The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-26 00:00:00

'EVENIN G, MAY 26, 1847.

LAW IN TELLIGEN CE.
COURT OF EXCHEQUEIi, May 25.
(Sittings in Banco.)

NEWSOM V. EDWARDS AND ANOTHER.-FORGERY OF

RAILWAY SCRIP.

Mr. Watson and Mr. Greenwood appeared to show
cause against a rule granted in the last Hilary term in
this case, on the ground that the forgery complained of
amounted only to a misdemeanour, and not to a felony.
Sir F. Thesiger and Mr. Humphries appeared in
support of the rule.
Mr. WATSON now contended; that as the scrip con-
tained a statement of money having been paid by crder
of the provisional committee of the Buckinghamshire
Railway, and signed by their agent, Mr. Wyndham
Harding, the secretary of the company, it was there-
fore an acquittance or receipt, the forgery of which,
under the Stamp Act, was made a felony. •
Mr. GREENWOOD followed on the same side.
The COURT decided that there wilt; no doubt whatever
that the forgery was an offence at common law, but that
it did not amount to a felony under the Stamp Act, and
their Lordships Were of opinion that a new trial ought
to be granted in this case.—Rule absolute.
(Sittings at Nisi Prius. before Mr. Baron PARKE and
, Middlesex Common Juries.)
His LORDSRIP disposed of several undefended causes,
and afterwards proceeded to hear motions.

SHERIFFS' COURT (Surrey), May 25.
(Before Mr. Under-Sheriff ABBOTT and a Sp, vial Jury.)

CRI3I. CON.-CANTLEY V. COOPER.
This morning a special jury were emparinolled at the
l3.•rns Tavern, Kennington, to assess the damages in this
ease, which was an action by which it was sought to recover
compensation in damages for injury sustained by the al-
leged criminal conversation between the defendant and
the wife of the plaintiff.
The damages were laid at 10,0001., and there were a
largo number of witnesses in attendance.
Sir F. THESIGER, with Mr. Peacock, appeared for
the plaintiff ; and Mr. Edwin James for the defen-
dant. The plaintiff and the defendant are both majors
in the army, and have, it was stated, seen much service
in India.

bir MESMER said that the present proceedings
had been taken for the recovery of damages by way of
compensation ; if, indeed, any compensation could be
given fur such a woeful injury, for an act of criminal
conversation which had been committed by the defen-
dant with the wife of the plaintiff, his client. But he
might at once state that as the object of the plaintiff
43, these proceedings was, as the wife had dishonoured
her husband by the commission of a breach of the
•narri ,ge fidelity, simply to take the nece.sary steps
fur the procurement of a divorce, he trusted his Learned
Friend who appeared on behalf of Major Cooper, the
he defendant, would not offer any opposition to the
nurse which he had already suggested—the inure so
as the fact of the adultery had been admitted on the
record—namely, that the damages should be taken for
1,0001.

EDWIN JAMES, on behalf of the defendant, said
hat in all these cases there were counixions of both
ourties to a hom an exposure of the circumstances of such
a transaction could not tail to cause unnecessary pain.
With a view, th,refore, of avoiding that exposure and of
nfluiting that unnecessary pain, and also of not offering
sny impediment to the severance of an union which must
in future be attended with nothing else but misery and
remorse to the parties, he had advised his client to con-
sent to a verdict for the am,,unt whicti had been named
by his Learned Friend Sir F. Thesiger. 'Most certainly
,tpon the record there was an admission of the guilt of
he defendant, his client. There might, nevertheless,
:xist some circumstances which were calculated very
considerably to palliate and to mitigate that guilt, but
jnasmuch as that pain could not but be inflicted upon
n►any innocent parties if the details of this unhappy case
were gone into, he hoped he was advising his client to
adopt a course which was not in any way inconsistent
with his honour as a soldier, or with his character as a
gentleman, nor contrary to the feelings which ought to
situate him as a man.

