The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-26 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

Yesterday William Haddell was indicted for an as-
sault upon George Salter, the steward of one of the
steam-boats.
The prosecutor, very early in his evidence, began to
give a different version of the affair to that which ap-
peared in his statement before the magistrate at the
police-court, whereupon the depositions which he had
signed at that office were handed down for him to read
out to•the jury. The prosecutor read very glibly until
he arrived at that part where he had commenceda dif-
ferent statement on the present occasion. He then made
a stop, and pretended that the writing was so bad he
could not make it out.
The Learned JUDGE—Come, go on; the writing is
very clear. Do you not find that you told the magis-
trate that the defendant, when you opened the door to
him, asked for his wife, saying that you had got her
there? Prosecutor—Well, I don't say that he did
say so.
The Learned JUDGE—No, I know you do not say so
here; but did you not say so to the magistrate? Pro-
secutor—Thank you for the explanation and question,
but I don't say that he did say so.—(Loud laughter.)
The Learned JUDGE—Come, sir, tell the truth. Was
this man's wife in your room when he came? Proscutor
—Why, I cannot say but she was. She had just come
in, and was telling me how her husband had been
thrashing her in Bow-street.
The Learned JUDGE—Come, Sir, tell us how long had
she been living with you? Prosecutor—Why, about a
week perhaps.
The Learned JUDGE—What! living with you as your
wife—another man's wife? Prosecutor—Why, what
harm? they had been agreeably separated.
The Learned JUDGE—And she was living with you as
your wife? Prosecutor—Now, how could she be my
wife when she was the wife of another man?
The Learned JUDGE—Why, by acting as a wife to
you, although not married to you.
Prosecutor—Oh—ay—thank you for the explanation
—yes, it might be so.
The prosecutor was ordered to stand down, and then
the policeman said that when he arrived at the house the
woman was in the room, and the defendant, who had a
poker in his hand, said that the prosecutor had got his
wife, that he had come to fetch her away, that he had'
given the prosecutor a good licking with his fist, but
had not touched him with the poker; and that upon exa-
mination of the latter instrument, he had been unable to
discover any mark of blood, although the prosecutor's
face was covered with that gory liquid, in addition to
which his head presented two fine full black eyes.
The Learned JUDGE, in leaving the case to the jury,
told them that in law the defendant was guilty of the
assault. The law did not allow a man, even though in
search of his wife, to commit an assault by thrashing
the man who might happen to be living with her. They
would have the kindness to say whether, in their
opinion, the assault had been committed with the poker
or with the fists.

The jury found the defendant Guilty of having com-
mitted the assault with his fists.

The Learned JUDGE sentenced him to pay a fine of
Is., and to be discharged; and, at the same time, told
the prosecutor, that if he had the hardihood to commit
the crime of living with other men's wives, it was not at
all unlikely that he would meet with a thrashing from
the husband ; at all events, ho should be prepared for
such a visitation.