The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-02 00:00:00

THE INQUEST.

Mr. C. Woods, Coroner for the eastern division of
the county of Surrey, arrived at Frimley shortly
after midday, and as soon as the magisterial inquiry
had concluded a jury was empanelled at the White
hart Inn, for the purpose of investigating the melan-
choly affair. The panel consisted of thirteen respec-
table yeomen of the district, of whom Mr. Western
was chosen foreman.

The usual oaths having been administered,
The CORONER addressed the jury. He said they
had been called together under circumstances of a
most painful nature—to inquire into the circumstances
attending the death of a gentleman who for many
years had been their pastor, and who by a zealous and
faithful discharge of his duties had endeared himself
to his parishioners and retained their affectionate re-
gard to the last moment of his life. Under ordinary
circumstances such an event was calculated to occa-
sion deep feelings of regret ; unfortunately, in the
present case those feelings must be greatly enhanced

from the fact that the unfortunate deceased had suffered
a violent and painful death. After a brief summary
, I of the circumstances above detailed, Mr. Woods pro-
ceeded to say that if the facts were proved as alleged,
there would be no difficulty in the jury coming to a
conclusion on the subject. if the deceased were
shown to have died from the effects of a gun or pistol
shot wound it would be their duty to say that any
person proved to have discharged the instrument was
guilty of wilful murder, and any other parties who
might have been present aiding and abetting would
also be guilty in a greater or less degree. It was a
source of deep regret to him that it would be neces-
sary in the course of their inquiry to take the evi-
dence of the widow of the deceased; but with a view
of saving her pain he should propose that after the
jury had viewed the body they should receive Mrs.
Holiest's deposition at her own house.
The jury, rsseenting, here accompanied the Coroner
to the deceased's lute residence, where, having first
viewed the body of the unfortunate gentleman, which
was lying on a mattress in the room where he re-
ceived his death wound, they were conducted to the
dining-room for the purpose of receiving Mrs. Hol-
lest's deposition.
Mrs. Holiest, having been led into the room by her
brother-in-law, sank into a chair in a fainting state,
and was only revived by the application of powerfol
smelling salts. On recovering herself she stated that
her name was Caroline Holiest, and that her husband
Lad been perpetual curate of Frimley-grove for 17
years. On Friday night last she retired to rest about
five minutes to 11 o'clock, her husband having gone
to bed previously.
The CORONER—When were ,•ou first disturbed
after that ? Mrs. Hillest—l think it must have been
about three o'clock on Saturday morning.
The CORONER—WiII you be so kind as to tell us
what occurred to disturb you ? Mrs. Hollest—l
heard footsteps in our bedroom.
The CORONER—Was your husband disturbed at
the same time r Mrs. Holiest—Yes ; we both jumped
up in bed at the same time.
The Coroner—What then happened? Mrs. Hol-
lest—l saw two men at the foot of our bed. One of
them put his left hand on my feet and in his right
hand he held a pistol, which appeared to be levelled
at my head. One of the men was a little taller than
the other. The tallest seized Mr. Holiest in the same
way and levelled a pistol at him. As nearly as I can
recollect both of them said together that " if we made
any noise they would blow our brains out." That
expression was repeated several times. Mr. Holiest
at first thought it was our boys playing a trick upon
him, and he told them to go to bed. I saw at once
the terrible reality, and sprang out.of bed on the left-
hand side to ring a bell, the rope of which hung down
at the head of the bed. On my doing so one of the
men rushed towards me and pushed me down with so
much force that the bell rope broke in my hand.
The man continued to press me down on the floor,
and held a pistol close to my eyes. While in this
position I beard my husband, who had also got out of
bed, scuffling with another man on the other side of
the room, and presently afterwards I heard the re-
port of a pistol. I struggled hard with my assailant
in order to get round to help my husband. I think
the man fancied his comrade was shot, as he gave
way a little, and lat length succeeded in getting
round to the fireplace and in taking hold of a large
hand-bell, which I rung as loud as I could. The men
at this time left the room, followed by my husband.
I ran to the window, and throwing up the sash, rang
the hand-bell again. While doing so I heard a gun
fired from the lower part of the house, and at the
same time observed two men run across the lawn.
One of the men turned back and looked at me, and I
shut down the window immediately.
The CORONER—You saw only two men, then ?
Mrs. Holiest—l only saw two myself, but Mr. Hol-
iest told me he had seen three distinctly. After I
had closed my bedroom window I went to my
children's room, and on the landing I met Mr. Hol-
iest coining up stairs. lie said to me, " The fellow
has shot me," and at the same time showing his
wound.

