The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-19 00:00:00

THE SUNS LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 19. 1856.

Court of Queen's Bench—(This Day.)

sleep for the rest of the night. I had seen the girl at the
house one Sunday evening before. That was about a
month ago. I knew it was the same girl because I opened
the street door, and heard my mistress tell the girl to
wipe her feet and go into the parlour. I went in, and my
mistress and the girl went out, and returned with a box
with three clasps. When my mistress went out with the
girl she had a large stone with her, wrapped up in a piece
of cloth. My mistress told me to go to bed on that night,
but I refused, when she took the girl away with her, and
told me to stop up until she returned. That was the only
occasion I ever saw the girl there. When my mistress
went out on Saturday evening, she had the sarse dress
on that she now has ; but when she came into the kitchen
she had an old black dress on. After all was quiet,
my mistress came to my bed-side, and said she had been
to market—that she had got change of half-a.crown, hut
that she would not pay me until Sunday morning. My
mistress then went up to bed, and I did not see her
again that night. When she was talking to me at my
bed-side she appeared to be very white and much agi-
tated.

Leasia;,,
CompanQ

Ciostnv enc.,
yeeterdv.

Dulness
this day.

SECOND COURT.
Sittings at Guilcihall at Nisi Prius.

(Before Mr. Justice Crampton, and a Common Jury

HUNT V. ICKENZIE.

This was an action brought by the plaintiff to recover
compensation in damages f.r the injuries his wife bad
sustained from the alliged negligent driving of the de-
fendant's servant. The defendant pleaded not guilty.
The plaintiff is a builder and a surveyor, of Syden-
ham, his wife conducting an upholstery business in Lon-
don, and the defendant is a distiller, carrying on busi-
ness in Cullum-street, city. It appeared that on the 3d
of November last the plaintiff's wife was being drawn
along Moorgate-street in a chaise by her foreman. As
they were passing the defendant's waggon, which was
drawn by three horses, and proceeding at the rate of
eight or nine miles per hour, the latter diverged from
ths side of the road (rdbably to pass another vehicle),
when the waggon came in contact with the plaintiff's
chaise. The collision was so great that the plaintiff's
wife was thrown out and under the feet of the horses in
the waggon, the foreman war, thrown over his horse's
bead, and the chaise shattered to atoms. The plaintiff's
wife was seriously injured at the time, from the effects
of which she was confined to bed for three weeks, and
bad been unable to attend to business for six weeks.
Her memory had been seriously affected from that time.
She would require medical attendance for some further
period.
The defence was that the injury and damage was
purely accidental, and arose from the plaintiff's chaise
endeavouring to pass the defendant's waggon at a time
when other vehic:es were passing along the street.
The Jury, after a short consultation, returned a ver-
dict for the plaintiff—damages, 100/. ; 251. of that
amount being for the wife's personal suffering.

By Mr. Corrie—My mistress also Said in the kitchen,
while she was walking about, " She will not tell any
more lies about me."

Both poisoners declined to put any question to the
witness.

Mr. Georga William Henry Coward, divisional sur-
geon, having been sworn, said—l reside at No. 6, St.
John's-terrace, New North-road, Hoxton. On Sunday
evening last at about five o'clock I was called by the
police to No. 18, [Anton-street, and in a coal-cellar I saw
the body of a child about 14 years of age. I discovered
three large wounds from the back of the neck to the
front, embracing the whole of the left side. The jugular
vein was divided, and the carotid artery bad three small
wounds upon it. There were several small flesh wounds
about the neck and face, also on the left hand, and one
on the left arm, as if done in a struggle to save her
throat. Her right side was very dirty, as if she had
lain on it when the throat was cut from the front, and
then pulled round. From the nature of the wounds I
am satisfied they were inflicted by some other party.
She could not have done it herself.

