The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-28 00:00:00

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INVERNESS

MACKIE'S STATION HOTEL,
Private Entrance *if the Ter, inus Platform.
An Experienced Man Cook kept. The Hotel Omnibus at-
tends all the Steamers via Caledonian Canal.

No. 21,219.

PUBLICATIONS.

NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF " CASTE."
Now ready, at all the Libraries, in 3 vols.,
BOND AND FREE.
BY TIIE AUTHOR OF "CASTE," &c.
"A very clever novel. "—Sun.
" A very good novel—capitally written."—Chronicle.
Hurst and Blackett, 13, Great Marlborough-street.

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liberate the accused, and restore 11 6iblet 4,
I There was not a tittle of evidence ag 4. 5i"1404-0
--- -----,-----_-:_-__-one_wor.don which the finger of infa h. • oMd
pointed againstiren—lie besought the magistrates
therefore, immediately, toll-berate the young lady,
and to restore her to her friends and her home.
Some applause followed the address of the learned
counsel, which was instantly suppressed.
The magistrates, after a brief consultation, at:-
nounced that they had decided on discharging tbo
prisoner, on her father entering into recoguizances
of £2OO for her appearance if called upon.
The prisoner was then discharged.

~~~~ `~~
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PRIGE, 41). STAMPED, SP•

speaking of the matter to my father and mother in
our garden, while I sat at my work. Then I met
Benger at the four cross-roads, and we went through
the lawn gate into Mr. Kent's premises. Nobody-
asked us to go. We went of our own accord. Ben-
ger proposed to go. He said no one would be angry
with us for looking for a lost child. He said that
because I did'nt like to go. I said what I did be-
cause I could'nt think any one could have stolen a
child out of a gentleman's house. I have been
clerk to the district church of this parish 17 years.
Miss Emma Moody—l live with my mother at
Warminster, and I know the prisoner, Miss Con-
stance Kent, I have been at school with her at
Beckington, about a mile distant from her father's
house. I went home for the holidays when she did,
about the 17th or 18th of June. I have heard her
make remarks about the child such as this, that she
disliked the child, and pinched it, but I believe
more for fun than for anything else, for she was
laughing at the time she said it. It was not this
child more than the others. She said that she liked
to tease them, this one and his younger brothers
and sisters. I believe it was through jealousy, and
because the parents showed great partiality. I
have remonstrated with her on what she said. I
was walking with her one day near Road, and said
" Won't it be nice to go home for the holidays so
soon ?" She said, "It may be to your home, but
mine's is different." She also led me to infer,
though I don't remember her precise words, that she
did not dislike the child, but through the partiality
shown by the parents, and that the second family
were much better treated than the first. I remem-
ber her saying that several times. We were talking
about dress, on one occasion, and she said, " Mamma
will not let me have anything I like; and if I said
I should like a brown dress, she would let me have
a black, just for contrary." I remember no other
conversation about the deceased child ; she has only
very slightly referred to him. I was 17 years of
age last March, and have been at that school a year
a half. Mies Constance Kent has been a boarder
there only during the last half-year, and she came
there to take lessons for three months before. She
took home the second prize for good conduct last
half-year. There were between 30 and 40 young
ladies there.
Mr. Joshua Parsons, surgeon of Beckington,
stated that he was called to Mr. Kent's house on
Saturday, the 30th of June, and saw the body of the
child. It had a night dress on and a blanket stained
with blood and soil. There was a stab on the left
side, cutting through the cartilage of two ribs.
The mouth had a blackened appearance, with the
tongue protruding between the teeth. I think
this was produced by forcible pressure during life,
but there was no abrasion of the tongue or lips to
show that anything had been pushed into the
mouth. The throat was cut from one ear to the
other, dividing it all down to the spines. By order of
the coroner I opened the body ; the stomach was
healthy, and I saw no reason to suspect that any
narcotic or poisonous drug had been administered.
The stab in the chest had not penetrated to the
heart, but had pushed it out of its place, and
pierced the diaphragm, and slightly wounded the
outer coat of the stomach, on the right side of it.
There were two very slight incisions on the right
hand, which appeared to have been made after
death. When I saw the body at half-past eight, the
rigidity was complete, so that I suppose that it had
been dead at least five hours. The injuries were
inflicted, I think, with a long pointed knife. The
