The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-10 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

The Court sat by adjournment yesterday morning at ten
o'clock, at the Guildhall, Westminster, for the disposal
of cases of felony and misdemeanour within the jurisdx-
tion of that district. Mr. Witham presided as chair-
man.

John Leach, a lad about fifteen years of age, was in-
dicted for stealing a loaf of bread.
_ _

The prisoner pleaded guilty, and said he committed
the offence under the influence of pressing hunger. He
had been deserted by his father.
The CHAIRMAN said this was one of those painful
cases where want too often induced crime. The disposal
of poor children like the prisoner was, he was glad to
say, now occupying the attention of the Legislature, and
he hoped they would not overlook in their deliberations
the adoption of some means for punishing parents who,
like those of the prisoner, turned their offsprings out on
the world with no resource to stave off starvation but
thieving. He should only sentence the prisoner to
fourteen dAys' confinement.
Mary Webb was indicted for an assault upon an old
Chelsea pensioner, named Joseph Atkinson, upwards of
ninety years of age.
It appeared that the prisoner lived with the prose-
cutor's son, and upon the old man entering the room
where they all resided, the prisoner rushed upon him,
and struck him several blows with a candlestick on the
side of the head. The landlord found him on the floor
in a pool of blood.-

The prisoner -;as found Guilty ; and sentenced to
three monthl: imprisonment, with hard labt,ur.
This case terminated the business of the session.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
OXFORD ClRCUlT—Gloucester. Ap'il 7.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Sergeant GAZELEE )
David Johns, 47, a sweep, was charged with bur
gloriously breaking open the dwelling-house of James
Trotman on the night of the 20th of February last, and
stealing therein a silver watch and other articles, the
property of James and William Trotman ; also with
having, at Miles, on the 21st, maliciously cut and
stabbed John Banning, with intent to murder him.
The prisoner pleaded guilty to the first charge, and
not guilty to the second charge.
John Banning examined—l saw the prisoner about
half past five in the morning. I was dressed in police-
man's clothes. When the prisoner saw me he turned
out of the path. When I was about to speak I received
a blaw from soma weapon on the side of my head. I
had a stick in my hand, and immediately retaliated, by
giving the prisoner several blows. Ile then succeeded
in getting my walking-stick. I wrested the stick from
the prisoner, and we wrestled together, and tell over one
of the bundl.-s. We were both down. After we had
been on the ground some time we both got up, and I
said, will you give yourself up? said no. I then
saw him put hi, hand by his side. I collared ',int, we
were hall standing up at this time. He made
a great runny stabs: 'I struck him with my staff. I
thought he was stabbing me with a knife. Ile stabbed
me twice on the chin. He afterwards took hold of my
st 4. Prisoner then cut my hand. We then fell, and
I made two blows at the prisoner. I threw him on the
ground on the right side: and I tried to get the knife. I
afterwards struck the prisoner's hand with my staff, and
got possession of the knite.—(The knife was here pro-
duced and presented a very formidable appearance.)—
We were both of us quite exhausted. I said to the pri-
saner, '` How are you?" He said, " Give me some
water." I said some one will be here directly. After-
with the prisoner struck the
produced. The stick was about
wards two persons came. up, and the prisoner was re-
To the handle were mt
prosecutor,e
ov
feetd . wed.—(The
a(nld'
wayf
st, e stick
h which
halfe r
length. in
sus-
pended eight or ten large bullets, by some thick twisted
cord.)
Other evidence was produced, leaving no doubt as to
the guilt of the prisoner, and
The jury, without a moment's hesitation, returned a
verdict of Guilty.
His LOIMSIIIP, on sentencing the prisoner, said—l
have some doubt whether you are not a person who
should have been hanged. I have no hesitation in be-
lieving that you would have murdered the prosecutor.
Sentence—Transportation for life.
The COURT, in ad lressing, Banning, said,—" Your
conduct has been commended by the grand jury, and
must be by everybody who has heard it. You have
shown yourself a very gallant officer ; and I hope the
reward I give you will not be all you will receive, and
that you will get on in your profession. Under all the
circumstances, the sum I feel warranted in awarding you
is 201."
Louisa Ferris, 29, was indicted for the wilful murder
of Patrick White, at St. Philip and Jacob, in the city and
county of Bristol, on the Ist of November last.
Mr. Skinner and Mr. Huddleston prosecuted, and Mr.
Keating defended the prisoner.
It appeared from the evidence that the deceased
(White) was a policeman, and cohabited with the pri-
soner, who is a married woman, but was separated from
her husband. Thee resided at a house in Lyon-street,
Bristol, in which also lived a young woman named Eliza-
beth. Jones, of whom it would seem the prisoner was
jealous, and under the influence of that nassion she com-
mitted the awtul crime which placed her at the dock to-
day. It seemed that on Sunday, Nov. 1. in the afternoon,
a air. Edwards, Mrs. Ferris's brother, with a friend
named Sainsbury, called at the house, and went into
the back parlour, where they had some be, r and rum,
which they sent out fur. White was there in his trou
sers, shirt, and slippers, smoking a pipe. Jones wen
up stairs and lay down on the bed. Soon after White
went out, and followed her up stairs, as it would seem.
Mrs. Ferris also left the room, and in a tew minutes re-
turned in a very excited state. White then cam- in, and
recommenced smoking his pipe. He had no neckerchief
on. The prisoner went into the kitchen and then came
towards deceased, she put her arm round his neck, and
the witness thought she was whispering to him. Imme-
diately afterwards they heard a groaning, and on look-
ing in the direction they saw White bleeding profusely
from the neck, and the prisoner holding her hand down
by her side. She went up stairs and met Jones. She
caught hold of her and blooded her dress with her
hand, saying, "I have a great mind to serve you the E
same." She then said to her brother Edwards, "Jew,drive me to the station." He put her in his fly, which
was at the door, and did so. The unfortunate deceased
crawled into the street on his hands and knees, and said
the prisoner had cut his throat. The people sent for a
doctor. White said, It is no use, lam dying, pray
.for
me." In a few minutes he was a corpse, and on going
into the room they found a pool of blood, with a broken
pipe in it, and a razor on the table. These were the
facts of the case.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty of manslaughter,
and
The Judge sentenced her to be transported for life.
On hearing the sentence her feeling of maternal
anxiety seemed to overcome all other considerations, as
with clasped hands she convulsively exclaimed, " Oh, my
Lord, mercy, for the sake of my
poor children—don't
banish me from them."

