The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-02 00:00:00

SUICIDE AT DERBY.

(From a Correspondent of the Morning Chronicle.)
A young man, whose name was Dixon, and who
formerly resided in the family a clergyman of a
neighbouring county, has committed self-destruction,
after attempting the life of a girl, named Caroline
Allen, to whom his affections were confided.

The deceased was about twenty-one years of age,
and about five years ago absconded from service, in
company with the clergyman's daughter. After
making one or two unsuccessful efforts to get united,
they at length succeeded, and were married at the
parish church of St. Peter's, Derby. The father of
the young lady was naturally indignant, and subse-
quently obtained a divorce. It appears that, some
time pending this, the deceased formed an acquaint-
ance with Caroline Allen (whose father formerly re-
sided at Leicester, but is now a copperplate printer
at Derby). Caroline, however, at first refused his
proposals, on account of his former marriage; but
about a year ago her scruples gave way, and she con-
sented to become his.

Caroline seems to have been a frequenter of "sa-
loons" in Derby and Nottingham, and the deceased
procured her an engagement at the latter town as a
vocalist. The deceased's attendance upon her seems
to have been constant, and she complained of his
neglecting his work, stating that she could not main-
tain him unless he assisted by his own industry. He
said if she would consent to marry him, he would attend
to his work, and she gave her consent, and furnished

him with money to get the banns put in, and to pur-
chase certain necessaries for the wedding festivities ;
on one occasion she gave him two sovereigns for this
purpose. The banns ran out, and the deceased (ac-
cording to Caroline's statement) then wished for a
little time, until his friends were more favourable to
the match. In consequence of the delays which took
place, the affair became so Much talked of amongst
their circle of acquaintance in Nottingham, that the
girl determined on breaking the engagement. This
was accordingly done about six weeks ago, but a
friendly correspondence seems to have been kept up
between the parties.
On Christmas-day the deceased came over to
Derby, and had an interview with Caroline at the
Talbot public-house. He requested to know whe-
ther she was still of the same mind. She replied that
she was, and reasoned with him on the propriety of
discontinuing the connexion. He did not seem much
concerned, though he was evidently dissatisfied with
the result of the interview, and exclaimed, "If it must
loe so, it must." On the next day the deceased spent
five or six hours at the house of the girl's father, and
conducted himself in a proper and becoming manner.
At night he saw Caroline at a saloon ; no words of
an angry nature ensued, and they parted in apparent
kindness and friendship. On Friday morning he
called upon her at her father's house in South-street,
and sent a younger sister for a pint of ale. Caroline
was not then down stairs, but she complied with the
deceased's request to " get up," and on de-
scending to the house-place he made very kind
inquiries as to the state of her health, and then pre-
dented her with a glass of ale, saying, " Caroline, this
is to be our parting glass." Not suspecting any
wrong, she drank part of the contents, and immedi-
ately became very ill, being violently purged and
sick. He then told her that he " could not bear to
see the pledge of his affections in the arms of another;"
and stated that, as his former wife was about to e
married to her cousin, and as she (Caroline Allen)
refused to have him, he could not, and would not,
bear it. Caroline was assisted to her bed by her
sisters, and the deceased left the house for a few
minutes. On his return he walked into the bed-room
in an agitated state, with a glass of ale in his
hand, and, before he could be prevented, drank
the contents. He then rushed to the bedside,
expressed a hope that she would be saved, and
that she would remember him, and then sunk upon
the floor, exclaiming, " Let me die in your arms and
I shall be happy " His mouth foamed, his legs and
arms stretched out, and he immediately expired. On
his person were found several letters, showing pre-
meditation, and avowing that if she (Caroline) would
not be his, no one else should have her, and request-
ing that both their bodies might be buried in the same
coffin (if possible), hut at any rate in the same grave.
' A small phial, containing prussic acid, and also a
razor, were found in his pocket; and an empty phial,
which had contained prussic acid, was found in the
house.

An investigation of all the circumstances took place
before Mr. Balguy, Coroner, on Monday last, and a
verdict of felo de se was returned by the jury.

