The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-25 00:00:00

ASSIZE _INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—LEWES, MARCH 24.
THE ACCIDENT AT THE CLAYTON TUNNEL.
The commission for the county of Sussex was
opened in this town yesterday by Mr. Justice
Wightman, end owing to there not having been a
winter gaol delivery, and other causes, the criminal

. -
business is heavier than has ever been remembered to the grand jury.
in this county, The gaol calender already contains . Several judgment
the names of 65 prisoners, and there are no less than Henry Percival,cases were disposed of.
John Beaumont, Simon Claydon,
three charges of murder in it, besides a number of and Henry Blake,
other very serious offences. The case, however, that berg at a house in Rheidol-terrace, Islington, while
will probably create the greatest public interest will the family were at chapel on a Sunday evening,
be the charges of manslaughter arising out of the were brought up. It was proved that all the pri-
g frightful accident that took place last autumn at Boners except Claydon had been previously con-
the Clayton tunnel upon the Brighton Railway, victed.
when, it will be remembered, there was an awful His lordship sentenced Percival and Beaumont
destruction of human life. The question involved in each to five years' penal servitude, Blake to ten
these inquiries isof such vastimportance in reference years, and Claydon to eighteen months.
to the safety of railway pusengers, that the following James atristi •e, a prisoner who was convicted of
particulars in reference to the subject will no doubt defrauding the relations of poor prisoners, by falsely
be of interest. It will be remembered that the representing himself to be a warder of the House of
coroner's jury, after several meetings, and Correction, Coldbath-fields, was sentenced to three
fully investigating all the circumstances, re- years' penal servitude.
turned a verdict of manslaughter against Mr. Lkgge' Joseph Elkin, 40, a railway guard, was indicted
the station-master at Brighton, upon the ground for stealing two £5 notes, the property of the Great
that the fatal accident had been occasioned by some Northern Railway Company, his masters.
negligence on his part. The usual course, in such Mr. Cooper and Mr. Besley prosecuted, instructed
cases, is to return the inquisition to the clerk of by Mr. Wontner ; Mr. Ribton appeared on behalf
assize, and, under ordinary circumstances/ counsel of the prisoner.
are instructed to prosecute. It was expected that The prisoner at first pleaded not guilty, but after-
the railway company would have taken some steps wards withdrew that plea and confessed.
to have so serious a matter fully inquired into, but He was sentenced to penal servitude for five
it appears they have taken no steps in the matter, years.
and their solicitor at Brighton has not given any Edward Scones 31 warehouseman, was indicted
intimation of his intention to prefer bills of indict-
, ,
for embezzling the sum of 145., received by him on
ment before the grand jury, and the probable result
account of Alfred Webb Mills, his master.
of this would have been that no witnesses would be
He pleaded guilty, but urged that he meant no
in attendance to give evidence in support of the in- felony; he should have paid the money.
quisition, there would have been no solicitor orThe proscutor said he thought be had performed
counsel to conduct the case, and from the want of a public duty by prosecuting.
proof the inquisition would have failed, and there His lordship (to prisoner)—How long have you
would have bees an end of the matter. It appears been in custody ?
however that the officials upon this circuit who re- Prisoner—A fortnight last Saturday, my lord.
present the crown in criminal matters, having His Lordship—The sentence upon you is that
regard to the importance of this question, and with you enter into a recognisance of £5O to come up for
a view to obviate as far as possible the failure of judgment when called upon so to do.
justice from the facts not being laid in a proper The prisoner was at once discharged.
b
manner before the court, intend to send up bills of (Before Mr. Payne.)
indictment to the grand jury in all the cases, and John Johnson, 26, dyer, was indicted for feloni-
thus all chance of the inquiry being stopped by any ously breaking and entering the dwelling house of
technical objections to the coroner's inquisition, or John Daniel, with intent to steal the goods and
a failure of justice from the inquiry not being con-
Thechattels
prosecutor James 0
was'Bry aan .
corn
dealer in Melton-
duoted in a proper manner, will be avoided, as
counsel will be retained by the direction of the street; and at 6o ' clock on the morning of the 3d
court to take care that all the necessary steps are he heard a noise in his bedroom, and on looking up
taken to have this very serious matter fully inquired he saw a man at his table; He said, "Is that Mr.
into. It is also understood that the Town Clerk of Daniel ?" and the man (the prisoner) said, "Yes."
Brighton, as the legal adviser of the magistrates of He then asked what ho wanted; he replied it was
that division, will also assist in the prosecution. all right, be need not mind. However, he did
There are upwards of 50 witnesses to be examined mind; and jumping out of bed, and finding it was
in Support of these charges, and during the last few not Mr. Daniel, he tried to seize him, but the pri-
a
..ays subpoenas have been applied for by the Town Boner got away, and
was captured in Brook-street.
Clerk of Brighton to procure the attendance of seve- This was another robbery, or rather attempt, by
ral other witnesses, whose evidence is considered false keys, and it may be mentioned that this class
likely to throw some light upon the dreadful eala- of offence is again on the increase.
mitt'. .......,, The
prisoner, who was known as an expert house-
MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—DaPY, March 21. breaker, was sentenced to four years' penal servi-
CROWN COURT. tudo.
(Before Mr. Justice VVillianto W. R. Brogden, convicted last session of robbing
THE DERBY MURDER. . ready furnished lodgings, was brought up for judg-
The trial of Richard Thorley, aged 35, fo. a the ment. Ho pretended to be insane, and threw one •
murder of his sweetheart,
Eliza Morrow, at Derby-: of his boots at the judge, and begged for penal ser- 1
on the 13th day of Feb. last, having been fixed to i rnude. He had been twice convicted as a deserter,