The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-12 00:00:00

the prosecutor stated, that hi• mine wan Distin, one of the
Distin tamily, which repre,entotion he, prosecutor, believed
at the time. The prosecutor found that this was not
and gave him into custody ono morning at ten o'clock, when
the prisoner said if he would wait till two he would pay the
money. The intent to defraud was not made out to t►te
satisfaction of the jury. and the prisoner denied that h^
said he was one of the Distin family, and
A verdict of Not °nifty was returned.

THE POLICE COURTS.
MANSION-HOUSE.
Thomas Taylor, a paper stains r, who said he had been at
a bean feast at Graveseed cn Saturday, was charged with
having assaulted a poor old woman at 11 o'clock at night in
the street.
The beastly fellow adman el that he had struck the poor
woman, but said ho considered himself justified, as she had
given the first blow.
The Lord Mayor fined the defendant 20s. or penance for
14 days in gaol.
WORSHIP-STREET.
John Bird, a tall muscular men, was charged before Mr.
Hammitt with a murderous assault upon Elizabeth Dome-
ney, the wife of a tradesman in Britannia street, City-
road.
The complainant, who was in such a state of suffering
and exhaustion that she fainted while being led into the
court, and was scarcely able to give her evidence, stated
that for the last nine months the wife of the prisoner, who
had been compelled to separate from her husband, in con•
sequence of his repeated acts of brutality towards her, had
resided in her house with her female child, and com-
miserating her unhappy position. witness had been the
means of providing her with sufficient employment for
their comfortable subsistence. She had been subjected, in
consequence, to incessant insults and annoyances on the
part of the prisoner, who was in the habit, every time he
met her, of spitting in her face, and assailing her with
the coarsest invectives. About nine o'clock that morning
she was &meditate at her street door, when the prisoner
suddenly presented himself, and demanded, with an oath,
that his child should be delivered up to him. On telling
hint that she was unable to comply with his request, as
she had no controul over the child, the prisoner instantly
struck her a terrible blow under the ear, which felled her
to the ground. On recovering her feet she retreated back
into the shop, and was endeavouring to escape from further
illtreatment, by secreting herself beneath the counter, when
the prisoner hastened after her, and grasping her by the
back of the neck, commenced beating her about the head
and face with all his force. The prisoner continued the
same brutal course of violence, without a moment's inter-
mission, for at least a quarter an hour, and she felt satisfied
that he would have carried out his threats to murder her on
the spot, but for the timely interference of several persons
who forcibly dragged him away, and ultimately gave him
into custody.
The evidence of the injured woman was fully corrobo-
rated by one of her neighbours named Eliza Casher, and
police constable Hayward, 0 212, stated that having re-
ceived information from a gentleman on horseback, who
overtook hint in an adjoining street, that murder was being
committed at the house in question, he immediately pro-
ceeded there, and the prisoner was given into his custody.
Oa entering the shop he found the complainant, supported
in the arms of two women, in a state of partial insensibility,
and so dreadfully injured that a considerable time elapsed
before she was in a condition to be conveyed to the station
to prosecute the charge.
On being called on for his defence, the prisoner said that
his only motive in going to the house was to get possession
of the child, and that he had used no more violence than he
considered necessary to accomplish that object.
Mr. Hammill said that it was a most brutal and aggra-
vated case, and he had no hesitation in ordering the pri-
soner to be committed to the House of Correction and to be
kept to hard labour for the full term of six mouths.
WESTMINSTER.
Admiral James Hammy Plumridge was summoned to
show cause why an order should not be made upon him to-
wards the maintenance of a child.
Defendant was not in attendance, but was represented by
Mr. Roberts, from the office of Mr. Simpson.
Edward Damming, one of the summoning officers of the
court, having proved the personal service of the summons
upon the defendant at Upon Hall, near Lowestoft, Suffolk,
Sarah Ann Halls, a smart-looking young woman, stated
that she was delivered of a male bastard child on the 14th
of February, 1848, of which Admiral Plumridge was the
father. She had lived with him for two years before her
confinement, and he went to India about four months
before the child was born. He gave her a check-book
before his departure to draw M. per quarter during his
absence, betides giving her money at different times.
Captain Hamley, • friend of defendant's, called on
her the day she was confined, and defendant
himself had paid money to her mother since his return for
the maintenance of the child. He wrote a letter subse-
quently to request her to leave her work and take personal
charge of the child, but she did not agree with that, and he
subsequently discontinued his payments.
In cross-examination complainant repeated that it was
Captain Hamley who brought her the money the day she
was confined, defendant being at that time in India. I
Complainant handed in • letter, which she stated she re-
ceived from the admiral from abroad shortly after her
confinement. It commenced :—"I heartily, congratulate
you, my dearest Jenny, upon having, after your very long
and protracted suffering, got well through your trouble on
the 15th of February. Capt. Hamley's letter of the 15th of
March, which I only received yesterday, gave me that piece
of expected intelligence. He tells me Master Jack is a very
nice little fellow, and bears a very strong resemblance to
me. If that is really the case, what a little ugly mug he
must be." The letter then goes on to state that, as she is
now a respectable mother and comfortably situated,
she should rest contented till his return tO
England, not caring so much: about dress as young girls
generally did, but behaving as the respectable mother of a
line boy. He then recommended her to keep herself to
herself, to go to church on Sundays, and red her prayers
every morning and tinning, and be thankful at having
passed with life through her confinement; and goes on to
add that, although always anxious to hear from her,
" Jack" has added to the feeling. The letter concludes by
stating that Capt. Hamley has informed him that he gave
her the five guineas he sent on the 2nd of March from
Bombay, which would defray the expenses of her confine-
ment, and is signed T. Perkins."
In explanation of the signature, complainant said that
the admiral (then captain) passed under that name with
her, and requested her to represent herself as his wile.
When, however, she visited him at his residence in Chester-
square, which she sometimes did, she passed as Captain
Hamley's daughter.
Mr. Roberts, to whom the letter was handed, said he did
not attempt to deny that an intimacy had existed between
the parties.
Elisabeth Keene, complainant's mother, said that on the
admiral's return from India he eamewhere she was staying,
and on her showing him the child, he said "Well, Jack,
here's a sovereign ,to keep your head above water," and
kissed him several times.
Mr. Roberts inquired whether the magistrate thought the
proof of payment within twelve months legally established.
Mr. Arnold expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the
evidence in that respect, and adjudged Admiral Plumridge
to pay 21. costa and 2s. 65, per week