The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-23 00:00:00

TRIAL OF THE BARON DE VIDIL.

Alfred Louis Pons de Vidil was indicted for feloniously
cutting and wounding his son, with intent to murder him
There were other counts in the indictment varying the
charge.

Mr. Clark appeared for the prosecution, and Sergt. Bal-
lantine, Mr. Sleigh, and Mr. Orridge defended the prisoner.
Mr. Clark, in opening the case, referred at length to the
painful facts connected with the occurrence, which have all
been fully reported in The Sun, and told the jury it would
be for them, after hearing the evidence, to return a verdict
uninfluenced by anything they might have read. The
principal points dwelt upon by the learned gentleman were
that of the son refusing to give evidence against the pri-
soner, and the fact that, although the prisoner when he left
the house at which the horses were hire I had not a whip
with him, yet one of the witnesses that he would call
before them would state that he saw the prisoner
strike the young man with a short-looking whip,
with something shining at the end of it on the head.
The whip carried by the young man was a long white one.
and therefore could not be the one used by the prisoner, and
whether the instrument had been buried in the shrubbery
into which the prisoner went after the occurrence, or
whether he threw it into the river could not be decided,
although diligent search had been made. It would be his
duty to put the son of the prisoner into the witness box, but
what that would load to he could not say. The deposition
of the man Rivers, who saw the blow struck, would be put
in evidence, and although it was to be desirable that the
witness might have been personally in attendance, yet as
that could not be, they must act upon his written statement.
The learned gentleman then referred to the motive of the
the prisoner, and said that, without doubt, the prisoner, by
the death of his son, would have immediately come into
possession of £lO,OOO, and ultimately of £20,000, and al-
though he did not say positively that the prisoner was
actuated by sueh a motive, yet there was not in the case,
according to his view of it, that entire absence of it which
had been commented on in other places. He should ask
them, in the conclusion they came to, to be guided by the
evidence, and that alone.

The learned gentleman then called Isaac Perry, who said
—I am employed at a livery stable in Oxford-street. I
recollect the pri-oner hiring, on the 28th June, two horses.
It was about two o'clock. He was accompanied by a young
gentleman. The elder one carried a light riding whip.
He asked me which was the quietest horse. I told him ;
and also said he would not require a riding whip to the
horse he was going to ride. He then gave the whip to the
son, and the prisoner left the premises without one. The
horses were returned to us about eight o'clock the same
evening but not by the prisoner.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Ballantine—lt was a
very (pie* horse that the son rode. The horse the baron
rode would stop and rear up. I told the prisoner the horse
he rode would require a whip, and if he could not get one
he had better purchase a stick before he left London.
Justice Blackburn—You had better call in the young
man for the witness to identify.

Alfred de Vidil was called, and having been identified by
the witness as the person he referred to, he was dii ected by
the Clerk to enter the witness-box. Having complied with
the direction, Harker, the chief usher, repeated the oath,
and tendered the young man the book to kiss.
M. de Vidil—l decline to take the oath. I decline to be
sworn or give any evidence for the prosecution.
Mr. Justice Blackburn—lt is ray duty to tell yon that
your duty is to do what you are called upon to do, and
that is to speak the truth with reference either to the pro-
secution or defence.

M. de Vidil—l declin3 to give any evidence.
Mr. Justice Blackburn—lt is your duty, and you are
bound to give evidence. You violate both your allegiance
and duty when you refuse to be sworn.
M. de Vidil—l still decline.

Mr. Justice Blackburn—Then, all I have to do is to ask
the counsel for the prosecution whether he requires your
evidence. Mr. Clark, as representing the Crown, do you
require the evidence of the young man in the box ?
Mr. Clark—l do.
Mr. Justice Blackburn—l now call upon you, M. de
Vidil, to be sworn.
M. de Vidil—l decline.

