The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-14 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

(Before Mr. Justice Crompton.)
Mr. Best applied to his lordship to give, the certificate
required by the statute to authorise him, is the case of •
prisoner whom he eras instructed to prosecute, to prepare
other charges against him before the grand jury, Weida
the one upon which he was committed by the magistrate.
The learned counsel explained that the whole of the facts
were brought to the knowledge of the magistrate, but he
only committed the prisoner upon one charge.
Mi. Justice Crompton refused to accede to the
application, and mid it appeared to him most
important for the doe administration of justice
that where a charge was made against a prisoner
the depositions thould be fully taken by the magis-
trate, as they afforded • great check to the witnesses,
and prevented them from garbling their evidence when they
were examined at the trial ; sad they were also very impel,
tent as far as the prisoner tram cosoneed, who bad • right
to know what evidence was to be given airiest him. It was
too mach the practice in the country for the magistrates'
clerks merely to state upon the depositions what was just
sufficient to support the charge that was made ageing the
prisoser ; but it appeared to him that this was quite opposed
to the spirit of the statute relating to the subject, and that
it was of the very essence of justice that the depositions

should be taken fully, and that they should disclose the
whole of the facts &repeated with the charge. With regard
to the present application, if the learned counsel considered
it advisable to prefer other charges against the prisoner, the
proper COWIN wunhi Le to go before a magistrate, and hate
the depesitioos formally taken sod returned to this court.
Janes Webb, 31, a tall, respectable-looking twin, sreg
charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Hannah Webb.
By the coronet's inquisition the prisoner was charged
with the offence of manslaughter only. Mr. Sleigh cos.
ducted the prosecution, and the prisoner was defended by