SUICIDE OP AN INSANE LADY.—Last evening, Mr!
Higgs held an inquest at the Salisbury Arms, Durham-
street, Strand, on the body of Mrs. Fanny Renton, aged
45, the lady of Dr. A. H. Renton, who committed sui-
cide. Mrs. Fanny Enoch, of the Island of Madeira, said
she had known the deceased nine years. She was the
wife of Dr. Alexander Home Renton, also of Madeira.
On Christmas-day they arrived in London from Madeira,
and took apartments at Osborne's Hotel. The deceased
had been in an ill state of health, and was decidedly in-
sane. Before they left Madeira the deceased several
times attempted to strangle herself, and was put under
restraint. She also attempted to destroy herself on many
occasions during the voyage, but was prevented. Since
their arrival in England she had appeared much better,
and had more liberty. About half-past twelve o'clock
last night (Tuesday), witness was with her, and wished
her to go to bed ; when she said. "Wait a little while,
us I have to go into this closet." She went in, and wit-
ness followed her in a minute, and found the door fas-
tened. On looking through a hole in the door, she saw
her on her knees, and heard blood running into the
basin. She called or assistance, and the door was broken
open. A razor was in her hand, but how she got it
witness dtd not know. The razor belonged to the doctor.
She died in half an hour after. By the jury—The first
symptoms of insanity were apparent in October last,
whilst she was travelling with the docttT. Every pre-
caution was taken to prevent her doing mischief. The
reason of coming to England was in hopes that the air
of her native land would improve her health, and also to
have the best medical aid. Sir James Clark and other
medical men saw her. The deceased said she could not
account for her anxiety to destroy herself, but a cloud
came over her all at once. She was a most amiable lady,
and had been married to Dr. Renton nine years. Dr.
Renton, had been a resident in the Island of Madeira 28
years.-;=Verdiet, " Insanity."
A remarkably fine baron of beef; intended to be
dressed at Stowe on the occasion of the visit'of her
Majesty and Prince Albert to his Grace the Duke of
Buckingham, on the 13th inst., has been on show at Mr.
Comfort's, of Islington-green. It has been cut from the'
Hereford ox (aged 3 years and 9 months), fed'by Mr. W.
If. Bailey, of Shenley House, Bucks, and which obtained
the prize of ten guineas and a silver medal at the late
cattle-show.

FRASER'S MAGAZINE.

