The Express.
London, England, 1858-03-17 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 17, UK

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

The came excited considerable inbred in the West of Eng-
land from the atrocious character of the one which was
committed on Mr. Braddon, who is a retired judge of the
Supreme Court of Calcutta. The prisoners were arraigned on
the charge at the Devon winter maws, but as Mr. Braddon
was then expeotad to die, in consequence of the injuries in-
dicted on him, the learned judge declined to try the owe,
intimating that if Mr. Braddon died the case would clearly
bo one of wilful murder. As, however, Mr. Braddon has
partially recovered, the prisoners were now put upon their

HOME CIRCUIT.-MAIDBTONE, MARCH 16.

The commission for the county of Kent wee opened In this
town on Monday, and to-day badness was proceeded with in
both courts, Mr. Justice Williams presiding in the crown
court, and Mr. Justice Ede at nisi pnua. The gaol calendar
is heavy in point of number, there being considerably over
100 primmer. fur trial ; the great majority of the charges, I
however, are of an ordinary character, and if the magistrates
had held an intermediate session, an is customary to other
counties, the pester portion of them would have been dis-
c= within that juriediction. The magistrates of Rent,
, have always declined to hold a session before the
amigo, and the consequence is that at the spring assizes
there are always • very considerable number of prisoners for
trial, and a very large additional expense is thrown upon the
county. On the ddl tide 22 causes are entered, five of
which are special jury our; on two of these, a wrong eject-
ment and a will cense, the AtAasssy-General is coming down
specially for the defendants.
Caowte Conar.—(Before Mr. Jostles Williuss.)
John Jaws, a boy nine years old, surrendered to take his
trial upon an indictment for miademeanour, having wil-
fully and unlawfully thrown a piece of chalk upon the North
Rent Railway, and thereby endangered the safety of the pas •
I.7travelling upset the .
.°Dsedes conducted the prosecution , Mr. Ribton was
counsel for the defence.

The facts, as adduced in evidence, were as follow :—The pri-
soner liaghtirst was formerly in the employ of the prosecutor
as butler for two years, but was dismissed from his situation
in consequence of some impropriety of conduct with one of
the female servants. Soon afterwards Baghurat applied to
Mr. Braddon for a character, which the latter refused, and
the prisoner then made use of bitter and vindictive expres-
sions to some persona who reside in • village near the resi-
dence of Mr. Braddon. Baghurat then left the neighbour-
hood, and he was not heard of for many months. On the
22nd of October last the three prisoner, were passengers by
the steamer Undine, from Portsmouth to Plymouth, Cole-
man having been put on board at the former place by the
authorities of Parkhurst prison, where be bad been 0011 filled
for four years for picking pockets at Plymouth. Daring the
voyage the prisoners were observed in close conversation.
Italy in the morning of the 23rd of October they reached
Plymouth, and later in the day they were traced
in company from Plymouth to the villaajoining Mr.
Braddon's residence, and were seen drinking together
lat a publio-house on the road. Between 1 and 2 on the
morn* of the 24th of October Blacklanda-honee was en-
' tend, and the burglars made direct for Mr. Braddon's bed-
nom. About two in the morning the butler was awoke by
the laud ringing of the bell in his roaster's bedroom ; and on
going thither he found the old gentleman speechless, with a
quantity of blood on his taco and on the bed clothes. On
examination it was discovered that Mr. Braddon had received
several severe blows on his bead, which had evidently been
Inflicted with a blunt inatrument, and the left eye was
knocked oat of its socint and was with great difficulty inroad
back Into its orbit by the medical man (Mr. Pods), but of the
sight of that eye Mr. Braddon was totally deprived. It
was found that the burglars had stolen asagold
pencil-case and •ring from the bedroom,
great coat from the hall. There wee also • large
found behind the front door, very much bent.
the lawn and garden near the :bowie there were distinct
fooknarks of three men, which oorreaponded with the pri
mmer** shoes, and a small bundle wee picked up be
to the prisoner Coleman, which contained a Bildk=
Prays-book—thee having been given to him a few days
be he left Parkhurst prison. On the day following the
breezy the three Flamers went to a shop at Btonshonas,
andpurchased a pair of &wain exchange for a Jersey smock.
They then went to the Lord High Admiral public-house,
nits,* they had some beer to drink, and Coleman left. The
other prisoners slept at the Lord High Admiral during the
night, and left on the following day, when they were awe.
handed by the Plymouth police. It was proved that Bag-
hunt pledged the gold pencil-case taken from Mr. Braddon's
bedroom to Mr. Bowater& a pawnbroker, for 85. ; and the
prisoner Coleman made three statements to different persons,
is which be confessed that he and the other two prisoners
had committed the burglary. In two of the statements he
mid he hit Mr. Braddon with the poker. In the Let state-
ment, however, which he made in custody, he said
that he did not p into the house, but that Beghurst and
Brown entered, and that the former took with him a stick
which he had picked up in the road.
Mr. Cole, for the defence, contended that the case against
the prisoners was one of suspicion merely.
Ilk Lordship having summed up,
The jury found the prisoners Guilty of burglary only.
His Lordship then sentenced all the prisoners to penal
servitude for life, upon which Brown laughed outright, and
exclaimed, in a loud rola', " Thankee, my lord."
The trial lasted eleven hours.