The CORONER—What persons slept in the house
beides yourselves ? Mrs. Hollest—One man ser-
vant, two women servants, and our own boys.
The CORONER—Did you see how the men were
dressed ? Mrs. Holiest--They appeared to me to be
dressed in light clothes, and to have their hair stuck
out at the sides of their heads, as if for the purpose of
disguise. Their faces appeared to be covered with
linen masks, as I could see holes for their eyes. I
heard no rustling of paper, and therefore I think the
masks were linen.

The CORONER—Since this occurrence happened
have any men been placed before you? Mrs. Rol-
lest—Yes.

The CORONER—Are you able to identify any
of them ? Mrs. Holiest—Yes; I suspect two of
them.

Inspector Kendall here stepped forward and re•
quested that this answer might not be made public.
The CORONER said he would be very careful to
request the representatives of the press present to
exclude from their reports anything which might by
possibility interfere with the ends of justice.
The CORONER (to Mrs. Hollest)—Had you fas-
tened all the doors before retiring to rest? Mrs.
Holiest—Yes, with the exception of the door leading
from the kitchen to the staircase, which I had left
open for two or three nights previously.
The CORONER inquired if the jury wished to put
any questions to Mrs. Holiest ?
The Foreman asked whether she could undertake
to say that the tallest of the two men wore a hat ?
Mrs. Holiest said, she thought not. His hair ap-
peared to stick out at the side very much, but she
observed no hat or cap upon his head.
Inspector Kendall requested the Coroner to ask
Mrs. Holiest to explain the position of the curtains
on Mr. Hollest's side of the bed.
Mrs. Holiest said, they were drawn close at the
head, and round the foot post, and this might have
prevented her seeing any third man in the room.
The CORONER (to Mrs. Hollest)—Do you think it
possible that there were three men in the bedroom at
any time ? Mrs. Holiest—Oh yes, I think it very
likely. I did not observe either the man who stood
over me or the one who was struggling with Mr.
Holiest go•to the table where my watch was lying,
and as it is gone I think it very probable that a third
person may have taken it.
The examination of Mrs. Holiest here closed, and
the coroner and jury returned to the White Hart
Inn, where the examination of the other witnesses
was proceeded with.
Richard Giles was first called—He said, I was in
the service:of the late Mr. Holiest. I had lived with
bim as groom eight years last July. On Friday
night last I went to bed about ten o'clock. I slept at
the top of the house. About three o'clock on Satur-
day morning I heard the report of a pistol or gun, and
immediately afterwards screaming, followed by the
ringing of a bell. I then heard the footsteps of per-
sons in the room below, as if some persons were
jumping about without any shoes on. I got out of
bed and ran down stairs. On opening the door lead-
ing from the back staircase to the landing I met Mr.
Holiest coming up the front staircase from below. I
followed him up to his room,
_where I found Mrs.
Holiest. She said the house had been robbed, and
the rogues or thieves had shot my master, and that I
was to go and fetch the female servants. I returned
up stairs and met Ellen and Elizabeth, the maid ser-
vants, coining out of their room. I told them to wait
fur me until I got a stick from my bed-room, and hav-
ing obtained it I returned down stairs to my master
i and mistress. I had heard a second report of a gun n
the house just as I left my room the first time. Wheal
returned down stairs the second time I saw master

holding his stomach where he had been shot. By his
direction I looked round the house and found that an

