The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-17 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME Ci RC UIT—IJERTFORD, TIIU RSDA r.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr.,..Baron GURNEY..

.
TILE RICKMANSWORTH CASE.—Henry Thompson (19),
a well-dressed young man, was indicted for feloniously
cutting and maiming Elizabeth Humphrey, with intent to
kill and murder, or to do her some grievous bodily harm.
Mr. CHAMBERS defended the prisoner.
Elizabeth Humphrey, a pretty looking young woman,
was sworn. She was very much affected and cried bitterly.
She deposed that she was eighteen years of age, and re-
sided at Rickmansworth. She was employed at St. Alhan's
silk mills, and had kn ,wn the prisoner for some time. He is
a shoemaker; they kept company for some time, and on the
evening of the sth of March they were together. She was
first in his company a little after six o'clock, and they
walked about till nine, At this time they were crossing a
field, and she suddenly felt something which turned out to
be blood trickling down from her throat. There was no
one but the prisoner in company with her. Finding the
blood running down she put up her apron to staunch it. She
did not remember saying anything to the prisoner, or he
to her. After this she walked home ; the prisoner did net
accompany her home. Witness did not know how much
blood she lost, but when she got borne she became faint,
and a doctor was sent for. A female named Charlotte
Fenell; assisted her home. On that night the prisoner
seemed different to what he generally was ; she had bad no
varrel with him whatever. They had been talking to-
gether end were good friends all the evening before this
took place. Witness afterwards found that her throat had
been cut.
Cross-examined—There was no struggle before this
took place ;it occurred in the field. The prisoner lived
nearly a mile from her house. Did not recollect hearing
the prisoner say that he was going to Rickmansworth.
The prisoner said that he expected a writ to be served upon
him, and appeared to her to be in trouble, and she told him
not to vex himself on that account. The prisoner did not
seem so merry on that day as usual ; she had said that she
did not think tthe prisoner on that night was in his right
mind, and it appeared to her that he was not. She had
seen him in the early part of that day, and she proposed
that they should have a walk in the evening. She did not
recollect whether he made any objection to it. She had
walked with him in the fields before this evening. After
she felt the blood trickling down she said something to the
prisoner, but did not recollect what it was.
By the COURT—Did not know tvhat induced her to think
that the prisoner was not in his right mind.
By Mr. CHAMBERS--She did not put her arm round the
prisoner's neck on this night, and kiss him before they
parted.
Four other witnesses were examined, who corroborated
the testimony of the prosecutrix. It appeared also from
the evidence of two of them that the prisoner had made an 1
at tempt on his own life.
Mr. Charles Jones deposed that he was a surgeon, and
on the evening in question he was called on to attend the
prisoner, whom he found at the Fox and Hounds public-
house; he had an ineised wound in the throat three-
quarters of an inch in depth, and three or four inches in
length. Ile had a razor on his person ; it was a very se-
rious wound, and his life was endangered by it. Ho was ill
for ,several days before he was able to be brought before
the Magistrates.
Cross-examined.—He was insensible when I first saw
him ; I dressed the wound, and ordered him to be taken
home immediately, and I went there and staid with him a
t able to talk
few hdoidurnsn,
tarnadaadvuerrinhgi
amaoesnt
seafa.th alt
it: mweashenwass convulsed,
the next morning. The prisoner was very much convulsed

EVENING EDI-TION.
: •

whenever I approached him, ancLfrom what I saw tsla
not think he was in his sound sease.s..:"
Mr. William Smith, another shfrEry.dpp9sed*-il't he
was sent for to attend upon the proseentrAt lat\ll4. vher's
house. On the right side of her throat there was a Woth,d
two inches in length and a quarter of au inch in depth ; it
appeared to have been made by a sharp irestrament, but
was not a dangerous wound. He saw the prisoner next
day ; he was greatly excited, and his answers were fre-
quently incoherent and irrational ; witness :asked him how
his throat was, and he said "quite well."
Cress-examined.—The prosecutrix was sufficiently ri.
covered in a fgv days to go before the Magistrates and
give evidence.
This was the case for the prosectition.

