The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-23 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. —This Day.

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OLD COURT.
(Before Mr Baron Bramwell.)
iiEEPING AN UNLICENSED LUNATIC ASYLU3I.

Mrs Sophia Leander, a married lady, the proprietress of
the Asylum for Lunatics, Turnham-green, surrendered
pursuant to notice from the Lunatic Commissioners, she
having been convicted under the Lunatic Protection Act of
keeping a house for the reception of lunatics, not being duly
licensed by law. At the trial the defendant was discharged
on entering into her recognisaeces and bail to appear when
called on for judgment, on the understanding that she give
up the establishment, and would not receive any person of
unsound mind. The defendant not hiving complied with
the undertaking the Commissioners of Lunacy gave her
notice that an Inspector of Lunacy would visit her esta-
b!ishmeut to see if ilhe had any persons under her care of
unsound mind, and on o,Aobet 19 they made such visit and
found persons inmates of her house, some of weak intellect,
and three others who decidedly, in their judgment, came
within the category of persons of unsound mind, upon
which notice was given to her to surrender.

Mr G:ffird, on the part of the prosecutor, read several
affidavits, setting out the report of the Inspector of Lunacy,
and the corropondence that had taken place between the
defendant and the Commissioners, from which it appeared
that the defendant was acting under the belief that she was
not evading the law in receiving women of weak intellect
only at her establishment.
_ _ _

The defendant, in reply to several questions put by the
judge, and his admonishing her she must nct disobey the
law, insisted that she acted in strict conformity with the
law, and was protected by Act 3f Parliament, as she did not
keep the inmates for profit.
Mr Baron Bramwell said he would not pronounce any
sentence then, but he warned and urged her to take his
advice and comply strictly with the regulations of the Com-
miaioners in Lunacy, who were a much more competent
authorb y than she was to determine whether she was dis-
obeying the law. She had been guilty of disobeying it, and
he warned her if it was found necessary to call her up again
she would be severely punished.
The defendant was then discharged on her own recog-
.

nisances,

THE CHARGE OF ILLEGALLY CONFINING A WIFE AT
PECKHAM,
Edward Hammond, Emily Wakeman, and Elizabeth
Allen, the two latter female servants in Hammond's ser-
vice, surrendered to answer an indictment charging them
with unlawfully assaulting and confining in a room Eliza-
beth Hammond, the wife of the male defendant. There
were several other indictments for continuous assaults.
Before the defendants pleaded,
Mr Sergeant Ballantine said he appeared for the defen-
dant Hammond, and on looking at the depositions he felt
bound to say that he could not consistently struggle against
the charge, and the defendant, therefore, under his advice
would plead guilty.
Mr Huddlestene, who appeared for the prosecution, said
he should not object to the course proposed.
The defendant Hammond then pleaded guilty.
The two other cefendants, Wakeman and Allen, pleaded
not guilty to all the indictments.
Mr Huddlestone said, on the part of the prosecution he
did not propose to offer any evidence against the female
defendants.
The jury then, under the direction of the learned judge,
returned a verdict of not guilty,
The female defendants were then discharged,
Mr Sergeant Ballentine asked the learned judge to post-
pone passing sentence until next Scssion, in order that
time might be given for the preparation of cer`ain affidavits
in mitigation.
Mr Baron Bramwell said he knew nothing of the case or
of the defendant, but he could not deny that he had read
something of the case in newspapers. He would look over
the depositions and say to-morrow whether judgment
should be respited to the January Sessions, when he
would be in Court. The defendant in the meantime could
be admitted to bail.
The same bail that was taken by the magistrates was
then accepted for the defendant Hammond's arpearance
to-morrow.