A verdict was then taken by consent, or rather, the
damages were by consent assessed at 1,0001.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
GUILDHALL.
A young man, dressed in a sort of see-ening attire,
who gave the name of Captain John Bowers Spence, of
;he 89th Regiment, was brought before Mr. Alderman
Mom, charged with stealing four cigars, the property of
Morris Lee.
Lewis Levy, in the service of Mr. Lee, a tobacconist,
in Holborn, stated that the prisoner came into the shop
about eight o'clock that morning, and asked for some
cigars. Pointing to a particular lot, he asked if they
were pretty good. Witness told him they were, and he
ordered 2L aorth. He also selected some snuff and
ohaceo, and catching up a-few cigars in his hand, was
leaving with the vague direction to send the goods on,
And be would pay the man the money. Witness re-
minded him that he had given no aildress yet, and as he
lied not paid anything, he could not allow him to
alee any portion of the cigars. He wies onle a servant,
Mid it would be irregular to do business in that way.
The prisoner replied he would give file address, " Capt.
Spence. 89th, Dover; if not there, elsewhere." Witness
asked where he was stopping in town. He described
the Saracen's Head, Snow-hill, but appeared not to
know the name. Witness offered to accompany him
there with the goods, but when they came to the inn
the prisoner refused to enter, but told him to go there
and wait for about an hour, and he would come to him.
Witness of course diii not assent to that, and continued
walking with the prisoner till he met a policeman, when
he gave him into .custody. The four cigars witness saw
him take, and three,c.),iher.-, were found in his noesessieu.
The land) of t,he,Sarticen's Head Hotel attended,
and staled that he. knew nothing.of the prisoner.
The ALDERMA:4, inquired it any thing was found on
him, to show that he had given a correct description of
himself ? The officer said he had neither money nor
papers.
Mr. Alderman Moots asked the prisoner it he had any
friends ?—He said he hal, at Clifton.
The ALDERMAN asked him where he slept the night
last ?—He replied at Cheltenham.
The officer stated that the prisoner had paid Mr.
Lamplough, the chemist, on Holborn-bridge, a visit the
same morning, and ordered a quantity of Eau de Cologne
and lavender water. •
The prisoner expressed some surprise that be ceti!d
not go into a shop and order goods, without being set
down for a thief.
Mr. Alderman Moots asked him if be had any expla-
nation to offer as to ordering these cigars to be sent to a
place where he was not known, and making it a pretext
to take four cigars ? The prisoner replied, " Upon my
soul I don't think they are worth talking about," and he
stepped out of the dock as if he thought he might sq
finish the matter, but
The ALDERMAN remanded him till Saturday, to as-
certain the state iif hie mind, and if he had any friends.
W ESTMINSTER.
John Gorman, Dennis Gorman, James Cdrer, and
John Gilbert, tour powerful Irish labourers, were charged
with havirg, in cennexien with several others not in
custoty, committed the following desperate and murder-
ous assault -e and Ellen Gorman and Cutheriae Gorman
were also charged with assaulting the police, and
.at-
tempting to rescue the male prisoners.
Matthew Minter, a labourer employed on steam-boats,
whose face was dreadfully disfigured, and who was so
much injured oth.rwise as to be scarcely able to get into
the witness-box, said—l went t: the Flask, in Ebtry;
,quare, last evening, and sat down in the taproom" for
about five minutes. On leaving I wished one of the
prisoners g iod night, but had no sooner done so than
the male prisoner Gorman jumped over the table and
kicked me dreadfully in the head and body. I centrived
to get out and returned with two policemen, when they
11, at me again, and I crawled out, or I should have been
killed.
Mr. Gregory West, dairyman, York-street, 'Westmin-
ster, after describing the first part of the assault, said—
When the young man was down John Gorman and Gil-
bert kicked and jumped upon him. Mr. Brown, the
landl seed, immediately sent for the police, but before they
came with his messenger the you- g man (Minter), who
rm.' contrived to get away from the prisoners, returned
with two constab es. On their entering the room the
prisoner Offer flew at one of them in the most sevaee
mariner, grasped him violently, and seizing a quart pot
struck him on the head with it. A scene then ensued
which beggars description. They were all in such fierce
conflict that it is impossible to say what occurred. The
officers were so cut and wounded that it was impossible
for them to take the prisoners, but a great force having
at last arrived the prisoners were overpowered.
Mr. Brown, the proprietor of the Flask, proved that
finding the prisoner's party too strong for the police, he
immediately sent for more, and fifteen or sixteen came
down. The heads of the policemen were dreadfully cut,
and one, as he had since learned, was in a vary dangerous
conditi. in.
James Hubbard, 122 B, said --On arriving at the
Flask with Minter, who had marks of having been much
beaten, he pointed out Coffer as one of the men who
had ill-treated him, when Coffer immediately jumped
over the table and struck him very violently in my pre-
sence. I immediately laid hold of Cefter and told him
I should take him to the station, when he replied, " You
can't ; anti now I'll give it to you." Dennis German
then came behind me with a quart pot and wounded me
severely with it on the head. I turned round to defend
myself in the best way I could, when Coffer jumped on
the table and kicked me several times on the beck part
of my head, and I also saw him kick another constable,
156 B. Coffer also struck me several times with his
fists, and Dennis Gorman struck me repeatedly with a
quart pot, and I was also struck several blows with a
poker or iron bar.
The iron bar, which was square and of considerable
thickness, with sharp edges, was produced, and was
marked with blood. There were also several quart pots
exhibited, battered into various forms by the violence
with which they had been used.
Witness continued—John Gorman and Gilbert also
attacked and beat me. Catherine Gorman came behind
me and kicked me and tried to drag me away. My
hands and arms are much hurt with the blows I re-
ceived. I drew my truncheon and used it, but only as
little eel could help. I was knocked and kicked out of
the room with. constable 156, and we were shut out.
There were several others in defendants' party, but they
made their escape out of the window. I went to Mr.
Churchill, who diessed my wounds, and after. that I
went to the hospital.
Isaac Trevitt, 156 B, who accompanied the last con-
stablb to the house, confirmed his statement, and added
—I saw Coffer strike constable 122 B three or four
blows. He then jumped upon the table and kicked me
several times on the back of the head, and we had a tre-
mendous fight. Coffer and the Gormans struck the
other constable with quart pots, and we were obliged
to leave the room. When more. police arrived we
burst jn the door, and then another dreadful fight
ensued, the prisoners and their party using -the pots,
poker, and everything that watt moveable m the mote,

