The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-14 00:00:00

CRIME IN THE METROPOLITAN :DISTRICYS,

It appears by the returns of the gaol of Newg,ate
preparatory to the commencement of the September
sessions of the Central Criminal Court this morning,
that there are 75 prisoners for trial on the first edi-
tion of the calendar, the number of the correspond-
ing session of last year being 100. This diminut;on
is no doubt to be attributed to the more extended
operation of the Summary Jurisdiction Act, and it
is to be feared that it does not 'in reality indicate
any actual decrease in crime. Although the number
of prisoners for trial is rather smaller than usual,
the cases to b 3 disposed of at this session are of a
very serious character, there being three charges of
wilffil murder; several of cutting and wounding
with intent to murder, burglary, and the other
higher classes of offences. Two of the charges of
murder are of a very serious character. A young
man named Cornelius Denny is charged with mur-
dering a young Italian in the Hampstead-road by
stabbing him in the billy with a knife. A second
case of murder is that of a man named Parsons,
who while confined in the infirmary of Horse-

monger-lane Gaol, in a sudden paroxysm of rage
destroyed a fellow-prisoner in that establishment,
and the defence to be set up for the prisoner will
be that at the time he committed the act he was not
in a state of mind to be criminally responsible.
The remaining case of murder is the painful one of
the Italian courier, Antonio de Salvi, who stands
charged upon the coroner's inquisition with the
wilful murder of a person named Robertson, in the
Queen's Bench Prison. This prisoner, it will be
recollected, was originally committed upon a charge
of wounding the deceased with intent to murder
him, and although it was known from the moment
the injury was inflicted that it was one of such a
character-thaf, death was sure to ensue, and that
the case would resolve itself eventually into a charge
of wilful murder, Mr. Baron Martin, Who presided at
the August session of the Central Criminal Court,
insisted upon trying the prisoner upen the indict-
ment then before the court, and he was convicted of
wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm,
and sentenced to 15 years' penal servitude. The
prisoner, since he has received the notification that
he will have to undergo the second ordeal of a trial
upon a charge of wilful murder, has complained
bitterly that he should have been tried upon the
other charge, as he and his friends fully expecied
that the first trial would have settled the matter ;
but it is of course impossible for the court to decline
to take cognisance of a charge of wilful murder, and
particularly when committed under such very seri-
ous circumstances ; and Mr. Pollard, the assistant
solicitor to the Treasury, has, it is understood', re-
ceived instructions to prefer a bill of indictment
against the prisoner for that offence. De Salvi,
who is a Roman catholic, has been constantly visited
by a Catholic priest during the last few days, and
on Saturday the Rev. Mr. Goddard, his last master,
who appears to take very great interest in him, and
who, it is said, has provided the means for retain-
ing', the able assistance of Mr. E. James, Q.C., to
defend him, also visited the unhappy prisoner. In
addition to what may be termed the ordinary cases
of the session, in which the parties accused are in
custody, there are several charges of public inte-
rest, that will have to be disposed of at this session,
in which the parties are out on bail, and the most
serious of these is the charge of manslaughter
against some persons employed on the South
Eastern Railway, arising out of the fatal accident
that took place at the Lewisham station in June
last, when, it will be remembered, eleven unhappy
persons lost their lives. There is also a charge of
perjury against two persons named Hastings and
Murphy arising out of a trial for the infringement
of a patent for making candles, in which it is sti
there are 90 witnesses to be examined for the pro
secution, and Sir F. Thesiger is specially retained
as counsel, and which is expected to occupy three
or four days, unless it should be prematurely
disposed of by some technical objection.
There is also a case to be disposed of which
attracts a great deal of interest in City circles,
and indeed among .the community generally as
involving the sanctity of messages sent by the
telegraph. Tho case referred to is a charge of libel
preferred by Mr. Cadogan, the chairman of the
Electric Telegraph Company, the libel complained
of being an allegation that the messages 'of a politi-
cal character and calculated to influence the funds
were not despatched in due course, but were held
back in order that partiei might make use of them
for stock-jobbing purposes. Under this form of
charge the defendants have the privilege of plead-
ing a justification, and producing evidence to show
that the statements made by them were true, and.
this if established would exonerate them from the
charge ; and it is understood that this course is
intended to b 3 taken, and some singular disclosures
are antic'pated. Sir Alexander Cockburn, the
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Mr. Justice
Wilke, and Mr. Baron Watson are the judges who
will preside. The aldermen who will sit as second
commissioners are Farebrother, Humphery, Farn-
comb, Sir F. G. Moon, Cubitt, and Phillips.