The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-06 00:00:00

Sab3 an Volta.

MR. ALGERNON STUART AUSTEN, a merchant in the
City, and resident at Headley, Surrey, was convicted
on Tuesday at the Reigate Petty Sessions of attempt-
ing on the 12th ult., while travelling by the South-
Eastern Railway, to take improper liberties with the
lady's-maid of Lady Charles Hervey, when the train
was passing under the Merstham tunnel. The
court sentenced Mr. Austen to three weeks' impri-
sonment. The prisoners counsel entreated the
bench to inflict the highest penalty. He would give
50/. to any charity if they would mitigate the penalty.
" To send the defendant to prison," said the counsel,
" would be disastrous to his character. His wife was
" even waiting for him at an hotel in the town."
The chairman remarked that, if Mr. Austen were a
married man, his offence was more discreditable to
him, and ordered him to be locked up at once, pre-
paratory to being removed to Wandsworth Prison.
A YOUNG INFANT, at Worcester, was poisoned by
arsenic last week under singular circumstances.
The mother, a Mrs. Norman, sent for some white-
lead dust to apply to the child's skin. The chemist's
boy sent her arsenic powder in mistake. The child
was " dusted" with this, excessive irritation of the
skin supervened, a wound formed, and the child died
in great pain. He was, in point of fact, burned
to death. At the coroner's inquest a severe
animadversion was passed upon'the local chemist
for his carelessness and neglect.
MR. SALMON, THE FALKIRK BANK DEFAULTER,
hanged himself on Sunday in the stable of the Harp
Inn, at Conway, North Wales. The circumstances
of the discovery of Mr. Salmon's well-contrived
abstractiou3 from the bank till, and his immediate
escape, are fresh in the public mind.
A PLEASANT FAMILY PARTY was suddenly broken
up on Monday by one Symonds, a sawyer, being
placed at the Clerkenwell bar, before Mr. Corrie,
charged with brutally ill-treating Sarah Ricketts.
The woman, who presented a horrible appearance
from the ill-treatment she had suffered, stated her
case, when the following took place in court:

Robert Lambert, 135 S, said that when he went to serve
the warrant he found the defendant in bed, drunk. The
room was bespattered with blood in several places. He
found that the prisoner, his wife, and the complainant all
resided together on the same floor. The wife of the
prisoner had been ill for some considerable period, and the
woman had done the household duties, and had also had
two children by him.
Mr. CORRIE : What ! The man cohabit with the woman
in the same room as the wife was lying ill ?
Defendant: We all lived together. The complainant
was in the habit of getting drunk.
Mr. CORRIE remarked that it was quite shocking to
hear of such a state of immorality. How many children
were there? _ _ _

Complainant : I have two alive by my former husband,
and two since I have cohabited with the defendant. His
wife has been ill for a long period, and I have lived with
them.

The prisoner, in defence, said that be hoped that his
worship would be lenient on account of the illness
of his wife, and because he was the sole support of
the children. The woman got drunk and spent his
money, and that very much aggravated him, and,
therefore, having had a little drink, he certainly did
hit her. He was now very sorry, and said that
nothing of the sort should occur again.

Complainant : I do not wish to hurt him ; all that I want
is for him to keep the peace. I have been struck by him
before.

➢lr. Corrie said that this case was very bad in every
point of view. He could not be lenient, but must
pass upon the defendant such a sentence as would
be a terror to other evildoers. He should send him
to the House of Correction, with hard labour, for
six calendar months. He would allow the woman
Bs. per week for one month. He supposed the
wife would have to go to the workhouse. The
prisoner, who seemed rather surprised, was then re-
moved.
GEORGE BAN E, the seaman convicted of murdering
the corporal of marines, on board the Slaney gun-
boat, was hanged at Maidstone on Thursday. The
prisoner bore the character of a first-rate seaman,
and when he was transferred from the rivard, to

555

which vessel be formerly belonged, it was with the
understanding that he was to receive promotion, and
the disappointment to his hopes in this respect no
doubt led to the fatal catastrophe which resulted in
his being thus brought to an untimely end.
THE ADJOURNED INgUEST upon the men killed
by the fall of the houses in Tottenham-court-road
was resumed and concluded on Thursday, when the
jury found the following verdict :

That the deaths of Frederic Bing, Ann Driscoll, John
Garnett, Richard Turner, James Kivil, and Joseph Taylor,
were caused by the falling of the houses, Nos. 146, 147,
and 148, Tottenham•court•road.

That cutting the boles in the wall 147, 148, was the
immediate cause of the accident; the party-wall 146 and
147, being very indifferent, requiring more than ordinary
caution, which in this case was not observed.
That the cutting away of the party-wall between 147 and
148 was done in an unskilful and improper manner.
This jury cannot separate without expressing their
strong condemnation of the present conflicting state of the
law as to the district and police surveyors, whose duties
appear to be quite independent, and even antagonistic ; and
this jury sincerely hope that an immediate alteration will
be made in the Building Act as at present constituted.

ONE OF THE SERVANTS OF THE CLARENDON HOTEL
decamped this week with a large quantity of gold
and five twenty-pound notes.