The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-22 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THIJBSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 22, 1866.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

BOW-STREET.

POST-OFFICE ROBBERIES BY A POLICEMAN.—George
Boxall, late police-constable at Usk, Monmouthshire, who
stood committed for trial on the charge of stealing a bank
post bill for £l5O from a letter in the post-office at Usk,
was brought up on remand on the further charge of steal-
ing from and out of the post a letter addressed to Edward
Lister, Esq., Cefn Ild, Usk, containing a banker's draft for
£23 3s. 2d., forging Mr. Lister's name thereon, and utter-
ing the same knowing it to be forged.
Mr. Peacock again attended to prosecute for the Post-
office authorities.

It will be remembered that two days after the letter in
question was lost in the Post-office the prisoner was at
Cardiff, where he purchased a watch for ..£6 Gs., paying
for it with the cheque in question, and receiving .£l6 17s.
2d. in change.

Mr. Iftimp,:on, a clerk in the office of the Messrs. Rush-
ton, solicitors, Bolton, said he was sent to obtain a bankers'
draft for £23 3s. 2d., payable at the London and West-
minster Bank, London, to E. Lister. Ho did so, and the
draft was afterwards enclosed in a letter and posted.
Thomas Horrocks, also a clerk in the office of Messrs.
Rushton, solicitors, Bolton, said he posted the letter con-
taining the bankers' draft at the Bolton post-office on the
25th of last November. He was quite certain ho did so,
as the address was peculiar, and it was also entered in his
letter-baok, which he produced.
Mr. Lister, the gentleman to whom the letter was ad-
dressed, said he never received the letter sent, as had been
described, from Bolton. The endorsement on the draft,
" E. Lister," was not in his handwriting, and ho never
authorised any person to write it thereon. He knew the
prisoner in 1864. He was in the police force at Usk.
Tho prisoner said ho would reserve his defence.
He was fully committed for trial.

Popularity of Berryer and Guizot.

The Paris correspondent of the Times writes as
follows :—The cordial welcome M. Berryer met with
lately at Besancon has just been repeated at Bordeaux,
where he is retained as counsel in a case between a
shipbroker and the person who freighted the vessel.
It was the first time he had appeared as an advo-
cate in these courts, and the capital of the department
which gave its name to the most eloquent members
of the Convention could not but honour the man
who, at the Bar and in the Senate, has proved him-
self equal, if not superior, to any whom the
Gironde in its best days produced. The arrival of
M. Berrycr at Bordeaux excited the greatest inte-
rest ; more applications were made for places in
the court than it could hold, were it four times as
spacious. Long before he appeared it was crowded
to excess by the most eminent members of
all the liberal professions, and by the highest
in social position that the province could pro-
duce. When he made his appearance all rose, and
the presiding Judge addressed him in highly com-
plimentary language. Among other things, he re-
minded him that his very first act as an advocate
was generous, independent, and courageous—the
defence of Marshal Ney—and he expressed the
greatest admiration not more for his pre-eminent
talents than for his noble character. These words
were followed by a burst of applause from the Bar
and the public, which, of course, the judge tried to
repress after some few minutes. M. Berryer
thanked the Court for the honour done him, and
after some flattering expression to the Bordeaux
Bar, proceeded to open the case in which he was
engaged.

M. Berryer spoke for some hours, and though he
had lately been suffering from indisposition, he
never appeared to be in better health ; and his
voice had all the strength, depth, and fulness it
ever had. • When he closed, the applause that
greeted him at the opening was renewed ; and on
leaving the court he was followed to his house by
numbers of people shouting " Five Berryer !" The
head of the Bordeaux Bar—bdtonnier—gave a dinner
to which the Council of the Order of Advocates were
invited to meet him, and the following day the Bar
gave a banquet at the Hotel do France in his
honour.

The reception which the great orator met with
in the great towns of France is not, perhaps, so re-
markable as the unexpected honours paid to M.
Guizot in the Quartier Latin of Paris on returning
from the College de France, where his son had given
his first lecture as a deputy professor some weeks
since. He was followed by a numerous cortege,
composed of students and others, who in 1848
would probably have treated him far otherwise,
shouting " Vive Guizot !" and among them were
squads of sergens de vine, present, no doubt, to
maintain order, but who had all the appearance
of forming part of the cortege. M. Berryer has
been at no time unpopular, and to his wonderful
gifts as an advocate may be attributed at least a
part of the manifestation of which he is the object.
M. Guizot was certainly one of the most popular
professors that ever lectured at the Sorbonne, but
many years have passed away since then. The
present generation only know it by tradition ; and
however great as a Parliamentary speaker, and
whatever his ability as a Minister, they were not of
a kind to insure him popularity in the common ac-
ceptation of the word ; nor has he been for the last
15 or 16 years constantly before the world, like M.
Berryer. Whatever the real cause of the acclama-
tions he met with on the occasion I refer to from
students, working men, and bourgeoise, it shows a
change in public feeling which is not without its
importance.

