The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-18 00:00:00

THE UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR AT THE SOMERSET HOTEL.

Hugh Morris, the porter at Dane's-inn, surrendered to
an indictment charging him with the manslaughter of
Edward Leigh.
It will be recollected that the deceased invited the defen-
dant to the hotel to dinner. Some time after a conver-
sation arose with respect to fencing and the points of carte
and tierce. The deceased took up a cheese knife to show
the defendant his knowledge of the art. The defendant
told him he was wrong, and also took up a cheese knife,
and in showing his manner the knife entered the unfortu-
nate man's abdomen, and he afterwards sank and died.

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The waiter at the hotel, in his evidence, merely repeated
he above facts, when

Mr. Ribton asked the learned judge whether he though,
there was a case to go to the jury.

baron Martin said he could hardly say there was not a
case to go to the jury, but it appearod to him that the un-
fortunate circumstance was an accidental occurrence.

The jury were of the same opinion, and returned a verdiol
of not guilty.
The defendant was immediately di►charged.

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NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant)
UNLAWFULLY WOUNDING.

Christian Severents, Ludwig Sygoreen, Henry Leaman,
and Johan Winter, four German sailors, ware indicted for
feloniously wounding John Peter Erickson, with intent to
do him grievous bodily halm.

The prisoners were in a coffee-shop when the prosecutor
and another person came in, when one of the prisoners
said, pointing to the prosecutor, " that's the man that
struck me." The prosecutor and h7s companion, fearing a
quarrel would take place, left the house, but the prisoners
followed them out, when a fight took place, the prisoners
using their knives in the most indiscriminate manner. The
result was that the prosecutor was most dangerously
wounded, and with great difficulty the prisoners were taken
into custody.

The jury found all the prisoners guilty.
The Common Sergeant sentenced Laverentz, Sygorem,
and Winter to 18 months, and Leaman to nine months im-
prisonment and hard labour,

THIRD COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
EXTENSIVE BURGLARY.
Five men named Donovan, Osborn, Burnes, Wilson, and
Robson, were indicted for stealing a large quantity of silver-
plated goods, the property of Mr. Adams, of Oxford-street.
From the evidence of Ackrill, one of the detectives of the
F division of police, it appeared that between ten and eleven
o'clock, about a fortnight ago he was going down Queen-
street, Seven Dials, when he saw the prisoner, whom he
well knew, carrying two baskets, which appeared to him
to contain something very heavy. He walked sharply after
them, and then he thought he saw something shining in
the baskets like silver. Feeling that it was impossible
to capture the whole of the prisoners himself, he
watched them to No. 9in the same street. Having
seen them enter, he judiciously proceeded to obtain assis-
tance, and he went and found two brother constables,
Holmes and Cole, of the same division, and then they all
returned to No. 10, Queen-street, which house they entered.
On Ackrill going into the cellar, he there found the two
baskets he had seen ±he prisoners carrying, and on opening
them they were fund :to contain electro-plated coffee and
teapots, mugs, spoons, aad a variety of:other articles. Alter
this discovery, the three officers went to the next house,
where the whole of the prisoners were found and taken
into custody.

The articles were identified by Mr. Adams as his property.
The jury found all the prisoners guilty.
The Recorder sentenced Donovan to 3 years' and Osborne
to 12 months' imprisonment, Burns to 8 years' and Wilson
to 6 years' penal servitude, and Robson to 6 months' im-
prisonment.

The learned judge ordered a special reward to be given
to Constable Ackrill for the praiseworthy manner in which
he had acted in apprehending the prisoners.

POLICE---THIS DAY.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

EXTRORDINARY CHARGE OF ROBBERY—ALLEGED
ADMINISTRATION OF CHLOROFORM.—James Hiram, a
servant out of place, and Alexander Reeves, a tutor, were
charged before Mr. Knox with being concerned with an-
other man, not in custody, in robbing Mr. Wm. Hughes,
fishmonger, of St. Albans, Herta, of a silver watch, two
chains, an overcoat, and some money, under the following
circumstances :

Mr. Hughes said—Last evening I arrived at the Euston-
square Railway station by train, and then took a cab and
got out at the bottom of Regent-street, near the Hay-
market. I there met the two prisoners, whom I had once
before seen in London, and a third man. They invited me
to go home with them and have a cup of tea, and I con-
sented to do so, and as they said they had no money I
bought some beefsteaks, &c., for supper. We went to the
prisoners' lodgings, at 3, Foley-street, a private house,
when Himes asked me to take off my new overcoat, which
1 had just bought, and I did so, and hung it up behind the
door. The third man then cooked the supper, and while
doing so he put a white pocket handkerchief to my face,
and I then fell asleep, and on waking found the third
man gone, and at once said that I had been
robbed, and found my watch—a silver one of the value
of £2 10s., my overcoat worth about £2, two watch chains,
and some money gone. I then went down and fetched a
constable, and he took the two prisoners into custody.
In answer to Mr. Knox, the prosecutor said that he had
one chain round his neck and the other in his pocket. He
was certain it was the third man who put the handkerchief
to his face. He could not say how long he was asleep from
the effects of the handkerchief. He had seen the prisoners
once before when he was in London some six weeks ago.
In answer to Mr. Edward Lewis, of Great Marlborough-
street, for the defence, the prosecutor said that he gave the
prisoners some porter, but took nothing himself, and was
perfectly sober. He provided supper for the whole of
them, The third man had a tumour on his face. Reeves
sat close to the man who put the handkerchief to his mouth.
He felt insensible directly the handkerchief was put to his
mouth. As soon as he awoke he found he had been rob-
bed. The handkerchief was rolled up and placed over his
321
mouth and nose. Reeves offered to go with him to look for
6
71 8 7¢ the man.

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John Bell, 104 E, said that the two prisoners were given
into his charge for robbing the prosecutor. He took them
to the station and searched them, and found on Reeves £2
in gold and some silver. The landlord of the house was
present.

The landlord said Reeves and the absent person who was
represented as Reeves' son took the lodgings.
Miss Roberts, the daughter of the landlord of the house,
said she let the prisoner Reeves, and a young man repre-
sented as his son, the attics. Reeves gave a reference, and
on applying there was told that he was a respectable man.
Mr. Knox said it was a case for remand, and the pri-
soners were remanded.