The Sun. — 1833-08-09 (London, England)

SAMPSON V. SAMPSON.  This was a suit for divorce, by reason of cruelty and adultery, promoted by Mary Sampson against Richard Sampson, her husband. The libel, on which fourteen witnesses were examined, alleged that the parties were married on the 23,1 of September, 1810, at Bristol, and cohabited till January, 1831, having had six children, four of whom were living—that in 1829 a great alteration took place in the general conduct and habits of Mr. Sampson, who neglected his business, absented himself from his wife and family, and treated his wife with great violence and cruelty, herring her with his clenched fist, swearing at her, and calling her opprobrious names—that in January, 1831, being struck with his clenched fists, Mrs. Sampson complained to a magistrate, and Mr. Sampson was bound to keep the peace towards her, and here the cohabitation ceased. An allegation responsive to the libel, on which seven witnesses had been examined, denied the charges of violence, and pleaded that Mrs. Sampson was in the habit of abusing her husband, and striking him, and scratching his face— that she avowed her only object was to oblige her husband to provide her a separate maintenance ; that the disagreements in 1829 arose from Mrs. Sampson refusing to sleep with her husband, and on one occasion she threw a cat into his room, telling him that she should be his bedfellow. The allegation contained other allegations against Mrs. Sampson, of abusing, spitting at, striking, and scratching her husband, and of threatening to murder him. A further allegation on the part of the wife set up a charge of adultery against Mr. Sampson, alleged to have been committed by him with Hannah Hitchens, wife of George Hitchens, which was denied in a counter-allegation on his part. Dr. DODSON (for Mrs. Sampson), stated, that these parties had lived in the utmost harmony for nearly twenty years, till Mr. Sampson's connexion with Hannah Hitchens. Mr. Sampson, who was a tailor, employed Hannah Hitchens to make waistcoats, and carried the materials to her lodgings, generally in the absence of her husband. Two young men, named Taylor and Riley, who lived opposite, saw acts of indecent familiarity between Mr. Sampson and Mrs. Hitchens, which they intimated to the former by a note, containing the words " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife." The discovery was communi it to Mrs. Sampson, whose notice of led to a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Hitchens, the former of whom kicked Mrs. Sampson, in the presence of Mr. Sampson ; which was acknowledged by Mr. Hirchens himself. Mr. Sampson, the learned advocate observed, was a powerful man, and his wife was a little woman. Other witnesses spoke to acts of cruelty and to marks and bruises on Mrs. Sampson's person. Dr. PursirmostE had never met with a case in which there was so much vindictive feeling as on the part of Mrs. Sampson. Both the charges were got up merely to satisfy her vengeance against her husband, an industrious man, who had raised himself from low beginnings to a respectable situation in life. Mr. and Mrs. Hitchens were persons of reputation. After the suit for cruelty had been nearly brought to a hearing, Mrs. Sampson had been permitted by the Court to ingraft upon it a charge of adultery; though there was nothing in the former plea about her jealousy of Mrs. Hitchens, into which the whole case resolved itself.  The further hearing of the case (which occupied six hours) was adjourned till to-morrow (this day),