The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-20 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 20, 1867.

LAW INTELLIGENCJE.
(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF PROBATE.
(Before the Judge Ordinary and a Special Jury.)

PIIII.LIPP4 AND PHTLLIPPS rjHOLNEI AND RTONENAII.

The further hearing of this cause was resumed this
'noi& jun., the second attesting witness to the
will, ,le weed that he heard the testator say " Yes " when
his brother asked if he wished him to attest the codicil.

Elizabeth Spreckley and Sareh Ann Ransom, servants to
the testator and two of the residuary legatees, were also
examined in support of the codicil. They deposed that tes-
tator was quite conscious when he executed the instru-
ment, and that he distinctly answered all the questions
which were put to him.
(The case was still proceeding when our report left.]

THE POLICE COURTS.
(THIS DAY.)

BOW-STREET.
AyANTLY /MOD IN NT. MIAMI.

Murray pow erful.looking
man, appeared to a summons charing him with assaulting
Caroline Whitman, his daughter.
The complainant stated that at •bout 7 o'clock on
Tuesday night she was passing through Hampshire Hog.
yard, when her father, who lives in High-street, close by,
came up and struck her in the face. She bad given him
no provocation. Her brother had been calling her names ;
but she had not taken any notice. He kicked her in the
neck and also in the face, and knocked one of her
teeth out.

----- ---
Hr. Flowere—How did he reach to kick you in the face
and neck? _ .

Complainant-014 sir, he knocked me down, and then
he kicked me as I lay on the ground.
Defendant—Where is the mark

Mr. Burnaby (the chief clerk)—Never mind the mark.
Complainant (putting her hand to her mouth)—Here's
the mark. Here a the place where the tooth was knocked
off. (Showing the space where the tooth was missing.)
Defendant produced a file, and asked whether she did
not strike him with it, which she denied. She denied
that she kept bad company, and said the unhappiness with
her father was all owing to her mother-in-law.
Defendant—You have not got a mother-in-law. Where
is your marriage lines?
Complainant—lt is my third mother.
Defendant—How many mothers have you got?
Complainant—My stepmother then. My own mother
is dead, or I should not be treated so.
A young woman named Ellen Bell who was with the
complainant at the time, corroborated her evidence. She
did not see the file _

For the defence, Anne Collins, • costermenger, was
called, and deposed that between seven and eight o'clock
on the evening in question she saw the complainant
strike her father with • file. She thought it very hard
that • daughter should strike her father.
Mr. Flowers—Did you think it hard that the father
should kick his daughter in the face?
Witness—l did not see him kick her.
Complainant—Did not you hold him hack and try to
prevent him from kicking me ?
Witness—No ; I did not.
Policeman E 59 said he was Owing, between eight and
nine, and saw the girl hit her father with the file. He did
not see the beginning of the quarrel, and he knew nothing
of what had occurred an hour before.
The father said the girl had left his home to live with
some people whom he did not consider fit for her to moo-
Mate with, as a ion of theirs had been in prison, and the
worst of it wee that she was going to marry him.
Mr. Flowers—ln a great many families parents object to
their children marrying the persons they chose, but kicking
their teeth out is not a good way to prevent it.
Defendant said he would let her alone if she kept away
from him.

Complainant said she was obliged to go to his hones for
her clothes, and a pair of car-rings, which he detained. If
he would give them up she would keep away. She did not
want to punish him.
Defendant said he would give up the ear-rings, but not
the clothes.

Complainant—l know why he won't give me my clothes.
His wife haa put them away to get drink.
Mr. Flowers, after in vain attempting to induce defend-
ant to give up the property, said he felt bound to punish
him for the assault, and fined him 20e. and coma, which
we! paid. . . .

Jane Whitman, wife of the former defendant, ap-
peared to a summons for assaulting Anne Young, the
mother of the young man to whom her stepdaughter is
TogiiTilinant wee crossing High-street, when she saw
defendant reel out of a public-house drunk and knock her
husband down, exclaiming, " That is the way I serve
Black Murray, and I will serve you the same," which she
accordingly did.
Mr. Flowers fined her 10s. and meta

THE COLLISION AND LOSS OF LIFE ON THE
NORTH LONDON RAILWAL

INQUEST.-(THIS DAY.)