The Countess d'Apponyi is expected to arrive at
the Austrian Embassy the week after next from Rome. It
is certain that the Austrian Ambassador will retain pos-
session of Chandos House this season. The reports to the
contrary are devoid of foundation.
LEARNED MONKEYS IN A Fix.—The Journal de
Gand cites a rather curious result of the law which pro-
hibits the entry of cattle into Belgium. M. Delanouro,
manager of a company of learned monkeys, proposing to
exhibit them at the next fair at Ghent, has not been able

to obtain leave for his pupils to pass the Belgian frontier.
THE POOR LAW BOARD.—Dr. Edward Smith,
F.R.S., has been appointed medical offloer of the Poor Law
Board, in addition to the office of Poor Law Inspector.
There is much need for such an appointment ; but its value
will really depend on the degree in which the Board avail
themselves of it.

THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON IN THE BACK SLUMS
OF PARIS.—Last week the Emperor of the French
visited several of the lowest and most turbulent quartiers
of Paris, to decide upon certain improvements and embel-
lishments which have been suggested by M. Raussmann.
He also drove slowly round the Luxembourg Gardens,
which have recently given rise to such vehement discus-
sions and demonstrations. His visit was made in a low
phaeton, driven by himself ; his escort consisted of a
friend and a couple of grooms. In Louis Philippe's time,
says the Pall Mall Gazette, the Court newsman used only
to be too happy if he could conclude his description of
a Royal progress through Paris with the congratula-
tory observation—" Now remarquons avec plaisir que
sa Majesty ruz pas etd assassinee." The day had not then
arrived when the ruler of Franco could lounge about the
slums of his capital as securely as any privateeindividual,
or as Louis Napoleon does now. It id impossible for the
worst enemies of the existing dynasty to deny that its
chief is either very popular or very courageous. The Em-
peror Napoleon has since then addressed the following let:
ter to the Minister of the Interior :—" I have paid a visit
to the Jardin du Luxembourg, and am convinced that there
would be every advantage in leaving the western portion
of that useful promenade untouched. I request you, there-
fore, to have the first plans altered accordingly."
SLIPS OF THE PEN.—Gen. Taylor immortalised
himself by perpetrating one of the grandest bulls on record,
in which he attained what a certain literary professor calls
"a perfection hardly to be surpassed." In his Presidential
address ho announced to the American Congress that the
United States were at peace with all the world, and con-
tinued to cherish relations of amity towards the rest of
mankind." Much simpler was the blunder of an English
officer during the Indian mutiny, who informed the public,
through the Times, that, thanks to the prompt measures of
Col. Edwards, the sepoys at Fort Machison " were all un-
armed and taken aback, and, being called upon, laid down
their arms." There was nothing very astonishing in an
Irish paper stating that Robespierre "left no children be-
hind him, except a brother who was killed at the same
time ;" but it was startling to have an English journal
assure ns that her Majesty Queen Victoria was " the last
person to wear another man's crown." Addison lays it down
as a maxim that when a nation abounds in physicians it
grows thin of people. Filibuster Henninpen seems to have
agreed with the essayist, or he would hardly have informed
General Walker, in one of his despatches, that "Doctors
Rice and Wolfe died of the cholera, and Dr. Lindley
sickened, after which the health of the camp visibly im-
proved." Intentionally or not, the stout-hearted soldier
suggests that the best way of getting rid of the cholera
is to make short work of the doctors. Among the
ago, there appeared the name of a certain pub-
lobituary w
th
the notices
he.
fwas greatly esteemed for his strict probity and steady
weekly
e'Paper, not many months
um. attached to it—"He
°gluconduct through life, he having been a subscriber to the
Sunday Times from its first number." This is a worthy
pendant to Miss Hawkins's story of the undertaker
writing to the corpor
ation of London, "I am desired to
inform the Court of Aldermen Mr. Aldermen Gill died
last night, by order of Mrs. Gill ;" and, not far short, in
point of absurdity, is Madame Tussaud's announcement
of the exhibition of the effigy of the notorious Palmer,
"who was executed at Stafford,
with two hundred other
celebrities." The modern fashion of naming florists'
flowers must be hold responsible for the very dubious
paragraph we extract from a gardening paper:—"Mrs.
Legge will be looked after; she may not be so certain
as some, but she was nevertheless very fine in the early
part of the season. Lady Popham is useful, one of the
old-fashioned build, not quite round in the outline, but
makes up well."—Chambers's Journal.
THE BLACK BALL LlNE.—A.dvices have been re-
ceived by telegram, in advance of the Australian mail, from
Point de Gallo, of the arrival of the following passenger
vessels :—The Great Victoria (s.s.), Capt. Richards, from
London, at Queensland, 79 days; Bayswater, Capt. Morris,
from Liverpool, at Queensland; Southern Empire, Capt.
Purvis, from Liverpool, at Melbourne ; Iron Duke, Capt.
Parry, from London, at Sydney. The following vessels
had sailed: Champion of the Seas, Capt. Outridge, from
Melbourne, for London ; Marco Polo, Capt. Arnold, from
Geelong, for London; Golden Laud, Capt. Davies, from
Bisbano, for Callao; Semarang, Capt. Richardson, from
Brisbane, for Callao.
REFUSING THE RITES OF BURIAL.—The vicar of
Gainsborough refused to read tho burial service over
the body of a man who died in that town last week, or to
allow the corpse to be taken into the church. The remains
had, therefore, to be buried without any service being per-
formed over them. The ground of the vicar's refusal was,
not that the man had died unbaptized, or excommunicate,
or had laid violent hands on himself, but that he had con-
tinued living with a woman who was not his wife after
being repeatedly admonished on the matter.

