The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 7, 1856.

it, it was evident that the victim had been beaten
about the head with it. On a table was a knife
stained with blood ; near the bed, which was also
stained with bloood (a fact which shows that the
young woman must have been struck ori the head
whilst lying iu it),was a largo tin pail nearly filled
with blood; and in this pail was the head of the
victim. The head, according to all appearance,
had been cut off with the knife, but as the knife
was old and much injured by use, the operation
must have been a long and difficult one ; the fleshy
parts of the neck, for example, were not cut
through, but backed. A carpet by the side of the
bed was saturated with blood. On the table were
some empty bottles of wine, some biscuits, and
other remains of a supper. The manner in which
the murderer effected his escape has been already
described. The name of the murdered female has
not yet been ascertained, but from her dress and
appearance she is supposed to have been a fuming
de ehambre.

TEE LATE REGENT'S PARK AFFAIR.

JUDGES' CHAMBERS, SERJEANTS'
INN--
AUGUST 6.
(Before Mr. Justice Crowder.)
THE QUEEN V. THOMAS GEORGE GOSLING, ESQ.

In this case, the facts of which have so recently been
before the public in the report of the proceedings before
Mr. Broughton at the Maryiebone Police-court, an ap-
plication was made to the learned judge for a writ of
certiorari to remove the depositions and subsequent pro-
ceedings from the Middlesex Sessions to the Central
Criminal Court. The affidavit in support of the applica-
cation set forth that the defendant, Thomas George Gos-

ling, had been given into custody in the Regent cs-park
by one John Mitchell, a licensed drover, upon a charge
of enticing divers females of tender age to expose their
naked persons to his sight, when he gave his name and
address, and he was suffered to depart, and no further
proceedings were had until he was summoned before
Mr. Broughton at the Marylebone Police-court on the
23d of July, who, after hearing the witnesses, held the
defendant to bail to answer the charge at the sessions'.
An indictment for misdemeanour having been preferred,
it was urged that as the offence charged was an offence
at common law, depending upon nice shades and distinc-
tions in the evidence in stipprt thereof, and that nice
and intricate points of law of more than usual difficulty
and importance might arise on the trial of the said in-
dictment, which would render it important that the
same should be tried before one of the learned judges of
the superior courts. It being usual to send cases of that
description to the Central Criminal Court, where some
of those judges preside, as no doubt had the worthy ma-
gistrate been asked would have been done, the removal
of the proceedings by certiorari was asked.
The learned Judge made the order for the writ to issue
forthwith, the bail to enter into fresh recognisances in
that court.

During the day Mr. Thomas George Gosling, the de-
fendant, together with his bail, Mr. Gosling and Mr.
Booth, attended before the judge, and entered into their
recognisances, the defendant in 4,0101., and the bail in
2,000/. each, to give the required notices of trial and
appearance at the Central Criminal Court on the removal
of the proceedings from the Clericen well Sessions, that
being necessary by the Central Criminal Court Act.
It is, however, understood that an application will still

be made to remove the indictment into the Court of
Queen's Bench, to afford the opportunity of a trial by a
special jury,

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCIIIT.—GUILDFORD, AUG. 6.
Cr )wn Side. —(BeforeAlr. Justice Erle.)

Charles William Trees:Jove Crease, 40, a gentlemanly-
looking man, who formerly was a captain in the
Cape Mounted Riles, was indicted for an assault upon
a young girl named Sarah Marrion.
When the prisoner was placed at the bar he appeared
in a very excited state, and he insisted upon knowing,
before the trial went on, whether any waraant had in
the first instance been issued before ho was taken into
custody. He was at length pacified, and the case was
proceeded with.
Mr. Robinson conducted theprosecution ; Mr. Lilley
was counsel for the defendant..

