The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-21 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
OXFORD ClRCUlT.—Stafford, March 18.
CROWN COUItT.
Walter Noake, a man of respectable appearance,
surrendered to an indictment, charging him with
felesiously embezzling 2401. 7s. 6d., on the Bth of
April,' 1847, also for embezzling divers other sums
of money, in the said month of April, the property
of George Parker and others, his employers. There
were five indictments against the prisoner.
Evidence having been given,
The jury found the prisoner Guilty ; and at a
later period of the day he was brought up for judg-
ment, and sentenced to be transported for seven
years.
John Lawley, 22, was indicted for stealing, at
Wolverhampton, on the 21st of February, 201., the
property of Elizabeth Newall.
Mr. Kettle and Mr. Wade prosecuted, and Mr.
Scotland defended the prisoner, who was the steward
of a friendly society at Wolverhampton, held at the
house of the prosecutrix, who keeps the Pack-horse
Inn in that town.
On the evening of the 20th February he, as one of
the stewards, locked up the box, and deliv.ned it into
the care of the landlady. The next day it was dis-
covered that all the money which was counted into
the box on the previous evening had been abstracted,
except one shilling. The box was not forced, but had
been unlocked and relocked again. The prisoner and
the other steward, whose name was James Taylor,
had each, in virtue of their office, a key of the club-
box during their year of stewardship. It was proved
that the next day he changed a five-pound note at
another inn in the same town. Some days subse-
quently he was taken into custody at Liverpool, and
on his person was found money to the amount of 121.
He said to Sheridan, the officer, " I only took two
five-pound notes." He was asked if he had not taken
some - gold and silver also ?--(there being three
pounds-of the one and eight of the other besides the
notes in the box, on the Monday of the society's meet-
ing.) The prisoner, lin reply to that inquiry, said,
"I shall tell, no more.
One of the notes was of Friar's. Bank, Wolver-
hampton ; and the one changed by the prisoner was
of that banking establishment.
The prisoner was convicted by the jury.
Mr—Justice CRESSWELI: said that such societies
must be protected from the acts of dishonest mem-
bers of them, by the unworthy ones being punished
for robbing their honest, hard-working brethren.
Persons in whose houses such clubs were held, and in
whose custody the funds were left, must also have
security from the thieving propensities of such men
as the prisoner.
Sentence.—One year's imprisonment with hard
labour.

By great efforts the: business of these assizes was
brought to a conclusion a few minutes before mid-
night, after a most tedious and lengthy sitting—Mr.
Sergeant Allen being dispatched to Shrewsbury to
open the Commission for the county of Salop.
On the Nisi Prius side there was hardly a case
which disclosed any matter of general interest,
although 24 cases were tried out.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—York, March 18.
(Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON and a Special Jury.)
DOB ON THE DEM. OF TINDAL V. FURNESS AND

OTHERS.

This was an action of ejectment to try the validity
of the will of John Park, of Spofforth.

The lessor of the'plaintiff is heir-at-law of the tes-
tator, and the defendant's devisees under the will. That
the plaintiff is heir-at law was admitted, and, there
fore Mr. Martin (Mr. Cowling with him) stated the
case for the defendants.
After hearing much of the evidence,

His LORDSHIP had several times intimated an
opinion that it would be difficult to meet this case for
the defendants, and it was at length arranged that
the verdict should be taken for the defendants, the
plaintiff only to pay 50/. tewards the defendants' costs,
and thus ended a case which had occupied from nine
till four o'clock. _ _ _

CIt6SVE COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron RoLFE.)
Simeon Kershaw, aged 29, Andrew Savage, 36,
James Kay, 42, John Child, 22, Joseph Arnold, 20,
and John Thomas, 19, all labourers, two of whom
only could read, were indicted for cutting and
wounding William Carter, Tho.nas Gill, John Kay,
and Thomas Slack, with intent to do them grievous
bodily harm, &c:, at Wakefield, on the 25th of De-
cember last.

It appeared that in February of last year, the
prisoner, lierihaw, had a gun taken from him by
the night-watchman of Wakefield, which the ma-
gistrates ordered them to keep in their custody.
This greatly aggravated him and his companions,
and they determined, at some convenient opportu-
nity, to give the watchmen a good beating, a favour-
able opportunity, as they thought, having presented
itself on the night of Christmas-day for carrying
their resolution into effect.

Evidence having been give❑ to the facts,

The jury retired, and alter being absent a con-
siderable time, they found Kershaw, Savag■9, and
Kay Guilty, and Acquitted Arnold and Thomas.—
Sentence deferred.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
WORSHIP-STREET.

An elderly man, named John ilfortiincr, whose
throat was enveloped in bandages, was charged with
having made a determined attempt at self destruction.
Holland, the warrant-officer, informed the Magis-
trate, that. the prisoner had been a repectable house-
holder in the district for several years, but in conse-
quence of the depraved conduct of his wife, who
abandoned her home and family some time since, his
mind became so painfully affi.cted that he was unable
to devote proper attention to his business, and he was
ultimately reduced to a state of destitution. He had
since endured the greatest privation and wretched-
ness, having entirely depended for support upon the
occasional assistance that had been afforded him
by the parish, but there being some doubt as
to his proper settlement, all his efforts to obtain
a permanent asylum in the workhouse had been
unsuccessful. On Wednesday last he made a
final appeal to the parish. officers, and after-
wards proceeded to a secluded field in the neigh-
bourhood of Hackney, where he was found lying next
morning in a state of stupor, with a frightful gash in
his throat, and grasping in his hand a table knife,
with whio the wound had been inflicted. A medical
gentleman, named Harris, who happened fortunately
to be passing near the spot, immediately dressed the
wound, and directed the removal of the prisoner to
the infirmary of Hackney workhouse, where he hail
since remained.

Mr. Ross, the relieving officer of Shoreditch, stated
that when the prisoner made his last application for
assistance he was at once supplied with bread, and
informed that his claim should be fully investigated
before the board of trustees at their next meeting.
The officer also intimated that he was now perfectly
ready to receive the prisoner, and pass him in the
usual mode to his proper settlement.
Mr. Hasoffm. expressed a hope that no further
obstacle would be interposed, and ordered the man to
be consigned to the care of the proper officers.
BENEVOLENCE.-Mr. HAMMILL announced his
receipt of letters, enclosing donations for the dis-
tressed widow, Sophia Barrett, and her family,
whose case was brought under the magistrates' notice
some days since.