The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-24 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT—HERTFORD, Dec. 23.
(Before Mr. Baron Bramwell.)
The learned Judge, in his charge to the grand
jury, said he supposed he must not congratulate
them upon the state of crime in the county, for it
was such as to render it supposed to be necessary to
hold a winter assize, which was a rather unusual
thing for this county. The cases, however, were not
of an aggravated character, and he did not believe
they would find any difficulty in dealing with them.
John Smith, alias Caldecott, 19, pleaded guilty to
a charge of feloniously setting fire to a stack of
clover hay, the property of James H. Summers, at
Bishop Stortford.
Baron Bramwell told the prisoner, who exhibited
the greatest possible unconcern and indifference,
that he did not appear to be aware that he had
pleaded guilty to a very wrong and wicked act, and
he asked him whether he had any explanation to
give of his conduct.

The prisoner replied he knew he had done wrong.
The learned Judge observed that he saw it was
stated in the depositions that when the prisoner was
apprehended he gave as a reason for committing the
act that he wanted to be sent away. He could as-
sure him, however, that if he expected he was going
to be sent to another country, or where gold might
be obtained for stooping to pick it up, he was very
much mistaken. He should have probably sentenced
him to a short period of penal servitude, but per-
sons who were supposed to understand the subject
thought that this was a bad thing to do, and he
should therefore order him to be kept in penal ser-
vitude for six years.
Charles Moore, 28, pleaded guilty to a similar
offence, and he was also sentenced to six years'
penal servitude.

Walter Wilson, alias Walter Theniton, 30, a gen•
tlemanly-looking young man, was indicted for felo-
niously forging and uttering a bill of exchange for
£37 10s., with intent to defraud.

Mr. Clarke conducted the prosecution.
The circumstances of this case were somewhat re-
markable. It appeared that early in the day on the
Ist August the prisoner went to the London and
County Branch Bank, at Ware, and asked the clerk
to discount a bill for £37 10s., and he was told to
call again. He did so, about 1 o'clock, und he then
saw Mr. Peake, the manager, and presented the bill
to him. It was at two months' date, and purported
to be drawn by Mr. Cupess, a tradesman in the
town, upon Messrs. E. and C. Norton, and these
names appeared upon it as acceptors. There was no
such firm as E. and C. Norton, carrying on busi-
ness at Ware, but a Mr. Ebenezer Norton, a rope-
maker, lived in the town, and there was no doubt
that it was intended to represent that this gentle-
man and his brother were the acceptors of the bill.
The manager declined to discount it, and the pri-
soner inquired of him whether he knew anybody in
the town who would be likely to do so, and he said
I he did not, and the prisoner left. In an hour after-
wards he again made his appearance at the bank
and produced the bill, and showed the manager that
it bore an additional name upon it as an endorser
—that of Mr. Cass, a malster, residing at Ware.
The manager still declined to cash the bill, and the
prisoner went away, and Mr. Peake, having suspi-
cion that something was wrong, went out to make
inquiries, and as he was returning he met the pri-
soner, and in consequence of what he bad heard, he
asked him to let him look at the bill. The prisoner
at once handed it to him, and he then informed him
that the signatures to the bill were forgeries, and
that he must accompany him to the police-station.
He then said that if there was anything wrong
about the bill he had nothing to do with it, and he
had received it trom a person who was waiting at
the railway station, whom he described as a short
man with bushy whiskers. The inspector of police
went to the railway station to see if such a person
had been there during the day, but he could not dis-
cover any trace of a person answering the descrip-
tion given by the prisoner.
In answer to the charge the prisoner read a long
and ingenious statement to the jury, in which he
asserted that he had been made a dupe by a person
whom he bad casually become acquainted with a
short time before, and whom he had met acciden-
tally in the town of Ware on the day the occurrence
took place. He urged also that his conduct in
readily giving up the bill, when he was asked for
it by the manager of the bank, was that of an inno-
cent man ; and he declared that if the police had
gone at once to the railway station they would have
found the party from whom he had received the
bill. In conclusion, he said that he must inform the
jury that he had given a false name in order that
he might not bring disgrace upon those who wore
connected with him, and that otherwise he should
have been in a position to show them that he was in
a respectable position of life, and that there had been
no stain upon his character until this transaction.

