The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-24 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.-(TILIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
(Before the Lord Chief Baran and Justice Hill.)
THE STEPNEY MURDER.
Mr. Best, of the Oxford Circuit, applied to the Court to
fix the trial of James Mullins, for the murder of Mary Ems-
ley, for to-morrow morning.
The Lord Chief Baron assented to the application.
THE ALLEGED MURDER AT HOMERTON.
Mr. Best, who also has been entrusted with the defence
of Ann Padfield, applied. to the Court to postpone the trial
of the prisoner until next session, on the ground that the
attorney for the prisoner had not had sufficient time to pre-
pare the defence.
An affidavit was put in to that effect, which also stated
that it might be necessary to bring forward medical testi-
mony in behalf of the prisoner.
Mr. Sleigh, who appeared for the prosecution, said he
was instructed to oppose the application. The prisoner had
had the benefit of professional advice from the moment of
her being taken into custody, and her attorney was
well aware of the whole of the facts of the case.
The Court took time to consider its decision.

LETTER STEALING.

Martin Donohar, a letter carrier, was indicted for steal-
ing a letter, the property of her Majesty's Postmaster-
General.

The prisoner pleaded not guilty.
The evidence against the prioner was of the ordinary
description. A test letter, containing half a sovereign, two
American coins, and some postage stamps, was made up
and placed in one of the letter boxes of the chief office, on
the 12th of October. It was directed to a Mrs. Green,
Lloyd's-row, Islington. The letter was placed by one of
the Post-office authorities amongst those lying on the pri-
soner's desk for delivery, and he was seen to place it inside
a small book, and afterwards put it into his pocket. The
letter ought to have been delivered about 12 o'clock, and
on the prisoner's return from that hour's delivery he was
asked if he had delivered a money letter at Mrs. Green's,
Lloyd's-row, Islington. He said he had not, and he was
then accused of stealing it. He was asked if he had
changed any money that day, and admitted having done
so at the Hope and A-nchorpublic-house, very near Lloyd's-
row. On one of the officers proceeding thither, the land-
lord showed them the gold coin he had taken that day, and
amongst which was the half-sovereign that had been
placed in the till. The prisoner asked whether the Post-
office people could swear to the coin, and on being an.
swered in the affirmative, he said he should make up his
mind for a four year spell.

A considerable time was occupied in discovering the
mark put upon the coin by Mr. Gardner.
~. _ _

Some of tho jurymen observing that they could not per-
ceive it, they had the coin placed under a strong magnify-
ing glass.

The Lord Chief Baron, after minutely examining both
sides of the coin, said he could not see the mark at all on
one_sitio of the half sovereign.

Mr. Webster, of the Royal Mint, being in attendance in
the New Court, was asked to look at the coin and discover
the mark. After that gentleman had done so he said he could
not discover the mark described.

The Lord Chief Baron (looking again at the coin)—l see
it now. Mr. Webster, just look where I direct you. It
appears we have all had to be told what to look for, and
where to find it. (Laughter.)
Mr. Webster—Yes, my lord, I see it. The mark is so
large I could not see it. (Laughter.) I was looking for
something very small. (Laughter.)
Tho prisoner denied the robbery, bit the jury found him
guilty, and he was sentenced to four years' penal servitude.

TILE CASE OF ANN PADFIELD.
The Lord Chief Baron said he thought it would be best
to assent to the application for the postponement of thetrial
of Ann Padfield, who stood charged with the crime of
murder, until next session. The usual custom was to grant
such applications, and he should not now refuse it.
The trial was then fixed to be taken on the first Wed-
nesday of next session.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)
EIKI3EZZLEMENT.

Walter Wood pleaded guilty to an indictment charging
him with embezzling certain moneys the property of his
employer, and a wholesale dealer in the city.
The Common Sergeant sentenced him to six months' im-
prisonment.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-(T.HIS DAL)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

TILE KNITE—OUTRAGEOUS ASSAULTS ON FEMALES.—
William Lake, a young man, living in Fitzroy-court, Tot-
tenham-court-road, and who bears the unenviable noto-
riety of being one of the most ruffianly fellows in the dis-
trict, was charged with assaulting and wounding, supposed
with a knife, a female named Maria Gerrard, living at 14,
Market-street, Fitzroy-square, and also with assaulting
an aged female, named Sarah Spinks, by striking her seve-
ral severe blows in the eyes.

The case was partly gone into on Monday, but adjourned
to this morning for the attendance of the house surgeon at
the University College Tiospital, who dressed the eye of
the female Maria Gerrard.

From the evidence of the complainant Gerrard it appeared
that on Sunday night she was standing at her door, when
the prisoner came up and said " You -, I owe it to you
for last night," and then seizing her by the throat, struck
her a blow on one of her eyes, having aknife in his hand at
the time.

Sara'. Spinks, an elderly female, grandmother of Gerrard,
said—On coming down to see the cause of the disturbance
the prisoner rushed into the passage and struck her several
severe blows in the eyes. Her granddaughter was covered
with blood, and on afterwards passing the prisoner's place
he seized a knife and said, " You have had one knife, and
you shall have another."

The house surgeon of the University Hospital, on being
sworn, said in answer to Mr. Edward Lewis, of Great
Marlborough-street, who appeared for the prisoner, that the
wound on Gerrard's eye was not such a wound as would
have been caused by falling against the kerb• stone. He
could not say positively that it was done with a knife, but
a knife would have inflicted such a wound. The skin was
cut and he could not account, for its being done with any-
thing but a knife. There was no danger at any time, and
the wound was now healing.

Mr. Lewis having addressed the magistrate on the pri-
soner's behalf,

Mr. Tyrwhitt said he considered the case satisfactorily
proved, and having stigmatised tho case as one of a very
brutal assault, committed the prisoner for four months with
hard labour.