The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-22 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURTS.

(THIS DAY.)

BOWATREET.

THE CORPORALS' FRIFILEOZ OF WRARING AIDE AIMS.

- -
COMltilli Ford, a corporal in the Ist battalion of the
Scots Fusilier Guards, was charged with stabbing with his
bayonet a woman named Elizabeth Smith, with intent to do
her grievous bodily harm.
The complainant, who is an unfortunate woman,
stated that about one o'clock this morning she was
standing with another woman in Gardner's-lane when
the prisoner came up and asked her the address of
some girl whose name he mentioned, though she bad now
=ea it. She replied that she did not know the, girl's
. The prisoner said, " You lie, you —' and
struck her a violent blow, which felled her to the (?'round.
He then drew his bayonet and stabbed her in the
temple, immediately over the right eye. She became in.
sensible, and was removed by some person to the hospital.
Emil; Harrington, another young woman of the same
class with the prosecutrix, corroborated her evidenoe. The
prisoner appeared quite sober. The prosecutrix fainted, and
was removed to the hospital. The prisoner was taken to
the station-house, where witness charged him.
Police Sergeant Aitchinson, A 1, said that at about five
minutes to 1 he was passing through Gardner's-lane when
he saw the prisoner talking to the two women, and they
seemed to be quarrelling. He advised the prisoner not
to squabble with them but to go to his barracks. When
witness had get about 15 yards away he heard
a cry of " murder," and immediately returned.
Prisoner was standing on the footway and pro.
sexutrix in the road, and the prisoner had his bayonet
in his band and was pointing it at her face, at about 18 Indus
from her. She had her hands before her face, and was
crying out "Oh, dear me:" Witness took the bayonet from
the prisoner's hand, and returned it to the scabbard. The
prosecntrix, who was bleeding from a wound in the right
temple, fainted in the street. Witness,after taking the pri-
soner to the station-house, removed the woman with the
assistance of other constables to the Westminster Hospital,
where the wound was dressed. She was then brought to the
station-house, where she again fainted twice. The woundwas
about a quarter of an inch in depth. The prisoner and the
witness Smith were quite sober, and so was the prosecutaix
as far as he could judge, but it was difficult to tell, owing to
the effect of the fainting and loss of blood.
Mr. Henry—Did you examine the point of the bayonet ?
Sergeant Aitchison—Yes, and I found no signs of bland
on it. I bad not seen any blow or attempt to stab.
The prisoner said he had not drawn his bayonet.
Mr. Henry said the sergeant could not be mistaken about
that.

The prisoner mid the prosecutrix attempted to robhim of
his watch, and on his preventing her she ran into a public-
house in Gardner's•laoe and fetched a quart pot, which she
was about to throw at him. He took it from her and
threw it away. She fell by accident and cut her temple on
the stones. He denied having stabbed her at all.
Sergeant Parsons, of the Scots Fusilier Guards, said the
prisoner bore an excellent character. He was a sober quiet
man. He was on leave till 1 oclock. Corporals were
allowed to wear their bayonets. He had been two years
and seven months in the service, and one year and seven
months a corporal.
Mr. Henry—This is one of the dangers of letting
them wear their bayonets. There is no doubt
that he used the bayonet, and he appears to have
done so without cause, though he was sober. It must go
before a jury. However, he must be put back till the sur.
geon attends.
Subsequently Mr. William Hater, house surgeon at the
hospital, attended and deposed that the wound was about
half an inch deep and a quarter of an inch wide. It was
such a wound as might have been inflicted by a bayonet or
any pointed instrument, but not by a fall on the kerb stone.
His impression was that she was not quite sober.
Prosecutrix and the witness Smith said they had both had
exactly the same quantity of drink, and Smith was declared
by the police to have been quite sober.
Mr. Henry committed him for trial for the amault.

GREENWICH.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF ALLEGED MISTAKEN TDENTITY.