Lord Dundrealy and Spiritualism,

The followleg appeared ix a late edition of The Sun of
last evening :
This afternoon the
"summons granted against Mr. Cole-
man of 12, Angel-court, Throgmorton-street, and 51, Pem-
br:dge-villas, Bayswater, a gentleman connected. with the
Spiritual Magazine, was heard before the Lord Mayor in
the Justice-room in the Mansion-house. The gentleman
complaining of the article which the defendant had printed
was Mr. Sothern, the celebrated actor and representative
of Lord Dundretu-y. He denied altogether that there was
the slightest truth in the article, but, on the contrary, the
statements contained therein were false and libellous.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine represented Mr. Sothern; Mr.
Lewis, of Ely-place, was present for Mr. Coleman; and
Mr. Chamberlain, of Basiu,shall-street, appeared for Mr.
Kent.

Mr. Lewis said he had been instructed to appear to an-
swer a charge of libel preferred against Mr. Coleman ;
but, as the summons had not been duly received, he (➢lr.
Lewis) begged that his lordship would adjourn tho hear-
ing of the case for a week, with the view of affording him
an opportunity of preparing an answer to the charge.
And again he (Mr. Lewis) was personally unwell, and
quite unprepared to go into the case.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine said there was only one ground
upon which he would accede to the application, and that
was in consideration of the ill-health of Mr. Lewis. All
that he intended to do was to prove the libel, and to ask
his lordship to send the defendant for trial. He then
laid down the law of libel, and contended that upon public
grounds he ought to object to the adjournment, and, upon
reflection, thought he would do so, and he accordingly
protested.
31r. Lewis hoped the case would not be taken at that
time. He was not at all prepared to proceed, as a portion
of his evidence had yet to be got from Glasgow.
Sergeant Ballantine said they would admit the part of
the case relative to the Glasgow letter, as they wanted to

go on now. He intended to put Mr. Sothern into the bjx,
not for the purpose of examining him, but to allow Mr.
Lewis the opportunity of cross-examination as to the truth
or falsehood of the charges contained in the libel.
Mr. Lewis said as they were determined to proceed he
had nothing to do but to get as much as was possible of the
defence entered on the depositions, and therefore he should
put a few questions to Mr. Sothern.

Mr. sothern then entered the witness-box, and was
swom.

Mr. Lewis—ls your name, sir Sothern or Stuart-?
Witness—Sothern.
Mr. Lewis—And never, I suppose, sometimes Stuart ?
Witness—l was known for some time in Ame:ica by the
name of Stuart.
Mr Lewis—Did you not originally belong to a theatrical
company in New York ?
Witness—Well, yes.
Mr. Lewis—ln the years 1854 to 1856 ?
Witness—That is so.
Mr. Lewis—And during that time you endeavoured to
teach spiritualism ?
Witness—Quite so. I did so in a free and open manner.
There was no charge made for the instruction. There
were some other gentlemen in the circle of the names of
Harroway, Wolff, Norwood, and others, but I don't recol-
lect of the name of Hooper.
Mr. Lewis—l suppose you had some high personages
come to see your performances.
Witness—Judge Edmonds and other gentlemen used to
come.

