THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 8, Issue 696, 31 October 1865, Page 3

THE ENGLISH MAIL.

[FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.] London, August 26, 1865. (Concluded from ourlast.) Tins acquatic world has been in a, fever of excitement on account of two great sculling 'matches having recently taken place. On the 9th inst., the championship of the Thames and £450 was competed for by Henry Kelly and Robert Chambers. Six years ago these men met, and Henry Kelly, who was then the champion, succumbed to Chambers, who was champion of the Tyne. From that day forth Chambers had enjoyed .a round of continued success, beating all who dared aspire to the honor. At last it was determined that the old opponents should once more meet, and on the day named both men appeared at the scratch, looking perfect pictures of health and strength. Both seemed confident, and, after a severe Struggle, Kelly succeeded in shaking off his opponent, and came in the winner by four boats' length. .." On the 18th, the same men met at King's Lynn, but in this match there was a third competitor, one Cooper^ who has acquired considerable fame in rowing circles. The prize contended, for was £250, and, the day being very fine, a" splendid race ensued; but, from the first, Chambers seemed to have no chance, and the^ struggle lay between Cooper and Kelly. For some time Cooper held the lead} but being hard pressed by Kelly, he deli-? berately fouled the champion, and Kelly was, hailed the winner. ' ' The last few days have been unfavorable to cricket; so much so that several matches, to which all looked forward, have had to be abandoned, and in the match between Surrey and England the game had to be drawn. The first of the three great international reviews has taken . place at Cherbourg, which town for three days gave itself up to fetes, balls, dinners &c, in honour of their English guests ;' and, with a grace that seems inherent to the French, everything was done that could be done to add to the enjoyment of "Les Anglais." From Cherbourg the two fleets have gone to Brest, where they meet to-day, and from whence they will come to Portsmouth, where every preparation is being 'made for another spell of enjoyment. What would the shades of Nelson and Villineuve.say to all this ? I do not know whether you are troubled with quack doctors at Hawke's Bay, but we in London — having during the last two years been subjected to a new species of infliction from these wretches in the way of " Anatomical Museums," into which the unwary are entrapped — were rather pleased the other day, when, at Croydon, one of these worthies had to answer an action for damages on account of the treatment to which he subjected one of his poor gulls. In the case in question it was proved that a fellow of the name of Lowe, who, on examination, owned that he was not a medical man, but had for the large sum of two guineas purchased a sort of medical certificate in America, set up one of these museums in the Strand, and, by issuing pamphlets and advertisements calculated to frighten and deceive the unwary, entrapped, amongst others, a young man of the name of Ruddock, and, having " physicked" him for some thirteen weeks at the i*ate of £2 per week, made him worse than he was when he first submitted himself to Dr. Lowe's tender mercies. Ruddock, at last tired of paying money to suffer pnin, applied as he should have done in the first instance to a regular medical practitioner, who, in evidence, stated that the stuff administered by this ignorant quack, was nothing else than corrosive sublimate, a most injurious and deadly thing to give to a person in the plaintiff's condition. The jury were of the same opinion, and our friend, the so-called doctor, had to pay £100 for his tender care of Mr, Ruddock, and as there were three more cases of the same nature against him, Mr. Lowe will not find his income benefited by this introduction to a Judge and Jury. But with regard to the result as it concerns Lowe peissnnlly we have little or nothing to do, but can only trust that this exposure of quackery will deter a few simpletons from being snared. I learn his " Museum" is now shut up. The last act connected with the Staplehurst railway accident has been performed by the conviction of Benge, the plate-layer (whose remissness caused the accident) of manslaughter, and his being sentenced to nine months' imprisonment. The jury, however, could not separate without endorsing the general opinion of the public, by adding a rider to their verdict recommending that the railway company should in future employ a better educated man for such a responsible position. As this recommendation will, however, involve an expense of some few shillings a week, it is generally thought that their steamy highnesses the directors, will not be prepared for such an outlay. The sentence of death passed upon Constance Kent has, as was anticipated, been commuted for one of penal servitude for life. It has since been semi-officially reported that, eventually, the iinhappy girl will be sent to Western Australia. Whatever is her fate, it is some satisfaction to think that the English public will not be again troubled with her dark history. Dr. Pritchard was executed at Glasgow on the 28th ult., and to the last stated that his latest confession contained the whole truth regarding the terrible crimes for -which he suffered. With, his death another sad scene closes, and one of the most detestable criminals that has lately come before the public has passed away. It seems destined that we should not be without some horror before us, and the case to which I now have to draw the attention of your readers, far exceeds any that it has been my fate to record for several months. As far- back as last February, the body pf a child was found upon a public road near Torquay. Enquiries being substituted, two women of the respective names of Harris and Winsor, were arrested and brought to trial for murder. From the somewhat incomplete state of the evidence, the jury were, at the last assizes, unable to agree and were discharged, but the Judge directed that, the prisoners should be kept in custody,- and brought up for trial at the next assizes, which was accordingly done on 28th July, -when Harris, who had turned Queen's evidence, gave such details of the crime, as also of the doings of the woman Winsor, that one would be in-

