The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-11 00:00:00

THURSDA Y

on going there he happened to turn his head around,
and then saw some dark object ]ying near the road
hedge, and this he speedily found to be the body of
his mother. An inquest was commenced on Saqir-
day, but adjourned..

The prisoners, who seem very determined charac-
ters, left Cheltenham, in custody of the police, at three
o'clock this morning, for Newport, where they will
be examined before the magistrates.
Information has since been received that the same
men have been concerned in an almost equally appal-
ling transaction in this county.
Mr. Benjamin Meredith, aged 72, of Aylburton,
was stopped between six and seven o'clock on Friday
night, on the high road, at Purby, in the parish of
Lydney, by the two ruffians, and there severely
beaten, the crown of his head being kicked in, and
the poor man left for dead. The raEcals decamped
with a sil ier watch, pocket•book, umbrella, receipt
stamp, and other articles which they found on his
person. Mr. Meredith was afterwards found by some
passers-by, and conveyed to the nearest house.
Medical assistance was speedily rendered, but the un-
fortunate man has been unable to speak since, and
lies in a most precarious state.—Cheltenham Journal.

ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY.
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
The Commissioner of a certain nobleman arrived
lately in —, one of the islands of the Outer He-
brides, to make his half,yearly collection of rents, to
make new arrangements of crofts, and to enact other
things which, if really carried into effect, will form a fit-
ting topic for the public prints. And all this with the
advice and concurrence, and at the instigation, of the
leading man of the party referred to, in whose house
he took up his short residence. We say short, for be-
fore a tithe of his intended task was done, Mr. Com-
missioner suddenly made his retreat. One of the
sweeping arrangements really carried into effect, was
the displacing young Mr. of M—, from
an office to which he had only been lately ap-
pointed. Not content with this unpopular., and
ill-advised act, Mr. Commissioner, it is said, and
believed by all in the place, wished also to
disappoint the well-known hopes and wishes of
Mr. M— in another and more interesting quarter ;
but Miss Jessie M--, of B--, was nut to be
won by this Commissioner Plenipotentiary. She was
determined that Mr. M— should not be further in-
jured, and that in this matter the Commissioner, with
all his legal acumen, should be outwitted ; for he had
gone but a few hours from B—, with her refusal
to comfort him, when young Mr. M— and his
Jessie eloped together.
The affair was managed most dexterously ; his
vehicle was speedily brought into request—Miss
M— at dead of night made her escape, and spi-
ritedly, with her lover, through moss and fen, soon
reached the conveyance. Crack went the whip of
the postilion on the foremost horse—louder still the
lash by Mr. M—; off sprang the spirited steeds,
and in less than two hours, in a dark and murky
night, the happy pair were at the port of
L—, several miles off. Our Commissioner C—
was all the while heavily slumbering at L—,
waiting the sailing of the mail packet. Never
mind that. The vessel Mr. M— had in waiting
was immediately boarded, the crew had their sails
unfurled and all in, readiness, the anchor was quickly
weighed, and the lovers were speedily wafted on-
wards by a favouring gale, and far, far at sea. Mr.
M—'s servant had returned home before it had
transpired that his master had stormed the citadel of
13— and carried off his lovely prize. Who can
envy Mr. Commissioner's feelings when he heard that
" the lass he left behind" was now " o'er the maddies
and awa'." Little did he think, when practising the
back step to the sonorous tones of the bagpipes, and
acting the agreeable during all the previous week at
B—, that the plans were then forming by which
he was so soon to be left a luckless and unpitied
suitor.

