The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-11 00:00:00

Badsworth hde., Tues., Red-house; Thur.g., Womers-
ley-park; Sat., Shafton Tow•gates-104.
Lord Yarborough'a hag., Mon., Ravendaie;
Wootton-house; Fri., Blybornug,-11. hall-11.
Sir Tatton Sykes's hde., M(n., Langton-wold; Wei.,
the Windmill, Stockton-forest; Fri., Scampston-house

CASE OF MARY ANN RICHARDS.

TO TEE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—lt is only to-day that my attention was di-
rected to your leading article of the 24th December,
and as the individual by whom the case of the young
girl, Mary Ann Richards, was taken up, I feel it
an incumbent duty to offer you my warmest
thanks for your able advocacy in the cause of justice,
and to lay before you the following facts :
On Tuesday, the 19th day of October last, in con-
sequence of certain disclosures made by the girl, the
perso❑ calling himself Count de Werdinski was ap-
prehended by Sergeant Thompson, of the F
and brought before Mr. Jardine, the presiding magis-
strate at Bow-street.

'1 he complainant and her nurse (to whom she had
flown for protection on the previous Saturday) having
been sworn, the prisoner was remanded till Friday,
the 223, iu order to give the of an opportunity of
seeing some of the parties with whom they had
lodged. The case was then more fully gone into, and
witnesses deposed to the fact of an improper con-
nexion having existed since the year 1845, but there
being no legal proof of the complainant's age, a fur-
ther adjournment took place till the following Tues-
day, to collect evidence on that head. This, however
(notwithstanding the exertions of Sergeant Thompson)
could not be satisfactorily established. The more
serious charge was, therefore, abandoned, and that of
cruelty gone into, which was clearly proved by the
searcher of the court, the unfortunate young creature
having scars across the neck, shoulders, abdomen, and
lower extremities, as if pieces of flesh had been cut
out. It appeared, from the testimony of two very
respectable witnesses, that the prisoner was
in the habit of flogging her naked with
a riding whip, and also a cane. Re would
then have been committed for trial had not a
number of lodging-house keepers and tradespeople
complained to the magistrate (Mr. Jardine) that he
(the prisoner) had got into their debt fraudulently,
whereupon Mr. Jardine remanded the prisoner till
Tuesday, the 3d December, and there being no case
of fraud brought against him, the prosecutrix and
witnesses were bound over in the usual way to pro-
secute, but owing to one of the witnesses being taken
suddenly ill his committal was not made out till the 6th.
The notices were duly served on the prosecutrix
and witnesses to appear at the court of adjourned
Sessions of the Peace in and for the county of Mid-
dlesex, to be holden at the Sessions House on Clerken-
well-green, in the said county, on the 18th day of
December last, and then and there give evidence
against Adolphe de Werdinski. The whole of the
abovenamed were in attendance at the said Sessions
House ten minutes before ten o'clock on Wednesday,
the 18th day of December last. Sergeant Thompson
(who had the management of the case) applied for the
bill of indictment about eleven o'clock. The fees
were then demanded. Thompson replied they could
not be paid, the prosecutrix is a child. Where is her
mother ? asked the clerk. She has none, answered
the officer. Where is her father ? The same answer
was returned ; she has none, she is a friendless child.
The prosecutrix and witnesses were then told they
might go up stairs and wait. These instructions they
followed. The court broke up shortly after one o'clock,
The prisoner was discharged, the prosecutrix and
witnesses still being in the waiting•room ; and it was
not till two o'clock they were apprised of the fact.
Now, Sir, here is a person charged with crimes
which outrage the feelings of society set free without
even the semblance of a trial.
Does the fallacious machinery of the criminal law
allow such an offender to shove by justice, because
his victim is a friendless orphan and destitute of the
means of paying certain fees, or providing legalas-
sistance ? Is the opinion of the committing magis-
trate (a barrister and Recorder of Bath), who after a
most patient and humane investigation declared it was
a case far too serious to be disposed of summarily, to
be as nought ? Is the public time of a magistrate of
no value ? Are the witnesses who attended at the
court, and also at each examination, with great per-
sonal inconvenience, not to say expense, to be again
dragged forth at the next sessions, merely because a
delay arises with the officials attached to the court ?
Surely the sooner this is looked to and thoroughly
reformed the better, and then the course of justice
will not be impeded, and the poor and friendless may
look up to the law and hope for succour and protec-
tion.—l am, Sir, &c.,
WILLIAM MONTAGUE.

44, South Ville, Wandsworth-road, Jan. 3.
P.S. Allow me to add that I have received the
greatest support from Mr. Jardine, Sergeant Thomp-
son, and the rest of the police, and we still hope that
the accused may be brought to justice.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST
RAILWAY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE &UN.
SIR,-1 am desired by the board of directors to in-
form you that the accounts for the past half-year
having been this day submitted to them, they have
decided upon recommending the payment of a divi-
dend at the rate of 525. per cent. for the half-year on
the consolidated stock of the company, after placing a
sum of 10,000/. to the credit of the reserve fund, and
carrying forward a balance of about 4,000/. to the
current half-year. The dividend for the past year
will therefore have amounted to 4/. 2s. per cent.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
FREDERICK SLIGHT, Secretary.
Secretary's Office, London, Jan. 10; 1851.