stab was an inch or an inch and a quarter wide. I
accompanied Mr. Foley in searching the house, and
went into Miss Constance Kent's room. I examined
the linen in her drawers, and the nightcap and
nightgown, which were on the bed ; they were all
perfectly free from any stains of blood. The night.
dress was very clean, but I cannot say how long it
had been worn • I think it might have been worn
nearly a week. I knew the poor little boy who was
killed very well ; he was a very heavy child for his
age. It must have been done with a dagger-shaped
or carving knife, and it required very great force
to make such a cut through the blanket and folded
night-dress, and through the side, in that way.
Miss Louisa Hatherall—l live with my parents
in Oldbury, in Gloucestershire, and am 15 years of
age. I was at school with the prisoner at Beckington
till last June. I have heard her speak of her home,
snd say there was a partiality shown by her parents
for the younger children. She spoke of her brother
William being obliged to wheel the perambulator
for the younger children, and that he disliked doing
it. She also spoke of her father comparing the
elder son to the younger, and saying what a much
finer boy the younger would be. She told me
nothing else, to my recollection.
Sarah Cox—l have been housemaid to Mr. Kent
for three months past. It was my duty to fasten
up the door and windows, and I did so on the
night of the 28th June. I locked and bolted the
door of the drawing-room when I went to bed,
about a quarter to eleven. Next morning I found
the door a little way open, the shutters unfastened,
and the window a little way up. I could not see
that any force had been used, or that the window
had been broken open. I did not see any footmarks
on the floor, which was covered with a white drug-
get. I had to collect the dirty linen from the rooms
on Monday mornings ; that of Miss Constance was
generally thrown down either in the room or on
the landing, some of it on Sunday, and some on
Monday. It was so on this occasion, Monday,
July 2. I found a night dress of hers on the land-
ing on Monday morning, and took it down withthe
rest into a lumber room on the first floor to sort it
out. I then called Miss Kent to come and put the
number on the book. I perfectly remember putting
this night dress of Miss Constance's into the basket
on the Monday (July 2) after the murder. I am
certain of it. I left the basket in the lumber room
when I went down to the inquest, about 11 o'clock,
with the nurse. Mr. and Mrs. Kent, the three
young ladies, Master Kent, the young children, and
the cook remained in the house. The baskets were
covered up with the kitchen table cloth and Mrs.
Kent's dress, and the lumber room was not locked.
The laundress was to come for them about twelve
or one o'clock that day. I know that I put three
night dresses into one basket, and besides them Miss
Elizabeth Kent made up her own bundle for herself.
Miss Constance came to the door of the lumber room
after the things were in the basket, but I had not
quite finished packing them. She asked me if I
would look in her slip pocket and see if she had left
her purse there. I looked in the basket and told
her it was not there. She then asked me to go
down and get her a glass of water. I did so, and
she followed me to the top of the back stairs, as I
went out of the room. I found her there when I
returned with the water, and I think I was not
gone near a minute, for I went down very
quickly. The lumber room is en the same floor as
the nursery. She drank the Neater and went up
the other back stairs, towards her own room. There
was no further conversation between us. I co-
vered down the basket, and did not return to
it. It was on Tuesday evening that I heard
of a missing night shirt, and I have never
seen it since. The ladies of the family change their
night dresses once a week, but I cannot say on
what night. I think each takes out the clean things
for herself. My bedroom is adjoining Miss Con-
stance's, with only a papered wall, or boards, or
something between ; I can hear everything very
plainly, but I don't recollect being awakened on the
night of the murder.
Cross-examined—On Saturday (June 30) the
morning when the child was found dead, I took a
clean nightgown of hers down to be aired, and an-
other on the Saturday afterwards: These, with the
one I put in the basket, would make three. Her
nightgowns have plain frills, and Miss Kent's have
lace on them, so that I can easily distinguish them.
I believe Miss Constance had three. I did not ob-
serve any mark or stain on the one I put into the
basket on the Monday after the murder ; it was
dirtied as one usually was which she had worn a
week. During the time I have lived in the house
I have never seen anything unkind or unsisterly in
her conduct towards the deceased ; nor have I ever
heard her say anything unkind to him, or show
any ill-feeling towards him. There were two un-
occupied rooms on the first floor, the lumber room