William Spencer, James Hoare, and James M'Donabi,
three young men in the employ of Mr. Turner. leather
dresser, St. James's road, Old Kent-read, were brought up
on remand, before Mr. Maude, charged with burglanously
entering the premium of Mr. Junes Summers, North-road,
Forest-hill, Sydeuham, and stealing • gold brooch, • gold
locket, 'several silver spoons, and other articles.
Mr. Cockle attended for the prisoners.
The evidence against the prisoners, which wu given
by two respectable and intelligent youths, was of a very
remarkable character. It appeared that about seven
o'clock on Monday evening they were playing by
firing off a pistol with cape in the road leadin;
to the prosecutor's house, when the prisoners Spencer
and Hoare passed them, Hears at the same time
pretending that be was wounded. The lads then
ran to them, it being moonlight at the tirir.,
and told them there was no danger, as they were only firing
off percussion cape, and the prisoners passed on. About
five minutes afterwards one of the lads, who lived with his
sister in the adjoining house to the prosecutor's, again saw
Spencer and Hoare walking up and down in front of that
house, and subsequently seeing a light in the bedroom,
and knowing the prosecutor and his wife had left
home, and did not intend to return until Wednesday
evening, he went and communicated with his sister,
who told him to knock at the door and ascertain if Mn.
Sommers WAS at home. He did so, when be watanswend
at the back door, and there saw three men, two of whom
he and the second lad identified u those they had seen
before, Spencer, who wore a peculiarlyehaped wide-awake
hat, replying to his inquiry that Mrs. Summers was not at
home, and telling the lads to go away and not knock at the
door. Information was subsequently given to the police.
and it was then discovered that the house had been entered
by persons getting in at the window from the porch of ilia
door. Sergeant Best, 21 It, then proceeded on bombs.:
in pursuit of the thieves, and having ascertained from s
police-constable at Hinckley, • short distance from
prosecutor's house, that three men, two of whom answend
the description given, had been directed the way
to the Kent-road, Sergeant Best proceeded in
that direction and overtook the prisoners in the
New-cross-road. They were then conveyed to the
police-station, end having been mined with several other
men the lads were introduced to them separately, when
they each picked out Spencer and Hoare as two of the three
men whom they had seen in the prosecutor's house, mad
also in the road previously. None of the stolen propu.:y
had been discovered.

Mr. Cockle, for the prisoners, alleged that the lads were
entirely mistaken in their identification, and called three
witnesses to show that they (the prisoners) were at the
Castle Tavern, Brockley (shout ten minutes' walk from the
proseentor's heave), at 4 o'clock in the afternoon of Monday,
and did not leave the house until after 7 in the evening,
when they remained outside that house until $ o'clock.
and consequently could not have been the persons the bo'r
had seen. The prisoners' employer wee idao.called, sal
gave them a good character.
Mr. Mande said it wan a most remarkable ease, but std
the identity of the prisoners Mid been spoken to, under
particular circumstances, by the two lads. To afford the
police, however, an opportunity for further inquiry, be
should again remand the prisoners, but would accept bail,
in two sureties of 501. each, for their appearance.
The required bail was immediately tendered and acceptel,
and the prisoners were liberated.
Mr. Cockle complained that, while under reamed, the
prisoner had been treated as though they were convicted
of one of them having been subjected to the indignity
of having his hair "cropped."
Mr. Maude said any complaint as to such treatment woubl
have to be made to the visiting justices of Maidstone Gaol.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF BREACH OF PRONIse
OF MARRIAOI.-1.11 the Glasgow Sheriff Court on Tue.lay
an action wu tried at the instance of a saddler in Catlic,rt,
waned Andrew Turnbull, against Agnes Barr, fur breach
of promise of marriage, concluding for 200!. of damages.
The pursuer stated that he had always beep
eutertained in a kind and cordial manner by the
defender, and that in June, Pick, in presence of
' a nephew and others, an offer and acceptance of marriage
were concluded between them, iu consequence of which hs
bad made extensive alterations on his dwelling house, and
otherwise incurred considerable expense, while the de-
fender refused to fulfil her promise. Not only so. but
she had taken up with another man, and been cried
in the parish church, in order to marriage with
shim. The pursuer put in the following document:—
" Promise of marriage between Andrew Turnbull sod
Agnes Barr:—Busby, June 18, 1860.-1, Andrew Turn-
bull, before God, do take Agues Barr to be my beloved
wife, and to the party that rues they must pay 100/. to the
other party.—Signed by AGNEN BAIR. AND. Tritest:Li:
The defence was a denial that any mutual affec-
tion had sprung up between the parties, or that
any offer or acceptance of marriage was concluded
between them ; and an averment that the signing of the
document called the " Promise of Marriage" was purely a
joke. John Thomson, the defender's nephew, deponed—in
June last, in the kitchen of Busby farmhouse, I wrote out
the document produced. The pursuer asked me to write it.
We had been joking about lads and busies. It was as a joke
that the pursuer asked me to write said document. I wrote
in addition the writing above the weeds "signed by,
and the pursuer wrote after them the words, " James
Todd," but he afterwards scored them out. I believe the
pursuer at that time put his own signature to it, and that
the defender then signed it also. They were laughing at the
time. The whole thing was considered a joke by all parties.
Some weeks afterwards the pursuer spoke about the line, and
said he mnatiget money from the defender if she did not marry
him. The defender's interest in her brother's succession does
not exceed 1001., as far as I know. After some other evidence
had been led, the sheriff pronounced judgment in favour ci
the defender; but she would have to bear the expense of
defending the action, as a punishment for her imprudence
in signing the "promise ;" and Raid that lovers could not
be too cautious in avoiding anything like a joke avant
marriage.
In consequence of the submarine telegraph cable
between Portland and the Channel Islands being damaged,
Jersey is communicated with from Southampton, and 01,0
versa, vie France, respecting the Channel Island mail
packets.