The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-10 00:00:00

APRIL 10, 1851.

reduction in prices, which may now be stated roundly at 9d.
to Is. per lb. on those asked in the beginning of last month.
No doubt the general admission, on the part of consumers,
that raw silks are decidedly easier of purchase, has, in a great
measure, contributed to this result.
HUDDERSFIELD, DIEM AY.—Our market to-day, although
pretty well attended by buyers, has scarcely been an average
one: business has not been so brisk in the Cloth-ball;
stocks look heavier than they have done for some time;
most of the exchanges have been in light goods and fancies,
and checks, of new patterns. The warehouses have been
brisk during the week in the American trade. In the wool
market there has not been so much doing. As there is not
much change in the price of the raw material, it is most
likely there will be an advance in the finished goods.
HALIFAX, SATURDAY. —The worsted trade presents no
noticeable feature of variation since our last, the demand for
most descriptions of goods being still languid, and the mer-
' chants manifesting great reluctance to purchase. In the yarn
market there have been more sales, under the impression that
prices are at the lowest; but the spinners are producing less,
as the quotations are very unsatisfactory. More wool has
changed hands, partly from the spinners having ran out of
stock, and partly from the belief that the rates are as low as
they are likely to be; but the increased business has had no
operation upon prices.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
OXFORD ClRCUlT.—Gloucester, April 8.
Mr. Justice Patteson sat to-day in the Crown Court, and
tried one case, and then left. Mr. Justice Talfourd was en-
gaged till past nine o'clock, and four cases remain for to-
morrow.
CROWN COURT.— (Before Mr. Justice PArrzsex.)
Henry Davis and John Roberts were indicted for a bur-
glary in the house of Mrs. Sarah Elsmore, at West Dean, on
the 4th of January last, and robbing her of twenty sovereigns,
51. in silver, and a quantity of pork, bacon, and other articles.
Mr. Skinner and Mr. Cleeve appeared for the prosecution ;
Mr. 111‘Mahon for the defence of Davis, and Mr. Symonds and
Mr. C. Evans for the defence of Roberts. •
It appeared that about eleven ealock on the night of the
4th of January Mrs. Elsmore, hearing a noise at her front
door, got out of bed, and, saw three men outside, one of
whom she knew by his dress and voice to be Davis. They
pretended they wanted a gallon of cider, and gave their
names as some of her neighbours; but she knew they were
not the persons they represented themselves to be, and
refused to supply them. Soon afterwards they forced in
the front door. She called up her niece, a girl of fifteen,
and ran to the kitchen door, and shut it against them they
soon forced that also open, and seized her and her niece.
They all had some wrapping over their faces, with holes cut
through for their eyes. Davis had a miner's hatchet in his
hand, and another had a stick, which was afterwards found
near Davis's door. Davis caught the niece and threw her
down, and was holding her down while another held Mrs.
Elsmore, and the third was searching the house up stairs.
On their using some threats. Mrs. Elsmore asked them not
to hurt her, end she would give them up all the money
she had. Thereupon they let her go up stairs, and she
gave them . all her little store, amounting to upwards
of 251. They then fastened the bedroom door, leaving Mrs.
Elsmore and her niece inside, and ransacked the kitchen,
taking away a spare-rib of pork which was cut in a peculiar
manner. The next morning at daybreak the police came,
and found the footmarks of three persons about the house,
and traced them to a distance of 100 yards from Mrs. Els-
more's, where a fourth track was found. A short distance
further on the four tracks separated, and two were traced
into Davis's house. The police found him in bed (it was
then about nine or ten o'clock on Sunday morning), and
. his trowsers and boots were wet and dirty, and drying at
the fire; and on comparing the boots with some of the
• footmarks near Mrs. Elsmore's, they found them to corre-
spond exactly. Both Mrs. Elsmore and her niece spoke to
Davis's identity, from his dress, voice, and eyes; but, on
cross-examination, they did not appear to have known him
before. Roberts was arrested on the Bth, and his shoes were
also found to correspond with some of the footmarks around
Mrs. Elsmore's house ; and it was further proved that on the
Sunday morning, the sth of January, about seven or eight
o'clock, he and two other men not in custody were seen
near an enclosure, in which, on the 20th of February after-
wards, on cutting down some groze, the three masks were
I found hidden, and also a part of the spare-rib stolen from
I Ms. Elsmore.

