The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-11 00:00:00

were vacant and wild, and her countel-,,a;:ce hagg,r3, and
from what ho s--.•,v t o w.7_s her mini was
airccted, at d he i:t qttene, gave directions tint the
child should net be given to her, and that she should be
kept perfectly quiet, and act be permitted to be alone.
The witness concluded his et.iilenee by expressing an
opinion that at the time the prisoner destroyed the child
she was not aware what she was doing., or, if she were,
that she was incapable of coatrollitig her actions.
Lord DENMAN aslad the witness whether he Ras of
opinion that when the prisoner sent for the child she
was not aware what she was about ? The witness said
it was his opinion that the prisoner might have known
that she was going to kill the child, but that at the
same time was not aware of the nature of the act
she was about to commit. In point of fact, that she
acted under a sudden and uncontrollable impulse of the
mind.

Lord DENmaN—Do you call it a sudden impulse of
the mind when a person deliberately calls for a child,
and then suffers a quarter of an hour to elapse before the
razor is asked for with which the injury then appears to
be deliberately inflicted? Witness—l am of opinion
that she committed the act under an uncontrollable im-
pulse acting upon a mind previously diseased.
Lord DENMAN then addressed the jury, and said that,
after this evidence, he had no doubt they would come to
the conclusion, which it was intended to convey, that
the prisoner, although she had, no doubt, committed the
set imputed to her, was not legally responsible for it.
He must, however, express an opinion, that the judgment
of the medical gentleman had been very rashly formed.
How could any f•rson dive into the mind of another,
and express an opinion with regard to its being in an
unsound state, when there was no f vidence of any
alteration of conduct, or any circumstances in the case
to show alienation of mind? He said this on account
of the great danger that would prevail to human
life, if people were to be taught that a sudden
impulse was to be an excuse for a crime, and that the
atrocity of the off, nee itself was to be adduced as an
argument in support of such a supposition. Lie could
not help thinking that such opinions were too often
given by scientific men upon tco slight fettruistion for
the safety of the public ; but as he felt that in this in-
stance there was no doubt but the jury would act upon
the testimony of the medical gentleman who had been
examined, it would be useless to proceed any further
with the inquiry.
The jury accordingly returned a verdict of Not Guilty,
on the ground of insanity.
• John Roberts, 21, Thomas Folks, 17, and George Butler,
20, three miserable looking lads, were indicted for a
burglary in the dwelling-house of Lucy Marshall, and
stealing some silver money and other articles, her pro-
perty.
Mr. Glyn prosecuted.

- -
It appeared that the prosecutrix is a widow, and she
occupied, with her sister, a cottage in a lonely position,
near the village of Stansted Mountfichet. In the dead of
the night of the 25th February she was awoke by hear-
ing a noise in her sister's bad-room, and upon going to
see what was the matter, she found her sister in bed in a
state of great alarm, and the prisoners Folks and
Roberts were in the room, the former with a large
dinner-knife in his hand. When they saw the p-rose-
cutrix they demanded her money, and took away from
her a pocket which contained about seven shillings.
They then asked for grub, and regaled themselves with
some food, and drank a bottle of home-made wine, after
which they teld the presecutrix to go to bed, again
threatening her with violence if she gave any alarm, and
they said they should leave a " watcher" outside to see if
she disobeyed their injunctions. The prisoners then
went away, but were apprehended shortly afterwards
with part of the stolen property in their possession, and
it appeared pretty eleatly that Butler was outside the
cottage watching, as they stated, while the others were
committing the robbery.
The prisoners were found Guilty, and Roberts and
Butler, who had been before convicted of felony, were
sentenced to be transported for fifteen years, and Folks
was ordered to be kept to hard labour for eighteen
months.

OXFORD ClRCUlT.—Worcester, March 9.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice PATTESON.)

Mr. Justice Cresswen being again called from the
duties of his circuit by the continued indisposition of his
sister, Mr. Sergeant Trifourd set in the Nisi Prins Court,
and assisted Sir J. Patteson in disposing of cases from
the criminal calendar. _ _ _

George Box and George Tolley were indicted for a bur-
glary in the dwelling.house of William Ashford, at
Hales Owen, on tke night of the 22d of November, and
stealing twenty-three sovereigns, a fowling-piece, and
other articles theicfrorn.

Tit appeared that the prosecutor, with his wife, two
old people between sixty and seventy years of age, living
in a lonely part of a commen,l were alarmed about two
o'clock in the morning, by hearing a n,,ise made by the
entrance of three men into their bedroom, who had their
faces blackened, and were otherwise disguised. Box
carried a candle, Tolley had a gun, and the other man
(who is not in custody) something which appeared to be
a pistol. Prosecutor asked what brought them there,
and Box replied that they came for his money. Tolly
presented the (gun at them, and threatened to " settle'
them if they were not quiet. He and Box then ran-
sacked the byes and things in the room, from which
they took the property named in the indictment, while
the other man kept guard over the old man and woman,
saying he would kill them with the weapon if they were
not quiet. The old lady has since died, but her deposi-
tion, which entirely confirmed the statement made by
her husband in evidence, was put in and read, when Mr.
Justice Patteson remarked that it was most improper to
take depositions except in the actual presence of the ac-
cused ; reading them over afterwards was not sufficient,
and he hoped the magistrates would eeaso such a pm.
tice in future.

