The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-27 00:00:00

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[RUCS 4L. SAMPED s`).]

ASsIZE INis PLL [GEM'S'.

HOME CIRCITIT.---ICINGsTox, MarCh 26.
(Before Mr: Justice Williams.)
, Eliza Clout. 2(1, a good-lookidg young woman, appal-en' lv
, far advanced in pregnancy, was charged with feloniously cut-
ting and wounning her husband, Wm. Clout, with intent to
do him grievous bodily harm.
Mr. •Lilley conducted the prosecution. The prisaner•had
no counsel.
This case was of a very painful nature. It appea-ed that
the prosecutor was a.labouring man, living at Fa ahem, and
he and the prisoner had been -married for several- years, and
that the prisoner entertained a feeling of jealousy respecting
her hus, and. On the 19th of October they had gohe to
drink tea with the landlady -of a 'public-house, called the
Royal Arms, at Farnham, and after tea the prosecutor went
into another room, and in the course of the evening the pH-
smier went to him and asked him to go home; and a few
angry words ensued. The prisoner suddenly exclaimed
"Take that," or words to the same effect, and cut her hue-
land in the back of the neck with a razor, and he Lied pro-
fusely, and upon his being examined by Mr Clark, a surgeon
in the neighbourhood, it was found that he had receive I a
very severe wound.. The prisoner was taken into custody,
when she stated that she did not -mean to hurt her husband,
and only intended to frighten him. The weapon with which
the wound was inflicted was a razor belonging to the prose-
cutor, and which, it appo fired, the prisoner had brought from
home for the purpose.
Mr.:Clark, the surgeon, stated, in answer to a question put
by the Court, t.:at a good deal of force must have been used
to cause the injury on the neck of the prosecutor ; but he at
the same time said he was of opinion that the object of the
prisoner was not to take away life, or e:se she wou'd have
inflicted the injury in front of the throat instead of the back.
The prosecutor having given la's evidence, said that he had
been away from his home on the day before the occur-
rence, and had ar,e.ravated the prisoner, and they had both
been drinking spirits to a‘censidera.ble extent`on the day the
offence was committed.
The prisoner, who appeared very faint and ill dur'ng the
trial, was unable to say anything in defence to the jury.
Mr. Justice Williams having summed up, the jury found
the prisoner guilty of unlawfully wounding.
The prosecutor entreated his lordship to deal mercifully
lii if she werevll?hiswife'anse at it
saildibehretyw.as r ady to take her home with
Mr Justice Williams said it appeared to him that, having
reg rd to the circumstances of the case, and the condition of
the prisoner, the best course would be to respite the judg-
ment to the Summer Assiz s, and, in the meauti the pri-
soner would remain in custody, and bet ken care of.
Nothing of interest occurred in the Civil Court.

