The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-24 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

ge looeph Illepteorth, of Devonshire-atreet, filing-
ton°Xa, t 18 years of age, was charged with having as-
saulted lir. John Thompson, of the Clerkenwell County
Court.

Mr. John Layton, jun., of Islington, who appeared on
behalf of the complainant, said that the assault complainri
of wu • most cowardly one. The prosecutor, on the even-
ing of Wednesday last, about nine o'clock, was pealing the
front of the Clerkenwell County Court, and found • large
number of youths sitting on the steps and ringing the
bells. They were also making use of very bad
language. He requested them to move, sod as soon se
they had got off the steps one of the boys picked up
a large stone sod struck the prosecutor in the face, cutting
and wounding hire fearfully. Whilst the prosecutor had
hold of this lad, the defendant, instead of attempting to
render any assistance, as • right-minded person would have
done, delihmately struck the prosecutor several severe blows
cc the i:he, cawing him much pain. The defendant had
been repeatedly cautioned by the prosecutor, but had taken
no notice of the warning. Mr. Layton further said that be
felt very much for the father of the defendant, who was •
highly respectable gentleman, and it was • lamentable thing
to MO • youth with the outward appearance of gentility
charged with such an offence. He could hardly con-
ceive • more cowardly or brutal affair, and he trusted
that his worship would give the defendant • heavy
punishment, to teach him and his companions that the law
would not allow them to do as they pleased in assaulting
respectable persona
The prosecutor, who was severely bruised about the face,
was called, and deposed, to the facts as stated by his soli-
citor.

-IW=6mm to the magistrate,
The defeadmit said that he did strike the prosecutor. He
was very sorry for what had occurred, and deeply repotted
that he should have forgotten himself.
' ' '

Mr. Layton said that all the prosecutor wanted was to
prevent a repetition of such conduct, and now that the
defendant had expressed his morrow he would only ask for a
nominal fine and costs.

The magistrate fined the defendant la. sod coats, and told
him that if he came there again he should certainly inflict a
heavy punishment.

THE SUSPECTED MURDER IN GOWER-STREET

Last night Dr. Lankester resumed at the Lord
Wellington tavern, Universityetreet, the inquiry into the
circumeroces of the death of Michael Quin, sod 45 years,
who was alleged to have been murdered on the night of the
27th June. On the night in question ii will be recollected
deceased was seen to fall off the steps of No. 87, Gower.
street, and being picked up insensible, he was carried to
the station-house as being drunk. He was subsequeetly
removed to the University Hospital, where he died in •
few hours. It was then found that his roll was fearfully
fractured, that several of his teeth had been knocked ont—
one of them was found in his stomach—and that his ribs'
were fractured. Mr. Reefer said that the injuries
were such as would have been caused by blows
with a blunt instrument, and that it was almost
impossible that they could have been produced by
a series of falls, as there were contusions on such places as
the inside of the elbow and the back of the knee joint.
Eight shillings were found in his pockets. The endeavour
to find out who bad inflicted the terrible injuries on de-
ceased brought to light some strange facts. It appesxed
that deceased was • native of the south of Ireland,
where be bed a wife and family, and some time since they
all fell into such distress that the eldest son enlisted in the
18th Royal Irish, and the wife came over to England. In
her absence deceased formed an illicit commotion with a
young woman named Margaret Ferreira. This intrigue
being discovered by lb.. neighbours, he came over to England
briefing his Fenimore with him. He installed her in
lodgings in the same house where his wile lived. When
that fact became known there was of course a greet diatturb-
once, and the woman was turned out. Quin followed her.
taking with him his furniture, and leaving his wife in great
distress. Meanwhile his 800 hod deserted, and was now
almost the sole support of his mother. Decreed, irritated
by the odium into which he had fallen with refe-
rence to his misconduct towards his wife, asked the
see to leave her and to come to live with him-
' self and Ferguseon, who would " make him more comfort-
able." The young man at first, it is maid, refused 'edit.
neatly ; but he afterwards said he would go, and take " the
devil Feegusson from his father." He went, and in • month
induced Ferguson to elope with him, and carried off his
father's furniture. The father, furious at having been
duped, gave information to the authorities, with a view to
having his son arrested as • deserter. The latter, however,
got clear off, and it is said became off the girl Fergueson with-
in • mouth, no doubt according to a preceocerted purpose.
Deceased then formed a connection with • young woman
named Walthe, and it was said that threats of various
kinds had been made use of with regard to him. Inspector I
Garforth now produced several witnesses, whose evidence
merely went to show that deceased was a very sober man,
and was quite sober when seen near the Marble Arch on the
night in question. The inspector rid that all efforts to
discover the deceased's son had been unariling. The Co-
roner, io summing up, said that there appeared to be every
reason to believe that the case was one of wilful murder,
but there was no prospect now of evidence of the fact. The
jury returned a verdict that deceased died from fracture of
the skull by a blow, but how or by whom the said blow was
inflicted there wee Oft riders to show.