Whan the prisoner ;as first called upon to plead, he said
that he was guilty, but upon Mr. Ribton stating that he
was instructed to defend him, and that what the boy pro-
Wily meant to say was, that he was guilty of throwing the
stone, but not with any intention of doing mischief, the
learned judge allowed him to retract his plea, and plead not
&kb
It appeared from the evidence for the prmeention that
shoat 6 o'clock on the evening of the 13th of January a
down train was on its way from Graveeend towards Btrood,
at ad es It was paring under a bridge called Wellibrijl e,
a rote dream tram Gravesend, where the a
number of other boys were playing, he " locrb—e7,7 r th:
witness described it, a piece of chalkover the
ra
bridge at the moment the train was puling
Gad the missile struck the sogine-dnver, a man
George Cramplln, upon the head, and inland him as
merely that he was obliged to give the management of the
mew into the bands of his assistant, and for several days
afterwards he was unable to resume his duties. Inkinnetioa
of what had occurred was forwarded to Gravesend by tele-
graph from the art station, and Mr. Porch, the mirk:a
master, went in search of the prisoner, who, at and dried
having thrown anything at the train, but when he was eider
examination by the magistrates, he admitted having thrown
the piece of chalk over the bridge, bet rid he did not meat
in do any harm, and he was vori eery kr what hell hap-
pened, and he would never do se wit.
Mr. Ribtaa erdr es tam* appeal he the ea Melt
of the primmer, end be rid thatielthent eMi p to deny
' that the met obit bids was e nest nathireene and dan-
gerous ame, Its mid he awed mind enalitstly, that
the whines net he nest tbsienten r Lid in the Wid-
ows* red thee the rime had melt wantonly and
thewsliimely thrown Gm atom over the without any
Mea ei the awing that might ye malted,
end that As/ • eat el hair age he had already bean
cdt•
The leumegdiall=aving rand up.
The jury, ahw a short delibration, returned a verdict of
Not Otrilty,ani re prisms/ wee ordered to be gives into the
charge at hie lather, who was wallies le mane hiss.
No case cd my teleran was dhenned of in the Civil Court
during the day.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT—Common, M,►acn 16.
(Beim Mr. loathe Wightmaa.)

loka lreder;th Mortlook (48), clerk, was charged with un-
lawfully re turning from treamportstion before the andration
of his tem. The prisoner many years ago was sentenced to
14 years' transportation for shooting at his en* the Bey. B.
Mortlock, then a Fellow In reidenat at Chriit's Calms, Cam-
bridge, thin haying bee family quarrels for many years.
At the mad of ten years he had • dame of leave, with per-
mission to lire earthen: but in England. He howeYer
viaittal
it his
for the aged mother, ending @grab/Med when just about
to n canning

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—Yonx, MARCH 16.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice Bylea.)
Joseph Bhephird,22, was charged with haring on the 13th
ed Januarylut, at Hallfa; wilfully murdered -Bethel Par-
kinson.