Mr. Metcalfe.
This ewe was postponed from the Jun. unions. It ap.
peered that the prisoner carried on the occupation of a
cowkeepec at Horton, sod that he rod the deceased were
married about five years ego, but they seemed to have lived
very unhappily together, and that they were both in the
habit of getting the worse for liquor, and frequently
quarrelled. The offence imputed to the prisoner
war alleged to have been committed on the 26th May lot,
and it appeared that on tbi evening of that day, the pen.-
ner, who was undoubtedly in a partial state of intoxication,
and the deceased, who it was suggested was in the suns
state, were at home, and they were baud to quarrel, and
the prisoner made use of violent and threatening C
hanguage
to the deceased, and he was heard to say
that would
strangle her, or some expression to that effect. After this
the prisoner was seen to dreg the deceased out of the shop,
down some steps into a shed, and there was the sowed
of a violentstruzgle between them,and afterthathe deemed
appeared to be very much injured, and she died on the fol.
lowing morning, the cause of this event being, according
to the medical testimony, Miura* that she bad received
upon the head and other parts of the body. What actually
took place between the priamer nod the deculnield on the
night in question mimed to be involved in • toed deal of
obecurit , but there appeared to be no doubt that the
deosssed entertained a feeling of jealousy, sod that this
was the foundation of the quarrel that took place between
her sod the prisoner on this unfortuoate cousin. lt
transpired during the inquiry that the deemed was
drunk for two or three days previous to the
26th of May, and that she was in the habit
of sending boy., who came to her husbaod's shop for milk,
to fetch spirits for her, and that she sometimes got so
drunk that she went into the bed of one of the servants to
sleep instead of going to ber own bed room, and that it
was frequently necessary to carry her up to bed in cense.
queues of her druoken conditiou. It wam also proved that
upon ens occasioo aloe had fallen down drunk behind the
counter of the shop, which was robbed while she was in that
condition ; and that upon another occasion she had fallos
into the fireplace, and would in all probability have Leer
I burned to death if she had not been dragged out by • man
para.:4l).oBy, who was in the service of the prisoner. The
immediate cause of death, it appeared, was extruasatiou of
Weed upon the lungs, which, according to the evidence of
Mr. Simpson, the surgeon, might have been oorasioued
either by a blow, or a fall, or any other external violence.
The learned judge barring summed up, the jury after •
moment's deliberation returned • verdict of Not Guilty.
Jaws Mills, 19, clerk, and Geo. Ducal Smith, 19,
hatcher, were indicted with feloniously marlin • threaten.
leg letter to Earl Spencer, with intent to extort 51.
Mr. Sleigh was counsel for the prosecution ; Mr. Orridge
was instructed for Smith ; and Mr. Poland for the prisons
Mills.
The prisoner Mills pleaded guilty ; mad Smith, who em.
rendered in answer to his bail pleaded not
Mr. Sleigh, on the part of 'the prosecution, said he had
had a oommunicatioa from Mr. Orridge, arid coupling that
with the evidence as it appeared on the face of the depo-
sitions, he thought he would not be justified in putting the
cans before the jury, inasmuch as there was such inadequate
evidence as would be adduced. He was informed that the
prisoner Smith was totally eignorant of the contents of the
letter which was sent by the other to Earl Spencer, and
from which he could gather he had only been a short time
in London, and had made the casual acquaintance of
Mills. Earl Spooner concurred with him that the mule
of justioe would be met by the other prisoner having
pleaded guilty. He bad takes the preentproceedinp solely
on public grounds, conceiving it to be his duty to do so.
No evidence having been offered against Smith,
The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
Than was a second indicur ent against Smith, charging
him with conspiring with the other prisoner to extort
gamey, dm.
No evidence, however, sou offered spinet him in this
case, sad a verdict of Not Outity was returned.
Mr. Poland, who appeared for Mills, said that he was
bound to state publicly that there was nut one word of
truth in the letter alluded to, and in feet the prisoner had
never seen the earl until he had instituted the present
proceedings.
The learned judge then proceeded to pass sentence apes
Mills, and said, though so young, he had pleaded guilty to
one of the most vile cud serious crimes one moo could ,
guilty of toward' another. An attack upon a man's perms
was nothing to such an attack upon his character, an attack
to which too many were apt to yield, and it was rot dim
that any one wise man enough to fight it out and take the
proper course, as had been does in the peewit cue. The
learned judge then raid a portion of the letter, which ces.
eluded with a threat that union the earl sent him 51., he
would write and expose him to all his friends. His lordship
said that it was • crime which, when brought home to any
one, was dealt with with the utmost severity, as it vie
the most fearful mode of robbery that could be imagined.
He then sentenced the prisoner to twenty years' peed
servitude.

THE POLICE COURTS.
WESIIIINSTEFt.
A table-looking working man from the Sister Isle
solicited the magistrate's assistance coder the following cc.
cumstanees. Applicant said that he wished to procure tits
release of a female child from a convent, where she ass st
present detained, and had thought it best to see • magistrate
on the subject.
Mr. SeUe—Whereabouts is the place at which you say Abe
is detained?

Applicant—ln Bloomsbury.
1&. Selfe—ls it one of the Reformatory and Industrial
Schools for Females!
Applicant—Yes, your worship.
Selfe—l have no power to interfere. A magistrate
has no control in such matters. Persons are sent to these
institutions in the ordinary way, and awe have to remain
for the appointed time.
Applicast—But may not they be taken out if they are ill!
Mr. Selle—That is a matter for the outside:stem of the
Secretary of State, to whom alone you can apply for any
remission of the original order.
Applicant—The little girl is my child, and I very much
wish to get her out. At the time she wu got in there I had
no power to assist her ; but things are alkred now, and I
wish to take her out.
_ _

Mr. Selfis—Why?
App.licaot—She is labouring under eery bad health., end I
don't ass if I am able to take can of her sod maintain bar
why she should be kept there a prisoner, and I wish to
hays her.
Mr. Selle—l must refer you to the Secretary of_State,
who slate can order the liberation of the girl.