NO RTHERN CIRCUIT.—LIVERPOOL, March 26.
This day the trial of Captain John Anderson Christie
(master of the ship Elizabeth, belonging to Messrs. Tobin,
of Liverool), for the alleged murcrr of Francisco Rode-
riquez, a seaman on board the Elizabeth, came on before Mr.
Baron Martin, is the Crown Court, at• Liverpool.
Mr, Bliss, Q C., Attorney-General for , he County Palatine,
Mr. James, and Mr. Aspivall ,onlucted the prosecution ;
and the prisoner was defended by Mr. Tindal Atkinson, Mr.
Fernley, and Mr. Peel.
The iollewing are the particulars of the case as detailed by
the Attorn• y-General in opening the case on the part of the
Crown :—ln June last the ship Rize.beth was on the coast
of Africa, off New Calabar, and at this time the prisoner,
who was then captain of the Fa' th, was transferre to the
Elizabeth, along with three others, named respectively
J,,seph Mitchell, who died, Alphons ) Mattio, and Francisco
Roderiquez, into whose death they were now about to in-
quire. The deceased was by birth a Spaniard, and in re-
ligion a Roman Cath.die He was, when he joined the
ship, in good health, and in the full vigour of his age.
tie was entered as an able seaman, and was of the average
capacity of seamen. The ship sailed from Calabar on the
2.-4th of July, and nothing particular happened until about a
month afterwards, when the prisoner commented beating
and kicking the deceased severely, and used the rope's end
to him, and this was continued during the whole of the voy-
fV7o until about a fortnight before the deceased's death.
During this fortnight the deceased was lingering in his bunk,
gradually appreac:.ing the term of his life. There were two
beatings amongst the rest, to which he wished particularly to
refer. Ono took place in September, and the other about a
fortni ht before deceased's death. The deceased was trim-
ming the binnacle lamp, and whilst doing so he fell down the
stairs with the lamp in Isis hand. The prisoner asked what
was the matter, and was told the deceased had fallen. The
prisoner then came forward, and seized the deceased by the
neck, and beat him very much in all parts of his body, end
wi:en the prisoner left him the dece,,sed was iu sue ' agony
from the beating that he could scarcely crawl, and cried out
that his back was broken. It was subsequently discovered
that his spine was broken, for after that time he w rs never
able to stand upright. He often complained afterwards about
his hick, and showed it to the other seaman, who saw large
lumps upon it. One day after this deceased was trying to
wan( on the deck, but was unable to do so, except very
slowly. The prisoner followed him and told him to get en
quicker, and on the deceased saying he was unable to do so,
the captain kicked him severely, when he fell on the deck,
and could not rise again. He tlku crawled into his bunk on
his hands and knees, and from this time he never afterwards
putt d his berth alive, t xcept on one day when the prisour
roped him and kicked him. The deceased then crept along
into his bunk, where he remained for fourteen days. During
this time his mind became effected, and after the most
excruciating sufferings caused by the spine having been
broken, and the other wounds and injuri s he had re-
ceived, ha died on the Ist of November, and was
thrown overboard. The ship arrived in LiverpoM
in t, e 9th of Nov. tuber, and immediately afterwards an Apr
prentice, named James Naggs, wen: to the owners, Messrs.
T..,bin, and gave informath.n of what h to taken Flace on
b ard. An inquiry into the circumstances then t ole place
efore the loc:0 Marine Board, and this led to the in-
vestiga, ion b fore the magistrates, which was f .flowed by the
facts of the ease bAng brought under the notice of the Bcc.rd
of Trade, who had du ected this pros-cutio-.
The evidence of seamen of the ship, reported at length in
the prelimina- y examination hold lat ly, was adduced iu sup-
per, of the learned counsel's opening remarks The deposi-
tion of Francis Patten, the- secon I mate, who i led last we.k,
was also put in and read as e,idence
Mr Thomas Inman, M D., plat sician to the Northern Hos-
pital, Liverpool, wag called, and said ho had listened to the
evidence which had been given by th:, witnesses who had
already been ex imined, and he concluded that the deco ,sed
had had abscess in the thioi, produced by kicking; subse •
quently the chest beca affecLed. au Ihe had come to the
conclusion that the deceased came to his death by au affect
Lion of the chest.
The Judge —How was that affection of the chest brough
ou

Mr. Inman said it was very commonly brought on by
injuries. Inflammati ,n of the chest frequently followed in-
juries.
By the Attorney-General—l am of opinio:, that such kick-
ing and beating as I have heard described may have produced
this inflammation.
By Mr Tindal Atkinson.—l do not think, from what I
have heard, that scurvy was tha cause of death. I do not
think it poss ble.
Mr. Wall, surgeon at the Northern llospita', combo•ated
Mr. Inm in's evidence as to the cause of death.
By Mr. Pernaley—Was of opinion that the evidence
showed that scurvy was not the cause of death.
The Attorney-General said that was the case on the part of
the Crown.
Mr. Atkinson then addressed the jury cn behalf of the
prisoner.
The learned Judge having su med up,
The jury brought in a verdict of manslaughter, and the
Judge sentenced the prisoner to p ual servitude for life. ,

