The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-17 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
HOME ClRCUlT.—Chelmsford, July 16.
CROWN SlDE.—(Before Mr. Baron PARKE.).
Charles Pryor surrendered to take his trial upon an indict-
ment charging him with feloniously forging and uttering a pro-
missory note for 2001., with intent to defraud Louisa Le-
gerton.
Mr. Ryland and Mr. Rodwell conducted the prosecution,
and Mr. Hawkins appeared for the prisoner.
Louisa Legerton, the prosecutrix, deposed that she lived
with her mother at Ugley Hall Farm, in the parish of Wal-
den, and she had the management of the farm. The pri-
soner had been employed in the capacity of bailiff and confi-
dential servant for thirteen years, and he used to purchase
and sell stock. In 1843 he asked her to lend his brother
Joseph Pryor 1001., and he said he would get her good secu-
rity for the principal and interest, and she gave the prisoner
that sum, but at the time no security was given to her. He
afterwards asked her to lend another sum of 100 L, and upon
his undertaking to give her a promissory note for the whole
sum she had lent, she consented, and he shortly afterwards
gave her a promissory note, payable on demand, for 2001.,
which appeared to have the signature both of himself and
his brother. She said she remarked to the prisoner at the
time that the writing was very similar, and he accounted for
it by saying that he and his brother had both gone to the
same school, and were taught by the same master.
On being cross-examined the witness stated that the pri-
soner's wages ware 301. a year, and he had the entire ma-
nagement of the farming business. He had offered to marry
her as many as a thousand times, but she always refused.
She said it was her own money that she advanced to him,
and her mother had nothing to do with the transaction. She
admitted there had been some other money transactions be-
tween the prisoner, herself, and other parties, and that she
was in possession of a bill for 3001., which, however, was not
produced.
Joseph Pryor, the brother of the prisoner, deposed that
the signature to the promissory note purporting to be his was
not written by him, and he also stated that he never autho.
rised the prisoner to borrow money for him.
On cross-examination he admitted that about the time in
question he did receive two sums of 1001. each from his bro-
ther, and that he had not since repaid the amount.
Mr. HAwmws, on the part of the prisoner, addressed the
jury, and contended that the prosecution had been got up
out of spite, and that there was no proof of any intention to
defraud, and the prisoner was entitled to an acquittal.
Mr. Baron PARKE summed up, and the jury returned a
verdict of Not Guilty.
The prisoner was then arraigned upon another indictment,
charging him with feloniously embezzling the sums of Si.
and 251., the moneys of Jane Legerton.
The prosecutrix in this case was the mother of the former
prosecutrix, and it appeared that in November, 1845, the
prisoner had sold some wheat for 81. 18s. 9d., and a horse for
251. in Marcb, and it was alleged that he had not accounted
for either of these sums.
Louisa Legerton, the prosecutrix in the former indictment,
was again examined, and she deposed to the transactions re-
ferred to having taken place, and that the prisoner had never
accounted to her for the money.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty upon this indictment,
and he was sentenced to be imprisoned four calendar months.
Mary Anne Mead, a little girl, who was stated in the ca-
lendar to be only twelve years old, pleaded guilty to a charge
of feloniously and maliciously setting fire to a barn, the
property of John Smith.
The prisoner was put back, in order that his Lordship
might have au opportunity of looking at the depositions and
inquiring into the circumstances of the case; and in the
course of the day she was again placed at the bar to receive
the judgment of the Court.
Mr. Baron PARKE addressed the prisoner, and said that she
had pleaded guilty to a very serious offence; and upon
looking over the depositions, the case appeared so clearly
made out by the evidence, that there was no doubt a jury
would have come to the same conclusion if she had taken a
different course, and therefore she had not at all placed her-
self in a worse position by confessing her guilt. The offence
appeared to be of a very aggravated description, and to have
been committed without any motive or cause whatever, and
under such circumstances he had no alternative but to pass
upon her a sentence of transportation. He at the same time,
however, would inform her, that if she conducted herself with
propriety, and there should be reason to believe that she
sincerely repented the net she had committed, it was probable
that the sentence would be mitigated very considerably, and
that after some lengthened imprisonment she might be again
restored to society. His Lordship then sentenced the prisoner
to be transported for fourteen 3 ears.

WESTERN ClRCUlT.—Winchester, July 16.
(Before Mr. Baron PLAIT.)
TRIAL OF LIEUT. HAWKEY FOR THE WILFUL
MURDER OF LIEUT. SETON IN A DUEL.
Henry Charles Morehead Hawkey surrendered to take his
trial for the wilful murder of James Alexander Seton. The
court was most densely crowded, and the trial seemed to clause
the greatest interest.
The indictment was read, and it charged the prisoner with
age, pleaded Not Guilty in a firm
the wilful murder ofJames Alexander Seton, by shooting at
suffered a good deal from anxiety,
him with a pistol, loaded with a leaden bullet, and giving him
a mortal wound on the right side. He was also charged with
a like offence by the coroner's inquisition.
The prisoner, who is a fine, gentlemanly-looking young
invoaince
.o fnaebaopupte
appeared
sr
and looked very pale and cale-worn.
Mr. Rawlinson and Mr. Montague Smith appeared for the
Crown. Mr. Cockburn, and Mr. Sergeant Kinglake de-
fended the prisoner.
imening the
Mr. RAwurisifs, --L , case for the prosecution,
exhorted the jury to ban from their minds all reports
which they might have respecting the case, and to
give their verdict upon the evidence alone. The prisoner at
the bar stood charged with having killed Lieutenant Seton
in a duel, which took place Brow
onn Down, near Gosport.
atoarhaavafe
The law, as the jury would doubtless hear it expounded by
the Learned Judge, was, that if a man went out deliberately
to seek the blood of his fellow-man in a private quarrel, and
killed him, he was guilty of the crime of murder. The
Learned Counsel then proceeded to give a short outline of the
facts of the case, which, as they have been already fully re-
ported more than once, it is unnecessary to repeat. We will
merely meal to the recollection of eur readers that Lieutenant
Hawkey was stationed at Portsmouth, where he resided in
lodgings with his wife. They became acquainted with Mr.
and Mrs. Seton, who lived at Southsea. On the 10th May,
last year, there was a ball at Southsea, and all the parties
were there, as well as Lieutenant Pym. Louth* the ball
some altercation arose between the prisoner and Mr. Seton,
and they retired into a card-room, where they remained ten
minutes or a quarter of an hour. On the following morn-
ing, at eight o'clock, a gentleman called on the prisoner, and
left his card, and it would appear that that gentleman was
sent by Mr. Seton with a challenge to Mr. Hawkey. Lieute-
nants Hawkey and Pyin were then seen between ten and
eleven o'clock going into Portsmouth, and Mr. Hawkey
appeared to be speaking in a loud and excited tone.
At eleven o'clock, Lieutenant Hawkey called upon
Mr. Sherwood, a gunsmith, for the purpose of borrowing
pistols, but was referred to Mr. Fisk, a jeweller, of whom
he purchased a pair, and after inquiring for a shooting
gallery, ordered them to, be aent to Sherwood's gallery,