The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-02 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT --n _IPORD, MAUCH 1.
The commission was opened at the County Mall, by Mr.
Janis Wiens's, who arrived from Reading on Saturday
afternoon. Is the course of the evening Mr. Baron Platt.
who had bees detained at Reading, reached Oxford, and
athe hil•wing
_morning their lordships, accompanied by
the High Sheriff, J. H. Ashhtust, Faq., attended divine
serving at the University Chunk where an impressive and
appsiwiate discourse was delivered by the Rev. A. P.
Stanley, of University College, and son of the late Bishop
of Norwich. This morning the business commenced, Mr.
Justice Wightstan presiding in the sawn, and Mr. Bane
Platt in the nisi prime court. Mr. Justice Wiegman, in
charging the grand jury, complimented them on their large
attendance, and expressed his regret that he could not con-
gratulate them on the state of the calendar, which was un-
usually heavy for Oaford.hire, both as to the number and
character of the e.; for there was 1 tam of murder,
4 of maliciously wounding, 3 of burglary, one of which was
attended with great violence, 3 of highway robbery, 2of
arson, and others of a serious nature attended with greater
or less aggravation, and Use total number was about 80.
Ilia lordship made a few passing observations on some of
the eases, and observed that three-fourths of the cases in
the calendar originated in public-houses or beenhope, the
institution of which, where beer could be drunk on the
premises, had a downright and powerful tendency to pro-
mote crime and demoralise the working classes.
Dorid llowsukne, a trim of weak intellect, was charged
with setting fire to a hovel, in the day time, on the 30th of
October last. _ _

Mr. UM !It appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Pigot
for the defence.

The plea set up was, that the prisoner was of imbecile
mind, and not accountable for his acts; and the jury took
that view of the cam, by Acquittingtlic prisoner.
Richard Brown was charged with feloniously cutting
and wouoding John Osborne, at Chalgrove, with intent to
maim him.

The priiseentor. was engaged on the 20th of January last
in pig killing, when the prisoner, who is in the same line
of business, came up to him and said, " Is that the way you
do it, young man ?" Tu which the prosecutor replied,
" Yes, is not that the way you do it, Muter Brown No
other conversation took place, but while the prosecutor was
stooping down the prisomr took hold of hi. head sod cut
him with a Ilium along the Gee from the forehead to the
chin.

Thd prisoner, in his defence, stalcil that he was very
tipsy at the time, and woo hot aware of what ho war doing.
The jury found the prnooer guilty of unlawfully cut.
tieg and mounding the prosecutor, but not with intent to
maim him.
The learned judge, in pawn, sentence, oboe-red that the
jury had acquitted him of the more serious charge, but as
the ease woe of an segrovated nature, he felt it to be his
duty to order him to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour
for 12 calendar month,

lam PAILS 131,70111/ Ma. EASON PLAIT.
The learned judge suegestesl that all the cases should be
culled on together. (Laughter.) "At any rate," his lord-
ship said, •' let us hove the grit and last." (Mach
langbter—it being known that there was but one ease.)
The ease was then called on,

111111 TIN THI PA111,41 07FIC11111 or Waxer.

It was an action to recover possession of a cottage at
Wood-green, near Witney.
Counsel fur the plaintiff Mr. Cripps ; for the defeadants
Ilr. l'hipaon.
The ease, which occupied about two hours, excited little
interest, and resulted in a verdict for the plsiutiff.
It was astkipated that a ease in which a Mr. Noon, builder,
of Oxford, was the pleintiff and the London and North-
Western Railway Company were the defendants, would
have come on for trial, but, at the eleventh hour. it was
settled by the esinpany consenting to pay the plaintiff
4001. and rests 1001. in compensation for the lou of his son,
who was killed in the railway collision at lilcester
September last.
A number of trilling and uninteresting erimiaal cases were
disposed of by Mr. Baron Platt.
An application was twine to Mr. Justice Wightman, by
Mr. l'igot, counsel for Kalabergo, who is indicted for the
murder of his uncle, to postpone the trial until next anises,
on the growl, first, that the prisoner, who has no relative
in England, had written for his brother-in-law, a notary,
who resides in Italy, and whom he daily expected; and,
neat, that paragraphs hail appeared within the last four
days in the London and local papers which were calculated
to prejudice the minds of the jury, and preclude a fair and
impartial Wall.
The learned judge said he would consider the applioation,
and give au answer to-morrow morning.

