The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-16 00:00:00

POLICE.-v
. ESTERDAY.

GUILDHALL.—CLIIIOCS CHARGE OF BIGAMY.—Mr.
IVilliam Witt, described as a surgeon-dentist, who had been
out on his own bail since the last examination, was charged
with committing bigamy under the following extraordinary
circumstances.—lt appeared, on the last examination, that in
the ear 1828, the prisoner married a female named Emma
Mesta Murphy~, with whom be lived about two years. Mr.
Witt got into difficulties and was thrown into the Fleet pri-
son, where he became acquainted with a person named Earle,
who was likewise in difficulties. Mrs. Witt accompanied
her husband to the Fleet, but, as it was asserted, in conse-
quence of not agreeing with her husband, she left him, and
went off to Quebec with Earle ; since which the prisoner
had heard nothing of her until the present time. He again
married on the 19th of June, 1841, a female named Eliza
Ann Hill, with whom he had about 6001., but she also
was obliged to leave him about six months after in conse-
quence of similar ill-treatment to that which, it appeared, the
first wife received. Mr. Earle had lately returned from New
York, and the friends of the second wife having ascertained
that Mrs. Witt was still residing at New York, the present
proceedings were taken by them. The case was adjourned
until to-day for the production of Mr. Earle, who was ill at
the last examination.—Mr. Huddlestone, with Mr. nobler,
appeared on behalf of the prosecutors, and Mr. Ballantinc,
with Mr. Wontner, for the prisoner. The evidence taken
at the previous examination having been read over, Mrs.
Straham, the mother of the first wife, in answer
to questions from Mr. Ballantine, said that Mr. Earle
told me that my daughter was alive. He did not
instigate me to come as a witness here. I do not
know if my daughter went out to live with him, nor io I
know that she went out as his wife. I saw her before they
went into lodgings which Mr. Earle kept. My daughter
would never have left Mr. Witt if he had not compelled her
to do so. She said that she had been regularly sold by her
husband.—Examined by Mr. Huddlestone: My daughter
went out in company with her brother to Quebec. Mr.
Earle was on board also. Ido not know that Witt was
aware of his wife's leaving the country.—William Earle, of
New York, deposed to being proprietor of two theatres in
that city. He knew Mrs. Witt when in the Fleet, and
afterwards resided in lodgings with her. On the Bth of June,
1832, they departed for America. She was alive on the 19th of
June, 1841, the time defendant was married to his second
wife. He was well known, both in America and here, and
if proper enquiries had been made, Mr. Witt would have
ascertained whether his wife was alive or not. When he
left New York on the 22nd of July, she was then alive. In
1831, or 1832, he was in trouble.—Cross-examined : Had not
come over to this country professionally for the purpose of
engaging actors or actresses. Ile was at Liverpool, but it
was at themquest of the Mayor of New York, for the pur-
pose of conifilting the Mayor of Liverpool, and other in-
fluential parties, as to Instituting • mutual plan of
protection, by establishing American policemen at
Liverpool, and English officers at New York, to
carry out the principles of the international treaty.—
He was ones tried at Newgate, in 1832, for stealing a 601.
bill, and sentenced to be transported, but was immediately
pardoned on its being discovered that he was the victim of a
conspiracy. Ile took Mrs. Witt from her want and wretch-
edness, for the fact was, the defendant wished to live on her
prostitution. He also was instrumental in getting him re-
leased from the Fleet prison. He did not tell the Mayor of
Liverpool, nor any one else, that he was come over on a visit
to the Queen. He only brought over a petition for thapur-
pose of constructing an asylum for poor people. While in
London, Mr. Witt never made any attempt to induce his
wife tor back to him; but on the contrary, encouraged her
remaining away from him.—By Alderman Wood: Was he
aware that you were living with her ?—He was. I did not
instigate any one to take these proceedings, on the contrary,
I am an unwilling witness, and was submenaed here.—Eliza
Ann Hill, the second wife, deposed to being ill-treated by
the prisoner, who said he only married her for her money.
He also told her under what circumstances his wife had left
him, and she declined marrying him until he had made the
proper inquiries as to her being dead, which ho pretended
