The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-02 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

lIOME CIRCIIIT.—HBRTFORD, MARCH 1.
(Before Baron Bramwell)

Joseph Mills' 19, and Charles Kerl.p, lt, two decent
looking young labonring men, were charged with felony, in
having wilfully placed an obstruction upon the Great
Eastern Railway at Ritchie, and thereby endangered the
safety of the passengtra who were travelling in the trains.
Mr. G. Taylor conducted the prosecution, and Mr.
Woollett was counsel for the prisoners.
It appeared that on the niglot mentioned in the indict-
ment the train in question was leering along the line in
the neighbourhood of Ritchie, it being dark at the time,
when the engine encountered tome obstruction. The
speed was slackened, and immediately afterwards it ap-
peared that there was a second obstruction, which caused
the engine to jump from the rails, but, fortunately, it did
not leave them, and no injury was consequently done. It
turned out that two wooden sleepers had been placed
across the mile, and the consequences might have been of
the most serious description. One of the prisoners was
taken into custody as be was in the act of running
away, and the other was apprehended shortly afterwards,
and their footsteps were traced from • stack of sleepers
close by to the spot where the two had been placed across
the railway, and after they hail been taken into custody
they made statements amounting to an admission that
they were the parties by whom the act had been com-
mitted.

The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
Baron Bramwell,in passing sentence, said he was willing
to believe that the prisoners were not actuated by the
malicious intention of causing mischief to the passengers in
the train, but the act might have been attended with most
serious consequences, and as a caution to others be felt
it his duty to pass a severe sentence, which was that they
he kept in penal servitude for five years.
One of the prisoners, as he was leaving the dock, called
out, " Thank you, my lord ; now I shall have work for
five years."
The learned judge observed that he did not think the
prisoner would be so thankful when he come to know the
nature of the punishment that he would have to undergo.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

(Before the Recorder.)

Francis Judge, youth sged 16 yearn, was indicted for
feloniously stealing watches and jewellery to the value of
3701., the property of John Judge, and William George
Smith, 40, wheelwright, and Jamie Smith, his wife, were
charged with receiving the property well knowing the
same to have been stolen • and in • further count the two
latter prisoners were charged with harbouring and main-
taining the prisoner Francis Judge, knowing him to have
committed the said felony. The youth Judge pleaded
guilty, and the Smiths pleaded not guilty, and were put
upon their trials.
The facts disclosed by the evidence were these. The
prosecutor, who was the father of the prisoner Judge,
was • jeweller travelling in town. On the 31st January
last the father and son were returning home from the
prosecutor's shop, the lad carrying • bag con-
taining the jewellery mentioned in the indictment,
and the father called at the shop of a Mr.
Simpson, • customer, leaving his son (the prisoner) out-
side. On his coming out he found that his son had ab-
sconded with the property, and nothing was heard of him
until the father received a letter, purporting to
come from his eon, who could neither read nor write, stat-
ing that he was in the county of Ayr, in Scotland. In-
quiries were set on foot, and it was found that the lad
had taken the property to the residence of the
Smiths, in Ann's-place, Waterloo-road, and that two
days after the robbery the female prisoner had pledged a
quantity of the stolen property. By the activity and
zealous exertionof Enoch Emery, a most intelligent
officer of the City police, about 200/. worth of the etolen
property had been recovered. It appeared that the male
prisoner had given every information in his power, but
with regard to the female Smith it was clear that she had
concealed the lad, and had pledged some of the property
stolen.
Mr. Nicholson submittal that there was no evidence to
call upon his client (the node Smith) for his defence.
The Recorder concurred, and directed an Acquittal in
his case.

The female prisoner when called upon for her defence,
said that she wan very sorry for whit she had done, but
that she had acted out of kindness to the boy.
The Recorder summed up, and the jury, after a short
consultation, returned a verdict of Guilty against the
female prisoner.
The Recorder sentenced the lad Judge to one month's
imprisonment, and afterwards to be detained in a refor-
matory for four years, and the female prisoner to nine
months' imprisonment with hard labour in the House of
Correction.

Richard Capdand,s young man of respectable appear-
ance, was indicted for feloniously breaking and entering
the dwelling house of Jane Cockle, and stealing divers
moneys to the amount of about 621., rad other articles, her
property.
From the evidence it appeared that the prisoner had
been fur some time shopman to the prosiecutris. who wail
a widow living with her daughters, us Wellington-street,
Deptford, and carrying on the business of an oilman. The
prisoner had received notice to quit her service, and on the
'Sunday preceding the day he was to leave, instead of
going out, he remained at home, and waited until his oils-
tone awl her eldest daughter bad gone to church. The
two youngest daughters remained at home, and shortly
after eight o'clock one of them heard a noise below stairs
as of the removal of the fire-irons in the kitchen. She
had the courage to go down stairs, when @heves met by the
prisoner, who seized her by the throat, and gagged her
with &handkerchief, anion en alarm her sister came down
audiound the prisoner kneeling over her. The prisoner.