The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-22 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.—This Day,

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Shea.)
THE ALLEGED MURDER AT BERMONDSEY.
Henry Kickman, aged 27, described as a labourer, was
indicted for the murder of Mary Anne Scott.
Mr. Poland, who prosecuted, stated the circumstances of
the case, which are tolerably familiar to the public. Tho
prisoner cohabited with the woman Scott, who was the
widow of another man. On going home he found the
woman drunk, and his tea not ready. She began to light
the fire, when the prisoner, his temper, as he said, over-
coming him, knocked her down and kicked her. From a
wound she received from the heel of his boot the woman
died. The learned counsel explained the law of the case,
and told the jury that if they did not think the prisoner
guilty of murder they might convict him of the less crime
of maslaughter.

InspectOr Raymond said the circumstance occurred on
the 2d of September, and the prisoner wee brought to the
station houSe. fle adMitted that he had committed the
deed, and added that Scott was a widow, whose husband
had been dead about five years. She had lived with
prisoner for five years. She had two children by her hus-
band. They had no dispute. When he went in he saw
she was the worse for liquor. There was no fire. Prisoner
said " Why don't you get my tea ?" She made some kind
of a mumbling noise, but he could not tell what she said.
Prisoner said "Any way you shall suffer for this. It is
not the first or second time you have served me so." While
she was trying to light the fire he got out of temper, and
struck her. When she fell he kicked her with his foot, and
the heel of his boot must have made a gash on her head,
which must have caused death. He then went into the
yard, and, on returning into the house, ho had to lift her
up, but found she was immoveable. He laid her head on a
small block of wood, and sent for a doctor by a next-door
neighbour. He fancied she was led astray by Mrs. Lap-
thorne, of No. 2, White's-buildings. This statement the
prisoner made at the station. Witness took it down and
read it to him. Prisoner said it was all right. (The boots
were produced, and on the heel of one of them was a con-
siderable quantity of the matter which had adhered to it
when the prisoner kicked the deceased).
Cross-examined by Mr. Lilley, who conducted the de-
fence—The prisoner made the statement voluntarily. No
previous questions were asked him. He was employed at
Hartley's Wharf, in which Colonel Beresford was one of the
partners. A County Court summons was shown to him.
Another police-officer was called, and proved that he
went to White's-buildings to arrest the prisoner, who told
him a similar tale to that deposed to by the inspector.
By Mr. Lilley—The prisoner appeared to be overwhelmed
with sorrow at what had occurred. Ho was crying. He
said he had given the woman his wages on Friday night,
and that he expected his tea on the Saturday (the day of
the occurrence).
Another police-constable said that on the evening of the
occurrence, after the prisoner had been removed to the
station, he went to 3, White's-buildings. Ho found a knife
on the floor with some wood, which appeared to have boon
recently cut up. He saw some spots of blood upon it. The
prisoner subsequently said it was not done with the knife,
but with the heel of his boot.
By Mr. Lilley—lle did not find any duplicates about the
house. He was not aware that the deceased woman was
searched. He only remained at the house until the burial.
Mrs. Gregory,-of No. 4, White's-grounds, said she had
known the prisoner seven or eight months. On the even-
ing of the occurrence the prisoner came into her house. He
said, " Step in, Mrs. Gregory," but he did not then say
what for. She went iu. She saw deceased on the floor,
and the prisoner resting his arm underneath her. She said,
" What have you done ?" He said, " Send for a doctor."
She knew little of Sarah Ann Scott, but she knew she was
given to bad habits of drinking.
By Mr. Lilley—The prisoner was crying bitterly when
she went in.

