The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-14 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN ClRCUlT.—Devizes, Aro. 12.
The commission of amine for the county of Wilts was
opened yesterday evening, by Mr. Justice Williams! rind
this morning the courts were opened for the tranmetion of
business, Chief Justice Wilde presiding on the Crown side,
and air. Justice Williams sitting at Nisi Peius. There were
nineteen causes entered for trial, but right of them have
been already disposed of. Such a list is very unusual in
this county, and it is only accounted for by the fact that
several of the cases were actions on bills of e
or promissory notes, which had their origin in Lund:6lm.o
calendar contains the names if 64 prisoners, but the tamer
with which they are charged are, for the most part,of a tione-
ratively trifling nature. There is one charge of murder,
bet the case does not appear to be of a very aggravated kind. !
CROWN COTRT.—Before Chief Justice While.
MActotouscv STABDING.—DanieI Haines was indicted
for maliciously cutting and wounding Thomas Hewlett, at
Bishopetone, with intent to do him some grievous bodily
harm,—Mr. Slade, for the prosecution, called witnesses to
prove that Hewlett was a labourer at Bishops; one, and that
on Saturday, the 24th July, he andjtie wife-were at a public
house together. On their retura home, between 11 and 12
o'clock at night, they sat down on a bank by the road aide.
Shortly afterwards a quarrel took place in the road between
the prisoner and three other men who were proceeding in
the same direction. The prisoner then interfered with
Hewlett, and asked him who he was. The prosecutor told
him it was no business of him, and thereupon the prisoner
seised him by the collar. Words ensued, and at length the
prisoner delieamtely sat down by the side of the prosecutor's
wife. Immediately afterwards the prisoner jumped up and
ran at Hewlett. saying he was ready to fight any
man. They scuttled together, and the prosecutor found that'
he was injured in the right shoulder and left side, and also
on his fingers. The prisoner's mother then came up and
seised the prosecutor, end the prisoner exclaimed, " I've a
knife it my pocket, and I will kill him." The prisoner was
then dragged away by his brother-in-law, and the prosecutor
was take. tome by his wife. The prosecutor and the pri-
soner had been known to each other for twenty year!, and
they had quarrelled some eight yens ago, when they fought,
but had been on friendly terms from that time. The prisoner
was iatoxicated on the occasion in question, and he stated
when he was token into custody that he struck Hewlett
in self-defence. The surgeon who examined the wounds
which the prosecutor had received, stated that the injuries
were of a serious naturq, —Verdict, Gulley. Sentence, 12
months' imprisonment —The learned judge observed that
the prisoner had committed a cowardly assault, such as a
weltorlered English mind would revolt from. According
to the raw of this country a man was not justified in using a
knife to resent an ordinary blow from the hand,
NORTHERN ClRCUlT.—Livastroot, Avis. 13.
Before Lord Chief Baron Pollock.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OP STABBlNO.—Elimbetli Jack-
son (51) was indicted for having, at Manchester, feloniously
wounded Thomas Boyle, her son-in-law, a shoemaker, who
had monied the prisoner's daughter. The prisoner gave
them, on the occasio• of the marriage, some houses and other
property. She was anxious to have the property back again,
sad the grievous act now complained of had its origin this
ill On the 27th of May the prisoner, her daughter,
and her son-in-law all slept in the same room in the house of
the prosecutor. About five o'clock in the morning the son-
in-law was suddenly startled from his sleep by finding that
his mother-in-law, the prisoner, lad stretched over her
daught.pr, and had succeeded in inflicting a very serious
wound on his neck with a dinner knife. He rushed out of
the bed, seized the knife, and ran into the street, streaming
with blood, and holding the bloody knife in his hand. A.
