The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-19 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY IN LEIOESTER-SQUARE.--ThOmas
Smith, described as a labourer, was charged, before Mr.
Knox, at the Marlborough-street Police-court, with
assaulting a young woman named Mary Hanlon, residiag
in Argyle-street, Euston-road, and also with robbing her
of her neck chain. Alfred Winkler, 162 C, said that at
half-past two that morning, while in Leicester-square,
he heard a scream and saw the prisoner knock
down the prosecutrix and run away. He went
after the prisoner, who, after stating that he had not done
anything, offered to give the prosecutrix back the chain
which he had taken if she would not prosecute him. The
prosecutrix identified the chain as her property, but said
she did not remember much of what occurred, as she had
been drinking. James Spencer, 30 C R, also proved
seeing the prisoner knock the prosecutrix down. Mr.
Knox committed the prisoner for trial for highway
robbery at the Central Criminal Court. _ _ _

SHOCKING CRUELTY TO A HORSE.—John Circuit, a
market gardener and farmer, of Hornchurch, and throe
other places in Essex, and John Adams, a boy, carter in
his employ, were brought up before Mr. Paget, at the
Thames Police-court, charged at the instance of the Royal
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with
cruelly torturing a horse. Circuit was brought up on a
warrant, having refused to attend to a summons. A
fortnight ago, the boy Adams was in charge t,f a team
belonging to his master. One• of the horses was in a fear-
ful state with running sores on its shoulders, and its off
hind leg injured. The animal could scarcely stand
upright. It fell from weakness, and had previously fallen
down. He took] the driver into custody and sent the '
horse and waggon to the Green-yard. The horse was
quite unfit for work. Mr. Circuit, in defence, said he
had four farms in Essex, and a great many horses con-
tinually at work. He was not aware the horse was in
the state represented until his attention was drawn to it.
He sent the horse to a knacker's yard and caused it to be
slaughtered directly he saw the state it was in. Mr.
Paget said that had nothing to do with the dreadful state
of the poor animal, which had been most cruelly tortured.
He fined Mr. Circuit £5, and the boy to one day's im-
prisonment.
THE CHARGE AGAINST THE DIRECTORS OF THE COM-
MERCIAL INDEMNITY CORPORATION.—REMOVAL OF THE
INDICTMENT —At the Judges' Chambers on Friday, Mr
Justice Lush specially attended to hear an application in
the case of " The Queen v. the Hon. J. Tobin and others."
to remove the indictment from the Central Criminal Court
into the Court of Queen's Bench on the ground that it
required to be tried before a special jury. The defendants,
the directors of the Commercial indemnity Corpora-
tion, had been committed to the Old Bailey on
a charge of issuing a false prospectus of the
company. Mr. W. H. Roberts applied for Mr. Clark,
one of the defendants, and Mr. Warren appeared for the
Hon. Mr. Tobin. Mr. George Lewis, junior, opposed the
application, and declared that if the indictment was re-
moved it would delay the case for twelve months and the
public interest was against such a delay. Mr. Justice
Lush fully heard the parties, and held that it was a case
to be heard by a special jury, and be should therefore
grant the application, and made the order. The defen-
dants, who are out on bail will be now tried at the Old
Bailey.
EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF FORGERY. —At the Man-
sion House, on Saturday, a well-dressed, gentlemanly-
looking man, who at first refused to give his name, but
afterwards stated that it was Robbrt D'Auray, was
brought up on remand before the Lord Mayor, on the
charge of forgery, and uttering a draft for £382, with
intent to defraud Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, and Co., ban-
kers, Lombard-street. The case, it will be remembered,was
of a remarkable character. It appeared from the evidence
already given that the prisoner obtained a draft from
Messrs. Haywood, bankers, Liverpool, for £382, on pay-
ment of that amount ; and in the ordinary course that
draft was presented at Barclay, Bevan, and Co.'s, 'in
London, by whom it was payable, on the fol-
lowing day and cashed. The singular part
of the case was that on the same day a
forged draft for the same amount was ptesented and
paid at the Midland Bank at Sheffield, and the fraud was
only discovered on the arrival of the forged draft at the
Clearing House. There were, it appeared, several other
cases of fraud against the prisoner of a similar
description. Mr. Mullins, solicitor for the prosecution,
stated that when the prisoner was apprehended a quantity
of acids were found in his possession, and there could be
no doubt that these had been used by the prisoner for the
purpose of enabling him to commit the forgeries. The
prisoner was then further remanded till the 26th inst.

The Speaker's writ for the Shrewsbury election was re-
ceived on Friday morning. The nomination will take place
on Tuesday ,y and the polling on Wednesday. The candi-
dates are Mr. Douglas Straight, Conservative, and Mr.
Cotes and Mr. Lloyd Jones, Liberals. It is thought
doubtful whether Mr. Jones will go the poll, there having
been no canvass on his behalf. The friends of both Mr.
Cotes and Mr. Straight are very sanguine.