clined to think the arch-fiend himself had invented the tkle. Unfortunately, the evidence ,of the other, witnesses only tended to prove its truth, and one is compelled to believe the appalling that this wretch was in the , regular habit, for a given sum, of destroying children. Harris says in her evidence that Winsor had undertaken to nurse her child for her, but suggested that the quickest and best course to pursue was to put it out of the way, and, in favor of this advice, recounted various cases in which she had effected such things. The girl eventually yielded to the terrible suggestion of the hag, and, while she sat in the - adjoining room, Winsor quietly smothered the baby. The evidence was so clear that the jury immediately found the prisoner guilty, and she now Jies under sentence of death. This conviction has brought before the public a terrible spectre that seems to haunt it ever since, for at rfnee the question arises — Is this the only woman that is guilty of such diabolical pi-ac-tices, and is she the only one in all England that will, for a sum varying from £2 to £5, make away with a child ? The case has caused attention to be directed to the matter; it has been discussed in every possible manner, and numerous plans are suggested by which the increasing crime of infanticide may be checked. : A point of Taw' has since been raised in favor of the prisoner, by which the legality of the discharge of the first jury without a verdict being given has raised serious doubts in the minds of some of the judges as to the justice of her* conviction. So strongly has it been urged, that the Lord Chancellor has directed the matters to be argued before the whole of the Judges next term. . The prisoner is therefore respited till next November ; but should the present conviction be quashed, there is little doubt she will be indicted for one of the other numerous murders which she admitted to Harris. From necessity, not from choice, I have to use part of the space allotted to me for the purpose of furnishing a grim catalogue of murders, no less than eleven of which have been committed within the last sixteen • days. First in enormity are five committed by one man . This wretch having deserted his ' own wife and seduced another man's, led with his paramour a life of vice, obtaining his living by billiard sharping, betting, &c. He completed his evil career by driving away from him by his violence the woman whom he had seduced. She having deserted him, he for revenge, possessed himself of her three children, and, taking them to a coffee house, hired beds and then poisoned them by means of prussic acid. Hastening away from the scene of these crimes, he proceeded to Ramsgate, and, there suddenly presenting himself before the wife whom for seven years he had deserted, he destroyed her and her child. And, now, forsooth, this •wretch claims to be an injured member of society — because society would not always " stand and deliver" when he bid it administer to his vicious wants. At Dewsbury, on Saturday, a Volunteer named Eli Sykes called upon a girl to whom he was paying his addresses, and because she discards him, and desires him not to trouble her any more, he deliberately, stabs her to death with his bayonet. The mother interfering for the protection of her daughter shares the same fate, and the villain makes a mock attempt to destroy himself. One of those murders which sometimes disgrace the army, has been committed at Chatham by a private in the Engineers. This murderer, because he underwent some slight punishment on the order of his Major, at once declares him a " tyrant," and, seeking his opportunity, deliberately fired a rifle at him. For ten days did his victim linger in great torment until death released him from his misery. Thus has a cowardly scoundrel cut off for his own petty purposes of revenge, one of the most intelligent and bravest officers of the English army ; for, as such, Major do Vere was justly known. The frequency of these crimes in the army has raised the question whether it would not be best to let a court martial deal with such offcuces, so that a wretch of this description might as a warning to his late comrades expiate his crime in their presence. If every soldier who has a grievance is thus to avenge himself, no officer's life will be safe, and the army will quickly become an unruly mob. As though these murders were not sufficient to satisfy the most morbid disposition, on Wednesday last London was bhocked with the news that a woman had destroyed three of her children. The murders were perpetrated during the temporary absence of the father. The only reason for these crimes given by the. murderess is, that she was afraid they would come to want, and therefore they would be better off in Heaven. Is it true that murders are epidemic? Here, in little more than a fortnight, have eleven murders been committed, by people of whose sanity there is little doubt, and who all profess that they consider they have done right. But it is too horrible to discuss; so, let the curtain fall, and we will talk of more pleasant topics. For that purpose let us cross the channel to France. The Emperor, accompanied by the Empress, has been paying a visit to Arenenberg, where his mother passed so many years in exile, and where he at one time had to take refuge. He was everywhere received with enthusiasm, and his gracious condescension to those who knew him in the days of adversity, is highly spoken of. -On leaving Arenenberg he was very much affected, and, as a souvenir, left behind him 30,000 francs for the poor. At last all Europe can understand the Schleswig-Holsteiu question, for, thanks to the conduct of Austria and Prussia, it is rendered " quite plain." These Royal robbers having indulged in a quarrel, and no little bullying, determined not to fight about the matter, but quietly divide their spoil — not paying the slightest attention to the Duke of Augustenberg's claims, for the maintenance of whose rights it was pretended they had gone to war with Denmark. So Prussia is to have Sehleswig for her shnre of the plunder, while Austria takes care of Holstein ; but in the arrangement Prussia has decidedly got the best of the division, for though Austria is nominally to hold Kiel, Prussia is to garrison it, and at the same time she is to have a great deal to do with Holstein, while Austria is not to interfere at all with Schleswig. Th.ua has Austria by

