The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-23 00:00:00

Charles Best was indicted for bigamy. Mr. Wildman
Nosecuted and Mr Wilmore defended. The prisoner's
first wife, it appeared, to whom he was married in 1814, was
an ill. conducted woman, and left him, and in 1817 he mar-
ried another woman, with whom he lived fo, upwards of 20
years, when he married a third wife, the first having died
in a year or two after his second marriage. The present
prosecution was instituted by his second wife, who admitted
she had known of his offence for upwards of 19 years.
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
Lord ABINGER observed on the staleness of the prosecu-
tion, although the prosecutrix had been aware of the pri-
soner's guilt for 19 years. He sentenced him to three
months' imprisonment. _ _

The other prisoner charged with bigamy was undefended,
and, being convicted, was sentenced to six months' hard
labour.

Joint Bailey, aged 16, pleaded guilty to an indecent as-
sault upon a boy, and was sentenced to six months' impri-
sonment.

John Driver, aged 26, was indicted for the wilful mur-
der of Ann Hancock, at the parish of Caunton, on the
15th of March last.

Mr. CLARKE conducted the prosecution. The prisoner
was undefended by Counsel. He was a labouring man,
about 26 yeara of age ; his appearance presented nothing
remarkable, but although very attentive to all that was
said by the witnesses, he seemed perfectly unmoved by a
sense of the awful situation in which he stood. There
were eighteen or twenty witnesses examined for the prose-
cution, but to the question put to him at the close of the
examination in chief of each, " if he wished to a.,,k them
anything," he invariably replied " No, my Loid ;" and
when called upon at the close of the case to make his
defence to the Jury, he merely observed that he had no-
thing to say.—Verdict of Guilty.
His Lordship pronounced sentence of death upon him in
the usual form, and ordered his body to be buried within
the precincts of the gaol.
The prisoner left the bar apparently as unmoved as he
had seemed to be throughout the whole of his trial.
SATURDAY, JULY 20.

An indictment for an assault, growing out of a public.
house squabble, was tried before Lord ABINGER. It was
unworthy of notice.
The remaining causes disposed of before Mr. Justice
LITTLEDALE were equally devoid of interest.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION.HOUSE.

On Saturday Inspector Brake, of the City police,
brought before the Loan MAYOR a Scotch shepherd, named
Alexander Stewart, who appeared to be in a deplorable
state of mind.

The Inspector staled that the poor shepherd applied to
him cn the preceding day, having been robbed of Bank-
m-,tcs to the amount of 100/., which be had been accumu-
lating for years. Information was at once given to the
metropolitan police, as well as to all the branches of the
City force ; and a description was also instantly circulated
of the person of the thief, of whom no trace has. yet been
found.

The LORD MAYOR thought that a statement of the facts
in the public Picas might lea() to the discovery of the
offender. "