The learned Judge having summed up the jury
found the prisoner guilty.
Mr. Hatchard, governor of the gaol, informed the
Court that he had reason tobelieve that the prisoner
was very respectably connected, and that no com-
plaint had ever been made against him before.
Baron Bramwell said it was impossible for any
one to give credit to the statement of the prisoner,
but the bungling manner in which he had endea-
voured to commit the offence satisfied him that he
was not a practised forger, and that this was pro.
bably the first act of the kind that he had commit-
ted. The sentence, therefore, would be a light one,
and he should only order him to be kept to hard
labour for one year.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—Dec. 23.

BOW.STREET.—THE GOVERNMENT PROSECU-
TION AGAINST LOTTERY KEEPERS.—John Shaw
and Wm. Coneen appeared in discharge of their re-
cognisances to the charge of keeping an illegal lot-
tery.

The prosecution was conducted by Mr. Besley,
and the defence by Mr. Beard.
Mr. Beard said he was prepared to show that
though the defendants had confessedly broken the
law by holding the lottery, yet they had acted in
good faith and with the intention of handing over
the whole proceeds of the speculation to the Com-
mittee for the Relief of Distress in Lancashire. He
was prepared with an account of the whole of the
receipts and expenditure. The total receipts had
been £179 some odd shillings. They had expended
£lll 4s. 3d. in the purchase of goods to be distri-
buted as prizes; and he should be able to show that
although Sergeant Tanner had deposed that he did
not see any articles of value in the room, yet in fact
there were articles of considerable value, including
watches, clocks, work-boxes, writing-desks, oil
paintings, scarf rings, fancy tables, &c. They had
made themselves responsible for goods to the amount
of £159, some odd shillings, of which about £9O
worth remained unsold, for which they would have
to pay, unless they restored the goods. They had
expended £lB 10s. in printing and stationary. Mr.
Beard proceeded to state, in considerable detail, the
other items of the account, from which it appeared
that the defendants had been losers to the extent
of £2O.
Mr. Corrie said the account was to have been sub-
mitted to the Treasury authorities for verification.
Mr. Besley said that had not been done.
The Treasury Solicitor had received no communi-
cation from the defendants:
Mr. Beard said he had advised his clients to send
the statement to the Treasury but they had mis-
understood his directions, and had omitted to do so.
He was ready, even now, to submit the accounts to
the Treasury. Mr. Beard then recalled
Mr. Gibbs, the treasurer at the Mansion-house,
who was examined with reference to an alleged
proposal on the part of the defendants, that the
Central Committee, sitting at the Mansion-house,
should appoint some of their number to superin-
tend the proceedings in connection with the bazaar.
Mr. Gibbs could not remember that such a proposal
had been made. He was not aware that he had re-
ceived any letter from the defendants to that effect.
He received a letter with a cheque for £lO already
mentioned. Tbat letter contained a statement of
the proceedings the defendants had taken up to
that time, and protested against some statements
made by Messrs. Mead and Powell, in a letter to
the papers, to the disadvantage of the defendants.
That cheque had never been presented to the bank
for payment. It was handed over, by order of the
committee, to the police, and these proceedings
were taken in consequence.
William Shaw, son of the defendant Shaw, said
he was check clerk in the bazaar and received the
tickets. He also opened from day to day many of
the letters received by the post and enclosing money
for tickets. Every one of these letters were entered
in a book which would be produced, many of them
by him and the rest by Coneen. He described the
goods given as prizes as including the various ar-
ticles mentioned by Mr. Beard and others of a simi-
lar nature. Witness saw two silver watches taken
away by the parties who had drawn them. All the
goods were taken away by the winners except what
remained on hand after the drawing was stopped
by the police. The largest amount ever taken for
tickets in the room was £7 ss. There were some
goods sold and some tickets were paid for in the
room by persons who had previously kept them but
did not pay until they were about to draw. The
letters were entered in the book ho produced morn-
ing by morning, and each letter was entered before
another Was opened. His father (the defendant)
had known Coneen since the latter end of October.
Coneen came to him to propose the bazaar and to
ask him to do the printing. It was Coneen's scheme.
Mr. Corrie said all this would not satisfy him
of what he required to be assured—that there was
no intention from the firat to profit by the transac-
tion, He could not undertake to decide the matter