Mr. Justice Hill—Have you considered fully the effect
of your refusal to give evidence ? It is the primary duty
of the subject to comply with the law of the country, which
is made for the protection of every person in the realm.
M. de have fully considered it, and I am pre-
pared to suffer for consequences.

Mr. Justice Blackburn—Then I am sorry to say that I
am compelled, in order to vindicate the law, to commit
you to prison. Ido so for the purpose of showing
that the law of the country cannot be treated with indiffer-
ence or contempt. You are not actuated in the course you
are adopting by any corrupt motive, but such a circum-
stance might arise at some future time, and if it was to
become known that a witness could refuse to give evidence
which was considered of vital importance the most disastrous
consequences would ensue. It now becomes my duty to
sentence you to one month's imprisonment in the Queen's
Prison.

M. de Vidil then left the court in custody of the officers.
During the time the above incident lasted the greatest
interest was manifested in court. The young man spoke
in so low a tone of voice that it was with difficulty that
what he said could be heard. He never once turned his
eyes towards the prisor. er. but during the whole time he was
in court he seemed to avoid meeting his gaze.
John Evans, an engineer, repeated his evidence with
respect to the young man running up to him and asking
for protection after he had received the injuries on his head.
The prisoner also came up a very short time after. When
he got over the fence he had a whip handle in his hand.
Mr. Clark—ls it the one that has been produced in
court ?

Witness—No. It was not the same colour. It was of a
yellowish colour, and was about two feet long. It had a
loop at the top of it, and something bright at the end.
Mr. Justice Blackburn—Can you say of what material
it was ?
Witness—No.

thong could have been affixed to the handle.
P at the end such an one as a
A Juror—Was the 100

Witness—Yes.

Julia Fitzgibbon, an aged female, next gave her evidence.
It was to the effect that she saw the young man coming up
the road with the blood streaming from his forehead. She
picked up the young man's gloves. The elder gentleman
said the young man had fallen from his horse and knocked
his head against a wall.

Cross_examined—The prisoner said that the horse had
" chucked" the young man against the wall. I asked if I
should go for a doctor, but the prisoner made no reply. He
trembled very much.

The two witnesses Tanner and Everett spoke to seeing
the horse running about loose.

Mr. Alfred Clark, surgeon, of Twickenham, repeated his
evidence, and said he did not think that both wounds could
have been caused by the fall from a horse. It appeared to
him that they had been, caused by blows from a blunt in-
strument.

Mr. Parker, uncle of M. de Vidil, proved that the pri-
soner sent him a letter after the occasion stating that his
son had met with an accident through a fall from his horse.
Cross-examined by Sergeant Ballantine—l am not aware
that the son of the prisoner was taken up in the Isle of
Wight as a wandering lunatic. I was telegraphed to come
to the island and I found him in custody. I thought it was
from excess of brandy. I asked the magistrate to let me
have him in company, and he did so. He made some ex-
citement in the island. I took him to Portsmouth, but I
don't recollect that it was in a Bath chair. I don't know
that a will was made by the son previews to this occurrence.
I never saw such a document.

Evidence showing that the prisoner would receive a con-
siderable acquisition of wealth at the death of his son was
then given.

Mr. Burnaby, chief clerk at the Bow-street police court,
produced the deposition taken at that court at the former
examination of the prisoner. Re also produced the depo•
sition of Rivers.

Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and Mr. Sleigh objected.
The learned judge ruled that such could be done, and
the statement was read accordingly.

