The Sun. — 1844-02-26 (London, England)

PROMOTIONS IN THE ROYAL ARTILLERY.—In addition to the retirement of Lieutenant-Colonel Darby, who has recently returned to Woolwich on sick leave, from St. Helena, Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. W. Arbuthnot, whose routine of service placed him first for the command at that station, has signified his intention to retire, and it is said Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser will proceed to St. Helena. Lieutenant-Colonel Macbean, whose tour of service placed him first to relieve. Lieutenant-Colonel Browne in the command at Gibraltar, his also signified his intention of retiring, but his successor has not yet been named. Lieutenant-Colonel Whitty also retires, and the vacancies occasioned by the retirement of the four Lieutenant-Colonels above named, will be filled up in the month of April next by the promotions of Major J. W. Wood, Major W. E. Jackson, Major G. Durnford, and Matjor Dalton, to be Lieutenant-Colonels. Four Second Captains will consequently be promoted to be First. Captains ; and four, if not more, Lieutenants to be Captains, as there are several of that rank about to retire on full-pay in the course of April next. Lieutenant-Colonel Chesney, the enterprising traveller, whose routine of duty gave him the command of the Royal Artillery in China, has arrived at Hong-Kong, andoassumed the command of that branch of the service, and ranks as Brigadier-General. This gallant officer, immediately on- his arrival, ordered the commencement of operations to ameliorate the unhealthy state of the island, and has given instructions to drain the land, and build. hospitals on the north or most healthy side, and the works were commenced at the date of the latest letters from that quarter. The murderer of M. Donon Cadot, the banker, of Pontoise, who was at the same time robbed of cash, bank notes, and bills, to the amount. of 800,000 f., has at last, by the vigilant activity of the police of Paris, been discovered and arrested. A man named Rousselet, a blacksmith and wheelwright, at Sannois, near Franconville (Seine-et-Oise), bore a bad name, frequently leaving his home, often in the night, nobody knowing where he went. His means of sub..' sistence were precarious, and he was much in debt. At about the period of the death of 11: Donon Cadot, -the circumstances of Rousselet suddenly, changed. He paid his debts, and made considerable purchases ; accounting for this improvement in his fortnne to some, by stating that he had inherited property, and to others .by telling theM that he had found. a heavy purse of money at the railroad station. These tales, however, did not satisfy his neighbours, who observed that he had-become sad and silent, ceased from working, and, indeed, scarcely ever went out of his house. These indications of a disturbed mind reached the ears of the magistracy, and, coupling them with •the dates of the death of the Pontoise banker, and the unac'. countable alteration in the affairs of the Rousselet family, the police determined to arrest them. On Sunday this was executed by officers sent expressly from. Paris. Searches pro*duced the most overwhelming eyidence. Bills drawn or enclOrsed in favour of M. Donon Cadet were found in the dwelling. These were strengthened by comparing the address of the entelope of &packet sent to Pontoise, containing a great number of stolen bills, with the handwriting of one of the. children of Roustelet, which was' unquestionably the same. Rceisselet, his wife; and three children, were secured, and, brought to Paris. When Rousselet saw that he was dez tected, and that his conviction was inevitable,- he attempted to commit suicide, but was prevented. He had evidently for, sometime contemplated this act, for he had dug a sufficient hole in his garden to make his grave, and had chalked on the wall his desire that his body, when- found, shotild be buried there. . . • . M. Gay Lussac was two days ago seriously injured in the laboratory at the Garden of Plants, by the. following accident :—As the professor wasopening a bottle, in order to make an experiment, the sudden admission of the air inflamed the contents and burst the bottle with such. violence that persons•outside conceived it to be the report •of as musket. M. Gay Lussac was thrown down, with his face aad•hands dreadfully.cut by the fragments of the bottle, but it is hoPed that none of the sinews or articulations'of the hands are materially -affected. "A'yoting assistant who was with -him re, ceived a few wounds, but they arq comparatively slight.