The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-07 00:00:00

APPREHENSION AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

OF THE CRIMINAL.
LOUTH, SUNDAY, ONE o'cLocK.—Our correspondent
further writes : —We have just received information
that the perpetrator of the diabolical outrage recorded
above has been discovered, and has attempted self-mur-
der by cutting his own throat, though not so severely as to
destroy life. His name is Markham; he is about 45 years
of age, and was originally apprenticed to a baker in Louth,
and was formerly a keeper at the Lincoln Lunatic Asylum.
Having some time ago threatened to revenge himself
upon old Gainsley, for having informed upon a brother
of his for riding upon the shafts of his waggon at the
.time Gainsley kept the Ashby toll-gate, he took the
opportunity referred to to carry his passion into effect.
By some means or other, he became acquainted with a
Mrs. Desforges, a widow, possessed of some little pro-
perty, residing at Bilsby, near Alford, to whom he was
actually paying his addresses at the time he attempted
to carry out his sanguinary intentions.
From information received the prisoner was traced to
the house of Mrs. Desforges, at Bilsby, during the night
of Saturday last, where Superintendent Campbell arrived
at half-past eleven o'clock at night, accompanied by
Chapman (Louth police) and Biggs (Alford police).
On arriving at the house the superintendent knocked
at the door. Mrs. Desforges asked " Who's there ?"
The answer was, " A friend." She then ran Hp
stairs, looked out of the window, and repeated
the same question, asking, " What was wanted ?"
He answered, " You need not be afraid, I want to speak
to you." She then came down stairs, and opened the
door. Campbell then asked who she had in the house ?
She said, " I have only my children and Mr.
Mark-
ham." He then said he wanted to speak to Mr.
Markham, and requested her to show him the bedroom,
which was only seven steps from the front door.
She went up, and the officers followed. The door
was open. Mrs. Desforges observed, " Do shut the
door, Mr. Markham ;" but, on looking into the room,
blood was seen, and it was immediately discovered that
he had cut his throat. Mr. Handsley, of Alford, was
sent for, and he very promptly arrived, and sewed up
the wound, which extended four inches across his
throat. The prisoner said it was his intention to
wound Gainsley,' and to give him a desperate
fright, for having about three years back, laid an,
information against his brother for riding on the wag-
gon-shafts. The prisoner was wounded by Gainsley in
several places, and he stated that it was with difficulty
he had made his escape. Ho had determined to cut his
throat rather than be apprehended, and had his razor
,
with him for that purpose ; he did the desperate act
directly Mrs. Desforges went down for the purpose of
opening the door. Lle was left in the custody of Biggs.
Since Mr. Handsley, surgeon, of Alford, sewed up the
gash in the man's throat, he managed while alone to tear
out the stitches, and now lies in a most precarious state ;
indeed, with scarcely a hope of recovery.