2-

WSPAPER
them, as they are cut from waste pa t;'-ki • • ' '
itock- s subject to much fluctuation. Ib; N 4
vame-a iOiner,.
the . buying it. 14-14.0
Itt-ektrbinizel--Altevthe fashion has : urietla
become waste paper , •
Mr. Starr, of f,he firm of Debenham and *TT itLS'all&l) life
saw the Prisoner two days after tbo fire, and 'before
life claim was sent in. He said he had lost a large .nuntbat•
which were hanging round the atop,
ce patterns of mantles,
and that their losg would be Very serious to him. He said he
did not send to Paris for them, as he 'was oblya- Baia we,.
man, bet_ Ma customers and his_men thought he did. When
a customer a- plied for a particular mantlehe said they were
being made, and,ha then purchased one, and made others froin
that pa:.te,n wished me not to mention it, as it nyieht
prejudice him in the *roof his customers. The sea's h,
I•n r, charged at 121 9i3. ;lnlibi be aro' tit 10/. He elating-
,e
for stock and fixtures, theititter being estimated at 321., hiipt
I think..sl., would reinstate them; The value of the stock
the day of the fire I should take to be about 1301,,. and that
represents the Whale stock insured for pow.. I ant .in the
aitissesaor to. the Westminster Fire-office, cf viewing
premises after fires three or four times a week. -
Mr. Humphreys - In your judgment, as a practical mane
do you think this was a wilful fire ?
Mr. Sleigh—I object to that question as an impreper one
to put to a witness ; and I say, as a lawyer, that no such
question was ever put to a witness before.
Mr. Humphreys—And I as confidently' assert that it is a
very proper question to put to a practical man ; but if tile
alderman says that I am not entitled to Ind it I will not
press it.
Alderman Hale—l do not think you should put such a
question.

Mr, Humphreys —I bow to your decision, sir; and hale
only uow to say that my case is complete; with the't xception
of the production of the policy.
Mr. Sleigh—The policy shall be forthconting at the neit
I earing.

Alderman Hale—Then I shall remand the prisoner till
Tuesday next.

Mr. Sleigh—Do you object, Mr. Humphreys, to good and
subst•lntial bail?
Alderman Hale —lt Mr. Humphreys does not, I shall.
The prisoner was then remanded.

Tll3 MYSTERIOUS MURDER AT

PORTSMOUTH.

PORTS NIOUTH, FRIDilt NIGHT.
The inquiry into this mysterious murder was resumed
this night. Police-constable Webb And Inspector Mash
having deposed to being called to' Wit house on the night
in question.
Mr. William Leggett, superintendent of the borough
pollee force, was then examined. He said; at six o'clock
on the morning of the 14th inst. Inspector Daish Pune to
my house, and we proceeded together to thehouse opiris;T.
Vick, sen., SF. Thomas's-street. Daisft:silatt'preirieSi& ,
stated the circumstances to me, but on arriving at'
house I asked :hire. Vick to eetaiho me those circumstances
as they t Jok pla e, and she did so in almost the same
words she has used in giving evil:dice t) this court.
had been it formed that there wa4 nriney belonging to
the deceased in the house, and tha-, Mrs. Vick was in
possession of the case which contained it. I asked her
to produce it, for I should take possession of it. She
produced a leather case, of which I took possession. Oa
examining it I found that it was locked ; I asked for the
key, and it was stated that it could not be found. I then
asked Mrs. Vick br some tape, and a seal, if she had one
in her possession. She then gave me some tape, and
a seal with the crest of a stag upon it. I placed the tape
through the banal-, so that it could not tie slipped either
way, and after tying the ends fiea.ed them. I retaired
pus-e-sien t f the case. I then left and proceeded,
eith Deist) and Barnes, to the shop oi tn., dec aced,
set ere Barnes produced from some place of coricealcnent,
a cash-1)(7x. Oo opening that box we discovered between
91. and 101. in money. Immed ate!), afterwards Inspector
Dai,,h and myself lift t )wn for Fareham, Hambledon,
and other places to make inquiries ; but previously to
that I had caminunicated with the brothers of the
deceased. I subsequently had a second interview with
the brothers, and I asked Barnes if he knew where the
key of the box, containing the money, wa4. He said,
"Yes." He produced it, end the bcx was opened
in their presence. I did this fur the sati-faction of
the brothers. The b x was found to contain ecetne
capera, one bag containing three 101. and two 51.
&ink of England notes, and sixty•six sovereigns and
a-half. On a further examination I discovered six
small bags, each of which contained gold' amounting to
40 sovereigns; the amount in the whole being 346/. 108.
I also found in the same 13,.x a will, which the brothers
stated to be in the hand wri,ing of the deceased. It was
signed but not atte-ted.
This being the whole of the evi knee,
The jury here bri,fl f consul'ed, and, having agreed
upon tneir verdict, the foreman said, our verdict is
wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.