The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-10 00:00:00

WESTERN. CIRCIIIT.—BRISTOL, ArousT 9.

Yesterday Mr. Stock, Q.C., arrived in this city for the
purpose of opening the commission for the summer assize
but owing to some neglect the box containing the important
document had been mislaid on the railway and was not
forthcoming. It was afterwards, we believe, traced to
Chippenbam, and being ultimately found, it was intended
to proceed to the Guildhall and open the commission et
nine o'clock Last night. The judges Mr. Justice Bytes
and Mr. Justice Campbell, are expected the first thing in
the morning.
The criminal business will be exceedingly light, both as
the number of prisoners and the character of the
offences
nrces with which they are charged.
The civil business is likely to be unusually heavy. There
are about twenty special jury panels issued, and from 30
to 40 ordinary causes.

NORTH WALES ClRCUlT.—Canarts, Annun 8.
(Before Mr. Baron Pigott.)
5088 V. REID—ACTION FOB BILDUCTION.
Mr. Bowen, with Mr. Hughes, appeared for the plaintiff,
the defendant did not appear, either personally or by
counseL The former claimed 1,000/. for the seduction of
his daughter.
The plaintiff was described as • professional man re-
eking in London, and the defendant us trunk and port.
mantean manufacturer, who until the occurrences w-hich
had given rise to the present action was living within two
or three doors of him. Both were middle-aged men, the
plaintiff having a family of nine children, and the defen-
dant being also married and the father of a
family. Some acquaintance existed between the
families prior to 1862, the defendant being
in the habit of frequently coming into the
plaint..ff's studio ; but in May of that year the plaintiff's
hter, a girl then 18 years of age, first entered the
defendant's premises, on complying with a request of his
to supply him with some swan's down for the purposes of
his business. She called frequently until the end of that
year, sometimes in company with the defendant's brother,
who was about her own age and unmarried. The defen-
dant's family lived awav at Battersea. On New Year's
Day, 1863, the again called and the shop being closed at
5 o'clock, as it was a partial holiday, she remained with
the defendant about an hour after it was closed in the par-
lour behind it. She said she was reading during the first
part of the time, but before she left the defendant at-
tempted to take liberties with her, she resisting him. Other
calls ending similarly were spoken of, but about the
13th or 14th of February he succeeded in seducing her.
In December she found herself pregnant. She represented
her state in strong terms to the defendant and applied for
assistance, but he only advised her to do what she could
to get rid of the child, promising, however, if she did not
succeed, to send her to Paris. But he did nothing, and
in August, while the father, who was not made aware of
her condition until that time, was away at Dorking seek-
ing lodginge for her, she gave birth to a child at home.
The defendant afterwards, on the father threatening to
sue him unless he made proper provision for the infant,
sold or pretended to sell his business, and disappeared,
giving it out that he had gone to America. Some
extraordinary letters were received from him about that
time. In one be wrote :
" At sea on board the royal mail steamship,
outward bound for New York.
" Dear Mr. Ross,—Forgive the familiar sentiment ; you
were once my lear friend, and though your sentiments are
now sadly changed, yet my esteem for you is unabated and
my friendship unalterable through all the changeful scenes
of eventful life. In consequence of events which cannot be
entered upon at present, you sought the recovery of •
sum of money, which you generously advanced to me at •
time when it wee of essential service. That act I
could forget, and here record my obligation to you with
feelings too profound for language to depict.
Had you personally agreed on terms, or explained
the indefinite nature of your claim without the
harsh intervention of law, or the vindictive inter-
ferences of others more actuated by rancour than wisdom,
I would have done all that lay in my power to have paid
you, but as that was refused Indignantly, and you would
give no personal explanation of your entire demands, but
declared a desire for revenge, and expressed • determina-
tion to ruin me, I resolved that the sacred tie of friend-
ship which had united us so keg should not be ruthlessly
dissevered by the merciless rigour of legal execution,
in compelling payment of an obligation which had been
spontaneously conferred without any acknowledgment
sought or given, and which ought to be paid back as
spontaneously as it was lent. By succumbing to such legal
pressure, it would have robbed me of that virtue with
which gratitude redeems misfortunes. I have therefore
deferred the settlement of your claim till I am saiely esta-
blished in a country where the kw wbieh you invoked to
[the next word was unintelligible] me is impotent, and
where the myrmidons have no jurisdiction. The breaking
up of my home and departure from a neighourhood where
I have spent so many happy days was in itself • sad
&as amity, but you wereinexorably bent on my utter
ruin, there was no alternative but humiliation, which I
could not brook from a respected friend whom I had so
respected (oh, sad revulsion of feeling). I now seek
my destiny in the wide world of adventure. I
bear the surging roar of the Atlantic billows,
wild and sad. Oh, what recollections it recalls
of a far receded shore, still dear to memory, though
clouded with the fall of misfortune, and covering the
seared and saddened hearts of broken friendship 1 Mr.
Ross, you are not ignorant of my sincere and devoted at-
tachment to you. Can you still believe all that has been
said against me? I here declare, before the unclouded
majesty of Heaven, deeply sensible of my responsibility to
Almighty God, that I was innocent of any base design to
injure your daughter Emily. I valued hersociety too much
to meditate any wrong to her or injury to you. When the
virulence of resentment has pissed away, I feel confident
Emily will do me justice' if her conseienee does not
smite her with remorse for the calumnies uttered against
me. I will leave to time to reveal the truth. Ido not wish
to breathe a word against her ;it is against my f • to
do so, and though she has said manticaktreeiousthiinga
against me, whichare not true, and w she has sines
altogether denied again to me, yet I reset willingly
forgive her, and trust she may ever be under your
care and treated with kindness, which is the native pro-
perty of your have Mr. Rosa, lam berried, bat will
you grant the liberty I take of warning you to beware
of that den of infamy in Gileton-road. Suffer
not any of your daughters to go there. I know
more of that place than I would reveal There is no
hidden motive in this allusion, nor hint of any-
thing wrong in your daughter in association with that
place ; but simply se an intmeeted friend, knowing the
'litany of the place alluded to, I would seriously warn
you against any connection there. Let year be
ensured that I have a deep desire to be true to yon. If
you deem me worthy of your further confidence, which I
will never abuse, sad wish any explanalion, I will meet
willingly give it. Adieu, dear Mr. ROM ; every sue se at.
tend you in your professional etruggies, is the ardent sad
sincere wish of your., most faithfully, Waken Reid. (Per
favour of the plot.—Address, Genera Pan-OSo% New
York, America.)'
Nobs of these letters were dated or signed, nor were
they answered by the witness. It was stated Art tic
defendant was now living in Graag•-lane, Birkenhead,
and that he would bare been sued before if his ertnew

.bowls could have beset dimovered. Tim only vitamin
called were the plaintiff and his daughter, .11re kites
haring a slight, girlish appearance, and giving her evidanoe
with apparent modesty. She said bar age was now 22.