The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-12 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.—John Fitzgerald, a carpenter, was
brought before Mr. Jardine for final examination,
charged with stabbing and wounding his wife, with in-
tent to kill her. .

The prisoner lived with his wife and two children at
7, Eagle-court, Catherine-street, Strand. Between
twelve and one o'clock in the morning of the 30th ult.,
the neighbours were alarmed by cries of " murder," and
the shrieks of children, and the same noises were heard
by a man named Broadstreet, a shoemaker, who lodged
in the attic of the same house, but who (he said) " was
so accustomed to hear the cry of murder in that neigh-
bourhood, at all hours of the night, that he did not think
it worth his while to get out of bed and see what was the
matter," until he was informed that a woman had been
stabbed. Mary Jenks, a married woman living in the
adjoining court (Angel-court) was induced, however, to
leave her bed for the purpose of ascertaining the cause
of the disturbance, especially as the cries for help ap-
peared to grow weaker, as if from a woman in a state of
exhaustion. On reaching the court she found a woman
sitting on the door-step of the house adjoining the one
from which the cries had just emanated, and she ap-
peared in a fainting condition. It was discovered that
she was bleeding from a wound in her breast, and from
another in her neck. Mrs. Jenks asked her who had
done it, and she replied, in a weak voice, " My husband,
my husband." . By this time a young surgeon, two
or three other persons, and a police-constable had
reached the spot, and the woman, having been pro-
nounced by the surgeon to be in a sinking state, was re-
moved to King's College Hospital: The constable then
proceeded to the room occupied by the prisoner, at 7,
Eagle-court, and, knocking outside, requested to be let
in. The prisoner opened the!door, and Broadstreet,
who had come down stairs, was also admitted ; but he
said nothing to either of them in answer to the charge.
He appeared under the influence of drink. After he
had been taken into custody the room was entered by
the landlady of the house and another woman, who
found the prisoner's two children there. The eldest, a
little girl about twelve; told them that her father had
stabbed her mother with the auger on the mantel-piece.
They looked and found the tool lying there. It was a
long, sharp instrument, and Broadstreet noticed two
small pieces of flesh adhering to it. Some spots of blood
had also been observed upon the prisoner's face. On the
following morning (Monday) the medical officers of the
hospital beinr, of opinion that the woman was in a dying
state, her deposition was taken before Mr. Jardine ;
but, although supposed to be upon her dying bed, she
declared that the injuries she had sustained were caused
accidentally. She stated, "That she and her husband
had gone home late, and not being able to get into their
room, as he had lost the key, he tried to pick the lock
with a gimlet, but it slipped somehow, and went into
her." After the expiration of about ten days, however,
she was sufficiently recovered to leave the hospital, and
was consequently present at the examination yesterday.
She now gave another version of the story, stating,
" That she snatched the gimlet out of her husband's
hands, and then fell down stairs • that he never laid
hands upon her once ; and that, after the fall, she went
up stairs again and placed the gimlet upon the mantel-
piece."
Mr. Jardine reminded her that she had already told a
different story, and that if she did not speak the truth,
she was liable to be prosecuted for perjury.
The wife (Sarah Fitzgerald) then said----" I may have
been light-headed at the hospital. Whatever I said then,
what I say to-day is the truth."
The prisoner said nothing to the charge, relying, as
appeared from some questions which he put to his wife,
upon her statement for his defence.

-The witnesses were then bound over to give evidence
against the prisoner upon his trial ; the deposition of the
surgeon, who was unable to attend, to be added at a fu-
ture day.

The Prisoner was accordingly committed.

MANSION-HOUSE.—Thomas Golden Valle was
brought finally before the Lord Mayor upon the charge
of having, on the high seas, within the jurisdiction of
the Court of Admiralty, feloniously killed and slayed
Doyle, one of the natives of the Sandwich Islands, em-
ployed to navigate the Pekin, Captain Whitby, from
Honolulu to England. The Secretary to the Hudson
Bay Company, by whom the prosecution has been under-
taken, attended during the proceedings, which occupied
about three hours.

Mr. Maynard, of the firm of Crowder and Maynard,
appeared to conduct the prosecution; Mr. Mullens. of
the firm of Bush and Mullens, appeared for the defence.
The City Solicitor attended to watch the proceedings by
direction of the Lord Mayor.
The depositions of Capt. Whitby and the second and
third mates of the vessel, of which the prisoner is the
first mate, were read by Mr. Goodman, the chief clerk.
These witnesses distinctly stated that the prisoner had
neither struck Doyle with a piece of wood or a rope, and
that he had walked down from the rigging to the deck
without having been treated with any more -violence
than was necessary to tie Lim to the rigging, where he
was kept a short time as a punishment for his laziness
and disobedience to orders when all hands were ordered
aloft in a heavy sea. They described the prisoner as a
person of remarkable kindness of disposition.
After further additional evidence, _ _

The Lord Mayor then, addressing the prisoner, said :
After a very long and strict examination of all the evi-
dence given before me in this case. I consider it to be
my duty to commit you for trial in another court upon
the charge of killing and slaying the deceased. His
lordship then read the usual words according to the act
of Parliament previously to committal.
The prisoner said emphatically : I have only to say,
my lord, that the charge made against me is entirely
false,,and the evidence which has just been read has
proved that it is so.