against us, and we were obliged to use our truncheons.
After some time we succeeded in taking the four de-
fendants into custody. They hal been drinking, but
were not drunk.

William Dignan, 102 B, said—l went to Oe house
with 148 B, and seeing the two constables there ill-used
we went in. Coffer immediately struck me on the nine
head with a quart pot and wounded me. Dennis Gor-
man also struck me with a quart pot. I received blows
from others with quart pots.
Mr. BRODERIP (poitoing, to the battered quart pots
produced)--Were the pots bent in that way by inflecting
the wounds?

Witness—Yes, and in striking the constable.
Michael Cary, 161 B, said—John Gorman hit me
with a quart pot about the bid) ; he also kicked me
several times.

Charles Chinn, 63 B, said—l saw Coffer strike 102,
and John Gorman 151 B, with pots. He (Gormal)
kicked me so severely that I was obliged to go to a
doctor, and am now disabled. (Witness had his arm in
a sling.) Ellen Gorman tried to rescue John G )rinan
from me and incited the mob by using very viol-nt
language outside the house.

Mr. Churchill, of Burron-street, Pimlico, proved hay.
ing,attended to Hubbard's wound on the head, which
was not dangerous. It must have been a very heavy
blow that he had received, and a quart pot- would cause
such a wound.

Mr. Taylor, an inspector of the B division, having put
in a certificate from St. George's Hospital, stating that a
constable was lying there with two mall) wounds,
Mr. linonEal . it,lied the prisoners what they had to
say? when they made the following remarks:—
John Gorman—Half they have said is not right.
Dennis Gorman—l say just the same ; I never used a
pot.

Coffer—lt's no use talking.
Gilbert—Those that hit me I hit.
The women denied that they had taken any part in the
affray.

Mr, BRODERlP—Pisoners at the bar, it is my duty to
remand you for re-exaarn.stion .r the murderous attack
upon the police until Saturday. I will take bail for the
women; but the case is of by far too serious a nature for
me to take bail for the male prisoners.
The witnesses in attendance were then bound over to
prosecute the prisoners at the Central Criminal Court.
The object of the remand of the prisoners is, of course,
to give the wounded constable, now in St. George's Hos-
pital, an opportunity of making his statement.