The Sun.
London, England, 1836-04-11 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.-TIUNTOY, APRIL 7.
NISI PRIUS COURT.-THE KING V. WATTS.

The defendant was a farmer, residing in the parish of
Freshford. In 1833, 1834, and 1835, was churchwarden
of that parish, and by virtue of that office was overseer of
the parish, and the charge against him was for a criminal ne-
glect of his duty while holding that office. Defendant was ac-
cused of a neglect of duty in not providing maintenance ge-
nerally for the poor, and necessary advice in case of sick-
ness. One of the persons was named Harriet Nims. At
Freshford the poor-house was not one large building,
but consisted of several cottages, and in one of these
this poor woman was placed. In January, 1835, a se-
vere illness came upon her, and no provision suitable
to the occasion was made ; the room, at an inclement
season of the year, being left without warmth. At the time
the illness came on, certain gentlemen having heard of the
condition of the woman, visited her, and found her com-
plaining of cold and hunger, and they were so satisfied of
the grounds of it that they gave notice to the defendant to
call a meeting of the parishioners, to see whether relief
should not be afforded her, but he chose to refuse. He did
not go and visit her upon any occasion, but left her in the
condition he had particularly described, and in that condi-
tion in about a fortnight or three weeks the unfortunate
woman died. The Learned Counsel then adverted to
several other cases.

Colonel Napier— Is a resident at Freshford. Knows the
cottages for the poor. In 1835 went to them, accompanied
by Mr. Edwards.. Saw Harriet Nims. She was in one of
those cottages, up stairs. She was in a room about twelve
feet by eight, lying on a bed about two feet from the win-
dow. There was no fire-place in the bed-room. There
was not a whole pane of glass in the window, and many
were quite out. The weather was very cold. She had a
sort of thin quilt, and a garment of cotton, which was so
thin that it did not appear like bed-clothes. She was
raised in bed, leaning on her elbow, and was naked
down below her bosom. She complainly bitterly of cold,
and said she was dying. He could count every
bone in her skin. She was the very picture of
despair and misery. She said that she had lost the use
of her arm from the cold from the window. There
was a most horrible stench in the room, such as to make him
sick. It appeared to him that the weakness was the result
of starvation and misery, and not of old age. He gave her
money and ordered her food. She died the 24th of January.
Knows the idiot Thomas Hill. He was extremely ragged,
his feet and legs were bare, lying in a wet ditch, extremely
filthy. Witness afterwards saw him in the poorhouse, and
he was not in a condition to take care of himself. Saw him
in the poor cottage with his father. They were sitting to-
gether. He did not appear to have a shirt on, and his
coat was ragged. His person was filthy in the extreme.
The cottage was extremely filthy, and the father was sitting
*ith a sack over his shoulders. There did not appear to
be any furniture in the room. The windows were all
broken. At the approach to these cottages were heaps of
human filth and bones, between which a person could hardly
get. You could smell the stench at a distance of 100
yards. Witness never saw so miserable a place.
Other evidence was adduced, after which—

Mr. BARON BOLLAND then summed up, and the jury
found the defendant Not Guilty.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.

POST-OFFICE ROBBERY.—jaines Barnes, aged 45, a
man of highly respectable appearance, was indicted for that
he, being employed in the General Post Office, did feloni-
ously secrete several letters, and embezzle the sums of
Bs. 4d., 7s. 101, and 4d., which came into his hands by the
virtue of his office.

In this case, which was not concluded on Saturday when
we went to press, _ .. . .

. -
The Jury retired, end after an absence of one hour, re-
turned into Court, and found the prisoner Not Guilty.
The prisoner will be tried on four other indictments for
similar offences on Monday.
NiontsoN's PlLLs.—On the Recorder taking his seat at
five o'clock, Robert Salmon, the hygeist, was brought up for
judgment.
The RECORDER, at considerable length, adverted to the
trial. He considered defendant's conduct, in administering
the medicine termed Morison's Pills, a gross act of wanton-
ness and rashness. It was proved that he had not a medi-
cal education, and was therefore ignorant of the nature and
properties of the medicine he so administered. He then
sentenced the defendant to pay a fine of two hundred
pounds, and to be imprisoned until it be paid, adding that,
on a repetition of the offence, the case would wear a very
different aspect.
The fine was paid, and the defendant discharged.