The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-08 00:00:00

THIS D.Y.

The adjourned sessions of the Central Criminal Court
commenced this morning before the Lord Mayor, Re-
corder, and the sheriffs. Colonel Nelson and Lieutenant
Brand, who stand committed for trial at the Bow-street
Police-court, but who are in the meantime liberated on
their own recognisances and on substantial bail besides,
will be indicted at the instance of the Jamaica Committee,
for the alleged murder of George William Gordon, on the
23d of October, 1865, at Morant Bay, and in the event of
the grand jury finding a true bill the occasion will be in-
vested with all the dignity of a State trial. Already pre-
parations are being made for it. Ordinarily the duty of
charging the grand jury devolves upon the Recorder of
London (Mr. Russell Gurney), but he has not thought It
desirable on this occassion to assume it, so far, at least, as
the charge against Colonel Nelson and Lieutenant Brand
is concerned, in consideration of his having acted
as one of the Royal Commissioners for :nquiring into
the circumstances connected with the rebellion in
Jamaica. That being so, the Lord Chief Justice of England
has intimated his intention to attend the court on Wednes-
day morning and deliver the eharge to the grand jury in
that. particular case. Sir Alexander Cockburn will be ac-
companied on the occasion by two other of the judges, who
will probably be Mr. Justice Montague Smith and Mr.
Justice Lusk, for their names are upon the rota for th 3
April Sessions, and it is said that nothing will be wanting
in the constitution of the Court, or in the arrangements
calculated to lend dignity to the occasion.
The agents for the prosecution are about to indict
Colonel Nelson and Lieutenant Brand not only for the
alleged murder of Gordon, but also for that of Samuel
Clarke. In the case of Clarke the proceeding is excep-
tional in this respect, though not without precedent or au-
thority, that no evidence was adduced before Sir Thomas
Henry, the committing magistrate, and there was, in fact,
no commitment for the murder of Clarke. The commit-
ment was for the alleged murder of Gordon alone. Clarke,
it may bo remembered, was tried by court-martial for re-
bellion, and hung at Morant Bay on_the 23d of October,
1865, the same day on which Gordon was executed.
In the event of a bill being found by the grand jury, if
is understood that the case for the prosecution will be con-
ducted by Mr. Edward James, Q.C., Mr. Fitzjames Stephen,
and Mr. Horne Payne. The defence of Colonel Nelson
will be taken up by the War Department, and that of
Lieut. Brand by the Admiralty. The Attorney or Solici-
tor-General will probably defend Colonel Nelson, with Mr.
Hannan and Mr. Poland. Lieut. Brand will, it is said, bo
defended by Sir R. P. Collier, Mr. Huddleston, Q.C.,
counsel to the Admiralty and Judge-Advocate of the Fleet,
and Mr. West.
To-day the Recorder charged the grand jury with respect
to all the rest of the prisoners committed for trial, of whom
there is more than an average number. There are two
cases of wilful murder to be disposed of. The first of these
is that of a Swedish seaman, named Karl Andersen, which
was postponed from last session. The prisoner, it will be
remembered, was one of the crew of an English merchant
vessel, and while she was on her voyage, and, without
any provocation, he nearly severed the head of ono of his
comrades from his body while he was asleep. The pri-
soner appeaped to have conducted himself in a very extra-
ordinary manner for some time before he committed the
act imputed to him, and there seems to be very little doubt
that he was insane at the time, and the trial was adjourned
from the last session in order to afford an opportunity of
bringing forward evidence to establish this fact. Another
charge of murder is one which created a good deal of sen-
sation at the time the matter was under inquiry by the
police magistrate, the prisoners, who are man and wife,
named George and Mary Condy, being charged with
causing wilfully the death of their child, a boy 12 years of
age, by starvation and ill-treatment. There is a case of
conspiracy, in which a father, mother, and daughter are
accused of obtaining a considerable sum of money
from a widow lady by representing that the last
mentioned_ prisend3r_ was an heiress, and entitled
to large estates, and producing various pretended
deeds and other documents in support of the assumed
claim. Upon the faith of these representations, the prose-
cutrix was induced to advance a large sum of money to the
prisoners, the whole of their story turning out, in the re-
sult, to be an entire fabrication andfraud. The offence of
stealing.post letters, which, under the recent regulation of
the Post-office compelling the registration of all letters
containing coin or valuables, was apparently put a stop to,
appears to have revived; and there are no fewer than four
prisoners charged with that offence in the present calendar,
and among them is one of a letter-carrier who has been
employed in the Post-office for a period of 23 years. Ut-
tering and counterfeiting coin would also seem to be on
the increase, and there are no less than 31 prisoners com-
mitted for trial at the ensuinesession for that offence.