entrance had been gained through
been cutughthesculalewrayywainnddow, where the woodwork
the iron bar removed. I subsequently went and
alarmed the neighbourhood and called the constables
Huntingford and Macey. Having done so I went to
Blsckwater for Mr. Davies, the surgeon, who re-
turned with me immediately. I have since looked
round the house, and in the front garden have seen
prints of footsteps of naked feet. I had not seen any
persons lurking in the neighbourhood on the Friday.
I found a screwdriver which bad been left behind by
the burglars on the front lawn on Saturday morning.
I also found an umbrella which had been taken from
the kitchen and some pieces of worsted stocking near
the same place, and a piece of red handkerchief near
the scullery window.
The screwdriver (a formidable implement more
than a foot long) was here produced, and the Coroner
asked for the production of the pieces of worsted
stocking and the handkerchief.
The inspector of the local police said be had not
received them.

The CORONER expressed his surprise, and said it
was most important that nothing which might by
possibility lead to the detection of the offenders should
be lost.

A search was made fur the missing articles, and
they were shortly afterwards found in the custody of
another officer.

Examination continued—l saw several footsteps on
the gravel walk in front of the house, but could not
trace them over the grassplat. At the entrance gate
there was a mark as if a person had been going out in
a hurry and had slipped down.
The CORONER—Was there any search made about
the neighbourhood—any person sent round to scour
the country ? Witness—Not to my knowledge.
Mr. William Davies was next examined. He said—
I am a surgeon, and reside at Yorke-town,Frimley. I
was sent for about half-past 3 o'clock on Saturday
morning to come to see ?Ir. Holiest. I was called
up by the last witness, who told me that the house
had been entered by burglars and that his master had

been shot. I returned with him immediately, bring-
ing my assistant with me. I found Mr. Holiest in
bed. He did not appear to suffer much at that time.
He was perfectly collected and related to me the

whole of the circumstances that had occurred. He
showed me his night-shirt, which was saturated
with blood. I examined his abdomen, and found
'an abrasion of the skin within about an
inch of the navel and a little to the right of the
medium line of the abdomen. It was a slight
abrasion in an oblique direction. About an inch and
a half below the abrasion I found a ragged orifice,
through which something had penetrated, and on
probing the part about two inches the probe came in
contact with the muscle or integument, and prevented
my penetrating further. I did not come in contact
with any foreign body in probing thus far. The
wound had every apparance of having been caused
by a gun or pistol. I remained with Mr. Holiest
until eight o'clock on Saturday morning. I considered
from the appearances and the direction the foreign
body had taken that the wound was mortal, and I
communicated my unfavourable opinh n to the de-
ceased's brother, Mr. William Holiest. I saw deceased
frequently afterwards, and was with him at his death,
which took place ab.ait twenty rcinutes past eight
o'clock on Sunday evening. He suffered the most
excruciating agony, but retained his sensibility until
within two or three hours of his death.
The CORONER—Did Mr. Holiest make any disclc-
sures to you, in reference to this dreadful affair ?
Mr. Davies—He did.
The CORONER—Did he believe he was in danger at
the time he made such disclosures ? 111 r. Davies—
Not at that time. He told me when I first arrived at
nimley, on Saturday morning.
The CORONER—When was he made aware of the
dangerous character of his injury-? Mr. Davies—
About 1 o'clock on Sunday. The pain he suffered at
this time was so great that we could not hope to ob-
tain any deposition from him.
The CORONER—Have you since this made a post
mortem examination of the deceased's remains? Mr.
Davies—l have to-day, assisted by Mr. Clarke, of
Farnham, who was called in on consultation with me.
The CORONER—What is the result of your exami-
nation ? Mr. Davies—l traced the external orifice
to the internal orifice, and thence to the convolution
of the bowels. When I laid open the covering of the
abdomen I found extensive extravasation of blood
over the bowels, and in one of the convolutions I
found an aperture paving through the bowels. On
pursuing the examination I found the bowels adher-
ing together from recent inflammation, and on ex-
amining the lower part of the cavity of the stomach
I found loose in the fold of the peritoneum, between
the bladder and rectum, a small marble, which I now
produce.

