The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-05 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

Janes Pearce, a powerful young fellow, was
brought up before Mr. Han-mill, charged with the
following brutal assault upon a decent-looking widow,
named Mary Anne Webb, living in Coventry-street,
Spitalfields

The complainant stated, that while the prisoner's
daughter was at her house on Friday evening she
missed some money, and mentioned its loss to the
girl, and whilst seated in her parlour on the next
evening, at eight o'clock, the prisoner entered in a
state of great excitement, and accused her of having
charged the child with robbing her. She denied that
she had dune so, though no one but the girl was
present when it disappeared, and the prisoner, without
hearing and thing further, instantly called her a most
disgusting epithet, and struck her such a terrible blow
in the face that she dropped to the ground, with the
blood pouring over her dress. With some difficulty
she recovered her feet, and, as he evidently intended
to further maltreat her, clung to his clothes for sup-
port, upon which he again struck her violently, flung
her out into the street, and she became so perfectly
senseless that she had not the slightest recollection of
anything else that subsequently occurred.
A woman named Francis White stated, that while
passing the complainant's house at the time in ques-
tion, she saw the prisoner throw the woman nut into
the street, and at the same time strike her such a
violent blow in the face that she fell to the pay' ment
perfectly senseless. Witness instantly ran up and
raised her, and whilst she was lying in a state of
thorough unconsciousness in her arms, the prisoner
again renewed his attack upon her, and struck her
three or four other violent blows, one of which so
shockingly cut her e 3 e that witness and another
woman were obliged to support her to a neighbouring
surgeon's, upon recovering her senses, to have her
injuries dressed.
A second woman, named Anne Smith, confirmed
the evidence of those preceding, and described the
prisoner's conduct as ferocious in the extreme. The
blow she saw levelled at her was a " most dreadful"
one, and struck„the complainant down instantly, the
blood flowing profusely from the gash it inflicted.
The prisoner, in defence, said that his feelings be-
came very much exasperated at what he understood
to be an insinuation of dishonesty against his daugh-
ter, and that on hearing its denial from the com-
plainant, he acknowledged he struck her, but he did
so under strong provocation, and she struck him
first. In eupport of this assertion he called a person
named Langley, and his daughter, Jane Pearce, but
the former described that the attempt to hit and
scratch his face by the woman was not made until
she had raised herself from the ground after recover-
ing from one of his blows, and acknowledged that he
struck her three or four other blows afterwards.
Mr. HAMYILL characterised it as a most brutal
and unmanly outrage, and sentenced the prisoner to
pay the highest amount of penalty it was in his
power to impose—namely, 51., or in dr fault to stand
committed to the house of Correction for two
won thS.

The prisoner was unable to pay the penalty, and
was therefore carried off in the van.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE
OF TUESDAY.
WIIITELIALL, DEC. 3, 1848.

The Queen has been pleased to appoint the Reverend
Archibald Campbell Tait, D.C.L., to the Deanery of the
cathedral church of Carlisle, void by the promotion of
Doctor Stmuel Hinds, late Dean thereof; to the
Bishopric of Norwich.
The Queen has also been pleased to present the Rev.
Thomas Dainty, Master of Acts, to the Prebend of
lifflon, ex parte Decani, founded in the cathedral church
of Lichfield, void by the promotion of Dr. Waite: Augustus
Shirley, sicco deceased, to the bishopric of Sodor and
Mn.m

The Gazette contains a notice from the Speaker of the
of Commons for a new writ fur the election of a
Member for the borough “f New Shoreham, in the room
of the late Charles Goring, E.q.
Commission, by the Lord Lieutenant of Kincardine.
The Right lion. Francis Alexander Earl of Kinture
to be Deputy-Lieutenant; Sir Alexander Burnett, Bart.,
to be Deputy-Lieutenant, Nov. 1.
Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Dorsetshire.
William Lockyer Freemna, Esq., M.P., to be Deputy -
Lieutenant; Henry Ralph Willett, Esq., to be Deputy-
Lieutenant, Nov. 29.
Cnautoission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire.

The Earl of Chester's Regiment of Yeomanry
Ouvalry—Joseph Leigh, Elq., to be Cornet, vice Wor-
thington, promo:ed, Nov. 30.
WHITEHALL, Nov. 27.
The Lord Chancellor has appointed Henry Webster,
of Sheffield, in the county of York, Gent., to be a Master
Extraordinary in the High Court of Chancery,

WHITEHALL, Nov. 29.
The Lord Chancellor has appointed Peter Cox the
younger, of Beaminster, in the county of Dorset, Gent.,
to be a Master Extraordinary in the High Court of
Chancery. • .