Mr. Baron GURNEY summed up the evidence, and left
the case in the bands of the jury,
The jury acquitted the prisoner on the ground that he
was insane at the time the offence was committed.

The prisoner was ordered to be detained in custody until
her Majesty's pleasure should be known respecting Lim.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.

Mr. Crouch, of No. 37, Southampton-buildings, ap-
plied to the Lord Mayor,' under rather extraordinary cir-
cumstances. lie represented, he said, a foreign gentle-
man, named Fischer, who resided at Chatham, and who
having been desirous of remitting 401. to his mother in
Switzerland, applied to Mr. E. J. Gough, the Manager
of the Chatham Bank, for a letter of credit to that amount,
and was, upon payment of the money, furnished with a
printed paper, whizh Mr. Gough filled up, and WIN as
follows :

Chatham Bank.
Chatham, April 10th, 1840.
To the Managing Director of the Britivh and Australagan.

Bank.

65, Moorgate.street, London.
Sir,—You will be pleased to credit Mrs. Fischer in the
sum of Forty Pounds, and honour her draft to that amount.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
E. J. GOUGH, Manager.

Entered, E. J. G.
£4O.
These words were followed by the following order,
which it appeared Mrs. Fischer signed in Switaerland :
Neuchatel in Swisse.
le 11 April, 1840.
The British and Australasian Bank.

55, Moorgatc..street, London.
Pay to Messrs. Waddingham, or bearer, Forty Potusda.
£4O.
His (applicant's) client, upon receiving the paper trans-
mitted it to his mother, in Switzerland, who obtained part
of the amount from a commercial house there, upon
the presumption that it was unexceptionable.. She was,
however, obliged to refund all she got, very much to her
inconvenience, for the document, upon being presented at
the British and Australasian Bank, .55, Moorga,te.street,
was repudiated, and the agency of Mr. GoughNs far as
regarded cash, was repudiated by the Managers of that
establishment. Thus the poor Swiss gentleman, whose
means were scanty, looked in vain for his 401, which he
had been induced to put into the hands of the Manager of
the Chatham Bank, upon the persuasion that he was the
agent of the British and Australasian Bank.
The LORD MAYOR, after having consulted with Mr.
Hobler, sent a messenger with his compliments to the ma-
nager of the British and Australasian Bonk, and a request
to speak with him.
Mr. Frederick Boucher, of the Bank alluded to, very
readily attended, and was followed by a partner in the
house of Messrs. Kearsey, Hughes, and Thomas, solicitors
to the establishment.

The LORD MAYOR having repeated the substance of the
statement of Mr. Crouch,

Mr. Boucher said that Mr. Gough had kept a proper
account with the British and Australasian Bank, but had
no right whatever to draw upon the establishment. He
(Mr. Gough) had been their agent, as far as regarded the
sale of shares in the concern, but had never been recog
nised as agent for any other purpose, and Mr. Fischer was
bound to look to the individual into whose hands he placod
his money, and whom the British and Australasian Bank
was at that moment suing for a balance due by him to the
establishment.

Mr. Crouch said that his poor client had paid his money
to Mr. Gough upon the strength of a printed paper, de-
tailing the various kinds of business transacted by the
British and Australasian Bank, and including the Chatham
Bank in the very long list of agents. He here exhibited
the paper which Mr. Boucher said at once was the adver-
tisement of the Bank. It was headed and introduced
thus :

THE BRITISH AND AUSTRALASIAN BANK.

(Incorporated with the Australasian Loan Company.)
Capital—One Million sterling.
In two series of shares of Twenty Pounds each, a por-
ion of which will be reserved for allotment in the colonies.

First Instalment, Five Pounds per Share.
DIRECTORS—F. Boucher, Esq., Managing Director;
W. H. Burnaud, Esq. ; G. Cox, Esq ; D. Fryett, jun.,
Esq. ; J. B. Gordon, Esq. ; G. S. Ogilvie, Esq. ; W.
H. Scarrett, Esq. ; W. Scott, Esq. ; G. Whitcornbe,
Esq.

i;;I:ti WATER AT ;.ONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW.
Morning......'3 tea after 4. I Evening ISO minutes atter 4