The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-07 00:00:00

[PRIOR 40. STAMPED SP.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.—.Feb• 6.

OLD COURT.

(Before Mr. Baron Bramwell.)
Martha Rebecca Jokes, 30, a poor destitute-looking
creature, was indicted for the capital offence of adminis-
tering poison to her child, William Jukes, with intent to
narder_him.
It appeared that the prisoner formerly lived at Step-
ney with her husband, and a short time hack she went
to Yarmouth for the purpose of burying her father, and
upon her return she found that her husband, during her
absence, had destroyed himself, and she was left with
her child in a most destitute and miserable condi-
tion. She for seine time 'vainly endeavoured to sup-
port herself and child by needlework, but finding that
she was unable to do so, it appeared that she purchased
some laudanum at a chemist's, and in a fit of desperation
she took a quantity of it hersel.; and administered the
remainder to her child, and both their lives were in con-
sequence nearly sacrificed. The prisoner, after commit-
ting the act, said that her object was that she and her
child should go to Heaven together.
The jury, after a short deliberation, said that they
were of opinion -that the prisoner committed the act
while labouring under temporary insanity, produced by
the circumstances iu which she had been placed.
Mr. Baron Bramwell said that this amounted to a
verdict of acquittal on the ground of insanity, and be
ordered the prisoner to be detained during her Majesty's
pleasure.

William Gaylor surrendered for the parpdse of receiv
ing the judgment of the Court.

The Prisoner; it will be remembered, was convicted
two, or three Atstone hock of 'acttninistering .poisonous
ingredient to his wife ior the purpose of procuring a mis-
carriage, but a point of law was reserved for the consi-
deration of the Court of Criminal Appeal as to the pro-
priety of the verdict, there being some peculiar circum-
stances in the case. The conviction has since been con-
firmed, and the pri3ener, who was admitted to bail, was
therefore ca led up for judgment.
Mr. Baron BaunWell said he was directed by the
learned judge who tried the prisoner to state that, under
the peculiar circumstances of the case, he considered
the purposes of justice woul i be answered in this par-
ticular case by a sentence of one month's imprisonment
with hard labour, and he now, therefore, passed that
sentence upon him.

Henry Holding, 19, was charged with committing an
assault of an atrocious character upon Wm. Smith.
Mr. Cearteen prosecuted.
The prosecutor was a lad 15 years old, who stated that
he was by birth an Americas, and that at the time the
offence was committed ho was on his way to Liverpool to
seek a ship, and he said that he met the prisoner and
walked with. Lim as far as Barnet, and in a field in the
neighbourhood of that town he represented that the mat-
ter occurred which was the subject of inquiry. His
statement was confirmed apparently in some particulars,
and the jury, after a little deliberation, returned a ver-
dict of guilty.
Mr. thron Bramwell thereupon ordered sentence of
death to be recorded, but he evidently felt that there was
cons;derable doubt as to whether the prosecutor was tell-
ing the truth, and he directed the officer to go with him
to one or two places where he represented he had been
on the night previous to the occurrence, and make in-
quiries, and they left the court for that purpose.
Shortly afterwards the constable returned, and stated
that as he was going along with the boy Smith in a cab
to make the necessaiy inquiries he told him it was of no
use to proceed any further, as he had not told the truth
in the matters that were to be inquired into, and he
therefore brought him back, to await tho instructions of
the Court.

Some discussion then took place as to what course
should be taken under these circumstances, and even-
tualy Mr. Baron Bramwell direoted the prisoner to be
brought back, and he asked the jury to reconsider their
verdict, and they almost immediately returned a verdict
of not guil.y.
The learned Judge then ordered the boy Smith into
custody, with a view, if the facts should admit of that
course being adopted, that a prosecution for perjury
should be preferred against him.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
Robert Hunt, 54, agent, was indicted for feloniously
receiving 1041 b. of bil!1-, valued at 1281., the property of
Henry Wi liatn Eaton, knowing it to have been stolen.
The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.