her own folly, raised her rival in power and influence at her own expense, and must now quietly sib down by her bargain, for fight she dare not, on account of the many "happy families " her empire is composed of. But the most ridiculous figure is cut by the little petty States who first got up the war, and have been roughly shelved by these two bullies. The Pope has called for 3000 soldiers to join the banner of the Keys. At first it was said that this was done in anticipation of the evacuation of Rome by the French, but this is now denied, aud the number required, it is stateif, is only for the purpose of filling certain great gaps that exist in his Holiness' army. A 1 prince having been born in Portugal, King'yictorEmanuel, the "excommunicated" of the; Church, had the impudence to send Prince Amadeus to Lisbon to represent him as godfather at the infant prince's baptism. The Papa V)' Nuncio waxed exceeding wroth, and refused to let Prince Amadeus take any part in the ceremony; so His Highness, finding that he was not wanted, left Lisbon, not the best pleaseji with the result of his mission. There is Htt|e doubt that this last insult to the King of Italy by the Papal Government, cannot but embitter the already angry feelings that exist between Rome and Italy, and which must eventually come' to an open rupture, when there is little doubt the Church will suffer. The month's news from America may be said to consist of four items ; — Ist: The American difficulty. 2nd. The Indian rising. 3rd. The Negro question. 4th." The Re-construction policy. The first-named is a matter that has attracted great attention in Europe. America has found itself, by the sudden termination of the civil war, possessed of an immense army, which, now that it has no work to do, has become somewhat inconvenient to the Administration. On the other side of the Rio Grande is a standing insult to that pet American doctrine, propounded by Munroe, which decrees that all America of right belongs to the Yankees, and Mexico, forming part of the American continent, has of course no right to be held by other than Americans ; at all events, its rulers should belong to the United States. There is not the slightest doubt that, for years, the American Government has had a wish to possess Mexico, and has been on the look-out to pick a quarrel, by which it might "annex" that State. The breaking out of the civil war prevented any interference in the "rows" that were going on there, so, to their great disgust, they now find on their very borders a European sovereign supported by European armies — what a wound to the American amourpropre. Then, to vex the Federals still more, the officers and men of the late Confederate army are joining the Emperor Maximilian's forces in large numbers; and, as the Federal army and the Mexican now face each other on the banks of the Rio Grande, quarrels between them take place daily. So far has this feeling of animosity gone, that some of the most successful generals of the " Union " have openly counselled war with Mexico. The most notable among these is General Sheridan, in command of the army in Texas ; he expresses himself to the effect that Maximilian should be at once turned out of Mexico, because he was part and parcel of the " rebellion." Fortunately for the Aineiican people, the Government has proved sensible'-cnough to see the folly of rushing into a war which must bring down upon them France as well as Mexico, and. has ordered General Sheridan to at once discharge his army from service. As though America was destined to trouble, the Indians have chosen the present time for a rebellion, and are commencing one of those frightful border wars which have been one of the curses of America. The cams belli was a cruel and treacherous slaughter of some Cheyenne Indians by the Americans. It appears that the whole of the Indian tribes have determined upon revenge, and it is feared that there will be great bloodshed before this unhappy struggle terminates. & Now the Abolitionist party has succeeded in their, pet scheme of freeing the negroes, it scarcely knows what to do with them; for Sambo, being told he is free and a citizen of the Great Republic, wants of course all the privileges of a citizen, aud, amongst others, would "just like to vote." For this climax the apostles of freedom were scarcely prepared, for ifc is a well-known fact that of all who have a pex'sonal antipathy to a " nigger " the Northerners are the people. Here, then, is the Frankenstein they have made ; will they be compelled to attempt its destruction or no ? The re-construction of the South proceeds very slowly, and seems to prove that every effort will be made by the late Confederate States to fight out their battles in congress. The manner in which this re-construction of the Union is to be effected has been a matter of grave deliberation in the Washington cabinet, and has been the cause of some dissensions ; on the one hand it is proposed to pursue a very arbitrary and harsh course towards the late "rebels," while, on the other, President Johnson is said to-be in favor of a conciliation policy. No determination has as yet been come to with regard to the trial of Mr. Davis, who still lingers on in Fortress Monroe. President Johnson has been very ill, "bored to death," it is said, by place-hunters ; he has, however, recovered, and is reported quite well. A rumour has been circulated which for some clays did not obtain much credence, but from very repetitition it begins to be believed. It is to the effect that the United States government have despatched the frigate Colorado to England, for the purpose of conveying Mr. John Bright to America, as the guest of the Union. Mr. Bright, the great apostle of free trade, the zealous champion of the Federal cause throughout the whole civil war, will doubtless be " lionised " to an immense extent in the great cities of the North, but it is hard to see how this plain speaker will be able to preserve his American popularity when he is placed in contact with so much that must offend his love of truth. His enemies rather' rejoice at this novel expedition, but whatever is the result, one is sure that Mr. Bright will never for the sake of popularity hesitate to speak out his honest convictions, and the Great Republic may learn much from this great freetrader.