The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-22 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE, Six o'Clock.

LUNACY.—EXTRAORDINARY
INQUIRY.—(Third Day.)

(Before Mr. Barlow.)
The hearing of the arguments in this extraordinary
ewe, to inquire into the state of mind of the Rev. W.
F. Leach, was resumed this morning at Clement's Inn
Hall.

The commissioe was issued upon the petition of Julia
Caroline Leach, the mother of the supposed lunatic, and
at whose death be will come into possession of nearly
50,0001. in the funds. There was this peculiarity
about the proceeding, that another commission
of a similar nature was disposed of about two
months ago, when, upon the evidence, the jury were
unable to return a verdict, and were discharged.
Another petition was subsequently presented t 4 the
Lord Chancellor, who thereupon directed the prevent
inquiry to take place. Mr. Bovill, Q.C., and Mr.
Coleridge appeared in support of the commission ; Mr.
M. Chambers, Q C., and Mr. Garth represented the
supposed lunatic, who was present during the inquiry.
He is a man apparently between 50 and GO years of
age, and wears a large gray beard.
Mr. Bovill having, on Thursday last, opened the case,
Dr. Forbes Winslow WAi called, an i that gentleman
_ gave his opinion that Mr. Leach was of unsound mind
and was labouring under all sorts of delusions upon
religious matters. After some other witnesses had been
examined, the inquiry was adjourned.
Mr Montagne Chambers this morning, on the part
of the alleged lunatic, contended that the evidence ad-
duced had evidently failed, and that although Dr.
Winslow and others had given it as their opinion that
Mr. Leach was of unsound mind such was not the fact.
They had made up their minds to pertain phases as an
evidence of insanity and had judged of the sanity of Mr.
Leach by those opinions. Another thing the jury
should take into their consideration was the effect of
deciding that his client was insane Why, they would
place him ;n the position of a person dying without a will,
and the effect of this would be that his sister, who bad
married Mr. Sidden, had taken active steps to obtain
the certificate to authorise his removal to a place of
confinement, would become possessed of property to the
amount of 30,0001. It was no evidenca that a man was
insane because ho promised to marry his maid
servant. Many eminent men had done such a
thing‘, but the thing to be prevented was
the marriage of his client, because such a proceeding
would greatly alter the prospects of Mrs. Sidden. He
should call before the jury some of the most eminent of
the faculty to prove that Mr. Leach was of sound mind
and capable to manage his own affairs. Amongst those
ventlemen would be Dr. Connolly, Dr. Tew, and Dr.
Johnson, all men of the highest eminence, and after
the opinions of those gentlemen ho felt convinced they
would give it as Weir opinion that Mr. Leach, not as
was sought to be establisbel, a p rson of unsound mind.
Dr. Tow was then cared. He said he bad studied
lunacy for ids years under Dr. Coneolly,at Hanwell. He
had had fi equent env. veraatiors with Mr. Leach. He al way
gave rational replies to questions. He had spoken to
Mr. Leach about his beard, and be said that he thought
beards ought to be worn, and he quoted a passage in the
Scriptures to bear out his view. He said he had once
had hie beard shaved off }seeing() he had mistaken the
meaning of a work in the New Testament. Mr. Leach
pointed out the passage in a Greek Testament, which he
translated correctly, and on his being asked if it had
any reference to his beard, be said certainly not ; it was
only a verbal error, and therefore he thought there might
be some mistake about his beard, and he cut it off, but
on finding he was mistaken he let it grow again. He
(witness) a-ked him if it was necessary for salvation that
all persons should wear beards, and be said it was quite
a mater of conscience; each person must judge for hit; -
self. He had spoken to Mr. Leach about the four
voices which he said be posseFfe d, but he gave per-
fectly sane answers to all his vestions. He also
spoke to him about the millenium, and his answersap-
peared
vision,
bto e be
said
d quite
b e bcaodr correct. m
. Ou ne mh
akin
gallusion to the
engaged in the study
of the Holy Scriptures, as at one time he had doubts
about the divinity of the Saviour, and be had prayed to
have those doubts removed. He said he had not seen
the Saviour, but that it was a mental vision and not a
delusion. He stoke about marriage, and Mr. Leach
said he loved his intended wife— that her station in life
did not matter to him, as he knew she and her family
were respectable.

At the conclusion of Dr. Tew's ex Amination, Mr.
Bovill subjected him to a long cross-examination, but.
the witness sa,d it was his decided opinion that Mr. Leach
did not require any euperrisien or control, that he
might be safely truhted with pietcls and bullets, and that
he was as Bane as any oth, r man.

Re examine-el by Mr. Chambers—He said the quarrel
with his mother was a source of trouble to him, but he
thought the was acting from the promptings of other
person.. All Mr. Leach said about his relations was
the reverse of prejudicial. His answers to all questions
were perfectly rational. From opportunities ef e x mining
Mr. Leach, he felt satisfied that he was labouring under
no delusion whatever, but that he held erroneous
opinions upon certain subjects. There was a great dif-
f mace between an erroneous judgment and a delusion.
The former might be the efl,•ct ti intense study, but the
latt.-r was the result of diAease, and disease alone.
Th.. inquiry was then adjourned, at ten minutes to
five o'clock, until Monday.