POLICE INTELLIGEtICE.—This Day.

Ai ARLB 0 RO UGH- S T REE T .

ROBBERY.—John O'Donnell, a shabbily attired man, who
described himself as a clerk, of no fixed home, was charged
with stealing a plated fish carver, a fork, and spoon, the
property of Mr. Smith, of the Cremorne Branch Tavern,
New Coventry-street. .

- - -
G. Smith, cook, in the employ of Mr. Smith, said that
about eight o'clock last night he was told there was a man
in the kitchen. On going there he saw the prisoner, who
offered him a penny, and said " Victuals." He told him
that sort of thing was not allowed, and that ho had seen
him in the house before on the same errand. While the
prisoner was being shown upstairs, he (witness) noticed
that he had something bulky in his pocket, and asked him
what ho had got in it. He replied, "Nothing ;" but, not
being satisfied, he put his hand into his pocket, and took
out a fish carver, a fork, and spoon, Mr. Smith's property,
and of the value of 255. The prisoner asked him to let
him go, but ho declined to do so, and gave him into
custody.

police-constable Henry Forme, 323 A, said that on re-
ceiving the prisoner in custody last night tho prisoner
made no answer to the charge, but on the way to the
station he said, " They wanted to have a 'lark' with me
by putting them into my pocket."
In answer to Mr. Tyrwhitt, the prisoner said he had
nothing to say.
_

Barnes, the gaoler, said he believed the prisoner had
been at the Court before, and for felony.
Mr. Tyrwhitt remanded the prisoner.

THAMES.

SAVAGE ASSAULT ON A POLICE-CONSTABLB.-401111 Gog-
gan, an Irish labourer, was brought before Mr. Paget
charged with assaulting Joseph Bull, a police-constable,
No. 204 K.
The constable stated that he was in High-street, Poplar,
on Saturday night, and the prisoner accosted him and
asked him the way to Limehouse. He directed the pri-
soner on his way to Limehouse, and was walking back on
his heat when the prisoner struck him a violent blow under
his left oar, and knocked him down. Ho was half stunned
by the blow, and when he got up asked him what he
meant. The prisoner said, "I'll kill every -- police-
man iu this neighbourhood," and hit at him again. lie
parried the blow, and a constable came across the road and
captured the prisoner.
John M'Craklin, a constable of the S division, confirmed
the statement of the last witness.
The prisoner—l have been locked up for nothing. I
was drunk on Saturday night, and recollect nothing at all.
Mr. Paget asked some questions about the prisoner, who
said he lived at No. 9, Silver Lion-court, Poplar, and was
generally at work among the guano.
Mr. Paget—lf I were to overlook this, and not punish
such brutality very severely I should leave the police,
when doing their duty, exposed to all kinds of violence.
The constable civilly directed yon on your road, and you
knocked him down. You are sentenced to one month's
imprisonment and hard labour.
SANGUINARY AFFRAY.—An immense number of Irish
from Ratcliff and vicinity assembled opposite the court to
learn the result of an investigation commenced by Mr.
Paget at 11 o'clock. The inquiry arose out of a sanguinary
affray between the pollee and several Irish in Brook-street,
Ratcliff, on Saturday night. It commenced at nine o'clock.
A large pane of plate glass was broken in the window of
the King's Head publichouse, in Perriwinkle-street, a few
yards from Brook-street. The landlord asked Pead, a
police-constable, No. 404 K, for advice, and he said you
had better summon the party who has done the damage.
The word " summon" was no sooner mentioned than the
constable was struck by en Irishman. Peed took his assailant
into custody, and was immediately attacked by a number of
Irish of both sexes. The prisoner was rescued. Stones and
flints were hurled at the police, Sergeant Freeston, No.
58 K, and Sergeant Butt, 62 K, were fearfully wounded
and disabled, and other officers were cut and bruised. The
police were compelled to use their truncheons, and several
of the Irish received blows and contusions. Four persons
were captured and brought before Mr. Paget. They were
a rough lot, and gave their names as follows :—John Bar-
nett, Michael Sullivan, Mary Murphy, and Honors Bayley.
They were all identified by Pead, Freeston, and Butt, as
taking an active part in the affray. Mr. Paget remanded