The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-25 00:00:00

CHARGE OP SHEEP-STEALING.

John Leppard, 56, surrendered to take his trial upon a
charge of stealing 28 sheep, the property of T. Souch.

The jury returned a verdict a not guilty.
(Before the Lord Chief Baron.)

MOSE AND WIFE V. TILE HASTINGS AND ST. LEONARD'S

GAS COMPANY.

This was an action to recover damages for injuries
alleged to have been sustained by the plaintiffs through the
negligence of the defendants.
Sergeant Parry and Mr. Shaw were for the plaintiffs,
and Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., and Sir G. Honyman, for the
defendants.

The plaintiffs sought to recover damages for injuries
they had sustained in consequence of an explosion of gas
that took place at St. Leonard's, December, 1862. It
appeared that the plaintiff is 'a house agent and painter,
residing at No, 20, London-road, St. Leonard's ; and that
a short time before the explosion there had been a strong
smell of gas observed about the premises, and he had
applied to the company upon the subject. They sent a
man to make an examination, but he did not consider
there was any danger, and went away ; but very
soon afterwards an explosion took place in the kitchen of
the plaintiff's house, and also in one or two houses adjoin-
ing, the result of which was that the plaintiff and his wife
received, as alleged, considerable personal injury. The
explosion was represented to have been caused by the de-
tective state of the mainpipe conveying the gas under the
road, and which had permitted an extensive leakage to take
place. On the part of the company it was endeavoured to
be established that there had been no negligence, and wit-
nesses were called who proved that the main pipes had been
laid down new in 1861. The accident was also sought to
be explained by the leakage of a water pipe that ran cleso
to the gas service. It appeared, however, that during
the negotiations between the parties, the company had ad-
mitted their liability to a certain extent, and had agreed to
pay Mr. Mose the sum of £7 18s 9d for damage that hal
been done to the house and for the injury he had himself
received, and that they had suggested that any claim for
injury sustained by his wife should stand over for further
consideration. The evidence in relation to the latter point
showed that Mrs. Mose was under medical treatment for
several months, and that her husband was put to great ex-
pense by having to procure the assistance of a person to
manage his house during his wife's illness.
The jary gave a verdict for the plaintiff for £l6O in ad-
dition to the amount of £7 18s 9d, for which the defendants
admitted they were liable.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—Yonx, March 23.
(Before Mr. Justice Byles.)
TWO PRISONERS SENTENCED TO BE FLOGGED.
Benjamin Clough and Thomas Tudball were oharged
with assaulting, with the intention to rob, John Henry, at
Bowling. 'I he prosecutor, a hawker between fifty and sixty
years of age, was, late on the night of the 11th of August
iast, proceeding with his eat t up to Wakefield-road, near
Bradfield, when the prisoner Clough got into the cart at
the back, and seizing him by the collar of his coat, pulled
him over. Prosecutor cried out "police," and then the
other prisoner came, and also got hold of him by the
shoulders, and the two pulled him out of the cart.
They tried to rob the old man, and as he continued to cry
for assistance, they threatened to put his head under
the cart wheel. This threat they afterwards
actually carried out, the two holding the prosecutor's head
to the ground whilst the cart wheel passed over him. The
fact of the vehicle being empty was fortunate for all parties,
the only injuries the prosecutor received being a cut on the
face.

The prisoners were found guilty, and were each sentenced
to six months' imprisonment, and 30 lashes with the " cat.'e
(Before Mr. Justice Blackburn.)
CROSSLEY V. LAWTON.
The plaintiff, Mr. Abraham Crossley, is a farmer, at
Upper Midthorpe, in the parish of Ecclesfield ; and the
defendant, Mr. Joseph Lawton, is the eon of a farmer,
residing at Langsett, about a mile from the plaintiff's
house. Mr. Crossley brought this action in consequence
of the seduction of his only daughter, Martha, who is
twenty-eight years of age. Three years ago the defendant
commenced paying his addresses to the plaintiff's daughter,
and in 1862 he was said to have accomplished her ruin, =3
on the 233 of August she gave birth to a child. It was not
denied that the defendant was the father of the child, though
it was submitted on his behalf that there was very little
seduction in the case. It was urged that he was only about
20 years of age when he became acquainted with the young
woman; that he was not in a position to pay damages, he
only being in the habit of receiving wages from his father
se a farm servant ; and that the proper course toadopt was
to have obtained an order of affiliation before the magie-
tratee, rather than have brought it into this court,
Verdict for the plaintiff for £l5.
CARR V. JACKSON.
The plaintiff occupies a farm at Moss, near Fenwick,
and the defendant, who is 27 years of age, lives at Fenwick.
The plaintiff has four eons and four daughters ; his wife died
about five years ago, and the young woman who formed the
subject of this action was his second daughter. She was 21
years of age, and at thelatter end of 1861 became acquainted
with the defendant. A harmonium had been provided for
the church at Fenwick, and the defendant played upon it.
The plaintiff's daughter Martha went to assist at the sing-
ing in the church, and an intimacy arose between her and
the defendant. He visited her at her father's house, and
it was in January, 1863, that the seduction took place.
tShhaet gave
she
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written
November,
bleert,terlsB6t2. to her,ln
the first he mad, "According to your solicitous request, I
shall insert a few love words for your meditation. It may
reveal the adage, ' Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' ':
Speaking of his morals, he said he had not tried to allure
Miss Carr by enticing enchantments, and he was not
chained fast with deep-rooted immorality. He assuredly
knew he was designed for a great end; and he was fully
sensible of the ray of divinity which mortal man was
endowed with. If his conduct was not in strict accord-
ere
to
ance with her liking, might God grant her success in
insuring one of those faultless, happy men
as a
partner.
If his morals were not sufficiently refined,
according to
his contemporary, he must lead a celibate life, and join
those of nobler enjoyments than any one on earth. He
concluded both letters with the words, " I am, loyally, John
womanothifdatohwitsiha
suhfeaadttdt a r
ahhh eeeb raesweoga nnone
defendant's
rsdolo
odofu
a nn figewahc
ol
positioneeet
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o ttehhh be
Jackson." After the young
giving,ex willing.p ressei
inasmuch
aas
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miiw wishtu a
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was
aet
saao
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cdm thenat defendant
contended
that
well marry her,
d
Oran,
other and
hsrelatives
hand,o
lin life had been much exaggerated, and that, although he
had done wrong, the damages ought not to be of a vindic-
tive character, but temperate and moderate.
The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff for ZOO.

LIVERPOOL.—March 23.
CBeftnT, Mr. Justice
CHARGE OF MITHDER.

James Robinson, aged 22, was charged with the murder
of Richard Early, at Liverpool, on the 20th February lag.
On the evening of the previous day Elizibeth Linden, who
cohabited alternately with the prisoner and the deceased,
left her house in Wolfe-street with a woman named Murphy.
and visited a public-house in Warwick-street, where they
met the prisoner, who appeared vemcd with Linden for
having discaried him for Early, who had only recently
returned from sea. A. quarrel :ensued, and the prisoner
stabbed the deceased.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, and
he was sentenced to .5 years' penal servitude.

FATAL COLLISION ON THE CORNISH COAET.--.
The Britannia, of NOWCPI3Y, laden with china clay, was
run into by a brig about one o'clock on the morning of the
19th, while lying-to on the coast. She was much injured,
and two of her crew Were drowned. The rest were saved
by clinging to the top part of the mast until daylik;ht, when
they were discovered and reEonei.