The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-22 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.--CHIILMSPORD, JULY 21.
CaowN sioe.—Before the Lord Chief Bart.
A CONSTABLE AND A BURGLAR. —J. Gould, 45,
farmer, J. Bread, 23, labourer, and E. Ed
dl wards,
24, labourer, were indicted for a burglary in the we-
ling-house of Thomas Coe, and stealing a quantity of
plate and other articles. WGee
tiecy, 40,
mbr ienicklayer, was
charged with receiving a portion of the prorerty,
knowing it to have Seen stolen.—This caw created some
interest, from the circumstance of the prisoner Gould, who
is a tanner in good circumstances in the ueigh
ofbourhood of
Halstead, being connected with a gang burglars.
In the present case the evidence went to show that
on the night of the 13th March the prosecutor, who
is a publican in the town of Halstead, went to bed, having,
as usual, fastened up his house. Ne alarm was heard during
the night, but in the morning it was discovered that thieves
bad broken into the house, that the bar had been forced
open, and that a quantity of plate and money, and o.her pro-
perty, had been stolen, as well as tome liquor, which was
contained in two stolen jail. Shortly after the robb.ry must
have been committed the prisoners Edwards and Bryant
went to the house of the prisoner Goodry, where they lay
down to sleep fur son e time, and subsequently left a portion
of the stolen property in the possession of that piton. r. Sus-
picion having immediately fallen upon Bryant and Edwards,
they were taken into custody, and while the former
was in tna Charge of the police, he sent for the iiisreicec-
tor and made a statement implicating Gould. The pol
proceeded to Gould's farm at Greenuead-green, and found
the two stone bottles that had been stolen, and a large quan-
tity of other property, thc produce of other robberies.
Gould was then taken into custody. His crime was aggra-
vated by the fact of his being the constable of the parish in
which he resided. After the prisoners had been committed
for trial Edwards and Bryant succeeded in making their
escape from Springfield gaol, and the former went to the
booms of the prisoner Rayner, and remained there fur some
time ; and u it was alleged that he was aware of his escape,
and that he was under a charge of felony, these facts were
made the grounds for preferring against him the charget ed of
harbouring and assisting the prisoner.—The jury acquit
Rayner, and found all the other prisoners Guilty.—There
were several other indictments against them ; but the Chief
Buon said it was not necessary to proceed with them, and
he added that he should take time to consider what sentence
ought to be pronounced.
MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Ltrecocw, JULY 21.
Coo.), cot sr.—Before Mr. Justice Pounce.
POISONING AT CAWSBY.—BBInbefh Garner was charged
with having administered poison to Mary Smith, with intent
to murder her. The facts edict ed by the evidence were that
Ott the 4th July the prisoner, who was a servant of the
prosecutrix, gave in some milk a mixture used for sheep,
called " fag-water," which consisted of arsenic, soft soap,
std water. Mrs. Smith, who was aged and afflicted with
, vomited soon after drinking it; but toe surgeon.
trn. Gilby, could not detect any arsenic in what
had been ejected from the stomach. The prisoner said, is
reply to a question put by this witness (Mr. Oilby), that she
had mixed half a tea-cup full of fag-water with the milk ;
she knew it was poison, and the thought it would kill the
I woman, and she had done it to be released from her service.
Gilby at first said that he had elicit. d the confession without
holding out any inducement; but on being subse-
quently questioned, he said, "He might have done
so; but he did not recollect,"—The Judge severely
censured the witness for this discrepancy, and said,
had the witness expressed any doubt about the matter at
first, he (Mr. Justice Patteson) did not know whether he
ehould have admitted his evidence.—Mr. Flower applied to
the court to strike the evidence out, and a long discussion
followed between the learned counsel; after which his lord-
ship retired to the nisi prius court, to consult Lord Den-
man upon the point. Upon his return the learned judge
said that it was impossible to strike the evidence out ; indeed
he hardly knew what "striking out" meant, as applied
to judges notes. The evidence had gone to the jury, and
the impression could not be removed from their minds. He
would, however, reserve the point foe t
hen opinion of the
judges.—Eventually the jury returned a dict of Guilty.
—The Judge directed unmet of death to be recorded, su
ject to the opinion of the judges on the point reserved.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—DORCHESTER, JULY 20.
Before mr. Justice Coleridge.
FREED IN LIFE ASSUILANCB.—J. Soper, CO auctioneer
and innkeeper. of Blandiord, was indicted fur conspiring to
defr..ud the Licensed Victuallers' Insurance Society, by
making a (aloe representation of the condition of a parson
whose life he wished to insure. From the facts, as detailed
by the witnesses for the prosecution, it appeared that the
defendant was the local agent of the Licensed Victuallers
Insurance Company ; and in the early part of March, 1847,
he effected an insurance for 5001. upon the life of a man
named Samuel Cross, in which policy he stated that he had
an interest. Cross was a carpenter, and also kept an inn at
Blsndford, his wife and the wife of Soper being sisters. To
effect the policy it was necessary to have a medical certifi-
cate ; and a Mr. Lloyd Jones, a surgeon residing at Bland-
ford, certified that Cross was in good health. At the time,
however, that the certificate was given, Cross was
in the last stage of a consumption, of which he died,
on the Ilth of May following. The directors of the insur-
ance company declined therefore to pay the amount of the
insurance, and preferred bills at the last wises against Jones
and the present defendant for conspiracy. Jones was not to
be found, but Soper surrendered to take his trial. For
the defendant it was elicited from some of the witnesses
called by the prosecutors, that they were ignorant of Cross's
disease, and one of these witnesses (the agent of the Sun
Life-office) had gone so far as to recommend the life " As
one that he should recommend to the fine Life-office for
their insurance."—The judge having summed up, the jury,
after some hesitation, returned a verdict of IVot Guilty.

NORTHERN Jtria 20.
Gown Btes.—Before Xr. IsNe tile.
BUSOLLRY.-11. Shaw, 18, J. Wood, 20, and J. Lodge,
18, were charged with having, on the Mth of April last, at
Almondborg4Frlarioutly broken into the dwelling-house
of Samuel • , and stolen therefrom 601. 16.13 d., his pro-
perty. Mr. wing and Mr. Hardy were for the proem-
tion ; and Mr. Serjeant Wilkins defended the
wife a
*hat lonely house at Castle-bill, in the pariah of Almond-
bury, about two miles from Huddonfield. They have a eon
whops name is William, but he did not live with his parents
at the time the burglary was committed. The prosecutor
11 had a considerable nun of money in his house, forty-five son-
reigns and 41. 17s. in silver bang locked up In tea-caddy,
whichd was placed in a cupboard in the front room. and in a
muoup.atairs there was 3s. Bd. ia silver. Oa the 28th of April
last, about tea o'clock at night, the prosecutce and his wits
retired to rest as usual, and between one and two o'clock
the following morning they were aroused by a Mocking at
the door.:Ths prosecutor pot up, mama down stain, and ached
who wee there. A vain answered, a It's William;" sad the
peesoonter, being under the to enesion that it woe his sea.
°pawl the door. When he kad dew so fear