Mr. Davies here produced a small marble of a dark
grey colour, which was handed round to the jury. It
appeared lighter than stone, but was described by
some of the jury as a common " stonor" marble.
In reply to the Coroner, Mr. Davies said the
marble corresponded exactly with the oriSce in the
stomach, as well as the Round in the bowels.
Examination continued—Mr. Holiest stated to me
that the man fired the pistol at the time he
was stooping to take the poker from the fireplace,
and this would account for the direction of the wound.

I was Mr. Hoßest's medical attendant. He usually
enjoyed good health. I have no hesitation in stating
his death to have been caused by the wound described.
Mr. Robert Clarke, surgeon, of Farnham, corrobo-
rated the evidence of Mr. Davies in every particular.
A juror here inquired whether any deposition bad
been received from the deceased previously to his
death ?

The CORONER replied—None.
The Juror (to Mr Davies)—Did the deceased de-
scribe to you in what manner the men who entered
his bedroom were dressed ? Mr. Davies—He did,
and his description agreed exactly with Mrs. Hollest's
evidence on the subject.
The CORONER (r 0 the police)—Do I understand
that you have any party here who can depose to
having seen the three men in custody on this charge
in Frimley village on Friday night ? Inspector Hol-
lington—Yes, sir. A young woman in the service
of Mr. Mayberry, a surgeon of this place, has already
identified two of the men. She saw three men to-
gether in front of her master's house about half-past
twelve o'clock on Friday night, and she has identified
two of the prisoners as being of the party.
The CORONER here desired that the prisoners, who
were all in custody down stairs, should be placed in
the tap -room among other parties, and that the girl
alluded to should then be asked if she could point
them out.

This was immediately done, and although the
prisoners were each placed at a different part of the
room, the girl upon entering directly pointed out the
two men Smith and Jones. The third prisoner she
could not recognise.
The officers having communicated the result to the
Coroner,

Mary Gouldstone, the girl in question, was sworn
and examined. In reply to the Coroner she stated
that she was a nursemaid in the service of Mr. May-
berry, and that on Friday night last, about half-past
twelve o'clock, she was looking out of her bedroom
window, which was on the second floor, and faced the
street, when she saw three men standing on a grass-
plat nearly in front of her master's house. She took
particular notice of them, as she thought one of them
appeared to be tipsy. One of them wore a green felt
hat, with a light shooting-coat and dark trousers.
Another wore a flat cap; but she did not notice the
dress of the third. The one with the felt hat was the
tallest of the three, and stood in the middle. The
moon was shining brightly, and enabled her to die-
tingui,h the features of two of the men. She had
never seen them before nor since until that afternoon.
She had just seen two of them in the tap-room, and
had no difficulty in recognizing them, as she had so
particularly observed them on Friday night. On her,
oath she was positive two of the men she had just
seen in the tap-room were the same men she saw in
front of her master's house on Friday night.
The CORONER—Are the names of these men known?
Sergeant Kendall—To the officers, sir. You 'can
have them if you wish.
The CORONER—No, never mind. (To the wit-
ness.)—Have you stated any of these circumstances
before to any one ? Witness—After hearing on
Saturday morning what had occurred at Mr. Hollost's
I told my mistress that I had seen three men in front
of our house on the previous night, and that I sus-
pected they were concerned in it.
The three prisoners were here introduced ; and the
Witness immediately pointed out the two she had
previously identified.
The CORONER (addressing the prisoners) said, he
supposed they were aware that a very serious charge
had been made against them. The last witness had
declared that she had seen them in Frimley on Friday
night at half-past 12 ; and he wished to inform them
that they were at liberty to ask them any questions
if they chose to do so.
The prisoner Smith said (sharply)—What time
does she say she saw me in Frimley ?
The CORONER—At half-past 12.
Smith (to witness)—You saw me in the tap-room
of the White Hart at half-past 12 on Friday night,
did you ?
CORONER—Oh no! The witness does not say so.
She says that she saw you in Frimley village.
Smith—Then I can deny it. Excuse me, gentle-
men all round, the witness has not spoken the truth.
I can bring a respectabl publican to prove that I was
not in Frimley on Friday.
The CORONER (to the prisoner Jones)—Do you
wish to ask the witness any questions ? Jones—No
more than that I can bring a witness to prove I was
not in Frimley on Friday.

