The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-18 00:00:00

ASSIZE' INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRC U IT.— Dorchester, March 15.
The Learned Judges (Sir W. Erie and Sir T. N. Tal-
fourd) reached here on Saturday, and were met at their
entrance into the town by the Sheriff's son in a carriage
and pair. To-day the courts were opened for business,
the criminal calendar and the cause list being both light.
In the Nisi Prius Court the senior judge was occupied
all day in trying a family case, in which a sister (the
plaintiff) sued her brother (the defendant) for six years'
rent of a piece of land left to him by his uncle, she being
the residuary legatee. The jury found in her favour
for 3601.

CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice TALFOURD.)
William Thompson, a horrible-looking fellow, was in-
dicted for attempting to murder James Cullum.
The parties were convicts under confin.:ment in Port-
land Prison, and were working in the stone-yard, when
Callum was desired by the warder to take a seat. He
did so, and whilst the warder was at a short distance,
Thompson came up and claimed the seat, and on Cullum
declining to give it up without the warder's leave, the
savage scoundrel lifted up his stone-hammer and struck
him senseless to the ground, afterwards striking him
two other blows on the head, and swearing he would
kill the outright. He further declared that, but
for the warder's timely arrival, he would have served
another in the same fashion.

His LORDSHIP, on the prisoner being convicted, ordered
sentence of death to be recorded against him, and inti
mated.that he must make up his mind to spend the rest
of bis days under the severest penal discipline.
James and John Hayward, two young fellows, were
convicted of breaking into the church of Durweston, and
stealing the communion plate, which had been used by
the rector, the Hon. and Rev. S. G. Osborne, ou the day
before the robbery. The prisoners were taken on some
other charge, and in their possession was found some
other stolen property and some pheasants and partridges;
anu in a cave, to which it was evident they resorted to
enjoy a roast pheasant occasionally, was found the
plate, and a chisel corresponding with marks on the
church door.
Sentence—Fifteen years' transportation.

MIDLAND CII?CUIT.—Derby, March 14.
CROWN COURT.—(Betoro the Lord Chief Justice

JEnvis.)
Robert Dixon, aged 30, was indicted for the abduction
of a girl under 16, and in other counts for the offence of
abusing a child between 10 and 11, for the attempt to
abuse, and for au assault.

Mr. Boden prosecuted, and Mr. W. 11. Adams de-
fended the prisoner.
The circumstances of this case were very peculiar.
The prisoner is a travelling " lecturer on the mysteries
of magic necromancy," and the prosecutrix, Mary Anne
Farringdon, is a little girl just 11 years old. On the
morning of the Ist of January last, about eight o'clock,
she left her home in Derby, for the purpose of going to
work, as her parents supposed; but, according to her
own statement, she was accosted by the prisoner, who
asked her her name, and whether she had a father or
mother? After answering these questions she went to
the factory, but being too late she went to the house of
a Mrs. Mansfield in the neighbourhood. Later in the
day the prisoner addressed her again, and told her that
he had seen her father and mother, and that
they said that she was to go with him. Another little
girl, whom she knew, was with him, and the three went
together to the railway station. There the girls were
left together by him, and they waited in the waiting-
room until eight in the evening, when the prisoner came
again and took them off to Nottingham by the railway.
They slept in a lodging-house there, in a double-bedded
room, and the next day the prisoner bought some clothes
for the prosecutrix. The next day the prisoner and
prosecutrix went to Codnor Park, leaving the other girl
at Nottingham, and they travelled together for several
days from place to place. They always slept in the same
room, and on the second and subsequent nights, accord-
ing to the girl's statement, the offence was committed.
lier story was confirmed by the evidence of other wit-
nesses, to the extent of showing that the two had been
travelling about together; and the me.lical evidence led
to the conclusion that violence had boon done to her
person; but in several particulars the story of the child
was contradicted. The parents of the prosecutrix
heard nothing of her from the Ist of January to the 7th,
when they received the following letter, which bore the
Alfreton post-mark of January 6:—
Jan. 6, 1852.
"My dear Parents,—l am with a gentleman that
treats me very kindly. lam quite comfortable. The
first day I went to Bellingham he bought me a frock,
and a skirt, and white silk bonnet, and a pair of nice
new boots and stockings, and a fur for my neck, and a
he is going to
shawl. To-day he is getting me a new print truck made
at the dressmaker's, which cost 55.; and
get me everything I want new, till I look very nice and
respectable. We shall come to Derby before long to see
you, after lam dressed genteel, and I will bring some
nice presents with me for sisters. How arc sisters? It
is a great deal better for me to be out to service as I
am now, than being at home, because I am getting mo-
ney as well as clothes. Give my love to Elizabeth and
Sarah. I send you this to let you know I am treated
very well. The gentleman is writing this for me, and I
am telling him what to say. Hoping you are all in good
health, as I am at present,
" I remain, my dear Parents,
" Your affectionate daughter,