to do, and produced the affidavits of two persons who
asserted that she died about six years since. About a fort-
night or three weeks ago she heard from the first wife's
mother that she was still living, and her family instituted
the present proceedings.—Mr. Ballantine, for the de-
fence, animadverted an strong terms on the conduct
of Mr. Earle, and left it to the Alderman to say
whether the evidence adduced was of such a credible
nature as to induce him to send the prisoner for trial.—
Alderman Wood said, that in a cam like the present, fraught
with cruelty on the one side, and very objectionable conduct
on the other, he was unwilling to place implicit reliance on
Mr. Earle's evidence. Another question was, whether Witt
had used sufficient diligence in trying to learn whether his
wife was alive. It could not be expected that the prisoner
would write to the man who was living with his wife to know
whether she was living or not. He had heard the purport of
an affidavit which had been made by Mr. Eccles, the son-in-
law of Mr. Earle, to the effect that she was dead ; and under
those circumstances he should adjourn the case until Satur-
day, for the production of that gentleman.—Mr. Witt was
then allowed out on his own recognisances to appear on
Saturday.
M A RLBOROUG H-STREET.—ROBBERY neSsavAors.
—Ann Tattoo and Sarah Bicknell, servants in the employ
of Mrs. Watkins, Cork-street, and Wm. Cripps, • labouring
man, were charged with having stolen a quantity of wine
from Mrs. Watkins's house. It appeared that a quantity of
wine bad been left by a lodger in Mrs. Watkins's care. The
wine was placed in the back kitchen, and the female pri-
soners had free access to it. One of the prisoners was seen
to give some bottles to Cripps. She was questioned, and she
declared they were empty bottles. The case where the wine
was kept was examined. There were only seven bottles
retraining out of several dozens. The lodgings of Cripps
were searched, and about a dozen bottles of the stolen wine
were found there. All the prisoners were committed.
LAMBETH.—Mortz FILIAL Arrzoriox.—Mr. James
Hammond, of 50, George-street, Blackfriars-road, appeared
to answer to a summons taken out against him by the
authorities of the parish of Lambeth, calling on him to
show cause why he refused to maintain his mother, an
old lady of seventy-eight years of age, who had become
burthensome to that pariah.—Dunn, tine of the beadles of
Lambeth, said, that the poor old lady then before his wor-
ship had been receiving parochial relief f w some years, but
the officers having recently come to the knowledge that she
had a son well able to support her, an application had been
made to the defendant, but he refused to do more for her
than he was doing, allowing her, as he represented, two
shillings a week, and the parish officers therefore, felt bound
to obtain a summons against him.—The defendant, whose
appearance was very respectable, expressed himself in strong
terms of reprobation at the course that had been adopted
towards him, and said his sister, who was well able to sup-
port her mother, was at the bottom of it all. His mother
had a pension from the Stationers Company of 41. • year,
which amounted to two shillings a week. She was also
allowed four shillings a week by her family, and had,
besides, two shillings a week from the parish, making alto-
gether eight shillings a week, and this, he considered, quite
enough for her.—Mr. Norton: What! eight shillings a
week enough for a poor old woman like this ?—Defendant :
Yes, your worship.—Mr. Norton : I only wish you had to
live upon eight shillings a week yourself fora short time to
see how you would like it. I think the parish have done
perfectly right in adopting the present course, as this poor
woman should not be left to beg about a workhouse at her
time oflife, while she has children that ought to, and shall, sup-
port her, as they have means sufficient to do so.—Defendant
But you have to prove that.—Dunn, the beadle, said, the de-
fendant had a very good house, with a large brass plate, an-
nouncing the sale of some patent medicine, and had besides,
as he was led to believe, some funded property.—The dais-
dant admitted that he had some little property in the has,
but still he was not in a condition to allow has mother mete
than half-a-crown a week.—Mr. Norton observed, that the
very least the two, son and daughter, could allow the peer
old woman was ten shillings a week between them, and ad-
journed the summons for a week to give them time to make
some arrangement between themselves in the matter.

