The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-21 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.—IESTERDAT
Bernet Ya. Jr•rto.
THE ATTEMPT/AI ASSASSINATION IN THE VITT.
Henry Page, 30, who was charged with feloniously shoot-
ing at John Francis Hecht,, with intent to murder him,
applied to the court to postpone his trial on account of the
absence of a lady at Boulogne, who, he said, was a material
witness in his behalf.
The Court ordered the trial to stand for Friday.
PosT•OFFICE ROIHIERIES.
In this case, portly reported in yesterday's paper after the
time of going to press,
Mr. Justice Erie summed up, and the jury almost imme-
diately returned a verdict, finding the prisoner Young
Guilty of stealing the letter, and 31unall Guilty of recoil-
ing it, knowing it to have been stolen.
His Lordship sentenced Young to be transported for ten,
and Monadl tar twelve, years.
DEATH uTVIOLENCE.
John Rogers, 38, was indicted for thu munla ughter of
Elizabeth Leate.
It appeared that the parties lived together as man and
wife, at No. 1, Luke-street, Shoreditch, and on the night of
the 26th July, a quarrel took place between them, during
which the prisoner struck the deceased a violent blow on
the head, which felled her to the ground, and she became
insensible almost immediately, and died an hour or two
afterwards from the consequences of the injury inflicted
the prisoner. When he was taken into custody he ad-
mitted that he knocked the deceased dawn, and said the
reason he had done so was to protect himself, she having
attempted to use a knife to him. The prisoner expressed
deep regret after the occurrence, and earnestly entreated
the people in the house to do what they could for the de-
ceased. A knife was picked up in the room by the police-
man, and when the prisoner saw it, he said, " That is the
knife my poor dear girl used to defend herself with." It
appeared that the prisoner had been cut upon the hand by
the deceased on a former occasion, and it appeared very pro-
bable that the prisoner had been actuated by a desire to
protect himselt from her violence when he struck the fatal
blow.
Mr. Ballantine made a feeling address to the jury on
behalf of the prisoner, and called several respectable wit-
nesses, who gave him an excellent character.
His lordship having summed up, the jury returned a
verdict of ,Vol Guilty.
VITRIOL THROWING,
Catherine Jane llenry, 23, was indicted for feloniously
throwing a quantity of vitriol upon Sarah Young, with in-
tent to do her grievous bodily harm.
It appeared that the prosecutrix and the prisoner were
what are termed " unfortunate' girls, and that there had
been a good deal of rivalry and ill feeling between them,
and the prisoner had repeatedly threatened the prosecutrix
with violence. On the night of the 7th July, the prisoner
accosted the prosecutrix, and asked her to drink with her,
and while they were standing together, she threw a quan-
tity of vitriol upon her, which had the effect of entirely de-
stroying the clothes she had on at the time. It appeared
that no injury whatever was done to the person of the pro-
secutrix, and there appeared good reason for supposing that
the object of the prisoner really was only to destroy a satin
dress worn by the prosecutrix, which appeared to have
peculiarly excited her ire, and that she did not intend to
injure her person.
The Learned Judge expressed nn opinion that the evi-
dence would not support the charge of felony, although an
assault had undoubtedly been committed.
Mr. O'Brien said he should not attempt to struggle
against a conviction for that offence.
The jury therefore, under his lordship's direction, found
the prisoner guilty of a common assault.
Mr. Robinson said that the prosecutrix had been re-
peatedly threatened with violence by the prisoner, and he
suggested that some means should be taken to compel her
to conduct herself peaceably for the future.
The Learned Judge said he would defer passing sentence,
in ender that he might consider what punishment would be
best calculated to prevent any act of violence on the part of
the prisoner for the future.