The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-06 00:00:00

Northern Railway authorities, the judge did notarrive till
four o'clock, and the whole of the busineiu, beyond
the opening of the commission, was postponed. The judge
and officials and members of the bar left Northampton
by a train which should have arrived at Peterborough in
time for the express train, which leaves the latter place at
11.12 am. the Nurth-Western station and the Great
Northern station are a mile apart, and on the arrival of the
train from Northampton there was only seven minutes to
spare. Baron Alderson and the clerk of Win set out for
the Great Northern station immediately, but before their
arrival the train to Lincoln had started. Application was
then made for a special train for the judges and the bar,
upon the principle of paying express fares, the total of
which would have amounted to 301. The station master,
however, said he could trot go beyond his instructionq, and
he demanded as. each in addition, so ns to make the sum
501. for the special train to Lincoln. Remonstrance was
made with him respecting this exaction, but he declared he
could not depart from his instructions; and the consequence
was that the judge, barristers, and officials refused to go on
such terms, and they therefore had to wait for the next ordinary
traiu, when the whole of the bar (about 40 in number) tra-
velled in second-class carriages, and determined in future
nut to take first-class tickets on the Great Northern Rail-
way. Baron Alderson, it is said, intends to write to the
directors on the subject.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—Dumum. Mimi 4.
CROWN COCRT.
The business of this assize commenced to-day, Justice
Cresswell sitting in the Crown Court.

SOUTH WALES CIRCUIT.—SWANSEA, MARCEL 3.
Rams MIL Jessica If/W.l*N wit-usu..
MOWWAY ROBBERY.
John Wykle, 30, pedlar, and itargaret Williams, 20.
were indicted for having at Merthyr assaulted one Henry
Joni s, and robbed him of 271.odd,including one 51. note anil
22 sovereigns, in addition to some silver.
From the evidence of the witnesses, it appeared that on
the night of the 27th of July the prosecutor was in the
town of Merthyr, with a sum of 27/. in his possession, be-
longing to his employer, a merchant at Carmarthen. At a
late hour of the night, being in liquor, he was enticed into
a lonely part of the town by the prisoners, knocked down,
and robbed of the money. It was also shown that prose-
cutor was seen in the company of the prisoners, walking
towards the spot where he had been robbed. No money
was found in their possession when apprehended, but they
were not taken into custody for several days.
Mr. Justice Williams having summed up the evidence,
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty against both
prisoners.
Sentenced to 10 years' transportation.
MAUCH 4.
Ms. JUOTICIS VAWYIIOI
EXTENSIVE BURGLARIES AT SWANSEA.
George Thomas, John Kelly. and John Lorries, were
charged with a series of burglaries at Swansea, in October
last.
The first indictment tried was that of a burglary in the
house of Mr. T. Williams, of Brunswick-place, Swansea,
and the stealing therefrom a quantity of plate, consisting
of silver knives, forks, &c, also a number of articles of
wearing apparel, miniatures set in gold, &c.
The jury found all the prisoners Guilly.
Davies was sentenced to ten years' transportation ; Belly
and Thomas to seven years.
STRIKE. OF TRE COLLIERS AT AYIERDARIL
Dark! Watkins, William Griffiths, and Thomas Griffiths
were indicted for a riot at Aberdare, and in a second
count with having assaulted Thomas Meredith and his wife
Harriet.
It appeared that some time since a reduction was made
in the wages of colliers at Aberdare and Merthyr. The
workmen refused to accede to the masters' terms. A strike
was the consequence. The masters imported a number of
English colliers from the Forest of Dean, between whom
and the Welchem:a a very bad feeling existed. Frequent
skirmishes took place between them. On the day named in
the indictment a party of Welshmen attacked the house in
which Meredith (one of the foresters) lodged, smashed the
windows, and beat prosecutor and his wife. They identified
the prisoners as being among the party.
Mr. Benson, in defence of the prisoners, entered into the
history and origin of the " strike," but he was peremptorily
stopped by the learned judge, who said that the strike had
nothing to do with the present riot. It would be a most
monstrous doctrine in a manufacturing country like this
that workmen suffering under a real or imaginary griev-
ance would be justified in taking the law into their own
hands and committing such outrages. lie would direct the
jury to confine their attention to the simple facts of the
ease, excluding from their consideration all circumstances
in reference to the justifiableness or otherwise of the strike.
The jury found Watkins and W. Griffiths Guilty of a
immon assault, and Arysiated the other prisoner.
Sent enced to four calendar months' hard labour

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.—YESTERDAY.
Barons Ma. Acmes Lou.
Attais.
Edward Smith, 30, tailor, was indicted for setting fire to
an oat rick, the property of Mr. Francis Sherburne,
at Bedfont, upon the 31st of January.
The prisoner, a strange-looking man, dressed in the pri-
son attire, either was, or affected to he, unconscious of what
was going on, and kept staring wildly round the court.
When called on to plead he made no answer.
Mr. M.Murdo, the surgeon, was then examined as to the
state of the prisoner's mind, and lie gave it as his opinion
that the prisoner was only counterfeiting insanity.
Mr. Cope, the governor, said that for a day or two after
the prisoner's admittance into the gaol he spoke rationally,
hut that since then he had not spoken to any one, and to
all appearances was trying to raise the supposition that ho
was insane.