EXCHEQUER COURT.
(Sittings at Guildhall at Nisi Prius, before the Lord
Chief Baron Pollock and a Special Jury.)
BERKELEY, M.P., V. BERESFORD AND OTHERS—LIBEL.
MlThe Attorney-General, Mr. James, and Mr. Grey,
were counsel for the plaintiff; Sir F. Thesiger, and Mr.
Tomlinson for the defendant.

Serjeant George Bexley, No. 12 N, said—Between six
and seven o'clock on Sunday evening I went to the house
18, Linton-street, New North-road, and in the first floor,
used as a bed-room, on searching I found a pair of stock-
ings (now produced) under the bed. There were spots
of blood on one of them. They were marked with the
initials " C. C." which were those of the female pri-
soner's maiden name, Colestria Christmas. There were
also spots of blood on the pillow in the kitchen where
the servant girl slept.

This was an action brought by the plaintiff, M.P. for
Bristol, against the defendants, proprietors of a weekly
publication called the Weekly Alliance for a series of
libels contained in that publication.. The action arose
out of the proceedings of last session with reference to
Wilson Patten's act, for the better observance of the
Sabbath. Mr. Berkeley considering that that act in-
fringed the liberty of the subject and pressed harshly on
the labouring classes, obtained the appointment of a
select committee to i. qu re into the subject, of which
the plaintiff was chairman. After hearing evidence that
committee unanimously reported in favour of a modifica-
tion of the above bill, and the result was the introduc-
tion of a bill into the House of Commons, by Mr.
Berkeley, founded on that report, and which was passed
into a law. The defendants in their publication had
published a series of articles in favour of the better ob-
servance of the Sabbath, in which they impugned the
conduct of the plaintiff, alleging that he was in collusion
with the licensed victuallers of Bristol, and with corrupt
motives.

Rebecca sonelly, searcher at Roxton station-house,
said—At half-past six o'clock on Sunday evening I
searched the female prisoner. When I took her to the
searching room she said " What do you bring me here
far ? Is it to search me I" I said "Yes." She replied,
"Oh dear ! that foolish girl has been talking. I have a
cellar in my house without a plate. A girl was found
there stabbed with a knife. I cannot think how she
came there, for my house was fastened up at ten o'clock
last night." While I was searching ber she bad taken
her top dress off, and her petticoat from the fore part to
the knee downwards was covered with blood. The pri-
soner said, " I am subject to bleeding from my nose.
I use my petticoat to it. My husband can tell you that
he lent me a silk handkerchief." (The petticoat was
here produced.)
Mr. Inspector Payne, N division, raid that he had
used every exertion and made every search, but could
not discover the knife or any weapon with which the
wounds were inflicted upon the deceased.
Mr. Corrie said that there was no evidence to warrant
the detention of the male, but he should remand the
female until Monday next.
The witnesses already examined were then bound over
to prosecute her at the Central Criminal Court on the
charge of wilful murder. The prisoner, up to this stage
of the proceedings, was allowed a seat in the dock by
the side of her husband. She appeared to become faint,
and leaned her head upon the front of the bar.
The husband was now liberated, and the wife was
taken from the court to Waddington's (the gaoler's)
room.

Sir F. Thesiger said at the commencement of the
case that whilst he claimed a perfect right for the de-
fendante, as the conductors of a public journal, to exa-
mine and criticise the conduct of public men, yet at the
same time he admitted that in their energy to serve the
cause they had at heart, they had been hurriediy led into
the indulgence of expressions and making assertions they
did not on that occasion pretend to justily. The defen-
dants would, therefore, submit to a verdict passing
against them.
The Attorney-General said the only object his client
had in bringing this action was the vindication of his
character. That having been'conceded by the defendants,
the plaintiff was satisfied. He could not agree with one
remark of the learned counsel for the defendants, that
they had been hurried into using the expressions com-
plained of, because the libels were contained in a series
of articles extending over several weeks and months.
A verdict was then taken for the plaintiff for five
guineas, by consent.