by an investigation of the accounts. They ought
to have been sent to the prosecutors. It might be
that the defendants had made no profit, but that
might be because the thing had broken down. One
thing which was against the defendants was, that
they had gone on after it had been intimated to
them by several persons that the proceedings were
illegal, for which reason those persons withdrew
their names.

Mr. Beard said they did not believe it was illega
up to the time when they consulted him.

Mr. Besley should object to any further adjourn-
ment. The defendants had a week or ten days'
notice before the first examination, and now they
had an adjournment for a week. They ought,
therefore, to be now prepared to establish what had
been set up, namely, that they had acted, however
illegally, with bona fides as to the application of
the funds. If they had proved that, the magistrate
would probably have thought a mere nominal
penalty sufficient to meet the justice of the case,
and the Crown would have acquiesced in that view.
But now they came forward with a lot of accounts
which he had had no opportunity of seeing, and
which it seemed to him only showed that they had
made an unfortunate business of it, not only break-
ing thP law, but losing money by it. Ho submitted
that the whole thing was a swindle, and that the
intention from the first was to put the money into
their own pockets.
Mr. Beard said it was quite clear that nothing
would satisfy the Crown. He wished the accounts
had been submitted to the Treasury, but he thought
it would have been of very little use, as they were
determined not to be convinced.

Mr_ Begley—You ought not to make that obser.
vation.

Mr. Corrie said the defendants had not done
what they ought, which was to send the accounts
to the Treasury.
In reply to Mr. Besley,
The witness Shaw said about 5,000 bills were
printed, and sent over the country in all directions.
To Mr. Corrie—The firm of Shaw Brothers, who
printed the bills, consisted of my father and my
brothers. He is the principal.
Mr. Corrie (to Mr. Beard)—Have you not one
committeeman here ?

Mr. Beard—Yes, Sir. Call Mr. Matthews.

Mr. Thomas Matthews, engineer, stated that he
was invited to be one of the patrons of this bazaar,
and agreed, as it was represented to him that it
was a bazaar for the relief of distress in Lancashire.
Was invited to attend the preliminary meeting of
the committee. Did not attend, thinking it useless,
as he knew nothing about that kind of business.
Cross-examined—Was not invited by letter, but
personally by Mr. Shaw. This was early in No-
vember. Received no further invitation to attend
other meetings. When Shaw asked witness to be
patron, it was with a view to getting a suitable
room. Witness asked if it would make him liable
for anything. Shaw said, " Certainly not;" and
witness seeing the other names down, thought he
could do no harm by giving his name for a chari-
table purpose. The defendants never offered to tell
him what they were doing, or what they ikad done.
His name was put into the second prospectus with
the address, " International Exhibition." He had
given no authority for the use of that address, nor
was it correct. He was not an exhibitor, though
there werc:goods exhibited which he had made for
exhibitors. He met Shaw at the Exhibition, when
witness went there as a visitor.
Mr. Beard then called two of the assistants who
had been engaged at the drawing, and who deposed
to the distributioh of the prizes described in the
list, which was produced, including articles of the
various kinds above stated. It was admitted that
many of them were of trifling value, but the
average cost price was 80., leaving a profit of 30.
One of these witnesses, Mr. Cox, objected to be
sworn upon conscientious grounds, as he considered
that the Scriptures forbid the taking of an oath, He
said he was a God-fearing man, and would not dis-
obey the law of Christ at whatever risk. After
some consideration Mr. Corrie administered the
form of affirmation to the witness, who then stated
that he was a toy merchant, in Charlotte-street,
Borough, and had been requested to assist as his
knowledge of the trade would make him useful.
Had received a very trifling remuneration for his
services, but should have expected more if the
undertaking had been more successful. Did not
supply any goods. Had no reason to believe that
the defendants were actuated by interested motives.
The number of prizes was 3,149. Was not aware
that the proceedings were illegal.
Mr. Corrie—ln this case there is, of course, no
doubt that the defendants have been acting illegally.
That is admitted. In the way that it is placed
before me the only question is the amount of punish-
ment. The papers and documents produced do not
satisfy me, as I thought they should, that there was
a committee acting between these persons and the
public to see that every sixpence was applied in a
proper manner. At the same time I have not ar-
rived at the conclusion that it was intended to carry
on what is called a swindle. I think there was an
indirect motive. Mr. Shaw is a printer, and the
other defendant a commission agent, and 1 cannot
think that they did not intend to mike some profit.
It is not like a party of ladies and gentlemen esta-
blishing a bazaar and never intending to make any-
thing by it. Mr. Shaw did the printing, and his
bill is a very considerable item. He had his profit
upon that in his own business, still I do not think
that which was suggested by the learned counsel
that it was a swindle altogether. They have acted
illegally, but the law is vindicated by these pro-
ceedings. It seems to me that a small term of im-
prisonment will be sufficient to meet the justice of
the case. I shall commit them both for fourteen
days with hard labour. _ .

