The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-22 00:00:00

ASSIZE ILVt ELLIGENCE.

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UI T. - C riELMSFORD TCESDA r.

.14mes Pyke, alias Puke, aged 37,and Hannah Puke,
aged 27, were indicted for the wiltul murder of William
rryke, a child aged eleven years, by neglecting (as was
their duty) to provide him with sufficient food, warmth,
and nourishment, and by beating and ilf-using him,
thereby causing a mortal sickness and distemper, of which
be 'died.

Mr. M. CHAMBERS conducted the prosecution, and
stated the case to the Jury, and said, that it was one
which would require their most patient and anxious in-

qtury.

Mr. DOWLING defended the prisoners.
Mr. Charles Edward Blair deposed as to the state of
the child when he was brought to the Colchester Union
'Workhouse.

S trAh Gerard was then examined. She stated that
she lived next door to the prisoners, and remembered
seeing the deceased child at the time in question. It
was in a very dirty and wretched state. A few days
before the deceased was taken to the workhouse, she
heard the deceased shriek violently, and she then saw

the female prisoner running after it with a broomstick
in her hands. The child ran into the house, pursued
'thy the step .mother, and the shrieks were then renewed.
`II he deceased was not allowed to sleep in the house
with the prisoners, but slept in a barn or shed, which
had another fl for or ceiling, upon some wet straw.
Some pieces of wood were laid across, and the straw
Navas placed upon them, and the child was covered with
a piece of old sacking.

Ann King, unotfter witness, also vpcke to the
wretched state of the child, and proved that, notwith-
standing it was in that condition, the fe:nale prisoner
frequently brat it. The witness then detailed some other
instance of bad treatment.

Mr. Fos, the relieving officer, spoke to the miser-
able condition of the deceased child, and described the
place where it slept as being most miserable, and afford-
lag little or no protection from the weather.
Mr. Clark, another surgeon, was then called, and he
corroborated the evidence given by Mr. Blair. He
also expressed an opinion that the child's life might
lave been prolonged by care and attention, and said
Pilot the want of that care and attention would have
•aggravated all the symptoms of the child's disease. He
stilted that the immediate cause of death was the aberra-
tion of the intestine.

Lord ABINGER, baying conferred with the counsel
for the prosecution, said he must express his opinion
that the charge of murder could not be sustained. By
a recent Act of Parliament, however, the Jury had
another course open to them, and if they believed that
the prisoners, or either of them, had assaulted the de-
ceased, they could return a verdict to that effect.
The Jury, after a few minute,' deliberation, acquitted
11, male prisoner and convicted the female of an as-
suit. The Jury at the same time expressed their
opinion that both parties had been guilty of great in-
humanity towards the deceased.
Lord ABINGER sentenced the female to be im-
prisoned and kept to hard labour for twelve calendar
months.

THE cast OF THE TYRIAN.—The Grand Jury have
ignored the bill against Joseph Falmouth, the Captain of
the Mai:cheater steam-vessel, for the mans!aughter or the:
parties who- were drowned in the Tyrian, whet, that
vessel. was run down by the Manchester, off Cireenwieb.

,
MURDER AT A FRENCH I, A L.-R obillard,
a market porter, aged 19, aPP'.:eed before the Assize Court
charged with the murder of a female named Victorine Lelong,
a greengrocer, his inist;.es„
Robillard arid Victorine had lived
for some time toge"..ner. Hardly a day passed without public-
house quarrels, which were sometimes finished by stabs. Vic-
torine, who was no more than 17, was of a very violent disposi-
tion, e;ren drunk, and when so quite uncontrollable. In con-
sequence of this Robillard separated from her, and had com-
plained against her. The proceedings had commenced, but
+were set aside. In the month of March, Robillard renewed
ails connection with Victorine. The peace thus made was not
of long duration. Robillard reproached Victorine with un-
'faithfulness, on which she abused him, and threatened to stab
him. On the 18th of May they left the market in company
with other ti-alers to go to Belleville-. As they proceeded they
again quarrelled, and Victorine suddenly drew her knife to
strike Robillard. Her attempt was frustrated by her corn-
panions, who, snatching the knife from her, returned it to
Robillard_ Victorine was far from calm, and went into a
wine-house to buy another, but meeting a refusal she repaired
to the hest cutler's she saw on the road. The -company
entered the Bal du Sauvage, where they were supplied with
drink, and then began dancing. After several country
dances Robillard and Victorine left the room, and went up,
to the first flis.r. Victorine descended first. She had not
gone-dawn far before Rohillard gave her such a violent push
with, is font that she fell to the bottom of he staircase. She
t'.rned against him in a passion, but he came fresh upon her,
armed with a knife, which he plunged in her bosom. Viet°_
acne fell idsensib!e, and let fall from her hand a new knife of
small dimensions. Robillard disappeared. Victorine was car-
ried into the ball room, *hilst the assistance of a surgeon and
the commissary of police was obtained. Robillard soon came
back. Seeing his mistress in blood he appeared astonished,
and said, " Who has done this to Victorine ?" " Who but
you ?" replied an indignant voice from the crowd. Robillard
asked no further questions, and again left the room. Victorine
was bleeding, and she partially revived; but the wound being
of a serious nature, it was with difficulty she spoke. "It was
Robillard who killed me," were the only words she uttered,
The next day she died at the hospital. The President, in p
ting the case to the Jury, said they could_ express their oppinion
as to whether :here was provocation. The Jury found
Kobil-
-1a• d An by of murder, and negatived the question of provocation,
expi-c:t,ng, at the same time, their belief, of extenuating cir-
cumsiances in favour of the prisoner. Ile
.Court condemned
Robillard t) ten years' hard labour in public.—Gazette des
Tribunau.s.
CURIOUS DEPOSIT ON LANDS IN GLOU-
H Paris, grocer, St. of James's-street, in
this town, has received from a relation, in Gloucestershire, a
piece of a substance resembling cotton felt, which, it appears,
has been deposited, or produced, to a considerable extent, over
the land in some districts of the above-named county. The foi-
-1 iw rg extract from a letter, which Mr. Paris received with this
cui p•odu tion, will put the reader in possession of all the
i fo mation which we have relative to the • subject :—" I send
you enclosed a piece of vegetable cloth. It was taken from the
irface o. the land, near Leachlade, in this county, and was left,
it is supposed, a deposit from the water that was out so much
last season. Nothing of the sort was ever known before, hut
this sewn thousands of acres were covered with it, so that the
co inn y looks like a white carpet. Tne farmers were obliged to
employ work-people to rake it up in heaps and burn it to allow
the gra-s to prow. I can give you no further description of it
flan this. It sertainly is a vinosity, and, perhaps, some of the
I %rued in Liverpool can give some reason for its formation."
Mr. Paris has left a specimen of the substance at our office, and,
wele:lev-, he I,,rs taken a i ictse of it to the Mechanics' Lust:tn.
tion.4LiverPod AkrcurY•