The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-01 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

Matisse in Banco.—(Before the Lord Chief Justice and
Justices Blackburn, Mellor, and Lusk.)
TERRY v. Ht:WHINKON.

[ This was en action for seduction tried List week
before Mr. Justice Hannon in the Bail Court,
[ when the jury returned • verdict for the plaintiff,
damages L5O/. The plaintiff is • builder at Canterbury,
and the defendant is an officer in her Majesty's service.
The plaintiff's daughter, a young woman about 20 yeas of
age, went into the service of Mr. Wakeman, a draper at
Dead, on the 12th March, 1t467. A fellow shop-
' girl, called Lassie Hill introduced her to the
I defendant, who was • friend of her sweetheart.
They used to meet and walk together, and in
consequence of what came to the master's knowledge he
discharged them on the 12th April, 1867, paying the
daughter's wages up to the following day, the 13th,
the end of the month. After she left she met
the defendant, and subsequently, when she was in
a second class carriage about to leave Deal to return
to her father's house at Canterbury, the defendant
got first-alarm tickets for herself and her, and she went
into a tint-claw carriage with him. They changed car-
t riages at Minster, and went into an empty one, and the
girl's evidence was that the seduction took place in the
carriage, and was the only time anything immoral had oc-
curred between them. January, 1868, the daughter
was confined of a child. . .

Mr. M. Chambers, q.C., now moved pavement to leave
reserved to enter a non suit, or why there should not be •
new trial on the grouud that the damages were excessive.
The defendant pleaded not guilty. and secondly
that the daughter was not in such a post-
legion with reference to the father at the time
the alleged seduction took place as entitled him
to sue fur lose of his daughter's services. The offence, if
committed, took place after she had quitted her employ-
, ment, and before she had returned to her father's house.
ISuch a point had never before occurred. The daughter
never saw the defendant after she returned home, and there
was no othermay of charging the offence other than in the
railway carriage. The learned counsel contended that the
damages were excessive, and that it was an attempt to
extort money. The father at first demanded 10e. • week
for the child and 200 f., and afterward ss. a week and
100!. The defendant who denied the seduction,
admitted he was the father of the child and
had been ready to pay the expenses and allow
the child 2a. dd. per week. Tu show the character of the
daughter the learned counsel read a letter written and
sent by her the following day to the defendant at
Deal barracks. It commenced "My dearest little
pet,—lt is with much pleasure I sit down
and write to you. In the first place I
arrived home quite safe, and I hope you did the same.
I hope you did not get into any trouble coming so far
with me, which was very kind. I quite forgot
to thank you for your kindness, and now my
little pet I must tell you that father and
mother were so pleased to see me. I think they must
have forgotten I had been turned away. Of course I told
them the reason, and they did not blame me.
Mr. Wakeman wrote to my father, and said he had
sent me away for going with officers, and that
I stayed out after my time at night, but that was before I
knew you." The letter concluded, "I shall think of last
:handily night, when we were so happy together. Excuse
this scribble ; I feel so sad. that I cannot write." Such
a letter, it was contended, written by the daughter
the day after the alleged outrage showed the character of
the female, and that in what had been done, one was as bad
as the other. The happiness alluded to was explained to
be walking on the beach at Deal on • night in March, pro-
bahly, the learned counsel said, looking at the moon.
The Lord Chief Justice said be was of opinion there
should be no rule. He thought that under the circum.
stances the daughter was at the time of the alleged seduc-
tion part of the father's family and one of his household.
He thought the action would lie. She went
into service upon the understanding that when she left it
she was to return home. He entertained no doubt there
was a constructive service to the father. The damages
might probably be high if they had to assess it, but under
the circumstances he saw no ground for disturbing the
verdict
Rule refused.

0017 RT OF BANICRIJETCY.
(Before Mr. Acting-Commissioner Mazlitt.)
IN RE WILLIAM BASK' PRINCE.

This was an application fur release out of custody by
the debtor, who had carried on business u a printeellerl at
307 a, High Holborn.
Mr. E. Reed supported ; and Mr. G. Lewis, jun., op-
posed the application.
The detaining creditor was Mr. Graves, the will known
print-seller and publisher, in Pall-mall. From the state-
ments made by Mr. Lewis it appeared that the debtor was
convicted on the 13th May and sentenced to pay 19 pe-
nalties of s✓. each for infringing the copyrights of various
photographs, engravings, and prints, the property of
Mr. Graves, particularly the copyright of the engraving
known as the " Railway Station." In default of payment,
the magistrate directed the debtor to be imprisoned 14
days for each offence, making 26n days altogether. Im-
mediately upon judgment being given in the first case, the
debtor executed a deed providing for payment to the cre-
ditors of a composition of is. in the pound by instalments.
The deed had been registered, and the certificate of regis-
tration was produced. In opposition to the application,
Mr. Lewis contended that the court ought not to inter.
fere—oertainly not until time bad been given for the
examination of the debtor and the creditors said to assent
to the deed, which, it was contended, had been concocted
merely in order to defeat Mr. Craves.
After hearing Mr. Reed, who urged upon the authority
of exports Johnson, decided by Mr. Commissioner Winslow
in 1866, reported in the Lam Times, Oat the debtor was
entitled to his release,
His Honour held that he ought not to keep the debtor in
custody for an indefinite period pending an inquiry into
the deed, and granted the release.
upon the application of Mr. Lewis,
The Court stayed the order for 4$ days, with the view to
an appeal.

POLICE COURTS.-(THIS DAY.)

MARLBOROI YOH-STREET.
STABBING A WIRE.

Penni., SuWean, an elderly man. described as a shoe.
maker, was charged before Mr. Knox with stabbing his
wife, Honorah Sullivan.

The prosecutrix said—Last night, about 11 o'clock, I
was standing at my door, in Dudley-street, wishing my
brother and his wife, who bad been to see me, good night,
when my husband (the prisoner) came up and said, " How
are you netting on ?" end then stabbed me in the faos with
a knife.

Mr. Kura —Did you see the knife?
Proa•cutrix—No, but the •loctor said it was a knife.
Mr. Knox— And the injurios on your face are the result?
Proaecutrix —They ere. A young man came up and se-
cured the prisoner till a constable came. _ _