policeman was immediately sent for, who found the prisoner
attics with her head leaning upon her hand. She was
exceedingly depressed, and refused to give any statement of
the tenons which had induced her to commit the dreadful
act. She had been repeatedly heard to say previous to this,
that *be wished the prosecutor was dead. The knife had
ever, appearance of having been recently sharpened on
the edge of a window. The wound was half an inch in
depth and three inches in length, and a great mercy it ap-
peased to be that the prisoner did not now stand before the
court upon the capital charge.—Mr. Monk, for the defence,
said the bargain made at the time of the marriage was, that
the prisoner should have 7s. a week from the prosecutor, and
that not having received that stipulated amount, and that
not having lived happily with her son-in-law, quarrels en-
vied ; but there was no immediate quarrel ; for three weeks
prior to the occurrence they
.had lived in amity together ;
and the night before it the prisoner appeared in good spirits,
and wished her daughter and son-in law " good night,' and
went to bed before them. He (Mr. Monk) contended that
the prisoner committed the act from some impulse daring
steep, and that she was, therefore, irresponsible.—The judge,
in summing up, said the jury had no middle course to adopt,
and that they. must either find the prisoner guilty or not.
If she were mune, she would be confined for life; but if a
morbid state of the mind was to be taken as a sufficient de-
fence, then there would be no knowing where impunity for
crimes committed would end. He strongly deprecated the
introduction of so very dangerous a plea into our courts of
justiee.—The jury, after a brief absence from court, returned
a verdict of Guilty of committing the act with intent to
murder."

POLICE.—YrsreaDAY.
MARLBOROUGH•f3TREET.—Tnn LATE ROBBERY TN
MADDOX.-BTREET.—Edwarcb and his wife, and Dean, for-
nearly in the service of Mr. Trafford, who had been appre-
hended on suspicion of having been concerned in robbing
the residence of Mr. Trafford, during his absence at bin
wantry seat, Wroxham Hall, were brought up for the
of being discharged, there being no evidence
out any imputation attached to them.--Joreph
Pemberton, mums-baker, John Bartniater, groom, and
George Dickenson, groom, were then charged on sus-
picion of haring committed the robbery.—John Bali-
win. cabman, sail on the morning of the robbery he
was called from the stand by Dickenson, to take up in
Great liehborne-street. Two bundle, were placed in his
cab, and the three prisoners rode with hint. The bundles
ware large and heavy, and one of them was wrapped in a
bed curtain. Witness put the prisoners down in Bun-street,
Bishoorgate.—Police.constable Boyce, C 181, said a lad,
named Luke Hedy, told him that he could identity the
handkerchief found in the area, and further that he had seen
a gold watch in Bannister's possession, and that the watch
bad been sold to a man 14 Drury-lane. (This the lad
Healy now denied.) The witness had ascertained
that Pemberton had only recently come out of prison, and
had nom completely furnished a room. He had also
shown a double handful of sovereigns, raying, " Look here,
that's the way to get money."—Thomas Taylor, a boy, said
as soon as the bills came out offering 1001. reward, another
boy met him, and wanted to lay Om to swear against some
persona in order to get the reward. He could swear that one
of the handkerchiefs now produced was his property, which
be had lent shout a month ago to Pemberton.—Tbe police
mid this handkerchief had been found in the area round
aowbar —The prisoners denied all knowledge of the rob-
bery, and were remanded tilt next Monday.
LAMBETH —ROBBERY HO A SOLDIEU,7fritIiONSO4-

limore, a private in the Foot Guards, was finally examined,
charged with robbing Mr. John Gibson, an accountant, re
siding at No. 9, Webber-street, Blackfrists-road. On Tues-
day evening the prosecutor, while in a state of intoxication,
met the prisoner, and they went together in a cab to As
Theatre. Oa arriving there the prosecutor discovered that
be was robbed of from two to three pounds. The prisoner
at the' time denicd the robbery, and said he had not
more than • few halfpence about him, hut upon being
'earthed if. Si. Md. was found in his jacket pocket. He
was folly committed to Newgate for trial.