The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-18 00:00:00

NORFOLK ClRCUlT—Bedford, July 17.
The business of the assizes for the county of Bedford
commenced this morning before Mr. Baron Parke in the
Nisi Prius Court, and Mr. Justice Maule in the Crown
Court. The civil business consisted of two causes, one
of which was referred, while the other, after giving rise
to a question of some nicety touching the power of a
judge at Nisi Prius to amend the record, was disposed of
by the defendant submitting to a verdict. The calendar
contains the names of seven prisoners, of whom one is
charged with arson, one with infanticide, one with rape,
and the rest with larceny.
CROWN COURT—(Before Mr. Justice Ma.ITLE.)
William Francis Gilbert was indicted for having stolen
two pieces of deal, two pieces of wood, forty pounds of
lead piping, and 200 tiles, the property of the Duke of
Bedford.
Mr. O'Malley. and Mr. Tozer appeared for the prose-
cution ; Mr. Wells and Mr. Fitzpatrick defended the
prisoner.
The prisoner has been for twenty-five years a tenant
of the Duke of Bedford, occupying two farms, one called
the Horsernoor Farm, and the other the hundreds; the
former of which has been in the occupation of some
member of the prisoner's family for nearly forty years.
In the month of October last the buildings and stock on
the Horsemoor Farm, which was insured in the sum of
1.000/., were consumed by fire, and damage done to the
amount of nearly 1,2001. Immediately after the fire
measures were taken by the Duke of Bedford's agents
for restoring the buildings, and a large quantity of mate-
rials was removed from the stores at Woburn for that
purpose. It was a portion of these materials which the
prisoner was charged with taking.
For the defence it was urged that the taking had been
for the purpose of using the wood for the benefit of the
prosecutor, and under a well-grounded belief that neither
tile prosecutor nor his agents would disapprove of it. A
great number of witnesses was called, and deposed to
the high character of the prisoner, and to his having
filled with credit, and for a long time, the chief parochial
offices.
The prisoner was acquitted.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HO USE.
Jane Gavin was brought before the Lord Mayor, upon
the charge of having attempted to extort money from a
gentleman engaged in commercial pursuits, and resident
in the City.
The prisoner, it appeared, called with a child in her
arms, at the complainant's counting-house, on Saturday,
and asked for a gentleman who had formerly been there.
Upon being told that he had gone away, she said " Oh,
faith, then you will do as well," and handed to the corn
plainant a paper, soliciting subscriptions for a person
afflicted with sore eyes. Believing that he had been
humbugged by a former visitor who carried the very
same same baby, ho refused to take the peti-
tion into his " humane consideration," and told her
his candid opinion of her character and trade. When
the door was shut in her face she retired for a little
while, but it was only that she might prepare herself
for a more vigorous attempt upon his pocket. Finding
that there was more difficulty in gaining admittance
on her second application, she cried out, " Oh, upon
nay soul, if you don't let me in, I'll leave your child
at the door, for you know as well as I do that it's your
own."—(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR—Did you ever see the woman be-
fore? Complainant—Never; and when I told her she
was an impudent impostor, she said " You -- it's
your own, and every one says its like you." I then
called a policeman, and gave her into custody. The
prisoner's husband, when she was deposited in the sta-
tion-house, called to beg for her liberation, and said she
had made the false charge when she was lushy (in-
toxicated).
The LORD MAYOR—Is her husband here? The pri-
soner—He's no husband of mine. He's only a man that
lives with me.
The L. LAID ALLYOR—She is a most gross and dan-
gerous impostor, and I shall put her out of the way of
doing much mischief for some time. Prisoner, you must
go to Bridewell for six weeks to hard labour.
BOW-STREET.
Three young men, named John Bidwell, John Nold,
and William Follett Lynge, clerks employed in the Fo-
reign-office, Downing-street, were placed at the bar be-
fore Mr. Hall, the first being charged with assaulting a
constable of the B division, and the others with dis-
orderly conduct, and obstructing the officer in the eate-
cution of his duty.
Constable Goff, .50 B, stated that he was on duty
about one o'clock on Sunday morning in Cockspur-
street, where he saw the prisoners, in company with
several others, passing, and observing a young man
commit a nuisance at the hall-door of a silversmith in
Warwick-street, he remonstrated with him, and took
hold of him for the purpose of removing him, when the
prisoner Nold laid hold of him by the collar in such a
manner as to nearly choke him, and in consequence of
the interference of the others, who kept shoving along,
and otherwise obstructing him, the prisoner effected his
escape. The prisoner Bidwell then struck him several
times on the hat with his stick; and constable 87 having
come up, he gave Bidwell into charge, while he obtained
the assistance of a third constable to take the others to
the station.
Mr. Snell, a solicitor, said he was instructed to admit
the assault upon the constable, contending that the ob-
struction was caused by the harsh conduct of the officer
towards the young man he had in custody.
Mr. HALL ordered each to pay a fine of Si., or a
month's imprisonment. The fines were immediately
paid and the prisoners discharged.
MARYLEBONE.
John Newman, a labourer, aged 50, was charged be-
fore Mr. Broughton with having caused the death of
Anne Fitzpatrick, a woman with whom he had been co-
habiting as his wife.
From the evidence adduced it appeared that between
twelve and one o'clock that morning policeman 132 1),
while on duty at Lower-place. Willesden, was attracted
by the screams of the deceased. He immediately ran to
the bank of the canal and saw the woman Fitzpatrick in
the water. She struggled for some minutes to keep her-
self afloat, but soon sunk and was drowned. The de-
ceased was heard to say to the prisoner, who was stand-
ing upon the bank of the canal while she was struggling
in the water, "You rogue, Newman, you have done for
me!" The man and woman had been noticed quarrelling
shortly before, adjacent to the canal.
In his defence, prisoner said deceased threw herself
into the water.—Remanded for a week.