The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-05 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER COUNTY COURT.

Before 1). C. Hoylan. Laq.
CLARE!). COLNAOIII.—AIIE A WATC.I AND GOLD CHAIN
NECESSARY FOR AN INFANT TO APPEAR IN BErORE THR
QUEEN ?—ln this case, Mr. W. B. Clark, a gentleman 80
years of age, sued the defendant, Mr. Oiwald Colnaghi, a
printseller, in Old Bond.street, his grandson, for 7/. 185. W.,
the value of a silver watch and gold chain, and for money
lent in April last. The defendant pleaded " infancy."—ln
support of the plea, defendant's mother and plaintiff's own
daughter, Mrs. Frances Colnaphi, was called, and proved
that defendant was born on the 7th of August, 182 G, conse-
, quently he was under age whin he purchased the watch and
chain.—Mr. Clark said since the defendant had come of age
he had repeatedly promised to pay him.—The Judge : But
that won't do, Mr. Clark, unless you have it in writing ; for
the 9th Geo. IV., sec. 5, states dieinctly that no promise to
pay a debt contracted during, minority, made at
lull age, shall be binding, unless it shall be in
writing. If you can show that the debt was
c.tutracted for necessaries the {plea of " infaccy" will not
avail —Mr. Clark: I think I can. At the time f sold the
watch and chain he was employed by Mr. Alderman Moon
to go to Buckingham Palace to show prints to the Queen,
and I really think the watch and gold chain were necessary
to give him a decent appearance in the presence of her Ma-
jesty. His lather is well to do in the world.—The Judge:
Very likely, but I can hardly consider a watch and gold
chain in the light of necessaries. What is the other for?—
Mr. Clark : That is a guinea, money lent for him to buy a pair
of boots with.—The Judge : That ;nu must lose, for the
law says money lent to an " infant," even should it be to
buy necessaries, can never be recovered. If you had bought
the loots for him you could have recovered it back. I must
dismiss the we Mr. Clark.—After some rather disgraceful
remarks bad pawed between the grandfather and the grand-
son the parties retired,

COMMISSION OP LUNACY.
ROYAL RllETENSlONS.—Yesterday,:the second duplicate
commission de I unatico inquirendo, was opened at the Roebuck
Tavern, Turnham-green, before Mr. Commissioner Barlow
and fourteen special jurors, relative to the state of mind
of Miss Amelia M. H. Collings, daughter of the late
Captain Collings, and sister to the young lady who
was declared sane at the inquiry on Tuesday, though
alleged to hold the same delusions as the subject
of this inquiry. After some prdiminary evidence,
Dr. Winslow stated : I saw her first on the Bth of Deeember
last, when she appeared is greet excitement, and almost in-
capable of conversation. She said she had large property
owing to her by the traders of Guernsey—about 100,0001.
She spoke very bitterly of all her r latives, and said they
were swindlers—that Don Carlos had a great deal to do with
her affairs—that fur mother had been murdered in Guern-
sey—that her sister Maria had been sold to Mrs. Tuke for
I,sool.—that General Napier knew all about her affairs,
and would tell us all about them—that she had been poi-
soned by arsenic or sulphate of copper, which had
been infused into her food. I saw her again on the
28th of January, when she said that her impri-
sonment was known throughout all England and
was the great theme of conversation—that her mother
was majesty of Spain, and that her sister could be princess
of Spain whenever she liked ; that Louis Philippe had sunk
the Meager with 300 persons on board. She seemed inca-
pable of keeping to any rational subject. I consider hero(
unsound mind. Indeed I have not a shadow of
a doubt that she is decidedly insane.—Mrs. Eupbe-
mia Findlater, sister of the unfortunate lady, said
that in her belief the impressions entertained by her
sister Amelia as to her title to great wealth, the murder of
their mother, and alleged connexion with the royal family
of Spain, were delusions. She (witness) knew
of no foundation for such impressions.—Mr. John
Bowling, surgeon, corroborated Dr. Winslow. —Mr.
Miller, on behalf of the alleged lunatic, addressed the
court, in the course of which be repudiated reilictions cast
on Sir William Collings, who had added to the 5,000/. left
by their father, so as to make their fortune 5,000/. each—
. The commissioner and jury repaired to Manor House to see
the lady, where they found her ins state of violent ea-
t citement, and her answers to several questiors fully bore
i out the evidence.—After a brief deliberation, the jury re-
! turned a verdict, dating the unsoundness of mind Irons the
• 4th of September, 1847.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.—Before Mr. Baron Mderme and Mr. Justice
THE MrRDER IN GOLDISN-LANIL—IIar rid Parker, 38,
was indicted for the wilful murder of Amine Blake, by
forcibly pressing both her hands upon the mouth and nose
of the deceased and thereby destroying and suffocating her.
There was a second indictment against the prisoner for the
murder, by similar means, of another child, named Robert
Henry Blake. Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Clerk conducted the
prosecution on behalf of the crown. The prison. r would
have been without any profesional assistance but for the
kind and humane interference of the sheriffs, and through
their instrumentality Mr. Clarkson defended the prisoner.—
Mr. Bodkin having opened the case, the examination of wit-
nesses was commenced.
Robert Henry Blake—On the 31st December last I resided
in Cubitt's court, St. Luke's, and the prisoner had lived
with me two years and a half as my wife at that place. I
have a wife living. She at present resides at Birmingham.
I had two children by my lawful wife. Their names were
Amine and Robert Henry. The girl was tight, and the
boy between five and six years old, and they lived with me
and the prisoner. I came home from my work between 6 and
6 on the evening of the 31st Dec. ; and II told the prisoner
to make haste and get tea, as I was going to the theatre.
She wished to go with me, but I would not take her, as I
said I was going with a Mr. Hewlett, a Mend of mine. I
had my tea and put the children to bed, and went out to
the Duke of Bedford public-house close by. The prisoner
followed me, and said she would go where I went. Hewlett
was in the public-house, and I asked him to go for a walk,
and we went out together, the prisoner still following us.
We went
go through several streets, and I several times told
her to home and not abuse me, but she replied that
she would fellow me wherever I went. The prisoner at
this time bad a piece of lead tied in a handkerchief in ber
hand, and I remarked that it was a curious thing for her to
have. The prisoner then said I should find the very devil
in her that night. I and Hewlett went nandlic-house in
Old-street, and the prisoner also came drank some
gin with us. When we came out I again told her to go
home, but she said she would go where I was, and we all
thre went again to the Duke of Bedford. As we were
goings along I board a female of the name of Jones mention
my name. I had known this woman for four or five days,
but had not been on terms of intimacy with her before that
day. Hewlett and I sat down on a bench in the Duke of
Bedford, and while the prisoner was in the act of speaking
to the landlord, I slipped out without her perceiving me,
leaving Hewlett behind, and I spent that night with
Jane Jones. I returned home between 10 and 11 the neat
morning, and then saw the dead bodies of both my children.
Crosaexamined : I was not at work on the day in queetion,
and bad been drinking for several days before. I beame
acquainted with the prisoner at Birmingham, and Ica
she was married when I brought her away. I did not in-
tend to go to the theatre with Jane Jones, but met her quite
promiscuously. I never told the prisoner that 1 bad got az
women all married like herself, neither did I taunt her about
my other women on Mit night ;bat While Me was Owing