The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-21 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—MAIDerosz, 2.lAscii 19.
_ (Before the Lord Ode! Bar")

Darid Rabb, au aged roan, with a white beard and
whiskers, surrendered to take his trial upon an indictment
which charged him with a misdemeanour In having unlaw-
fully taken • girl named Amelia Pollard, under sixteen years
of age, from the custody of her parents, without their con-
sent.

Mr. J. F. Smith was counsel for the prosecution end Mr.
Ribtoit for the deluxe.

The case from its nature, of course does not admit of the
@ridicule being given in detail, but the principal facts ap-
peared to be them :—The defendant resides at Rochester,
and was reputed to be • person of some property, but be
lived in • very niggardly way, and kept no servant. The
parents of the girl in questioo, who, it seems, is
at present only fifteen years old, also reside at
Roe:leiter, and she had been in service, and there
was no doubt that she had been in the habit
of associating with loose girls, and had not
cooducted herself with very great propriety previous to the
transaction. According to her evidence, the defendant had
repeatedly importuned her to come to his hones, and she
mid that at length, on the P.7th of December last, which was
Sunday, she represented that she was going to a Sunday
school : but, instead of doing this, she went to the de-
feedant's house, and he promised that if she would remain
with him he would give her • silk deem and some money,
and she should not do any work, and he would also leave
her 1001. in his will. She represented that is consequence
of these promisee dm consented to remain ; and she and the
defendant slept together that sight, and she continued with
him for nearly • month, when her father and mother found
out where she was, and took her away. It appeared in the
course of thecase that the prosecutris had repeatedly gone to
the house of the defendant at • late hour at night, and that
he had charged her with robbing him, and the evidence dis-
closed • most disgusting scene of profligacy and immorality.
Mr. Ribton, io addressing the jury for the defence, said
be should not attempt to palliate the conduct of the defer..
dant, who at his time of life ought to have known better
than to act in such a disgusting and profligate manner ; but
he contended that it would be monstrous to convict him
upon the charge contained in this iotlictment, when it was
abundantly clear that the prosecutru in the first instance
voluntarily went to his house, and that a great deal of the
testimony she had given could not be relied on.
The Chief Baron having summed up, the jury ',Herd to
deliberate upon their verdict, and alter being out of court
for more than an hour they came beck and said that there
was DO chimes of their sgreeing.
His lordship, upon this, said he should take it upon him-
self to discharge them from giving a verdict; and this was
done, sod the defendant was liberated.

Ro'bort Larye, • child seven years old, was celled upon to
surrender and take his trial upon a charge of having felo-
niously end maliciously set fire to a wheat stack.
The poor little fellow came into court crying, aid when
he was placed in the dock and the charge we read to him.
sod be was asked to plaid, he replied, " I did not do it,"
and then asked whether his mother was there.

The Chief Baron appeared astonished at seeing a child of
such an eppearance charged with so serious an offence, and
he inquired how old be was.
He was informed that he warn just seven. The statement
appeared to create quite a sensition in the court.
His lordship said he could not understand how a charge
of this deecription came to be preferred against such a child,
and if he bad been wily a few months younger the law
would not bare permitted it to be done. He added that be
should be glad to be informed whether it was seriously in-
tended to go on with the prosecution.
His lordship was informed that counsel had been retained
to prosecute.. . . .

-6hortly afterwards, Mr. Barrow, to whom it appeared a
brief bad been given in thecae., came into court, and said he
should not offer say evideoos in support of the charge.
A verdict of Irot Guilty was emsequently taken, and the
poor little fellow was given up to his mother.
Serjeaat Ballistics sat in the grand jury room on Friday,
and tried several prisoners, and the very able and careful
manner in which he performed the judicial functions ap.
paired to give great satisfaction to those who witnessed it.
The commission for the county of Russet will be opened
today iMooday), at Lewes. The gaol calendar is very
heavy nurrerially, but sow of the MOB appear to be of •
heinous character. It I also expiated that the caw list
will be heavy.

THE POLICE COURTS.