The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-02 00:00:00

ATTEMPT TO MURDER.

- - -
BRIGHTON, APRIL 30.—1 t appears that a few weeks ago,
in consequence of the dePredations committed by persons in
Stammer Park, in search of birds' nests, that a man named
Carter and one or two others were set to watch for tres-
passers. Shortly afterwards a labourer named Beard, who
lived near Carter's house, was taken up for trespassing on the
park, and immediately conveyed before the Earl of Chiches-
ter. Beard had been working for a farmer, and, in conse-
quence of his misconduct, he was discharged. This took
place about three weeks ago. Last Saturday evening Carter
went to bed soon after nine o'clock; leaving his wife up. She
was at work till twelve, when she also went to bed. She had
scarcely put out the light, when she heard the report of a
gun, and almost at the same time the window was struck.
Carter was asleep, but his wife soon awoke him, and they
both got up, and d►d not go to bed again that night. On ex-
amining the room they discovered that one of the panes of
glass had been shot through, apparently with a bullet ; and,
on a further examination, they found some broken pieces of
marble, which had evidently been shot through and hit the
bed-post, on which was a mark. Early on Sunday morning
Carter acquainted Sergeant Phillips, of the East Sussex con-
stabulary, with these circumstances. Phillips immediately
proceeded to Beard's house, and, finding the door fastened,
.he knocked for admittance. No one came, and Phillips ob-
tained an entrance by the window. On going into Beard's
bed-room he found a gun, which appeared to have been re-
cently used. It had been wiped out, and the flint was taken
out and laid on the drawers. A tobacco pipe was also dis-
covered, into which some powder had been recently poured.
Phillips having ascertained that Beard was at Kingston, pro-
ceeded thither, and apprehended him. He was conveyed to
Lewes, and on Monday was brought up 14efore one of the
Lewes magistrates, but in the absence of some material evi-
dence, Thillips requested that he might be remanded till
Tuesday (yesterday) afternoon, which was accordingly done.

MURDER AT BATTERSEA.
• (FURTHER PARTICULARS.)
I ;Tuesday- a more accurate personal description of the sup-
posed murderer was sent by route to the different stations of
the Metropolitan Police and elsewhere than that furnished on
Monday night. He is described as being 50 years of age,
5 feet 6 inches in height, dark hair, bald in the front of the
head, has a deep scar on his forehead, small square cut
whiskers, and is supposed to be dressed in a black surtout
coat, black velvet waistcoat, with blue gls ss buttons, black
stock, and rather broad-trimmed hat ; he has absconded from
his lodgings, and expressed his intention of committing
suicide.
The police, in the course of their inquiries, have ascertained
that the deceased and Augusta Dalmas, the murderer's
youngest daughter, left home between seven and eight o'clock
on Monday evening; that they were met near to Battersea-
bridge by Dalmas, who accompanied them to the house of
Mrs. Polley, No. 9, Bolton-place, Upper Church-lane, Chelsea,
where he had obtained a situation for his daughter. The
girl states, that her father and Mrs, M'Farlane saw her to
the door, took her boxes into the passage, and they then left
her ! This was about half-past eight o'clock. The chain of
evidence is then broken until about ten o'clock, when a woman
saw them together at the foot of the bridge on the Chelsea
side.
It having been ascertained that the prisoner had visited
Charlotte, who is the second eldest daughter, and is in the
service of Mr.'Patrick, 18, Montpelier-square, Brompton,
Inspectors Busain and Sheppard proceeded thither yesterday
afternoon, and those officers gleaned particulars, of which
the following is a correct synopsis :—'That Dalmas came to
her at a quarter past eleven o'clock—about three-quarters of
an hour after the murder took place. He was so pale, and
trembled so much, that his daughter, who received him on
the door-step, became exceedingly alarmed, and entreated
of him to tell her what was the matter. Her father, in a
loud and passionate tone, said, " I have poisoned Mrs.lllTar-
lane." His daughter dropped on her knees, and, embracing
her father, said," Tell me, oh tell me what you have done?
You cannot have done that." He replied, " No, I've not
poisoned her, but I've given her that which will do for her."
'The daughter stated that she then caught hold of her father's
hand; it was cold, and had an open knife in it, which cut
her finger, and it bled profusely. The murderer then took his
daughter's finger with his left hand, raised his right, in which
the knife was, but giving her finger a violent wrench he
dropped it, and darted from her. Since that time he has not
been heard of.
The letters found at his lodgings in Montpelier-place are
ver lengthy. They are certainly not the production of a
man labouring under excitement, although allusion to self-
destruction is constantly made.
The murderer is said to have come from the south of
France. He is not only a clever operative chemist, but an
excellent linguist.
A most melancholy occurrence has happened in connec-
tion with this dreadful affair. Caroline, the eldest daughter
of the murderer, who is in service at No. 2, Ilalkin-place,
Belgrare-square, was on Tuesday morning incautiously ac-
quainted with the dreadful occurrence, and has since be-
come a maniac.
No clue has as yet been obtained as to the retreat of the
murderer.

