The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-24 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

Yesterday, • commission de lunatic° inquirendo was
opened at the Manor-house Tavern, Stoke Newington,
to inquire into the state of mind of Miss Ann Fenner,
aged forty-six, daughter of a City merchant, and a
lady of considerable property, her brother having taken
out the commission. It appeared that from the 28th
of November, 1842, she had been an inmate of Mr. Birkett's
asylum, Northumberland House, Stoke Newington, and
during that time she had been labouring under the belief
that she was about to be taken away by some imaginary
person, and she imagined that the looking-glaze represented
her inaccurately, exhibiting her as a beast with claws. The
alleged lunatic having been introduced, was asked whether
her name was not Mini Fenner; she immediately turned her
back to the commissioner, and avoidit.g his countenance,
said "my name is Smith."—The learned commissioner
asked ash' would answer any questions, and explained that
the gentlemen were assembled for the purpose of inquiring
into her state of mind. She declared that the devil was at-
tending her, and that none of them could conquer him.
Then turning round to the reporter, she observed, "What
ate you taking them notes for; mind, I wont have them
printed," and rubbing her long curls into great confusion, so
as to appear quite dishevelled, left the room, avowing that
the pens ►nd the devil belonged tether same bird. A verdict
was returned, dating the unsoundness of mind from 28th
November, 1841.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
Before Mr. Serioust Adams.
ROBBERY BY A SOLDLEIL—J. Sotorey, a private in the
Grenadier Gouda, was indicted for stealing from the person
of R. Jones a silver watch, value 61.—The prosecutor swore
that at 4 o'clock one morning, on Holborn-bill, the prisoner
snatched his watch, breaking the guard, and he was given
into custody on tho spot.—ln his defence the prisoner pre-
ferred a charge of assault against the prosecutor.—Sergeant
Eves, of the Grenadier Guards, was called to speak to the
prisoner's character. He said he had been in the regiment
18 years, during which period he had been a good and obe-
dient soldier, and an honest man. In 15 years he had been
punished four or five times for drunkerumme. When this
transaction took place the prisoner was absent without
leave—The jury found the prisoner Guilty.—The learned
serjeant said the prisoner had most materially aggravated his
offence by the disgusting defence be had set up—a defence
which proved him to be an unmanly, cowardly, and
dirty fellow. He was a disgrace not only to his
regiment, but to humanity ; and he hoped that
when he was liberated from prison and joined his comrades,
they would fix upon him that mark hit co.sduct so richly en
titled him to.—The court had some doubt as to whether it
ought not to pronounce a sentence of transportation.—The
sentence was that the prisoner be kept to hard labour for
One year.
SHAM COONST COURT OFFICIALII.—T. Williams was
charged upon two indictments with obtaining money under
false pretences.—Mr. J. De la Fontaine stated that he met
the prisoner casually in a public•houe, when he (prisoner)
said he was an officer attached to a new county court, and
wan entitled, as such, to undertake to recover debts therein.
He prevailed upon De la Fontaine to intrust him to recover
a debt, and to give him 9s. 6d. to pay the preliminary fees,
and for that he gave a receipt. As the indictment charged
the false pretence to be, that the prisoner stated he was an
officer to the Sheriff of Middlesex, and not of the county
court, this prosecution broke down. The prisoner was then
tried upon the other indictment. E‘idence was given to
show that the prisoner, by the false representation that he
was an officer attached to a county court, and was sent for a
debt of 11. 7s. 6d. owing to • Mr. Moriarty, as it was under-
stood, obtained that sum from Mr. W. Rolf*. It was shown
that the representation was false. In this cis the prisoner
was convicted, and the court sentenced him to three months'
imprisonment.

POLICE!- YEBTHRDAY.

