The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-08 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT—This Day,

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Days

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr Justice Crompton.)
'MANSLAUGHTER BY A LUNATIC.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

A TRADESMAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING HIS
WIFE.-Mr Jas.. William Dexter, milliner, of No. 1, Cran-
bourn-street, was charged before Mr Knox with assaulting
his wife, Jane.

Peter Prederick Knight was placed at the bar to plead in
an indictment charging him with the manslaughter of W m.
Harringdon.

It will be recollected that both prisoner and deceased were
inmates of Hanwell Lunatic Asylum, and that death was
occasioned through an encounter between the two unfortu-

The complainant, who gave her evidence in a very pe-
culiar manner, said—l have only been confined three
weeks. My husband last night caught hold of my throat
and nearly choked me, and then told a policeman what he
had done, and the policeman refused to take my husband
because I had no marks on me, We then went indoors,
and my husband gays me a blow on the nose and tore my
clothes. He was drunk, and always is drunk.
Defendant—How many half-quarterns of brandy did
you have yesterday ?

nate men.

Dr Gibson, surgeon of Newgate, and another medical
gentleman, said they considered the prisoner to be in a state
of mind quite unfit to plead.
The learned Judge said, that being the case, he should
order him to be detained during her Majesty's pleasure.

NEW COURT.
(Before Mr Baron Bramwell.)
KEEPING AN UNLICENSED LUNATIC ASYLUM.

Complainant—Ob, fifty.
Defendant—Were you not put to bed yesterday at dinner
time insensibly drunk P

Complainant—Oh, yes.

Mrs Sophia Leander surrendered to an indictment pre-
ferred against her by the Commissioners of Lunacy with
keeping an unlicensed house for the reception of lunatics.
The defendant, it appeared, was the proprietor of an
establishment called Zion House, Hackney, and it having
come to the knowledge of the Commissioners in Luaacy,
they sent Dr Christie, the proprietor of a licensed establish-
ment, to examine and report upon the facts of the case.
The doctor informed the Commissioners that he examined
six persons, who all exhibited undoubted evidence of dis-
eased mind, some of them, in fact, bordering on idiotcy.
There were in addition between 70 and 80 other patients all
subject to delirium; but it was alleged that the establish•.
ment was not a lunatic asylum, but a charitable institution
founded mainly for the safe custody and treatment of per-
sons suffering from temporary idiotcy or unsoundness of
intellect.
The Act of Parliament makes it a misdemeanour of
carrying on an unlicensed asylum for the reception of
lunatics or idiots.

Inspector Walker—Th.o complainant has been drinking
this morning.
Police-constable, 51 C—A.bout half-past 12 last night
the complainam ask©d me to take the defendant into cus-
tody, but as she had no marks about her I refused, telling
her she could come this morning to the court.
Mr Knox—You Were perfectly right in doing so.
Constable—The defendant said he had not illused his
wife. The defendant had been drinking a little, but his
wife was very excited. On going round my beat again I
found the complainants nose bleeding, and on her charging
her husband with having again assaulted her I took him
into custody. The defendant said his wife had fallen in the

passage.

Defendant—Did I not try to avoid ray wife ?
Constable—You did.
Defendant—Look at
my hands your worship. She is
always clawing me. Yesterday she had five half quarterns
of brandy before dinner, and was then put to bed. Later
in the day she threw several things at me, and I went out
till night to avoid her. On returning she again,clawed me,
being intoxicated at the time. We have been married
seven years, and I attend to business and keep the books.
A young woman was called, and said that Mrs Dexter
had been drinking and fell,
and Lut for her would have
broken her neck.
Mr Knox—lt is quite clear to
me that Mrs Dexter, who
was said not to be sober yesterday, is not sober to-day, and
had her husband attempted to strangle her she would have
some marks on her throat. It is pretty evident what sort
of a woman she is by the answer as to the 50 half quarterns
of brandy. It is not a case for a Magistrate's interference,
The defendant was then discharged, and as he Was leav-
ing the court his wife attempted to assault him, but was
and I am sorry the defendant has such a drunken wife.
prevented.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE THROUGIT JEALOUSY. Jane
Reed, a respectably attired married woman, living in
Chapel-mews, Portland-place, was charged before Mr.
Knox, with the following determined attempt to destroy
herself:—
From the evidence of a young man named Wm. Summers,
square, it appeared that
screams proceeding from
ded, and on going to see
tro
hen: i t dhhieonugpsreienvwiCho hue ars
eralftttohenren-spotrorienseohtn,
eeFrhi
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the cause, he was informed that a female was hanging in a
back room. He immediately went to the room and saw the
prisoner being held from the floor by two or three women,
a cord attached to a beam being tied round her neck. The
prisoner was quite insensible at the time.
In answer to Mr. Knox witness said the prisoner was the
wife of the foreman of a yard.
Mrs. Mary Anu Robbins, residing in the same house,
said her daughter informed her that Airs. Reed was hang-
ing in the room, and on going down she found it to be the
case, She then gave an alarm, and Summers cut her
down.
William Moorcroft, 165 E, said the prisoner told him that
her husband had threatened to cut her throat, and she did
it because she would not give him the chance.
The husband of the prisoner said the fact was his wife
had made the attempt on her life. through jealousy. He
went into a public-house with a friend to have a glass, and
two women were there, and some kind person went and told
his wife he was drinking with women. He believed that a
feeling of jealousy and a little drink had induced his wife
to act as she had done.
Mr. Knox said it was a serious matter, for if the prisoner
had not been seen, as she fortunately was, she would have
been a dead woman. He did not think the prisoner's mind
could be in a right state if she did such a thing for such a
trivial cause. He should remand her for a week that she
might be seen by the physician and the chaplain of the
House of Detention

Serjeant Ballantine addressed the jury for the defendant.

Mr Baron Bramwell summed up the evidence, and said,
the question of the jury to decide was aye or no—had the
defendant contravened tie provisions of a very salutary Act
of Parliament, which was calculated, at the same time, to
protect the helpless and those who undertook their care and
custody.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty.

The counsel for the commissioners said they had no desire
to press for punishment, all they desired was the suppression
of the establishment.

Mr Baron Bramwell said that being the case, the better
course to pursue would be to direct the lady to enter into
her own recognisances to appear for judgment if necessary,
and in the meantime some arrangement agreeable to all
parties could be entered into.

THIRD COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
Michael Moran was indicted for assaulting and robbing
an aged man named John Bear.

The jury found him guilty, and several previous convict
tions having been proved against him,
Tho Common Sergeant sentenced him to seven years'
penal servitude.

MARKETS—This Day,

THE SUN, LONDON', WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 8, 1864.