The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 20, 1864.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.-AYLESBURY, July 19.

The commission for the county of Buckingham was
opened with all due formality by Baron Bramwell yester-
day afternoon, and this morning the business commenced
at 10 o'clock. It is of a lighter description than has been
known for a long time past, there being not one cause and
only eight prisoners for trial, against whom, however, the
charges are serious—via., one of murder, one of man-
slaughter, two of burglary, two of rape, one of wounding,
with intent, and one of coining.
CROIVN COURT.
(Before Mr Baron Bramwell.)

"Wm, John Stevens was indicted for the wilful murder of
Annie Leeson, at Buckingham, on the 27th February.
Mr Keane, Q.C., and Mr Markby were counsel for the
prosecution—the prisoner being defended by Mr Payne.

From the opening statement of the learned Counsel for
the prosecution it appeared that the prisoner and the poor
girl whose death was the subject of the present inquiry, and
who was a servant in the employ of a butcher at Bucking-
ham, were not only near neighbours but were lovers—at
least there was sufficient proof on the prisoner's side of a
very strong affection. They both used to meet once a week
at Buckingham where her patents lived,and where he lodged
with her parents. On Saturday, Feb. 27, she having then
gone home as usual, went out with a pail to the pump near
her parents' house, and before she could be aware of what
was about to happen the prisoter, whose step had been heard
in the house, was seen to run out after her, say something
to her, and immediately clasp her round the neck, And draw
something across her throat. The poor creature got away
from him and staggered into her master's shop, who to his
horror found her throat cut, atd in whose arms she died in
a few minutes, the prisoner having in the meanwhile cut
his own throat so severely as nearly to die himself.
The learned Counsel for the defence examined the charge
and the evidence in support ofit, and after a careful inves-
tigation, urged the main—nay, the only point in behalf of
the prisoner—viz., that the state of frenzy he was in from
jealousy drove him beside himself and into the commission
of the dreadful act.

His Lordship then proceeded to sum up the evidence,
and said—" Gentlemen, this is a very sad case. You have
a young girl of good character losing her life through the
act of one who otherwise has been a well-conducted young
man, and who, had his feelings been under proper control,
might have passed the remainder of a respectable life. The
learned judge then told the jury that there were three ques-
tions for them to consider—first, how did the girl's death
happen ? secondly, by whose hand was her death inficted ?
and, thirdly, if by the prisoner's hand, what was the nature
of the crime ? As to the first and second, after the incon-
testable evidence that had been adduced, the jury could
have but little doubt. As to the third, said his lordship,
if a man wilfully inflicts a wound calculated to cause death,
and death ensues, it matters not that he had in his mind
no wish or intention to take life, he must be held respon-
sible for the consequences of his act, and his crime is mur-
der, and the good sense of this is obvious; for what does it
matter to society whether the man intended to kill or not if
he does take life ? lam bound to tell you, gentlemen, that
there is no evidence that this crime is other than murder if
you think the prisoner did the act."
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned into court
with a verdict of Guilty, and, after the prisoner had been
called upon in the usual way,
His Lordship sentenced him to death.
(Before Baron Channel')

Thomas Price, aged 17, pleaded Guilty to the manslaugh-
ter of Wm. Dale at Beaconsfield, at the 12th June.
In passing sentence, his Lordship said—You have
pleaded guilty to this very seriouscharge. I have looked
through the depositions in order to see what are the real cir-
cumstances connected with it, and I gather from them that
you caused the death of the deceased under the influence of
great provocation on his part towards yourself. This un-
fortunate event began in what is called a " lark," and I see
that the first act of violence, after the " lark" assumed a
different appearance, proceeded fro= the deceased. In re-
turn for the blow you received you threw a stick, which hit
hiui on the back of the head, whet he rose as if for the pur-
pose of hitting you again, staggered towards you, and fell.
I am sure when you come to thin'c of and reflect upon this
sad termination of your dispute, you will feel acutely for
having been the cause of tho dealt of a fellow-creature, and
I therefore think it unneeetpary t) say anything to increase
your grief, nor do 1 think this mischance calls for a very
severe punishment—l therefore sentence you to three
weeks' imprisonment.

With this case the business of the circuit for the county
of Bucks ended.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—NEWCASTLE, July 18.
CIVIL COURT.
(Eofore Mr Baron Pigott.)
GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY V. NESBITT.

