The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-26 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—CARLISLE, Feb. 25.
CHILD MURDER AT PENRITH.
At the assizes to day, Catherine Simpson, a
young woman, aged 21, was tried before Mr. Jus-
tice Mellor, for the murder of her illegitimate child
by drowning. She confessed her guilt on being
taken into custody.
It was proved that the poor girl was subject to
fits of insanity, and on that ground the jury re-
turned a verdict of not guilty.
THE DURRAN-HILL MURDER.
William Charlton, aged 32, engine-driver, was
tried before Mr. Justice Willes for the murder of
Jane Emmerson, an old woman who kept the gate
at the Durran-hill crossing of the Newcastle and
Carlisle Railway, on the 21st of November. The
facts of the case may be briefly recapitulated as laid
before the jury by Mr. Price, and deposed to in a
mass of evidence.
On the part of the prosecution it was said that
the deed was done between the time when the last
engine-driver passed with his train, which was
about a quarter to ten, and the time when he had
a second opportunity of seeing whether there was
a light, and did not observe one, which was some-
where about a quarter or 20 minutes past ten—
within the space of about half an hour. Next
morning, when the first engine passed the cross-
ing a little after three o'clock, the gates were
found opened and all right; therefore somebody
must have been to the gates and put them so as to
enable the engine to pass without stopping. The
driver of this train did not see the old woman as
he was accustomed to do, though he whistled several
times very loudly. The next train that passed was
driven by the prisoner. After that, about half-past
five or a quarter to six, a man named Blaylock,
coming along the line to his work as a platelayer,
and passing by the old woman's cottage, found her
lying in a pool of blood. On examination there
were found to be a number of footmarks all round
the cottage, leading up to the gate of a garden in
which the old woman kept a pickaxe. That pick-
axe had been taken out of the garden and used by
the person who committed the deed. Blood was on
the handle and the door, and the drawer bore marks
of its having been used to force them. It was
found that the old woman had never been to bed,
as the bed was unmade and her night clothes were
still airing before the fire. When the police came
the footmarks were examined and casts taken of
them. The prisoner's duty was to go out with the
second engine in the morning, and he was accus-
tomed to be called up about half-past three by a
man named Chambers ; he usually came down to
the engine sheds, bringing his breakfast with him,
which, after giving directions to his fireman about
getting his engine ready, he generally ate in an ad-
joining cabin. On the morning in question he
was awoke a little after three, and came down as
usual, but he brought no breakfast with him.
After giving directions to his fireman, he absented
himself from the sheds on the excuse of going to
get his breakfast. It was an unusual thing for him
to come without his breakfast. Between half-past
three and four o'clock, a pointsman on the line,
named Carruthers, heard footsteps, and in looking
round he saw what he had never seen before—the
prisoner coming down the line from the direction of
the old woman's cottage, quite in another direction
to his own house, where he said he went to get his
breakfast and his knife. The casts of the foot-
marks, as well as the shoes taken from the prisoner,
were produced. Those prints bore many peculiari-
ties—such as one of the semi-circles of nails being
larger than the other,
eth.—e
wdhisitcahncmesuabtehtwaveeenbetehne
nails, the fact of there being one little nail leaning
aslant upon another,
&c.—which
accidentally made by the shoemaker.
Accuratepprehended
measurementsade7
but
tththeecpasrtissoannedr
was
scninogt
tracings a
were
imme-
diately made,
till a month after. He went out with his train to
Newcastle as usual, and as they were passing the
old woman's cottage, he kept his fireman engaged
in close conversation, and then told him to put some
coke in the fire—thus preventing the fireman from
looking about him. When the news of the murder
reached Newcastle, the fireman asked prisoner if
he saw the lights as he came up in the morning.
I, Yes, I did," was the answer, " and I saw the old
woman herself standing in the porch." About a
month after the murder, he was apprehended and
his shoes taken. On being examined with the
casts, a most remarkable and accurate resetr-
fibflatynffouebretween the two was discovered ; but
sparables indented in the casts had
been taken out of these shoes. When before the