In answer to the Judge, witness said the prisoner
al ways treated the woman with kindness.
G. Audry said he lived at 92, Russell-street, Bermondsey,
the next street to White's-buildings. On the evening of
September 2, about 20 minutes to five, he saw the deceased.
She was not sober.
By Mr. Lilley—She was so much intoxicated that she
was staggering about. Another woman was with her, who
was also drunk. Deceased was carrying a bundle contain-
ing clothing. Her daughter was following her. Deceased
said to the child—" You little —, if you follow me I
will slap your face." He had known the woman four or five
mouths, and had seen her intoxicated more than a dozen
times. The prisoner always acted kindly and affectionately
to her. He had often sat outside the house rather than go
in while the woman was in a state of intoxication. When
the deceased was drunk she was exceedingly abusive, and
he had seen her fighting on several occasions.
Mr. Thomas Evans, surgeon, said that on September 2
he saw the deceased on the floor. She was dead, her head
resting on a block of wood. He found a severe contusion
on the forehead above the left eye, and an incised wound at
the back of the head. There was not a great deal of blood.
He made a post mortem examination by dissection of the
brain. The organs of the body were tolerably healthy.
Death was caused by the rupture of a blood vessel. The
wound on the back of the head might have been caused by
the boot produced. The contusion on the forehead might
have been caused by a blow.
Mr: Lilloy—Or by a drunken person in falling about ?
IVitness—Undoubtedly. A slighter blow would be likely
to produce a rupture of a blood vessel when a person was
in a state of intoxication.
A witness was called who proved that the age of the de-
ceased was 28. . . .
This was the case on the part of the prosecution.
Mr. Justice Sliee did not think there was any case of
murder made out.
Mr. Polland thought that a verdict of manslaughter
would meet the justice of the case.
Mr. Lilley, in au earnest speech to the jury, contended
that at most the case was ono of manslaughter.
Colonel Francis Marcus Beresford, one of the proprietors
of Hartley's Wharf, and magistrate of the county of Surrey,
said the prisoner had been in his employment 15 years,
since he was a boy. About 18 months ago he made him
deputy foreman. During the whole of the 15 years he had
behaved in a most exemplary way.
Several other witnesses were called, who proved that the
prisoner had always been a peaceable, humane, and well
conducted young man.
Mr. Justice Shee, in summing up, said that, if under such
provocation the prisoner had taken up a deadly weapon
and killed the woman with it, there would have been some
difficulty in escaping from a verdict of murder. To find a
verdict of murder the jury must be convinced that there
was a previous intention to kill. The learned counsel had
told the jury, that this was manslaughter at the most, but
he (Mr. Justice Shee) must direct them that it was man-
slaughter at the least. He did nut like to withdraw the
question of murder from the jury, but it would be for
them to decide whether the crime with which the prisoner
stood charged was ono of murder or manslaughter.
The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict of Man-
slaughter, and strongly recommended the prisoner to
mercy.
Mr. Lilley asked that he might call one or two witnesses
as to the character of the woman, with a view to mitiga-
tion of punishment, and some evidence was given.
Mr. Justice Shoe, in pronouncing sentence, said he
should attend to the recommendation of the jury, seeing
clearly the grounds on which it proceeded. The prisoner
had been guilty of a most unmanly crime. The woman
was drunk and he was sober, and although he did not in-
tend to kill her he did actually destroy the life of the
deceased. He ordered him to be imprisoned and kept to
hard labour for nine calendar months.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recordor.)
MADAME VALENTINE'S CASE.

At the sitting of the court this morning Madame Valen-
tine, who ;vas yesterday convicted of perjury, was brought
up for judgment.
Madame Valentine, through M. Albert, the interpreter
of the court, said—My lord, I beg for a few minutes' in-
dulgence. The verdict against me yesterday was wrong.
lam not guilty. I did not tell any one that I was going
to leave the country. I never meant to go away. I
never told the girls so. I said I should go to Scotland, but
I should not have been out of England, and should have
been able to come back. I did nurse one of Lafouca rde's
girls for eight weeks after her confinement. I paid fot her
confinement, for her maintenance, for her rent, and for the
doctor, and for the interment of the child when it died. I
gave her 500 francs to set her up as a laundress. I came to
this country upon the 25th of September, 1863, having in
my possession £5,000 sterling. I have been twice before
an English jury, once at Westminster, and once at this
court, and both times the trial was for me. My solicitors
have squandered my property and destroyed my honour.
The Recorder, in passing sentence, said he could not
alter the verdict of the jury, but should attend to their re-
commendation to mercy. The case of the man who was
witness against her yesterday was different. He had com-
mitted perjury for some purpose. The sentence
for of tnine
he
Court was that she be committed to priso
months, with hard labour.

THIRD COURT.
(Before Commonthe ATm
s s itapns
usse.r eLt )
,rut ROBBERY s
James Harris, French polisher, and Ellen,E.
his wife, were
indicted for stealing two table covers and other articles,
the property of John Maples, and Samuel Turrell was also
indicted for feloniously receiving the same, knowing the
property to have been stolen.
The facts of the case have already been fully reported in
The Sun.
The jury found Turrell and Harris guilty, but acquitted
the female.
The Common Sergeant sentenced Harris to 5 years' penal
servitude for stealing, and Turrekllnot ow
nyge
it r st'
openal
es orb
eveitt-
tude for receiving the prope_rty,
stolen.

MISSING VESSEL.—The Johann, Lange master,
sailed from Padang on the 11th of rnbillari fog uataud,
sad 44§ not duce bees laud of,