NORFOLK CIRCUI r.-ATLESBURr, MARCH 1.
The commission wits opened this afternoon by Hr. Justice
Crompton, who ateimponies Lord Cider Justice Cam. bell,
ow the Norfolk Carted. The High Sheriff, C. R. Scott
Murray, Esq., of Dineitield, conducted the judge to the
hail, attended by a Rumen catholic chaplain, which created
se small attention, es suth a thisg. has sot happened in this
manly since the retormation. Murray seceded to the
Immish communion some years ago, and on this occasion
he has chosen tar his chiplain a gentleman whose perver-
sion, excited mak interest at Orford, the flee. Mr. Morris.
The High Sherif, we understand, addressed a note to the
vicar of the parish, soliciting him to make arrangements
for a protestant sermon ; the vicar refined, however, say-
ing he would read prayers only. The High Sheriff, there-
fore, conducted the judge to the church is Wel on parish,
where a sermon was preached by the incumbent. The
High Sheriff drove to a temporary Roman catholic chapel
in the town, for worship and sermon, and the chapel very
soon became very crowded.
The calleeder is a short but distressing one, comprising
are of child murder, and crimes of a more revolting class.
In Nisi Prins there is little or nothing to do.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—Ni
(Sows Cower.—BierJaz LOILD C. Jmnicc Juana.
Mumma.

r, FEB. 27.

Elisabeth Plackard, aged 51, was indicted for the wilfhl
murder of Elisabeth Thicken!, her mother-in-law.
Mr. Bumfley, Q.C., Mr. Ilayes, and Mr. Burton am-
ducted the ease on the part of the prosecution; Mr. derjamt
Miller and Mr. Flood the defence.
The prisoner is the wife of a farmer residing at Thrupp,
near Daventry, in this county, and the deceased was the
second wife of the prisoner's father in-law. The deceased
and her husband lined in a cottage on the Daventry road,
about three-quarters of a mle from the house in which the
prisoner and her husband lived ; and it appeared that early
in the morning of the 3rd of October last, the two Pinekards,
father and son, went together to Daventry Fair, leaving
their wives at home. A little boy who worked with the
prisoner's husband, and went with him to Darentry fair on
the morning in question, went into the erttage of the de-
maned at about a quarter to 12, as he was returning from
the fair. Ile observed that the deceased was sitting on the
floor in a corner of the room, and he saw some white tape
round her neck. He stoked for some water, but as she did
not answer he was frightened and ran away. The next
morning, after bearing that Mrs. Pinekard was dead, he
told what he had seen. About half-peat 6 in the after•
noun of the same day a men of the name of Bird was palming
the cottage of the deceased and, observing the dour open,
went in. His evidence nas extremely important in the ease,
because he was the first person who examined carefully the
position iu which the body of the deceased was found after
death. When he went in ho found the body of the deceased
stiff and cold. It was sitting on the floor (in a corner) with
the back against the front well of the cottage, tho left side
against a corner cupboard, and tape round the neck. The
other end of the tape was fastened to • hook in the cup-
board, and the head was inclined away from the cupboard,
so that the tape was on the stretch ; but the loop round the
seek of the deceased was so Isom that Bird meld easily in-
sert his fingers between it end the neck. Her legs were
stretched out on the fluor perfectly straight; her hands
were lying in flout of her, also perfectly straight; and her
clothes were dawn over her lep, not at all disordered. Bird
easily broke the tape with his hand, but when he had done
so the body remained still in the same position. It was,
however, removed before the peed wage's examination
took place ; sad upon that examination a contused wound
was discovered upon the right eyebrow; and under the
shin on the upper part of the head, on the right side, there
were a few spots of est eavesated blood, which might have
been ocessimed b slight blows. A spot of blood was
fossil on the wall shove the head of the deceased, and
one or two on the fluor. The face was swollen and ilis-
'pleated. There was a mark round the neck es if pro-
duced by the tape; but the remarkable feature of the
eau was, that the trachea or wiadelpe was ruptured
pa=en the right side; that le, the rupture ex-
down the trims. This berg the condition
is whir the desseard was heed, the hapreesion at first
was, the she bed mar Med raids ; Ix& apes the part of
the rhymer, the sirs sommellem was OE seeds.
Dr. Alfred Tapir, the lesessee • • medial 1
at (buy'. Ilespital, wee ezmined apes thls=lTl
elated that, is his orris. the hits peeved wen imeeeels-
taut with the suppasiciss thee the desseeml esissaitted
suicide. The swum of the tram lemelhadiselly was a
meet estrairalesay elreuemerts. Ze bad semi Mews
as retire et Is. It wan iiiirniab that the tape mod
the aunt ad the deceased lOW hew dose It. Es
bad esalmird the masher et live pewees who
bed died under the Muds et the peal osier
damn sad In no tarsus we the trachea rap-
tared Issmilr Really. He roll sely esmodm such a rup-
ture beteg produced by the mmlisersa of lateral Is..
fisairessisi the whole tar; It a Heater wae draws
Mighty And the seek and a stick introdred se an as
brier Me Ories might probably is that way he hemmed
)eemiesdiedly. Dr. Taylor dee dated that the erect of
erneersheir was a speweedle marrelest dthe beads and
limbe, whisk night, [weever, be restered le their natural
cron seethce preen, if it was hese hesesdietely after
esseueserreass Dr. Tayler laid that. there es-
imeeemillwohle diliereame of opinion in the medical
read apes selsiid or hausleihd sass. In the ease of the
Duke the iserbes there was a Moms aspires, but the
rejseilp belleved shim he dert mad himself. There were
ea remora heteries et Welds by sheeplatisu carte.] in
skier every OWN* attitude, sad ether the imam had in-
SOW spa Wasellethse sir et debase. If the roman
he bras peedssed towel prams is tbe
him mould fella auss =Wad midis
•

