The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-04 00:00:00

katu intents:nu.

METROPOLITAN 00171ITY OOURTS.
Sitting .lays appointed for the present week.
Migriamerua, St. Martin's-lam —Monday, August 4: Mea-
ds/656; Wednesday, 6: Thursday, 7.
ri.anotts, Marylebone-road.—Tharsday, August 7 ; Fri-
day, &
asmurrwm, Whiteheadsgrove.—Monday, August 4: Tuesday,
6: Wednesday, 6.
SHOILIDITCII, Oldatrest-road—Tue,dsy, August 4: Thurs-
dsy, 7.
Bow, Bow road. —Tuesday, August 5 Friday, 8.
WHITKCHARRL, Great Prenot-street. Tuesday, August 5;
Thursday, 7: Friday, 6.
SOUTHWARK, SwaßAdreaL—Monday, August 4 ; Tuesday, 5:
Wednesday, 6 : Thursday, 7 ; Friday, S.
Worm, Camberwell New-rood.—Tuesday, August 5; Wed-
nesday, 6.
ern or LOROOI, OulldhaU.balWings. Tuesday, August 5 :
Friday, 8.
LORD lIATORR ODORS, Guildhall—Wednesday, August 6.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCIIIT.—LIWIN AUGUR' 2.
Clown Coder.—(Befora Mr. Baron Martin.)
CRAIG! OP IITIRDIM.

Elizabeth Sarah Haaniaat, 31, widow, was indicted for
the wilful murder of her child, two years old, named Thomas
Edward Hunoisett..

It appeared that the pnamier had lived in the Tillhunt
onion, and that she left on the sth of May, taking with her
the child in question and a younger one, only three months
old. She was seen to be wandering about in different
places, and on the following day she was observed to be
sitting close to a pond veer Mayfield, with both her children,
and apparently in a very low and melancholy state. Very
soon afterwards the body of the deceased child was found
in this pond ; and on the prisoner being followed and taken
into custody she denied that the deed child was hen, and said
that she had sent the child to be • taken care
of by a person whom she named, but which
statement was, of course, entirely false. The prisoner,
when before the magistrate, told another story, and said
that while she was engaged in washing the clothes of
the younger child in the pond the deceased rolled in by ac-
cident, and she said that when ale was first queotiosed oho
was afraid to tell the truth. _ _ • ._

The learned Judge summed up very favourably gm the
prisoner, end observed that there weft uothing in the ewe to
show that her story as to how the child met with its death
was not the truth.
_ _

The jury, in about twenty minutes, found the prisoner
Guilty, but recommended her to mercy.
Mr. Baron Martin, addressing the wretched woman, who
appeared to suffer the deepest anguish, and who was sup-
ported by one of the turnkeys, said that the jury, who ware
the proper judges of the facts, had found her guilty, and he
bad nothing mom to do but to pass upon her the sentence of
the law ; but be said, at the mme time, be would take are
that the recommendation to mercy was forwarded to the
proper quarter. He then passed sentence of death in
the usual form, and the prisoner was carried outof the dock
shrieking and protesting her innocence.

CIVIL SIDE.--{Before Baron Bramwell and • Common Jury.)

THOMAS V. SHIRLEY.

This was an action for breach of promise of marriage.
The plaintiff was a young lady named Anne Thomas, and
the defendant is General Shirley. He pleaded in answer to
the action that he did not promise to marry the plaintiff as
alleged in the declaration, and upon this plea issue was
joined. The damages were laid at 2,0001.
Serjeant She', Serjeant Bahrain*. and Mr. F. H. Lewis.
were counsel for she plaintiff ; Mr. M. Chambers, Q.C., and
Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., appeared for the defendant.

