The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-07 00:00:00

for a policeman. I began to take the sacks of oats in, and
Miss Hyde went first to show me the way. Prisoner fol-
lowed me, and with her whip struck her on her head. I
came back with a second sack, and! after putting that down
went and fetched the bag of biscuits, and a lady and gentle-
man asked me where Miss Hyde was, and I said at the back
of the house. They went in, and I heard murder called,
and put the biscuits down. Miss Hyde was screaming
"Murder." She was down, and the prisoner and two men
on the top of her. The prisoner struck her with her whip.
Cross-examined—lt was commenced when I got there.
Prisoner was not dragged from the road into the house.
She passed me at the door, and rushed up to Miss, Hyde as
we were going to the back. I don't know what was said. I
saw her strike with the whip when complainant was down.
Mr. Mansfield called the constable.

Sergeant Thomas Westlake, 14 S, said—l was called to
the house and saw the prisOner in the garden at the front
door. Prosecutor said she would give her in charge for
assaulting her and breaking her sister's arm. I took her to
the station-house.
Mr. Mansfield—Was the prisoner sober ?

Witness—She was greatly excited, but I cannot say
whether she was under the influence of drink. She had
been pulled about a good deal, and she said it was by the
dog.
By Mr. Lewis—lt is not true that she was beastly drunk.
I saw from her appearance she had been pulled about a
good deal. She had only a little jacket and a pair of black
cloth trousers on.

Mr. Lewis, for the defence, said his client was riding her
horse home, when the prosecutrix's dog flew at her and
tore her habit, and also the clothes about her neck. After
she had taken her horse home she went to remonstrate
about the dog, and only got insulted. He thought the bet-
ter course would be to adjourn this case, for probably an
action might arise through the injury sustained by Mrs.
Wright, who could not now be in attendance to speak for
herself. He had a witness present who would tell his wor-
ship that he was the person who caused the injury to the
unfortunate woman by accidentally pushing her down.
Mr. Mansfield—So far as I see yet, there is no evidence
to fix your client with breaking the arm ; so that falls to
the ground.
Mr. Lewis—Then do you think that, under all the cir-
cumstances, there is evidence to support this charge. My
client was most grossly assaulted. She has been knocked
about, and had her clothes torn. Ido not know whether
you think it necessary that I should call my witnesses.

Mr. Mansfield—l will hear your witnesses.
Rebecca Spriggs said—l am servant to defendant. I re-
member her coming home on horseback. I opened the door,

She was quite sober, perfectly so. Her riding habit was
torn from under the arms, and the skirts torn off. (It. was
held up in court, torn into shreds, and smothered in mud.
It caused much laughter. It was very much torn. I saw
her go across to Miss Hyde. I followed, and saw three
females having hold of her, ill-using her. She told me to
fetch a policeman. I went and could not find one. They
were violently ill-using her. In my presence she did not
strike any one. Some one made use of bad language. Miss
Hyde was in an excited state. In my presence my mistress
did not strike Miss Hyde. I fetched mistress's coachman.
Grand Riches—l am defendant's coachman. I was called
to Miss Hyde's where I saw three persons tearing my mis-
tress to pieces by her clothes. They were very violent.
There was a cry of murder before I got into the house. I
tried to separate them as well as I could. Defendant was

quite sober.
George Green said—l live at 16, Earl-street, Lisson-grove.
Last evening I was standing at the corner of Melina-place,
talking to a friend of mine, and saw the defendant ride by
on a saddle-horse. She came back in about ten minutes,
and went to Elm Villa and rang the bell, when a dog, half-
mastiff and half-retriever, flew at her, and saw three females
follow her and drag her from the road into the house, and
one struck her. She was quite sober. They were all ill-
treating her. Prisoner was not violent at all. I know none
of the parties. Miss Hyde was dragging her in from the
road. There was a general row in the house amongst the
lot. Her dress was very much torn. The dog is a terror to
the neighbourhood. Children are afraid to go about for
fear of it.
Samuel Jacobs, in the service of the Imperial Gas Com-
pany, was called to speak of the savage nature of the dog,
which always flew at him when he went round to light the
lamps.

Mr. Mansfield said he took it for granted that the dog
was a ferocious beast. No doubt the defendant, when out
riding, had the ill luck to be set upon by a savage beast
that ought to be destroyed, and by it had her habit torn.
She went no doubt with some degree of irritation to detail
her grievance and ask for compensation. When she got
there she was taken for some one else, and was treated
jocularly by being touched under the chin. It seemed to
him that the defendant went to the house, and was re-
quested to leave and refused to do so, saying she would
not till the police came. She had some foolish notion that
because she had received some injury from the dog she had
a right to remain upon the premises. He thought that an
attempt had been made to eject her, as she was an intruder
and refused to leave, and that she gave a blow, which blow
was illegal. She must pay a fine of 51., or in default of
payment to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for one
month in the House of Correction.

The fine was paid, and defendant left in a cab with a
gentleman. Complainant went away in her brougham,
which had been waiting for her.

MANSION-HOUSE.—THE MARESFIELD GUNPOWDER
COMPANY (LIMITED).—At the conclusion of the evidence
to sustain the summone, which appeared in our afternoon
edition yesterday,
Mr Sleigh made some observations to the effect that
his client, Mr. Sharpe, could not be considered a director
of the company in 1863, after his resignation. He merely
attended at the offices afterwards to give Mr. Dalrymple
his assistance on his appointment as manager.

Mr. Murphy said he intended to show, either at that
court or elsewhere, that this was not a company which it
was intended should furnish a list of shareholders for re-
gistration. He contended the company was formed ante-
rior to the passing and coining into operation of the 25th
and 26th of Victoria, and therefore was exempt from its
operations. There was, according to his view, so much
doubt about the matter, that it would be asking, too much
to have it declared that his clients, for their non-compliance
with the provisions of the act, were liable to a penalty of
5/. for every day they allowed such a state of things to
exist.
The Lord Mayor said he felt that the 176th section gave
him power to adjudicate in the matter. He shonld, there-
fore, dismiss the summons as against the directors
indi-
vidually, and inflict a mitigated penalty of Si. on that taken
out against the company.