The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-05 00:00:00

SPRING ASSIZES.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—READING, 1114RcH 3.
The business of these assises commenced at the Town
Hall in this town yesterday morning. The calendar con-
tained 48 prisoners for trial. Very few civil causes were
entered.
Mr. Justice J. PARKE presided in the Nisi Prius Court.
This morning Thomas Gray, aged 17, and Charles Wise,
aged 17, who stood indicted with having committed the
most aggravated assault upon Eleanor Harding, on the 22d
ult., at Winkfield, in this county, were tried before the
Hon. Sir J. COLERIDGE.
Mr. Ferrard, the Counsel for the prisoners, took an ob•
jection to the indictment, which was met by Mr. Curwood,
the Counsel for the prosecution, and the trial proceeded.
After the evidence of Eleanor Harding, the prosecutrix,
15 years of age, and George Davis, a farmer's lad, many
respectable farmers gave each of the prisoners an excellent
character, having known them from infancy.
The Jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

The beadle of Bishopsgate parish complained against a
military pensioner and his wife, who are, together with
their two children, dependant upon parochial bounty. The
description given of the husband and wife caused no small
degree of curiosity.
The pensioner had for some time been under obligations
to the parish, and although brought up to the trade of
shoemaking could not be prevailed upon. to work. His
helpmate assisted him, and they had both of them so im-
moderate a passion for gin that the woman actually en-
deavoured to induce a publican to keep one of the children
in pledge for a quartern. On Saturday last the parish
officers, with a kindness for which the authorities of this
parish arc distinguished, took a lodgir, for the family, fur-
nished it with a flock bed, for which they give five shillings,
chairs for which they gave a shilling each, and whatever
else was considered necessary, and, handing to the couple
the sum of fourteen shillings, desired them to economise
and be industrious. On Monday the room was completely
gutted. The bed had been sold for sixpence, the chairs
for twopence each ; the pensioner was found drunk in the
kennel, and a few hours afterwards the wife was carried to
the same station-house without shoes, having pledged her
shoes, stockings, and cloak to supply herself with her darling
beverage.
Dick, a policeman, knew the woman well, and by the di-
rection of the parish authorities watched her. He saw her
leave her lodgings in the evening, turn into the first public-
house she came to, and throw off a glass of Old Tom.
Upon coming out she looked about, and then walked down
the street, but she made a dead stand when she reached the
next public place of refreshment. After a minute's delay
she kicked open the door, and from the smacking of her
lips when she reappeared, the witness judged that she had
been tasting the article again. Away she went, apparently
with the intention of going about her business, but she
proved to be altogether incapable of resisting the talismanic
influence of the ginshop.
The Beadle said that bad as the man was, the woman
was infinitely worse. The children must with such a father
and mother actually starve, so that it was determined that
the poor little wretches should be placed under a nurse in
the work-house. They were almost naked, for their mother
had pledged every stitch for which she could get anything.
The LORD MAYOR had never heard of such a desperate
case of gin mania in his life, and he feared that his authority
would have very little effect upon the perpetrators. He