The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-02 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
(THIS DAY.)

The March session of the above court was opened this
morning before the Right lion. the Lord Mayor, the Re-
corder, Aldermen Sir J. Duke, Sir F. 0. Moon, Sir R. W.
tarden, Carter, Abbiss, end Gabriel. Mr. Alderman and
sheriff J. C. Lawrence, Mr. Sheriff Jones, Mr. Under.
sheriff Macke 11, Mr. Ceder-Sheriff Farrer, he.
It appear, by the first edition of the calendar that there
are %4 prisoner, for trial at this session, and five of them
are charged with the crime of wilful murder. one of the
other charges appear to be of a serious character.
The learned recorder, in his charge to the mad jury,
aid that the number of cases contained in the
calendar was not greater than might be expected for the
time which had elapsed since the last session. The cases
generally were of an ordinary character, and would not re-
quire more than ordinary attention on their part. He was
glad to observe there was an absence of those charges
which had so largely increased at the latter part of last
year. and in which there now appeared to be some cessa-
tion—he alluded to street robberies with violence. There
were, however, three charges of wilful murder, in 000 of
which the depositions had not been returned. There was
another in which a Chinese was charged with the wilful
murder of • fellow seen= by stabbing him in the belly.
There was very little information respecting the matter.
The prisoner himself did not deny having inflicted the
injury of which the deceased man died ,• but said they bad
quarrelled, adhe did it under considerable provocation.
There was smother charge of wilful murder which was of a
much more serious character. Two parties named Isaac Brooks
and Joseph Brooks were charged with the murder of a po-
liceman, and a third party named Jane Lake was also
charged as an accessory. It appeared that on the even-
ing of the 19th of January the deceased man went home
and was about to sit down to his dinner, when some
person asked to see " Davis." The deceased's wife,
who went to the door, told him, and he went outside to see
who it was, when his wife immediately heard the report
of firearms. She went to see what it was, and found
her husband had been shot. There was no doubt
that the person who went to the door to inquire for
Davis was one of the persona by whom the offence
was committed. The question which then arose
was who was the party who asked for Davis. The
evidence by which it was sought to fix the offence upon the
two first prisoners wee that some information had been
communicated to the police constable respecting some
timber which had been stolen, and some wood corres-
ponding with ,that which was stolen was found on the
premises of the prisoner Brooks. Immediately edema-
non was received of the murder • constable proceeded to
the house of the male prisoners, and saw Isaac Brooks,lwho
openel the door. On proceeding upstairs Joseph was
found in bed. He was told that he would be taken into
custody and asked if he possessed any firearms ? He replied
that he had a fowling-piece, but he had left it as • shop
at Acton. He was taken into custody, and upon a
lurch being made • fowlingpiece was found between
the bed and the mattress. It was found to be dirty and
Appeared -to have been recently used. Inquiry
was made and it was found that the fowl
piece had been pledged at Acton, but it had been redeemed
on the night of the murder by two women, one of whom
was the prisoner Jane Lake. One of the assistants put his
finger in it at the time and it was then quite clean, and it
was therefore quite clear that it had been used between
that time and eleven o'clock of the same evening. The
pit-
soner Jane Lake, it appeared, had contradicted herself in
giving her testimony, and bad afterwards admitted that she
hid destroyed some of the male prisoners' clothe'. The
grand jury would consider all these facts, and determine
whether there was evidence to return a true bill against the
prisoners. The other mass were merely of an culinary
character, and would not require any observations from him.
The grand jury were then demised to their duties.
Milian "MIMI and Frederick Hint pleaded guilty
to a charge of conspiring to defraud the Hon. Mr. Bingham
of a large sum of money.
Mr. Sleigh, on the part of the prosecution, mid he be-
bowed that other persons were implicated in the matter,
and he thought that the ends of justice would be met if the
prisoners were allowed to go on their own recognisance,
to appear when called upon, and in the meantime they
would give all the information partible to the prosecution.
The Recorder consented to this arrangement, and the
defendants were consequently discharged.

THE POLICE COURTS.
(THIS DAY.)

