The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-12 00:00:00

THE WISEACRN.

IXI XI7ILIIIII.

"The Humbug is a pettifogging compound of infidel,
coward, and good fellow ; more or less of either, as the
case may be; but these are the components of the charac-
ter. The title embraces a catalogue of delinquents, of all
professions, not cognisable by the law of the land,—and
host of trivial philanthropists, that victimise their fellow-
creatures, without intending them the slightest harm.
There is the designing
,humbug, and the sanguine ; the one,
a violator of the spirit, but a respecter of the letter, of the
social law; the other, a good-natured being, with a warm
heart and no conscience, all impulse and no principle,
without steadiness of judgment or of purpose, opinions,
legitimate aims, or springs of action. Your genuine hum-
bug is the mean character between these two, partaking
of the venality of the one, and the imbecility of the other,
a patchwork of guilt and innocence, a moral scarecrow."
Besides which humorous " Sketches" we have
various others illustrative of such animals, as the
"Bore," and the " Dandy." The close of the
merry volume being enlivened by two facetious
chapters, one descriptive of " The Wiggins's Mu-
sical Party," and the other of " The Lord Mayor's
Dinner :" with which last mentioned drollery
Curio's book is brought to a most agreeable ter-
mination.

the Rural Almanac and Sportman's Illustrated
Cale?. dar for 1557. Edited by Christopher Idle,

Esq. Published at the Field office.
A neatly got up annual, with superior illustra-
tions in unusual number, and comprising such in•
formation as itt several titles would lead the reader
to expect. The admirers of held sports, and those
who are interested in agricultural and horticultural
matters, are likely to appreciate its value.; and the
cottager may derive some useful information from
it. The illustrations are large, and quite of a popu-
lar description.

HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY.

TRIAL OF DR. WIELOBYCKI.
THURSDAY, Jan. 8.