and the spare room, the latter being immediately
over the drawing-room. On the second floor there
were unoccupied rooms, a bedroom, and a lumber
room. The book in which the dirty linen is en-
tered by Miss Kent is usually sent with it to Mrs.•
Holly, the washerwoman. I know it was Miss
Kent who entered it on the Monday after the mur-
der. On the following Monday, July 9, the clothes
were not sent to the wash as usual, because there
night r e s s .
wwaasshseorwmeemdainspsuatied atbhoeuret
wtherise
threenight
put on the book, and only two sent. It was Miss
Constance's that was missing. Miss Kent said that
I had put it into the basket, as she had seen me do
fact deatho f t
he:
nightdress
gp
ht excepting
es thes
nsoatmhea
vg g
it. I observed nothing unusual. in her manner after
the little boy'sld that
was shown by the rest of the family.
next called
the washerwoman, was
in the basket.
The magistrates having eonsulted, announced
to l‘plrrsov'elithoelly,
that no mere witnesses would be called. been
mr. Edlin then Atikecl, the Bench inotantly to

THEATRICAL FESTIVITY.

(From the Era.)

Acording to annual custom Mr. J. B. Buckstone,
the highly-respected lessee of the Theatre Royal,
Haymarket, entertained on Monday afternoon the
members of his company and a few of his personal
friends, at his picturesque villa at Sydenham, where
about 30 gentlemen assembled to partake of the
hospitality of the worthy manager. In his double
capacity as host and as Chief Baron of the Court of
Uncommon Pleas, a tribunal which takes humorous
cognisance of any local theatrical questions con-
nected with the Haymarket Theatre that may be
referred to its arbitration, Mr. Buckstone presided
on the occasion, and was faced by Mr. Chippendale,
the stage manager, who, in rising to propose the
health of their excellent chairman, earnestly and
appropriately addressed the company as follows :
Cientlemen,—l rise to propose the " Health of the Chief
Baron"--..a gentleman who has presided over this honour-
able court for many years. It is an annual custom, and a
most pleasureable one. His knowledge of the laws that
govern us as a body is most profound. Amenities—those laws
which render the dusty road of life pleasant, and enable us
to hang up our memories in green places, his daily inter-
course with us prove his knowledge of. Humanity—from
whence springs charity and other virtues, his name at the
head of the numerous petitions presented to us, and the
labour (to him " a labour of love") and time he bestows in
forwarding in every way the charitable institutions of his
profession, is a convincing proof he is deeply imbued
with that most righteous law. His study of commer-
cial law are touchingly remindel of every t'atur-
day ; and, as to the laws of hospitality, you have to-day the
evidence of your own senses. Thus, rich in the knowledge
and practice of the social laws, it is net a matter for won-
der that he has retained his seat for so long a period, and
that we earnestly wish he may continue in it till his shrewd-
ness and tact as a manager enable him to enter the haven
of independence, which, I am sure, you will join me in
hoping he may do at an age that will leave him many years
to enjoy the harvest of his industry and talent. Gentle-
men, I give you " Health and continued prosperity to John
Baldwin Buckstone."

The enthusiasm with which this was received,
and the equally warm and cordial response that
was given when Mr. Buckstone returned thanks in
one of his kindliest and most felicitous speeches,
could be but faintly indicated in print, though it
will not soon fade from the memory of those pre-
sent. He concluded by proposing the health of
Mr. Benjamin Webster, who was amongst the
guests, stating that Mr. Webster had honourably
ruled the destinies of the Haymarket Theatre for
sixteen years, thirteen of which he (Mr. Buck-
stone) had been his actor. Mr. Benjamin Webster
replied with great feeling. The health of Mr.
Charles Mathews was given, who responded to the
toast in a speech full of rapid fun, during which he,
stated that although he had once been Mr. Buck-
stone's manager, yet he would rather at any time
be that gentleman's actor. Notwithstanding the
unpropitious state of the weather, the visitors passed
a day of uninterrupted enjoyment, and a succession
of toasts and speeches followed the luxurious banquet
which the courteous lessee had so liberally provided,
till professional duties hurried a majority of the party
back to town. Ample testimony was adduced of
the genial and generous qualities of their hospita-
ble entertainer, and the good-fellowship and har-
monious co-operation of the Haymarket company,
so abundantly exhibited in connexion with the
event that had called them together, proved the
high esteem in which Mr. Buckstone was held as
a man and a manager, whilst the general public
the same evening as justly paid their well•earned
tributes to him as one of the most popular authors
and actors of the modern stage.