The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-07 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

Gonzalo Pereira Caides, • gentlemanly looking elderly
man, who was stated to be a Portuguese merchant, sur-
rendered to take hie trial for wilful and oorrupt perjury.
Mr. Sleigh, Mr. Poland, and Mr. Straight were counsel
for the prosecution ; Serjeant Ballantine and Mr. Gitfard,
Q.C., were epeciAlly retained, with Mr. Montagu
on behalf of the defendant.

The learned counsel, in opening the case to the jury, ap-
peared to be of opinion that the evidence he was prepared
with to support the charge was not likely to lead to a con-
viction. It appeared that a firm of Caldes Brothers had
carried on business us wine merchants in Tower-hill,
and that a deed of assignment was effected between
than and their creditors, and among the latter
the defendant seemed to have signed the deed
as a creditor for 2,0001. The other creditors
appeared to have been under the impression that the de•
fendant was a partner in the firm, and he was examined at
the Court of Bankruptcy, and in his evidence he swore
positively that he was not a partner, and it was upon this
statement that the allegation of having committed wilful
and corrupt perjury was preferred against him. It ap-
peared, however, that tbe defendant was not cross-examined
as to the point, and although he appeared upon some occa-
sions to have made certain affidavits in which he described
himself as a partner, and to have acted in other
matters in that capacity, at the same time he
was a foreigner, ignorant of the English language, and
consequently might have been ignorant of the precise
effect of what he said. There was also this additional fact
in favour of the defendant, that it appeared that a
deed had been executed between him and the firm, one of
the conditions of which was that he was not to become a
partner until a certain contingency had taken place.
Serjeant Ballantine said he thought it right to add, in
addition to what had been stated by his learned friend.
that he was in a position to have proved that, prior to these
proceedings taking place, the defendant had taken the
opinion of an eminent counsel as to the point whether he
stood in the legal position of a partner of the firm, and it
was to the effect that he did not do so.
The Recorder expressed his opinion that, upon the facts
stated, there would not be the slightest chance of a con-
viction taking place, and the jury therefore, under his
lordship's direction, returned a verdict of Nut Guilty.
John Barrett. 36, Michael Suilirtin, 30, two Irish
labourers, and HOnora Bayley, 34, were charged with mis-
demeanour in having unlawfully assaulted several con.
stables of the Metropolitan Police in the execution of their
duty, with intent to injure them, and also with intent to
prevent the lawful apprehension of a peraou who had
been given into custody. .
Mr. Poland conducted the prosecution on behalf of the
Treasury ; the prisoners were undefended by counsel.
On the 9th of April, about nine o'clock at night, there
was a disturbance at the Ring's Head public-house, Rat-
cliffe, and the police were sent for, and a man was given
into the custody of a constable named Peed. He resisted,
and a violent struggle took place, during which read was
assaulted, and the prisoner was rescued. A sergeant
named Batt reoeived a very serious injury on the bead
from a brick that was thrown by one of the prisoners,
and all three were positively sworn to as having taken
part in the disturbance, the evidence against the woman
being that she threw hsndfulls of mud in the faces of the
constables as they were going to the station. One or two
of the constables, it appeared, were so seriously injured
that they had not since been able to perform their duty.
The defence of the prisoners °unstated in a denial that
they had assaulted the police, and an assertion that they
were not present when the affair happened.
The jury found tho two men Gushy, but at the sug-
gestion of the learned Recorder they acquitted the woman
on the ground that there was no evidence to show that she
was actuated by the common object imputed to her com-
panions.
The Recorder, in passing sentence upon the male pri-
soners, said they had been convicted of a very brutal as-
sault upon police comitables, who were only performing
their duty, and he ordered them to be imprisoned and
kept to hard labour for twelve months.