The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-29 00:00:00

THE LATE MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE

AT WALTON.
(From the Carlisle Patriot of Saturday.)
Both the principal parties concerned in this lament
able tragedy have long been held in high esteem by 'a,
who knew them.

The Rev. Joseph Smith is Incumbent of Walton, with
an income of 1301. a year and a parsonage house. Though
the means derived from his cure were so limited, he
did a great deal of good in the locality ; in fact he
dispensed in charity a large portion of his income.
His chief personal characteristics were excessive ner-
vousness and timidity. He sensitively shrank from
giving pain to any living creature; and yet this very
nervousness and timidity seem to have placed him under
circumstances in which he deprived of life an individual
whom it is believed he never saw, and against whom,
certainly, he entertained not the slightest feeling of
enmity.

Yesterday the jury and witnesses again assembled to
sign the depositions and complete the necessary forms.
The magistrates were, we believe, again in attendance,
and found Mr. Smith labouring under great mental suf-
fering; and we are uncertain whether or not they were
enabled to read over the depositions to him. The case
is now i❑ their hands, and there is no doubt but they
will admit him to bail, if indeed the necessary forms
have not already been completed.
The remains of the unfortunate deceased were in-
terred, on Tuesday last, in Ettleton Churchyard, near
Ncwcastleton, and friends and acquaintances from far
and near flocked to the spot to pay the last sad tri-
bute of respect to the memory of a man who was the
pride of the district, and beloved and respected wherever
he was known. A correspondent who witnessed the
funeral says--" The procession presented a very im-
posing spectacle. In some parts of the road along
which it pissed it appeared as if it extended for
nearly a quarter of a mile. It is doubtful if ever so
large an attendance was before se-n at any funeral in
the parish. Many came from a great distance—for poor
Sorbietrees' was known far and wide—and many more
would have been present, but this being the lambing
season, the sbepberda could not leave their flocks. Grief
was depicted in every ;ace, and every man seemed to
reel the loss as a personal bereavement. There is wail-
ing and lamentation throughout the whole district."
The deceased, who was a keen sportsman, was to have
met " the Duke's" hounds on " Canobie Lee" on the.
Thursday morning—the day after his death; and it was
to enable him to keep this engagement that he declined
to stay all night at Brampton, as he had been pressed to
do by several friends. At the " meet" in the morning
his well-known face, cheerful voice, and hearty laugh
were soon missed—for wherever he went be was the
" observed of all observers;" and the common expres-
sion on every tongue was—" God's sake, what's gotten
Sorbietrees?"

Mr. Armstrong was the representative of a long line
of ancestors, famous in their day as chiefs and leaders
in the border warfare. He was considered one of the
handsomest men in Lidlesdale, and the surgeuns who
made the post mortem examination describe him as one
of the finest formed men they had ever seen. He
was a fast friend and a kind neighbour—ever trying
to do goo .I to all who had ever come under his notice.
It was this strong feeling of regard for all who had ever
lived under his roof that cost him his life; for there is
no doubt, from what he said to his wife and others, that
the object of his calling at Walton Parsonage was for
the purpose of offering to re-engage the witness Glen-
dinning, who had lived several years with his father and
himself, as a servant.