The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-20 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

THE GREAT SPIRITUAL CASE. —ln judges' chambers,
an action was brought by Mr. David Home against Mrs.
Lyon, for the return of some jewels and articles of wearing
apparel which were now in her possession, and had been
given to her as presents by the plaintiff. Mrs. Lyon
pleaded that the articles in question were gifts, and asked
to have the venue of the trial moved from Surrey
to Middlesex or London. It was contended
for Mrs. Lyon that if the trial took place at Guildford she
would be greatly inconvenienced in having to attend with
her witnesses at so great a distance. On the other side it
was urged that delay was all that was required by th;
defendant. After hearing the arguments, Master Bennett
acceded to the application of the defendant, and changed
the venue of the action from Surrey to Middlesex.
MURDER OF A MOTHER.—At the Leeds Assizes, George
Backehall, a labourer, was indicted for the wilful murder
of his mother, Sarah Backshall. It seemed that the
prisoner resided with a married brother, and his mother
lived a.boLt a mile and a half off. On the morning of
the 16th of June a younger brother of the deceased
heard his mother screaming, and on going to see the
reason, found the prisoner cutting his mother's throat with
a razor. The prisoner shook the razor at the witness, and
the latter ran away, and soon after the accused was seen
coming out of the cottage wiping the blood off his hands.
After hearing the evidence of some medical gentlemen,
the jury found that the prisoner was of unsound mind, and
the usual sentence in such cases was passed.
PLACING OBSTRUCTIONS ON RAILWAYS.—At Marylebone
James Folkes, a boy, 15 years of age, was finally examined
on a charge of placing obstructions on the London and
North Western Railway. It seemed from the evidence
of a platelayer that the prisoner placed three bolts on the.
line near the Kilburn end of Primrose-hill tunnel. The driver
of an express train that was nearly due at the time the
prisoner placed the obstructions on the line, said that the
lifeguard in front of the engine would not have been low
enough to have displaced the bolts in question, which, if
they had come in contact with the leading wheel, would in
all human probability have thrown the train off the line.
The accused was committed for trial.
DESECRATING A CHURCHYARD.—At Worship-street
Abraham Woolfe, a boy aged 15 years, was charged with
stealing bones out of Christchurch burying-ground,
Spitalfields. On the preceding afternoon the vestry clerk
was going into the churchyard when he observed the accused
and some other boys with bundles. Witnesspursued them,
and the boys ran away, but as the witness was gaining
on them the prisoner threw his bundle away, which on
being examined was found to contain human bones which
had been dug up out of the burial-ground. A portion of
the ground had been recently opened, but no bones had
been left about, and the opening had been filled in and
bricked over. It was subsequently discovered that the
bricks had been removed and the bones dug up with an
iron meat-hook, which was also found in the bundle. The
accused was remanded.

THE AFFAIRS OF MR. TRAlN.—Another unsuccesstul
attempt to obtain Mr. Train's release was made on Friday
last, in the shape of a motion before Mr. Justice Keogh,
on the ground of irregularity in the proceedings of the
Ebbw Vale Company. The judge held the custody to be
legal, and refused to release Mr. Train.

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS KITCHEN AND RE-
FRESHMENT :ROOMS. —The report of the select committee on
this subject was published on Saturday morning. The
committee dissent from the recommendation of the select
committee on House of Commons arrangements, so far
as the removal of dining-rooms and kitchens is concerned,
and are of opinion that the proposition for converting the
conference and adjoining committee-rooms into dining-
rooms, with new kitchens and offices, is the best
that has been devised for the accommodation of both
Houses of Parliament.

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AND THE NEW
ZEALAND CHIEF.—The following is a translation of a
letter written to Prince Alfred by Paul Tub acre, of Orakei,
a New Zealand chief : " Auckland, April 6, 1868. To
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.—Salutations to you in
your heavy affliction—news of which has reached us—a
murder of the many bad people in the world. I and all my
people are grieved at hearing of your affliction which hap-
-)ened whilst you were desirous of coming to see the two
iieoples who are so much cared for by your mother, Queen
Victoria. Because the Maori tribes of New Zealand were
:most anxious to see the white crane [i.e., the Prince],
whose flight is once in a lifetime. As it is, because of this
calamity, my sympathy and affection for you and your
mother will not be kept back. May God bring you safely
through your painful illness. It will be for us also to pray
to God for you, if you are not allowed to visit us here
iu this island, New Zealand. Sufficient. From Paul
Tuhaere, Ngatiwhatua tribe, Waitemata and Kaipara."
FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT AT DERBY.—On Satur-
,iay afternoon a melancholy boat accident, resulting in the
death of two youths and narrow escape of four others,
occurred on the River Derwent, at Little Chester, near
Derby. John Macklair and another lad were rowing up
the river. They were appealed to by John Macloglin,
aged 13, John Hayes, the son of a Derby tradesman, in
Sadler-gate, aged 3 years, and two others, whom Macklair
had previously known, and who asked to go the opposite
side of the river in the boat. Macklair at once consented
to the request, but, entertaining fears of the boat's
capabilities, promised to take them all across, but one at a
time only. Hayes was the first to jump into the boat,
and scarcely had he taken his seat, and the boat
slightly " pushed off," before the other three of his com-
panions followed him. By their all jumping in together,
the boat was forced into the middle of the river, when
instantly it capsized, and all the occupants, none of
whom could swim, more or less were struggling in the
water. Four were rescued, but Blacloglia and Hayes
wore &mad, • -