The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-22 00:00:00

SHERIFFS' COURT.--(THIS DAY.)

(Before R. Gurney, Esq.)
THE USURY LAW.—IMPORTiNT QUESTION*.
MOODY V. WRIGHT.

This was an action to recover the sum of 51. is. 6d.,
the balance of a promissory note trade by defendant, and
payable at seven days' sight, to ?laintiff or order, and
on which money was advanced by plaintiff.
The case was heard on the 28a July last ; and a ver-
dict having been given for the plaintiff, Mr. W. R.
Garry subsequently moved for a new trial, on the ground
that plaintiff had taken usurious %terest.
Mr. W. B. Davies, in reply, contended that the 2d
and 3d Vic., c. 37, called the Usury Act, did not refer
to these cases, and cited cases and the opinions of Sir F.
Pollock, Mr. Chitty, Mr. Gibbons, and Mr. Serjeant
Byles to that effect.
His Honour took time to consider his judgment, and
to-day refused the motion, with costs.

WEEKLY TRACT SOCIETY.—Mr. Rowland Elliott, who
for upwards of nine years held an appointment in the
corresponding department of the National Provincial
Bank of England, has recently been appointed corres-
ponding secretary to the above institution.
DEATH OF A SONNAMBULIST.—On Saturday an in-
quest was held in Ratcliffe on the body of John Bell
Parker, captain of the brig Newcastle, who, early on
Wednesday morning, lost his life in a fit of sonnam-
bulism. Deceased had for years been subject to this
habit, and on the morning named he rose, dressed him-
self, and set out from his house in Bromley-street, Com-
mercial-road East, towards the basin of the canal. He
was observed walking along, in an apparently dozing
state, and was seen to turn down a yard leading to one
of the wharves. In a few minutes there was an alarm
that a man was in the water, but before assistance ar-
rived he had disappeared, and it was not till after some
time that the body was taken out. Deceased had on
his person at the time 211. in notes and gold, some
silver, a watch, gold chain, and tooth-pick. A witness
identified the body, and said deceased was frequently in
the habit of walking miles in his sleep. Verdict—" Found
drowned."
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAIL-
WAY.—On Saturday morning the Deputy Coroner for
Middlesex and a jury met at Enfield, to inquire into the
circumstances touching the death of John Newson, aged
29, carpenter. It, appeared that on Tuesday evening
last the deceased accompanied some friends to the En-
field station, for the purpose of seeing them off by the
seven o'clock train. While taking leave of them the
London train was set in motion, and his foot slipping,
he fell down on the rails, and before he could recover
himself, the whole of the train passed over one of his
feet, crushing it in a most frightful manner. Assistance
was at once at hand, and the deceased having been con-
veyed home, medical aid was called in, when it was
found necessary to amputate the injured limb below the
knee. The poor fellow, how.ever, died the next morn-
ing. Verdict—" Accidental Death."
FIRE IN GOSWELL-STREET.—Yesterday afternoon,
between the hours of two and three, a fire broke out in
the premises belonging to Mr. Feret, haberdasher, car-
rying on business at No. 111, Goswell-street. In the
course of a few minutes after the alarm was given, seve-
ranlgelnagnidneosffiocfeL, orneadcohnedßrtihgeadsec,eanned. thatTh eof
fi
rtehme
eNnV e
ht
c•onf
E
found the whole of the stock in trade enveloped in
flames, but by great perseverance they succeeded in
getting the mastery over the fire, but not until the
valuable stock was nearly destroyed. The origin of the
fire is unknown,