The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-11 00:00:00

!EN TRAL CR:

The July Sessions of the Central Criminal Court com-
menced this morning at the Sessions House, Old Bailey,
before Alderman Challis, who presided in the absence of the
Lord Mayor; the Recorder (Russell Gurney, Esq., Q.U.)
Alderman J. W. Lawrence, Alderman Lusk, the Sheriffs
(H. N. Nissen, Eeq. and Thomas Carr, Esq.,) the Under
Sheriffs (Messrs Nicholson and Gammon), and other civic
authorities.
The calendar contains a list of 106 prisoners for trial, of
which 3 are for murder, 1 for shooting with intent, 1 for
feloniously wounding, 10 for forgery, 4 for stealing Post
Office letters, 28 for uttering counterfeit coin, 1 for rape,
the remainder being for offences of an ordinary character.
The Grand Jury having been sworn,
The Recorder proceeded to deliver his charge, remark-
ing that there were a larger number of prisoners for trial
than usual at these sessions, but that was to be accounted
for by a longer period haring elapsed since the last session•
There wore two cases of murder, bate n one of them it would
not be necessary for him to remark, as the outrage and
murder, if it was a murder, took place at Penge, which was
beyond the jurisdiction of this court; he did not know why
the depositions were sent to that court, except by mistake ;
the case would, however, be oaken before another tribunal
at the assizes. The other case was that in which a man
named Frederick Britten was charged with the murder of a
young woman at Islington. It appeared the prisoner was a
waiter in the same house with his victim, and he had com-
mitted the rash act through the jealousy of a young man, a
cousin of the deceased, who had declared he should not have
her. He stabbed her in the neck, from which injury she
died directly after. The prisoner, when told she was
dead, said he was glad of it, ho had rather she was dead
than she should have any one but himself. The jury
would have no difficulty in this case in returning a true
bill. There were also two charges of wounding with in-
tent to murder. In the one case, which was a charge of
shooting, there could be no doubt there was great provoca-
tion. The prosecutor had been fcund in bed with his wife,
and the prisoner had pursued him from one room to another.
The only question was whether they would be of opinion
that the prisoner had fired with intent to kill ; if so, it
would their duty to send the case for trial. The other
case was that of a man who kept company with a woman.
There was a charge of rape in a railway carriage, which
would require careful investigation. It would appear that
after the alleged offence had taken place another female en-
tered the compartment, but the prosecutrix made no men-
tion of what took place, and passed a station without getting
out, remaining with the prisoner. There was also a case
under the Foreign Enlistment Act, in which a person was
charged with engaging firemen for a Confederate steamer.
A point of law might arise whether engaging a fireman
came within the Act. If the facts were as stated on the
depositions, it would be better for them to return a true bill.
The Recorder then referred to several charges of forgery
which would require no special remark, and also the case of
robbery of letters from the General Post Office. After
some general remarks he dismissed the jury to their - •t,

duties