Mr. Beard—The conviction, I presume, sir, is
under the Vagrant Act.
Mr. Corrie—Certainly.
Mr. Beard—Then, sir, I must ask you to fix the
amount of bail in order that the defendants may
appeal.
Mr. Corrie—You have pleaded guilty.
Mr. Beard—Yes, sir, guilty of having infringed
the law; but my clients wish to appeal against the
severity of the sentence, and it is my duty to repre-
sent their desire, with all respect to you, sir.
Mr. Corrie—But I was looking at it in this light,
that you submitted to my judgment, and I was very
lenient. If you are going to appeal the sentence
will be one month each with hard labour.

Mr. Beard (after consulting with his clients—
Sir, the defendants will submit to your decision.
Mr. Corrie—Very well, 14 days' hard labour.
Mr.Besley—What is to be done with the cheque
for DO? Mr. Gibbs refuses to accept it.
Mr. Corrie—l think he should accept it, It was
subscribed by the public for. the Relief Fund, and
they ought to have the money:

Gibbs with some hesitation consented to re-
ceive the cheque.

SOUTHWARK.—A TTEMPTED MURDER TN THE
BOROUGH.—James Denham, a powerful-looking
young man, described as a journeyman tailor, was
placed at the bar before Mr. Combe, for final exa-
mination, charged with maliciously stabbing David
Ceasar, with intent to murder him ; also with break-
ing the legs of George Woodmason.
When the prisoner was first brought before the
magistrate, in the early part of last week, both the
injured men were in such a precarious state that
they were unable to attend. Ceasar, the man who
was stabbed, was in attendance yesterday ; but
Woodmason was still confined to his bed in Guy's
Hospital.