Serjeant Shed, inhiVaddreas to the jury, said he wax very
m
to, on the part both of the plaintiff and the defendant
that it bad been necessary to bring this action, and to en.
deavoar by that means to recover !torn the defendant, who
wee undoubtedly a man of high positioa,and a general in her
Majesty's army, damages for the very serious and cruel
injury that be had inflicted upon the plaintiff in
the cause. She was • young lady ooly twenty-three
years of age, and lost both her panels when she
was only two years old, and at that tender age was left an
. She was adopted by her aunt, a lady named Gibbs,
:vreplar:sided at Bicenter, and she remained with the family
for several year*, and Mr. Gibbs, her uncle, at his death,
provided for her an annuity of 301. • year until she should
be 21 years old, and upon attaining that age a sum of 3001.
absolutely. Her aunt married again, and there being a
second family the plaintiff felt herself uncomfortable, end
left Mrs. Gibte's house, with the intention of obtaining
her livelihood as a governess, for which position she was
well fitted by her education and accomplishment., She
was not at this time more than seventeen or
eighteen years old, but she obtained two situations,
one with • gentleman named Atkinson, at Wallingford,
and another in the family of a gentleman named Trew, at
Wandsworth, and her conduct while in the establishment of
both these gentlemen was most irreproachable. The plain-
tiff, upon leaving M.r.Trew's family, in the year 1861, be-
, came acquainted with a lady named Moog, who kept an
establishment or institution called the Musical and Colle-
giate Agency, in Newman-street, Oxford-street. the object
of which was to obtain situations for governesses, and she
requested this lady to endeavour to procure • situation far
her in that capacity. It appeared that at the moment she
was unable to do so, and by her advice the plaintiff went
to Paris fee a few months, for the purpose of
perfecting herself in French, and she then returned to
London. In a short time the plaintiff, by the reeom.
mendation of Ms. Won, remained in the house
of Mrs. Moon's father, io Aberdeen-ter ace, St. John's-
wood, where she was engaged in educating his children in
return for her board and lodging, and she then again applied
to Mrs. Moon to procure a situation fer her, and she ex-
pressed a desire rather to have a situation as lady house-
keeper than that of governess, and at the suggestion of Mts.
Moon an advertisement was inserted in the Times for a
situation of that description, and this led to an introduction
to the defendant, who, he was sorry to say, was a man of
position, of good family, and a general in her Majesty's
service, but who, he believed he should be able to prove,
was as deliberate, unprincipled, and heartless • seducer as
had ever been exposed in a court of justice. Mrs. Moon
herself, who was a most respectable ladr, allowed reference
to be made to her at the institution in Newman-street, and
two or three days after the advertisement appeared, which
was io the month of May last year, the defendant introduced
himself to Mrs. Moon as • widower, and he represented that
he required the service. Of • lady such as was referred to in
the advertisement, to superintend his household in the
country. Mrs. Moon told the defendant where he could see
the plaintiff, and he accordingly went to her father's house
and was introduced to her, and there was no doubt that he
immediately formed the plan of seducing her. He stated
that he was a man of fortune and of high rank in the army,
a widower ; that he had a country house, called Brookside
Lodge, near Rugby ; that he was in the habit of seeing •
great deal of company, and that it was very important that
his household affairs should be superintended by an accom-
plished lady, whom he could introduce to his friends. He also
mid that although at first it might appear to be rather an
equivocal position for a lady to be plead in, still in point
of fact it was not so, as there were a great many servants
who were always about, arid he was constantly watched
by his friable relations. The plaintiff declined the offer
made to her by the defendant to enter his service in the
capacity suggested, and the defendant pressed her to con-
sent, but she still refused to do so. Recalled upon her one
day, and, knotting that she was • proficient in music, be
requested her to accompany him to Messrs. Kirkman's to
choose a piano, and on their return ba agrin pressed her to
accept the proposition be had made tabor, but finding that
she would not, he declared his attachment to her and offered
her his hand and fortune, and add that he would make her
hie wife. To • poor young friendlier girl such en offer
from a man in the defendant's position, who was not
more than fifty years old, and who, he was told, was a head.
some man, was of coulee accepted ; end in the confidence
that the defendant was actuated be honourable intentions,
aad his positive promise that in • short time he would make
her his wife, she consented to meet the defendant, and a
0011110A011 of an intimate nature no doubt arose between
them ; and the defendant, in the result, succeeded in
effecting his object of seducing and destroying the unhappy
girl who had plaoed confidence in his honour. In nine cases
out of ten it was impossible to prove an actual promise of
marriage ; but when the jury bad heard all the evidence
he should lay before theta, soil the communications that had
taken place between the partite, it would be for them to
say whether it was not abundantly established that such a
pretense had been made by the defendant, and
that he had succeeded in seducing the plain-
tiff by melon of that promise. (The learned sergeant
bare read some letters that bad been written by the de-
fendant to the plaintiff, in which be addressed her as
"Dearest Little Annie," and in the most affectionate terms.
Noce of them, however, contained any allusion to marriage;
but the defendant spoke of the pleasure he had experienced
in clasping her to his bosom, and expressed a hope that he
should do so again.) He said that there was no doubt that
the plaintiff felt the greatest confidence in the man who is-
tended to betray her, and she met him repeatedly, and upon
one occasion, at his earliest request, she accompanied him to
Southend, where they dined, and, upon his representation
that the but train had started, and having at the same time
also full confidence in his honourable intentions, she
consented to pass the night with the defendant. After this
occurrence it was of coarse impossible for the plaintiff to go
among her own connexions, and upon the positive assurance
of the defendant that he would make her his wife she coo-
seated to go to reside at Brookside Lodge, where she was
installed as mistress of all the servants, and had the charge
of the entire establishment. While she was at this plate '
the plaintiff discovered that she was in the family way, and
having become alarmed at her helpless position, and at the
same time, from oircunistanees that had occurred, feeling
some doubt of the intentions of the defendant, she wrote
him a letter, which should be produced, and which was
placed on his dressing-table by • yoaog lady, a schoolfellow
of the plaintiff, who was at the time on a visit to her, and
ia • conversation that subsequently took place the defen-
dant positively refused to fulfil his pranks, and the plaintiff
was shortly afterwards compelled to leave Brookside Lodge,
and was delivered of a child in Lander*. Hare the defend.
ant still continued to visit her, tied be pestered a peat
deal of affection for the child, sad wished that it eight be
christened by the name of Itol6llllll, but at leadth
appeared resolved to break riff the crantodert merely, and
on the 27th of May of the present year be wrote her the
fdlowin letter :
"Tueeday Evening.
"My dear Amor —Recollect (if yes please) that my
premier to you of twelve months shim hen all hese out
sheet and serhilated by your ova weirsi—soaduill "like