MAY 29, 1844.
A,NpvEL I N
—S UALnT Taffoa Ti
rH Eo
cFcitzurrrter
ay
juLAeGss.—inaMAL day the Geyser was to start which may form the subject
'a newspaper article, headed somewhat as follows—
"on he
Insult to the. French flag by a British steamer :"nd
as the French will have the first tale, I feel it im-
perative on me to put you in possession of a plain
fact, that having heard the alteram partem, you nay
give its full weight to whatever rhodomontade triay
appear in the French papers. The facts are as follow—
Miss Tomlinson the Bishop of Gibraltar's sister, having
expressed a wish to land at Messina, a boat was pl4ed
at her disposal by Commander Kitchen. As there were
several shore boats alongside, and the descent of a lady
by the ladder might excite vulgar curiosity, the captain
ordered a flag . to be thrown over the ladder to
prevent intrusion. The flat, used for the purpose as
the signal, No. 2, the French flag with the colours a-.
versed. 'At this moment a French war steamer N, OS
coming. in, and the captain seeing, as he stip-
i
'posed, the flag of France submitted to such an office,
rounded to, and became very noisy and boisterous, com-
plained that the flag had been trampled on by a woman,
and consequently degraded. All explanation was uSelciss;
the irascible Frenchman was deaf to all but his oyi'n
clamour, and was even so rude as to refuse giv.ng
tha : name of his boat, referring Comman er
Kitchen to her stern, where the name as
painted. The captain of the Geyser went on board in
order to pacify. the doughty Frenchman. If he shc-
ceeded in.doing so, still the affair is too rich, the oppor-
tunity of puffing up their national honour too temptihg,
to indace others on board to be quiet. It is a positive
fact, one on which I can stake my, reputation, that ton
board of the Geyser at. the time there actuidly was not a
French flag. . , 1
THE AMERICAN EMBASSY TO CHINA.—His Exciel-
lency the Hon. C. Cushing, Envoy Extraordinary d
Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of
n
America 'to the Court of Pekin, with his suite, arrived
in Macao roads on. Saturday last, the 24th instant, on
board the United States
,flag-ship Brandywine, Commo-
dore Parker. His Excellency's suite consists of six
gentlemen, Mr. F. Webster, Secretary of Legatlon,
Mr. O'Donnell, Mr. M‘lntosh, Dr. Kane Mr. 1 lest,
and Mr. Hernisz. And we understand that the Rev, El C.
Bridgman, D.D., and the Rev, ,P. Parker, have been ap-
pointed joint Chinese Secretaries to the Legation. His Ex-
cellency has apartments on the Freya Grande, where he
will remain until the Brandywine shall have taken in her
stores and made other necessary arrangements to proceed on
her voyage to the mouth of the Peiho.—Canton Press. I
1 EXTRAORDINAY STORY.—The Bombay Courier of
Tuesday, April 9, in a letter from a credited corresponden at
Kaira, details a sad event which happened to a gentle an
who lived at Kaira. He went out tiger shooting and of
himself by accident through the heart. On the body b 'rig
taken 'to Kaira for interment, the officer commanding the
station.proceecled to discharge the last offices to the departed
by reading over the grave the funeral service. No socner
was the service commenced than there issued from a hive in
a corner of the church, outside, a swarm of bees, which illew
at the congregation and stung them in all directions. Every
one of the congregation, including the acting parson, 'de-
camped, leaving the body exposed to the heat of the sun.
The writer of the letter proceeded to the spot, and found that
the bees had abandoned their hive and taken possession of
the coffin; their attack upon him and his horse compelled
a retreat. What eventually became of the corpse has rot
transpired.
SMUGGLING fly PRUSSIANS.—Con Thursday film
Prussian sailors, one -a boy about thirteen years of age, nathed
Albert, Ringe, was charged at the Police-court, Liver poi,
with having amongst. them possession of 611bs. of leaf.to-
bacco, on board the William Frederick, which arrived 'the
previous day, in the Brunswick Dock, from Dantzic, with a
cargo of grain. The crew consisted of thirteen hands. The
four prisoners claimed the tobacco, which was found amongst
the grain' by Pollard, a tide-wiiter, in five separate bundles,
as their own. The package claimed by the boy Ringo
weighed but 31bs., and he was discharged. The package
claimed by Frederick Plinesse—a great hulking fellow six
feet high, and muscular in proportion, but who blubbered
like a baby at the prospect of a committal—weighed put
61bs., which so little exceeded the weight allowed by the
Custom-house for the use of a sailor in port from a foreign
country, that he also was discharged. But the other two,
Joseph Jacke and Daniel Kunkel, having respectively 131bs.
and 161b5., were remanded till the opinion of the Board of
Excise in London be taken on the case. None of the gli-
mmers, except the boy, could speak English, and the super-
cargo of the William. Frederick acted as interpreter. Yester-
day another of the crew, named Zond, was also remanded
on a charge of having in his possession two packages of the
respective weights of 101 b. and 131 b. under similar circum-
stances to those of his shipmates in the present instance.— I
Liverpool 'Journal.

SCENE .AT TILE CIaMSKIRE. POLLING,BOOIII.-ne-
turniug officer :—" Well, who do ,you vote for,- my man?"
Voter—" I votes for—for—for—I votes for Master Blue."
Returning officer—" What do you mean ? Who do you vote
for?" Voter,—" Why I votes for—(after a long pause)—l
votes for this (sholimg an Entwisle riband)." Returning
officer—" That won't do."' Voter goes .down to consult his
friends, then cornea up primed and loaded. Returning officer a
" Well, who do.kon vote for?" '"
Twizzle."—Limpoo/ 21in-ea. ;Voter—, Wtiy;;lv-otea for
al