The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-18 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.--MAIDSTONE, MARCH 17.
CIVIL SlDE.—(Before Mr. Justice Erie and a Com-
mon Jury.)
V. THE ACCIMECTAL DEATH INSURANCE
COMPANY.

This was a special. jury cause. The action was
brought by the plaintiff as administratrix to the
effects of her decased husband, Thomas Shilling, to
recover the amount of a policy for 2,000/. effected
with the defendants upon the life of James Shil-
ling, her husband's father.
The defendants put a number of pleas upon the
record, but the material ones relied upon were
those alleging that the deceased had concealed the
fact that he was ruptured and subject to fits ; that
the policy was not effected by the deceased, James
Shilling, but by his son Thomas, for his own bene-
fit ; that the policy was a wagering policy, and that
the decased eventually exposed himself to unne-
cessary risk.
Mr. M. Chambers, Q.C., Mr. Lusb, Q.C., and
Mr. F. J. Smith were for the plaintiff ; Mr. Ser-
jeant Shee, Mr. Hawkins, and Mr. Bushby were
for the company.
The cause came before the court in the form of a
new trial, the case having been disposed of before
the Lord Chief Baron at the last summer assizes,
when a verdict passed for the plaintiff for the amount
claimed, and it was fully reported at that time.
A. great number of witnesses were in attendance
to be examined on both sides, and the trial was not
concluded at a late hour, and it was expected that
it would be found necessary to adjourn it.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—YoaK, Kuzma 17.
CROWN COURT. —(Before Mr. Justice Byles.)
THE YEIGHLET POISONING CASH.
This case was opened yesterday, but not con-
cluded till to-day, the jury being provided with
accommodation in the Castle during the night.
John Sagar, 46, was charged with the wilful
murder of his wife, Barbara Sagar, at Keighley, on
the 19th of December last.
Mr. Foster, who appeared for the prosecution,
said the prisoner was charged with the wilful mur-
der of his wife, by poison, on the 19th Dec. last.
The deceased had been married to the prisoner at
the time of her death about 19 years, and she had
given birth to nine children, the whole of whom had
died in their infancy. The prisoner was master of
the Keighley Workhouse, and had occupied that
situation about six years. On Saturday, the 12th
Dec. last, just a week previous to her death, the
deceased was in her usual good health, but in the
course of the *lay she was taken ill. On the follow-
ing day Filae was very sick, and Mr. Milligan, the
surgeon. of the workhouse, was in attendance upon
her. It was necessary here to remark that the de-
ceased had been afflicted with an ulcerated leg, near
to the ankle, but that ulcer, at the time she was
seized with illness, was healed, and had been quite
well from the previous Sept. or Oct. The deceased
died on the 19th of December, and the circum-
stances attending her death led to the holding of
a coroner's inquest, the result of the inquiry
being that the woman had died from taking poison.
The conclusion arrived at by a pest mortem exami-
nation was, that deceased had died from arsenic
reeently administered, and taken in small doses.
The deceased partook of tea and gruel from day to
day, which were given to her by the prisoner and
a female named Mary Dyson, ane on almost all
these occ lsions she was attacked with vomitings.
The question for the jury would be, whether the
prisoner caused his wife's death by administering
arsenic to her in repeated doses. That he had a
motive for so doing was clear, for his past conduct
to her had been most cruel. He had been seen.
on several occasions to ill-use and beat her, and
once he placed her in the dead-house of the work-
house.

Witnesses were then called to prove that the
prisoner was in the habit of administering her me
dicine to the deceased, and that after taking it she
had complained of thirst and burning in the throat
and had vomited.

Mr. Foster said the case for the prosecution
having closed, he felt bound say that, in his
opinion, the evidence to establish the charge of
murdt r against the prisoner was not proved
His Lordship concurred in that opinion. The
case might be one of suspicion ; but it was not one
in which the jury could safely find a verdict of
guilty.

- Under his Lldship's direction the jury returned
a verdict of not guilty.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, March 17.

James Piller, 19, was indicted for having ob-
tained, by false and fraudulent pretences, the sum
of 15s. Did. from Ann Green, with intent.
There were three charges against the prisoner.
On the Bth of February he went to a widow named
Green, and her son, and asked them if they had
any property abroad. They replied in the nega-
tive, but added that they expected to have
some in the Isle of Wight. '• Ah," said he,
that's it, and if you don't give me 10s.
11;d. fees, and 55. for sending letters backwards
and forwards, it will be placed in Chancery."
with a significant hint about its ultimate fate if it
did get there. He further said they must go to a
Mr. Randall, in the Strand, next morning at 10
o'clock, and inquire for Master Joseph's offices.
Believing his statement to be true, they gave him
165., but on going to the place in the Strand indi-
cated, instead of Mr. Randall and Master Joseph's
offices, they found it was a military outfitter's,
where, as one of the counsel suggested, a great deal
more was known of suits of clothes than suits in
Chancery. The other two cases were similar in
character.

Mr. Payne, after observing that the witnesses
were properly named " Green," having allowed
themselves to be duped in so easy a manner, said
he should rely in one instance upon an alibi, and in
the others upon the question of identity, as the
witnesses might be mistaken, the prisoner being a
stranger.
The prisoner's mother, and a dressmaker who
worked for her, gave evidence to prove an alibi iu
respect of oue of the days, swearing ",.that at the
time at which it had been deposed that he was at
the East-end he was in Southwark. They flatly
contradicted each other on the most important
points on which their evidence was tested, and the
jury, without hearing the counsel in reply, found
the prisoner guilty.
The Assistant-Judge gave directions for the two
women to be detained until the rising of the court,
when, after a severe admonition, they were dis-
charged.
Mr. Payne said the prisoner's mother had six
children, which might be a circumstance in favour
of no proceedings being taken against her.
A policeman stated that the prisoner had been
twice convicted, which, however, was denied.
The prisoner was sentenced to 18 months' hard
labour. •