The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-27 00:00:00

FORGERY.

Ebenezer Whitehead, 24, was indicted for forging and
uttering a cheque for £24, with intent to defraud the Lon-
don and County Bank. The prisoner pleaded guilty, but
sentence was deferred.

THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.

Henry Lamb, late a servant in the employ of the South-
Western Railway, was placed in the dock, indicted under
the coroner's inquest with manslaughter.

Mr. Salter said as the evidence was the same as that
placed before the grand jury last session, when the bill
against him for manslaughter was ignored, he was not in-
structed, as the prisoner had been some time in custody, to
offer any evidence. _ _

The jury returned a verdict of acquittal.
Mr. Sleigh hoped the prisoner would leave the bar with•
out a stain on his character. _ .

The Lord Chief Baron said he thought that in all cases
where a person had suffered imprisonment equal to that if
the charge had been tried, he ought not to go away with
a stain on his character. _ _

The prisoner was then ordered to be discharged.

RAPE.

John Morris, 28, tailor, was indicted fors a rape on the
person of Eliza Ann Bennett.
The prisoner pleaded " Not guilty."
Mr. Ribton appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Sleigh
defended the prisoner.
_ _ _

The learned counsel having stated the case, called—
Eliza Ann Bennett, who said—l live with my parents in
Wimpole-street. lam 17 years of age. lam an apprentice
to a dressmaker in New, Bond-street. I saw the prisoner
there from our window. I afterwards saw him in the street
one Saturday night ; he asked me how I was, and to
meet him on the Monday evening. It was a week before the
offence was committed. I met him on the Monday, after I
left work. It was about seven o'clock. I went for a walk
with him into Hyde-park, where we remained till about
nine o'clock. I made another appointment with him on
Wednesday evening. We met that night at about eight
o'clock. We went to Hyde-park again. That time we
remained about an hour and a-half. I told him I lived in
Wimpole-street, and he afterwards saw me home. He
went home with me the second night. He asked me if I
was an apprentice, and I told him I was. He said
he came from" Nottinghamshire. - When we parted
on Wednesday I appointed to meet him on the
Friday following. We met about half-past 7 and went
into Hyde-park, and strolled down " the Hewer walk," until
past 9. We talked about the people for whom I worked,
and he afterwards saw me home. We again appointed to
meet on Sunday. We met about 9 o'clock in Tottenham-
court-road. I remained with him about half-an-hour.
We conversed on trivial subjects; He accompanied me
home, and he then asked me to meet him on the Monday.
We met, and proceeded as usual to Hyde-park. He said
he wished that my parents knew of our going out, and I
said the same. We walked about until it go late.
and the gates closed before I knew it. We then walked
towards that part of the park between the barracks and
Victoria-gate. It was a long way from either of the public
entrances. I believed up to that time he was paying his
addresses to me.. I never had been keeping company with
any person before. After we sat down on one of the seats
he commenced pushing me, and, finally, after I had re-
sisted as much as I could, he accomplished his purpose. I
reproached him with his ill-usage, but he said I need say
nothing about it as he had done me no harm. We after-
wards
walked to the gate opposite Brooke-street, where the
prisoner lifted me over the railings. He went a part of the way
home with me on this occasion. He went as far as Bond-
street, when he left. Ho begged me not to say anything
about what had occurred. It was half-past 11 o'clock
when I got home,- My mother was very cross with me for
being out so late. I said I had been out with Miss Smith,
one of my work companions. On the following morning I
was crying, when my mother asked me what was the
matter, and I told her of what had occurred in the Park.
She told my father, and the prisoner was given into cus-
tody.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sleigh=The window of the pri-
soner's workshop was opposite ours. There were live girls
working in the same room as I did. There was also some
other young men in the room inyhich the prisoner worked.
I never walked out with any one of them. I don't know
a young man named Hardcastle.
The young man Hardcastlo was called, and the witness
said I never knew him by name. I have never been out
walking with him. On my oath I have never been out
Walking with him. He asked me to do so, but I re-
fused. One night he followed me home.
The Chief Baron—You now don't know the young man's
name is Hardcastle ?
By Mr. Sleigh—He walked sometimes by my side, and
sometimes behind me. He begged me to go out with him.
I knew he worked at Mr. Moore's. I have never made
signs to any of the young men in the workroom. I had
been out four times with the prisoner before the offence was
committed. I never thought at that time he was going to
marry me. I did not think anything about marriage, as I
considered I had not known him long enough- If I had
continued to walk with the prisoner I should have told my
mother. I have been once to a publichouse with the pri-
soner. It was on a Sunday night. I had but bne
glass of wine, and we only stopped until I had drank
it. He wished me to go to Richmond on the Sunday,
but I told him that I could not go. While we were
walking in the park he always told me he was very fond of
me. When the prisoner lifted me over the park railings I
saw two men, but I never mentioned anything of what had
occurred to either of them. I had never been in the park
so late before. If I had seen a policeman before I got home
I should have given him into custody.
Re-examined by Mr. Ribton—l said I did not think
of marriage, as I thought I had not known him sufficiently
long. I thought he was paying his addresses to me.
Mary Ann Bennet, mother of the last witness said—l re-
collect my daughter coining home late on the night in
question. She was never out so late before. I was in such
a passion with her that I sent her to bed immediately. She
told me she had been out for Miss Smith the person she
worked with. Next morning I saw her, she was crying
very much, and she then told me what had occurred.
The next day the prisoner was given into custody. The
reason he was not given into custody immediately was that
we were in such a distressed condition that wo knew not
what to do.