They were found Guilty, and transperted for 15 years.
This was the only case his Lordship tried.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT. ,
(Before Mr. Justice EaLE.)
William Grey Smythe, 47, sutgeou, was then placed at the
bar to take his trial upon several indictments charging him
with felonious assaults upon girls of tender age.
Mr. Payne and Mr. Parry appeared on behalf of the pro-
secution, and the prisoner was defended by Messrs. Clarkson
and Ballantine.
The public haVe been already made but too well acquainted
with the disgusting details of the offences imputed to the
prisoner by the police reports. It will be remembered that
he carried on the profession of a surgeon in Vauxhall-walk,
Lambeth ; and it was alleged that he had carried on a re-
gular system of debauching young girls, a great number of
whom, it was proved, hadfallen a sacrifice to his beastly pro-
pensities. The case was taken up by the Society for the
Protection of Young Females, by whom the counsel for the
prosecution were now instructed.
The first case gone into was that of a girl named Charlotte
Stevens, who deposed that she would be 16 years old in July
next. She said that in July, 1849, she was playing with a
gi,l named Julia Weekes in Park-street, Kennington-cross,
when the prisoner came up to them and asked Weekes if she
meant to come to his house that night, and she said she did ;
and the prisoner then walked away, and, at the request of
Weekes, she accompanied her to his house, where they were
taken into a bed-room; and she said that the prisoner then
gave them a glass of wine each, and afterwards proceeded to
commit the offence imputed to him.
Upon being cross-examined, the witness:said that she and
Weekes drank some punch with the prisoaer after the affair,
and that when they went away he gave her half-a. crown,
and told them to come again on the following Friday. She
said that she and her companion divided the half-crown be-
tween them, and she bought herself a new bonnet, and they
then went to see the people who were going to a masquerade
at Vauxhall-gardens. She also said that they both went to
the prisoner's house on the Friday evening, and that the act
was repeated, and she afterwards lived with the prisoner fer
two months and slept with him every night. She also ad-
initted,that since the transaction she had been living at a
brothel.
Mr. CLARKSON, in his address to the jury on behalf of the
prisoner, said he was aware that he must necessarily have
to contend with a vast amount of prejudice which would
be very naturally created against the prisoner by reason
of the character of the charges that were made against
him; but he entreated the jury to exert themselves not
to give any effect to what they might have heard or read
upon the subject, but to be guided only by the sworn
testimony, and decide upon that alone whether
the prisoner was guilty of the crime of which he
was accused. He would admit that the conduct of
the prisoner had been most disgraceful and immoral, but the
question here was whether he had committed a felony of a
particular ilescription, and he said the jury ought not to
allow their abhorrence of his conduct in other respects to
induce them to say that he was guilty of an offence which, it:
appeared to him, he bad clearly not committed. The Learned
Counsel then proceeded to comment upon the circumstances
of the case and the conduct of the prosecutrix, concluding by
asking the jury whether it was possible for them, upon ths,
facts of the case, as they appeared in evidence, to conscien-
tiously come to the conclusion that the prisoner was guilty of
the offence imputed to him.
Mr. Justice ERLE having summed, up,
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict of
Not Guilty.
The prisoner was then charged, upon another indictment,
with committing the same offence upon a girl named Eliza-
beth Eliza Hockenden.
The prosecutrix in this case was a girl 17 years old,
and she stated that in the summer of 1849 she was going
about to look for a situation, and in consequence of a
bill she saw in a shop-window, the contents of which
were read to her by another girl, she went to the priso-
ner's house, and on her asking him if he wanted a
girl, he told her he did, and at once took her up to
the bed-room, where he poured three different sorts of
liquor into a small tumbler, and gave them to her to drink,
telling her the liquor would not hurt her, and the moment
she had drank it she became partially insensible. The wits
ness stated that upon this the prisoner took off her clothes
and proceeded to assault her; but her evidence failed to
show the commission of a felony. She stated that the pri-
soner eventually gave her a shilling, and told her to come
again to see him the next day, but she did not do so; and
it appears that she did not mention what had taken place
until the police had made some inquiries with regard to other
transactions in which her sister Martha was concerned with
the prisoner.
In cross-examination the prosecutor said that after what
had passed with the prisoner she went home and washed
herself, and afterwards went with Julia Weekes, and Stevens,
the prosecutrix in the former indictment, to the Victoria
Theatre, and that they did not get home till twelve o'clock
at night. She likewise admitted that she had gone to Green-
wich fair with a young man named Teddy Toose, and another
" young chap," and a girl named Maria Baker, who since
then had walked the streets.
Mr. CLARKSON again addressed the jury on behalf of the
prisoner, and he particularly urged upon their attention the
fact that the evidence of the prosecutrix herself negatived the
perpetration of the offence.
Mr. Justice Earn having summed up,
The jury found the prisoner Guilty of an assault.
The prisoner was then charged upon a third indictment
with the commission of the same offence upon a girl named
Mary Anne Hall.
The prosecutrix in this case deposed that she was thirteen
years old in July. last, and that in January of the present
year she was living with her father and mother in High-
street, Lambeth. About the end of that month she said
that she met two girls named M'Lachlen and Martha Hock-
enden, and they asked her to go with them to Dr. Smyth's.
She consented to do so, but was not aware what was the
object for which she went. When they got to his
house they said to the prisoner, " We have brought
you this little glr1;" and he replied, " That is
good," but added that he could not speak to her then, and
that she must come the next morning, when he promised to
take her into his service. She went on the following morn-
ing, and was engaged for two or three days in doing the
household work, and on the Saturday in the same week she
said that Martha Hockenden undressed her and made her
go to bed, and then undressed herself, and the prisoner
afterwards came into the room. The witness then gave
some details, which are not fit for publication, with regard to
the conduct of the prisoner; but it appeared that upon this
occasion she resisted him successfully, and that he kicked her
out of bed, and told her to get out of the house. She went
away, but it appeared that she made no complaint of the
prisoner's conduct ; and on the Tuesday afterwards she went
again to the house to fetch away an apron and a pair of boots
which she had left there; and upon this occasion she re-
presented that the prisoner committed the act imputed to
him by force and without her consent.
The prosecutrix underwent a severe cross-examination by
Mr. BALLANTINE, and it was elicited from her that the girl
M'Lachlen was a prostitute, and that she lodged in White
Horse-street, Lambeth, and that she herself had slept at
that house with her on the Monday night previous to the
day on which she represented the prisoner to have commit•
ted the offence. It also appeared that she made no com-
plaint of any misconduct on his part until her mother made
some discovery and pressed her upon the subject, and it
was then only she disclosed what had occurred. It ap-
peared, however, that when the prosecutrix was examined
by the doctor who was called in for that purpose, she dis-
tinctly denied that the prisoner had ever interfered with her.
Mr. CLARKSON, in his address to the jury upon this
charge again urged them, with great warmth and earnest-
ness, not to allow the circumstances that had been laid be-
fore them to operate unfairly against the prisoner. He ad-
mitted that the prisoner was a bad man, and, personally, he
said he desired as much as any one present to see him pun-
ished for his grossly immoral conduct; but at the same
time it was necessary for the safety of them all to take care
that the law was not strained unfairly to meet any parti-
cular case ; for if this be permitted to be done in the case
of a bad rte, they cold not tell how noon the lame tbiag