This closed the case for the prosecution.
Sergeant Ballantine then commenced his address. He
said it now became his duty as counsel for the prisoner to
address the jury upon the facts that had been proved or
attempted to be proved against him. Previous to the pre-
sent imputation, the Baron de Vidil was a gentleman, the
subject of another country, occupying a position in society
of the highest respeetabilty. He could not help at the
outset of his observations in referring to the manner in
which his client had been treated. Not only had the
baron been looked upon as a person of the most unnatural
nature, but a highly-coloured statement had been
published in which the unfortunate gentleman figured
in the most deplorable way. Then a great
stress had been laid upon the circumstance that
the son had refused to give evidence against the father,
but notwithstanding that it had been most extensively
made known and published. Not only had the most pre-
judicial statements been published, but pictures actually
representing the Baron in the act of murdering his own son
had been exposed for sale in the shops of London. He could
not but think that throughout the whole of the present pro-
ceedings the unhappy gentleman at the bar had been
libelled and scandalised, and he felt certain that he should
be able to convince them that the prisoner, instead of
acting in the disgraceful and cruel manner describe), had
acted altogether in a manner precisely the reverse. It had
also been insinuated that the Baron had a strong motive in
getting rid of his son. He contended that the imputation
of such a motive bad altogether failed, and that it was un-
natural to a degree to think that the Baron had coolly and

OXFORD RACES.—(This Day.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
VOLUNTEER'S PLATE.

Jackal 1
Overton .

Sweetbread

3

Six ran.
AUDLEY NURSERY HANDICAP
Turn of Luck
Annette

Dalesman
Eight ran.
MEMBERS' PLATE.

Oxford
Scent...
Miss Eleanor
Eight ran.
GOLD CUP.

.. 3

Lawyer 1
Optimist
Bay Shirley 3

Four ran.
INNKEEPERS' PLATE.

Dr. Nichol
Lady Derby
Mayfield ..., , . ,

Seven ran.
SELLING PLATE.

Worth=
Sweetmeat filly
Islisselthrush
LATEST BETTING.
11118011 HANDICAP.
sto 1 agst Voltalla (taken)
6to 1 agii Virgilius (taken)
6to 1 agst Bally Edmond (taken)
100 to 5 agst Stockade (taken)
1000 to 80 agst Sir William (taken)
100 to 25 agst Sir William and Bally Edmond
(coupled)

LONDON GAZETTE-(7HIS EV.ENING).

FOREIGN-OFFICE, AUGUST 14.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to appoint Henry
Stanhope Freeman, Esq., now British Vice-Consul at
Janina, to be her Majesty's Consul at Lagos.

AUGUST 20.

The Queen'has been pleased to approve of Mr. Patrick J.
Devine as Consul at Cork for the United States of America.

AVGUST 22.
The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. Henry
W. Lord, as Consul at Manebester, and Mr. John E. New-
port, as Consul at Turk's Island, for the United States of
America.

CROWN-OFFICE, AUG. 21.
MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THE PRESENT
PARLIAMENT.

County Palatine of Lancaster, Southern Division—Chas.
Turner, Esq., one additional knight.

WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, AUG, 23.
Ist Regiment of Dragoon Guards—Lieutenant Henry
Crofton Lloyd, from the Roscommon Militia, to be Cor-
net, by purchase, vice Stephenson, promoted.
3d Light Dragoons—Quartermaster Charles E. Nettles to
be Cornet, without purchase, vice Peter Hubert Daly
deceased ; Regimental Sergeant-Major Henry Woods to
be Quartermaster, vice Nettles, appointed Cornet.
10th Light Dragoons—Lieutenant Lord Ralph Drury Kerr
to be Captain, by purchase; vice Frederick Coates, who
retires ; Cornet. Henry Price Holford to be Lieutenant,
by purchase, vice Lord Ralph Drury Kerr; Lieutenant
Owen R. Slacke to be Adjutant, vice Lord Ralph Kerr,
promoted.
16th Light Dragoons—Captain Alan John Colquhoun,
from the Stirlingshire Militia, to be Cornet, by purchase,
vice Perceval Clark, appointed to the 9th Light Dragoons.
Ist Regiment of Foot—Ensign and Adjutant Emanuel
Teale to have the rank of Lieutenant; Ensign Percy
Bingham Schreiber to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice
Lloyd Evans, who retires ; Frank Rutley, Gent., to be
Ensign, by purchase, vice Schreiber.
sth Foot—Lieutenant Edward James Tyler to be Captain,
by purchase, vice John Robson Carlisle, who retires ;
Ensign John Johnson Bradshaw to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Tyler; Ensign Francis Heathcote Denny
Brome to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Arthur
Edward Flood, who retires ; James Henry Clutterbuck,
Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Bradshaw;
Themes Slagg Shaw, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase,
vice Brome.
6th Foot—Captain Julius Henry Stirke, from half-pay,
late 12th Foot, to be Captain, vice Brevet Lieutenant-
Colonel John Henry Ford Elkington, promoted, without
purchase, to an Unattached Majority.
7th Foot—Ensign Edward Lloyd Gatacre to be Lieutenant,
by purchase, vice J. Herbert Randal Stoddart, who
retires ; Henry Francis Keane Penrose, Gent., to be En-
sign, by purchase, vice Gatacre.
16th Foot—Captain Thomas Young, from half-pay, late
47th Foot, to be Captain, vice James William Bostock,
seconded, having been appointed Captain-Instructor of
the School of Musketry.
19th Foot—Ensign Edgar Angelo Dickenson to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Henry John Browne, who re•
tires; Arthur Edward Trotter Brown, Gent., to be En-
sign, by purchase, vice Dickenson.
20th Foot—Robert D'Arcy, Gent., to be Ensign, by pur-
chase, vice Harris, promoted.
22d Foot—Ensign Henry Allen Gosset, to be Lieutenant,
by purchase, vice William Sheffield Hardinge, who re-
tires ; George Edward Osborne, Gent., to be Ensign, by
purchase, vice Gosset.
25th Foot—Ensign and Adjutant John Charles Thompson
to have the rank of Lieutenant ; Ensign John Talbot
Coke, to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Watson, whose
promotion, by purchase, on 10th May, 1861, has been
' cancelled • Ensign William Lisle Blenkinsop Coulson,
to be Lieutenant by purchase,vice George Massy Stud-
dert, who retires; Thomas John Leadbetter, Gent., to
be Ensign, by purchase, vice Coulson ; Lieutenant John
Talbot Coke to be Adjutant, vice George Augustus Eliott,
who resigns that appointment.
37th Foot—Lieutenant George John Usil Mason, to be In-
structor of Musketry.
47th Foot—Lieutenant Richard Souter, from half-pay 40th
Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice J. H. Mitchell, who reverts
to half-pay as Adjutant of the lath Land Transport Corps ;
Lieutenant Richard Souter has been permitted to retire
from the service by the sale of his commission.
67th Foot--Captain Whomaa William Cator to be Major

by purchare, vice Zr e.;731: Lieutcu:..nt-Colcng
Stratford Tynte Dennis; •rho retires upon half-pay ;
Lieutenant John Augustine Palliser to be Captain, by
purchase, vice Cator ; Ensign Augustus George West to
be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Palliser ; Lieutenant
Robert Waller, from the Royal North Lincoln Militia, to
be Ensign. by purchase, vice West.
78th Foot—Ensign Thomas Owen Silvester Davies to be
_ .