The High Court of Justiciary met this morning at 10
o'clock for the trial of Dr. Wielobycki. The Lord
Justice-Clerk, Lord liandysitli, 'iteciteLord Deas, were
on the bench, and the C iurte was Cilnded during the
entire day.
Dionysius Wielobycki was charged with forgery, as
also wickedly and feloniously using and uttering as
genuine a forged will,knowing the same to be forged, in
so far as the now deceased Margaret Darling, lately
resbiing in or near Rosefield Place, Portobello, having
died intestate on 16th October, 1856, leaving heritable
and moveable estate or succession, and the children of
Janet Darling or Bruce, and Helen Darling or
Richardson, two deceased sisters of the deceased Mar.
garet Darling, having right, or having claimed right to
participate in the succession, the said Dionysius Wie-
lobycki did, on one or more of the days between the
24th cf October, 1856, and the sth of November, 1856, in
the house in Rosefield-place, Portobello, wickedly and
feloniously forge or fabricate, or cause or procure to be
forged or fabricated, by Isabella Darling, or did aid and
assist the said Isabella Darling to forge or fabrics:a a
will or settlement purporting to be written by the
deceased Mtrgaret Darling, and intended to pass for and
to be received as her will, in the following or similar
terms :—" I, Margaret Darling, residing at No. 1,
Rosefield-place, Portobello, having, along with my youn-
ger sister Isabella Darling, by the disposition of our late
brother, Thomas Darling, a full right to the possession
each of one-half of his property left us by him, and for
the love, favour, and affection which I bear to my sister
Isabella dispone, give, and bequeath her solely, and to the
exclusion of every body ease, all goods, effects, debts,
furniture, subjects, and property of every description
which may belong to me at the time of my death. In
witness whereof I have subscribed these presents written
by mysell at Portobello this the twenty-first of August,
eighteen hundred and fifty. six ;" and the said Dionysiu
Wielobycki did forge and adhibit, or cause or procure to
be forged and adhibited, by the said Isabella Darling, or
did aid and assist her to forge and adhibit to the said
wilt the subscription " Margaret Darling," intending it
to pass for the genuine subscription of the deceased
Margaret Darling. Further, he was charged with having
on the 4th November, 1856, uttered the will as genuine
within the writing-chambers of David Wight, W.S., in
order that he might use the same, as setting aside the
claims of the said children ; and Mr. Wight having
intimated to William Rutherford, writer, Galashiels,
who acted for the aforesaid children—viz , William
Bruce, Delaware, lowa, United States ; John Bruce,
weaver, Dalkeith ; Margaret Bruce and Helen Bruce,
Galashiels, children of the said deceased Janet Darling
or Bruce ; and George Richardson, weaver, and Isabella
Richardson, children of the deceased Helen Darling or
Richardson, Galashiels—that a holograph settlement by
the deceased Margaret Darling had been found, and
would put an end to the claims of the said children.
And the will having been returned to him, he again on
6th Nov. uttered it as genuine and caused it to be re-
corded in the Register of Probative Writs in the Register
House. Further, be was charged with having on the
10th Nov., in presence of Mr. Wight and Mr. Ruther-
ford, founded on the will as genuine, all with intent to
defeat or injure the rights or claims of the said children,
while he had in his possession, or had invested in his
own name, funds belonging to the estate of the
deceased Margaret Darling end to Isabella Darling,
amounting to 3,0001., and that having become aware
that the authenticity of the will was under investigation,
in proceedings at the instance of 'the Procurator-Fiscal,
on a charge of forgery, he destroyed it, or caused it to
be destroyed, on the 13th November.
The prosecutionMackenzie,was and theduct deedbrenee by the D
the Lord Advocateean
and Mr. D. of
Faculty, Mr. John Millar, and Mr. W. H. Thomson.
Mr. Somerville, S.S.C., attended to watch the
proceedings with reference to the civil suit at the
instance of Miss Darling against the panel.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty.
The evidence for the prosecution and defence occupied
'the court until Friday evening, at the close of which the
Chancellor of the Jury announced the following verdict :
"The Jury unanimously find the prisoner guilty as li-
belled, but recommend him to the mercy of the court."
Lord Handyside (who presided in the absence of the
Lord Justice-Clerk, who had left the court) said—Since
you have recommended the prisoner to the mercy of the
court, it would be satisfactory to the court to know the
ground on which you make that recommendation !
The Chancellor—On the ground of kis previous good
character.

The verdict was then recorded, and the diet was
adjourned against the prisoner till Monday at ten
o'clock, when sentence will he given.
The prisoner, who seemed much exhausted by the
protracted trial, received the announcement of the ver
diet with the same firmness and composure that had
characterised hi, demeanour through gut. There was an
evident sympathy with him in the crowded court, but
the verdict wa, generally anticipated. A large crowd,
unable to obtain access to the court, awaited the result
of the trial outside.

Mr. Lumley is said to have engaged among his tenors
for the year Herr Theodor Forme, belonging to the
Berlin opera, and brother to the welt known ba so.
The Philharmonic Concerts of the season are to com-
mence in April. As last year, they are to be six in
number, and to be conducted by Professor Bennett.
An amusing and well- '.4 comedy, by MM. Barrier*
mad Capendu, " Les faux Hommes," a satire on
modern cupidity and speculation, is attracting its nightly
crowds to the Vaudeville Theatre, Paris.
MEMORIAL TO THE LATE CAPT. H. L. Tifoursolf,
C. 8., ONE OF THE DEFENLIRS OF KARS. A moat
influential committee ha,. been Permed.embracing
Geu. Sir W. F. Williams, Gen. Sir W. Napier, Gen.
Sir W. Codrington, Ger. Sir Colin Campbell, the
Dukes of Newcastle and Welling on, the ar s of
Carlisle, Ellesmere, and Arran, and several othe
officers and gentlemen, for the purpose of paying a
I tribute to the memory of this gallant young officer.