WESTMINSTER.—MILITARY 0 Erma° E.— W.
' private in the Coldstream Guards, was charged with
following outrages: At about sir on the previous evad-
ing defendant sad three of his "companions in anns," all of
whom were sober, entered Mr. Kennet's, the " Hoop and
Grapes" inn, Queen-square, Westminster, and proceeded to
the tap-mom, immediately turned the tables upside down,
and at once declared that they had tome there with the ex-
press intention of having a general row. The landlady
entreated them to be quiet, when the moat filthy and abomi-
nable language was used towards her, and they became so
riotous that the ordered ono of her servants to fetch an escort
from the Wellington Barracks. Three of the soldiers, on
hewing this, left the house, but the defendant remained, de-

elating that when Mr. Kennet came home he would split
his head open, and in the coarsest language assigned as a
reason, that • girl with whom he was acquainted was in
prison on the landlord's complaint, and that he had intended
to take vengeance, but could not come to the house sooner,
in consequence of hoeing himself been confined to bar-
racks, from which he had only been released that morning.
A befog
blind man who was sitting at the bar having, on
appealed to by defendant, confirmed Mrs. Kennet's
statement to her husband, the fellow immediately struck him
a violent blow in the eye. Mr. Kennet interfered
to prevent a repetition of the violence towards the
defenceless man, when he was knocked down by the soldier,
and partially stunned; whilst lying on the ground, the
ruffian gave 'him a desperate kick in the mouth, which broke
one of his teeth, loosened others, and lacerated his lips and
gums in a frightful manner, rendering him insensible. De-
fendant receded two or three paces, and was again advancing
to kirk his prostrate victim, when Mrs. Kennet, from behind
the bar, endeavoured to hold him back, upon which the
fellow turned round, bit her severely on the left hand, and
twisted her right arm with such violence that it was with
the greatest difficulty she could afterwards lift it up. He
then ran out of the house, but was pursued and captured.—
Defendant pretended to have forgotten the whole transaction,
except running out of the house and losing one of his epau-
lettes.—A sergeant said that defendant bad been recently
confined for fourteen days for being absent. —Mr. Clive said
that this was a gross and premeditated outrage. The impo-
sition of a fine upon defendant would be an inadequate
punishment, as be had no power to order hard labour with
the imprisonment. He should, therefore, commit him for
trial.
THAMES.—Cemors CHARGE or MUTINT.—Robert
Tindal, Thomas Hodson, John Livingstone, Roderick
bl'Lennan, and William M'Lennan, five seamen belonging
to the brig Thetis, were brought up by Inspector Lewis, of
the Thames division, charged with mutinous conduct. —Mr.
John Atkins, master of tke Victory steamer, from Elsinore,
stated that the men, who were heavily ironed at the time,
were given into his custody by Mr. Henry George Cupar, the
British Consul at Denmark, and witness at the same time
received a paper from the Consul, which he handed in to the
bench. to the effect that whilst the ship Thetis was off Cron-
berg Castle, the prisoners refused to obey the orders of their
captain, and indulged in moat abusive language. It further
added that the master of the Thetis was willing to be bound
in any sum to prosecute on his return.—Mr. Broderip : How
did these men behave themselves whilst with you I—Wit-
ness: Admirably ; much better than my own.—Mr. Binds-
rip : It is rather a strange proceeding, but you arc blameless,
as you acted under proper authority, and are not answerable
for the conduct of the master of the Thetis. What time is
he likely to return ?—Witness : He is gone to Cronstadt, and
is not likely to be back fur two months.—Mr. Broderip : It
would be Yghly improper to keep these men in custody for
that time. Besides, tl statement made to the Consul
charges nothing beyond disobedience of orders, coupled, in
some instances, wi 11 abusive language; conduct which
might have justified the master in punishing the men after
calling the officers together, or in refusing to pay their
wages ; but it has been held, over and over again' that if the
offence goes no further than is here alleged, the master will
not be justified in putting the offenders into irons and send-
ing them home in confinement as felons on a charge of
mutiny. The acts which are to be treated as felonious are
clearly defined in the 11th and 12th of Wm. 111., cap. 7, sec.
9, and it will be found impossible to bring the facts charged
against there men within that se.tion. The prisoners wero
consequently discharged.

MONEY MARKET.

THICIMAT EVENTNO.

A quiet market has followed the activeoperations
of of yesterday, and the dealers generally were more sedately
occupied with the arrangements of pay day. Consols after
trivial fluctuations settled down at 91/ to 6 for money, and
951 for the account fixed for the' 26th of November.
Reduced Threes, 931 to 4. Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents.,
95/ to 1. Exchequer Bills, 14s. to 17s. premium. Long
Annuities. 9 13-16 to 15-16. Bank Stork, 2051 to 64. The
Government broker purchased 10,000/. Reduced Threes at
94 for the East India Company's guarantee fund, and
1,2001. in the Three per Cents. of 1726 at 944 for the
National Debt.
The settlement of the half-monthly account in fore:gn
stocks and railway shares was the business of the day in the
foreign market. Excepting in Mexican Bonds the differences
in prices of foreign securities were not of sufficient impor-
tance, nor the business so extensive, as to cau'e much dtffi-
culty of arrangement. Although in Mexican there was a
tall of some 2 per cent. to be dealt with, yet there does not
appear to have been any heavy operators in the bonds at the
higher quotations current before the arrival of Senor Ferias,
and the known repudiation of the conversion. The bonds
at settling time to-day were called 221 to 1, but at the close
of business they were quoted 224 to 3. The transactions in
; other foreign securities were extremely few. Brazilian were
8.5 to 6. 1, enezuela, 411 to 24. Spanish Fives, 264 to 4 ;
the Threes, 371 to 1; Deferred, 17 to 4 ; Passive, 6/ to 6.
Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 59 to 4 ; the Fours,
924 to 4.
ENOLII3II FUNDB.—Oor. 15.
Bank Stock, 2054, 64 Long .teas., Exp. sth Jan., 1460,
1 per Ct. Reduced Anna., 934, 4 I 9 13-16, 13-16
3 per Cent. Consols, Anna., 934, Long Anna., 30 years, 10th Oct.,
41, 1559, 9 11-16, 13-16
3 per et. Anna, 1726, 94$ I (broads for Acct,! 26th Nor., 931,
New 31 per Cent. Anna., 931, 1, r 4,4,
4, I i Ex. Mk, £1,040, 14d., 14, 17 pm.
FOREIGN FUNDS.
5 per Cent. Brazilian Bonds, 541 3 per Cent. Spanish Bonds, 371,
5 per Ct. Mexican, 1546, 22/, 4, 3 4, I
Ditto Acct., Oct. 10, 23, 21, 1 per Ct. Venezuela Bonds, 414
5 per Ct. Spanish Bonds Div. from 44 per Cent. Belgian Bonds, Ex.
Nov. 1810, 264 23 Mines, 974, 8
igor Ct. spanisliyassive Bah., 51 I 4 a t.eut. Dutch Certificates,