The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-16 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—CHELMSFORD, July 15.
The commission was opened here yesterday, and business
began to-day, Mr. Baron Bramwell ',residing in the Crown
Court, and Mr. Baron Channell in the Civil Court. The
calendar is light in point of number, containing only 20
cases, but several of them are of a very odious description.
There are five cases of arson, five cases of violence to the
person by beating, or cutting and wounding, exclusive of
the odious cases above mentioned, two of which relate to
young children, one of them an infant under four years; so
that, considering the small number of cases, the amount of
crime is rather serious in character.
As regards the civil cases, the list is unusually light, with
the exception of the Roupell case, which comes on to-mor-
row. Besides that there are only four or five cases, none of
them of any interest.

CROWN COURT.

A respectable-looking young man, a journeyman baker,
21 years of age, pleaded guilty to stealing a mare worth £2O
at Lis :oz, in this county. The prisoner no doutt pleaded
guilty from the hopelessness of the case, owing to the in-
genuity of a police-sergeant named Savill, who captured
him under the following circumstances :
On Monday morning last, about 6 o'clock. a stranger rode
into Braintree, leaving his horse at the Black Lion Inn.
His object appeared to be to sell the animal, and later in the
morning he succeeded in making an exchange with Mr.
Bateman, jun., of the Horn Inn, for a pony and £3 10s. in
money. A third person, who witnessed the transaction,
having slight misgivings as to its bona fide nature, gave in-
formation to Police-sergeant Savill, who forthwith started
in quest of full intelligence. On seeing the horse-at the
Horn Inn and hearing from Mr. Bateman the particulars
of the purchase, he was at once satisfied the animal was
worth twice as much as had been paid for it, and conse-
quently suspected that it had been stolen. He immediately
went in search, and succeeded in tracing the man into the
Coggeshall-road. Following in his wake, the officer reached
as far as Blackwater, when he obtained the use of an old
overcoat, slouch hat, &c., wherewith to disguise himself,
and also the assistance of a countryman who was driving
towards Coggeshall. Riding along, Sergeant Savill by and
by saw, near the entrance to Coggeshall, the stranger whom
he was in quest of on the back of the pony. The officer gave
his companion full instructions as to how far to drive be-
yond the stranger and his pony before he got out, and on
what terms to offer to deal for his purchase, at the same
time bringing the cart in which he sat near the pony's head.
The countryman closely followed his instructions, and at
the precise moment the officer himself remarked upon its
price, &c. Descending from the cart, morn minutely to ex-
amine the pony, he inquired of the man how long he had
had it, to which interrogation he replied, "Two or three
months." This answer satisfied the officer as to the nature
of the case, and,when close to the man, he pushed the ques-
tion further by desiring full information, and inquired
whether he had not made an exchange at Braintree that
morning. The man said he had not, and, in reply to fur-
ther interrogation, said he had no name and did not know
where he came from. Thereon the officer collared the man
and disclosed his uniform, at the same time informing him
that he should apprehend him on a charge of stealing a
horse, which he had exchanged for the pony in his posses-
sion. The officer then took the prisoner to Coggeshsll,
where he hired a cart, and, with Mr. Bateman's pony,
brought the prisoner to Braintree. On his way to Brain-
tree it appears that the prisoner made an admission of the
whole transaction.
Mr. Pearce, for the prosecution, called attention to the
promptnesss and ingenuity displayed by the police officer.
The learned Baron said the same observation had occurred
to him on reading the depositions, and he was happy to
have it mentioned, as he thought the officer had done
his duty in a very praiseworthy manner. The learned
Judge then sentenced the prisoner to a year's imprisonment.
Francis King, alias George Smith, was indicted for steal-
ing a horse, the property of his father and brother. On ac-
count of their near relationship the case was of a painfu
character.
Mr. Martin conducted the case for the prosecution; Mr.
Croome, appeared for the defence.
The horse, which was only worth £5, was the joint pro-
perty of the prisoner's father and brother (who were in part-
nership as tinmen), and who were the chief witnesses against
him. The horse had been turned out on the common at
Bentley, in this county, in March hat, and was found soon
afterwards in the possession of the prisoner, who made false
statements about it.
The father, an old man, was quite bowed down, and ap-
peared to give his evidence with great pain. He was called
to prove that he had not given the prisoner the horse. Be-
ing pressed by the prisoner's counsel as to a supposed con-
versation in which it was suggested that he had stated that
he had given it to him, he tell down in the box—a piteous
spectacle, trembling all over. After a little interval, during
which he was revived by water and allowed to sit down, he
recovered so far as to be just able, in a weak voice, to answer
the few further questions it was necessary to put to him; and
his answers were to the effect that he had not given the
horse to the prisoner, who, when taken, said he had bought
it of his father, and did not know where he was ; and after-
wards said he had bought it of his brother, and then of his
brother-in-law, and then that he had it of his brother-in-
law for work he had done for him.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and they also con-
victed him upon an indictment for burglary.
It appeared that he had been already convicted of some
similar felony and sentenced to four years' penal servitude,
and had committed these fresh offences as soon as he got
released.
The learned Baron sentenced him to 14 years' penal