Tus SEQUEL.—Pursuit was made early in the
morning after Mr. M— and his affianced bride.
One party, along with the Commissioner, started in
one direction, and a servant, headed by a stout
disciple of Malthus, who is one of the larger tenants
in the north of the island, set off in another ; anct•
these, along with a gentleman on a neighbouring
estate, immediately proceeded further north, to the
Bay of T—. The vessel of Mr. M— had pre-
viously entered that bay, and lay quietly at anchor.
He little thought that chase would be given in that
direction; and while he and his betrothed were com-
fortably seated at tea in the small cabin in the even-
ing, the pursuers boarded the vessel. The door of
the cabin was violently burst open, and here a scene
occurred of the most painful and yet interesting
nature. Mr. M— was assailed with the warmest
invective, and the object dearest to his heart was tried
and tempted in every way to leave him—but all in
vain. She clung to Mr.
words of the favourite song of her own.
Al—,virtually using the
.4 Before I'm forced to break my faith,
I'll lay me down and dee:
For I hae pledged my virgin troth,
Brave Donald's fate to share,
And he has gi'en to me his heart
With a' its virtues rare."
After a long interval, the fair fugitive and Mr.
M-- were decoyed on shore, on the assurance that
they were not to be separated. Scarcely, however,
had they stepped ashore, when the promise was
shamefullyv
most violated;
and, for the lovers were instantly
separated,
'cruelly, not permitted to ex-
change either looks or words.
Mr. M---- proceeded to —, and next day the
uncle carried off his niece to It --. A stormy week
of wind and rain succeeded. The wind moderated
however, and favoured Mr. M— in the daring ad-
venture now to be narrated. He arrived off the coast
of 11.-- at night, with two large half-decked boats,
and a company of some twenty-four brave retainers,
who would venture their lives for gallant "young
Donald." The man cn guard at 11,-- was instantly tied
to the post of the gate to prevent his procuring any
succour. Mr. M— and his men speedily obtained
access into the house, and, without entering into de-
tails, suffice it to be said that Jessie, who was in the
same bedroom with her aunt, was quickly awakened,
as soon dressed, and in the arms of her protector and
dearest friend. The uncle, of course, was also aroused
from hie slumbers, but only to act a most unexpected
part. Mr. M— Peremptorily asked the uncle, in
the presence of all, " Are you a magistrate ?" and on
his answering in the affirmative, Mr. M— then put
the question, at the same time taking her hand, "Jes-
sie, are you my wife?" and on her emphatically say-
ing "Yes," he replied, " And I am your husband."
This was a most adroitly executed part of the drama.
The uncle must have felt keenly the awkwardness of
his position—when, instead of proving, as he thought,
the protector of his niece, he was, as a Justice of
the Peace, called upon to act a most important
part in' the solemnization of the marriage he was
so heartily opposed to. We dwellers in Scotland
verily believe, that a marriage valid and legal in the
eyes of the law of Scotland was then and there con-
tracted. In less time than our readers can peruse
this narrative, Mr. and Mrs. and their faith•
ful retainers were safely on board, steering for the op-
posite shores. Such a dashing and chivalrous exploit
we scarcely expected to hear of in the nineteenth
century, it is worthy of the ancient days of knight
errantry; and, surely, there is not a lass in a' the
land but will admire the conduct of young M---,
and not a gallant youth but will applaud the heroism
and sorely-tried faithfulness of his beauteous bride,
—Court Journal, of April 6.

POBT•OFFICE NOTICE.—The United States' Go-
vernment having established mail packets between New
York and Chagres, in connexion with a line of packets pro-
keeding at regular intervals from Panama to San
Francisco, the public may avail themselves of this
line of communication for their correspondence to
Galifornia and Oregon, by specially addressing " ria New
York," or via the United States," any letters or news-
papers they may desire to be so forwarded. The com-
bined British and United States' postage upon letters for
California and Oregon, sent by this route, must be pre-
paid, and will be, upon a letter not exceeding 14 an ounce
in weight, 23 sthd., exceeding 1h an ounce and not exceed-
ing 1 ounce, 45. 11d., and so on, according to the scale in
operation for charging inland letters. The postage will be
the same, whether the letters be conveyed from this country
by British
itishteoar
combined
Übniniteedd
British ant anpaickuetes.itedNsetwastpesapepresstwegilel
be
liable
of 2d. each.

•
EMBEZZLEMENT.—On Saturday, Mr. Peter Hay,
the superintendent of police at Stroud, received a telegraphic
message from Stafford, via Gloucester, that a man named
William Pridelhad absconded from Glasgow, having em-
bezzled the sum of 500/. belonging to his employers, and that
he was expected to call at, or send to, Stroud post. office for
a letter. Mr. Hay found that a person answering the de-
acription of William Pride had arrived in Stroud the previous
evening, and proceeded on to Nailsworth by the omnibus
which left the former place at half-past seven. Mr. Hay
thereupon made the best of his way to Nailsworth, and as-
certained that Pride had taken up his quarters at the George
Hotel, in that town. He happened to be just then abroad,
so the superintendent determined to wait. After the lapse
of an hour, Pride appeared, and was forthwith taken into
custody. A 101. note and 26 sovereigns were found on his
person; and there was a great quantity of luggage, which
the officer also took under his care. Pride is a native of
Nailsworth, but has not resided there for several years. He
has been conveyed to Glasgow, where the case will be en-
tered into before the proper authorities.— CheltenAanz Journal.
INCENDIARY FIRES IN FaArfcE.—The departmental
journals still
just
continue to give accounts of the progress of in-
eendiarisrn. A part of the communal forest of Borderes, near
the been
neighbourhooddest royed.
of
sso Tuesdayos.
Tlha
The
t fourst
con.fire
siderable was that on the farm of a M. Fortville, at Pasly.s
took place in
The stables, barns, and other outhouses, with all they con-
tained, were destroyed, the dwelling-house alone escaped.
So determined were the incendiaries to effect their purpose
that a rivulet which ran before the house, and the water of
which would have served to extinguish the fire, was, on the
previous evening, turned from its course by the miscreants.
Dommiers, Ambleuy, and Juvigny have also suffered. At
Seurre (Cote d'Or), on Sunday last, a fire broke out, and be-
fore it could be got under, two houses were destroyed. Soon
afterwards, when all the people who had been present had
returned to their homes, a second fire was discovered, i4hich,
in a short space of time completely destroyed 17 cottages.
During the night several other fires were seen in different
parts the country.—Galignanes lifessenyer.