The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-06 00:00:00

EVENING,

Charlotte Rolfe—My occupation is that of a monthly
nurse. I attended Mrs. Heathcote in two of her confine-
ments. I remember seeing Mrs. Heathcote on the 2d of
May, previous to the 18th, the time of her last confine-
ment. I am not certain that I had a conversation on the
Ist of May. I recollect saying something to her about
her size. I said to her, " Ma'am, I think you are getting
very stout." She said, " Do you think so, Rolfe?" Cap-
tain Heathcote's name was mentioned. After I told Mrs.
Heathcote she was getting very stout, she said, " I do
not know that I have a day to go." I looked quite
confounded. She said, " Rolfe, Do you understand
me?" I said " Ma'am, the captain has not been home
more than six months, and scarcely that." I then said,
Have you informed the captain?" She said she had
not, and asked me if I could keep a secret. I then asked
her if she had named it to a medical man. She said no,
and asked me to keep it secret, for if the captain knew
it it would be a deathblow to him. I do not recollect
any more of the conversation. I went home that even
ing. I recollect being sent for to go to Fritham about
the 15th of May. The captain left that morning to go
to Bath. I went to stay with Mrs. Heathcote and take
care of the children. I remember Mrs. Heathcote being
taken very ill, in consequence of which I sent for a me-
dical man. That was on the 17th. It was between
eleven and twelve at night when I sent the man off for
the medical man. The child was born about half-past
one in the morning. There was only myself present,
and I delivered her. I have had a great deal of expe-
rience, and according to my judgment the child was a
full-grown child. I think Mrs. Heathcote must have
gone her full time. I remember the captain came home
on the Saturday evening about seven o'clock. I remem-
ber seeing him in Mrs. Heathcote's room.
By the LORD CHANCELLOR—It was Saturday morn-
ing, between one and two, when the child was born, and
the captain came home in the evening.
By Mr. TALISOT—I was present when he came into
the bedroom. He went to the bedside and kissed his
wife, and said, "Dear Lucy, how are you ❑ow? " She
said she was better. I had the child at the far side of
the room. The captain walked to the other side of the
bed. The baby cried out; he looked round and saw it.
He had Mrs. Heathcote's hand in his, he dropped it, and
he never spoke to his wife, or to the baby, but walked
out of the room. I afterwards saw him go down stairs.
I did not follow him, but he sent for me the next day
and I told him what I have told their Lordships. When
I told the captain he appeared very much hurt—very
much indeed. I do not know whether Captain Heath-
cote had any suspicion that the child was to be born so
soon or not. I remember the children being removed on
the Tuesday morning. The captain left the house on
Sunday. I saw him at the house, but never saw bim in
Mrs. Heathcote's room again. I saw Mr. Arthur
Heathcote come with him about a fortnight afterwards.
I know Geore Francis Law. Ido not know whether he
was living in the'house. In the conversation which took
place between myself and Mrs. Heathcote, and when I
told her that the captain had not been home more than
six months, she said, " Oh, Rolfe, I know no one but my
brother."

Mr. George Robert Tatam—l am a medical practi-
tioner, and remember being summoned to attend Mrs.
Heathcote. I saw the child. She was confined b‘ fore I
arrived. The confinement seemed to me to be recent.
The child was a perfect child—full grown, and I should
say certainly a nine months' child.
Henrietta Prowett—l am in service. lam twenty-
three years of age. I lived in Mrs. Heathcote'a family
at Fritham. I went to live there in 1848. I went there
in the capacity of nursemaid. I never saw the captain
until he came home. He came home the 24th of No-
vember in the next year; that must be 1849. That was
the first time I saw him. Mr. George Francis Law was
stopping with us. I can't remember when he came to
stop with us first, but it was, I think, in November or
December in the same year. I have known him to stay
a month or six weeks at a time, then go away for a
mouth, and then return again. Mrs. Heathcoto was in
the habit of going to parties with her brother. I was
in the habit of helping to make the beds. Ellen Del-
man used to help me make all the beds, except the
cook's.:,We often remarked that Mr. G. Law's bed had
not been slept in. We frequently noticed this. In the
evening, about ten o'clock, I have noticed Mrs. Heath-
cote going into Mr. Law's room, about the time we
went to bed. We have known her to go in and come
out again. We have found in Mr. Law's room an ex-
tinguisher put on the candle, and the bed tumbled as if
it had been laid upon. This has happened more than
once. There was no one in the house besides the ser-
vants, except Mrs. Heathcoto and George Law, on the
occasion I have spoken of. Mr. Law was in the draw-
ing•room. I did not see Mr. Law go upstairs on this
occasion. There were six steps to go up, and the cook's
bedroom was between Mrs. Heathcote's bedroom and Mr.
Law's. The cook's room was on a line with Mr. Law's.
I have observed that Mrs. Heathcote's bed had been
occupied by more than one person. I judge it from
there being marks of two having been in it. I nave
noticed that more than once. There was nobody in the
house but Mr. Law who could have slept with Mrs.
Heathcote. After the captain came home I noticed
that be treated his wife very kindly. She did not ap-
pear so fond of him as he was of her.
Ellen Delman—l was housemaid in the service of Mr.
and Mrs. Heathcote at Fritham. I went into their ser-
vice in November, 1847, and stayed until 1850. I never
saw Captain Heathcote until November, 1849. That
was the first time I ever saw him in my life. He came
to live at Fritham with Mrs. Heathcote. I had seen
Mr. Law on and off there for two or three months at a
time. He was not so constant in his visits at last as he
was at first. I saw him first in 1848. It was my duty
to take up the hot water to my mistress. I sometimes
put it down at the door instead of taking it in. There
was a night bolt on my mistress's door. This excited
my attention, and in consequence of it I used to go Mr.
Law's room. I went there to see where he was. I did
not find him there. I used to take up the hot water
sometimes at eight, and sometimes at ten. I noticed
Mr. Law's bed; sometimes it was tossed and sometimes
it was not. I have seen Mr. Law outside Mrs. Heath•
cote's bed, sometimes with bis trowsers on and sometimes
with his trowsers and waistcoat. I have seen Mrs.
Heathcote go into Mr. Law's room. I have been into
Mr. Law's room to fill up the jugs, and have noticed
that the bed has been pulled to pieces as if somebody
had lain in it. This witness also corroborated the state-
ment of Henrietta Prowett.