servitude.
Wm. Wootton, a letter-carrier at Romford, was indicted
for stealing postage stamps from a letter to the value of 4s.
10d.
Mr. Hurrell and Mr. C. Pollock appeared on the part of
the Post-office, which prosecuted; Mr. Pearce appeared for
the prisoner.
The prisoner was employed as an assistant letter-carrier
at 9s. a week, and suspicion having arisen he was watched
A. letter containing the stamps stolen was put into the post-
office, addressed to Messrs. Ind and Coope, the well-known
brewers at Romford. The letter had come into the hands of
prisoner, who never delivered it, and the stamps were found
upon him.
He now pleaded guilty.
The learned Baron sentenced him to the usual punish-
ment in such cases—four years' penal servitude.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT—Youx, July 14.
CROWN COURT,
(Before Mr. Justice Mellor.)
Michael Egan, aged 27, and William Simpson, aged 29,
were indicted for the manslaughter of Samuel Land, al
Batley, near Leeds, on the 20th of June last.
Mr. Maule and Mr. Battye prosecuted, and Mr. Kidd de.

fended the prisoners.
The prisoner Egan was deaf and dumb, and unable to be
made to understand the proceedings against him. By signs
he signified to his brother that it was not he who did it, and
his lordship having had the jury sworn to try whether the
prisoner stood mute of malice or by the visitation of God,
they found the latter, and a plea of not guilty was directed
to be entered for him.
The prisoners it appeared were navvies, and were drink-
ing in a publichouse at Batley on the afternoon of the day
in question, when some one said that Egan, the deaf and
dumb man, could fight any man in Batley. The deceased
(Land) said he thought not, and Egan by signs was incited
by the prisoner Simpson to fight Land. Land waved him
off, and told Simpson he did not wish to fight, but at length
Egan struck him, and then Land said he could not stand
that, and the men began to fight I, in the course of a scuffle
Egan contrived to knock Land down, and in his fall he so
injured his head that he died soon after in consequence.
The jury found both prisoners guilty, but recommended
Egan to mercy on account of the natural disabilities he
laboured under.
His Lordship, in passing senfence, said he should listen
to that recommendation. He thought there vow a difference
in the case of a man set to fight who was not able to hear
what was said about him, and of a man in full possession of
all his faculties, who urged on such a man to fight. The
sentence of the Court was that Egan be imprisoned with
hard labour three calendar months and Simpson six calen-
dar months.
John Crossland and four men named Davies, Barrett,
Calcraft, and Reinham were indicted for wounding
harm
with
intent to maim or disable or do some grievous bodily
to a policeman of the West Riding, named Houlton.
Mr. Maule and Mr. Whittaker prosecuted ; Mr. Campbell
Foster defended the last four prisoners, and Mr. Serle the
prisoner Crossland,
It appeared that on the 22d of June last a prize fight had
been got up at Wakefield between two men named Hobson
and Bushby, which was arranged to be fought at two
o'clock next morning in some meadows about a mile out of
Wakefield. There the pugilists and their friends proceeded,
a ring was staked out, and the men began to fight, Cross-
land being the second of one of the men and Davies a
bottle holder. They had fought about three quarters of
an hour, when a policeman in plain clothes, named Houl-
ton, accompanied by an Inspector of Police named Coop,
entered the meadow and proceeded to the ring, and
Houlton, putting his hand on one of the stakes attempted
to pull it up, saying at the same time, "Now, lads, give
over this." There was a cry of " The Bobbies are com-
ing," and instantly Holton was told by Crossland to leave
go of the stake, and wiat the stakeendered him insensible
rwas struck a violent
blow on the back of the head; which
for some time. As ho was on the ground a bottle like a
ginger beer bottle, which contained brandy, and which had
been in the hands of Davies; was thrown at him and broke
on his head, and while down Barret tookal a running
hort a kick at
him and kicked him in the ribs, and Cc raft s
stick with which there was someo io
evidence that he struck the
prosecutor on the arm. The prisner Reinham also used v
lence. The crowd, which amounted to about 150 people, then
dispersed, and Houlton was taken home and put to bed.
He was found by the surgeon, who was sent for, in a weak
state, a severe scalp wound on the back of his head from a
blow which had fractured the skull, and which most pro-
bably had been caused by the heavy stakes produced, bat
which might have been done by a bottle, but he thought
not. There were other bruises about him, but no wounds,
It was contended for the prisoners that they had no com-
mon intent to wound the constable, and that each must be