TILE LATE DUEL AT PA BIS.
The recent fatal duel at Paris is still the subject
of comment ie the continental papers. Some doubt
having been expressed that M. de Pene had received
two wounds, the correspondent of the Nord makes
the following statement :
"I state, on the authority of the physicians, that he re-
ceived two wounds—one ou the right side, just below
the nipple of the breast, the other on the left side near the
heart. I will quota a fact in corroboration which occurred
on the ground. The surgeon havin; asked M. de Rovigo
what the-depth of the wound might be, ho replied that, ac-
cording to the Wood marks on M. Hienne's sword, it must
be 20 centimetres. M. Hienne then came forward and
said, measuring the Male, that it was not more than 15.
Now, M. de Pone has two wonn,b, oue on the right side,
the other on the left ; if made by ono thrust he must have
been run thr mgh the body and the sword have passed
through him two-thirds of its length."
The Figaro publishes the bulletins issued of the
state of M. de Pen©
From these bulletins it appears that M. de Pene
received two wounds—one on the right, and one
on the left side. For a whole hour he lay on
the ground bleeding ; the surgeon bled him, which
revived him. This took place at 3 o'clock on Friday.
At four o'clock a stretcher, with a mattress on it,
conveyed the wounded wan to a small inn at Pecq,
about a mile and a half from the spot where the
duel was fought. '1 he removal took an hour. The
agonies of the sufferer were intense. Every mo-
ment he was expect- dto breathe his last. Madame
de Nue arrived at 8 o'clock. Dr. Guerin informed
her that the life of her husband depended upon her
appearing calm, and she had thi3- heroism to com-
ply. After beholding her husband she, however,
swoon.4l, and gave vent to her grief aloud.
At 6 o'clock on Saturday morning the pulse of
the wounded man was 32 to the minute, and
breathing easier.. Oct Sunday the patient was
much excited, and the wound in the left side gave
him great pain. Calming draughts were adrainis-
tereu. Up to Tuesday morning an improvement
was visible. At Pt o'clock on Tuesday night be
grew worse, and fever ensued. Madame de Pelle
never left her husband's bedside. M. de Pene
maintains his consciousness, and supports his
agonies with admirable calmness. His father ar-
rived from Nantes,but it was thought adv sable he
should not see him, as the slightest emotion might
cause his death.
While removing him from the ground to the inn
a fire raini 1.11. M. Pene 'bad` lost a quantity cf
which poured from the two wounds as
blood,
through the spout of a teapot ;" he bad also been
bled.
ingoll
his face refreshed him,
oTbah
andpr
,etyrain fa
prevented
M. Couttiel, the officer who s. on the spot. challenged M.
de Pene, sends up daily to inquire after him.
The house in which M. de Pene lies is under-
going repairs. He is on a hard, uncomfortable bed,
but cannot be removed, ,lest instant death should
At 11 o'clock
on Wednesday morning M. de Pene
was calm and conscious, but ills face has assumed
that
Pow hue, like occasioned by jaundice.
a ye

______,...
Major General Sir F. W. Williams,
REVIEW OF TBOOPS.—In accordance with garrison
orders ismued by
rt
Commandant, a review i f the vrholo of the troops in
g
a grand field-day of the
R,a)ryrailn
11ora
eta
and Woolwich,
Foot
A
and
ill will take place on ery °
Whit-
Monday.
COURT or BANKBIIPTCV.--In the bankruptcy of J.
Townsend, M.P. for Greenwich, an adjournment was
ordered, the accounts not being in readiness.
WIMBLEDON AND CROYDON
RAILWAY.—At the
Wbarnctiffe meeting of the shareholders, held yesterday
at the offices in Parliament-street, the bill for authorising
the sale of the line to the Brighton Company was sane
Coned.
THE COLONISATION AND SETTLEMENT OF INDIA.—The
first report of the Select Committee on the Colonisation
and Settlement of India has been handed in and printed.
It contains only the micuteg of evidence hitherto taken,
which fill 152 p;.ge2 of a Parliamentary paper. The
witnesses examined were—Major-General G. T. Tre•
menheere. Mr. J. R. Martin, Dr. Hooker, Dr. R.
Baillie, Mr. W. Theobald, Mr. S. Jolly Auld, and Mr.
J. Freeman.

THE NAVAL BRIGADE IN Lune..—Last night's
Gazette contains a despatch addre,sed to the Lords of
the Admiralty by Captain Sotheby, of her Majelity's
ship Pearl, reporting the naval proceedings of the naval
i
brigade under his command n India, from the 13th
February to the 9th March, 1858, presenting a re3ord
of active operations and gallant conduct, under great
difficulties, bigbly creditable to this branch of the sertrice.
Honourable mention is made by Captain Sotheb of
Captains Weston and Reid, Lieutenants Tur our,
Burlton, Pym, H D. Grant, and Radcliffe ; ord
Charles Scott, Mr. Inglee, mate ; Second Mester
Fowler ; Messrs. Stephenson, Foot, Cooley, Burton,
and Maquay ; and Surgeons Shone and Dickinson.