The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-09 00:00:00

course of the examination became very excited, and told
one of the witnesses that what he said was a lie.

Baron Martin immediately interposed,and told tho plain-
tiff that if he made use of such an observation again he
would commit him.

The plaintiff, having shortly afterwards intimated that he
had closed his case,
Baron Martin said he was of opinion there was no case at
all for the jury, and that there was not a tittle of evidence
to support the charge of conspiracy.
The jury said they were of the same opinion.
The plaintiff wished to know if they were unanimous in
coming to that conclusion.
The foreman of the jury said they were.
A verdict was then formally returned for the defendants.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.—IP3WICH, AUGUST 8.
(Before Mr Baron Bramwell.)
EXTRAORDINARY CASE.
Solomon Hills, labourer, 22 years of age, was charged
with feloniously assaulting Henry Rouse, at Stoke-by-
Nayland, then and there putting him in fear of his life,
and stealing 10s. in money and a gun, the property of the
said Henry Rouse, on the 25th of November, 1861.
Mr Orridge appeared as counsel for the crown; the
prisoner was undefended.
The circumstances of this case were very extra-
ordinary, as will be gathered from the following state-
ment. The prosecutor, a very old man, was living with his
son in a lonely cottage in Stoke, and about 8 o'clock on the
night of the 25th November, 1861, was going from his
house across the yard to the stable, when he was attacked
by two men. He was knocked down by one with a stick,
and when on the ground was beaten about the head till he
was nearly " unseneed," as he described it. They then
swore at him and demanded all his money, but he declared
he had only a few shillings, and those he handed over. The
ruffians threatened to murder him if he called out, and then
went into the cottage and helped themselves to beer and a
gun that was in the sitting room. They then came to where
the old man was lying, and seemed suddenly to have some
pity for him, for they offered to carry him in doors—but he
told them to be off, for he'd had enough of them, They
went off with the gun and money, and owing to the dark-
ness of the night the prosecutor could not see well enough
to recognise either of them. The police failed in all at-
tempts to discover the men, and this seemed likely to be
an addition to the list of undetected crimes. In January,
1863, the prisoner, with two other men, was tried at Bury
St. Edmund's county sessions for a murderous assault upon
a gamekeeper, and, being convicted, all ware sentenced to
18 months' imprisonment. This term would have expired
in July of this year, and in April last a matter arose that
led to the prisoner being put upon his trial to-day. It was
this—At the spring assizes last year a wealthy farmer of
the name of Humphery was convicted hefore the Chief
Justice Erle of shooting at one Isaac Reed, with intent is
murder him, and was sentenced to penal servitude for life.
He remained in Bury Gaol some months before being re-
moved, and contrived to talk with his fellow-prisoner Hills.
Explaining to him what he had been convicted of, he suc-
ceeded in persuading hiss to make a confession, taking the
crime upon himself and exonerating Humphery, and for
doing this the latter was to provide the prisoner with
a largo sum of money as soon as he got out
from gaol. Humphery, by this, expected to receive a
Laudon, was to realise his property, and get out of the coun-
try, when Hills was to avow it was all a trick, and get his
release and reward. Hills sent for Mr APlntyre, the go-
vernor, and to him made a very circumstantial confession,
and repeated it to the visiting justices. He said he would
find the gun with which Reed was shot if they would send
him to a place (a pond) he named. The governor took him
to the pond, and it was dragged and nothing found, but the
prisoner declared he had thrown the gun in ; that on the
night of the attempted murder he was watching for pheasants
by King Harry's grove; that sitting in the ditch his gun
went off by accident as Reed was passing, and that he alone
shot Reed. This story was never believed for an instant,
but to make the search perfect the pond was emptied, and
there, deeply sunk in the mud, waa found a gun. But this
gun was found to be the one stolen from the old man on the
25th November, 1861, It was identified beyond all ques-
tion, and on being told of the discovery and the disbelief in
the statement as to Reed, the prisoner said it was his gun,
that he had bought it of some gipsies : and as to the con-
fession, Humphery had persuaded him to make it, and it
was all untrue. He was then told of the identification of
the gun, and that he would be charged with the robbery of
old Rouse. lie was disconcerted at this, but declared he
knew nothing of it. During his imprisonment ho had
learned to write a very fair hand, and one morning in May
last the cook of the gaol picked up a note in the yard where
the prisoner had been taking exercise. It was at once re-
cognised as his handwriting, and was as follows :—" Friend
James Wright, I now take the opportunity to write these
few lines to you, informing you that I have got to stand
trial for we robbing old Rouse, but I don't think they
have any suspicion of you, and you must keep dark, but
if they should have any suspicion and take you, you
must stick hard you don't know nothing about it. You
don't want to be afraid that I shall split, that is nil my
fault, I don'tthink he would swear to the gun all that long
time, but I think you will be all right. I shall have a coun-
sel, and if they don't collar you, you can pay for a coun-
sellor for me, for you ought to do that. You don't want to
be afraid that I shall split, for I shan't do that, because
that is my fault. That would have been all right if I hadn't
went and shown them the gun, but don't you be afraid. I
will stick true, for I think I shall get off at trial. So no
more front your old friend. I should sent by old Cooper,
but I couldn't get to him. Tell my friends that I want to
see them." This Wright was a man who with the pri-
soner had been originally suspected of the robbery, was in
gaol with the prisoner, and " old Cooper" was a prisoner
just leaving. The letter to-day the prisoner declared had
been written by a man of the name of Holmes, also a pri-
soner, and placed in the yard, to get him (Hills) in to
trouble, but this was satisfactorily negatived by persons
knowing the handwriting of both. Upon these farts, pro-
vided by the prisoner, the jury found a verdict of guilty,
and being asked what ho had to say, said to the judge, " I
hope your honour will have mercy on me."
Baron Bramwell—How much mercy did you show to
that old man ? You were strong enough to rob him with-
out beating him. You aro a bad fellow, and I sentence you
to five years' penal servitude.
Another action of slander is being tried before Baron
Channel, and wilt last all day.