The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-23 00:00:00

Elizabethan cottage for Sheridan Knowles—such as we
-knew him ten years ago, when he prudently passed every
other glass of port (out f respect of the gout), but was in
other respects the most genial soul breathing Shaks-
perian alive. Whatever " call" the honoured author
of Virginius may have had, he may depend on it that
none mould become his latest years so well as that of
officiating as the high priest at the shrine of Shakspere.
For ha in fact—in spirit as well as fact—is the true
custodier of the relics of Shakspere. No other man
that we know of, since Shakspere's time, has more of the
piri tof Shakspere in him than Sheridan Knowles I It
is a folly of him to abandon his duty. He is pointed
out by nature and by his compatriots as the proper
Keeper of the Remains. We will not flatter him by
saying hero (as has often been said to him, in
green-rooms and galleries, during the last five-and-
twenty years) that he is Shakspere rediviuus.
No ; but we will say, with honest and heart-
warm emphasis, that he has about him more
of the Shsksperian afflatus than any man wo know—
that he is indicated by all lovers of Shakspere as the best
and most suitable High Priest at the Temple, and,
therefore (sickness and sudden calls notwithstanding),
we trust that dear old Sheridan will consent to do honour
to himself and England (not forgetting ould Ireland), by
becoming in due time the keeper of the relics of Shake-
pore.
. Let England and America see that he is housed and
honoured as such a trustworthy servant of the world
should be; if he will indeed consent to fulfil this role
which nature has evidently "cast" for him, and which
his countrymen, with the respect and love due to his
honourable and genial nature, desire him to fulfil.

SUSPECTED MURDER BY
POISONING.

Towards the end of last week reports were current
in Edinburgh and Leith of another murder having
been committed near this city, which have been
-strengthened by the apprehension of a man, residing
in Stead'se—place,- Leith-walk, and the disinterment
of his wire, who was buried two days before. From
the gradual manner in which the various circumstances
have transpired, and from the closeness of all precog-
nitions and examinations in reference to the matter,
in which respect the law of Scotland denies the 'full
and authentic information which in England is made
patent to the public, it is somewhat difficult to ascer-
tain and authenticate every particular, but we believe
the following statement may be considered accurate:—
On Friday week the wife of William Benson, a
moulder in Shotts Iron Foundry, Leith-walk, who
resided in one of the old houses in Stead's-place, a
little below Springfield, was taken suddenly and
seriously ill, and continued on Saturday and Sun-
dsy.to retch violently and suffer severe pain. On
Monday last the poor woman died, and was buried
on Wednesday in Rosebank Cemetery ; but at this
time the cause of her illness was not suspected,
and great sympathy was shown with the husband,
who expressed much happiness that his wife had died
in the full consolation of religion and confidence of a
happy transition to the world above. But by a
fatality which seems to mark out all who die out of
nature's course; two dogs catering for food entered
the house of deceased, and shortly after died, appa-
rently of poison, having in all probability partaken of
poisoned victuals in the house, or of what the unfortu-
nate woman had voided in her vomiting.
One of the dogs was the faithful companion of an
old mendicant deprived of both legs, and who for above
a quarter of a century, has been seldom known to be
absent from his accustomed spot near the middle of
Leith-walk, where, in a little car, he is wont to sit pa-
tiently all day long, being duly drawn home by his ca-
nine friend as evening approaches. During the long-
period ,that this old man has been known to the
passers-by, he has, it is said, had but two dogs, and
his last companion has attended him for a con-
siderable number of years. The other dog be-