The CORONElt—Exactiy. That you can do at a
future time.

The prisoners having been removed,
The CORONER said he thought the last witness had
given her evidence very creditably.
Mr. Mayberry, her master, who was present, said
he believed she was an honest, well-conducted girl.
The CORONER here directed the court to be cleared
of strangers, and after a few minutes' consultation
with the jury, on the doors being re-opened, it was
announced that the inquiry had been adjourned for a
week.

The greatest excitement continues to prevail in the
neighbourhood.

LORD PALMERSTON.—It is said that this distin-
guished nobleman is about, in the course of next week, to
visit this town and his estates surrounding it. It is now
four years since he was amongst us, but though not a resi-
dent landlord he has given every assistance to his tenantry.
During the severe years of famine, he purchased seed and
gratuitously bestowed it on those who otherwise would be
unable to till their ground. He also, in many instances, dis-
tributed food to his tenantry, and by his uniform courtesy
in patiently hearing their complaints, and in every case
seeing justice done them, he has earned the name of a " good
landlord."—Sligo Champion.

The Right Hon. W. G. Haytor, Secretary to the
Lords of the Treasury, after inspecting our bay and the
various public works now in progress here, expressed himself
well pleased at all he had seen, and giving us most cheering
hopes of our future prospects, left this, vitt Connemara, ac-
companied by A. O'Flaherty, Esq., M.P., as far as Westport,
to enjoy the scenery of Maam and the wilds of the far west.
Galway Mercury.

An inquiry of a very serious character, says is
correspondent, which has been going on for some weeks,into
the character of some of the cadets at the Royal Military
Academy, Woolwich, has at length been brought to a close.
In consequence of some practices too gross and atrocious to
be particularised, practised by some of the students who had
recently joined from the new training-school at Carshalton,
the Master-General of the Ordnance ordered a committee of
inquiry to assemble, and investigate the circumstances. The
first result was the dismissal of three students from this aca-
demy, who had been convicted of these practices. The result
of the labours of the committee has been the expulsion of six
more out of the ten students who had joined the academy,
making nine in all, and the peremptory dismissal of 26
scholars from the Carshalton School. The principal of the
school, Dr. Andrews, has also been dimissed, for neglect of
duty in not taking prompt steps to crush the evil when it
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t r shceaxce krtushioEn n to him.—Norning Paper.
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:

[The following appeared in our Fourth Edition of
last night:—]

