The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-23 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT—This Day.

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Byles.)
THE ATTEMPTED MURDER IN COVENT GARDEN.

James Murphy, aged 20, described as a fruit salesman,
was charged with feloniously wounding Mary Anne
J ennings on various parts of the body. There was a second
count charging him with intent to do her grievous bodily
harm.

Mr. F. H. Lewis, who prosecuted, briefly stated the case,
on which he relied for a conviction, and then proceeded to
call evidence.

Mary Anne Jennings, who was led into court, and who
appeared to be extremely feeble, was the first witness. She
said she was the barmaid at the Red Lion publichouse,
Covent Garden. The prisoner had been courting her some
years, but it ceased three weeks before this occurrence.
About half-past 10 on the evening of the 12th of October
she was returning home, and within a short distance of it
the prisoner came up and said he wanted to speak to her.
She was in company with Mrs. White. Prisoner said,
" Have you been to my cousins ?" and she said "No." He
said, "You must go now." She said she would not, and
he then took a razor or knife from his pocket, and showed
it to her. Mrs. White went for Mr. Loader, prisoner's
uncle, when prisoner took hold of witness, threw her down,
and then taking the razor out of his pocket commenced
cutting her. He lifted up her head and began to cut her
across the face, saying, " I will do for you." Witness
struck him with her umbrella, and said, "For God's sake,
don't kill me for the sake of my poor mother." She was
then taken to the hospital.
Mr. Ribton, who was for the defence, briefly cross-
examined the witness—She did not hear him say he would
kill himself while they were down. When she terminated
tho courtshiy ho said he would run a knife through her and
himself too. He did not appear to be in a wild or excited
state.

The additional evidence which was given has already
ppeared in The Sun.

Mr. Justice Byles said the first count, that of intent to
murder, was of a far more serious character than that of
intent to do grievous bodily harm. The question for the
jury was whether the prisoner intended to kill the pro-
secutor or not. He committed the act in an agony of
disappointment, and perhaps of irritation, and there was no
question as to the state of his mind at the time.
The jury found the prisoner guilty on the first count.
Justice Byles sentenced him to 20 years' penal seritude

NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
ALLEGED FRAUD ON THE SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY.
George Loresby Worth, 46, draper, was iudicted for
unlawfully attempting to obtain by false pretences from
the directors of the South Eastern Railway the sum of
£2OO with intent to defraud.

From the evidence it appeared that the prisoner wrote
to the directors of the South Eastern Railway, informing
them that his brother had been severely injured by the
accident which occurred on that railway on the 9th June.
He further stated that his brother was lying ill at his house,
that compensation would be required, and that £2OO would
be accepted, all of which was untrue.

The letters sent to the company were put in and posi-
tively identified as being in the handwriting of the pri-

sonar.

The defence was that he had been misled by his brother,
who had misrepresented the matter to him.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty.

Mr. Poland asked that sentence might be deferred until
next sessions, as he had received certain information,
which led him to believe that the present was not the
first time the prisoner had acted in a similar manner.
This application was assented to by the Court.

THIRD COURT.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Kerr.)
THE BURGLARY AT THE EARL OF FIFE'S.

Joseph Newman was indicted for burglariously enter-
ing the dwelling-house of the Earl of Fife, and stealing
therefrom a quantity of gold and silver articles to the value
of £3OO. There was also another indictment against the
prisoner for a burglary at the Earl of Eldon's.
From the evidence it appeared that the police traced two
persons to a house in Dean-street, and on leaving it the
constables arrested them on a charge of burglary at Dover-
street. A violent struggle took place, but ultimately the
two men were overpowered and conveyed to the station-
house, where they gave the names of Joseph Newman and
Charles Castaldi. The lodgings of the prisoner Newman
were afterwards searched, and a quantity of the plate,
stolen from the Earl of Fife's was discovered. They were
both committed for trial, but shortly after Castaldi was
confined in the House of Detention he committed suicide.
The police produced a quantity of elaborately finished
housebreaking implements found at Newman's residence,
and at the point of one of the jemmies a portion of paint
adhered, which, on being compared with that on the
drawing-room door of the Earl of Fife, exactly cor-
responded.
The jury found the prisoner guilty.

The letjrned Judge sentenced him to 15 years' penal
servitude.