The learned counsel for the prosecution having briefly
opened the case, the prosecutrix, a modest, respectable-
looking girl, 18 years of age, was examined, and depesed
that she lived with her parents at Croydon, and the de-
fendant and. his wife resided at Woodside, near that
town. On the 24th March, having heard that the defen-
dant wanted a servant, she went to his residence to in-
quire about the place, she being at the time out of a
situation. The defendant asked her to come in, and he
then inquired how old she was, and she told him her
age, and he said that would just do ; that he gave good
wages, and she should have the place. The defendant
then told her to go up stairs to speak to his wife, and
she did so ; but, upon finding that there was no one in
the room, she was about to return, when she observed
the defendant close behind her, and without saying a
word he took her in his arms, carried her into a bedroom
and threw her upon the bed. The witness then detailed
the nature of the assault that was committed upon her,
which was of a very aggravated character ; and she said
that she became insensible, and when she came to her-
self she proceeded down stairs, and found the defendant
there. She immediately left the house and gays infhraia-
tion of what had occurred, and on the same evening the
defendant was taken into custody. The statement of the
girl was corroborated by other witnesses, who saw her
after the transaction, and who said that she appeared in
a most excited state, and, indeed, hardly to know what
she was about frorra te: ror and alarm. A police-constable
who took the prisoner into custody, stated that when he
told him what he was charged with he asked him who
could prove it, and afterwards said that his head was
very bad.
Mr. Lilley, in his address to the jury for the defen-
der t, said that the task teat devolved upon him was,
under any circumstances, a very painful and anxious
one; but it was peculiarly so on the present occasion,
because the unfortunate gentleman at the bar had for-
merly held her Majesty's commission, and had for
many years done his duty gallantly and faithfully to his
country. He had served for 15 years at the Cape of
Good Hope ; and those who were acquainted with the
climate of tbat region were aware what effect it had
upon the constitution ; and he believed he should have
no difficulty in satisfying the jury that the hardships and
service he had undergone had unsettled the mind of the
unfortunate gentleman at the bar, and that he was there-
fore not responsible for the act he had committed.
While the learned counsel was addressing the jury the
defendant exclaimed with great vehemence that he ob-
jected to what he was stating, and declared that his rea-
son was not in any way affected. He then proceeded
in the most incoherent and violent strain, declaring that
he had seen all the wonders of the world, and that he
had seen hell dragged up by the roots. The present
charge, he said, was got up against him by the Roman
Catholics, because they knew that he was a Protestant,
and that he was determined to support his religion.
Mr. Justice Erie suggested that it would probably be
the best course at once to proceed to lay some evidence
before the jury as to the state of mind of the defendant.
Mr. \V. Biker, a medical gentleman living at Nor-
wood, was then examined, and he stated that he had
known the defendant and his family for several years,
and, from conversations he had had with him and other
circumstances, he hail formed the opinion that ho was
decidedly of unsound mind.

Mr. J. Keene, the governor of Horsemonger-lane
Gaol, deposed that the defendant came into his custody
on the 25th of March, and had been under his obscrvs.-
tion ever since. From what he bad seen of him and his
conduct since he bad been in the prison he had no hesi-
tation in expressing his opinion that he was a madman.
A certificate of Mr. Harris, the surgeon of the prison,
to the same effect, was also put in.
Mr. Justice Erie then addressed the jury, and said that
where an offence of this serious character had been com-
mitted, and the defence set un was that the party ne•
cused was not in such a state of mind as to be crimi-
nally responsible, it was very essential for the interest of
the public that such a defence should be watched very
narrowly. The jury, however, in the present csse,
had heard the evidence adduced in behalf of the defen-
dant, and had bad an opportunity also of observing
the demeanour and conduct of the defendant hfinvelf
while the trial was going on ; and a:though undoubtedly
it had happened that cunning persons had simulated mad-
ness, in order that they might escape the consequences
of the acts they had committed, yet he must say that he
could see no ground for supposing that that was the case
in the present instance ; but, on the contrary, it appeared
to him that the defendant was clearly of unsound mind,
and if the jury entertained the sane opinion it would be
their duty to acquit him on that ground.
The jury at once returned a verdict of not guilty, on
the ground of insanity, and the prisoner was ordered to
be detained during her Majesty's pleasure.
When this order had been given the prisoner became
very violent, and declared he would not be locked up
any longer, and it was with some difficulty that he was
removed from the dock.