The prisoner Is emit:king young man, of fair com-
plexion., but rather appearance.
Kr. Ovelenfl, QR., Mr. Mania, and Mr. Vernon Black-
burn appeared for the prosecution ; Mr. Price, assigned by
thejude, was for the prisoner.
The beta of this case have been already published. Par-
Mann was about 30 years of age, married, a small farmer
and dealer In heroes and cattle. His wife worked In a factory,
west out early, taking her dinner with her, and returning
home in the evening, the deceased during the day pursuing
his business. The prisoner was formerly a gentleman's sera
vent, and had beta a cab-driver, but for some
time he had been out of employment. He was a married
man, but lived apart from his wife, and on the
day after the murder, he was residing at his father'a house
at Holdsworth. On the 14th of January, about eight in the
morning, Mr. Shackleton a farmer, observed something lying
in one of his fields like a heap of manure, but it did not at-
tract particular attention. About four in the afternoon Mr.
Shackleton went to the place, and found that it was the dead
body of Parkinson, quits stiff and cold. Thi right arm was
underneath the body, bat the left was uplifted, as if for the
purpose of guarding the face *cm injury. The fees was
coveted with blood, and then was a cut up= the left ear.
Upon the ground was • quantity of blood, and a cap, Ltor-
don of the blade of a carving-knife covered with b
large Mons eighteen pounds in weight, with human hair ad-
hering to it, were lying close by. Mr. Howard, a surgeon,
made an examination of the body, and found upon it 34 in-
deed wounds, chiefly cute and stabs, on the left aide. Five
of the ribs were broken, the skull was crushed and battered
In. Upon the coat there were counted twenty-
four cut., twenty-five upon the waistcoat, and thirty-
nine upon the shirt. The prisoner called upon the deceased
at one o'clock on the 13th, end they went out together. They
were wren walking together at various places between that
and half-put four o'clock, when it grew dark, and deceased
wens then for the bat time seta alive, going with prisoner in
the exact direction of the spot when thedead body was found.
At a quarter to seven a man was met coming from the direr •
Son where the body wee found. This man hastened to the
railway station and took the train for Halifax. He was the
only second-class passenger by that train, and the railway
clerk states that be was • man like the prisoner, wear-
ing a cap and a black and red scarf. The prisoner took
a cob at Halifax, when the train arrived, desiring
the cabman not to drive through the main streets.
He went to a hones of ill fame, where he stayed
through the night with two ' le. They state that he was
pais and very much agitated; blood marks were on his
uuasus which appeared to have been rubbed, and blood
was on his fingers. He said he bad been fighting with " •
swell" In the street. He sent the girls out for wine, and
washed his trousers in •their &menu. Be remarked rat if
it were not so late he would burn his trousers and buy a
new pair. He was very restless all night, sad began brush-
ing the spots on his tronswe when he woke in the morning.
The prisoner gave a sovereign to the cabmen, paid 15e. for
sherry, and teat cash to his father. This was after the
murder, but before it took place he had no money. He went
away to his father's house. On the 16th he heard the polio.
were after bier, and that evening he went to some coke ovens
near Halifax with a bundle, and asked the person in
of the coke ovens to allow him to throw it into the
he, laying it was a bundle of cotton which had been "nailed
by en old men out of • potatoe field." This bundle probably
metaled the blood-stained cotton corduroy trousers, but
when apprehended marks of blood were on his abut sleeves.
Moreover, the knife blade found corresponded with a knife
belonging to the prisoner. He had given contradictorynnel
false aecouate of himself to several persons.
The trial lasted all yesterday and to-day, and the prisoner
was found Guilty.
Mr. Justice Byle. passed sentence of death, saying he
amid not hold out the remotest hops of a mitigation of that
11111104141C44

pena Ositt Repeals s
t uRepeals baprikunsent, and then five years'
l ervi
Nun Paton—{Bract Chief Justice Cockburn.)

DAWUON kND WWI- W. LSTIXM COCNTITA RAILWAY

CO PART.

