The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-07-14
I II E ISPA TCH.
wEDNEg ~ aoNIihG ...........JuIY !. is,a.
A singular Case of Crtme-Cle f.y-
man Transuoriri

ON the 10th slt the Rev samuel Smith Of the
Established church Of England. was shipped from
Liverpool, 10 undergo four years penal se:yitude,
idr attempt ~ kill John Leach, railroad con
ttaStor In surry. The case attracted much a,ten-
tou ia Epsls..i, both ron the landing and IsArn
ing OF the minister and thesngu gulsrty o. the case.
The circumstances rs developed ~ the trial, are
these;
The prosecutor. John Leach, IL a contractor liv.
III a. CroyI don, in surrey T~elve years ago
when about twenty years ot age, be was IN the ser
wee # MCGsrs Swan Edgar, a. "a light porter. 4
young woman. named Sarah Mills, entered the
.Ame service in lSiB, An intimacy sprang Up be-
tween her aud Leach. WHO at the saue time Was
engaged 10 another young V man. whom he at
forwards married. fhriC Feistiobs continued un-
| I'll the beginning OflSi9. In September. 1873.
! Mr. samuel Smith, then a student at Cambridge,
saw Sarah mills, and fell IN love with her. His
father WAS "a b b'nei.Ced clergyman. but poor, and
/ with n large family Smith states that he support
ci himself from hls sixtee nth yeat hy teachug.
! when he met Sarah Mills be was too poor to
marry but II agreed that they should be mar
rlrI a. soon their circumstances would permit
! They were in fact married in JBiy. 1873 At that
time sir smith had obtained second mastetshlp at
! Bishops College. Bristol with salary Of hun
| drrd wear. On his marriage lie did not I'M
ucdiateiy bring his wife home, but left her, at his
/ charge. with her parents, in heEt. Between TINS
rrriod and the Christmas Of the same year, Sarah
smith. thus left at q distance from her Instant,
! WAS Induced to renew an intercourse now become
| guilty with her former acquaintance, Leach; al
though after the close OF lSi9. Il does psar
! that the parties ever rae; each other letter uI
lwr occasionally PASSED between them, but, alter
ISL all acquaintance ceased, ana Mrs sinith went
| l., i've with her husband, now Clergyman OF fEe
Established Church. aud the principal ol school
| wnich he had established near Bristol.
In 1852 Le.cb married His wifi died in 1851.
| NeauW bile Mrs smith appears to have lived hap
lily with her hubbard. His circumstances Eradt-
tf,flf ~ t,4ytr
huaiTet "A year ana he WAS Sst2Chea to his family
In Jsuuary uf .he present war Mrs. Smith made 4
disclosure which, as he s,id blasted his haPpi-
re.s.' Previously hc had observed that she was
! often nCagch0ly. Gud he fet some nueasiness,
| but as sha was the mother Of his children, and
ui,Gas sed his house we'll, ha sItled his misgivings
At last, the 23i Of January, she fell at his feet
ard confessed her intideiity iu lS49. This confes
| son produced in his mind A sort of frenzy, and a
desire 10 iufl ct punishment on the who had
/ wiODged him. Tie idea that be then conceived
aud All his subsequent proceedings, suggest dis
ordered intellect. His wife Was az his feet implOring
forgiveness. lie promised It on coLdiiun that she
- uuld lure Leach within his reach she ecOnsentcj
sni under the direction Of her husband ote 70 her
former lover, stating that she had been ett widow
aud expressing a detire to renew the old Intimacy
! After a brief correspondence, meeting was fixed
fur the 81 of February, and LEACH went down 10
\ ale to keep the appointment. There Mrs. Smith
met him, dressed in widows weeds, and. under
| tie shade Cf night. she led him TO common,
! where he attacked by Mr. smith. The latter
protests that his deriEu dId not extend beyoul
giving Leach "a good beating" hut it is scarcely
CONTESTANT with this statement that on the day be-
i,re he should have bought a revolver. which WA
| fund loaded ana capped the # the as
| -aUt. We need not go over the desperate scuffla
in tho DARK, the rescue the Identification OF Smith,
| tHe committal and tial.
i In q long speech to the jury, Mr. Smith attempt
ei to ptlate his conduct. lie owned that lac
could not jGstify his Conduct, " hich he should al
wuys iameut, hat hoped it would be justly appre.
cauet Ay the jadse and jury, WHO could not blame
hln rbr the burning Indignation which had over.
come his whole hciug. lie iuplored the jury TO
put themselves in bis ppca aud ask what redress
Ihr i-ws Of the land and court Of justice could
have given him.
The jury, however, found him guilty Of cutting
and wuUniiHg, vii. in'ent to disfgute aud do
-rieyous bodily harm; and he was sentenced by
Ds-on Chanuelt, to 'Ouf years Of penal seryliude.