The Case was then proceeded with.
Mr. Francis Sherborne, a farmer at Bedfont, Middlesex,
said that in a field of his adjoining the road to Staines, he
had eight ricks ; that about five on the evening of the 31st
Nf January, just as the men were leaving work, one of those
ricks, an oat one, was on fire, and which was subsequently
quite destroyed, and it was with the greatest difficulty that
the remainder were saved. It had evidently been fired
from the bottom and purposely.
Four witnesses were called two of whom saw the pri-
soner enter the field just before the rick was seen on fire;
and two boys, brothers, who were bird watching, saw him
coming out and told him he had fired the rick ; he made no
answer but went on down the Staines road.
Major Read, of Bedfont, said that he was passing on
horseback at the time. Rode after the prisoner and stopped
hint until the police came up. The prisoner said he had
not done it.
The police constable who had charge of the prisoner said
that he seemed quite sane in his manner the whole time he
had him. As ho was proceeding with him, after he had
been before the magistrates prisoner said what a many per-
sons had come up against him. He then said what do you
think 1 shall get, 20, 11, or 7 years. The constable said he
did not know, but that it was a very serious offence. He
then said the devil had tempted ham to do it, and wanted
to know if the devil never tempted him, to which the con-
stable made no answer.
. . . . .

The rigour, when asked for his defence, continued the
same air of apparent unconsciousness he had exhibited the
whole of the trial.
The jury found him Guilty.
At a later period of the day, the prisoner was brought
up for sentence, and Mr. Justice Erie said, from inquiries
he had made, he was quite satisfied that the manner he had
exhibited during thu trial was feigned, and he should order
him to be transported for 133 ears,
CHARON or 31•NSLAUGHTER.
Richard Canntaine, 2.5, sawyer, was indicted for the
manslaughter of Eliza Ann Barrett.
Mr. Clark stated the following cue to the jury. The
deceased was a young woman who had kept company with
the prisoner for a considerable length of time, and
on the erecting of the 3rd of February he was at the
&thorough Arms, where the deceased also was, both
haring something to drink. lie got up to go away,
sad she rose to follow him, and he told her he did nut
moat her company ; but she persisting in going with him,
ho gore her, according to some of the witnesses,
a blow, and others a push, in the belly ; immediately after
which she went into the taproom and complained of great
pan, and some brandy was given to her. She said the pri-
mmer had kicked her ; and he said he bad not, he had only
pus►ed her. lie then saw her home, and during the night
she was taken worse, and her father fetched a doctor fur
her ; but before he arrived she was dead. The post-mor
tees examination of the body showed that death had ari•em
from a rupture of some of the internal vessels of the
intestines.
The

of the medical evidence :proved
that the deceased was in a very bad state of health ; and it
seemed very doubtful whether t►e alleged violence, of
which there was no external appearance, had anything to
do with her death.
The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
MURDEROUS ASSAULT,
Charles Wood. 21, coachman, was indicted for feloniously
assaulting Thomas Carter Wing, with intent to rob him,
being armed with an offensive weapon. Mr. Bodkin and
Mr. Clark appeared for the prosecution, which had been
instituted by the Commissioners of Police; and Mr. Clark-
son appeared for the prisoner.
The prosecutor, a grocer, living in the Walworth-road,
stated that on the night of the 12th of January, between
twelve and one, he was going towards his house, having
with him his son, a child about nine years of age. As he
was passing down Lorimer-place into West-street he heard
two men walking sharply behind him, and almost directly
afterwards they came up to hint, and he heard some whis-
pering, and almost directly was struck a violent blow with
some blunt instrument; the blow was repeated, and his
boy running away, and raising a cry of police, one of the
awn ran away, and he then engaged with the prisoner,
defending himself with his umbrella. The prisoner struck
him several violent blows in the face, which almost stunned
him and deluged his face in blood. The prisoner then
started off and ran a part of the way down the street, bat
suddenly returned and ran past him again. Witness then
became faint from loss of blood, and saw no more of prisoner
until he was brought to his house by the police about an
hour afterwards.
From the evidence of the police it appeared that the cause
of prisoner turning back was that he saw an officer coming
in that direction, and he had not run out of thestaeet the
other way when he was stopped by another officer.
A lad who delivered milk in the district proved that on
the next morning he found a formidable gotta percha life
preserver, which had been thrown into a garden which the
prisoner had passed in his flight.
The jury at ones+ found him Guilty.
Mr, Justice: Erie, in passing sentence, said his offence
was one of an atrocious and aggravated nature. The pri-