Lieutenant, by-purciase, vice Henry Anthony Ingles,
who retires; Edward Pakenham Stewart, Gent., to be
Ensign, by purchase, vice Davies.
80th Foot—Ensign Charles George Norris to be Lieute-
nant, by purchase, vice Christian B. Steward, who re-
tires; Allen Saunders, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase,
vice Norris.
90th Foot—Gentleman Cadet Arthur William Bowman,
from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, without
purchase, vice Russell, promoted.
SCHOOL OF MUSKETRY.—Captain William E. Smith,
from Nottingham Militia, to be Ailjutant and Quarter-
master, with the local rank of Lieutenant.
COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT.
To be Deputy Commissary•General—Assistant Commis-
sary-General George Horne, vice Commissary-General
Bishop, retired.
To be Assistant Commissaries-General—Deputy Assis-
tant-Commissary-General George Brooks Bennett, vice
Horne, promoted; Deputy Assistant-Commissary-General
Frederick George Swan, vice Curl], placed on half-pay.
CHAPLAIN'S DEPARTMENT.
The Commissions of the undermentioned Chaplains of
the Second Class, to be antedated to the sth July, 1861:
The Rev. G. W. Langmead, M.A.
iThe Rev. Charle.,L. Green, M.A.
The Rev. D. Robertson.
UNATTACHED.
Major-General William Abraham Le Mesurier, Captain
on half-pay 95th Foot, to be Major, without purchase.
Major Alexander Taylor, from the 9th Foot, to be Lieu-
tenant-Colonel, without purchase.
Capt. and Brevet Lieut.-Col. John Henry Ford Elking-
ton, from the 6th Foot, to be Major, without purchase.
Lieut. Wm. Cody, from the 3d West India Regiment, to
be Captain, without purchase.
BREVET.

Lieut.-Col. and Brevet Col. Lord George Augustus F.
Paget, C 8., half-pay Unattached, serving with the rank
of Brigadier-General, to have the local rank of Major-
General while commanding a Brigade at Aldershot.
Capt. and Brevet Lieut.-Col. Joseph Edward Addison,
half-pay 97th Foot, Member of the Council of Military
Education, having five years' service in the rank of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel, to be Colonel in the Army, undar the Bth
clause of the Royal Warrant of Oct. 14, 1-858.
Second Capt. IN illiarn M. Douglas Willan,
Royal Artillery, to be Major in the Army. half-pay
The undermentioned promotions to take place consequent
on the death of Major-General Charles Franklyn, C.B.
serving on the Staff at Gibraltar on the sth August, 1861
Brevet-Colonel Henry Arthur O'Neill, Major half pay
Unattached, to be Major-General.
Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Edmund Roche, Captain
half- pay Unattached, to be Colonel.

Major James Rose, 2d Foot, to be Lieutenant-Colonel.
Captain Robert Hudson Wood, 67th Foot, to be Major.
MEMORANDUM.—The Undermentioned officers upon half
pay have been permitted to retire from the service by the
sale of their Commissions, under the Horse Guards' Cir-
cular Memorandum of 15th February, 1861: —Lieutenant-
Colonel Walter Raleigh Gilbert, half-pay Royal Artillery;
Second Captain William M. Douglas Willan, half-pay
Royal Artillery ; Captain John Sulivan, half-pay Un-
attached.

BANKRUPTCIES ANNULLED,

John Haigh, common brewer, Wakefield.
Edwin John Pickslay, scrivener, Wakefield.
John Harkness Brown, draper, Liverpool.
BANKRUPTS.

- -
Samuel Renaut, innkeeper, St. James's-street, Hanover-
square, to surrender Sept. 5, at two, and Sept. 28, at half-
past eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Joseph Hetherington, licensed victualler, Gordon-lane,
Kentish• town, Sept. 5, at half-past eleven, and Sept. 26, at
two, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Robert Patch, grocer, Lewisham, Sept. 4, at half-past
two, and Sept. 26, at half-past one, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. _ _

Joseph John Connihan and Maximilian Lindt, mer-
chants, 140, Fenchurch-street, City, Sept. 4 and 18, at
twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Raymond D' Arcy Newton, advertising agent, Warwick-
square, Sept 4 and 30, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
John Corss Smith, jeweller, King William-street, City.
Sept. 2, at two, and Sept. 26, at eleven, at the Court of
liankmptcy.
Edward Henry Gregory and Lesley Alexander Gregory,
shipping brokers, Great St. Helen's, City, Sept. 4, at half-
past one, and 25, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
John Liversidge, wheelwright, Tabernacle-walk, Shore-
ditch, Sept. 4, at three, and 30, at half-past one, at the
Court of Bankruptcy.