This was an action at the instance of the Great Northern
Railway Company for 16a 3 i, being the difference between
a third-class railway ticket between King's-cress station,
Lcndon, and Morpeth, and a second-class ticket between
the former station and Newcastle, and also for Ss. IC/d.,
being the charge for the defendant's luggage between Lon-
don and Morpeth.
Mr Mellish, Q.C., and Mr Davison appeared for the plain-
tiff; and Mr James, (.1 ,C., and Mr Jones for the defendant.
It appeared from the opening statement of the learned
counsel for the plaintiffs that the defendant was the
manager of a large drapery establishment in Newcastle, and
the action was instituted to recover two very small sums,
the payment of which involved a question of principle of
considerable importance to the railway compan'es, and
which sum he believed the defendant refused to pay. The
present action was brought to recover—first, the sum of
163. 6d. for difference in fare, which arose in this way. They
would perhaps be aware that on all railways there were what
were called Parliamentary trains—viz., trains which carry
3d-class passengers at ld. per mile, and these trains stopped
at the stations. All railway companies were bound to run
such trains at least once in every 24 hours. A quick train
leaves London at a quarter past 9 in the evening, and arrives
at Newcastle at 5 o'clock in the morning, by which the
Great Northern and the North Eastern carry passengers
who wish to go to Morpeth or the North at ld. a mile—but
they have to wait at Newcastle until 6 o'clock, when a train
takes them to Morpeth, and by that train third-class pas-
sengers could only be booked for Morpeth and the North.
The fare,which is ld. a mile between Morpeth and London,
amounts to £1 4s. 3d., while the second-class fare from Lon-
don to Newcastle amounts to £2 Os. 6d., being 16s. 3d. more
than the third-class ticket to Morpeth It was perfectly
plain from the conduct of :he defendant in the case that ho
must have known what the regulations of the company
were. On the Bth of April last he went to the King's-cross
station in time to start by the quarter past 9 train,and took
out a third-class ticket for Morpoth. Among other regula-
tions to which third- class passengers were subjected by the
Act of Parliament, there was one that they were not en-
titled to carry with them more than 561 b of luggage. The
defendant came to King's-cross station with a portman-
teau and a large parcel, and the largo parcel was not
passengers' luggage at all, as it contained drapery
goods for the purpose of sale. He told the porters to put
his luggage into the Newcastle van, and by the order
they supposed that the defendant was either a first or a
second-class passenger. If they had been told that he was
a third-class passenger to Morpeth he would then have had
to pay 1 d, for every pound of luggage above 561 b. Having
given these orders to the porter he went and took out a
third-class ticket for Morpeth, and on the back of the
ticket there was the following condition :—" This ticket is
issued on the understanding that it is only available as a
ticket to Morpeth, and should the holder alight at any other
station he or she will have to pay the full second-class fare
from the place of starting."
The defendant admitted that
he never had the slightest intention of going to Morpeth,
but simply to Newcastle. This was a device to get to New-
castle for a third• class fare by a train which only carried first
and second-class passengers. When the defendant arrived
at Newcastle the ticket collector checked his ticket and re-
turned it to him, and his luggage being in the Newcastle
van was of course taken out, but the collector, who knew
the defendant was possessed of a ticket for Morpeth, seized
the luggage before it got out of the station. The luggage
was sent on to Morpeth, and the defendant refusing to pay
for a second-class ticket, as set forth on the conditions of the
back of his ticket, his
luggage was retained until he should
do so. The defendant had brought an action against the
North- Ear tern Railway Company for detaining his luggage,
but the action had yet to be tried by a jury' The question
in the present case was, then, whether the Great Northern
Railway Company was entitled to 16s 3d, the difference be-
tween the third-class fare to Morpeth and the second -class
faro to Newcastle, and also whether they were entitled to
the 8s 10id for the Glib parcel, at 10 per lb. The defendant
had also thought fit to charge th©
railway company with
having entered into the agreement to convey him to 111 or-
- by means of fraud. He (the defendant) said that the
word " Parliamentary" on the railway ticket was in large
letters, while the conditions on the back were in small letters,
and that he thought was for the purpose of deceiving him.
That charge, he thought, was entirely unfounded. These
were the facts of the case.

These facts having been proved,
The learned counsel for the defendant contended that the
regulation of the company in preventing a passenger from
stopping before the end of the journey for which he had
paid was absurd and ridiculous. It must be more advan-
tageous to the company to get rid of the passenger and his
lsittogpg aogne
hit, j
whomourn ey they
whi
without
uto t
payingcarry, the difference betweenand the passenger might
be taken ill on the way, and was it to be said he should not
his Parliamentary train faro and the , second-class
fare to that piece ? These regulations of railway companies,
who were monopolists, ought to be strictly watched, or the
interests of the public suffered. in point of law he con-
tended that the company had no right to detain either the
defendant or his luggage as they had done.
His lordship having summed up the evidence,
The jury found a verdict for the plaintiffs for the amount
claimed.

In the action by the defendant against the company for
detaining his luggage, it was agreed to refer it to the
decision of his lordship.

MILLER Y. THE RIVER TYNE COMMISSIONERS.

