The Express.
London, England, 1868-07-11 00:00:00

TILE PRINCESS OF WALES.

MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, ittLY 11, 10 A.Y.
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales has
slept well, and is advancing steadily towards recovery.
Thu infant Princess is well.
Minunt FAssm, M.D.
E. H. eorvincure, M.D.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF PER-

SONATING ..1 BRIDEGROOM.

Yesterday, at the Warwick asaises (before Mr.
Baron Bramwell), Mary Ann Shaw, otherwise Os-
born, aged 46, straw-bonnet maker, was indicted
for causing a Übe entry to be made in the .-.l.cr
of marriages of St. Andrew's Church, Birmingham.
There were also counts charging her with con-
spiring with some person unknown that he should perso-
nate James Brittan, in order that they might be mar-
ried to each other, so that she might become possessed of
the property of James Britton. The prisoner pleaded not
_ _

Sei:jeant O'Brien, with Mr. Bewley, conducted the
prosecution ; Mr. Digby Seymour, Q.C., and Mr. Cave
were for the defence.

The prisoner had lived as housekeeper with James Brit-
tan, who was a nailer at Stourbridge, and had accumulated
freehold and personal property worth 3,0001. at the time of
his death in October last. She resided in a cottage
near, and Britten, who was of reserved habits,
lived alone, and it was not until the death of
Britten in October last, that any of his relatives
heard anything of the alleged marriage stated to have
taken place at St. Andrew's Church, Bodersley. The
prisoner was undoubtedly man:ed to a man at that time
and place; but the point at ism) was to whom? The
evidence bearing upon it was to • great extent circum-
stantial. In the marriage register, Britten's name was
volt Briton, his age was incorrect, and his father was
described as a nailer, whereas he was a miner, and his
name was given as William, instead of Samuel. Neither
the minister nor the clerk of St. Andrew's could identify
either the man or woman married ; but they both saw
Britten after his death, and could not recognise him.
When Britten died the prisoner called upon
Maher, the clerk of St. Andrew's, gave him four
sovereigns, and asked him to remember some peculiarity
about Britten. He replied he should not swear to him
unless he knew him, and she said, " I'm a ruined woman."
A Mrs. Jordan, the wife of a master builder in Birming-
ham, declared that she saw the prisoner and a man mar-
ried at St. Andrew's Church on the 21st February,
1867, and that that man was Osborn, her present
husband, to whom she was married a few weeks after
Britten's death. A man named Shields deposed that in
December, 1866, the prisoner solicited him to personate
Britten and marry her, but he reined. The day Britten
died he met the prisoner, and remarked to her that his
death was a bad job for her, when she produced a
marriage certificate, and she said thud, as he refuted
to personate Britten, she had got tome one else to do so,
at which she laughed heartily. Richard Scott, Benjamin
Scott, and John Little deposed to Britten having been at
home at the time he was alleged to have been married to
the prisoner. Some documentary evidence was also ad-
duced in confirmation of their evidence.

Mr. Digby Seymour acla;;;;;clticeiy for the defence,
and evidence wan adduced to chow that the priaonur had
really married the veritable James Britten.
The jury acquitted the prisoner.