Mr. F. Fothill, surgeon, having given his evidence.
Mr. Sleigh then addressed the jury for the prisoner.
The jury after four hours' deliberation returned a ye*
diet of Not Guilty.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)

STEALING A CHEESE.—Thomas Bonner, 31, carman,
was indicted for stealing a cheese, valued at £2, and 8 lbs.
of bacon, the property of William Benjamin Blackburn,
and Benjamin Barnes, 55, dealer, was indicted for receiving
the same.

Benjamin Blackburn said—l carry on the business of a
cheesemonger in Church-street, Greenwich. I know Bon-
ner; he is carter to Mr. Webb, a wholesale cheesefactor.
He was at my shop on Friday, the 24th Sept. He brought
19 firkins of butter. Before the butter was delivered I had
to leave my home, and after an absence of about an hour I
returned, and from what my servant told me I went to
Bonner's master, in Whitechapel. I made a statement,
and Bonner was given into custody. In consequence of
what passed a policeman went to Barnes' house, and
searched for a cheese, which was not discovered, but they
took Barnes into custody. While Barnes was at the
station he was confronted with Bonner, and was asked
if that was the man to whom he had sold the cheese.
Bonner said "Yes, I sold it to hint for five-and-twenty
shillings." Barnes denied this, and said the cheese was
left for disposal. Bonner said it was not so.
John Sibbett—l am in the employ of Mr. Blackburn. I
recollect the prisoner Bonner bringing the butter to
the shop. He afterwards assisted me in conveying the
firkins into the cellar. He then produced a sack and asked
if he could take away some of the oat husks lying about;
he was told he could, and I then saw him fill the bag half
full of the husks, and then put a cheese in the bag, which
he filled up with the oat husks. I am certain I saw him
put the cheese in the bag.
Police constable Thorne said—l took both prisoners into
custody. Barnes said he had not had a cheese hi ought to
him at all.

Police Constable Savage said—l asked Barnes if he had
a cheese brought to him by Bonner ; he said no. I then
told him he must come with me to the station. He then
said, Webb's man left a cheese that morning to sell, and he
had given it to a man to sell whom he did not know.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty.
The Recorder sentenced the prisoners to twelve months'
imprisonment with hard labour.