The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-24 00:00:00

THE CASE OF MADAME RACHEL.

On Tuesday afternoon, at the Marlborough-street Police-
court, Madame Rachel, who has been before Mr. Knox on.
several occasions, charged with obtaining a large sum of
money from Mrs. Borradaile, a widow, under false pre-
tences, appeared, attended by Mr. Roberts, as her soli-
citor, prior to being committed for trial.

Mr. Montagu Williams, barrister, attended to conduct.
the prosecution as before.

Mr. Roberts said that be had been asked by the husband
of Madame Rachel to conduct her defence, and he appre-
hended that the only question for the magistrate to decide,
that day would be, whether he would commit her for trial
at the Central Criminal Court or the Middlesex Sessions.
Ire presumed that Mr. Knox had made up his mind.
Mr. Knox : Yes, as between the two courts. He had
gone carefully through the evidence, and had come to the
conclusion that, on the whole, it would be better to send
the eftse to the Central Criminal Court, for the reason
that it had attracted a great deal of public attention,
certain names having been mixed up in it ; and, above all,
that as Lord Rancla,gh was one of the Middlesex magis-
trates there would be a sort of objection to sending it
there. As the case now stood, he was bound to say that
it was a very strange one.
As the witnesses were not present to be bound over, a
discussion arose as to when the commitment should take
place, and it was arranged that they should appear later
in the day, Madame Rachel being detained in an ante.
room in the meantime.

Mr. Knox said that he wished to say a few words in
reference to the case as it appeared at the present time,
without having, of course, heard the evidence for the
defence. Madame Rachel was charged with obtaining
from Mrs. Borradaile the sum of £1,400, and also with
conspiring with two other persons to defraud. There was
some conflicting testimony, no doubt, especially in respect
to Mrs. Borradaile denying that she had borrowed from
Madame Rachel the sum of £5OO, as shewn by her own
handwritinz_:_lnii—on the whole he considered the case
against the accused was a very strong one, Mr. Knox
observed upon the attempts thit had been made by
counsel to prolong the case on behalf of the defend-
ant, and intimated that those attempts, as well
as the applications for postponing the examina-
tion, were evidently made for the purpose of
impeding the course of justice. Madame Rachel had
appeared from time to time, and had been seen almost
daily about the court ; but at the last moment a medical
certificate had been handed in, stating that she was
not fit to be examined. Had the medical gentlemen
themselves appeared and stated that, then he would have
bowed to their representations, but in their absence he
felt bound to have the accused before him, and to listen to
no more applications of the kind. There might be a com-
plete answer to the case in the background, but at present
no reference had been made, and he should therefore
commit Madame Rachel for trial.
Mr. Roberts said that he should reserve the defence.
The same amount of bail was taken for Madame Rachel's
appearance as before.
Madame Rachel was then taken to the ante-room and
IPft in charge of an officer till the witnesses appeared.

Spring terminated on Sunday morning at ISm.
past four, and summer began, astronomically, although
the last-named season has anticipated the official date in
bringing its characteristic heat.

His Royal Ilighness Prince Arthur, who has
just received a commission in the corps of Royal Engineers,
arrived at Chatham garrison on Tuesday morning, for the
purpose of commencing his military duties at the Royal
Engineer establishment.

A deputation of volunteer medical officers will,
it is understood, shortly wait on the Secretary of State for
War, upon the recommendation of his Royal Highness the
Duke of Cambridge, Commander-in-Chief, regarding the
Present unsatisfactory medical arrangements throughout
the whole force.

There is a rumour in the City that steps will
be henceforth taken by a large body of Conservatives of
the City of London to induce the Lord Mayor (Alderman
Allen) and Alderman Sir W. Rose to offer themselves as
candidates for the representation of the City at the next
general election. Mr. R. N. Fowler will not again enter
upon the contest.

THE NEW LAW RELATIVE TO DOGS.—The ordet
of Sir Richard Mayne on dogs took effect on Monday, and
a difference in the number of wandering dogs in the
streets is said to have been perceptible. According to the
present law it is not now necessary to prove that a dog is
in a rabid state in order to warrant its destruction; but a
magistrate is empowered, on complaint that a dog has
bitten or attempted to bite any person, and if it appears to
the magistrate that it ought to be destroyed, to order its
destruction by a police-constable.
THE SOUTHERN RAILWAYS AMALGAMATION
ACTS.—This bill came before Lord Camoys' committee in
the House of Lords on Tuesday, and the noble chairman
announced that the committee were of opinion that the
preamble had been proved but they intended making
certain alterations in the rates proposed. They intended
to strike out the terminal rates for the metropolitan
stations, and instead of differential rates, as proposed, to
have a uniform rate over the whole amalgamated system,
varying from lid. per mile first-class and express, to ld.•
per mile third-class by ordinary trains.
DESTRUCTION OF SHEEP AND LA MBS By LIGHT-
NING.—On Monday evening a very heavy storm of thunder
and lightning, accompanied by a good deal of rain.
passed over Barnsley, doing considerable damage in the
neighbourhood. At Worsborough Dale, about two miles
from the town, the electric fluid struck a number of sheep
and lambs belonging to Mr. W. Saville, farmer, of Swathe-
house, which were sheltering under a tree. Six ewes and
six lambs were killed on the spot. The lightning in its
course also struck the telegraph poles and wires not far
from where the sheep were killed, and for a considerable
distance split the former, and so destroying all communi-
cation by the wires. At other places in the same neigh-
hourhood a good deal of damage was done.
MELANCHOLY DEATH OF A BANK MANAGER...-.
Between six and seven o'clock on Tuesday morning, Mr.
Henry Ball, manager of the Lancaster branch of the Man-
chester and Salford Banking Company, left Lancaster to
go for a short ride in the country, according to his usual
custom. He was mounted on a pony, and had scarcely
got outside the town when the animal stumbled as it was
about to turn a corner. Theresult was that Mr. Ball NV:S
thrown over the pony's head, and he alighted with great
violence upon a kerb-stone. When picked up, it was
found that he was shockingly injured about the head. He
never spoke afterwards, and died in less than five minutes.
The news of his melancholy death created quite a sensa-
tion in Lancaster, He wa about 45 years of age, and
nmarria