The Church question, which just now engrosses
the attention of the laity as well as the clergy, is here
canvassed in a more temperate and conciliatory spirit
than we should have expected from such a High
Church periodical as Fraser; and the writer is of opi-
nion that an Act of Parliament authorising the
Bishops to take the question of rites and ceremonies
as observed in the Church into consideration, and to
settle the same from time to time, as to their collec-
tive wisdom might appear expedient, would prove at
once the most effectual and the least unpopular re-
medy for the serious evils under which the Establish-
ment laboured. This suggestion is not amiss, but we
fear it would be found very difficult to carry it into
execution. " A Walk from London to Fulham" is a
dull collection of local and other reminiscences, which
are only redeemed by the clever little wood-cuts with
which they are profusely illustrated. In a brief essay,
with the quaint title of " Glimpses of the Pageant of
Literature," the writer, in opposition to the theories
of Wulf and—if we remember rightly—of Payne
Knight, strenuously insists on the }nifty of Homer,
which no dispassionate individual could ever doubt
who had perused attentively the Iliad and the Odyssey.
" Some Rambling Remarks on Horace" contains
some passable critical observations. The remark that
" Horace was a selfish man" is perfectly just; he was
indeed a quick-witted man of the world, who never
lost sight of the interests of Number One, but his
selfishness was not of a repulsive order, but, on the
contrary, sate pleasantly, and even gracefully, upon
him. " A Fine Day in the Temple" consists of a
series of recollections of -eminent lawyers who have
for the last two or three centuries taken up their
abode in this locality. Perhaps our readers may be
amused by the following anecdotes of Louis the
Eight tentn and Sir Sidney Smith, which we quote
from an article headed " Retrospective Gleanings
" Louis XVIII. made dining an object of the first im-
portance. The stories of his gourmandise are numerous:
when in England, an exile, he would daily insist on
seeing the fowls alive that were designed for his table,
and on examining into their plumpness himself. The
caustic remark of Talleyrand upon the journal which
the King published of his escape from Paris, is upon
record:—' It was ajournal ofhis fears and his bills of fare,
his bills of fare and his fears.' The last time we ever
saw him, he passed us in as open carriage as we were
crossing the Place VedOme. He was of frightful bulk,
seeming to enlarge rapidly; from the knees upward, in
one formless mass of flesh and integument. We never
saw in humanity a more uncouth development of the
body, from the effects, no doubt, of his favourite indul-
gence in, eating. It was the opinion of some that Louis
XVIIL was fond of reading: one of the garde de corps,
a young Irishman, being asked if this was the case by a
friend of ottrs, desired him to come to the Tuileries the
next day, when he should be there, on duty, and he
would show him the royal library. The invitation was ac-
cepted ; the young garde de corps led the way to a place
which commanded a view of one of the lower apartments,
where there was a cook in a white dress spitting larks:—
That is the King's library,' said the young soldier ; I
knew no other nearer than the Rue Richelieu'—referring
to the great national library of France.
" We once saw the royal gourmand, in the character
of a soldier, reviewing troops for the first time : Louis
was comfortably seated in a caliche, accompanied by her
whom Napoleon used to style the only man of the family,
the Duchess of Augouleme. The marshals of France,
whe had led the French armies to victory under a diffe-
rent ruler, were all there. On the ground were twelve
battalions of French guards, three Swiss regiments, two
regiments of cuirassiers, with chasseurs, dragoons, lan-
cers, and hussars of the guard ; a regiment of hussars
of the line, and six departmental legions, besides horse
and foot artillery; in all, above 20,000 men. The Duke
of Wellington and King of Prussia, we were told, were
on the ground incognito. The King of France and the
members of the Royal Family remained on the right flank.
We were much struck with the rapidity of the fire of the
artillery, which seemed to be a very perfect military
arm in the French service. We shall not easily forget
the dust and warmth of that day. Paris. in the height
of summer, has a degree of heat at times perfectly
tropicaL
" At this review was Sir Sidney Smith, whom we had
met long before in England. His brother, Mr. Spencer
Smith, we had known almost from the time of his arrival
from Constantinople, where he had been charge d'affaires.
Sir Sidney was distinguished at that time by his leading
a grey horse about the streets, on the back of which we
never once saw him mounted ; he was peculiar for the
smartness of his dress, wearing a claret-coloured coat
with gold buttons. Sir Sidney's merits were never duly
appreciated by the Ministry under which he was em-
ployed : he was too chivalrous for cabinet men and
officials at home ; they disliked him, and he had no love
for them ; he saw much further than they did. His
agreement with the French for the evacuation of Egypt,
which Lord Keith rescinded on his arrival, was repre-
sented to Sir Sidney's disadvantage at home. What was
the result but that, after a most expensive expedition
from England, the blood shed in two or three sanguinary
contests, with the death of Abercromby and the expense
of a second army sent from India—after all these useless
sacrifices, the French obtained terms very little more to
their disadvantage than Sir Sidney had granted. Sir
Sidney's mind was extremely active: simple and straight-
forward, his imagination was continually at work."