At 12 o'clock to-day Mr. Richards, the deputy-
coroner, held an investigation at the Three Cups Tavern,
High-street, Bow, into the circumstances of the collision
near the Old Ford station of the North London Railway, by
which Thomas Mead, aged 36 years, lost his life, and three
other men were seriously injured.
This morning Mr. Jonas Adams, the house surgeon at
the London Hospital, reported to the coroner that Charles
Frost, a ganger, aged 30 years, one of the injured men,
who is at present lying in the hospital ward, is in such •
dangerous state that he cannot possibly survive, and that
he will shortly die. He has received • compound frac-
ture of the skull.

Superintendent Alcock represented the North London
Railway and Inspector Kerressey attended on behalf of
the Commissioners of Police. _

The Coroner, on taking. his seat, ordered that the
pointaman, James Playwright, through whose alleged
negligence the points were left open, should be present
during the whole of she inquiry, as he stood in the nature
of a person whose acts the jury were about to inquire into.
Mr. Rigby, solicitor, represented the mother of the de-
ceased's wife ►nd his children. He had an object in re-
presenting the children's grandmother, and he did so
under Lord Campbell's tot. He should proceed In the
case in a particular way.
Mr. Hicks, solicitor, said that he appeared for Mrs.
Mead, the widow of the deceased.

The Coroner mid that the court was an open one, and
both gentlemen could be present, but he thought that the
family were represented by Mr. Hicks. and he intimated
that be should allow only that gentleman to cross-examine
the witnesses.

TheTTurYilien proceeded to view the body of the de-
ceased, which lay in the district deed-hove. It pre-
sented a shocking spectacle, the left side of the heed
being completely crashed in.

TERRIBLE ?IRE AT BERMONDSEY-(THIS DAY.)

The moat extensive oonflagr. ation that has hap-
pened in the populous parish of Bermondsey for a long
period broke out about three o'clock this morning, and in
a comparatively short time reduoed to ruins property
valued at several thousand pounds. The scene of the
disaster was an immense space of ground in Riley
street, Bermondsey-street, on which were erected the
manufacturing premises of Mr. Benjamin Wells, builder
and joiner. On one part of the Fround stood the
carpenters and joiners' workshops forming one block five
Boors high and nearly 50 feet long by 30 wide. Each of
these shops was filled with goods, some finished and some
partially so, and the tools belonging to the numerous work-
men had been left in various parts. By the time
the engines had arrived three-fourths of the im-
mense buildings were sending forth huge bodies
of flame which ignited the piles and stacks of timber
in the open yard. The fire continued its fearful
ravages, and it was nearly 9 o'clock before it could be said
to be safely extinguished. Five floors of the factory had
then been burnt out, the roof destroyed, the timber severely
damaged by fire, &c. The origin of the disaster is at pre-
sent unknown. When the shops were closed but night
everything appeared perfectly safe, and there was not the
least smell of anything smouldering. Unfortunately the
sufferers were not insured.

DEATH OF Max. PHELPS. —The death of Mrs.
Phelps, the wife of Mr. Samuel Phelps, the eminent actor,
is announced this morning. She had been for some time
past in declining health.
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS IN YORKSHIRE.
—The weather during the last three weeks has been moot
propitious for all description of crops. The beautiful
sunny weather which ended June and commenced July
was all that could be desired to cut and secure the hay
crop, which has been unusually large this summer,
the greater bulk of which has been secured in excellent
condition. The wheat crop has also much benefited by
the recent dry season, and the absence of heavy winds
has enabled the bloom on the wheat to come to
full maturity. Barley generally being light and short
in length required rain, and the last four days' intervals
of rain and sunshine has had a most beneficial effect.
Clover and gnus pastures keep up their growth and ver-
dure, making eatable for both sheep and cattle very abun-
dant. Turnip sowing is now completed, except upon very
late strong soils. Where autumn cleaning and culture was
accomplished, and swedes and marigolds sown early, the
plants have obtained a most vigorous and healthy growth,
presenting every prospect of becoming a large crop. Later
sown swedes and white turnips have had much to contend
with in the continued drought which prevailed up to Fri•
day last, bat the recent rains will materially help forward
the late sewn turnip crop. The general appearance of the
eel's indicate that harvest will be a fortnight later than
usual.—York Herald.