The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-19 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—DERnr, MARCH 17.
EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN COURT.—SUTTON V. SUTTON.
This action was brought on a warranty to recover tho value
of a horse, warranted. This cause possessed no particular
features of interest in itself, except to the parties concerned,
the complaint on the part of the plaintiff being that the defen-
dent had sold him a horse, for which he paid the sum of 751.,
the animal proving within a fortnight after the purchase had
taken place to be a rank roarer. The evidence had been
heard both for the plaintiff and the defendant, and Mr. Bal-
guy was proceeding in his address to the jury, in reply, when
a noise was heard as of something very heavy falling, upon
which one or two of the more timid of the fair sex screamed
out, the rest soon joined in the cry, and a sudden panic having
seized the minds of most of the persons assembled in the body
of the Court, a simultaneous rush was made for the doors, the
rumbling noise above continuing seemed rather to increase
than to allay the excitement, almost every one believing the
roof of the building or the walls supporting the same were giv-
ing way, and now the terror which had been raised at first only
in the minds of the mobility seemed to infect special jurymen,
barristers, and all, while even the Learned Judge seemed to
have a tincture of fear in his countenance. Be that as it
may, all were struggling (save one gentleman of the long
robe whom we observed kept his place during the whole
time the confusion reigned, and was trying to still the same
by calling on the people to keep their seats) to escape.
Some secreted themselves under the table, one gentleman
lost his gown, another his wig, and in less than two mi-
nutes' time not one remained (save the individual to whom
we alluded) to mark what had been. A more effectual
clearance could not have been effected had a magician's
wand been called in aid, and thou who so lately were ga-
thered together to debate upon and decide whether the horse
" Ironsides" was a " roarer" at a certain time or not, now
thought no more of the subject-matter in dispute than of
their grandmothers' graves. However, as the walls still re-
tained their respective positions and the roof remained in
statu quo, the alarm gradually subsided, people by ones and
twos began to crawl back into Court, and had leisurelo ascer-
tain their respective losses. Innumerable were the shawls,
bonnets, boas, hats, gloves, gowns,and wigs, that had either
been lostor suffered damage ; but, beyond several ladies fainting,
no serious injury occurred. The panic created was so great
that individuals dropped from the balcony or outside galleries,
a considerable distance in height, into which the galleries in
the interior of the court led. The cause of the alarm was
found to be this :—A vane fixed on the outside of the hall
above the roof of the building had fallen upon the glass form-
ing the outside covering to the top of the Nisi Pir us Court,
which is lighted from above. This created the panic in the
first instance, and the noise occasioned by the vane and broken
glass in their descent on the outside, increased it to the pitch
we have stated. Quiet, in about half an hour, being resto-
red, the business proceeded, and a verdict was found for the

HOME CIRCUIT.—MdIDSTONE, MACH 18.
GRIM. CON.-BASS V. MARSH.
The plaintiff in this action sought to recover damages from
the defendant, for criminal conversation with his wife.
Mr. TuEssmEtt stated the case. The plaintiff was a young
28 years of age, and practised as a solicitor at Dover, and