The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-05-05
men to keep themselves aAoai until further as

ficent amounts to 2l9. 10 which must be added ss
dead. and 30 wounded in the hospital. making the
total loss TO the battalion 2S2. There is reason,
however, TO hope that there may be yet some in
private houses, which may not be included in the
number Of those whose fate has been known. The
lieutenant colonel slipped of his horse he was
falling, and escaped with a wound in the face. The
body of the porte. .dropoau was picked up, having
the standard firmly cutched in his hand. One SOL
der had musket which had run through his
body The body of one soldier was found COM
pletely pierced through with musket, and many
of the barrels of the gums were beat double. The
number Of bodies found up to this time, amounts 10
l23. The names of the officers killed or drowned
as yet ascenaned, are, Capt. Dore. lieut. Co,tez,
Sub-L-eut. Porte Drapeau Carette and Sub-Lieuts
FoIgues and Lebrick. 1t appears that some people
belonging to the town were walking on the bridge
at the Time Of the accident, for among the bodies
found are those Of a servant and two children.
The Murder of the Countess of GOrlitz.
From Gslignani's Messenger
Most OF our readers must remember the circum-
stances connected with the death at Darmstadl of
the Countess OF Gorlitz, and the suspicion which
was attached for some time to the Count, her hus-
band, who holds the post of Chamberlain to the
Grand Duke. This suspicion was caused princi-
pally by the earnesness with which the Count At
tempted To prevent a diss, ction of the body but
that was fully accounted for subsequently by evil
dence showing that the Countess had so greas a
horror Of dissection that she had solicited her has
band frequently TO promise that in the event OF her
dying before him, her remains should not be ex-
posed 10 such proceeding, and had made this
special injunction in her Will If any suspicion,
however had contRued 10 attach itself 10 the
Count, n has been fully removed by trial OF the
Murderer at Damsladt, which, after lasting more
than fortnight, has just been terminated II may
be necessary, even for those who paid attention to
the case when il was before the public more thana
year ago, to relate the leading facts briefly. The
Countess, who was in possession of handsome
fortune independently of that of her husband was
"a woman OF unbounded charity but OF an eccentric
character. She had for some years resided in
apartments OF the house separated from those of
her husband, with whom, however, she was on
the best terms, visiting him from time to time, aud
receiving his visits. She had always considera-
bic sum OF money in her secrelalre, and had also
rich collection of Jewels. She had caused extra
locks 10 be placed on her secreaire, her drawers,
and the doors of her rooms, and opened the outer
door OF her apartment TO her husband and the con-
hdential servants. One evening, on the return of
the Count from the palace OF the Grand Duke
where he had been dining, he went, as usual 10
see the Countess before retiring TO rest, but could
not obtain adnlittance, and soon afterwards an
alarm was 1alsed that fire had broken out
in the apartment Of the Countess. A locksmith
was sent for; the outer door was broken open
the secretaire in the sittingroom Of the Countess
was on fire. and she was found lying dead on the
floor, with her body partly consumed. AT this time
no suspicion was entertained of her having been
murdered. IL was al first supposed that the secre-
taIe had taken fire from the bougie; but subsc-
quently, as this alone could not account for The
caibonizaton of part of The head and body OF the
Countess, IL was imagined that she had pershed
from spontaneous combustion. When suspicion
fell upon the Count il arose entirely from the ankle
~ that he displayed 10 prevent AN autopsy, from
which il was imagined that he might have adj
mnistercd poison, and then attempted To destroy
the body To prevent detection. Nothing but the
absence of motive for the crime, and the we'll
known affection which had subssted between him
.na tho l-@-.~s, pa ,Sicd isis tiu- n,t tiiai.
Some time had elapsed, and this horrible affair was
stli involved IN mystery, when circumstances oc-
a u.ln he x..t.. ..ft
Count, John Stauii, who occasionally waited upon
The Countess. II was proved that on the evening
oi The calamity, and whilst the Count at the
palace ot the Grand Duke, hc had on various pre-
texts induced the other servants of the household
to go out, and had remained alone in the house for
nearly two hours, with the exception Of visit to
the palace 10 ascertain whether the Count was
hefe, ior The evident purpose OF convincing him
sell that he could commit his intended crime with
impunty. Another circumstance 10 excite suspi-
cion was that the KEYS Of the outer doors of the
apartment OF The Countess were not 10 be found,
thus proving that some person in the house must
have used and then concealed tliem Ii was sup
posed that money and jcwelry belonging TO the
Countess had been removed, but Of this there was
no positive proof in the early part Of the nyesga-
tion. a considerable quantity of jewclry remain
ed, and the Count was not able 10 say what was
missing When Stauff had been arrested, new cir
cumstances came To light twas proved that he had
sent articles of Jcwcry 10 his father, Henry Stauii
and that he had charged his brother James to bury
some jewely at the foot of tree. Many ofthP ati-
cles ound there were proycdto have been the proper
iyofthe Countess. Henry and James Stauif were
therefore asO arrestcd and the three were brought.
lastmonh, for tfa before the tribunal Of Dannsadt.
The evidence ON this occasion left no doubt Of the
guilt Of John Stauil, and there could be no doubt
that bis father and brother knew that he had OBJ
tanned the properly by foul means, but there was
nothing TO show that they had been, directly in
directly. parties 10 the murder IL was also proved
that. alter the murder of the Countess John Stsui
had purchased some yerdigris and mixed il with
"a leiu int
en- for the Count, with the Intention Of poisoning
him. The medical evidence this trial was curious
end interesting. Some Of the most eminent physi-
clans of Germany, and Baron Iebig, the celebrated
chemist, were desired by the Court to give theropi-
Mon a. To the way in which the death ofthe Countess
had been ncaused-whether she had been burned in-
tentonally OF accidentally, and whether spontaneous
combustion in her case was probable The medi-
cal men performed several experiments ON dead
bodies exposed to fire, placing burning furniture,
and even facsimile OF the secrctare, in a closed
room, TO ascertain whether the extensive csrboni-
zation Of the body Of the Countess could have been
Produced by accident, and they reported positively
TO the contrary. On the question Of spontaneous
combustion, Baron Licbig, and the other scientific
men who joined IN the report, declared not only
that y was impossible IN the case of the Countess,
hu, that spontaneous combustion of the human
body IN any case was impossible They declared
that the ordinary belief ON this subject was dclu-
son That they had carefully examined the evil
dence IN all the cases of spontaneous combustion
that had been reported, and found Il all 40 defective
not weigh for an instant against their convic-
ton OF the physical imposeibility Of such occur
renee. The only point on which the medical men
and chemists diticred-but that was Of no inpor-
tance az regarded the charge against John Stauii
wac as regarded the degree OF danger TO human
life in the verdris introduced by him into the
sauce intended for the Count. One chemist de-
clared, for instance, that " he had taken the same
u would not have injured him seriously, as the
strength Of the verligns had been in great degree
carried on by cbulton another, on the contrary
declared, ss the result OF several experiments that
The strength OF the poison was materially Increased
by The ebulliiion. The whole trial was remark able
for the skill and iinpartiality shown by the Presi-
dent, and the anxiety which was eyinccd BY the
Count 10 elicit the trnth, without having recourse
to any OF hose objectionable means which have
sometfncs been Witnessed IN the courts Of the
iincDt John Staufi was found guilty of the rnur-
der, and sentenced TO Imprisonment for life. Ills
father and brother were found guilty in minor
degree, and only sentenced TO few months impri-
sonfItnt
The Corn Trade or England.
From the London Mercantile Gazette. April 10
Ihe grand advantage which the advocates OF