- The Lord Mayor : It is satisfactory to me to state that
I can, without any scruple, accept bail for your appear-
ance elsewhere to take your trial, and I trust that you
will be able to prove your innocence.
The prisoner's father, who is a country gentleman of
considerable property, and another person of respecta-
bility, were then accepted as security for the prisoner's
attendance at the Admiralty Sessions in the sum of 1001.
each.

GUILDHALL.—Mr. John Chuck, a broker in Shoe-
lane, appeared before Mr. Alderman Copeland, on an
adjourned summons charging him with having taken
other and greater charges for levying a distress than the
law permitted.
Alderman Copeland said he had been to the Commis•
sioners of Sewers, and. was aware that every lenity had
been shown towards the complainant, and he was very
foolish in " kicking against the pricks." The principal
objections to the defendant's charges were his charging
for a double appraisement, 10s. for a catalogue and ad-
vertisements, and the price of two warrants, which con-
tained many other names besides the complainant's.
Mr. Wontner said there were two rates, and the
charges for two appraisements were therefore justified.
Alderman Copeland said the system of charging every
person named in the warrant of distress the full expenses,
struck him at first sight as something very extraordinary.
Against lot 79 there was 40s. written in the catalogue,
which he supposed meant the price it fetched at the auc-
tion, and in the account sales that lot is put down as
having been sold for 20s. only, while in another part of
the account sales a lot appeared to have been sold for
4s. Gd.' which in the catalogue was blotted out.
Mr. Wontner assured the alderman that lot 79, con-
sisting of an eight-day dial, was really sold for 205., and
the complainant could even now have that back on pay-
ing that amount, as it had not yet been cleared.
Alderman Copeland, after a careful consideration of
all the circumstances, then delivered his decision in the
following terms :—The complainant in this case alleges
that the broker's charges were excessive as to the ap-
praisement and removing the goods. The charge for ap-
praisement appears, however, correct, as the goods aeized
for each rate exceeded U. The charge, therefore, of is.
in each case is not excessive. The charge for removing
the goods is not one permitted by the schedule of ex-
penses by the general law regulating distresses for rates
and taxes ; but it is legal in this case, being authorised
by the City Sewers Act. I am, however, happy to say
that the Commissioners of Sewers mean to erase this
charge for the future. In looking over the charges
there is one I must notice. As to one rate no charge is
made for the catalogue and advertisement, but in the
other case 10s. is charged. This I conceive to be exces-
sive. These expenses should be shared proportionally
between all who put their goods into this sale. Out of
106 lots sold only four belonged to the complainant.
An equal charge of sd. per lot on the 106 lots would
give 2/. 6s. 24. to defray the expenses of printing cata-
logues and advertisements. The complainant having
only four lots in the sale, should have been charged only
ls. Bd., and he has therefore been overcharged Bs. 4d.,
and the penalty of such surcharge is 255., being treble
the amount improperly taken. The defendant's charges,
including the rates in the reckoning, are 3/. 9s. 3(1., but
from this we must deduct his overcharge of Bs. 4d., and
this gives the total of 3/. Os. 11d. for rates and charges.
The four lots were sold for 3/. 6s. 6d., and the overplus to
be returned to complainant was ss. 7d. It has been urged
that the4evy was excessive; but as the goods were appraised
by a sworn broker at 2/. 135., and produced only 3/. 6s.
6d. in the auction room, I think that imputation is
hardly made out, especially as the broker before these
proceedings offered to restore two of the lots,' including
the eight-day dial, at the sale price. With respect to
the charge of 2s. 6d. made by the Commissioners of
Sewert, and which the broker has nothing to do with, I
have received this explanation—that though each party
is adjudged to pay it, only one or two of the parties
actually pay it. Of the seventeen persons named in the
present warrant, the complainant was the only one who
had paid it. Nine persons paid the rate without any
expenses, upon receiving notice that the warrant had
been signed, and there are seven others against whom
the charge might still be enforced ; but the practice in
this respect will, I am assured, be amended. I shall
mltigate the penalty, and fine the defendant lls. 5d.,
which, with ss. overcharge and 3s. costs, will make in
all,lll/;
money was immediately paid.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE of YESTERDAY.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, FEB. 8, 1853.
The Qnean has been pleased to approve of Mr. Paul Fred.
Ludvig Beichmann as Consul in the British Islands in the
West Indies, for his Majesty the King of Denmark.
The Queen has also been pleased to approve of Mr.
George A. P. Brady as Vice-Consul at Southampton for
the Republic of New Genada.
Commission by the Lord-Lieu'xnant of the County of
Cornwall.

