried with him.
He then rushed upon her husband, and making use of
very bad language, also struck him over the head seve-
ral times, and seizing a spade which was in a cor-
ner of the room dealt him several blows with this
likewise—the younger man, Smith, at the time keeping
watch at the door. Having rendered the aged couple
insensible they cut off the pocket of Mrs. Wilkins from
her gown, and took from it the small quantity of silver
it contained—eight shillings. a half.crowa, and a six-
pence. They then went to the shop, took several pack-
ages of tobacco and a loaf of bread, and made off.
Soon afterwards, some of the neighbours on going in
were horrified at discovering Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins 1) tug
on the floor in a pool of blood. An eutcry was raised,
and a messenger dispatched for medical assistance; and,
on arriving, the surgeoh found Mr. Wilkins suffering
from a fracture of the skull, and blood was flowing pro-
fusely from an artery at the left side of the head. the
artery he secured and stopped the bleeding, but it soon
became evident that concussii n el the brain bad taken
place, and ift a few hours he expired. Mrs. Wilkins
had also received several severe wounds in the head,
which were dressed, and she was put to bed. In the
meantime a man named Thomas Radford, who had seen
the two men, Wiles and Smith, coming from the spot
soon after the murder was commit►ee', tracked their foot-
steps from the house and followed them to Blagdon,
where he found them in a public-house eating and drink-
ing, and gave them into custody. On the elder prisoner,
Wiles, besides some money, was found a knife, which
has since been identified by Mrs. Wilkins as her property.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins were over 70 years of age.
On Tuesday an inquest was commenced on the body
of the deceased, before Mr. Uphill, one of the coroners
for the county of Somerset, and adjourned for a post
mortem examination of the body to be made. The two
prisoners were then examined before one of the county
magistrates, Mr. W. J. Addington, of Langford-court;
and the following is the most material evidence that was
adduced:—

Mrs. Wilkins, who made her deposition at her own
house, in the presence of the two prisoners, stated—" I
am the widow of William Wilkins. About 8 o'clock on
Saturday morning the prisoner came to our house.
Wiles asked fur a loaf of bread. Knowing him I did not
give him any. He then asked the younger man (the
prisoner Smith) for money to pay for the loaf. The
younger man said, ' I have not got any money.' The
elder man (Wiles) then struck me with a stick. As far
as I could see, it was a stick with two iron caps' on it.
Then he went and caught hold of my husband, and
struck him with it a great many times, and at the
same • time made use of very rough language, and
afterwards struck him with the spade. The
younger prisoner stood by the door just coming into
the house. My husband was sitting on the bench
in the corner of the room. The elder prisoner
(Wiles) struck him two or three times while he was
standing, and then dragged him out on top of me. He
then struck him several times with the brass Italian iron
produced. I had scoured it in the morning, and there
were no bruises on it then. I can swear the
two prisoners were the same men, for I had
seen the elder prisoner before. He worked for some
days at Mr. Highstt's, the carpenter's shop; he worked
as a blacksmith. The knife produced is my property;
it was in my pocket the morning the prisoner came. I
have Lad it for the last twenty years. When I had it
first there was a piece of silver in the handle, with my
name on it, but I believe this was worn out. I believe
there were two half-crowns in my pocket, but I could
not swear to this. I cannot say whether the younger
prisoner struck any blows, seeing he was on the door
step. I cannot say whether he came in or not. Wiles
struck my husband with The spade when he was sitting
in the corner, but afterwards, when he was down on the
ground, he struck him with the iron short thing.
Cress-examined by Wiles—l did not follow you out
with the loaf further than the door of the passage. I
thought you were going to have the bread.
Benjamin Cox, constable, deposed—I saw Wiles after
he was in custody. I said to him, " A halter-will be
your doom." He said, " I think it ill—it is a bad job."
Wiles contradicted this. He admitted that he had
said it was a bad job, but not that he thought a halter
would be his doom.

James Clark, constable, of Blsgdon, deposed that the
prisoners were given into his custody on Saturday, be-
tween 12 aid 1 o'clock in the afternoon. He :matched
them and found four packages of tobacco in Wiles's hat,
and in his trousers' pocket be found two pieces of paper
with tobacco loosely tied up, also a pair of spectacles.
He also found on him a half-crown and other silver
amounting to ss. On Smith he found ss. in silver, a
halfpenny, a blaek•lead pencil, and two pit ecs of sealing-
Wax.

