The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-09 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,--I have frequently heard it observed by
Lawyers, and indeed I think I have seen it laid down
in books of Law, that it is the peculiar and favourite
province of the Court of Chancery to watch over and
protect charitable institutions of all descriptions, and
especially to regulate the disposal of sums which the
piety of deceased persons has left for the aid or pro-
motion of charitable objects.
Being an accidental attendant last Sunday, during
the performance of Divine service, in a Church situ-
ated at no great distance from your Office, my atten-
tion was forcibly arrested, and indeed, was half-divert-
ed from a very excellent sermon, by an item which
caught my.eye in a List of Benefactions, suspended
in a conspicuous part of the building. The item to
which I refer, seems to ine to allbrd so beantibil au
illustratian of the zeal and effect with which the Court
of Chancery discharges the duty above Specified, that
I cannot help subpu
ung a transcript of it for the en-
joythent and admiration of your Waders
" Mr. John Smeeton bequeathed to these charity schools 20/.,
which am a suit in the Court of Chancery reduced to 61."

If charities in general, however, are as great fa-
vourites with the tribunal in question as the schools
here mentioned, the self-willed public of these days,
Mr. Editor, may be apt to think that such favouritism
cannot be too soon abolished.
Your constant reader,
A CHARITY-SCHOLAR.

London, Sept. '7, 1826.

DEPLORABLE OCCURRENCE.

(From the Buckingham Chronicle).
A deplorable occurrence took place on Monday last, at
ItLittle Kimble, in the household of Mr. John Pope For-
dom, a respectable farmer at that place. Celia White, a
native of Lower Winchendon, a remarkable steady young
woman, who was within a day of completing the 24th year
of her age, having lived servant in the family for nearly four
years, and previously three years in the service of a near re-
lation, was much regarded by the family and her neigh-
bours for her superior behaviour. In the same family was
a young man, who entered into service about the same
time as herself, and with whom a mutual attachment hay-
inf been formed, she was expected to be united at the en-
suing Michaelmas.
On IVltoday the family having gone to dine at a rela-
tion's in the adjoining village, Celia was left, about noon,
at home. Whi'.le Mr. Fordom was sitting down to dinner,
tidings were brotesrlit that Celia was seized in a fit in a
neighbouring field. He immediately hastened home, and
on his arrival found he lying on the kitchen floor, to
which ow kid been carried by tWo labouring men, who
bad witnessed her agony in the field. The poor young
woman having had an hysterical affection some time in the
harvest, he supposed it was a return of the same complaint,
but an awful foreboding on the part of the young woman
indicated a more serious cause. On being assisted from
the field, she intimated that solicitude was needless, as she
should die, and as soon us her lover arrived, she looted at
and aid, I was going after you, Joe? "—The part
of t',`le field in which she fell was about midway between
her neelter's and the young TWIN house. •
Ass' howl as Mr. Fordom saw her, he proposed to her
that she sho:qld he removed to bed, the last words she
uttered were id "slyer to him "pray, let me lie on the
floor." bier age.-.9> was extreme; the seat of her com-
plaint was, as was evideat,from her violent reachings, in
the stomach ; medical etaistatice was immediately sent for
before any relief could arrive,
to Princes Itisbortnigh, .but,
the mifortunate ereature died. Not above 20 minutes
passed from the time she was seen in the field, until she
expired.
When investigation began to be made, it was evident
she bad taken poison.
On Tuesday, the Coroner of the district, Mr, Char4„,'
held an inquest on view of the body, 'end no .044.rieJe
having been adduced to show that she had taken the nniluot,
nor with what view it had been taken, the jury, arer
conned, returned a verdict, " Found poisoned." •
Not the shadow of a suspicion, however, rests upon any
individual alive. The young man alluded to has, we are
asoured, borne a character as exemplary for morals as that
of the deceased. Some circumstances which might have
otherwise escaped notice, have since this deplorable occur-
rence, been brought to mind, which seem to prove of late
irregelerity in the mind of the deceased. She was owa-
sionally moping and irritable; and oilone occasion was
three hours absent frinn home, when sent on au errand
which might have been eXeented in twenty minutes. At.
that very time she was seen by two persons, of Kimble,
on the road to Aylesbury, at two different parts of the
way. ,On tins nerattion, it is suspected, she provided her-
self with the fatal potion.
This Melancholy catastrophe has produced a deep im-
pretaion throughout Kitutile,