William 3lorsbead, William Carpenter Rowe,
Esq.—to be Deputy-Lieutenants, Feb. 3.
Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of Somersetshire.
Ist Somerset Regiment of Militia—Henry Cornish Hen-
ley to be Ensign, vice Clarke, promoted, Feb. 5.
Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire.
Royal North Gloucestershire Regiment of Militia.—
John Jones, Gent., to be Lieutenant ; John Frederick
Lees, Gent., to be Lieutenant, Feb. 8.
Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of the County
of Essex.
West Essex Regiment of Militia—Captain George Rob-
bins, late of her Majesty's regular forces, to be Major, vice
Sadler, resigned, Feb. 8.
Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire.
Royal Sherwood Foresters or Nottinghamshire Regiment
of Militia—Alfred Miller Mundy, Esq., to be Captain.
Commission by the Lord-Ueutenant of Glamorganshire.
Royal Glamorgan Light Infantry Battalion of Militia.—
William Brame Abbot, Gent., to be Second Lieutenant,
Feb. 7.

BANKRUPTCY AN-NULLED.
Thomas Cole, cabinetmaker, Newport.
BANKRUPTS.
John Gurr, butcher, Chatham, to surrender, Feb. 22, at
one, and March 24, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Bell, official assignee, Coleman-street-buildings ; Searman,
Coleman-street.
John Belbin, coach builder, Beaumont-street, Middle-
sex, Feb. 18, at half-past (vie, and March 22, at one, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfield, official assignee, Basing-
hall-street ; George and Smith, Southampton-buildings,
Holborn.
George Kebble, farmer, Hurst, Berkshire, Feb. 23, at
twelve, and March 23, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Stansfeld, official assignee ; Soames, Old Broad-street.
Charles Hare, manufacturing chemist, Huddersfield,
Feb. 28, and April 4, at eleven, at the Leeds Dia-
dtrict Court. Hope, official assignee, Leeds ; Upton and
Yewdall, Leeds.
William Minchener, warehouseman, Cheapsido, Feb. 25
at one, and March 21 at twelve, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Sambrook-court, Ba-
singhall-street ; Thompson, Sise-lane, Bucklersbury.
John William Munch, salesman, Tooley-street, Feb. 22
at half past two, and March 21 at twelve, at the Court of
Bankruptcy. Groom, official assignee, Abchurch-lane,
King William-street; Brewer, Philpot-lane, Fenchurch-
street.
Benjamin Witt, brewer, Wimborne, Dorset, Feb. 18, at
one, and Mar. 22, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Graham, official assignee ; Baskett, King's-road, Bedford-
row.
Hugh Jones, linen-draper, Liverpool, Feb. 25 and March
24, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Bird, offi-
cial assignee, Liverpool ; Dodge, Liverpool.
John Urwin, licensed victualler, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Feb. 18 and March 11, at twelve, at the Newcastle-upon-
TyneDistrictCourt. Wakley, official assignee, Newcastle-
upon-Tyne ; Hoyle, Newcastle upon-Tyne, Crosby and
Compton, Church-street, Old Jewry.

DIVIDENDS.
At the Court,.Basinghall-street.
J. I. Evans, Harrow-road, Paddington, clothier, March
10, at one—T. J. Lough and C. W. Rwis, Great St.
Helen-s Bishopsgate-street Without, dry-salters, March 17,
at one—J. B. Pope, Adelaide-place, London-bridge, and
Criggleston, Yorkshire, brick and tile manufacturer, March
4, at half-past one—J. H. Davy, Parker-street, Drury-lane,
coach wheelwright, March 4, at twelve—C. 011iver, New
Bond-street, music seller, March 4, at one—W. J. Buck,
Shrubland-cottages, Queen's-road, Dalston, dealer, March
5, at one. _ _ .

In the Coun'zy.
W. Hornby, Kirkdale, Lancashire, joiner and builder,
March 4, at at eleven, at the Co irt, Liverpool—D. Sparks,
Cirencester, Gloucestershire, surgeon, March 3, at eleven,
at the Court, Bris;,ol—J. Lee, Dewsbury Yorkshire, grocer,
March' 7, at half-past eleven, at the Court, Leeds—J.
Nicholl, Sowerby-bridge, Halifax, Yorkshire, worsted
spinner, March 7, at twelve, at the Court, Leeds—H.
Hunt, Derby, 'imitator, Feb. 25, at ten, of the Court, Not-
tingham.