The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-10 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SA TURD AY EVENING, JULY 10, 1858.

THE FETE AT C.REHORNE.

Paid'

Leasing
Companies

Closing Prices
this dey

Bnsines,
this day.

The weather is no respecter of persons. The
leaders of the fashionable ‘world may organise a fete
—the ladies patronesses may distribute their
vouchers with all due liberality and discrimination
—and the fair and the brave may anticipate the
novelties of the Cremorne fairyland; but, alas ! the
pitiless rain comes down, and both literally and
figuratively damps all these brilliant expectations.
It is probable there never was a fete more elabo-
rately or expensively arranged than that which came
off under such watery auspices yesterday evening.
The high position of the patrons and patronesses
gave such a preliminary stamp of fashion to the ar-
rangements that every one was anxious to he present,
and: as a consequence, all the tickets were disposed
of before the fete. But the rain spoiled all. It was
to no purpose that Mr. Simpson had divided his
Chinese platform into thirty-two compartments,
each emblazoned with the heraldic achievement of
a patroness or patron, and had exhausted the illu-
minative art in giving brilliancy to the scene. The
rain washed away the coats of arms, the rain put out
the variegated lamps, the rain gave the rare
exotics a bitter lesson on the variability of our
climate. Pools of water occupied the floor over
which the waltzers should have whirled, and soli-
tary men, armed with saturated umbrellas, stood
around at long intervals, and meditated on the
utsbility of all sublunary affairs. Eighteen.
hundred square yards of dancing surface was a
desert, and the costly mirrors with which the plat-
form was profusely decorated, reflected nothing but
a moist and vapoury solitude. The proprietor had
anticipated far different results, and there is no
doubt that had the weather been at all favourable
he would not have been disappointed. As it was,
upwards of 1,500 members of the haut ton mus-
tered in gay defiance of the rain, and groups of
fair ladies, in opera cloaks and satin shoes, might
be seen trudging valiantly, and wholly regardless
of coughs and colds, from one indoor amusement
to another. And here we would mention a defi-
ciency in the arrangements which may easily be
remedied in case a second fete should take place
under happier auspices. The company, the majo-
rity of whom were evidently new to the locality,
had the greatest difficulty in finding their way, and
groups of ladies might be seen standing helplessly
under the rain, while their cavaliers ran hither
and thither anxiously inquiring where was the cir-
cus, or the ball-room, or the hotel, as the case might
be. A few attendants placed at the corners, or
even an illuminated finger-post here and there,
would have remedied al! this inconvenience, and
we trust it will not be forgotten next time. A
considerable number of the company came early,
and dined at the hotel, where arrangements had
been made on a scale of the greatest abundance,
and these of course were in time for the balloon, in
which Lieut. Chambers made his solitary ascent ;
they would have been also in time for the Morris
and Maypole dances, only that it would have been
adding insult to injury to have introduced such fine
weather amusements on an evening when there was
nothing but "water, water, everywhere." Later
in the evening, the carriages of the beau monde
thronged the King's-road entrance, and the occu-
pants soon filled the ballet theatre with an audience
Which looked mere suited to the imperial theatre
at Versailles, than so democratic a place of amuse-
ment as Cremorne. 11 he dauciug, which would
have probably been fastidiously criticised at her
Msjesty's Theatre, was vociferously applauded, and
the company, unsated, at once rushed off to the
Marionette Theatre, wading ankle-deep all the way
in the new gravel which had been most carefully
laid down in anticipation of moonlight sad dry
weather. Mr. Hugo Vamp was iu gnat strength,
and commenced business with an occasional address

in which the names of the patrons and patronesses
were poetically introduced, and which, bring de-
livered wish that impressive although slightly
spasmodic gesticulatien for which this well-known
stage manager is remarke.':le, elicited several dis-
tinct rounds of applause. The members of his com-
pany were then successively introduced, and each
gave a specimen of his or her quality. Lady Mac -
bath tore a passion to titers with a refreshing
amount of vehemence • the tenor sang a song, and
the dancers pirouetted with a perseverance which
performers of a higher order of vitality would have
found it difficult to imitate. This last portion of
the introductory performance was loudly cheered,
but the classic burlesque which followed a propos
of the love affairs of Paris and Helen was not at-
tractive enough to keep the company. Juno met
with an untoward accident in being su idenly
drawn up to the roof in the midst of an insinuating
address to the Judge of B,,auty, and consequently
escaped the rain of seeing the apple given to her
rival. There was then a rush to the circus, with
plenty of rain as before the whole of the distance.
and even when the company thought themselves
seated out of harm's way, a srrcessiou of heavy
drops from the roof warm d them that their har-
bour of refuge bad not been constructed for that
special occasion. But they had come to be amused,
and they were resolved to be so. Th!,T cheered
with astonishing resolution, threw bouquets to the
tight-rope dancer, and waited patiently until the
last cavalier bad retired from the sawdust, and
the last master of the ring had made his la,t
bow a la Widdicornb to his distinguished ad-
mirenz. The dancing came next, for fireworks
would have been au impossibility, and as the
Chinese pladform was under water, the bailet
theatre was cleared for the dance, and was soon
filled with dancers who whirled about with a vigour
which could not have been surpassed by the regu-
lar habitues of Cre:norne. The gentlemen wore
their hats and the ladies their bonnets, and altoge-
ther it was difficult to realise that this was a s...lect
fete to which only the creme de la creme were ad-
mitted on production of voucher and payment of
half-a-guinea, and not the ordinary gathering of
Smith, Brown, Jones, and Robinson, which makes
Cremorue the jolliest place in town on the regular
nights. It is fortunate that, however weather may
have interfered with the enjoyment of the guests,
it did not prevent the receipt of a large sum of
money applicable to the charities on whose behalf

