The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-18 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

SCREENING BRUTAL HUSBANDS.—James Reardan, a
powerful Irisb:labourer, was charged with violently beating

his wife.
The latter, on getting into the witness box, endeavoured
to screen a black eye by holding a handkershief to her
face, and on being asked to make her statement, observed,
" I have nothing to say, I don't think he hit me at all."
Mr. Selfe—You are telling a deliberate falsehood. Speak
the truth ; did he not strike you ?
Complainant—lle might have done so once.
Mr. Selfe—That will not do for me. You came before
me on Saturday and applied for a warrant against your
husband, and you then swore that he violently assaulted
you and you have abundant marks.. Your husband has
had a month for assaulting you before, has he not ?
Complainant—Yes, ho has.

Mr. Selfe —You swore, when you were hero on Satur-
day, that your husband threatened to kill/ou, and struck
you six times. What do you mean by now swearing that
he might have done so once.

Complainant It must have been the boy that said that,

not me.

Mr. Selfo—l have it in writing from your own lips, and
not from a boy.

Inspector lialhem, of tho B She came to tho
station and complained of her husband violently assault-
ing her.
Mr. Selfe (to tho woman)—Did ho make you bleed ?
Complainant—No.
Mr.llalhem—Sho had a black eye and was covered
with blood.

Mr. Selfe—She was in a pitiable condition when she
came hero. lam determined to know all I can upon the
matter.

Defendant was remanded for the attendance of a boy
who was present at the time of the assault.

THE REPORT OF THE JAMAICA COMMISSIONERS is
likely to bo laid before Parliament to-day.
FIRST LESSONS IN RIDING.—Teach the boy to sit
first. Fasten the pony's head into the right place
with a pair of reins buckled to the flaps of the saddle, and
a standing martingale if necessary. Then put the boy into
the saddle carefully, fit the stirrups to his legs, tell him to
keep his shoulders back, his back slack, his heels down, and
cross his arms across his chest. Then, repeating the cabal-
istic words " Heels down, back slack" over and over again,
lead the pony about at a walk for a day or two untilthe boy
gets his balance, or what the French happlily call son assiette.
Then give him a single pair of reins, and explain that in
riding the hands are always to be kept lower than the
elbows, and onerally as low as the hips. Impress on him,
"If you raise your hands you are lost," and that the bridle
is not a safety handle to hold on with, but a pair of lines
for steering : "If you want to turn to the right, pull the
right rein ; if you want to turn to the left, pull the loft
. There are boys and men who learn to ride,
and ride well, by instinct, imitation, and practice, especially
if they have good models before their eyes, and are not
spoiled early by flattering toadies ; but there aro many men
who never ride with any sense at all, although: they
ride all their lives. Some people seem to think
that falling off does boys good. That is not the wiiter's
opinion. A boy should, as a matter of course, learn not to
make a fuss about a fall, or any other hurt or accident ; and
he Is ho is not afraid will fail the most cleverly ; but the
first point of good horsemanship is not to fall until your
horse falls; the next is so to guide and hold him that he
shall fall as seldom as possible. Many a fine boy has
been cowed and spoiled as a horseman by being put on
ponies too restive or spitted for his strength and imma-
ture seat. But there is a mistake in tLo other direc-
tion. Teaching is wasted unless principles aro fol-
lowed by practice, and unless what has been learned in the
home park or the school is practised on rough ground and
across country, up and down step hills, across moors, and
through woodland. For this purpose there is ncthing
better than an occasional day with the harriers ; boys and
horses both loam n to bo quick to turn, to stop, and to start
again. No horseman or horsewoman is sate who has not
d to
quietest
leapsthorse
real
willfences,
buck
sometimes, ditches, banks, and hurdles ;
forlearned thene
and the slowest
ride end in an inevitable short cut.—Dickens's "All the
lgte
Year Round."

THE CANNON-STREET MURDER.—When William
Smith, lately tried on a charge of having murdered Mrs.
Milsom, returned to Eaton, after his acquittal, on Friday
night, he was received with cheers by numbers of the
people amongst wdom ho had lived. Ho was waited for
at Windsor Station, and his friends, forming in proces-
sion, marched arm-in-arm to his home, about which hun-
dreds of people gathered. On his approach these received
him with loud shoutd of welcome.