MANSION-HOUSE.—lwriutuarzos.—J. TAillipa was
re-examined, charged with having been a " picket man,"
employed to intimidate the workmen of Wm. Trego, of
Coleman-street.—The foreman of Mr. Trego stated that he
was authorised net only to stop the prosecution in the pre-
sent case, but to intercede to procure the liberation of
Mahoney, the man who was on the previous day con-
victed and sentenced to hard labour for three months (or a
breach of the law, if " the committee" would pledge them-
selves to abstain from the system of annoyance upon which
they had been acting. It appeared, however, that penitent
as Phillips seemed to be, the committee would not make any
condition of the kind, but on the contrary were determined
to act offensively, and Mr. Trego was therefore resolved to
prosecute in every instance. Witnesses were examined, bill
they distiectly stated that although the language of intimi-
dation had been wed by several others of the " picket men,"
they had not heard any observations from the prisoner calcu-
lated to iatiraidate.—The Lord Mayor and Alderman Gibbs
said that as there was no proof of intimidation they had no
alternative but to dismiss the case, but they repeated their
assurance that in every instance in which evidence of the
offence should be given the full penalty would be inflicted.
The Lord Mayor acknowledged having received for the
poor-box from the Grocers' Company, 101. ; from J. Y., 21. ;
and from Wm. Harker, the Coleman of the grand jury of the
Central Criminal Court, 15e., being the amount in band
after payment of the refreshment expenses of the Octoher
gTsnd,j,lurryy.
GUILDHALL.—CHARITT.—Mr. Alderman H. Hughes
acknowledged • donation of 101. to the poor-box from the
Grocers' Company.
WORSHIP•STRIIET.—CHAR.OR AOAI/111T A RAILWAY
CLEII.—J. S. Foster, late a clerk in the service of the
Eastern Counties Railway Company, was charged with ob-
taining money by false pretences.— W. Fearn, • clerk in the
grain department at the goods station, in Brisk-lane, Spital-
fields, deposed that the prisoner, prior to the 7th of the pre-
sent month, wan a clerk in the same department. It was
the prisoner's duty to make out from the invoices duplicate
copies of tickets for grain rent by the carmen for delivery to
house in town, and in consequence of ita having been dis-
covered that fraudulent overcharges were made, the prisoner
was given into custody.—Messrs. Noble and Co., seedsmen,
Fleet-street, suffered to some extent by the prisoner's delin-
quencies. First, for goosis received by the company's
train, Messrs. Noble were charged Ila, whereas they
had been debited to the company Be. 3d. only; in the
second case, for goods received by the train, Messrs.
Noble were charged 3e.' but debited to the company 2s. 3d. ;
in the third ease, for goods so received, Messrs. Noble were
charged 14e., but debited to the company 12e. 9d. ; and, in
the fourth case, Meows. Noble were charged 211. Ild., whilst
they had been charged to the company 19s. Bd., the prisoner
thus pocketing by one firm, in two days, 6s. 3d.—Mr. Learn
produced a book in which the proper amount was entered,
and said that Messrs. Noble had been greatly overcharged,
and that the prisoner had paid him the correct value of the
freightage and delivery only.--Several other charges of a''
like nature were proved againat the prisoner, and a number
of others were ready to be gone into, but Mr. Hurlsume, the
second clerk, said that the company would confine them-
selves to three charges which had been proved before the
magistrate, and upon which, the witnesses having been
bound over in the sum of 401. each to appear at the next
session of the Central Criminal Court, the prisoner was fully
committed for trial.

CRAROR eaustet THE SECRETARY OP A GIFT SOCIETT.
—R. S. away late secretary to the United Friends Gift
Fend, Leaps 11 and 12, was re-examined, charged with
various acts eeeesbesslinsent, and also with having obtained
111183070011 same of money by means of fictitious orders from
the treasurers. Mr. Huddlestone, for the prosecution, said
the prosecutors were members of a society, associated for the
purpose of affording assistance and relief to the subscribers
during their illness or temporary want of employment, and
to make a limited provision for their widows and representa-
tives after their death. The prisoner was appointed secre-
tary, and it was his duty to receive subscriptions from the
members, which he was required to enter in a book kept for
the purpose, and hand over the amount to the treasurer on
the same evening. He was authorised to investigate the
various claims for relief, and upon ascertaining their accuracy
to make out written orders upon either of the two trerourers
for the amounts claimed, which were paid to the prisoner er
such other persons as he appointed to receive them. The
prisoner continued to discharge hie duties for more than
three years, till the 22nd of September, when the quarterly
meeting took place for the settlement of his accounts,but on the
assembling of the memb,n it was discovered that neither of
the auditors, whom it was the prisoner's duty to summon,
had been apprised of the meeting, and that the prisoner him-
self had absconded. It was afterwards found that he had
proceeded, under the wowed name of Smith, to Hull,
Iwhere all trace of hint was lost for nine weeks, when he
was apprehended ; he voluntarily expressed his eoatrition for
his misconduct, which he attributed to his indultenze4
drink and other excesses, by which he had ruinedi
The learned gentleman entered into a minute detail of the
separate offences he was prepared to establish aginsithe I
prisoner, the first of which comprised no Lee than if SONO,
in which he had obtained money from the allann of Se so-
ciety upon Mee pretences, and as, la ovary Wean, the
order was drawn in the man of peeeer whale uscoanested
with the eendation, and el wYm nothing whatever was
known, it would be • garden Ise nalrequat consideration
whether tiny did net allemenntle With :sped
to the MINS of onahmllsoeseadit was hapenible, at prevent,
to seloolda the whole anesama of hie in eon-
swims et hi bra isig ..de awl, with the bosky is which
his sentents wee attend, sad, apes tide doebsetlea, it was
Ws ielealita to form a Med of brew, as it
MI lea aboinaly withheld eilitialit Medea object
Zsieeslig a leß libelant' et Ids seitpeastisse, mad de-
lls weds et jemies..—Wir. Masa tali thee the
dove Iflumw.olllmgry mid est he asesesent
M J. Mbemej Reed tin trielese, said

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