The Sun.
London, England, 1837-01-09 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE,

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, JAN. 6.
The Learned Chief Commissioner, and Commissioners
Harris and Bowen resumed their sittings, and succeeded in
clearing the cause list of fourteen cases. In several, that
prolific source of insolvency, the accommodation bill system,
came under the attention of the Court. The insolvencies
arising from that source are innumerable. The parties ac-
commodate each other with cross acceptances, and fre-
quently find themselves in prison at the same time. The
Learned Commissioners point out to the applicants the
folly and fraud which they have committed ; but the evil
still continues to a great extent. As it is probable that the
laws of debtor and creditor will, in the course of next Ses-
sion of Parliament, undergo some alteration, the system in
question will be worth consideration. The evil may be
prevented by the bills, as under the French laws, bearing
mention for what they were given, and, in case of a
false consideration being set forth, being made liable to
punishment.
John Lloyd, late of Conduit-street, Bond-street, tailor,
was opposed by Mr. Cook, on the part of Mr. Shepherd,
woollen-draper, of Scotland-yard, Whitehall. He was sup-
ported by Mr. Woodroffe.
The case occupied the Court several hours, and was ulti-
mately adjourned sine die for several purposes.

SOUTHWARK SE S SION 6.
John Morgan, aged 40, was indicted for a malicious and
wanton assault upon John Lake, a diminutive man, on the
18th of June last. John Lake was in the employ of Mr.
Day, a master carman, and was by him directed on the day
set forth in the indictment to deliver goods to be shipped
at Hayes Wharf, Tooley-street, and while in the act of de-
livering the goods, the prisoner ill-treated one of the
horses under his care, upon which he told him (prisoner)
he would rather be beaten than his horse, when the prisoner
struck him a violent blow on the head, then seized him by
the collar with his left hand, and with the right struck him
• with a large iron hook, such as is used by persons em-
ployed in wharfs for lifting pocketi of hops, &c. ; the in-
strument went into his neck, and tore the flesh and gullet
of the neck to the extent of five inches, and with the force
used caused a portion of the gullet to protrude. He (pro-
secutor) was taken up senseless, and removed to the sur-
gery of Dr. Leedham, who promptly sewed up the incision.
The prosecutor was confirmed in all he stated.
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
The RECORDER sentenced him to be imprisoned for six
months.

SURREY SESSIONS, J. 6.
James Brennan, bailiff to Mr. Harding, a gentleman
residing at Tillingbourn, near Dorking, was indicted for
a violent assault, and shooting at and wounding several
persons, amongst whom were Mr. Richard and Paul Hayes
Joddrell, sons of Sir John Hayes Paul Joddrell, Bart.
Mr. CHAMBERS, for the prosecution, said that the cir-
cumstances which led to the serious offence alleged against
the prisoner, originated in a practice which prevailed in se-
veral parts of the county when any man misconducted him-
self to his family, and was called giving him the " rough
music." .In this case the defendant had drawn down upon
himself the odium of some parties in the neighbourhood, in
consequence of ill-treatment towards his wife ; and with a
view to put him to shame for his conduct, they sallied
forth in a body to his house, and commenced a " serenade "
with the rough music, when he fired in amongst them with
a gun, and severely wounded several of them, together with
Mr. Joddrell, who happened to be there on the occasion.
He (Mr. Chambers) was desired to say that it was at the
express desire of the magistrates before whom the case was
first heard, that it• should be sent for trial ; and in obe-
dience to it the parties were accordingly bound over to
prosecute. The Learned Counsel then detailed the facts
which were afterwards given in evidence.
Robert Willis, in his account of the transaction, said
that he accompanied the rough music, and when the second
shot was fired, which wounded so many persons, he saw a
man resembling the defendant standing near some shruL•s
within the palings of the house which he occupied. Wit-
ness saw five persons fall to the ground after the gun was
discharged, three of whom have since lost an eye each in
consequence of the injury. The witness added, that when
the defendant was subsequently taken into custody, he
heard him express his regret that he had fired the gun, in
case he had done any injury to children that might have
been there, and at the same time said that there were those
amongst the mob who owed him a grudge.
In the witness's cross-examination, he said that he bad
stated this latter fact before the Magistrates, although it
was not taken down in his depositions.
Mr. GAZELEE remarked upon the extraordinary circum-
stance of the Magistrates omitting so important a fact as
that now alleged by the witness, and pointed out to the Jury
the improbability of such being the case, but that it was
now added by the witness for the purpose of strengthening
his evidence as to the identity of the accused.
This witness, in his further cross-examination, admitted
that the defendant looked sharply after the poachers in
that part of the country, but that he (witness) had no ill
will against him, having merely gone with the " rough
music" to show his hatred against a man capable of ill
using his wife.
The CHAIRMAN having summed up the evidence, the
Jury, after three quarters of an hour's deliberation, returned
a verdict of Acquittal.

Friday afternoon the neighbourhood of Ken-
sington-crescent was thrown into a state of great excite-
ment by the following melancholy occurrence few
minutes before two o'clock loud screams being heard pro-
ceeding from the. cottage of Mr. William Constable, a
gentleman of considerable property, but most eccentric
habits, resident in the rear of the Crescent, several persons
ran to the spot, when they were informed by the unfortu-
nate gentleman's son, a little boy only eight years of age,
that something was the matter with his father, who was i"
his dressing-room. The door being locked on the inside,
it was instantly forced open, when Mr. Constable was dis-
covered on the floor, weltering in blood, which was flowing
profusely from a desperate wound in his throat, which he had'
inflicted with a razor. Several surgeons were soon in atten-
dance, but their exertions were of no avail, life being extinct.
On Thursday evening, at seven o'clock, the muti-
lated remains of the woman lately found in the Edgware-
road, were interred in the burial-ground of St. Mary's, Pad-
dington. The parochial authorities wisely determined that
the funeral should be as private as possible. The conse-
quence was that only three persons were persent besides those
who were participating in the ceremony of the interment.
The coffin which contained the trunk of the unfortunate
woman was made of elm, and very plain, without any in-
scription or ornament whatever. The- service was read by
the Rev. Joseph Twigger, the respected officiating minister
e, ditiona
of the parish, in his usual impressive manner, which, added
to the stillness and darkness of the eveningibl, and
ad the ligh l
t
of the lantern dimly burning, gave,. if poss
effect to the beautiful and solemn burial service of the
Church.
A BRoAD person in business in a
northern town thus admonishes his customers, in the shape
of an advertisement :—" The subscriber hereby intimates,
that unless immediate payment is made of the accounts due
to him, he will be under the disagreeable necessity of in-
curring expel-ices, which he feels anxious to avoid if possi-
ble." The delicate touch at the conclusion tnust surely re-
concile the unfortunate dunce to the previous hint. W„
recollect an old schoolmaster who used to thrash unmerci-
fully, repeating all the time, " Are you not ashamed, you
rascal, at giving me this trouble every day:
'—:j T verness
Courier.
A shocking occurrence happened on Wednesday
evening. About seven o'clock, as the carriage of D.
Sumner was passing through Newton St. Loc, on its ivay
to Bath, an old man, aged 72, who had just entered the
road from some adjacent coke fires, not seeing or hearing
the approach of the carriage, was knocked down, and killed
on the spot. The wheels of the carriage crushed his head
in a frightful manner.—Bath Herald.
METEOR.—On Tuesday afternoon, about three
o'clock, a brilliant meteor was observed towards the north
of this town. At.first it was of a remarkable bright green
colour : it then assumed a deep red, and disappeared. The
wind at the time was blowing gently frem the north.—Don-
caster Gazette.