The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-19 00:00:00

pronounce the sentence of death in the usual form; and, at
its termination, directed that his remarks skould be trans.
hated to the prisoner.

This was done by the Spanish Consul,who occupied a seat
near alb dock during the trial; and the prisoner, who did
not seem to be at all moved, then lef, the dock,
Esau 'Wilcox, aged 10, was indicted for the wilful murder
of Mary Cullen, at Manchester, on the 28th of March last.
Mr. Sowler (Q.C. in the County Palatine), and Mr.
Leresch appeared for the prosecution; Mr. Hopwood de-
fended the prisoner,

The prisoner, a stupid-looking youth, appeared to have
I been playing with some children and young girls in Bar-
ton •street, Liverpool-road, Manchester, on the evening of
the 26th March last, when the prisoner was observed to go
to the light of a shop window and charge a pistol which he
had. Shortly afi w wards he was seen to advance towards a
girl named Mary Callen, who was about 16 years of age,
and when about eight yards from her he pointed his hand
towards her, and immediately a loud report was heard, and
Mary Cullen fell. She was found to have a wound is the
forehead, and was lifted up and carried to the Infirmary,
where she dial six or seven hours after from the effects of
a wound in the forehead, which had penetrated her skull
and entered the brain. When she fell a boy present said,
" That was Esau Wilcox," to which the prisoner cried,
" Hush /" The prisoner was observed to go towards
an ashpit near his father's house, and was afterwards taken
into custody at his father's. On searching the ashpit a
pistol, which appeared to have been recently discharged,
was found there, and on searching the prisoner some gun-
powder and a leaden pellet were found in his waistcoat
pocket. A post mortcns examination of the deceased disco-
vered that a small triangular piece of bone had been driven
into the forehead, and a wound large enough to admit the
surgeon's finger had been made in the substance of the
brain. A very small piece of lead was found in the brain,
but nothing which could have made such a wound. There
did not appear to have been any motive to induce the pri-
soner to commit the offence charged, and his Lordshipinti-
mated to the learned counsel for the prisoner that he should
confine himself to the charge of manslaughter.
'I he defence urged was that there was no intention by
the prisoner to injure any one, but that he had discharged
the pistol in frolic, and that the paper wadding had proba-
bly inflicted the wound. The boy was a quiet and inoffen-
sive lad.

His Lordship in summing up directed the jury that, i,
in their opinion the prisoner hid fired the pistol with cul.
pablo nP3ligence, that would constitute the offence of man
slaughter, if his act had caused the death of the deceased,
The wound pi obably might have been inflicted by some.
thing in the nature of a ramrod being left in the pistol, but
of that there was no evidence.

The jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter.
His Lordship sentenced hi.n to be imprisoned, with hard
labour, for two calendar months. He did not think the
circumstances of the case called for any severe punishment,
and he thought he might well have been spared the pain of
the charge of wilful murder which had been preferred
against him.

Tho Hen. A Liddell, Q.C., and Mr. Price, Q C., have
each been sitting as Commissioners assisting in the trial of
prisoners.

In the Civil Court a long mining case, as to the getting of
a quantity of coal, w.nieh was commenced yesterday, has
occupied the day. It possessed very little public interest.