Ashford denied any conversation with llyett.
Marks corresponding with the prisoners' boots were
traced from the house towards Drayton, seven miles
distant, where the prisoners were apprehended.
The old man was certain as to the identy of Box, but
could not safely swear to Tolley, of whom he bad no
previous knowledge.
The jury, after a trial of six hours, found both pri-
soners Guilty; but sentence was deferred.
George Baldwin, 28, was indicted for maliciously
cutting and wounding Thomas Petford, with intent to
do him grievous bodily harm, at Upton-on-Severn, on
the 13th of August.

Petford was the superintendent of the Upton police,
and went to apprehend the prisoner for stealing half a
sovereign; when he was attacked by the prisoner and
some of his companions, by whom he was knocked down
and violently kicked. The officer got one of the hand-
cuffs on Baldwin, and knocked two or three of his
assailants down. Prisoner got the pliceman's thumb
into his mouth, and bit it severely. He also cut him in
two places across the left hand, and other injuries were
inflioted on him, which produced insensibility, when the
prisoner escaped.
The jury negatived the more serious counts in the in-
dictment, and convicted the prisoner of an assault.

Sentence—Eighteen months' imprisahment.

WESTERN ClRCUlT.—Salisbury, March 9.
(Before Sir WILLIAM WIGIITMAN, Bart.)
George Harris and 2 hontas Mead/:am, labourers, were
placed at the bar charged with having maliciously
wounded Isaac Knight, William Grant, and Caleb Sy-
monds; also with having been together, with two other
persons, in the night of the 31st o October last, armed
for the purpose of taking game at L'etle Bedwin, in
this county, on the preserves of the Marquis of Ayles-
bury.
After this fatal encounter, Meadham's brother died.
The fourth poacher has not yet beer. taken.
William Grant, under-keeper to the Marquis of AS leg.
bury, stated that he, with others, was watching on
Saturday night, and on the Sunday morning, the 31st
of October last, his heard firing on Bedwin-common.
Went then to Thriftwood; more shooting about two
hundred yards from the London and Bath turnpike-road.
On arriving at the wood still shooting was going on.
About ten minutes afterwards four men were coming
along,, on the opposite side of the common, towards
Ramsby. He saw one of them pull out a gun from his
pocket. King, 0n.,. of the watchers, cried out "Hallo,
my lads, what's up?" The poachers then began to beat
him. One of them struck him Gil the head with a stick.
The other three went up to King, striking and knocking
him down. After the last blow he struck the poacher
with a swingle he was armed with. After fighting with
his swingie, and giving four or five blows, his swingle
broke. He then fought with the broken part as long us
he could, and then run away. King was lying on the
ground at the time, he having been knocked down With
the poachers•, he rent about twenty yards, and gof
through the hedge on the common. He called out. foe
assistance. Mr. S3monds did come up the road at the
time the four poachers were coining aftt:r him; he could
scarcely see at the time, as the Wood was running down
his face; he wiped the Woad off, and thee went into the
road. lie saw three of the poachers attack Mr.
Symonds. We fought as well as we ceu:d. Thomas
Meia.lharn closed with Symonds, the other two set about
him. Alter a hard tight and etruggle one of the two
who set on him ran away; the other he took. The name
of the one captured was Mortis Meadham, brother to
one of the prisoners at the bar, who died from the
effects of the wounds he had given in the struggle.
Meadham was armed with a gun, the barrel was found
upon him. The other poacher was armed with a heavy
bludgeon or weapon. Thomas Meadham struck the
first blow.
Caleb Symonds stated that he was head keeper. That
lie was called up. Ile heard a furious scuffle. lie went
down in the road. Sat clown by the side of a tree to
watch. Remained about five or ten initiates. Ile heard
a noise—compared it to the rattling of two bucks with
their horns. He remained :here, when lie heard a man
say " Come on." He then ran or. thgeorionagd
tfhrormougwhhteirtee
aanrds of him, following.
htheedgser
anndd
fcoannriein.
aeitshatwa
taenmy
He called out—" Ilallo ! what's up? I'm here." He
received no answer. The poachers formed two and
two. One of the hinder men went through the hedge.
Three men ran at me in the road. One had a ;stick in
his hand; he held it up, and with it came and struck me
across the head. In return I struck the poacher on the
face. The man staggered back. The other two men
struck me across the back with a gun. He (Symonds)
then struck the poacher with the swiugle. He received
another blow across the shoulder. He was fighting
with the three men, - The second came up as if to strike
hire, when he turned round and struck the poacher, and
sent him back reeling. Then the third man caught him
by the collar and kept striking him on the head. Ho
threw him down. The poacher then cried out to his
accomplices, " Come back." lie (Symonds) out his
fingers under his handkerchief and tried to choke him.
Took the stick from him, and struck him three times
with that stick. it could only swear to Meadham.
The jury, after a fov minutes' deliberation, returned
a verdict of Guilty against Meadham, and Not Guilty
against Harris, Meadham was sentenced to seven
years' transportation.