The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-16 00:00:00

ASSIZE .INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.--MAIDSTorrE,' March .15.
CROWN SIDE.
(Before Mr. Justice Wightman.)
William Lindsey Robinson, 36, a person of very
respectable appearance, employed as an engineer on
board one of her Majesty's ships of war, and who,
it appeared, holds the rank of lieutenant in the
navy, was charged with feloniously intermarrying
with Eliza Netton, his wife Charlotte Harriet
Robinson being at the tiine.and still alive.
Mr. Russell conducted the prosecution, and Mr:
Ribton was counsel for the defence.

It appeared from the evidence for the prosecution
that the prisoner was married in the year 1848, on
the 28th of June, to a young woman named Char-
lotte Harriet Hooker, at the parish church of Erith,
and they lived together until the year 1862, when
they separated by mutual consent, the prisoner
undertaking to make an allowance to his wife for
her maintenance. After this it appeared that the
prisoner went to the Crimea, and returned to this
country at the close of the Russian war, and in the
year 1857 he was at Devonport, employed on board
one of her Majesty's ships. He here became
acquainted with the prosecutrix, who was the
daughter of a person employed in the dockyard at
Devonport, and after some courtship they were
married, on the 15th of October, 1857, at the
registrar's office, at Stoke Damorel, Devon, the
father of the young lady being present, and the
prisoner describing himself as a widowe,r, and at
the same time stating that his wife had gone with
him to the Crimea, and that she died on the day
the last action took place at Sebastopol. The par-
ties lived together as man and wife until the year
1860, when the second wife received information
that the prisoner had a wife living, and she taxed
him with it, but he declared it was not true, and
said that the weman referred to was merely an old
mistress, and that he had ceased all connexion with
her, and that she was in possession of a docu-
ment drawn up by a solicitor, by which he under-
took to allow har a certain sum per month. The
second wife was satisfied for some time with this
explanation, but upon receiving further information
relating to the first wife, she again taxed the
prisoner with having been married before, and he
repeated his denial, and requested her to write to
the woman whom she supposed to be his first wife,
and tell her that he was very ill and could not
write to her himself, and send her an order for £4,
and promise to pay her £5 per month in future,
and she did so. The prisoner shortly after this
was called away by his duty, and she made in-
quiries, which resulted in the discovery that the
prisoner's first wife was alive, and the prisoner was
then given into custody upon the present charge.
The prosecutrix, a very fine young woman, stated,
in answer to questions put to her in cross-examin-
ation by Mr. Ribton, that the prisoner had no
money with her, and that he had always behaved
to her in a kind and affectionate manner, and they
were very happy until she heard about the first
marriage.
Mr. Ribton, in his address to the jury for the
pri3oner, said it was impossible for him to deny
that he had committed the legal offence imputed to
him, but ho was instructed to state that he had
always borne a high character, and bad conducted
himself with very great bravery, and had received
several medals. He also urged that the prisoner
and his first wife had separated voluntarily, and
that the second marriage lead not been contracted
with any mercenary object.
The jury having returned a verdict of Guilty,
Mr. Ribton addressed his lordship and said he
was informed that if a lenient sentence was passed
upon the prisoner the authorities would, in all
probability, reinstate him in the position he for-
merly held in the service of the country, and he
trusted the court would consider that, under all the
circumstances, it was not called upon to visit the
prisoner with a severe punishment.
Mr. Justice Wightman said he would consider
what sentence should be pronounced upon the pri-
soner, and in the meantime he would respite the
-udgment.

THE MAILS.