FRANCE.
Ordre, the organ of M. Odilon Berrot, has
''Jllowing on the Society of the 10th December :
Several journals have announced that the Society
.ee Dix Decembre was in a state of dissolution.
Nctional of yesterday contradicted the assertion,
and stated that a meeting of the members was to
take place the same evening in the Rue St. Domi-
nique, in the room of the Freres Ignorantins. The
meeting, in fact, took place, and the Pouvoir last
evening published an account of the proceedings. Gen.
Piat was in the chair ; M. Gallia, censor of the society,
and formerly director of the journal the Dix Dicembre,
now the Pouvoir, pronounced an opening address. We
omit the details given of the organization of the
mutual aid funds, and come to the part where M.
Gallix announced that the society had enregistered
1,400 new adherents in twenty-five days. That may
be true, and it is because we look on it as such that
we pay more attention than ever to the society. It
is, in fact, rumoured abroad that the existence of this
society has appeared to the Socialists an ex-
cellent means of reorganization, in order to be
ready for every event. They in consequence get them-
selves enrolled in the society, under cover of which
they find a security which M. Carlier's police did not
for a long time leave them. You are going to ex-
claim against this, but the best argument would be
to publish your lists of affiliation. If you are a
mutual-aid society, as you assert, you ought not to
hesitate to make the names of your adherents known.
Such a course would prove more than all your pro-
testations. We shall only add, that the day of the
review of Versailles a man, whose name and address
we can give, boasted of being affiliated in the
Society of the Dix Decembre because he was a
fencing-master—just say what mutual aid can be
expected from a fencing-master. The same day a
man, accused of having uttered language not very re-
spectful towards the President of the Republic, but
pretending to have applied it to the Ambassador of
Nepaul, was dragged into the wood of Satory by men
who said that they belonged to the Society of the Dix
Decembre, and beaten with sticks. We do not de-
fend this man, but we ask if that is what you call
your distribution of mutual aid? May. God preserve
us from your works of beneficence ! We will name
to you, if you please, the witnesses of these two facts."
The examination into the affair of disturbances of
the Drome is being actively carried on. The leader of
the affair, a man named Pascal, his brother, and
another individual known by the soubriquet of Gaillon,
have just been arrested by the Gendarmerie of Loriol.
The authorities, as we mentioned at the time, had
received information that a number of the
rioters had taken refuge in the Department
of the Ardec...he, which forming part of the
Bth Military Division was beyond the regime of the
state of siege. They were besides informed that
a clandestine manufactory of gunpowder, on a large
scale, existed at Pouzin, in the house of a man Sou-
beyran, a man of desperate character, and who had
been heard to declare that the first gendarme or
police agent who approached him should receive
two balls through his body. General Lapene,
who commands in the Drtime, arranged with the
authorities of the Ardeche to put an end to this
state of things, and an expedition was organized
to advance on the place by both banks of the river,
under the command of Commandant 011ivier. The
expedition arrived at Pouzin at an early hour in the
merning, after having invested in their way several
of the neighbouring communes. The Prefect of the
Ard eche was on the spot with several brigades
of the Gendarmerie of his department. As early
as five o'clock in the morning the armed
force presented itself at the house of Soubeyran,
and, in the name of the laws, summoned him to open
his door. A moment of silence followed during
which the cocking of a double-barrelled gun was
distinctly heard. The door immediately after opened
and . Soubeyran appeared with the weapon in his
hand, but seeing the force with which he had to
contend he appeared to hesitate, when M. Chev-
reau, the Prefect, rushed forward, laid hold of him,
and presenting a pistol, to his breast, sum-
moned him to surrender. Soubeyran, however,
by a sudden movement broke from his grasp, and
running to a window which opened on the river,
jumped into the Rhone and disappeared. Some
soldiers immediately ran to the other bank to arrest
him when he landed, but nothing more was seen
of him. On searching his house a powder
manufactory, completely organized, was found,
and a great number of cartridges and several
seeks of powder were seized. During this time
several arrests were made on the opposite bank of
the river by the Gendarmerie. The troops evinced
the most praiseworthy zeal in the affair ; they
marched a distance of twenty-five miles during the
night, and remained under arms a great part of the
following day. By this well-organized expedition all
the villages on the banks of the Rhone have been
cleared of the men, who kept up a constant agitation
in those parts.
Two delegates of the Maronite population have ar-
rived in Paris. They have come in the name of their
countrymen -of the Libanus to ask the French
Government for a concession of land in Algeria. This
population has always been regarded as honest and
industrious colonists, and their introduction into
Algeria must be considered as highly desirable.
Algiers journals up to the 25th have arrived, but
contain no news of interest. The Ahhbar has made
a notable discovery, and solemnly calls the atten-
tion of France to it—it is that Lord Palmerston is
trying to engage Spain and Portugal in a treaty
with England for the destruction of Algeria!
The Minister of War had ordered Brazilian and
other plants to be sent to the colony to see if they
could not be naturalized. The cases of cholera in
Algiers up to the 24th were 67, 43 of which were
fatal. The tribunal of Oran was proceeding with
the trial of the persons concerned in the alleged con-
spiracy, but up to the 20th nothing of very great im-
portance was proved in evidence. The Echo d Oran
was to be prosecuted for giving an unfaithful account
of the trial. The Democrate de Blidah had ceased
to appear in consequence of repeated condemnations.