Mr. Lewis—And you kept this up for two years.
Witness—Yes. The circles met about once a week, but
we were constantly changing. I was the medium.
Mr. Lewis—Then the medium was the principal of the
seance ?
Witness—Yes, myself and another named Wolff.
Mr. Lewis—For two years, then, you admit you prac-
tised deceit, if deceit it was.
Witness—Yes.
Mr. Lewis—Then you admit for two years you were
practising deceit ?
Witness—No, I don't. (Laughter.) Nothing of the
kind.

Mr. Lewis—Upon your oath, did you not practise
deceit ?

Witness —Well, what do you call deceit. (Laughter.)
You put your questions strong. (Laughter.) I don't know
what you may call deceit.
Mr. Lewis—Pretending to teach that which you know
to be false.

Witness—l don't say that ; I wished to discover the
truth or falsehood of spiritualism.

Mr. Lewis—And it required two years to do it ?
Witness—l can't say that. I must say I was not satin
fled in less than two years.
Mr. Lewis—And the conclusion you arrived at was ad-
verse to spiritualism ?

Witness—Yes. I was nearly convineei the first day I
tried it, but others were not.

Mr. Lewis—Will you swear that you have told your

audienco that you were mai:lug fools of thorn ?

Witness—Yes, posidvely, I told them so. (Loud
laughter.) Mr. Wolff assisted me. I left New York
about three or four years ago. I did not make it k lawn
before I left that all I had been preaching was humbug.
(Laughter.)

Mr. Lewis—Don't you know that there are persons who
now bellexp in what you taught ?
Witness—Upon my soul, I can't believe they do be!iove
it. (Laughter.)
Mr. Lewis—Do you believe, on your oath, that others
believe it ?
Witness—Upon my soul—
Mr. Lewis—You needn't say that.

Witness—Well, then, really—(laughter)--I don't think
there's any man—without he's got a screw loose—that be-
lieves in it. (Loud laughter.) What I wish to say is that
Ido not sae how any sensible man can believe it. (Loud
laughter.)
Mr. Lem :s here said he came to a portion of his case that
he could not go on with—and referred to a letter written
by the plaintiff to a gentleman in Glasgow.
Mr. Ballantine—We admit the letter, so you can go on.
Mr. Lewis—l wish much for an adjournment, but as
it is insisted I must go on. Have you been practising
spiritualism since you came to England ?
Witness—Yes, on a small scale—(laughter)—but always
at private houses.
Mr. Lewis—And you have endeavoured to make others
believe that true which you knew to be false.

Witness—You see—
The Lord Mayor—You had better, Mr. Sothern, merely
answer Mr. Lewis's question.
Witness—You sea, my lord, he puts them in suc'a a way
that his object is evidently to make me contradict myself.

I have endeavoured to make people believe it true. I did
at one of these circles jump about like a dog, but I did not
bite a bit out of my trousers. (Loud laughter.) I did, with
four other gentlemen, pursue a gentleman with knives at
one of these meetings. There was a summons taken out,
but it was withdrawn. The gentleman knew it was all a
joke.

Mr. Lewis—Then the gentleman who took out the sum•
mons knew what had been done was a joke ?

By Sergeant Ballantine—l believe that the spiritualists
are impostors. I never admitted that I had ravished a
young lady. There is not the slightest pretence for
making such a foul accusation. It is entirely and utterly
untrue to say that there is the slightest difference
existing between myself and my wife on the matter.
It is a false and scandalous assertion.

Mr. Lewis then addressed the alderman, and con-
tended that the libel was merely copied from an American
paper. _ _ _ _

Mr. Ballantine—You need not reforto the libel, becatiso
we allege it was sent over by your client to America, on

purpose to be inserted in the publication there, in order to

come back to London.

The defendant said that such an aspersion was untrue.
Mr. Lewis proceeded with the address, and said that
she present proceedings were adopted in order that

,he defendant's mouth should be closed. Had he pro-

ceeded by civil action then the defendant could have been

put in the witness-box, and had Mr. Sothern honestly
brought the matter forward, he would have adopted that

course.

The Lord Mayor said he would not take upon himself to
say, but a jury must decide that quest:on.
The defendant was then committed for ti:al, but bail was
accepted for his appearance at the sessions.