might occur to a good one. Having made these remarks
he went on to draw the attention of the jury to the evidence
of the prosecution, and argued that it was impossible to en-
tertain any doubt that she was a consenting party to all that
took place, and that, under these circumstances, although it
was perfectly clear that the prisoner's conduct bad been
most disgusting and immoral, yet, he said, it would at the
same time be most unjust to convict him of the particular
felony with which ho was charged upon such evidence.
Mr. Justice Eaut then summed up.

The jury having deliberated fora short time in the box,
expressed a wish to retire. They left the court at half-past
five o'clock, and in about half an hour they sent a written
communication to his Lordship, stating that there wss no
chance of their agreeing to a verdict.
The Learned JUDGE, upon receiving this intimation from
the jury left the court, giving directions that he should be
sent for when the jury were prepared to give their verdict.
The jury continued in deliberation until nearly ten o'clock,
when they announced that they were agreed.
A messenger was immediately dispatched for the Learned
Judge, who arrived shortly before eleven. Mr. Alderman
Challis was present as the second commissioner.
The jury then gave a verdict of Guilty.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
THAMES.

Thomas Turner, a waterman, of Mill Pond-street, Ber-
mondsey, was brought before Mr. Yardley, charged with
being concerned with two others not in custody in attempting
to rob and murder Mr. James JoF:epli Baldwin, a marine
store-dealer, of No. 2, Clarke-street, Stepney, under circum-
stances of a very extraordinary nature.
The prosecutor, a stout man, whose face was seriously cut
and bruised, and who gave his evidence in a very contwed
manner, stated that he was in Rotherhithe on Tuesday. night
upon business. He got into a boat at 12 o'clock for the pur-
pose of being ferried across the river. The prisoner Gas in
that boat, and took him alongside a ship, where he kept him
for some time, and then said, " We must go back again to
Rotherhithe." Some other watermen then got into the boat,
and ha told them to take him to the Thames Tunnel stairs,
on the Middlesex shore. He was taken alongside a ship
again, to the best of his recollection, and thought is very
strange, and was then rowed across the river. On nearing
the Middlesex shore, one of the watermen got up in the
boat and struck him a dreadful blow under the ear and threw
him overboard.
Mr. YARDLEY—What was that for? Mr. Baldwin—To
rob me. One man put his hand in my pocket as I was ap-
proaching the stairs on this side of the river at Wapping,
and I was struck on the ear, and also upon the mmth, by one
man, and another threw me overboard.
Mr. YARDLEY—Ia deep water? Mr. Baldwin—lt was
done so suddenly I hardly know ; there were three persons in
the boat besides myself.
Mr. YARDLEY—Did you get out of your depth? Mr.
Baldwin—The water covered me. _ _