magistrates, and seeing how the evick rice was going,
the prisoner made a statement attempting to cast
the blame upon his brother-in-law, Th
omas Robin-
son. In the first place, he gave three different
accounts about the nails—one to the fireman, one in
this statement, and another to the policen;an ; and
also proved it was beyond doubt that Robirn.ion was
miles away from Carlisle, haci slept that night with
another man ; and, in fact, could cover the whole
of the time in which the murde.r could possibly have
been committed. The prisoner's house we.s searched,
and under one of the slates on the roof of the privy
was found a paper containing 52 spar ables, which
were of the same character as those which had been
in the shoes ; and another sparable was found in the
prisoner's pocket. The paper in which the 52 were
wrapped had some tobacco dust in it, and some
similar dust was found in the prisoner's pocket.
Some of the nails appeared to have been taken out
by pincers and some by a chisel; and in the pri'
soner's house a chisel and a pair of pincers were
found belonging to the company, which he had no
right to have there.
Mr. Campbell Forster, having addressed the jolt
for the prisoner,
His Lordship, in his summing up, left it to the
jury that if the circumstances m ere all consistent
with the prisoner's guilt, and. there were some of
the circumstances which were inconsistent with
any other rational conclusion, it was their duty t 0
find the prisoner guilty ; but if the circumstances
were all capable of another conclusion, they ought
to acquit. His Lordship then went carefully throng!
the whole evidence, pointing out the falsehood 01
the prisoner in endeavouring to fix the guilt of the
murder on his brother-in-law, the circumstances
attending the finding of the " sparrowbills," and the
tracing of the shoe impressions corresponding veilll,
the prisoner's shoes, and told them that these ats"
not be looked at separately, but altogether, and their
judgment must be formed of the whole facts.
The Jury retired about 11 o'clock, and, after being
absent five hours, returned at 4 o'clock with aver'
diet of guilty of murder, coupled with a recommen'
dation to mercy on accouot of the prisoner's pre:
vious character.
His Lordship then, putting on the black WI
passed on the prisoner the awful sentence of death,
in a most impressive manner, holning out to him n°
hope of mercy, though he should transmit to the
proper quarter the recommendation of the jury.

ASSIMILATION OF THE IRISH AND

1 VGLISII LAW COURTS.

Our readers are aware that a Royal Commission
is now sitting charged with the important duty °I
inquiring into the Irish Law and Chancery Courts'
and the propriety of assimilating the practice ofh the
English and Irish Courts. This Commission, wich
holds meetings both in London and Dublin, is our
posed to be of opinion already that the Irish Courts
have no longer a sufficient amount of work to do:
How that may be, we cannot say—the evidence will
in due time show. If the statement is well founded,
the Landed Estates Court
may in part be the toil'
porary cause. We are not so sure that large reduce
'
tions would be safe or judiciouLl,
as alleged. However, as to the general principle 0'
even if the fact bg
assimilation, there is no room for
second opin
and if, in carrying it out to a prudt. nt extent, a r!:,
arrangement of offices and duties take place, it soli
be just that the " assimilation" should reach salaries
as well as processes and duties, and that the Irish
officer performing the same function as his English
brother shall receive a like reward.
There was a time, indeed, when something could
be said in favour of giving a larger emolument t°
the London official, the cost of living in the metro"
polio was so excessive. This is admitted to be 11°.!
changed. If in London prices of a large varieVo
of articles have been lowered, in Dubli,l they haea
increased. The assimilation-process here .has provio
to be the injury of the public servant residing.
Dublin, and thus his claim to be put on a
foeta
of equality with the London officer of Law, Chan
D
eery, or Bankrupt Court, is stronger than ever- bi
rests upon abstract justice, and is supported
the circumstance just mentioned. L
Among the legal changes about to take place
the direction indicated must be included a nel4i;s,
to assimilate the Irish Bankrupt Act to the EngThl
statute passed last Session. This new
make various changes, and greatly enlarge Act sv",o
both
,ti;
judicial and administrative duties of the Chief ."`s,
gistrar and other functionaries. The Chief Regis-
trar trar will, we have heard it said, receive power to
make adjudication of bankruptcy ; to receive .the
surrender of the bankrupt; to grant protectio4
to pass last examinations when unopposed ; to he
and preside at meetings of creditors; to audit a 4".
pass accouats of assignees, &c.—all of whi,va
greatly increased judicial duties will not only autt
to the importance of his office, but impose upollar
already sufficiently occupied and competent office 11
a large amount of fresh responsibility. In additial
to this, there are novel administrative duties to h 43
put upon him, and an entirely new dep4rtaieLlt
placed under his care—namely, that of the OP;
tration of deeds.
Here, certainly, is a case where the principle off
e
true justice manifestly applies. In London the
officer who discharges the same duties gets £1,4 .5
per annum—the Irish salary for identical work.
only £BOO. In the new Act, if we be rightly ir
formed, no provision whatever is made for assiona;
tion of salaries ! Now, is that fair P We do Or
ask the question, or press the point, for the sake le
any individual. We are contending for a prinei4
of, as we conceive, no trifling importance. If 11.11,"0
offices are to be assimilated to English, let us bao,
no sham assimilations. Good honest work, re is
dered in this portion of her Majesty's dominiens'io
just as worthy of adequate payment as if done fir
any other, and the legal public, and persona nag-e,
cerned, may rest assured that if, in any one ce",,,i
this assimilation and increase of duties is alkov't..
to take place without an assimilation in the imPerie
ant point of the emolument, the precedent avilirfi-0.
in every other case, and the value of our most i t,
portant legal appointments, in subordinate dePare,
ments, will decrease. In this important matter fee
with a clear conscience, raise the cry of " Justi
to Ireland !"—Evening Packet.

