Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-07-24
Auousterlhancery suit.

The case Of Dyce Sombre which has been in.
chanccry for many years and in which the proli-
pons sum Of fsD00O has already been con sum.
cd in Gusts. ha. been recently decided IN favor
Of the widow Of tie te-tatur. whose insanity
/. thereby recognized The London Times ot
July thus comments upon the case.
.'arhe case of Mr.. Dyce Sombrc. after welding
harvest upon harvest Ia lawyers and mad doc
tors. has ended at last in judgement which de-
elares his insanity at the time of making hi+ viii,
and - hanls some Gl0,000 year To his widaw
The On So presents 9nsilerabe matter frr rrf"c
ton 10 the curious in psychology, and som" hiro
to the mornlist and observer OF social lie Nes'
or was more time and trouble spent III provinga
mad man.
MIR Dyce Sombre was fighting for his senses
up 10 the hour Of his death. and engaged IN per.
petuaI hostlliies with commissions md doctors,
whom he managed it must be allowed.w'h grent
dexerity to keep al bay fora considerable pof'
ton Of this period of his life. The game OF doc
Tor against doctor the fayorlte one and he
played with skil,--iorming large and powerful
medical alliances, by the help of which he defen-
ded himself courageously, and maintained Tor
long intervals belligerent and military position
of sanity. guarded by paid scntnels and house
hold troops but held in the continual fear OF cap
ture and surprise.
in the year I8i3 he escaped from the control
of sanitary commission and set out on r.gL-
bis senses and in his right mind. lie gained
verdict foom some French physicians, On the
strength of which he set up confidence as same
man though his sanity was still OF a local and
conditional kind. confined to the favorable and
partial soil Of France. 1t could not pass the Bit
ish Channel; at Dover, Mr. Dyce Sombre would
still be mad and straight waistcoat awaited him
If he ever ventured to cross the sea Lord l-ynd
hurst. aware that he could not induce him to re-
turn in any other way, allowed him safe con
duct and his personal liberty being gun 'nteed
tn him under the sacred faith Of Chancrry, Nr,
Dyce Sombre came over again TO thi- coun,r,
and had personal interview with Lord LYnd
hurst. the effect of which was AN entire reversal
in his lordship's judgement ottho Frech verdict.
Mr. Dyce SoInbre, hcipg still IN the gnsranteed
employment of his liberty, returned TO the CONT
nont, aud 'caused an investigation to be made in
to his sanity both at 81, Petersburg and Brussels,
whore all the hysicans who ware cons ulled
by him reported him IT, be sound IN mind.'-we
presume after the receipt Of proper ana suitable
fees. This state of things went on for SOME time,
England aud the continon being at war on tho
subject Of Mr.. Dyce Sombre's understanding and
TINT gentleman enjoying pertect freedom and fun
legal sanity abroad, wie n commission was
claiming him all the limo IN this country 1t WAS
during this period that Mr. Dyce Sonbre mace
the will which is the subject of 80 much d. pnte.
ut appears that the existence of u commission
of lunaey does not of Itself invalidat, will mas
much as the individual mny improve before its eS-
piraton, or may have lucid interval. The ques
ton was then, now, whether either IT thrse
was the case of Mr., Dyce Sambre. 1t appears
TINT, with that sef-consoiousness and cunning
which SO often belongs to the lunatc he could
profess 10 dispossess himself of his decisions for
time and talk of them dcluSions: and in
these subtle strateges he was aided by some in
tcrested persons whom DIR. lushngton justly
condemns in his judgment-persous "who used
all their influence with him to induce and con
ccnl from his medical advisers. and, indeed
all whose duty l. was to discover the truth those
feelings and convictions which had been deemed
insane decisions. He was urged to MS
sumo u given character and to carry cut delib
crate scheme Of deception.
$50 much for the psychological features Of MI.
Dyce Sombre's career. There are other obscr-
vations, however, which it invites besides these.
We do not profess to WELD the pen of Juyrnal,
aud we hope the present characteristics OF socie-
ty do not require it. But the defects of fashion
able lie, the alteration of money, the spirit which
will sacrifice tho daughter of an illustrious lam
ly TO wealth and show, and procure rich
husband Mt any cost, and no matter how low,vul-
gar and immoral one he may be-hese featn-
res-we trust not common ones of aristocratc
life, do unbappily come up TO the surface on par.
ticular occasions, and call for remark,
"Mr, Dyce Sombre did not enter English so
ciety in the first instance, and even before this
melancholy stage ofhs life, free from all stain.
The judge who delivers the judgment ut this tr
al alludes to his mixture of European and Ash
attic blood, and European and-Asiatc babits-the
combination of tho Romanist faith with Ma
homedan life. Yet such a specimen--and not u
refined one of half cased blood, tone, morals
and mind, could gain the daughter of a noble
family, and the bearer of a name distinguished in
| the annals of British glory. 1t is this name,
borne by a lady, and one, too, who has succeeded
to all those advantages of refined education and
all the proud sentiments and feelings which be
| long to her position which is now going the round
of the press, associated with charges which eve
rybody know s,indeed, to be tho ravages of insan-
ity, and which constitute the giea, proof which
| that insanity rests, but of which the simple men
ton and the simple statement in print are horrible
aud revolving. Such consequences could not, Of
! course he tOreseen; but lofter standard, and
| trner refinement and delcacy than that which
mere fashionable lite counterfeits, would have beeu
safeguard IN the first instance against them, and
| would have blocked the entrance of tho road
! which led to such termination. The name that
! allied itself to that of Dyce Sombre has paid
| dearly for the advantages Of that alliance, and
! even the El0,OO0 year, which Is now added to
the $4,000 secured by jointure is no greater
! compensation than ought to be given for the
| loss of dignity and the stain of dpbasing aud de-
| grading associations with the historical title of
| st. Vincent
LANDING OF SLAVES IN CuBA.--The slave
! trade between Africa and Cuba is carried ON with
| great ACTIVITY at the pr, spnt time. A cores
! pendent ef the New York Tribune writes undo.