Mr. W. Legge Harvey, from the Consistory Court,
Doctor's-commons, produced the proceedings in that
court in this case.

Mr. Lee, on being recalled, produced a copy of the
judgment in the action in the Court of Common Pleas
betwee❑ the petitioner and George Francis Law,wherein
a verdict by default was taken for 1,0001. damages, the
defendant not having appeared either in person or by
counsel. lie also produced the record of the conviction
of Geor:Te Francis Law at the sessions at Southampton
in August last year, when he was sentenced to transpor-
tation for seven years for having fraudulently obtained
money under false praences upon a draught.
The further proceedings were then adjourned to
Thursday next. Adjourned accordingly.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
HOME ClRCUlT.—Chelmsford, Marsh 5.
CROWN SlDE.—(Before Lord Chief Justice
CAMPBELL.)
Thomas Hammond, aged 21, was indicted for feloni-
ously setting fire to a haulmstack, the property of John
Bush, since deceased.

Mr. Hawkins prosecuted, and Mr. Charnock defended
the prisoner.

The circumstances under which this charge was pre-
ferred were of rather an unusual character. It appeared
that the fire in question occurred so far back as the
month of October, 1847, and it seemed that two brothers
named Wood were taken into custody on suspicion of
having committed the offence, and were eventually com•
mitted for trial, but the grand jury ignored the bill, and
they were ,discharged. Shortly afterwards the prisoner
was represented to have entered into conversation with
Joseph Wood, one of the parties who had been
com-
mitted, and after observirg that " he had suffered inno-
cently for that there fire," he said that he would tell him
who was the guilty party; and he then went on to say
that it was himself who had fired the stack. The only
witness to speak to this conversation,was the young man
Wood, and he accounted for not having said anything
about it at the time by stating that nobody applied to
him upon the subject until a policeman came to him a
short time back, and he then related the particulars of
the conversation he had had with the prisoner. The
witness admitted on cross-examination that the prisoner
appeared to have had some beer when ho made the state-
ment, but he declared that he was quite sober. When
before the magistrate, however, it seemed that the pri-
soner asserted he was drunk at the time, and did not
know what he said.

The LORD CutEr JUSTICE expressed an opinion that,
under these circumstances, and in the absence of any cor-
roborative evidence, it would not be safe to convict the
prisoner.

The jury therefore returned a 'verdict of Not Guilty.
(Before EDWIN JAMES, Esq., Q.C.)
John Barrens, 22, and Thomas Purhess, 20, were in-
dicted for a robbery with violence upon David Little-
child.
Mr. Maude conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Par-
nell was for the defence.
It appeared that the prosecutor was a waggoner, and
on the night of the 15th of November, he was going
with his waggon on the London-road, near Brentwood.
A boy was driving, and he was asleep in the hinder part
of the waggon, when two men jumped from the hedge
by the road-side and got into the waggon and rifled the
pockets of the prosecutor, using considerable violence to
him in the course of the proceeding. The prosecutor
positively identified one of the prisoners, and the lad
who was driving spoke to the other, and there were other
circumstances deposed to which tended to establish the
guilt of the prisoners.
Mr. PARNELL addressed the jury for the defence, and
endeavoured to satisfy them that the witnesses were mis-
taken in speaking to the identity of the prisoners.
Mr. JAaiEs summed up the case very minutely to the
jury, and he particularly reminded them that before they
could return a verdict of guilty they ought to be satis-
fied that the identity of the prisoners had been esta-
blished beyond any reasonable doubt.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty,and the prisoners
were sentenced to be transported for seven years.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice PATTEsoN.)
John Lambourn, a labourer, aged 50, was charged
with having murdered his wife, Ann, at Watlington, on
the evening of Saturday, the 28th of September.
Mr. Carrington and Mr. Skinnerdefence.
conducted the pro-
secution; and Mr. Williams the
It appeared that the prisoner and his wife had lived
very unhappily for several years. She was very ema.
ciated and weak in constitution, a few years older than
the prisoner, and partially deaf. They lived in a cottage
in Watlington, which was separated from the road lead-
ing to Cuxham by a
small garden and hedge. They
lived quite alone, without lodgers or children. Their
cottage adjoined another inhabited by a fathily named
Coles. A little beyond that was another cottage, inha•