Robert Coilea, hop dealer, Mark-lane, City, Sept. 5, at
twelve, and Oct. 8, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Frederick Thomas Doddington, manufacturer of fancy
drapery goods, Falcon-square, Aldersgate-street, City,
Sept. '2, at eleven, and Oct. 7, at half-past one, at the
Court of Bankruptcy,
Joseph Samuel Parsons, watchmaker, London-street,
Uxbridge, Sept. 4, at two, and Sept. 26, at twelve, at the
Court of Bankruptcy.
_ _

Oscar 0-wers, bookseller, Sussex-terrace, West-
bourne-grove, Paddington, Sept. 4, at half-past eleven,
and Sept. 27, at half-past one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.

SCOTCH BANKRUPTS.

John Hamilton, commission merchant, Glasgow.
James Douglas, shoemaker, Dunkeld.
James M'Millan, potato merchant, Glasgow.
William Livingston and Co., tinsmiths, Glasgow.
James White, optician, Glasgow.
Alexander Baillie, quarrier, Dundee.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE.-TILLS DAY•

Amsterdam
Ditto
Rotterdam — 12 1
Antwerp
Brussels

Ilamturgh
Paris
Ditto
Marseilles — 2.5 721-
Frankfort on Maine —119 E
Vienna

Trieste
Petersburgh

Berlin -

Nfaclri d

Cadiz

Leghorn
Milan
Genoa

14 20
33!

25 g 2
25 80
25 80

Naples
Palermo
Messina

117-
117 i

Lisbon

Oporto
Rio Janeiro

New York

n 191
12 1t
12 It
25 72)r
25 721

13 11-
25 47i
25 77i
25 77i
1191
14 30

14 30
33

25 8.71
25 85
25 85

39a
1171
118

Foreign Gold in Bars (Standard)....per es. £3 17 9
111exican Dollars
Silver in Bars (Standard) lt 0 0 0
South American Doubloons

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

. ------ - - -

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

ROBBING A POLICE-CONSTABLE.—JUVENILE Or-
FENDERS.—Two little boys named Robert Watson and
Thomas Dobett were charged as follows :—James Elliott,
43 C, said he rented the house 7, Avery-row, and the pri-
soner Dobett's parents lodged in the house. Yesterday
about 12 o'clock, he saw his watch safe, but on returning
home in the evening, his wife informed him that it had been
taken and some other articles. He asked Dobett if he knew
anything about the watch, and he said he had sold it to a
coachman in Grosvenor-mews. He went to the coach-
man, who gave him the watch. He then asked
Dobett if he knew anything about the brooch or
ring which had been taken, and he said he had sold the ring
to a workman in Davies-street, and en going that morning
to the workman he at once gave it up. Watson had lived
in the same house as he had occupied formerly, but he
knew nothing against either prisoner. His watch was of
the value of £5.
Joseph Nash, coachman to Dr. Francis, of Gligsvenor- ,
square, said the boys were playing about his carriage when
Watson said, " He's (meaning Dobett) has found a watch,
and wants ss. for it." He said he would give 2s. 6d. for it,
and did so, asking them whether they were sure they had
found it, and Dobett said he had.
Mr. Yardley—When a person finds a thing and sells it,
he is not doing right. Your (to the witness) morals in
that respect are not sound. If a person finds a thing he
should try and find the owner.
Dobett's father stepped forward and said, owing to his
wife being ill, his son had had the run of the streets.
Mr. Yardley—l shall order you (the father) to enter into
your recognizance of £2O for your son's good behaviour for
two years, so that if he commits himself again you will have
to pay the £2O, or go to prison. Ido this because there is
a good deal of simplicity in the boy's conduct for selling a
£5-watch for 2s. 6d.

The boys were then given up to their parents on their
promising to take care of them.