Two ether =idled esulmessa wire euralsed—Mr. .see
uma, pommy, sod Kr. nob, et Neethsuptee. They
EN& the peel Nevem esenimatiestmeri :sal hewer.
as aware Mat a• replan
of the wet A all remetides, waked Wales ON.
A eirensestaases rev seemidera, the
seassswd l set set bays esuseitted Wilde ; the latter
wean! Wised le think it possible that Ae eight, out he
ems eery mall seetesed. rd eapressed himself with great
betestles sal sesseisinty. The matidal asearimetes di-
rectly @theft the prisoner were these :—Abest 10 o'cloek
ea Übe waft of as 34 of October the prisoner was seen
to leave be ewe Mess (heves previously sent oat her ser-
vant to a estpitheering vatys to M bbreed whisk was
wanted), and 1111 in the Weisel= et her Illbsier-b.law's
cottage. BM wove a IS.. drew sad serried a shawl ever
bee arm. At sheet a tauter post 10 a treats similarly
dressed, and of Assam stelent, was wall • ema et work
on the nod to enter the adage of the deems& At about
• quarter to 11 the sew man observed bleat the door of
the cottage. sad bend bee say, " dose art setter a
about you." Mere was a nerd of sporrdling Pa the horse.
And about half-put 11 As IA do Mode, ping In a
direction towards the prison/es his.,.
Other witnesses spots to melee • wow at the eider
of the deceased about the wee s_ sad several of them
swore very positively to their link( that the *loner
was the woman whom they had sees. On mesa swore
that at about • quarter past 11 be beard groan and •
scuffling, as of several persons in the house; and three
women who just about the same time were standing at
a distance of 200 yards, heard cries of "Murder" proceed-
ing (rota the cottage. At • quarter to 12 the prisoner
was sees to enter her own house She bad then no shawl
or apron on, her gown was torn in the gathers, and in the
afternoon she changed her dress, and put the one
which she had taken off into the washtub. Small spots of
blood were afterwards loured on her apron and shawl, and
some tape was found in • drawer in the prisoner's house.
A mallet was also produced, with regard to which the pd.
saner herself had said that that was such a thing as was
likely to have given the blows to the deceased. She at first
exhibited great reluctance to go to the cottage where the
deceased was, and upon being told that she oughtto go, she
exclaimed, "Oh! oh!" and, taking the mans hand, said,
" God bleu you, don't leave me all this night ;" but she
afterwards went. On the following Sunday Mr. Sharman
went to the prisoner's house and told her that it was con-
sidered that her mother was murdered. She said that she
was quite of that opinion herself. Ile said, "The neat
question is, who did it 1" To which she replied, " All I ran
say is, that I hope whoever did it rosy be detected and
punishe I." She also said that she had no suspicion of shy-
body, that the deceased was at enmity with nobody, and
was • person with whom you might live and die without
haying an angry word. -Upon allusion being made to the
fact that a woman had been seen to enter and come from
the cottage, she said that she and her husband had talked it
all over and could make nothing of it; but she thought
that whoever did it had beaten her very much. Upon being
salted when she saw ha mother-iu-law last, she said on the
previous Sunday.
In order to show a motive fir the commission of the
crime, it was proved that upon the death of the deceased
the prisoner and her husband would become entitled to a
sum of 90W. odd, and that shortly before the 3rd of October
they had been pressed by their landlord for payment of
arrears of rent. Upon her apprehension the prisoner said
to the constable, who had observed that no doubt
some one had done the deed who had an interest in it,
"I can assure you, sir, I did not want to take Mrs.
kard's life, or anybody else's' for the sake of money. I had
plenty of money at home." It appeared that the prisoner's
husband had previously raised about 3001. upon his refer.
denary interest.
Mr. Seddon Miller addressed the jury at great length on
behalf of the prisoner, commenting minutely upon all the
circumstances of the case, and coriending that some of them
were inconsistent with the supposition of the prisoner's
guilt, and none of them at all conclusive of it.
The Lord Chief Justice summed up the evidence, end •
The jury, alter remaining in deliberation about a quarter
of an hour, returned a verdict of Guilty.
Ilia Lordship, in passing sentence of death, said—Eliza-
beth Pinckard,after • long and painful invrstigation,to which
all parties have devoted themselves with exemplary atten-
tion, • jury of your country have been compelled to per-
form the painful duty of pronouncing you guiliy of murder
—of murder, which at ell times black and dreadful, becomes
in your case doubly black and dreadful. You hare hurried,
without • moment's warning, out of the world a poor crea-
ture, with whom, according to your own account, you
might have livetl and died without o word. This at least
you will have—which you did not give your victim—time
to repent and to atone, as far us tensible, by repentance,
fur your horrible vane. Ilie lordship then sentenced the
prisoner in the usual terms.
The prisoner maintained a very composed demeanour
throughout the trial, which lasted trout 10 o'clock in the
morning to 8 in the evening.
WESTERN CIRCUIT.—WiNcuesTER, MARCII 1.
The commission for the county of Southampton was
opened at the Castle on Saturday, by Mr. Justice Ede and
Mr. Justice Talfourd. Their lordships attended divine
service at the cathedral on Sunday, the sermon on the occa-
sion being preached by the rev. chaylsin to the high sheriff,
F. J. E. Jervoise, Esq., from Ecclesi.uites, chap. 8, 11th
verse.

