The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-24 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCIIIT.—LEwEe, DEo. 23.
(Before Mr. Baron Bramwell.)
Chalks Hendrick, aged 18, described as a gentleman,
was indicted for feloniously cutting and wounding Julia'
Payne Blundell, with intent to do her grievous bodily
harm.
Mr.
M Hurst condi.mtyed,
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the prosecution, in opening the
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prisoner.
for
case to the jury, said that the inquiry they were about to
enter into was one of a somewhat unusual and extraordi-
nary, and at the same time distressing character. The pri-
soner was a young man occupying a position in life among
the higher classes, and he was charged with the very
serious offence of maliciously stabbing a young woman
named Blundell, at Brighton, with intent to do her griev-
ous bodily harm. He said there would be doubt that the
prisoner had stabbed the prosecutrix, and he believed that
the only question the jury would have to consider in the
result would be with what intent the act was inflicted.
The learned counsel then proceeded to detail the facts of
the case, and the following evidence was adduced :
Charles Henry Harvey, a Brighton police constable,
said—l was on duty in Church-street, Brighton, about one
o'clock on the morning of the 17th December, and I saw
the prisoner come out of the Volunteer public-house. He
addressed me, and said, " Holloa, old boy, lam --if I
don't know you." I said perhaps he did. He then said he
had been to the Casino, and if he had Knight, the keeper
of the Casino, there, ha would stab him to the heart.
While he was saying this he appeared to be in the act of
opening a knife, and I said to hire, " Nonsense, you must
be joking," and took the knife away from him and shut it,
an gave it him back again, and told him to put it in his
pocket
believe,
he
and go
t the The
knife el.
ae then
the
turnedsame round,
time and,
I
say-
ing that he would carry it open, and he would stab any
one he met who interfered with him, I was about to take
the knife from him, but before I could do so he made a
stab at the prosecutrix, who was standing close by. At
the time he did so he made use of a foul expression to her
and said, " Hellos, old girl, I think I know you," and she
replied, " I don't know you, sir." The prisoner then said
to her, " How would you like this ?" and made a thrust at
her groin ; and in a minute or so afterwards the prosecu-
trix said that she was hurt, and put her hands under her
dress, and when she withdrew them I saw they were co-
vered with blood. I then took the knife from the prisoner,
and told him that he must go with me to the Town-hall,
upon the charge of wounding the prosecutrix, and he said
that he was willing to accompany me. He had been drink-
ing, but could talk very well, and seemed to know what
he was about. The prosecutrix appeared to be very much
hurt, and seemed to walk with great difficulty. and when
she had gone a short distance I and another constable cal.
ried her to the Town-hall, where the charge was taken
against the prisoner. He did not at any time express re-
gret for what he had done.
The constable then produced the knife with which the
injury was inflicted. It was a very dangerous weapon,
shaped like a dagger, and when opened was secured by a
spring.
Cross-examined—The prisoner appeared to be perfectly
thunderstruck at what had occurred. As we were going
to the station.house the prisoner exclaimed that he was a
drunkard and a blackguard.
By the Court—The prisoner stabbed at the prosecutrix
with souse violence, and after ho had inflicted the blow he
made a step backward and then stood perfectly still, appa-
rently
in
looking at the prosecutrix.
Julia Pa:ne Blundell, the prosecutrix, said—l was sta'e
ing at the corner of Church-street on the morning in ques-
tion, when I observed the prisoner and the policeman ap-
parently talking together. The prisoner was an entire
stranger to me, and I do not think I had ever seen him
before. The prisoner addressed me, and said he thought
he knew me, and I told him I did not know him. I ob-
served that the prisoner at this time had a knife in his hand,
and be came up to me and said, " How would you like
this r and at the same moment he made a thrust at me
with the knife, and stabbed me in the groin, and directly
afterwards I felt blood running down my leg, and I was
also in great pain. I was cut through two dresses, and also
a cloak. The prisoner was then taken into custody by the
policeman.
Cross-examined—l had never seen the prisoner before in
my life. I observed that he had a knife in his hand before
he stabbed me.
The prosecutrix, who still appeared to be suffering se-
verely from the injuries she bad received, was carried out
of court when her evidence was concluded.
Mr. R. Penfold, a surgeon at Brighton, proved that he
examined the prosecutrix after the occurrence, and found
that she had received's' severe wound in the left groin. It
was three-quarters of an inch long, but he could not state
the depth. It was a dangerous wound, and such an one as

might have been inflicted by the knife produced by the
officer.

Sergeant Ballantine addressed the jury for the prisoner.
Mr. Baron Bramwell summed up.
The jury at once found the prisoner guilty of unlawfully
wounding.
The prisoner was then called up for judgment, and his
lordship sentenced him to be imprisoned and kept to hard
labour for a year.
George Ball, 22, pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking
and entering the dwelling-house of Colonel Wyndham, at
Brighton, and stealing a workbox and other articles.
His Lordship sentenced him to be transported for fifteen
years.
James Cloutt, 19, was indicted for a burglary in the
dwelling-house of William Farmer, and stealing some
articles of clothing, his property.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of the robbery, and
he was sentenced to be kept in penal servitude for 6 years.

From the London Gazette of Last Night

AT THE COURT ♦i OSBORNE, Dec. 12, the Queen, as
Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, has been
graciously pleased, by letters patent under her Royal Sign
Manuel and the Great Seal of the Order, bearing date this
day, to dispense with all the statutes and regulations
usually observed in regard to installo.tion, and to grant
unto his Imperial Majesty the Sultan, Abdul Medjid,
Knight of the said Most Noble Order, and duly invested
with the Ensigns thereof, full power and authority to
exercise all rights and privileges belonging to a Kni;ht
Companion of the said Most Noble Order of the Garter,
in as full and ample a manner as if his Imperial Majesty
had been formally installed, any decree, rule, or usage to
the contrary nothwithstanding.