the fete was originated. Neither, it is to be lived,
will Mr. Simpson be much the loser. We were in-
formed that after all expenses there would be up-
waris of 1,0001. applicab!e to charitable purposes.
Amongst the visitors were the Duchess of Cam-
bridge and the Princess Mary, and the following
distinguished personages, who however include but
a very small portion of the company :—Earl and
Countess Hardwicke, Lady Elizabeth York, Lady
Agnes York, Viscount Ingestre, Viscountess
Ingestre, Viscount Canterbury, Lord Ravens-
worth, Viscount Ranelagh, Lady Charlotte Eger-
ton, Lord Hervey, Eirl St. Germans, Sir Ralph
and Lady Howard, Earl and Countess of Shrews-

bury, Marquis and Marchioness of LAhian, Hon.
William and Mrs. North, Lord Ernest Brace,
Lord Brougham, Hon. Arthur Russell, Right
Hon. W. Beresford, Count Palffy, Mr. Tubb?, Mr.
Byng, M.P., Lord and Lady Villiers, Colonel and
Mrs. Darner, Capt. Bathurst, Han. Edward Leigh,
Hon. Mr. and Mi-s. Ashley, the Master of

- -
Lovatt, ct-co.
It is almost needless to add that admirable order
was preserved throughout, and that the police did
their duty with their usual tact and efficiency.

THE DAGENHAM MURDER.

Yesterday morning, Inspectors Whicher and
binson, of the detective force, were busily engaged
in making inquiry at Dagenham respecting the
mysterious murder of George Clarke, the police
constable of the K division, and, from important
information they have received during the last few
days in the village and its outskirts, they fully ex-
pect to bring forward two witnesses who can give
corroborative evidence in connexion wish this tra-
gical affair.

It is the intentica of the Police Commissioners of
Cie metropolitan force to instruct counsel to attend
this (Saturdv) morning for the prosecution of the
accused, Gee. Blewitt, at the Court House, adjoin-
ing Ilford Gaol, where the prisoner will be brought
up tor re-examination at 10 o'clock.
The following is a copy of the placard issued by
the Government shortly after the discovery of the
murder
" One; Hundred Pounds Reward.—Whereas on'
the nigle.t of the 29th of June, or the morning of
the 30th, George Clarke, a constable of the K divi-
sion of the metropolitan police, was brutally mur-
dered while on duty by some person or persons mi-
-1 known, in a corn-field in the parish of Dagen-
ham, in the county of Essex, a reward of 1001.
will be paid by her Majesty's Government to
any person who shall give such information as
shall lead to the apprehension and conviction of
the offender or offenders, and the Right Hon.
the. Secretary of State for the Home Department
wi.:ll advise the grant of her Majesty's pardon to any
accomplice (not being the person who actually corn-
rcated the murder) who will give such information
3.s shall lead to the same result.

" Metropolitan Police-office, July, 184 G."
There was also a reward of 101. offered for the
discovery of the body of Clarke, a few days subse-
quent to the murder, which has not been paid,
although the money is due to the young man Page,
who, it will be remembered, first found the body
of the deceased in the corn-field on the morning of
the 3d of July, 1846.
Yesterday forenoon Mr. Superintendent Howie
proceeded to Dagenham and other places in EQs‘a,
to trace, if pos.,ible, persons connected with the
murder, and to obt:/in some testimony relative to a
female who, it is alleged, washed the clothes of the
man Chalk after the perpetration of the fearful
tragedy.
A plan of the spot where the murder was com-
mitted has been taken, showing the farm of Mt.
Collier, the mansion of -31!s. Sarah Stone,
Mr. Britton's farm, the cottage of the ac-
cused !George Blewitt, the high-road from
Romford, the eleven-acre field, pond, and the corn
field which the murderers must have crossed in
pursuit of the deceased Clarke from the barn where
it is alleged the prisoner (Blewitt) and his com-
panions were burg,lariously engaged on the night
of the murder.

It has been stated in one of the morning journals
that the throat of the deceased was not cut. On
the contrary, the neck exhibited two inertll
wounds,- which the medical gentleman (who was
examined on Monday week, and ga?e testimony at
the coroner's inquest in July, 1846) stated on oath
nearly separated the head from the trunk. The
stock which the deceased wore was completely cut
through, as the surgeon sail, by a double-edged
knife or dirk.