Tile following medical certificate was produced :
"Dec. 23—Geo. Woodmason was admitted into
Guy's Hospital on the 15th inst., with a fracture of
his thigh bone and a superficial wound on the back
of his head, and is unable to leave his bed.
"J. HOLMSTEAD, House Surgeon."
David Ceasar, on being sworn, said he was a bar-
man out of employ, On Monday evening, the 15th
inst., between 8 and 9 o'c.ock, he went into the tap
room of the Hop Pole beershop, High-street, Bo-
rough, where ho saw the prisoner quarrelling with
several men. He was very much excited, and chal-
lenged to fight any one in the house for a shilling.
Woodmason, who is now in the hospital, was in the
room, and he coaxed the prisoner out of the room
with the view of getting him to leave the house
quietly. When at the bar the prisoner put a clasp
knife (closed) on the counter and buttoned np his
coat, when the landlord's son came round and put
him out of the hou-e. Woodmason then called for
his supper beer, and a few minutes afterwards left
the house with it. He had hardly got out of the
house when he heard some one call out, "The man
is stabbed." Witness rushed out to see what was the
matter, when he saw Woodmason lying in the gutter
helpless, and he called out, "I am stabbed, and
my
Y-
leg is broken," at the same time pointing tootle who
saner, who was standing near. Several
were assembled pointed out the prisonder
"Seize
who stabbed Woodmason, and
stabbed him
trieisoner was hold of Lim and Lynch him." opaustph e man
Tht %%jet in his cap.
sur-
rounded, and witness went
ture, when the prisoner deliberately
he held in his hand.
under the left side with a knife
; and was led to the
Witness suffered great P"'
Police station, when.) his wound
u*
peroately
was dressed by a
was afterwards sent home, and re-
surgeon, and he
bed three
re-
mained confined to hisdays. He was still
suffering severely from the wound.
.
Cross-examined by the pruloner —He never struck
him or saw any one else strike him, but several per-
sons seized hold of him to deliver him over to the
police, as they all believed he had murdered Wood-
mason.
Dennis Clark, 108 M, said that on Monday night,
the 15th inst., he was on duty in the B h
,when
be received information
°mug
that two men had been
stabbed by another, near the Hope Pole beer-shop. ,

He proceeded there and found the prisoner in co.,
tody of 267 M and 98 M. Woodmason was con-
veyed to the hospital, and he assisted Ceasar to the
station-house, where the prisoner was charged with
the offence. When the charge was read over to
him by Inspector Macintosh, he said he knew he
had stabbed them, and he wished he had killed
them, as he would stab any one who interfered with
him. The prisoner was very violent, and received
injuries on his bead in the struggle. Witness here
produced the clothes worn by the witness Ceasar at
the time be was stabbed_ They were clean Cut
through on the left side, and were saturated with
blood.

Pether, 98 M, said he took the prisoner into cus-
tody outside the Hop Pole beershop, charged with
stabbing Ceasar and Woodmason. The prisoner
said to him he had been knocked down by a n:1311'
and he would stab any mortal man who struck him.
Mr. Combo asked if the knife had been found.
Dennis Clark here produced an open clasp•knifet
the blade of which was covered with blood. He
informed bis worship that he received it from the
landlady of the Hop Pole, who told him that a
strange man brought it in to her, having seen it
fall from the prisoner.
Mr. James Henderson, surgeon, of 3, Trinity`
square, said that a little atter nine o'clock on MO"
day night, the 15th, he was called to the station--
house at Stones'-end, where he saw the witness
Caesar. He examined him and found an incised ,
wound on the left side about half an inch deep. "-;
was that sort of wound that might have been cause,'
by such a knife as that produced by the constable.
Mr. Combe asked whether Woodmason was
is
any danger.
Clark, the constable, replied that he had Just
come from the hospital, and the doctor told him 11
was going on well, but that it might be a month
before he would be able to leave.
Mr. Combo said, under the circumstances be
should commit the prisoner for trial for stabbing
Ceasar, and he might afterwards be tried for as-
saulting Woodmason. He supposed the prisoner
would reserve his defence.

The prisoner replied in the affirmative, and
Mr. Combe fully committed him for trial.

