The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-16 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
(THIS DAY.)

The December session of the Central Criminal Court was
opened this morning at the Old Bailey, before the Right
Hon. the Lord Mayor (W. F. Allen, Esq.), the Recorder
(the Right Hon. Russell Gurney, (4.C.) Mr. Alderman
Finuis, Mr. Alderman Dakin, Mr. Alderman and Sheriff
stone, Mr. Sheriff McArthur, and the Under-Sheriffs
(Messrs. Davidson and Roche). The first edition of the
calemLa shows a total of 66 prisoners standing for
trial, and the offences are classified in the fol-
lowing manner :—Arson, 4 ; bigamy, 3 ; burglary,
, feloniously uttering counterfeit coin, 8 ; em-
bezalement, 4 ; forgery, 5 ; larceny, 6 ; larceny from
the person, 1 ; larceny as a servant, 4 ; libel, 1 ; mis-
demeanour. I; ; murder, 4 ; perjury, 1 ; rape, 1; robbery,
1.; ; felonioudy wounding, 3.

The llecortiCr„ in changing the grand jury, said the cases
to be brought under their consideration were not nume-
rous, but he was sorry to say that there were two charges
of murder. The first was that against two persons named
Thomson and Webb for the wilful murder of George Frede-
rick *Limes, at Hammersmith. The deceased was stabbed
to the heart by some sharp instrument, and on the prisoners
being apprehended a knife oovered with blood was found
upon Thomson, and if the circumstances came out as
stated in the depositions, the crime committed by hhn
would certainly be a capital offence ; but with regard to
the other prisoner, Webb, there was nothing to show that
be was acting in concert with Thomson in indicting the
fatal wound on the deceased. The second charge of murder
was against Sarah Amos, • domestic servant. It was
suspected that she had been confined, and on being
spoken to in reference to the matter she explained
that the child would be found in • box.
This turned out to be the ease, and death was
aacertained to have been caused by strangulation.
There was a charge of theft and arson against George
Burnett and Mary Willis, who occupied apartments. They
were observed to leave their lodgings, and shortly after-
wards smoke was seen to issue from their rooms. The
allegation of the prisoners was that the place had been set
on tire and ransacked by thieves, but duplicates for the
missing articles were found on the female prisoner. The
learned recorder next referred briefly to the charge of lar-
ceny spinet Williams, a gaol warder, and some other
cases, anti the grand jury thereafter retired to their room
for deliberation.
The FORGERIES AND FRAUDS UPON IHE LEEDS RANK.
It is understood that the case of Mr. Edgeley, who
stands oommitted to take his trial for defrauding the late
Leeds Rank of more than 100,0001. by means of forgery
and false pretences in connexion with a forest company in
Servia, for which it was represented • concession had been
granted by the Servian government, will be placed on the
list for trial before the judges on Wednesday at the
Central Criminal Court. This case has b.een be-
fore the public for a very considerable period,
and has created very great interest on account
of the position of the defendant, who for many
years carried on business as a merchant in the city
of London, and the large amount of which it was
nted he had defrauded the bank, the total sum
Zrergeeil to have been obtained by him being more then
120,000 f., the loss of so large an amount of money having
to a certain extent led to the stoppage of the bank in
question, which up to that time had enjoyed a high repu-
tation in the county of York. The case has been post-
poned session after session, upon the application of the
defendant, principally upon the ground that Mr.
Greenland, the teenager of the bank, through
whose instrumentality the money was originally
admitted to the defendant, was at Geneva, and
declined to come to England to give his evidence. It
will be recollected thati Mr. Greenland was convicted of
making a false declaration in reference to the affairs of
thelbank,and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment,
but was subsequently released on account of the state of
hit health. He then, it appeared, went abroad, and it
would seem that he now refuses to come forward and give
his evidence, and as he is not within the jurisdiction of the
court there are no means of compelling him to do so. It
is doubtful under these circumstances whether the trial
can proceed, and it is said that an application will be made
for another postponement of the trial.