CLEBICENWELL.
IXTZAWILDEXAM ATTEYPT.
Ann Baiaa, aged 18, and Ann Clark, aged 17, two dirty-
looking young women, described as prostitute', were charged
before Mr. Barker with attempting to commit suicide by
taking a quantity of poisonous solution of copperas, at 8,
Crown-court, 84. Luke's.
A young man, about 19 years of age, who gave the name
of Isaac Clark, said that the prisoner Clark was his sister.
When he went home last night he found two cups on the
table, sad from what he saw on the floor he suspected that
the prisoners had taken some poison. He spoke to them
about the matter, but they denied it. He bad some copperas
in the cupboard, which he used in his Waimea as • sweep, and
found some of that in the one. Finding that the prisoners
bad vomited about the pines, and being fear that
they would der, he sett for snrgeoas and also for the police
one of the prroaere was so bed that she had to be taken to
the hospiW. The prisoners afterwards told him that they
had each taken half a cup full of the copperas.
Mr. Barker asked the prisoners what reason they could
give for taking the copperse,
The prisoner Bails said •I do not know what I did it
for," and the other prisoner replied "Nothing."
Police *makable John Smith, 79 G, said he was called by
the previous witness to take the primmer* into custody.
They said they bad taken half a coup of copperas but did
not my what for. The primmer Beim ooiahits with the
witness Clark. Whea he went in he found both the pri-
mmer. in one bed, and they had vomited. The prisoner
Bails was so bad that she bad to be Ulm to the hospital,
and an emetic was given to her, and As vomited • great
deal of espperao The copperas is said by the =a Clark
is his banned, me a sweep.
Mr. Barker—What aan • sweep want with copperas in
his business t

The poliTe:roaelable said that Clark told his that ha
need it for dyeiss eawdiut to tell to the farmers u soot
Mr. Mould (chief clerk) to Clark—You bad bettor be
careful bow you go on in that way, for if you are caught in
the art of eommittieg such a fraud you will most likely be
tia2:lP°rtel• . .

_
Mr. Barker—This is • very disgraosful frond on the
farmers, and one that' I hope will be made public through
the aunty of the prem. How long have you been engaged
in committing these frauds
Clark—l have not been eogaged in it long ; I did it for •
man named Montgomery. I have only been doing it for
about three months, and I will take care that I will never
do it any more.
Mr. Barker said that a more disgraceful fraud be never
beard of, and it was one that was calculated to do the
farmers an immense amount of harm. As for the prisoners,
they had been guilty of a very serious offer% and he
should remand them for • week, and direct that they
should be seen by the chaplain at the House of Detention.
The prisoners were then remanded.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
11191DZIOU8 AITACZ BY A FOREIGNER,
Henri GOWN • French cabinet maker. of 29, John-
street. Tottenham-court-road, was charged r follows :
Edward Andrews, another rarer mere and also •
foreigner, rid that on Thursday night brat be saw the pri-
soner and easil to him, " I think you are the men who broke
my head three weeks ago." The prisoner made no reply,
but took from his pocket a bright instrument and stabbed
Lim ii the faro three times. He believed the instrument
to be stair of compasses or a knife. He bled very much
from the wounds. After he received the stabs on the
head prisoner gave him some more stabs in the back sad the
arm. The police then came and he gave the primmer in
charge. The instrument was not found.

-lo answer to questions the complainant said he never
struck the prisoner, and that he was taken to the Middlesex
Hospital, where his wounds were dressed.
Mr. Tyrwbitt asked the complainant whether be still be.
laved the prisoner to be the man who struck him three
weeks ago, sad be said he did; that he was then struck
with a and had to go to the Middlesex Hospital.
The complainant's evidence having been read over to the
*Keel Mr. Albert, thy' interpreter, the prisoner asked
the complainant whether he had not struck him find, and
be deo' it, as also that he hut told persons that when he
caught the prisoner he would assault him.
Jesse Idtickland, 91 E, said be saw complainant sad pri-
soner struggling on the ground and the complainant bleed-
ing The complainant said be had been stabbed, but he
could And no instrument.

th s
Complaisan
ofo.
t rid he had 'itemize to speak to the moult
ree ub
Mr. Tyrwhitt said be Amid wed the cue for trial, is
they moat show such persons that such coadoct wu not
Permitted.

The primmer, who mut have used some force, as two
coats the complainant was wearing were cut through, and
aleo his shirt, was then oostunitted for trial.

At Sligo assizes last week there was a curious
case of abduction—condoned by marriage. Michael
°tosser was resolved to have Eliza Duly for his bride,
whether she and her parents were willing or not. On the
lreh of January he went to her father's house, carried her
out and put her on a jaunting-car. But he released her in
a few minutes, without further injury. He pleaded guilty
to the indictment, and as he and the object of the outrage
are now ooe dash the crown did not wish to praised further
in the matter, and the prisoner was released cu his own
recognisance'.

GREAT DIDITRC,TION 01 SHEEP. —A few nights
ago a sheep dog. belonging to Yrs. Genge, of Trent, got
into the lambing field of /deem. Stacey, in which were 250
splendid ewes. Of thane no fewer than 66 were found
dead in the morning, having been worried and killed by
the dog. On opening them it was found that 20 coots load
brim. The loss is estimated at between 2001. and 300 f.—
&tato ry Journal.