WORSHIP-STREET—STARVATION—Yeremiau
Keene, a journeymon tailor, was charged before
Mr. Leigh with unlawfully neglecting to afford
proper and sufficient nourishment to Mary Keene,
his legitimate child.
Mr. Messer, clerk to the Board of Guardians ef
St. Luke's parish, prosecuted.
Previous evidence showed that on the 4th inst.,
Mr. Elias Legg, relieving officer of the parish, wen t+
in consequence of information received by him, ter,"
house in Trench-alley, William's-buildings, D"
Luke's, where in a back upper room he and Dr'
Bruce, the divisional medical defendant, found the
girl in question in a frightful state of emaciatieu
and filth. The only articles of accommodatict
were two stools and a straw bed, the cupboard vrii;
destitute of food, and an elder girl was nursing es
infant in the absence of either parent. Dr. Brut%
ordered the instant removal of Mary Keene to t'i
workhouse, and a warrant from this Court quicklv
,4
secured the prisoner. The poor child was brougl
into court lying upon the arms of a nurse, o,_ll
although nearly eight years of age, weighed Put
251bs. Evidence showed that the father was
at
work at the time, that the mother of the t" s
eldest children was dead, and that the infant We
the result of an after connection.
Rhoda Hathinall and Elizabeth Moss noW spoke
to their knowledge, as neighbours, of not 0e!
neglect but ill-treatment of the ehild in questiot.u;
The cry of " Pray, father, don't," accompanied,,,e h
the sound of blows, had been incessant; day 3'l'o
day she had beer, left in the wretched apartment "as
an almost nude state, and when the prisoner 4
Vr
spoken to about it by Mrs. Hathinall, with a three°
to make his misconduct known to the parish rilltbr,
rities, he thrust his fist in her face and menaced lide,o
War Kant-officer Haynes proved that the ehil 0
weight was now 32ilbs., being an increase, ups
workhouse fare, of 71bs. in three weeks. She Wo
again present, but strong on her feet, climbing hest
and there about the court, and creating Inallif%egs
astonishment at the really extraordinary Gila",
her frame had undergone in the interval. the
Mr. Bruce remarked that when he first swig
child she was suffering from acute imflammati°ll -of
the eyes, and had all the symptoms indicative
starvation and total neglect. the
Prisoner declared that he had always done
best he could for his family under the circurastaness
of casual employment, and complained that it le,
very unfair to weigh his child with a full comp 0
ment of clothing upon her, she having only
gaupon
her on the first occasion.
Haynes said that he had made inquiries of thre,
master for whom the prisoner worked, and lledeoo
stood that he could always earn 4s. a-day if he eb°
so to do.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial.

GOUNJM MARKL2S.

~►---

LEEDS—TUESDAY.
To-day at our market wheat brought Friday's pricej°
being is per qr advance on this day week.

LIVERPOOL—TUESDAY.
At our market to-day there was only a limited attend:
ante, with a good supply of wheat, which advanced 4d Pt;
cental on the week. There was a fair business doinZ
flour, and prices firm. Oats and oatmeal brought the 85et
money as of late. Indian corn changed hands at 6(1 P
qr advance on last Friday' prices.

MARKET HARBOROUGH—TursDAY• t
White wheat, 48s to 53s ; red, 45s to 49s per 36, B;st.
Barley at 35s to 40s per qr., grinding 28s to 30s Per 375 to
Oats, 28s to 325; new, 20s to 24s per 24 st. ;
43s per qr.

SHEFFIELD—TUESDA.Y. 0 is Oa
Red wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels 20s Od to" pd
'White
New red 9
New white )1
Beans 9) If
Peas, per qr
Grinding barley, per qr
Malting ditto, „
Oats
Flour, is Od to 2s id per stone. e:21: 662::
sss:
dddddc
to
633:121
8°84°31
cl°°6°llc
Od

MELTON MOWBRAY—TuzsDAT.. vat!
The following were the currencies :—New whit? Icotooe
50s Od to 54s Od ; new red, 44s Od to 48s per 31'38 Ft.
beans, 48s for old; new sorts, 34s to 38s per Lir: for
barley, 36s to 40s for malting, and 308 to 32s per
grinding; oats, 20s to 30s Od per 24 stone.

LYNN—TUESDAY.
350 103
White 46s to 48s 1 Barley. 9
8ar1ey...... ..• t 0440
RGd .. 42s to 44s 1 . .
grinding ..326n 0
06
220 '''
Beans .36s to 40s 1 Oats ....
......s to ,
New —a to —s I Peas ...........•

NEWCASTLE-UNDER -LYNE—Mo:spO: pit
Wheat was firm, at Saturday's rates. Flour Wa„..s 11111 e de'
request, at rather better prices than last week.
mand for Spring corn proved inactive.