On Monday both marts were re-opened. Sir W. Erie pre-
siding at nisi prim, and Sir T. N. lelfourd al the crown
side. There were sit causes entered, mid upwards of 100
prisonen fur trial. The first cause tried was as interpleader
case of some interest, sir.:
311ROENT O. ZIMMERMAN.

Mr. Butt and Mr. Kerslake appeared for the plaintiff;
Mr. Crowder and Mr. Maynard for the defendant.
It appeared that Mr. Algeraos Messingberd was in-
debted to the defendants, wbe ere jewellers, of Bead.
street, in the sum of 1601.; that tbay .Haired an elem.
lion against him for dug sun ea the kb Deena= Wt.
and that the sheriff of the sereatysl Banta made • levy es
the 9th, on three horse...lmaged to be Ids y, and is
training by a Mr. Wooleett, at the stables as.
Stockbridge. The plaintiff, Mr. drogeat, who hags •
public house in Pleat-street, deleted to be tin inner Odor
three horses, by virtue of a purchase mak hem Me. Mee-
singberd, through Mr. Woolcott, ea the 4tb Doessaber.
Mr. Msasiragberd bad brine involved is his betties tram-
artless, sad a Mr. IMaey dim %so Weer is tbs sogas
misuse (the Beres Guards) with wines be wee is sew
met otpwbirri4 ea Ow ter'f, bay*, "bolaid," Mr. Mar
eingberd beams imedianly liable for a gam orkedel., and
hissolicitorXr.Thrupp,ofWinchester.buildings,advised him
to all his comeolleiss, sod part with his horses as soon as
ble. Mr. Messingberd wrote off to Mr. Woolcott at
es& that person went up to London, and took
his lastreetisas Bahr* the hones, but Mr. Thrupp was
to approve of whatever he should do. as Mr. Mamingberd
himself was galas of to America. After various negotia-
tions, the plaintiff purchased the three race horses for 2101.,
the engagements of one (('haron, • yearling) being reserved
for Mr. Messiogbenl. Lepira, another ot the mlish, bad
run live or .is races, and had lust them all. A third, the
mare Kate, had run second on one occasion,and Mr. Sar-
gent had previously offered 1601. for her, mei declining
the others. The principal point at issue was, whether
there had been • valid sale of the horses before the delivery
of the writ to the sheriff at half.past 3 on the 6th December.
By the evidence of Woulcutt, he received the offer of Mr.
Sargent, and Mr. Thrupp approved his accepting it on the
evening of the 4th of December; that he saw Sargent again
on the 6th, end closed the leurgain ; and that the parties all
met at Mr. Thrupp's office on the 6th, where the money
was paid. The amount of Messrs. Zimmerman's debt had
been paid into court by the plaintiff, to recover which was
the object of the present action.
Verdict for the defendant.
_ _

The other cues in this court possessed no feature of ge-
neral interest.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—NEwcAerris, FIB. 28.