The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-17 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.--(THIS DAY. )

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.

(Before Lord Chief Baron Pollock and a Special Jury.)

COLLINS V. BROOKS.

This is an action of damages for slander in the Law Times,
imputing perjury to the plaintiff.
The defendant, in the course of the trial, by his counsel,
to-day, offered to withdraw the libelous words, and take a
verdict for costs. The plaintiff refused. The damages are
laid at £5OO. Cross actions have arisen out of this case,
and remain for trial.

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff—damages,
£175.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before ➢lr. Commissioner Evans.)
IN RE RUSSELL.-JUDGMENT ON CERTIFICATE.

This bankrupt was described as of Aldersgate-street,
stationer.

His Honour now gave judgment on the question of cer-
tificate.

The facts of the case have been already reported, and
the question before the commissioner was whether there
had been reckless and improvident trading, and also
whether he had induced creditors to give credit or enlarge
time for payment, by fraudulent pretences.
His Honour considered that imprudent trading might be
attributed to the bankrupt, but no fraudulent representa-
tion had been made out, and the bankrupt might take an
immediate certificate of the second class.

(Before Mr. Commissioner Goulburn.)

IN RE 130DDY.

This bankrupt was described as of Ramsgate, furniture
broker, and applied for his certificate.
Mr. Bagley opposed ; Mr. Downing (Messrs. George and
Downing) for the bankrupt.
The case has been before the Court and reported on seve-
ral occasions.

His Honour, after a further examination of the bankrupt
as to the removal of property, said that he considered that
the charges made had not been sustained, and should grant
an immediate certificate of the second class.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.

(Before Baron Bramwell.)
ARSON.

James Scanes, 58, smith, was indicted for feloniously
setting fire to a workshop, with intent to defraud the
Phcenix Fire office and other persons.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty. _ _

The case was totally uninteresting, and occupied the
court the whole of the day. No decision had been arrived
at when our report left.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
ATTEMPTING TO STAB.

James Acocks, 18, clerk, was indicted for unlawfully
attempting to stab John Elias Smith, with intent to do
him grievous bodily harm. _ _ _

Mr. Smith, the prosecutor, a managing clerk to a firm
in Blackmoor-street, Borough, said the prisoner had been
employed in the same office. In consequence of a difference
he (prisoner) quitted the office. After that he imagined
that he (prosecutor) had injured him, and on the 14th of
last May he entered the office with a knife in his hand and
threatened to stab him, as he said he had been ruined. He
brandished the weapon about, and seemed in a very excited
state. He was eventually secured and conveyed to the
station-house.

Charles Williams, in the employ of an ironmonger in
Great Dover-road, said the prisoner entered the shop pre-
vious to this occurrence, and asked to be shown some knives
fit for killing pigs. He was told there was nothing of that
kind in stock. He was then shown some bread-knives, and
he selected one which he said would suit if it was sharpened
up. This was accordingly done, and he paid for the article
and left the shop. He did not appear at all excited, or he
would not have been served with such an instrument.

Thomas Sparrow, a police-constable, said he took the
prisoner into custody. On the way to the station-house he
said he wished he had had strength enough to have done it,
and he was sorry ho had not finished the job. At the sta,-
tion, Mr. Smith asked if he intended to murder him ? He
replied, " Yes."
Maria Acocks, mother of the prisoner, said her son, ever
since he 'had suffered from typhus fever, had imagined his
joints were out of place. Only two or three months ago he
attempted to kill his sister. He frequently cursed her for
bringing him into the world with such a weak intellect.
His father's brother died in a lunatic asylum. The prisoner
on several occasions had rushed from the house and walked
about for many hours during the night to cool his head, as
he used to say.
Charles Acocks, father of the prisoner, gave similar evi-
dence. He did not think his unfortunate son was fit to be
at large.

The landlady of the house in which the prisoner resided
was of a similar opinion.
Mr. Gibson, surgeon to the Gaol of Newgate, said he
had had his attention drawn to the prisoner's case. He
had examined him closely, and found him suffering from
muscular weakness, which was always associated with
mental weakness. He had carefully observed his manner,
conduct, and walk, and it was his decided opinion that he
was of unsound mind, and that he was not a person fit to
be at large.
Mr. Green, a surgeon, was of a different opinion. From
what he had seen, when the prisoner had consulted him
professionally, he thought him more bad than mad.
The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, on the ground
of insanity.

THIRD COURT.
(Before the Common Sergeant.)

BURGLARY.

John Fitzgerald, 24, labourer, was convicted of a bur-
glary in the house of Isaac Bullivant, and stealing therefrom
coats and other articles to the value of £l5.
The Common Sergeant sentenced him to four years' penal
servitude.

SECONDARIES COURT.
(Before Mr. Potter and a Jury.)

TAYLOR V. PRIOR.-WINE BROKERS AND AUCTION SALES.
This was an action to recover £3-10s. of an old balance,
and £2 10s. commission for buying at a public sale.

Mr. Clarke, of Bedford-row, appeared for the plaintiff,
and Mr. Lisle for the defendant, who is a clergyman of the
Church of England.
The facts of the case appeared to be that, upon a certain
day, Messrs. Wynn and Co., the well-known wine brokers,
held a public sale at their rooms. Plaintiff, who is also a
wine broker, having acted in a similar manner on previous
occasions, was waited upon by defendant, and instructed
to attend the sale to buy on defendant's behalf. On the
day before the sale, plaintiff and defendant went to Messrs.
Wynn's room and tasted a quantity of samples, defendant
marking down on paper a list of those approved by him.
Acting up to that list, plaintiff purchased, but defendant
had refused to be bound by those biddings, and now plaintiff
sought to recover his commission.
Mr. Clarke stated that persons who employed wine
brokers generally fared better than if they purchased as
personal bidders.
Mr. Taylor said that he distinctly told defendant, during ,
the biddings, that such and such lots had been knocked
down to him, but defendant most emphatically denied it.
One of the jury asked Mr. Taylor if ho had the list
marked by defendant, but plaintiff said it was destroy"'
soon after the sale. The name of Prior, however, web
appended to various lots in the printed catalogue.
The learned Secondary having summed up, the jury
found for plaintiff for £2 10s., defendant having most
positively sworn that he had paid the 10s. balance of
account.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

A NICE MoznEn.—Elizabeth Cornwall, of 31, Rupert-
street, who appeared at the bar with an infant in her arms,
was charged before Mr. Bingham with assaulting Robert
Parsons, errand boy, 2.5, Rupert-street, and also police-con-
stable Samuel Howes, 31 C.
From the evidence of the constable it appeared that on
the previous evening about seven the prisoner was creating
a great disturbance in the street, unfastening her dress,
and exposing herself in a disgraceful way; so much so,
indeed, that a female pulled her into her shop and pinned
something round her in such a manner that she could not
repeat the act. Howes, 31 C, came up and tried to get her
away, but could not, and for full half an hour the street
was in a complete uproar. Finding he could not get her
away, he called the lad Parsons to his assistance, who, with
a postman, who also assisted in taking her to the station-
house, as well as himself, were all kicked several times by
her ; her conduct altogether being of the worst description.
The constable further stated that she was in the habit of
carrying a child about with her in a state of nudity, while
find him her best friend,
state of intoxication.
sahneMdwcro.amß's iminiligtalltesaataillher for a month.