The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-05 00:00:00

CON.-DODGES V. WALSH.

This was an action brought by the plaintiff against the
defendant to recover damages for criminal conversation with
the plaintiff's wife. The damages were laid at 3,0001.
Mr. PHILLIPS stated the case. Mr. Hodges, the plaintif,
was an eminent insurance-broker, residing in Bolton-street,
Piccadilly. He was married to his wife, the lady who had
fallen the victim of Mr. Walsh's misplaced, ill-advised, and
ungoverned affection, in 1818. They were married with
the consent of the near relatives on both sides, and lived on
terms of mutual love and affection. Mr. Walsh, who is in
the dawn of life, had been at the Bar four on five years. He
-was introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Hodges about seven years
ago, at the house of Mr. Lane, a friend of the family. Mr.
and Mrs. Lane had opportunities of observing the terms
upon which Mr. and Mrs. Hodges lived, and the Jury would
find they were such terms upon which a man and wife ought
to live. From 1818 to a very late period the slightest suspi-
cion never glanced across Mr. Hodges' mind of the purity of
his wife. She was handsome, amiable, and accomplished,
and, at that time, in the enjoyment of youth, but happily
for her and her husband they had no children. They were
in the habit of making excursions to various parts of the
Continent, and, painful as it might appear, Mr. Walsh, on
those occasions, generally accompanied them ; in fact, Mr.
Walsh was upon such terms of intimacy with Mr. Hodges
that they had no company at home, nor engaged iu any
parties of pleasure, in which Mr. Walsh did not accom-
pany them. The fact of adultery, lie believed, was not
denied.

Mr. Charles Heathcoat Taturn, of Elizabeth-street,
Hans-place, Chelsea, architect, knew Mr. and Mrs. Hodges
intimately. He was present at their marriage in 1818, and
bad been intimate with them since. They always appeared
to him to live as man and wife ought to live, in perfect har-
mony. He appeared attached to her, and she to him.
He believed the marriage took place with the consent of
her family.
Mr. Richard James Lane, of 25, South-bank, Regent's
Park, married Mr. Hodges's sister, and had been in the
habit of visiting constantly at Mr. Hodges's house more
than ten years. Mrs. Hodges was about thirty-three or
thirty-four, and handsome. Mr. and Mrs. Hodges and
Mr. Walsh met abroad, but they afterwards met at wit-
ness's house, and the re-introduction then took place. Mr.
Walsh was a constant visitor at Mr. Hodges's house, and
he was received with unbounded confidence.
Mr. Francis Neate Walsh, cousin to the defendant, said
the defendant's property produced a trifle under 2001. a
year. He did not in that include the defendant's profes-
sional income. He always understood the defendant to be
a gentleman of considerable talent. He had been at the
Bar about five or six years.
Mr. CLARKSON, on the part of the defendant, said the
Jury had heard that the defendant had been acquainted
with Mr. and Mrs. Hodges some years. Mrs. Hodges was
a young woman of great personal attractions, and she was
in the habit of going to places abroad with her husband,
and accompanied by his poor friend Mr. Walsh. He (Mr.
Clarkson) wished for Mr. Hodges's sake it had been other-
wise, and he wished Mr. Walsh had seen, before it was
too late, the consequence of associating with a beautiful
young woman. His client was a young man with an in-
come of 2001. a year ; his profession lost, and out of that
income he had to support himself, to meet other engage-
ments that might occur, and to pay the consequences of the
decision which the Jury might pronounce against him. He
(Mr. Clarkson) could not justify him ; he had been guilty
of an offence, and he had subjected himself to such a de-
gree of damages as the Jury might think he ought to pay.
One of the witnesses had stated that Mrs. Hodges was
now thirty-three years of age, and was married in 1818,
consequently she must have been married seventeen years.
Mr. PHILLIPS observed that Mrs. Hodges was only 16
when she was married.
Mr. CLARKSON had it in charge from Mr. Walsh to as-
sure the Jury that up to the time that this ill-fated Lady
was placed in his hands, no criminality had passed between
them. Up to the time Mr. and Mrs. Hodges separated no
criminality had taken place. What was the case ? The
defendant, a young man, Just entering into life, became ac-
quainted with the plaintiff and his wife on the Continent.
How long they lived there together he did not know, but
the Jury had heard that a re-introduction took place on
their return to this country. That acquaintance was con-
tinued, and the defendant accompanied the plaintiff and his
wife on their Continental excursions. He thought it was a
little unguarded in the plaintiff taking this unmarried man
into his family, and the result had been that the plaintiff's
wife had gone to reside with the defendant.
Mr. Under-Sheriff BURCHELL was proceeding to sum
up the case to the Jury, when one. of the Jury inquired the
age of the plaintiff ?
Mr. CLARKSON replied that be was about thirty-four
or thirty-five.
The Jury, after remaining in consultation about half an
hour, returned a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages 1,200/.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MARYLEBONE.

Friday morning, information having been previously re-
ceived at Scotland-yard police station that a prize-fight was
to take place that day at Harrow, between two well-known
Westminster men, named Bryant and Wood, several police
constables of the T, D, arid S divisions, were sent off at an
early hour to prevent its taking place ; but finding, on arriv-
ing at their destination, that. they had been misinformed,
and that the scene of combat was Edgebury Common,
Edgeware, they proceeded thither, and arrived about twelve
o'clock, just at the moment when the winner was pro-
claimed. Thby, however, entered the ring, when they were
attacked, and beat about in a most dreadful manner, and it
was not till after a desperate struggle, and several of the-
constables had been severely injured, that the combatants
and fifteen others, were secured, and conveyed to the sta-
tion-house. In the evening they were brought to this office,
when nine of them were discharged with a caution, five of
them, including the principals, held to bail, and the three
others, named Parsons, Bevan, and Chester, who were re-
cognized as the ringleaders of the assault on the police,
were ordered to be detained till the next day. Accord-
ingly, yesterday, at one o'clock, the three prisoners, who
had been confined at the station-house, were brought up
from. thence, and placed at the bar, before Messrs. SHUTT
and Hosmics, when the following evidence was given
against them :
Police constable Walker, T 173, whose head was covered
with adhesive plaster on the wounds he had received, stated
that he and the other constables of the T division were the
first to arrive at the scene of action, and found that a
twenty-four foot roped-ring had been formed, and that
Chester was engaged with a large whip in keeping the
spectators from pressing it in. lie saw the pugilists getting
into coaches to leave the spot, and, having called to ha
brother officers to secure them, he jumped into the ring and
went Up to Chester, who ran away. He followed him, when
the prisober Brown came up to him and struck him a ter-
rific blow on the crown of the head with a thick knobby
stick and knocked him down, the blood flowing from the
wound he had received. While down the prisoner Parsons
struck him violently with a stick, and Chester kicked him
severely in the ribs. At length the prisoners were secured,
and he was removed to a surgeon's, where his wounds were
dressed. .

Police constable Pringham, T 137, confirmed the pre-
ceding testimony.
In reply to the charge, Parsons and Brown denied what
had been stated against them, and Chester said he was
drunk at the time mentloned, and had no recollection of
what had occurred.

The Magistrates, after commenting in severe terms on
their wanton and outrageous conduct, and the disgraceful
practice of prize-fighting, ordered them each to pay a fine
of 31_, and in delimit committed them to three months' im-
prisonment and hard labour in the House of Correction.