This action has occupied the greater part of the day, and
was brought 1)y the plaiLitiff, the owner of the brig John

Botcherley, to recover £3OO for damages and demurrage
arising out of a collision in the river Tyne, a" steam hap-
per" laden with river scrapings belonging to the defendants
having run into the plaintiff's vessel and greatly damaged
her, causing her to be delayed repairing 32 days, for which
demurrage at £2 a day was claimed and the cost of her re-
pair. The collision took place on the 13th of February,
during a hurricane of wind, the steam hopper going down
the river laden to sea, and the plaintiff's vessel going up the
river. The plaintiff's case was that it was entirely the fault
of the defendant's steamer, which took the wrong course.
The defendants' case was that it was the fault of the plain-
tiff's vessel, which was ont of its course, and that the de-
fendants' steamer could not have safely done otherwise
than she did,

Mr Temple, QC., and Mr Udall appeared for the plain-
tiff, and Mr James, Q.C., and Mr Bruce for the defendants.
The civil business was concluded to-night.

CROVN COURT.
(Before Lord Chief Justice Cockburn.)

In the Crown Court the town prisoners were tried before
Lord Chief Justice Cockburn to-day. The principal case
was a charge of rape aeainst a man named James Carlow,
an engineer, who was charged with successive rapes on four
little girls, at different times, all the children being under
the ag,-) of 10 years, and he had induced one to bring the
others to him. The particulars were most disgusting and
unfit for publication.
The prisoner was found guilty on two charges, and sen-
tenced to 15 years' penal servitude.
This finished the assizes.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.-DERBY, JULY 18,
LINACRE V. ADAMS.

This was an action by the executors of a carpenter to re-
cover the value of work done by the deceased upon a house
alleged to belong to the defendant.
Mr Serjeant Hayes and Mr Wills were for the plaintiffs,
and Mr Boden, Q.C., and Mr Mellor for the defendant.
The plaintiffs allegea that the work had been ordered by
the defendant, and that he had offered to pay the amount
claimed (£23125.), if they would deduct £7. This proposal
not having been acceded to, and the defendant not paying
the money, the plaintiffs consulted their attorney, who
wrote a letter to the defendant demanding payment, and
winding up with the usual request for 3s 6d for the costs of
the application. Upon receiving this letter the defendant
consulted a local preacher named Shore. who appeared to
act as his legal adviser, who had wrote a letter in reply.
stating that the amount claimed had been overpaid, and
winding up as follows:
"As for the 3s 6d you charge Mr Adams, I can honestly
tell you I will never pay you, neither in this world nor yet
in the world which is to come, (Laughter.) So, if no one
pays you the 3s 6d in this world, you must claim it in the
next, in that country where lawyers go to. (Roar of
laughter.) Even there your claim will be as just as it is
here, and the £23 12s will share just the same fate, so you
can proceed as soon as you like and at fast as you like."
The defence now set up was that the house belonged not
to the defendant, but to his son, who was employed at the
railway station, Derby, at wages of £1 a week, and that the
work had been done for him and not for his father.

The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff for the full
amount claimed.

Naval and Military Intelligence,

The ironcased sloop Enterprise, 4, 993 tons," 160-horse
power, Commander C. J. Rowley, still lies at moorings in
the Medway, at the entrance to Chatham harbour. The
principal alteration already made has been the construction
of the wrought-iron casing, round the funnel, inside the
battery, whereby considerably increased room has been ob-
tained for working the heavy guns with which this iron-
cased ship is armed. Instead of the armament she has
hitherto carried the Enterprise will in future mount
two of the 100-pounder, smooth-bore, wrought-iron, 6f-ton
guns, and two of the 100-pounder naval Armstrong guns,
of 84 cwt, each. During the recent experimental cruise the
Enterprise showed that she excels both in steaming and
sailing qualities most of the other vessels composing the
squadron. There are some minor alterations to be made
on board before the Enterprise leaves the Medway.
The Research, 4, 200-horse power, Capt. A. Wilmshurst,
the second of Mr Reed's ironcased ships, has been removed
from the Medway into the great basin, where she is under-
going some trifling alterations, and making good defects.
Among the other improvements which are being effected on
board is an alteration in the funrel, which has been taken
completely out of the midship battery and placed further
forward in the ship, thereby giving a very considerable in-
crease of fighting space in the battery—a most important ad-
vantage, the value of which in a vessel of this class cannot
be overrated. She is also having strengthening beams in-
serted beneath the battery deck, in order the better to resist
the recoil of the enormous guns with which she is armed.
Mr Reed is also making some important improvements in
the arrangements for firing the battery guns, both forward
and aft. Hitherto the iron plates forming the port and
starboard bulwarks forward of the battery have been taken
down when it was necessary to fire the guns in a line with
the ship's deck ; but there being several objections to this
arrangement—not the least of which would be the loss of
time incurred when the vessel was being cleared for action,
Mr Reed intends to alter the bulwarks so that they may
open inboard, on a hinge, by which arrangement they can
be cleared and the guns trained in a few seconds. This
considerably simplifies the arrangements for clewing for
quarters, and will also, it is believed, have the effect of
keeping the decks more clear and preventing the smoke from
the guns rolling inboard. The Research, before being put
out of the basin, will bo fitted with a donkey engine.
According to orders received at Chatham, the armament of
' the Research is to be altered, and she will in future be sup-
plied with four of the 100-pounder 6 ton smooth bore
wrought iron guns.

