The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-08 00:00:00

NEW COURT.

(Before Mr. :nation Wlghtmsn.)
John &trios, 32, seaman, woe indicted for cutting and
wounding Charles Oliver, with intent, fic.
Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Gent prosecuted; Mr. Sleigh, in-
etructod by Colonel Hughes. the secretary of the Asiatic
Home and Strangers Friend Society, appeared to defend the
pawner, a quiet and intelligent-looking negro from Ackbar.
Mr. Metcalf* haring briefly stated the cme, called
Mr. Maggf, who said that he was in bumper as • ship
chandler, 21, Mit:melee. He bad a customer named CaptaM
Capello, a nfty, of Genova, and about the end of April he
same to bite and bought some good., and than said that he
had a black seaman whom he had left sick oa board the
Dreadnought Hospital-ship, and that be wished to pare him
again. He asks* if be would let him (the negro) come to his
house and stay until the Gaines, another Iltilei belonging
to Captain Capello, came into the port of Lon-
don, and then, if the seaman had no objection,
ahlp him on board that ware!. About the end of May the
prisoner was brought tr., his home, where he was told he
mold stay if he liked, and not otherwise. The pri•otter
asked if ha was a slave, and witness said "No," and if it
suited him ha might stay. He did so for a few dam at the
tad of which ha became ill, and refused to come oat of a
room which he occupird, saying that he was too ill. When
witness wanted him to come out, tolling him that ha wanted
to take hint to the hospital, he refused to come out, and
barricadid the door of the room. He would nut take say
food. Witosm's wife wed to attend to him.

By the Judge—lt waawia;l told ii7l that I treated to
like him to the hospital that he said he would not go.
Croat-examined—l know a boarding-house for black sea-
men in Ratcliff-highway. I have nothing to do with
It. I loli•ve my wire had been there. Captain Capella
was intimate with me. lie used to dine at my house. I
served him. He never told me that the prisoner was his
Wave. I had nom heard him say that he had bought him.
I might have seldom No one told me so. I never went on
board the Dreadnought. (Two men were shown to witness.)
I never saw those men there. The prisoner wee brought to
my home with a signed paper. ley clerk went about it.
The faker was signed by a man who acts as an interpre er to
Captain Cvelb. The prisoner cannot speak English. I
cannot speak. I can a tittle of the (Whet which be node,
stands. I should not have put him on board the yawl
unless he would go. I have said I would put him on
board, but would not unless he would go. The Guinea bed
cans lato pmt shoot the time I wanted to get him away from
my house. She lay in the docks. That is not far from the
Memorise.

By a juror—The prisoner used to leave my house.
This wastes gave his endow* in a most was etisfactoey
meaner, end at the end of almost every answer sand that he
should not have sent the prisoner on board the vessel unless
be wished it, and that be had told him that there were no
• slaves in this country.
Mize Magri, the lest witness. wife, deposed to the pri-
soner being brought to their house, and she and to employ
him shout the house. She used to take him food, when be
would not take it or come out of the room. Bhe wanted him
to go to the hospital. She sent for • cab, and then he bend-
' ended the door. Btu thought him mad, and sent to the re-
Hering overseer. That was on the evening of the 27th of
May. The door of the room was afterwards forced, and pri-
soner than cat his way through the roof.
This withers admitted she bad been to the boarding-house
spoken of to see if the prisoner could be received there, but
denied that she had made any arrangements for them to take
him. She had beard at the house that such as the prisoner
might be bought in his own cortotry for twoorad-sil-
pesos, but ate never heard that he had been bought or offered
for sale at Genoa. She seat two cabmen up to him
to get him to go with them to the hospital if
he pleased. When he pt on to the roof she said
shy would give 10s. to any oar who would fetch him down.
The remainiog evidence went to show that when the poor
fellow got on the roof • regular hunt took place, and to use
the words of one witness he was " started" from his hiding
pleas with Tortoni nriasilea, and a large crowd assembling the
polies were saked to go up, and after the prosecutor, a city
constable, hat struck at him Bret with his staff and then with
the inspector's stick, he got out on the roof, and prisoner,
' who had a knife, attacked and stabbed him in a great many
places; he wee then surrounded and bee en before they
ourild get hithoff theproseoutor. Hewes then taken in melody,
and as one of the constables raid pretended to bi insensible.
The statement of the prisoner, when at the Mansion-hews,
that he bad been sold to Capella, who triad to sell him again,
was then put isand read. He there stated that he had
been hunted by so many that he thought that he weer again
going to be taken heck to slavery.
Sir. Sleigh having addressed the jury,
The learned Judith. in summing up, commented upon the
manner in which Maggi and his wife had givers their evidence,
and punting out t t the jury the unhappy condition of she
prisoner, and told them that if they thought the prisoner had
done to more than he thought was aecessary to protect him-
self front being taken on board ship, to be returned to slavery.
it was their ditty to acquit him.
The jury immediately returned a verdict of hot Guilty,
which was followed by a loud end hearty burst of applause,
which was not rehnk.d by his lordship.
Hi. Lordship said that the society had acted mast rain-
woe thily in Wring up the primates defence, snit that the
City had done their duty in prosecuting the case.
Sir. Sleigh said it was through the ezertiosa of Colonel
Hughes that the defence had been got up.
The foreman of the jury raid thy had no doubt that
it was intended to kidnap the men.