The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-13 00:00:00

COURT OF EXCHEQUER-(THIS DAY.

(13efore Mr. Baron Parke and a Special Jury.)
• THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL V. COLLET.
This was an information; filed at the instance. of the
Commissioner. of In!.a,nd Revenue, to recover penalties
against the defendant, for publishing a journal called
the Potteries Free Press, containing news, without
being stamped in accordance with the provisions of the
statute relating to the publication of newspapers.,
The Attorney-General and Mr. Phinn appeared for
the Crown, and the defendant conducted his own case
in person.

The main facts, as to the contents and publication of
the journal, having been admitted,
The defendant contended that the production was not
a newspaper within the meaning of the act, and that he
had not knowingly and willfully evaded its provisions,
as he had informed the CominisSioners of his intention
to publish the'paper, but they had taken no notice of his
connatin;cation. •
The jury, under the direction of the learned Baron?,
almost immediately returned 'a verdict for the Crown for
three penalties of 201. each.
Mr. Phinn said he would not ask for more than one
penalty,, and he would not pressi that if the defendant
was not in a condition to pay—the only object of the
commissioners being to try the question as to the legality
of such publication without a stamp.
SEC'

fONDARIES COURT-(THIS DAY

(Before Mr. Secondary Potter.)
BAILEY AND BROTHERS V. HUNT.
This was an action to recover damages for the wrong-
ful detention of a valuable painting and copperplate
engraving. The plaintiffs are "the well-known print
publishers in Royal Exchange-buildings, and defendant
is an engraver;
The.darnage's were laid at 1001., independently of the
value of the property. Defendant suffered judgment to
go by default.
Mr. Sleigh, counsel for the plaintiff, stated the case,
froth which it appeared that in the spring of 1851 'there
was a match in the north of England between two cele-
brated race horses, Voltigeur and the Flyin'g Dutehman.
'The plaintiff employed an eminent artist, Mr. Hale, to
give the race, with portraits of the animals, and he ac-
cordingly painted a picture, which was given to defendant
to engrave a plate from. An agreement was made by which
defendant undertook to complete the engraving in three
months, and he was to be paid 10/. a month the first
two months, and 501. when the plate was completed.
201. was paid, but defendant never returned the picture,
or finished the plate, and the latter was, of course, use-
less after such a lapse.of time ; but there was no doubt
that if it had been furnished at the time required,
plaintiff would have realised a considerable profit, and
the damages now claimed were far belOw the loss suSittin ed.
Mr. Bailey was called and proved the facts. The
print was to have been published at three guineaS.
The defendant was called, and, after at first refusing
to answer; admitted he had pawned the painting.;
The jUry gave a verdict for 156/.—viz., 1001. general
daMages, 501. for the painting, and 61. for plate.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
(THIS DA'Y.)

~.~.--~

OLD COURT.
(Before Lord Chief Justice Jervis and Mr. Baron
• Alderson.) •
ALLEGED MURDER AT THE REGENT'S CANAL.
Thomas Mackett, 30, described in the calendar as a
tabourer, was placed in the dock on an indictment
charging him with the wilful murder of Eliza Lee, by
thrusting her into the Regent's Canal.
Mr. Bodkin and Mr. Clark conducted the prosecution,
and Mr. Parry defended the prisoner.
—lt will be recollected that last session the prisoner was
4ttt on his trial for the same offence, but the jury, after
Ve6maining in deliberation for several hours, were dis-
charged without coming to a decision, one of the jury
becoming unwell, and a medical man having declared
that his life would be in danger if he were not
released. The prisoner was, however ordered to be de-
tained, to be tried by a fresh jury. The evidence given
at the former trial was published at considerable length,
and the whole circumstances being familiar to the pub-
lic, it is unnecessary to• report them on the present
occasion.
The principal points were these. The prisoner and
the deceased had cohabited together, but for some time
prior to this event were separated, and prisoner had
either married or gone to live with, some other. woman.
On the 31st of January the deceased went and found
Aim at his work, as a mason, in Portland-toWn ; and
after he left off, they went to several public-houses, and
were seen drinking at about 11 o'clock, at the Regalia,
in Augusta-street, near the Regent's Canal. Almost after
they had left• some one who was in the gardens of the
Regalia heard the noise of a person in the water and
upon running round met a man whom he believed to
be the prisoner, running quickly from the spot, and this
person said that a woman had either fallen or thrown
herself into the water, and he escaped. Shortly after-
wards the woman was got out quite dead. The next
day when the police went after the prisoner he made•
several contradictory statements, and some things that
were known to have been in the deceased woman's pos-
session on the same night were found at his lodgings,
and a portion -of them had been pawned by another
woman at the request of the prisoner.
The case was proceeding when we went to press, and
will probably last the entire day.
NEW COURT. ' •
(Before' the Recorder.)
John White, 26, watchmaker, was indicted for stealing
four, watches, and five watch cases, the property of
Joseph Savory, and another, his masters.
Mr. Thompson prosecuted, and Mr. Robinson was
for the prisoner.

It appeared that two years ago the prisoner was a
workman to Messrs. Savory, of Cornhill, the watch-
makers ; and the property in question was work given
to him, which he had to keep locked up in his drawer.
Having absented himself from his work, his drawer was
broken open, and the property missed.' It was found
that lie had gone to France, and nothing—was seen of
him until a few weeks ago, when one of Mr. Savory's
workmen met him at Hoxton, and it turned out that
for 18 months he had been working for a Mr. Hedger,
of the City-road.
The jury found him guilty, recommending him to
mercy, in which the prosecutor joined.
Sentence-5 months, and hard labour.
THIRD COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
John Whaley pleaded guilty to embezzling sums
amounting in all to about 901., the moneys of Nathaniel
Machin, his master.
Mr. Payne, for the prosecution, said that the master
of the prisoner was a wholesale confectioner, and the
embezzlement had begun as far back as two years ago,
and from that time down to the period of his apprehen-
sion he had stolen above 2681. by making false entries
in the ledger. He had also tried to fix the crime upon
a person who had left prosecutor's service for Australia, but
for which there was no foundation. He was transported
for seven years.