DEATH FROM EALCESSIVE DanninvG.—Tuesday,
Mr. Baker held an inquest at the Ben Jonson, Palmer-street,
Spitalfields, on the body of John Hopkins, aged fifty-six
years. It appeared by the evidence that deceased was a
weaver, and for several months past had been in the habit
of drinking ardent spirits, and had not been sober a single
day since the Ist of April last. On Tuesday week last he
had been drinking the whole of the day, and on returning
home about twelve o'clock at night, slipped from the kerb-
stone into the kennel, in doing which he struck himself a
blow on the right eye, in which condition he was found
by a police-constable. lie was thereupon conveyed to the
station-house, when Mr. Mears, a surgeon, dressed his
wounds, and on the following morning he was taken before
the magistrate at Worship-street, who fined him five shil-
lings for drunkenness. The following day he complained
much of his head, and he was again medically attended by
Mr. Mears ; but he grew worse, and on Friday last he sud-
denly expired. Mr. Mears stated that deceased had died
from effusion of the brain, accelerated by his habits of drink-
ing and the injuries he had sustained by the fall. The jury
returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony.
Our Contemporaries are full of speculation
already
sadto
who will succeed Lord Ellenborough. Some hnoUnrteeotTs
appointed Sir James Graham; others harve_ebnere
enough to bestow the high office on Si
Of the former appointment we have, as y yk
nPoowt ti iendggeer
;.
eHt, no
is, would remind his patrons of the press,
England, there we
-ears been a rule not to
but to -the latter, in addition to Sir Henrys absence from
another objection.. It has oflate.
appoint •er d.
,ernments o n la, In the
subordinate governments
supreme or to the is about to happen, occurred between
servants of the East India3Gompanv either to the
intervals which have, al.
' member of Council undertakes the duties
another, the senior. .
the 'departure of one Governor-General and the arrival of
of that great office, but permanently the Company's servants
are not made Governors. It is to such a rule—for which
good reasons prevail—that we may attribute the exclusion
(f Mr. Muuntstuart Elphinstone and Str Charles Metcalfe
from a position for which either distinguished statesmen is
so pre-eminently qualified.—Correspondent lf the Herald.
aanionuitel adriyn
noefr
tsbeciFiareeritymaswaosns,ceTleal
JOB AND POST•MASTERS, &C., PROVIDENT FUND
at
bS r°actiejdT lTuesdayie llftbhy
vern. The Hon. P. S. l'ierrepont, one of the Vice-Presidents
of the Society in the chair, supported on the right by the
Earl of March, and on the left by the Earl of Rosslyn. There
were also present the Earl of Pembroke, Colonel Knox, Brice
Pearce, Esq., John Murdock, Esq., T. Handley, Esq., MX,
Captain Knox, R.N., Sir .Noel Harris, Duncan, Esq., Sir
Henry Peyton, Earl of Sefton, Hon. Captain Petty, Lord
Dillon, and other distinguished patrons and friends of the
Society, with a nynerous company. In the course of the
evening it was announced by the chairman, that, after de-
ducting the expenses, the funds belonging to the Society
amounted to 2,2611.65. 6d. A large sum was afterwards sub-
scribed, and amongst the principal subscribers were the Hon.
P. S. Pierrepont, 26/. ss. (in addition to 600/. already sub-
scrilled) ; Earl of Pembroke, 101. 10s.; Earl of Bosslyn
10/..105. ; Grey, Esq., 211.-; Colonel Knox, 10/. 103.;
Eat, Esq., 101. 10s., &c. The evening was passed with
much hilarity, the company being equally well disposed to
enjoy themselves, and contribute to the fund for the relief of
decayed job.masters_, post-masters, coach proprietors, or
horse dealers, for whose. benefit the charity is instituted.
Thre was some good singing under the direction. of R
Mr.
C.
Bruton,, assisted by Digests. F. Martin,
Smith, G. Pyne, Ashton, and Griffin. J. Perrmg, R. F .