Mr. YARDLEY—As you lay on your back, or as you stood
up? Mr. Baldwin—Up to my neck. I was quite under
water once, and was up to my neck as I scrambled out. 1
scrambled out of the water in the best way I could.
Mr. YARDLEY—What became of the men in the boat ?
Mr. Baldwin—They rowed away as fast as they could.
Mr. YARDLEY—Did you lose anything? Mr. Baldwin—l
don't know that I did. I had bank-notes in my pocket-
book. and they attempted to take it. There were only a few
halfpence in my pocket. I was not very sober, Sir.
The prisoner, on being asked if he had any questions to
ask, said he was at Rotherbithe-stairs, on the Surrey shore,
when he saw the gentleman come down and walk straight
towards the River, and ho called out to him, " Mind where
you are going." The gentleman came towards him, and ap-
peared to be. very tipsy, and he said, " You had better be oft
away from me." The gentleman stopped twenty minutes,
and he asked him what he wanted, to' which the gentleman
replied that he wanted a boat. t irectly after that the gen-
tleman got into conversation with five or six other water-
men, who took him to a public.house, and washed the blood
off his face, and cleaned it. The gentleman had a fall before
he came to the plying place.
Mr. Baldwin said he fell down and cut his face before he
came to the plying place for a boat. He cut his eye. His
face was wiped by the watermen.
The prisoner I was at home wheethe gentleman went
into the bost. I went home before he went over the water.
Mr. Baldwin lam certain he was in the boat when I was
thrown overboard.
The prisoner—l rowed the gentleman over by myself to
this side of the river. He would go back again with other
watermen. I was not with him. Did you not ask for change
for a 20/. note in the public-house over the water?
Mr. Baldwin—l was in the public-house, and pulled a
20/. note out of my pocket and asked for change, but I put it
in my pocket-book again. They tried to get at my pocket-
book, but could not, and knocked me clean overboard. I
saw the prisoner afterwards taken from behind a barge while
I wag dripping with wet and bleeding from the mouth.
The prisoner said he went behind a barge to relieve a call
of nature, and not to conceal himself.
Alexander Cowe, of 63, Anchor and Hope-alley, Wapping,
said he was en engineer, employed at Pavitt's steam flour-
mills, at Execution-dock, and on Tuesday night, soon after
12 o'clock, he was in the mill, and heard cries of " Murder!"
and "Police !" proceeding from the river. He listened, and
the cries continued, becoming fainter, and accompanied with
a "suffocating noise." Not being able to reach the water-
side from the back of the mill, he went round to the front,
and saw the prosecutor struggling in the water and get out
and come up the steps of the plying-place. He went to his
assistance, and the prosecutor said, "They have been
robbing me, and thrown me overboard." At that moment
he saw the prisoner running by the side of a barge on the
shore, and he endeavoured to conceal himself. Witness ran
after him, and he said, " It's not me what did it, it's not me."
Witness said, " No one said it was you," and detained him
until a policeman came.
Police-constable Miller, 115 K, stated that a carman, or a
man named Carman, saw the prisoner shove off with the boat,
and had promised to attend, but had failed to do so in conse-
quence of an engagement elsewhere.
Mr. YARDLEY—You must get him here, and make further
inquiries about this matter. I shall-remand the prisoner till
Saturday next.

Policeman Smith, 300 K, said the prosecutor had 601. or
701. in bank-notes in his pocket-book when he came to the
station-house. _ __ _ • _

Mr. YARDLEY said the prosecutor should have mentioned
that before, and that he had no occasion to be afraid of doing
so in that court.
A young waterman applied for the restoration of his boat.
It.bad been taken away by three men for the purpose of tak •
log the prosecutor away and robbing him.
Mr. YARDLEY-You may have your boat; I see no ob-
jection to that.

THE LONDON GAZETTE, April 8.
DIVIDENDS.
At the Court, Basinghall•street.
T. S. Dickinson and R. C. Dickinson, Gresham-street
City, and Leeds, Yorkshire, warehousemen, May 6, si
eleven. _