Mr. Serjeant Walla and Mr. Tozer for the plaintiff.; Mr.
0'1112116y, Q.C., end Mr. Keene for the defendants. The
action was for damns anstained to Mrs. Dawson ; the
damages were laid at 1,0001. Mr. and Mrs. Dawson reside
on the Newmarket road, Cambridge. Mr. Dawson sou
formerly a painter, but about six years ago, having had •
paralytic stroke, be could no longer attend to his trade; his
wife therefore, an active and intelligent woman, commenced
business as a furniture dealer, attended sales for miles
round the country, and sometimes ist furniture by coin-
minion in London ; she thus to tars hem flOn to
40s, a week ; and thus the su of her finally mainly
depended upon her ability and gurgles. On2lat Oct het Mrs.
Dawson, accompanied by • daughter about 17 years of age,
went to Fulbourne, to spend the day with • friend. They
returned by the train which ruche(' the Cambridge station
' about half-pest 6 o'clock. As usual, the train stopped at
the ticket platform, about fifty yards from the arcade where
the paumagers alight. The train stopped on arriving in the
arcade ; but just as Mrs. Dawson was stepping out it moved
on, and she was precipitated on the platform, by which her
thigh-bone and hip-bone were broken. She is 58 years of
age, and of • naturally robust constitution ; but by
this accident she is rendered according to sur-
gical evidence, a cripple for life. For tit weeks
she was confined to her bed ; and will to the end of her
days be obliged in all probability to walk with crutches.
In the same carriage was • young women, who, when the
train stopped, stepped out, as did Miss Dawson, and it being
neconary to obtain the evidence of a disinterested person,
an advertisement was inserted in the newspapers which
caught the eye of the young lady in emotion, and her testi- '
mony fully corroborated the plaintiff's testimony, that the
carriage did stop, and then suddenly proceeded, which pro-
duced the calamity for which damage. were now sought
to be obtained. The evidence for the defence wee
that the train in question did not atop till it oame to a final
stand still ; that the door of the carriage from which Mrs.
Dawson fell was opened inside; whereas it was sworn to by
the three women that the company's porters opened the doors,
and gave the usual call of " Cambridge ;" but no porters
were called to prove that they did not open the doors,
although the engine-driver, guard, and stoker gave evidence
that the door wee opened from the inside. In summing up
his lordship said the jury would first take into
consideration whether the company, through the negligence
of their servants, were in fault. If so, they (the jury) would
take the whole facts of the are into their consideration—the
mental and bodily anguish the poor woman suffered ; the
state of her husband; the loss of businese that moat be
sustained—for her business was not only to sell in her
shop but to travel for the sake of making purchases; that
bar 'Masa sou not merely attended with temporary incon-
vatienee, but with permanent injury to both body and
badness ; and that or the latter no compensation could be
made. But if the jury were of opinion that the accident arose
ham no fault of they
company, butpathise from Mrs. Daweon's own
bait, however thewith her ,
their verdict would to formight thesym defendants. His lordshipaffiiction then
commented upon the evidence of Miss Clark, the young lady
alluded to, who wee more likely to know whether the train I
had stopped than the company's officiate, who were hurrying
about in the general bustle and excitement consequent upon
the corning in and proceeding of trains.
Verdict for the plaintiffs—damages, 200/.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—Exrns, ALtßcu 16.
(Before Mr. Justice Willie.)
CHARGE OF MC RDZIA-SENTILCCII OF DEATH.

/An Bat-trick, a labourer aged 20, was indicted for the
wilful murder of Marta Blackmore, at Linton, on the 16th of
December Lat.

Mr. Hershike and Mr. Boller were counsel for the prose-
cution, and Mr. Coleridge defended the prisoner.
The prisoner is a young man of rather stolid •ppearance,
and betrayed considerable emotion daring the trial. It ap-
, front the opening of the learned counsel and the evi-
dence of several witnesses, that the prisoner was a labourer,
residing in the; ppictureequ e village of Linton, in the north of
Devon, and the deceased, with whom he had been keeping com-
puty, was a servant at the Valley of Rocks Hotel, in the same
griingOn the 16th of December the prisoner had been
all day, and had been fighting with s man named
Lethaby. In the evening he went to his parents' house, sat
by the fire, and fell tact Weep. About 8 o'clock the SUM
evening the deceased sent a girl, named Hannah Mo(pridge, to
the prisoner, to tell him she wanted to speak with tam. the
prisoner was aroused, and went out into the street, where he
was joined by the deceased. They were seen walking and
talking together, during the night, by several persona, end
it was observed that the prisoner had his arm round
the poor girl's neck. Jut before ten o'clock •
scram was heard, end shortly afterwards the deceased
Tubed into the cottage of Mrs. Bromham, said she was
bleeding, and fell down on the floor. Before medical assist-
ance could be procured the poor girl expired. On eterniza-
tion it warfound that her throat had been cut or rather
"stabbed," and the carotid artery was completely severed.
The prisoner wee apprehended on the seine night at his own
house, and he wee then engaged in reading the Bible. On
searching him • razor and two knives were found in hie
pocket, and one of the knives was covered with blood. When
in custody the prisoner said to Woodrow, the policeman,
She said she would give up ley eceopeny that night, and
that made me do it." It wee not pretended by the prose-
cution that the razor and knives had been deliberately put by
the wiser tato his pocket, inasmuch as he had been in the
of carrying them about with him every day.
Mr, aftle made en eloquent speech for the defence, in
which be contended that the act wee perpetrated under • fit
eljeelmny, and wee in no way premeditated.
His ship having summed up,
Thaler, found the prisoner Guilty, and be was sentenced
to death.
117101A1T AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A cemutatie.
Asia Befhlwag, aged 30, a gentleman's servant ; Mess
Drums, aged 19, seamen; sad Jame Cidestette, aged No,
tenor, were charged with having on the 23rd of October,
1567, Wien bin the dwelling-bears of Mr. William Bred-
&sot Bieeklneeis 7101" are itmona, and stolen a gold
penea-ant obi ether grads% also with having falo-
nienelyaseenbal him with latent to end
murder him.
ilMr. Xaselehe end Mr. Cozier preasented; and Mr. cob
ank osisi Degiarei Beown.