longed to a merchant- in the neighbourhood.— The
death of these animals gradually excited the most
painful suspicions and further investigation seemed
to warrant the apprehension of the husband of
the deceased, who on Friday was lodged in
the Calton Gaol,' after an examination, in which
we understand, he admitted having purchased a
quantity of arsenic about three weeks ago from an
apothecary in Leith, for the destruction of rats. The
body of the deceased was the same day disinterred,
and the stomach examined, when it was found to con-
tain some arsenic, which unquestionably had been
the cause of her sufferings and death.
William Benson, whose behaviour was usually re-
tiring, if not forbidding, has generally borne a good
character, and both he and his unfortunate wife
were members of the Wesleyan Methodict Society,
and attended the congregation of that body at
the foot of Leith-walk. According to the testi-
mony of a neighbour, he was never done praying
and singing, but the piety and integrity of his con-
duct have recently been rendered questionable by
injurious reports of his having paid undue atten-
tion to another female. It is also somewhat strange
that rats, for which Benson alleges having bought the
poison, have rarely if ever been seen in the building
to which he resided. Whether any circumstances of
weightier moment conspire against him we cannot
tell; but assuredly nothing that has yet publicly
transpired can be held as conclusive of the ques-
tion as to how and by whom the fatal poison was ad-
ministered.
The deceased was about 40 years of age, and of
quiet behaviour. She had but one child, a girl six
years of age, who, even at that tender age, was em-
ployed beside her father in some trifling work about
the foundry.
A precognition of parties having knowledge of the
circumstances took place on Saturday, anda searching
investigation is being made into the case by the proper
authorities.—Caledonian Mercury.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCRIP
TUBE READERS' ASSOCIATION.
Yesterday afternoon the annual meeting of the
subscribers to this association was held at the Ha-
nover-square Rooms, the Lord Bishop cf Lichfield in
the chair, supported by several distinguished ministers
of the Established Church, the Earl of Harrowby,
Mr. Cowper, M.P., Mr. Villiers, M.P., and other
gentlemen.
ThQ chairman addressed the meeting at some
length in commenting upon the utility of the society's
operations. The progress made by them during the
past year had been extremely gratifying, the opera-
tions having been greatly extended and the funds
having increased. Two similar societies had been
set on foot in North and South Staffordshire
under his own auspices, and these also gave every
reason to believe in their rapid extension and
success. The report stated that the embarrassment
under which the society laboured last year had been
in a great degree removed, and the committee, to
prevent similar ones in future, had determined to re-
quire a small contribution from each district to which
the scripture readers were sent. They had been
obliged to withdraw nine readers from one district,
but they had afterwards the means of placing them in
other localities. The present income from funded
property was 5,0001., leaving 2,5001. annually to be
made up from various sources. The, 97 scripture
readers now engaged by the society had, during the
year, made 355,284 visits, 200,280 to members of the
Church of England, 23,850 to Roman Catholics, 34,840
to Dissenters, and 96,314 to persons who fre-
quented no place of worship at all. The
returns of the rounds made by one single
reader in a year showed that in 1,831 hours
occupied he had made 3,869 visits. The result of
his labours was, that 216 infants were sent to be bap-
tized and also 7 adults; 106 children went to Sun-
day schools, also 22 adults ; 29 persons were induced
to attend at church, 22 to become communicants, 24
were confirmed, and 24 persons living in a state of
sin were induced to marry. The readers had during
the prevalence of the cholera seen 1,468 cases of the
disease, 712 of which proved fatal, and a few of their
number were attacked with great severity, but all of
them recovered. The receipts for the year, including
a former balance, amounted to 8,072/. 19s. Bd., and
the expenditure had nearly equalled the amount, a
small balance of only 236/. remaining. Upon the
motion of Mr. J. Labouchere this report was re-
ceived and adopted, and a committee appointed for
the ensuing year. Other gentlemen then addressed
the meeting in support of various resolutions in ac-
cordance with its object, and the proceedings ter-
minated after a vote of thanks to the Right Rev.
Chairman.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]—An Ulcerated Arm cured by
Holloway's Ointment and Pills.—Mr. Robert Gregg, jun., of
Clinkeeland, Cinwes, Ireland, was sorely afflicted with a severe
gathering in his armpit, and which discharged very copiously
for nearly three years ; another wound also broke out in his
shoulder. His father felt alarmed, having consulted the most
eminent surgeons to no purpose, while his son continued to
waste away. At this juncture a friend advised a trial of Hol-
loway's Pills and Ointment, which was made, and in six weeks
they perfectly cured him. He is nova getting fat and hale, the
sinews are restored to their wonted pliability and 110 discolora-
tion is visible.—Sold by all Druggists and Professor llolloway's
Establishment, 244, Strand, London.

ST. IVES.—THE FIsHERT.—The boisterous state of
the weather during the past week has hindered the fishermen
trom going to sea. Three boats shot on Monday night ; one
took 300 fish ; smaller lot eighteen nets ; and the third was
obliged to go to \ow•quay or at. Agnes. It would be an act
of charity towards the poor, unfortunate fishermen, it any of
our coasting vessels which may fall in lvith these lost nets,
would take them on board, and on arriving in port, publish
them in the Shipping Gazette, without asking salvage, as
some love denee—Cornwall Gazette.