The Inspector said that he had before he brought the
shepherd before the Lord Mayor inquired into the circum-
stances, and found that the man's statement was correct.
It was indeed lamentable enough. He had come to Lon-
don from Edinburgh, in the neighbourhood of which he
had laboured for several years, brought up seven children,
and put by the sum above-mentioned. It struck him that
he could apply his experience and skill as a shepherd to
more advantage in Australia, and he accordingly dis-
posed of whatever furniture he had, came with his
wife and family to London, and paid for berths in
a vessel to South Australia to the Secretary of the
South Australian Colonization Office for himself
his wife and four of the children. For the three other
children be was to pay before the vessel sailed. On his
way to London, he came unfortunately across a country-
man of his, named Donald Ross, who said that he was
going to the same country to try and better his condition.
The shepherd's property being in Soetch Bank notes, pay-
able in London, and he being a stranger, Ross offered to
get them all changed, and the poor credulous fellow put
them into his hand, never supposing that his countryman.
who seemed to have plenty of money of his own, would
play the robber. Ross, however, never returned, and the
shepherd was left with his family, and no more than one
pound in pocket.
The LoaD MAYOR expressed very great surprise at want
of common caution in the Scotchman. If the loser hap-
pened to come from any other country, there might be no
cause for astonishment.
The shepherd rubbed the tears from his eyes with the
cuff of his coat, but made no reply.
The inspector said that the vessel was to sail for South
Australia on the 10th of August, and the shepherd was
provided with all the necessary papers. but there was
twenty-three pounds to he paid for the passage of three of
the children; and the unfortunate man was overwhelmed
with grief at his condition, which prevented him even from
supporting his family until the day the vessel was to
The thief was a most cruel one, for the shepherd having
left his watch, which wanted slight repairs, at a jeweller's
shop, Ross called as soon as he got possession of the notes,
paid a shilling for the repair, and took away the watch.
The LORD Mayon said lie had no doubt that the Aus-
tralian Colonisation Company would supply the passage
gratis to the three children, and that the Governors of the
Scottish Hospital would willingly take the case into con-
sideration, although he supposed they would be surprised
and indignant at the want of national circumspection in
their countryman.
Inspector Brake, who zealously undertook the service
of the shepherd, then left the justice-room to make fur-
ther inquiries, and to carry into effect the directions of
the Lord Mayor.

- SAS Pc- (71! f Ea. A .—A meeting of mer-
chants and others interested in putting an end to the
monopoly of the Bank of Ireland, was held on Thursday,
at the Commercial Buildings in Dublin.

ESCAPE OF A BEAlt.—During the present
week reports have been prevalent in Chesterfield that a
bear had escaped from a menagerie in the neighbourhood
of Eckington or Sheffield, and had found its way to Ady,
Hasland, Normanton, and many of the surrounding villages.
Every succeeding day brought reports to the effect that the
bear had slept during the night in Mr. So-and- So's corn
field, and that it had on the following morning deliberately
walked to the swill-tub on the said gentleman's premises,
raised its paws with the greatest sagacity to take off the
cover, and after drinking till " nature's claims were tho-
roughly discharged," walked collectedly away again to the
woods and fields. Many were the valorous attempts made
to shoot the dangerous intruder ; and strange and wonder-
ful were the stories told. One individual actually asserted
that he came in contact with the bear on the high road—
that he politely made way for it to pass him—and was ho-
noured with a friendly recognition by way of a growl, and
a not very cheerful inclination of the head. Another—de-
termined, we suppose, to " out-Herod Herod," made it
known to his neighbours that he had had a fearful conflict
with the monster, and that nothing but his own superior
agility saved him from the unpleasantness of being hugged
by its paws. Assertions such as these passed current for
several flays; but we need not say that the whole turns out
to be a hoax, and that the bear has only had an existence
in the imagination of the credulous. All those who may
have been foolish enough to run miles in search of " the
ugly monster," will have this consolation even in their dis-
apnointment—namely, that it will teach them a little more
wisdom for the future.—Derbyshire Chronicle.
JEALOUSY AND ASSAULT.—On Saturday, at
the Kensington Petty Sessions, William Inglestone was
charged with threatening the life of Mr. S. Barnard. The
complainant became jealous of the defendant's attention to
his wife, with whom he had been seen walking out, in con-
sequence of which a separation had taken place between
them. As the complainant was leaving the office after a
previous examination, the defendant threatened to do for
him ( Mr. Barnard), and used very disgusting and insult-
ing language to him about his wife. This the defendant
denied, alleging that he merely requested the complainant
to refrain from casting imputations upon him which were
without foundation. In answer to the Bench, the defendant
solemnly called Heaven to witness that he had never taken
the smallest liberty with the complainant's wife. On pro-
mising not to molest Mr. Barnard again, the Magistrate
dismissed the warrant, and told the complainant that his
ItrsTittarrenttrtritt fettritttitttrittlf ovety—nrtn whose wife
had taken the arm of a male friend in the streets was to
become jealous the peace of society would be at an end.