Thomas Jackman Hawkins, surgeon, of Compton
Martin, deposed that he was called in to see tbe de-
ceased about 2 o'clock ou Saturday last. He found him
and his wi'e in a state of f,.ver, arising from their
loss of blood and their wounds. Each cf them bad,
several wounds, which seemed to have been made by
a hcavy instalment. When be went to the cottage an
artery at the side of the head of the old man was
bleeding. It was on the h-ft side of his bead.
He secured the artery and stopped the bleeding.
',l',lierwounds in the head of the deer ated were lacerated
oaes, and he had many violent contuaionr, especially on
the left side of the head. Witnos thought he would
have died immediately. He gave him stimulants, and
ho rallied a little. He lingered till ten o'clock at night,
when he died. He was not sensible all the time. lie
had no doubt that death was caused by the blows and
the loss of bleed. The wounds appeared to bare been
recently made—be should say some two or three hours
before he saw them. There must have been concussion
of the brain to have produced insensibility. The loss of
blood, judging from what be saw about the room, must
have been very considerable. Ho should say concussion
of the brain and loss of blood niust. have been the cause
of death. On examination of the wife, Sarah Wilkins,
he found a very severe wound on the top part of her
head; it was cut in two planes. If sbe had not put her
hand up to save her bead her skull must have been
broken. The skull was depressed from the violence of
the blow. She had other bruises. There were cuts over
both her eyes, sod the wounds appeared to have been in-
dieted with a blunt instrument. Her right shoulder was
also very severely bruited. She was now in very great
danger. The spade appeared to have been used sideways
from the cut!.

'rho following confession has been made by the pri-
soner Smith:—" We came up to the house on Saturday
morning last—Wiles and the I mean-,up to Wilkins 'a
house. Wiles, coming up said, 6ltis a little shop, and
there are only two old people living there, and,' he said,
I will go in and get something before I come out
again.' This was between 8 and 9 o'clock in the morn-
ing. Wiles went to the door and asked for a loaf; a
woman's voice answered him inside, but I did nct hear
what she said. He turned round to me and said in a
low tone of voice, • There is a man sitting in there at
his breakfast, and it will not do now.' Then he asked
for 6d., and I said, I have not got one.' Wiles said
to me, 6 What did you send me on such a fool's errand
for, then?' This was said loud enough for the woman to
hear. ViNt then both of us walked away; we went across
the fields to a certain house to try and get some, bread.
I did not go with him into the house, but I stood
in the road, and Wiles told me be had got a bit
of brt ad at one of the places. We had then been

"" - -- --
eta ut three quarters of an hour away from *ll-
kins's house, and then Wiles said •'I will go back there,
the man must have gone out from breakfast to his week
. have
by this,' and he added, ' I will go in, ande
then came I
ill
something betote I come out again.' We
a few halfpence
in and said, ' Now, mistress,:l
fh,fiveg,
hv:ilisrdthetaheold
Whin the blown took
down the road as far as Wilkins's liouset, and Wiles went
and I am some back for the loaf'
man scream 'Murder' I went
de. i
place I was on the outsidei'
_n.
I took the spade out of
beat-
ing the old man withilltk•
up an Italian-iron lying
his hand, and then he
him with that, and he struck the
close by, and struck wWbeilels
mistress too. He struck the wife with it the last. This A
her straight on the floor, and then he
blow knockee-r gown stud broke her pocket off. Before
I turned o
u- she was on her hands and knees trying to
that blow
„,, in rned to go out of the house,_ and I saw
g" -r' o the shop. He took up a loaf, and then
Wiles go
what he did Ido not know, for I walked on and he came
after me. Ido not know what he did with the pocket;
I believe he left it in the house, for I never saw the
pocket after he was out of the house. After this, going
down the fields towards IJpley, we began talking, and
Wilea said, ' I have got a little money, but it is but a
little.' I-ie took cut eight shillings, a half-crown, and a
sixpence, and he gave me ss. 6d. and said 'There is half
of it for you.',lie had also two bits of tobacco, 'suppose
it must have been half-ounce's before they were opened.
This is all I have to say."
The evidence, with the exception of that of Mrs. Wil-
kins, and oho the confession of Smith, was taken at
school-roi •in of the village. The iron short instrumenternus
used by Wiles was produced; it is a most murderous
co-
weapon, .and both it and the spade ware oomplotelYlose
of the in-
vered with blood. The prisoners at theoc
l to await the
quiry a ere sent to Shepton Mallet r
The utmost emit; of the coroner's investigation.
nbof, end the room where
excite-
ment prevails in tho neigeho
i almost to tutfuejltion,
the inquiry was held wits crowded
large numbers having congregated from the surrounding
district.

. ..,
coal lire. The .stimulus
CAILE OF Tti----FduE .I.,:irphasrt.—icuLlaroloy a g intoret.he fire ikvery
eeguesnited soon destroy the eyes. Looking at
d,tr v the '
molten iron will scon , . sight. Leading in the
injuriousof l ig Ita itiod t hl2
twilight is injurious to the eyes, as thweiythaaresiodbelifigedhttoinmajurkese
boßtheadei3lrrsaheowuilndg be exposed to an equal
The reason is, the sympathy between the
eyes,eox ferl
itgissohnt..
if the pupil of one is dilated by
the shade, the one that is most
great
u thee g re
contract itself sufficiently for protection, and
will ultimately be injured. Those who wish to preserve
their -sight, ebould beinge,
.x 3 visui ei is
elact'n partially
ng or cannot t
that
ili,
Preserve their general baalth by entrott
habits, and give their eyes just work mush, with a Ow
degree of light.