CO UN .7 RI IVA PAL. AS.

►- ---

LIVERPOOL—FEB. 25.
We had a fair attendance of town and country 1131 t
and dealers to-day, and wheat was in better request Abla
slight improvement. Flour was dealt in to a ccnsideri,l' to
extent, at a decline of 6d per barrel and is per sack. 'lll
and oatmeal were very dull. Beans, peas, and barleYfrea
difficult to move, at late rates. Indian corn less inclu
for, and 3d per qr lower.

LEEDS—FEB. 25. A
We have a moderate show of grain. There is agains.
slow demand to-day for wheat, and prices tend dor3;to.
Barley does not sell freely, but at last TuesdaY'wilw° Iterr
Beans and oats cold very sparingly, and little or no 3
tion in value.

MELTON MOWBRAY—FEu. 19. d with
There was a tolerable show of wheat to-day, all ' v s
a quiet trade, prices were very little changed. BoleY 16!16.
a languid sale, and at downward prices. White whetos
Od to 66s Od ; red, 55s Od to 61s per 36 stone; t, t.;
slow, at 44s to 51s for old; new sorts, —s per 3° Sfor
barley, 35s ,to 38s for malting, and 31s:to 33s per (11.'
grinding; oats, 28s to 33s Od per L 24 stone.

NEWCASTLE-UNDER LYME—FEB• 24 1,
f
At this market to-day there was a fair show .9
with a limited trade, and inferior sorts were
White wheat, 63s to 688 ; red, 65s to 648 Per 36 stop
Barley at about the rates of the week previous, maltiq:
selling at 35s to 41s per qr., grinding 308 to 328 per 30
Oats, 258 to 278' 24 ; beans, 4 ,E; to 4&s; new, 38s 0
„per at. , -
46s per qr.
hard to sew

- -
..--..-
to-day was larger than -
Scots, shorthorns, and Irish.
1
Itocil4s 6CdA(TesTtiLmEat.ed weight will°
week, consisting of kh. '
The sudpplyvofvlCosnstOorite4Wscattle _,,0
Scots, 4s to 4s 6d ; shorthorns,, 3s 6d to 4s Od ; Irish, 'll
attendance of buyers with a slow sale. Qs
Od to 3s 6 ; e '
fat).
Fat beasts a large show, but sales slow, at 7s Od to 75_63
per 141 b.
Fats heep, 8s Od to 8s 6d per stone;of
Sheep:—There was a good supply
and a fair sale,
pig—A fair supply, prime,s heep in tohde. P err:
Store pigs, 18s to 20s ; fat Po
7s 3d to 7s 6d per stone,
—oo'i

BIRTHS.
the
wif°
DODSON.—On the 25th inst., at 6, Seamors-place;
of J. G. Dodson, Esq., M P., of a daughter.
ve"
NAPIER.—On the 24th inst at 54, Green-street, Gros
nor-square, the Hon. Mrs. W. Napier, of a son. the
WALTER.—On the 25th inst. at at Long Ditton, Surrtor;
wife of James Walter, Esq..2 of 2, Clifford's•inn,
of a son.of

BRODIE—MACKWORTIL—OnMARRIAGES the 24th inst.„ at uiPrci
Church, Worthing, George Sinclair Brodie, Esq.? /4ifiejst
to
park-square, to Jane Deere, second daughter of the
Herbert Mackworth, Esq., R.N.
NEWTON—ANDERSON.--On the 24th inst., at All of
Langham-place, Regent.street, Mr. John P. Newtlir.
Dundee, to Elspith, youngest daughter of the late
John Anderson, of Denmark-hill, Surrey.

DEATHS. Oda,
BLACKLEY.—On the 23d inst.. at Clifton, John B'a
Esq., aged 64. cilet
BONVER.—On the 22d inst., at High-glove, near Chea
DOU Cheshire,
On Majtheor B23dower,inst., aged 77. J.
LTON.— at West-park, Mortlake, f
Doulton, jun., Esq., eldest son of John Doulton, Esq.' °
Lambeth, aged 43. -0 'ace,
PRINCE.—On the 24th inst., at Stockwell, Philip A.
Esq., late of Hylands, Epsom, aged 66.
REED.—On the 25th inst., at his residence, Carabridr.
heath, Hack_neyo,3::lteheße2v. 3dAnindsrte.
,waßtieieedn,
dDe
e., roLfeetda
RIPPINGI
iient.road, nuTH.Rolain, aged
Lormorr Printed and Published by MURI) YOl-4
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TIE SUN °thee, No. 112,St"tr'
in the rrceinet of the Say9y in the County of Middles
wedneadaYt February 20, 1862.

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