IRELAND.
SALES OF THE MoIINTCASHELL ESTATES.
DUBLIN, FRIDAY.—The average rate of purchase for
the lots of the liens and Braid estates of the Earl of
Mountcashell, sold in Belfast on Tuesday last, was nine-
teen and a half years, estimated upon the existing rentals,
which are considered higher than the present letting
value. During the sales one of the tenants appeared,
and stated that the occupiers on one portion of the pro-
perty required a reduction of thirty per cent. in their
rents. At the previous sale in Belfast and Dublin the
average rate was not more than eighteen years' purchase.
The total amount realised by the sates of the Mount-
cashell estates already effected is 163,0001., but the Gal-
germ estate is yet to be disposed of ; and it is stated
that the delay has been caused by a proceeding en the
part of some of the creditors to annul a lease of a por-
tion of that estate, made some years since, on the ground,
as it is alleged that the rent is greatly below the
actual value. It is likely that the Antrim estates
will produce a sum sufficient to pay off nearly the
entire of the encrumbances, leaving the extensive
southern estates of Lord Mountcashell free from all
charges, with the exception of some old mortgages of
no very considerable amount. It is worthy of notice
that two of the estates already sold are now divided
amongst more than twenty new proprietors—geerally
persons of capital, who have realised their money
in
trade.
The sales in the Encumbered Court in Dublin will
be resumed this day. The Commissioners have their
lists quite full for some months to come ; but it is un-
derstood that the practice of sales in the country towns,
having proved so successful in the cases where the ex-
periment has been tried, will be carried out to a consider-
able extent in future, especially where the estates are
adjacent to large towns.
SALE OF THE MONTORLONY ESTATE.—The Montor-
lony estate, consisting of 9,600 statute acres, in the
county of Tyrone, has been sold by Messrs. Stewart,
Piro, and Kincaid, to Robert Pulsford, Esq., of Upper
Belgrave. street, London. This estate is iu the Encum-
bered Court, and an application will be made to the
Commissioners this day to confirm the sale. The rate
of purchase for this property is twenty years, estimated
' by GriffiLh's valuation.

THE SEXTONSHIP OF NEWARK FOR THE LAST
SEVENTY. roux YEARS.-lt appears that the office of sexton
in the parish of Newark has been in the family of the
Corbys for a period of upwards of 74 years, and is still re-
tained in the family, to the satisfaction both of the inhabi-
tants and vicars then and there in existence. From dates,
we find that the first of the family entered on office in the
year 1775, and died in 1795, thus being 20 years in office,
in which period he buried 2,823 souls. Then we find that
his son John, who bore the Christian name of his father,
succeeded him on January 1, 1796, and died in the year
1838, in which time he buried 6,918 souls, in 42 years; and
upon his decease the churchwardens for the time being took
the matter into consideration whether the widow should
hold the office for the benefit of herself and family, and it
was agreed by them that it should be so ; and by the aid of
her sons, who will no doubt ultimately succeed to the office,
she has carried out the occupation of sexton to this period ;
and, from the date of her husband's death up to the 23d of
November last, she had buried, in 12 years, 2,803. There-
fore, if we put the aggregate together we find—John Corby,
sen., buried 2,823; John Corby, jun., ditto 6,918; Esther
(the widow), ditto 2,803; total, 12,544; thus showing that
in the space of 74 years this family have interred actually,
as we believe, more than the population of Newark in 1850.
-.Doncaster Gazette.

- -
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been cured by Holloway's Ointment and Pills, when every
other remedy had failed. For glandular swellings, scrofula,
scurvy, and other diseases of the skin, there is no medicine that
can be used with so good an effect.— Sold by all Druggists and
at Professor Holloway's Establishment, '244, Strand, London.
LAMENTABLE IGNORANCE.—A lad, ten years of age,
named Walter Gilbert, was called as a witness in an assault
case at Rotherham, on Monday, when Mr. Bosvile said,
" Can you read or write ?" "No!" said the lad, in a surly
tone. "Do you go to any day school ?" "No," was again
the reply. "Do you go to the Sunday school, then P"
" No," continued the boy. "Do you ever go to a place of
worship ?" The form of the negative was used for the fourth
time. "Do you know what an oath is ?" " No." " What
becomes of people who tell lies ?" After some hesitation,
Gilbert said, "They go to t' oud lad. "And what do you
mean by 't' oud lad?' " For a while the lad was silent, but
ultimately, upon the question being repeated, said, " I don't
know." It is needless to say that the evidence of such a
witness was deemed inadmissible.— Sheffield Times.