NORTII WALLS CI RClllT.—Chester, April 7.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice WtouTmAN.)
John Duckett, 33, was indicted for stabbing his wife,
Ann Duckett, with intent to murder her, on the 2d of
January, at Middlewich.
Mr. Trafford and Mr. Egerton were counsel for the
prosecution, and Mr. Temple for the defence.
It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner is a
boatman, and he and his wife had lived for some
time on very
ary last, there was a dance at the Rose and Crown,
unhappy terms. On the 2d of Janu-
in Middlewich, which was attended by both the
prisoner and his wife, they not having previously
seen each other for nearly a fortnight. The prisoner
seeing his wife in the room, went up to a person
in the room and requested him two or three times to
lend him a knife, which was refused. The prisoner,
however, went out of the room to the shop of a Mr.
Wise, where he purchased a large pocket-knife, and then
returned. Some one called fur a dance, and the prose-

•
cutrix got up amongst others for the purpose of dancing.
Whilst standing up speaking to the fiddlt r, the prisoner
went up to his wife, put his arm round her neck, and in-
ioted three stabs in her throat. Me was immediate►y
apprehended in the room with the bloody knife in his
hand. Mr. Johnson, surgeon, of Middlewich, was called
in to see the prosecutrix the same evening, and he then
found that one of the stabs had penetrated the windpipe
and gullet. From this wound the air from the lungs
and a portion of the contents of the stomach were escap-
ing when seen by Mr. Johnson.
Mr. TEMPLE addressed the jury with the view of re-
duein the offence, on the ground of the jealousy with
which it was supposed the prisoner regarded his wife's
conduct.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of the capital
offence, and judgment of death was ordered to be re-
corded against him, the Learned Jude intimating that
the least punishment he could expect was transportation
for life.

- - --------
POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MARLBOROUGH STREET.
James Richard Smythe, a person bearing the appear-
ance of a gentleman, was brought up to-day, charged
with annoying the persons riding out in Hyde-park.
Inspector B ,cket sou, of the A division, said a complisir
had been loclg( d at Scotland•yard on Thursday ru,rning
that a gentleman had been annoying, for near a month
past, the ladies and gentlemen riding out in the park,
in consequ.nce of which he went there about five on
Thurs,ley afternoon to observe what pissed. The de-
fendant wan pointed out to him as the person complained
of; he leant on the rail by the side of the S,r. entine,
Ouse to the carriage-way, and as the carriages passed he
thrust at the carriage windows with his cane. In one of
the carriages witness Sal,' a lady fall back, as if wincing
tram the cane, but the defendant on that spat at the car-
riage and ,ware "Go on you b—." lie c,altint.ed
this conduct from a quaver pa-r five till six o'cl-ek,
making a rude noise, when witness took him into
custAy.
Mr. EIARDWICK—WhO is the defendant ; is there any-
thing known of him ?

The defendant—l deny tucking any thrust at any
carriage whatever. It is true, I had a eine in my haud,
*JO was twirling it, as is my custom often in the street,
but I hid no wish or intent to annoy any one. I deny
having used coarbe language to any lady at all. I would
not do such a thing.
Mr. IlanDwren—Who and what are you ?—The de-
fendant—l am a physician in Sackville street, where I
have b en for the last ten years.
Mr. HARDWICK—Are there none of your friends
here ?—The defendant informed the Court that he h .d
been bailed out by his brother, who was immediately
sent for.

After the magistrate had seen the defendant's friends
in private, he was told it was the wish of his friends
that he should again go into the country, and the Court
gave him the option of c,mplying, or of finding sureties,
himself in CM, and two householders in 201. each, for
his good behaviour for the next three months. Mr.
Hardwick added, that if anything was wrong with his
mind, the public could not put up with any such an
noy ance.
The defendant said his mind was sound enough; he
had annoyed no one, and it was a great hardship to be
taken away from his duties or his recreation by a police-
man, and locked tip for two hours. That was punish-
ment before trial. He could not go to the country; his
ditties required his attendance in town; he supported
himself by his writings, and he had a work in hand at
that moment.

Mr. HARDWICK ultimately fined him 40s. fur the use
of bad language to passengers, and said, for the next
,Jffence he would be required to find substantial security
for his good behaviour for the next six months.
The defendant then left the court.

SOU! H WARE.
'William Amos, a fashionably attired man, was charged
with committing a violent assault on Sarah Ann Harris,
whose countenance exhibited proofs of the brutality
exercised towards her.

The prisoner had formerly lived with the complainant,
who was compelled to leave him owing to ill usage.
Irritated at her having quitted him, he committed a
violent assault on her, for which he was sentenced to
imprisonment. He had recently been liberated from
gaol, and meeting with the complainant in an unfre-
quented place on the preceding night, he struck her with
great force in the face, knocked her down, kicked and
beat her in a sham( ful mariner, and swore he would be
hung for her. He was taken into custody on the spot.
Mr. SECICER inflicted the full penalty of 51. on the
prisoner, and ordered him to find ample bail for his fu-
ture good behaviour.