The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-26 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.

Sittings in Banco before the Lord Chief Baron,
and Barons Martin, Bramwell, and Pigott.
SLADE V. SLADE.

This remarkable case, which involves the descent
of the titles and estates of the late Sir Fred. Slade,
Q.C., a gentleman who obtained great distinction
at the English bar, was argued this morning before
the Barons of Exchequer.
The Solicitor-General (Sir John Karslake), Mr.
Kingdon, Q.C., and Mr. Balla were counsel for
the pl tintiff ; an I Mr. Coleridge, Q.C., Mr. Mel-
lish, Q.C., Mr. Henry Matthews, Mr. Montague
Bere, and Mr. Wallis, represented the defendant.
The plaintiff in this case is Ueutenattt-General
Sir . Marcus Slad., a twin brother of the late Sir
Frederick, and formerly Lieutenant-Governor of
Guernsey, and the defendant is Sir Alfred F. A.
Slade, the West son of the late baronet.
The question at issue between the parties is the
validity of the marriage of Sir Frederick with hi.;,
wife, Barbara Maria, the only sister of lord Vaux,
of Harrowden. It is alleged on the part of the
plaintiffs that the lady had been previously married
at Milan in 1825 to the Baron von Koerber, an
officer in the Austrian service, and who was alive a
the date of her marriage with Sir Frederick. On the
other side it is alleged that the Baron having been a
Protestant and Miss Mostyn a Roman Catholic, the
formalities required by such a marriage were not
complied with according to the Austrian law, and
consequently that the marriage was void. The case
was originally tried at the Somersetshire Assizes,
but the points at issue were considered too compli-
cated for a jury ;
and a special case was stated in
order that the question should be brought before the
judges, who should have power to determine all
questions of fact as well as of law.
The Solicitor-General having briefly introduced

the case by narrating the facts above stated, pro-
ceeded to read a number of documents, narrating
the proceedings of the marriage ceremony between
Lady Slade and Baron von Koerber, who, he con-
tended, were conducted with all the fnlemuity
and force necessary to make the marriage
legal. According to the rules laid down, it was
necessary that the marriage should be intended by
both parties, that there should be consent and a
knowledge that they were about to marry ; and in
raising a question as to the validity of marriage at
a future period these points must be thoroughly
ascertained. For instance, the clergyman ought to
be a regularly ordained Churchman, acting in that
capacity. In the case of this marriage it was ob
viously so. Then there would be the subsequent
conduct of the parties, where the wife might be
treated as the lawful wife and the children as legiti-
mate children.
(The case is expected to last several days.)

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Holroyd.)
IN RE VARCIS—THE AUTOGRAPHIC MIRROR.

The bankrupt was the editor of the " Autographic
Mirror," and to-day was appointed for the order of
discharge.. The accounts show a total indebtedness
of £3,500 ; the assets being £3,100, the large sum
of £1,470 having been handed over to the assignees.
His honour adjourned the case as the parties are
endeavouring to annul the bankruptcy.

POLICE INTELLIGEACE.-2-This Day.

BOW STREET.

POCKET PICKING AT A FlRE.—George Donovan,
a youth of about 19 or 20 years of age, was brought
up on remand, charged with attempting to cut away
the pocket and purse of a lady in Arundel-street,
Strand, on Wednesday night.
Miss Jessie Purvis stated that she had recently
come to London from Scotland, on;her way to Paris,
and was staying at a friend's in Arundel-street,
Strand. On Wed►:es.lay evening, while the fire
which destroyed some of the sheds on the Thames
Embankment was burning, a crowd had assembled
in Arundel-street to witness the conflagration. She
also paused for a moment, but her attention was
almost immediately wiLhdrawn from the fire by feel-
ing a tug at her pocket. She seizA the hand which
was pulling at her dress and c)ufr inted the pick-
pocket, the prisoner at the bar. In one hand he
held her pocket containing her purse, and in the
other a knife With which he was cutting it away
from its fastenings. lie had cut the pocket com-
pletely away, but had not yet disentangled it from
her dress.

Police constable Dowdell, of the F division, said
he was on duty in private clothes, and had been
watching the prisoner about five minutes previously
t) the attempt. He saw the prisoner cutting Miss
Purvis's dress, and seized his hand at the'same time
she did. A gentleman, who was with the prosecu-
trix, caught his other hand at the same moment.
Finding himself in the grip of three persons at
once the prisoner made no resistance, and witness
took him to the station.
The prisoner said there were two others " in it,"
and it was one of them that cut the pocket.
The witnesses adhered to their statement that
they seized him with the pocket in his hand.
Dowdell said he believed, if time were given, be
could show that the prisoner had been previously
convicted.

Miss Purvis said it would be very inconvenient
for her to attend again, as she wanted to go on to

Paris.

The prisoner upon this altered his tone, and said
he should plead not guilty, and take his trial.
The magistrate, however, reminded the prisoner
that he had power to deal with him as a rogue and
vagabond, which he probably should do if it turned
out that Dowdell
_ .
was right in believing that he had
been previously convicted.

The prisoner was remanded for further inquiry.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

OUTRAGEOUS CONDUCT IN lIYDE-PARK.—John
Ailsop, a man of colour, describing himself as a sea-
man, was charged before Mr. Knox with being
drunk and disorderly, and assaulting George West,
a labouring man, in Hyde-park.
The complainant said he was sitting on a seat in
Hyde-park, yesterday afternoon, when the prisoner
came up to him with some books in his hand, and
said, " this seat belong to me," and immediately
struck him as hard as he could two or three blows
in the face.

In answer to Mr. Knox, the complainant said the
prisoner had been drinking, but well knew what he
was about. -

The prisoner said that when he fell on the com-
Pc
al al
li en da nh
timheabe"g
blackged h.i's pardon, but the complainant
'

The complainant denied this.
Mr. Charles E. Beach, of the Registrar-office of
Seamen, said he was passing through Hyde-park
yesterday afternoon, on his way home to Bayswater,
when he saw the prisoner go up to the complainant,
who was quietly sitting on a scat, and strike him
two or three blows on the face, the complainant not
having given the slightest provocation, and ho had
never witnessed such a savage assault before in his
life.

Mr. Philip Thos. Saunders, of No. 14, Bes-
borough-street, St. Gcorge's•square, tutor and
pteaarekheyresotferndlauy afternoon
stetridno hoenwl' with passing through Hyde-
-11 a pupil, a son of Mr.
Moutefiore, when the prisoner, in a very rude man-
ner, came up and offered him some books for sale,
and made use of very insulting and disgraceful
language, on his telling him to go away, the pri-
soner's conduct being such that his pupil was afraid
of him. He afterwards saw the prisoner go up and
insult same ladies in a similar manner, and while he
was speaking to a constable and a park-keeper,
he said the prisoner was already in custody higher
up the park. The prisoner had been drinking, but
was not drunk, and well knew what he was about,
but he seemed drunk to every person he approached
—especially ladies. He (Mr. Saunders) had at-
tended the court at some trouble, but felt it his
duty to do so on behalf of the public, who, like him-
self,went tothe park for recreation, aslie considered
they were entitled to protection.
Police-constable Hall, 350 A, proved seeing the
prisoner go up to the complainant and strike him
two or three violent blows, 'The prisoner made use