" MARY ANN FARRINGDON.
" P.S.—I get plenty of good food to eat.'.'
The prosecutrix herself stated, that at the time she
knew neither the names cf the places to which She had
been taken, or of the people at whose houses they bad
stopped; but she had learnt them since; and Mr. and
Mrs. Fletcher, who kept the Dog Inn, at Pentridge,
proved that the prisoner and prosecutrix passed three
nights at their house while the prisoner was lecturing in
the town. Their evidence was favourable to the prisoner,
because the girl had made no complaint to them; nor
had they heard her scream, as she had said that she did,
and their bed-room was close to the double-bedded pas-
sage-room, in which the prisoner and prosecutrix slept.
In fact. there was nothing which excited their suspicions
of any impropriety iu the prisoners conduct towards the
prosecutrix. When the prisoner was apprehended, he
stated to the constable that it was a bad job for him
that he had brought her away; he should not have done
so if she had not said that she had no father or mother.
He also said that he meant no harm to the girl; he
meant her to stand at the school-room doors while he
was at his performance, and it had cost him two beds
every night.
The parents of the prosecutrix, on cross-examination,
admitted that the girl had played truant sometimes, and
had been beaten by her father the night before she left
home.
Mr. ADAMS addressed the jury on behalf of the pri-
soner, directing his observations principally to the
charge of violating the person of the child.
The Learned JUDGE summed up the evidence, telling
them that, as to the charge of abduction, the offence was
complete it the prisoner took away the child without the
consent of the parents; and that it was not necessary
that he should have resorted to any triok or-deception to
induce her to go away with him.
The prisoner himself then made a statement, com-
plaining that his case had not been conducted as he de-
sired, and he was permitted by the Learned Judge to
address the jury in his own defence. In the result,
however,
The jury found him Guilty upon all the counts, and
he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard
labour.
THE PUGILISTIC RIOTS AT BELPER.—Henry Poul-
son, aged 32, Thomas Paddock, 26, Thomas Whiting,
22, Joseph Eaton, 37, James Williams, 23, John Taylor,
30, John Callaghan, 29, Alfred Trot, 24, James Whar-
ton, alias Jemmy the Black, 38, John Handley, 27, John
Hirst, Robert Wade, John Hibbert, John Maiden, and
John Tootal, pleaded guilty to an indictment which
charged them with committing a riot, and assaulting
two constables in the execution of their duty. They
were also indicted for feloniously remaining together
for one hour after proclamation made according to the
statute of 1 George IV., a. 2, c. 2, s. 1.
To this indictment they pleaded not guilty, and no
'evidence being offered in support of the charge, an ac-
quittal was directed.
It appeared that the transaction out
of which
Belper,
prosecution arose took place at Turndith, ht
between
on the 16th of December last. A prize-figcome
(if,.
00
Poulson and Paddock bad been arranged tti)
ted an im-
tatioa had col co
earthis
that occasion. and the expec
mouse mob. ing sentence, COM-
lithe lawless violence of
mented with great severity upnoni
or,
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, in ass
and sentenced Peul- I
and Wharton to ten
son, Paddock, Callaghan, Trot,.
which the prisoners had been
t ; Hirst, who a eared to have
pp
months' imprisoninheen
Riot Act was read, to four months,
gone away whent
months imprisonment,hard
labour. the rest to six mo a with oard
labour.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.—NorfoIk, March 16.
Lord Campbell opened the commissions for the county
~ at two
of Norfolk and the city of Norwich, yesterday,
o'clock, and in the course of the afternoon Mr. Sergeant
Adams arrived from London, to take the pluee of Mr.
Justice Crompton, who is still detained by indisposi-
tion, but is expected to join the circuit at Bury St.
Edmund's.

In the Nisi pi,
thi
Psc t:d presenting
foreritin;
u jsu
rCourt ther
ecea
cu
os em i
os tn containsu s
easn
entry of four special
.
Theri o
n ae lres
7 countycases,
ocontains
onfafmo ewsl os ft e
a. 51-
ingr,sof 3 perjury, 9 of feloniously wounding, 2 of night
poaching,
of highway robbery, 4 of arson, 1 of rape,
2
of murder, 1 of concealment of birth, 1 of manslaughter,
1 of forgery. In the city gaol there are nine cases of an
ordinary character.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Sergeant ADAMS and
a County Jury.)
George Sampson, aged 20, was indicted for assaulting
Michael Vesey, at Upwell, on the 16th of October, with
intent to rob him, he being then armed with a stick.
The jury convicted the prisoner, and as three was a
previous conviction proved against him, he was sentenced
to be transported for seven years.
In the Nisi Prins Court Lord Campbell disposed of
tho three common jury causes, which were not produc-
tive of any materials for a report, and afterwards took
prisoners, to whose ca BAGS the same remark applies.

IV ORTHEBN Cl. CU/ T.— York, March 16.
NISI PRIUS COUR Ar.—( Before Mr. Baron AL-
DVASON.)
LISTER V. .I)ESBOROUGR.

This was an action on a
,nolicy of fire insurance, in
which the plaintiff, a cotton .manufacturer at EmbsaY,
near Sllipton, sought to reco Ter 2,8001 for the loss of
his mill and machinery, which were consumed by fire
on the 23d of November, 1850, from the defendant, as
the secretary of the Atlas Fire In.lurance Company.
The defendant pleaded, among six other pleas, fraud
and arson.

Mr. Watison, Q.C., and Mr. Hall appeared for the
plaintiff; wad Mr. Sergeant Wilkins, AIL fill, Q.C., and
Mr. J. Henderson, for the defendant.