MAGA ZINES —(CONTINUED.) 1 What heavy joinery work I Surely, it was shaped by
HOOD'S MAGAZINE. an adze, and put together by some bungler, ignorant of
- .)! ...tark vulgarity !
• • • •
tut • 01 .'he or c.,remony ! How
has a bon, gcti,u,, .uutt-,.;in.c,a.u.L.)—iii.tc '•• "."'"
we are compelled, perforce, to be brief in our notice i
esta)rftvito the touchil—dirhow p%lNera,,sliantwteo
havetht. eyes t !. At lal
away the
of it. The Number, on the whole, is a good ave- covering ;anweghaveags.cratched a little of ther gildinyg off,
rage one, and the most entertaining articles are those and what is there beneath ?—why oak, mere oak ; a
which proceed from the pen of the editor, who, in ad- 1 younger branch of the tree—a piece of kindred wood to
dition, contributes several whimsical illustrations. the three-legged stool. The same material makes stool
The present chapters of " Our Family" contain several and chair—but then the magical delusion worked by
lively touches of character, not unworthy of Sterne. damask, gold, and dainty carving !
The subjoined " Anacreontic, by a Footman," will, "In this way it is our hope to show St. Giles and St.
no doubt, cause our readers a hearty laugh : James—to prove their brotherhood—their identity of
It's wery well to talk in praise material. We may, here and there, scratch a little of the
Of Tea and Water-drinking ways, gilding off one, but only to display the kindred nature of
In proper time and place ; both. Thus, St. James may sometimes appear to be only
Of sober draughts, so clear and cool, St. Giles better stuffed, and with a brighter covering."
Dipp'd out of a transparent pool
Reflecting heaven's face.
Of babbling brooks, and purling rills,
And streams as gushes from the hills,:
It's wery well to talk—
But what becomes of all sich schemes,
With ponds of ice, and running streams,
As doesn't even walk ?
When winter comes with piercing cold,
And all the rivers, new or old,
Is frozen far and wide ;
And limpid springs is solid stuff,
And chrystal pools is hard enough
To skate upon, and slide ;
What then are thirsty men to do,
But drink of ale, and porter too,
Champagne as makes a fizz ;
Port, sherry, or the Rhenish sort,
And p'rhaps a drop of summut short—
The water-pipes is friz !

ILLUMINATED MAGAZINE.
Our usual magazine notices have unawares ex-
tended to such a length and encroached so much on
our space, that we are compelled to be brief in our
account of this periodical. The Number, on the
whole, is a good one, but its chief recommendations
are to be found in its illustrations, some of which are
as highly finished as the most fastidious amateur of
the Fine Arts could desire. " Our Christmas Dream"
is particularly clever, to say nothing of its seasonable-
ness, and represents a jolly, good-natured fellow fast
asleep in his arm-chair, while punch-bowls, prize
oxen, mince pies, sirloins of beef, plum puddings, and
a host of similar Christmas emblems are dancing on the
trays in glorious confusion before him. This plate is
very much in Cruickshank's manner, and is every way
worthy of that master of the grotesque and the familiar.
Among the cleverest literary articles is an essay on
"The Influence of Education on the Wear and
Tear of Life." As a specimen of the poetry of the
Illuminated Magazine, we subjoin Mr. Wade's
" llymn to the New Year," chiefly, however, on
account of the seasonableness of the subject, for it is
by no means remarkably brilliant either in thought or
expression :
Another course the horses of the sun
Along the viewless zodiac have run,
And all but to commence
Their varied journey o'er again:—
Their hope of resting may be vain,
For many a cycle hence!
" Their task began with young creation's dawn,—
The chariot of their ruler they have drawn
Up to this passing hour—
And through the long eternity,
Just like a river to its sea,
Shall be their onward power—
" A power that scorns the whirlwind's noisy wrath.
And e'en o'ertakes the lightning in its path,
Slow creeper though it be—
Time is a tortoise that will find
His way and leave far—far behind
All other rivalry!
" O'er aged cities bath he swept his wings—
Entombed in dust the purple pride of kings,
And chronicled a few.
But on he goes, all careless still—
Much less inclined to cure than kill,
Or give desert its due!
" Yes! time's a canker, a most slow disease,
Whose cravings not an antidote can please;—
There is no cautery
To sear and heal the wounds he makes—
He has no thought for others' sakes—
A selfish thing is he!
" Another year! how many hearts unborn,
And hopes unblossomed yet or on the thorn
Of sharp anxiety,
Will in thy course spring up or fade—
How many a cheek shall be decayed,
And ling'ring—ling'ring die!
" But let us trust that, coming year! thoul't bring
The promise of ripe Summer on thy wing,
And. like the almond trees,
Give us good token of thy fruit
By blossoms, that ere leaves can shoot,
Will scent the wandering breeze!"