ming, ware far the prosecution; Mr. Talfourd Salter and Mr,
Witiliorkatteerceten.
counsel opened the case as one of importance
to the lading community, as showing how easily they might
be defrauded of their goods by t schemers. The
prosecutor was a manufacturer at Huddersfield, and he re-
ceived a War signed by Prescott, dated from Cross-street.
Hatton-garden, and couched in such terms as would be used
by persons well acquainted with the details of trade,
miring to be supplied with geode. The prisoners
called themselves &magnet and Prescott, general
warehousemen, 16, Cron-street, Hatton-garden, Lon-
don, but they merely hired a room to date thew letters
from, and called every day to fetch away parcels sent
up from the country. Mr. Lmoyd, of limdeld, was
from then
in this way but, happening to be in ;London
eoon afterwards, he canseat 16, Crom-street, and discovered
the cheat.

After the cue had been In rawer some time it was held
that the charge of stealing could not be sustained upon the
evidence. The cue shaped itself into one of false pretences,
and the prisoners were remanded till the next weak to be
tried upon a charge of oonepiracy to defraud, already found
by the grand Jury, and one of false pretences, to be preferred
upon the evidence of to-day.
Edward Cairns, convicted last anion of assaulting a
and attempting to " gouge " him,waa brought up
for judgment, and sentenced to twelve months' hard labour.
Charles Stewart, an ex-policeman, was found guilty of
having stolen a pint pewter pot, the property of John Henry
West. There was another case against him. On leaving
the police he was awarded a pension of 281. • year, which
would be forfeited, it was said, by this conviction.
Mr. Creamy sentenced him to three months' bard labour
and remarked that the term would have been much greater
but for the circumstance that the Mimes he had been con-
victed of would have the effect of stopping his pension.
Henry Blackburn:, 25, CUMIN laws Griggs, 38 and
Jaws Wads, 24, were indicted for having fraudulently ob-
tained, by false pretences, from John Webby, 161, with in-
tellt to closet him thereof. _ _ _

Mr. ifia;ihorneaitiliir. Abram appeared for the promos-
tics ; Mr. F. H. Lewis for the prisoners.
The prosecutor wee a grooer in Regent-eireet, Mile•exel-
road, and it appeared that he had agreed to pardon some
tee, at 81. • chest, upon the representation of Wade and
another man that it belonged to the master of the latter, and
was in dock. Griggs and Wade subsequently delivered two
chest. at his shop, but as he declined to pay for them until
he had seen the quality of the tea, they took them away, and
subsequently returned and invited him to go to a place
in Batty-street to mambo the chest. The three iwisonere
were then together. The lid of one of the cheats was
opened, and a handful of the tea taken from the top
a. • sample. The prosecutor said that would do, and
agreed to pay 161. for the two chaste. He paid the money
to Griggs and Blackbume, and told them to bring a
chest of the same sort the neat day and he would pay for
it at the same rate. However, he speedily found that
be had been duped, for the cheats contained nothing but saw-
dust, a very email quantity of tea being spread over the top
of that which the prosecutor saw opened. He then gave
information to the polka, and the prisoners, who were well
known members of a fraternity called " duffers," who go
about defrauding by palming off spurious articles, represent-
ing that they are smuggled, or have been come by under
other etreumetanoes which enabled them to be sold cheep,
were soot ln custody.
The jury found them Guilty, and Sergeant Posy, of the H
di proved • former conviction mond Blackburne.
Mr. said it was clear that they were a gang of
thieves and swindlers, and sentenced Blackburn. to three
years' penal servitude; and Griggs and Wads, each to air
months' hard labour, condoning them that, if &gala °m-
olded, their sestina would not be imprisonment, but penal
servitode.