Yesterday a number of boys and lads from the training
ship Wellesley, 72, in Chatham harbour, left that vessel,
and wore conveyed in the Wildfire, paddlewheel steamer, to
the Nore, where they joined the Clio, 22, Captain N. E. B.
Tumour, fitting for the Pacific, and the Fawn, Commander
C. J. Wrey, fitting for the West Indies.

HEALTH OF LONDON,

(From the Registrar-General's Report.)

_ -
Thirteen hundred deaths were registered in London in the
week that ended last Saturday. Of these 667 were deaths
of males, 633 of females. The average number of deaths
for the 28th week of 10 years, 1854-63, is, with a correction
for increase of population, 1,212. The actual number is 88
in excess of that which is obtained by calculation.
The deaths from diarrhoea increase steadily, but slowly,
and, after having been 71 and 81 respectively in the two
previous weeks, rose to 97 last week. The mortality from
measles continues high, but it has not increased within the
last two months. It was fatal in 81 cases in the week, the
average for corresponding weeks being only 34; 84 of the
97 cases of diarrhoea occurred to infants less than two years
old.

There were 6 deaths from measles in the Poplar sub-
district, and 5 in that of St. James, Bermondsey. Of 58
deaths from scarlatina in the metropolis, 6 occurred in the
sub-district of St. John, Westminster, and 9 in Hoxton.
A young man died in Middlesex Hospital of apnas from
chloroform and loss of blood during an operation. A boy,
aged three years, died of laryngitis from drinking boiling
water out of a kettle.

A widow died at the ago of 98 years.
Last week the births of 955 boys and 919 girls, in all 1,874
children, were registered in London. In the 10 correspond-
ing weeks of the years 1854.63 the average number (cor-
rected) was 1,885.
METROPOLITAN WATERS FOR JUNE, 1861.
The domestic waters supplied to London are generally in
a purer condition than in the preceding month, according
to the analyses of Dr Robt. Dundas Thomson, F.R.S. The
East London and New River contain less total impurity
than in the preceding month, aed the latter only one-half
the amount of organic impurity which it contained in May.
Total impurity Organic
per gallon. purity.o.
grs. or deg. grs. or d.;,.
Distilled Water O-0 0.0
Loch Katrine water, new supply
to Glass-ow 2'35 •605
Manchester water supply

THAMES COMPANIES.
Chelsea
West Middlesex 16'16 1'24
Southwark
Grand Junction lB.BO 1'36
Lambeth
OTHER COMPANIES.
Kent
New River
East London
The table is read thus—Loch Katrine water contains in the
gallon 2'35 degrees or grains of foreign matter in solution.
of which •605 degrees or grains are of vegetable or animal
origin.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 29'931 in. The reading
fell to 29.87 in. on Wednesday, and rose to 30.01 in. on
Saturday. The mean temperature of the air in the week
was 60.8 deg., which is 0.9 deg. below the average of the
same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr Glaisher).
The mean daily temperature was below the average on every
day except Monday. The highest day temperature was 79
deg., and occurred onMenday; the lowest night temperature
occurred on Friday, and was 45.8 deg. The range of tem-
perature in the week was therefore 33.2 deg. The difference
between the mean dew-point temperature and air tempera-
ture was 9 deg. The mean degree of humidity of the air was
73, complete saturation being represented by 100. The wind
blew almost constantly from the north-east. The rain-fall
was only 0.02 in.

Ireland, by a recent Act of the Legislature, enjoys the
advantages of registration. Mr Donnelly, the B,egistrar-
General of Ireland, to make it as useful as possible in pro-
moting the public health, now publishes a weekly table of
the causes of death in Dublin. Dr. Burke, in whose bands
it has been placed by the Registrar-General, adopts the
same forms as are in use in London; thus facilitating the
comparison of the two returns. The births registered in
Dublin during the weeks ending the 9th and 16th of 3uly
were 134 and 142, and the deaths were 90 and 75.

The deaths in Vienna, as returned by Dr. Glatter, were
303 in the week ending the 9th of July, when the moan
temperature was 47.5 deg., that At Greenwich haying been
50 6 deg.