The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-21 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT—CROYDON, Aug. 20.
BIRD V. SAMPSON.
This was an action to recover the sum of
£252 13s. 6d., moneys lent, and paid to the de-
fendant's account, and a:so for certain goods, to
which the defendant pleaded a set off of £276 6s.
Mr. M. Chambers, Q.C., and Mr. Thompson
Chitty were for the plaintiff; and Mr. Lush, Q.C.,
with whom was Mr. Hurrall, appeared for the
defendant.
The case, which commenced yesterday afternoon,
and came to a conclusion this morning, was a some-
what peculiar one, and the tale told by the plain-
tiff, Miss Rebecca Bird, a good-looking, pleasant-
mannered, middle-aged woman, but suffering from
extreme debility, created much sympathy in court.
It appeared that as far back as 1851 the plaintiff
became acquainted with the defendant, she keeping
the Bull Inn, Chelsham, Surrey. The defendant,
who resided at West Farleigh, carried on the busi-
ness of a wood contractor, and used to employ a
number of men, he himself using the house of the
plaintiff, and paying her great attention, and in-
teresting himself in her business. She used some-1
times to pay the wages of the men in his employ-
ment, and also to supply the defendant and his men
with grocery from the shop, which was attached to
the public-house. The defendant was constantly at
her house, making it almost entirely his home. No
improper intimacy existed between them, he treat-
ing her with great respect, and leading her to be-
lieve that she was to be his wife. This state of
things went on for some time, she lending him
money and selling him things, a loose sort of an
account being kept by her. Defendant made a
great number of excuses for not marrying her, but
said he would as soon as he could provide a cottage
that was suitable to her station in life. Things
were bought by her for the new house, made up
under his guidance, and sent to his house. She then
fell into difficulties and had to leave her public-
house, and being in great distress had to go and
live upon some neighbours and friends, the de-
fendant giving her a few trifling sums of money,
and still telling her they should be married
as soon as the affairs with her creditors were
settled, and advising her to keep out of the way in
order to force them to an arrangement. This took
place in 1859, when they accepted ss. in the pound
and signed her release. The defendant still kept
up his promises to marry her ; and at Christmas
last, being ill and quite destitute, she was taken
home by her uncle, and the defendant refused to
come to any settlement • and when the last census
was taken the plaintiff's uncle, who had been ap-
pointed as one of the collectors, ascertained that the
defendant had entered himself as a married man,
havinghe married a woman who had kept his
house for him.
In support of the plea set up by the defendant he
was called, and underwent a most searching cross-
examination, and some severe remarks from the
counsel for the prevaricating nature of his answers.
One thing was manifest, the accounts between
the parties were in a very confused state, and that
the defendant had not kept any regular books for
some years.
The jury, after some deliberation, said they
thought there had been a good deal of lying on both
sides about the money, and found for the plaintiff—
damages £5O.
The learned counsel then briefly opened the
pleadings of another action between the parties
for the breach of promise of marriage, and called a
examined in the first case, named
ySoauranhg woman,
New, had been plaintiff's servant from
1852, and she proved that she had often heard the
defendant tell her mistress that he would marry
her.
Mr. Hart, the plaintiff's uncle, said that he found
his niece in a dying state in the cold at Christmas,
in a room five feet by eight. She was without food,
and but for the charity of the girl New, must have
perished.
The jury gave £lOO damages.

NORTIIERN CIRCUIT.—LIVERPOOL, AUG. 20.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Martin.)
TRIAL OF CAPTAIN W. WILSON FOR MURDER.

Captain William Wilson, late commander of the
British ship Express (engaged in the African trade),
was indicted for the murder of William Henderson,
a steward on board that vessel. Captain Wilson,
being a native of Memel (Prussia), had claimed to
be tried by a jury half composed of foreigners.
Mr. Bliss, Q.C., and Mr. Temple appeared for the
prosecution ; and Mr. Aspinall for the defence.
The Express sailed from Liverpool on 22d Sept.
of last year, and the deceased (who was about 30
years of age) had joined some short time before,
being then in good health and strength. When
the ship had been some time at sea the acts of vio-
lence on the part of the prisoner commenced. The
first was the throwing of a handspike at deceased,
who was wounded in the ankle. This was done as
sidm
then 20 or
punishment for the deceased not being quick
enough, and not having brought the captain a clean
towel, or some act of that kind. On the same day
the prisoner threw a knife at the deceased, and
wounded him in the temple. The deceased picked
up the knife, gave it to the prisoner, and a second
and third time the captain threw it at Henderson,
and in the course pf the same day also beat him
with his fists, knocked him down, and kicked him.
From this time to the deceased's death a series of
acts of violence were perpetrated, to three of which,
however, as the most remarkable, the learned coun-
sel for the prosecution called particular attention.
On the 4th of November,
Brass River, the prisoner followed deceased out of
with
blows
osilent his
sfists,w aaint nhd g with
kicked ic
insensible,rk eea a doubled
himo u
severity.fourbland
ed
trotrhhori
aipe
fietecv withdnageebigivh
m Just before entering the
became
strong boots,
r3O w
aeteinhme:e esbeatht
when he was seen by some of the crew it,
was noticed that his head and shoulders were covered
with bruises and discolorations. Shortly after enter-
ing Brass River the fever broke out on board, the
carpenter being first attacked, and then the deceased.
A doctor attended, prescribed rest and generous diet,
and though Henderson recovered from the fever, it
left him so weak and prostrate that he NI as unfit for
duty. Wh'ile he was in this state, however, the
prisoner ordered him to pick oakum, but he could not
do it. On the 22d December the doctor found him
in such a bruised condition that ho asked the de-
ceased who had been striking him. The deceased
.
was unwilling to tell, but the doctor insisted, and the
deceased then mentioned some name, which induced
the doctor to go at once to the captain, and bring-
ing him to. the deceased, the doctor said in their
presence, " Who has struck this man ?" The cap-
taid, " I did not do it. The man has fallen down
upon deck, and has hurt himself in that way." The
deceased, who heard the master say that, made no
observation whatever. The last act of violence was
shortly before his death, and there was some diffi-
culty and contradiction as to whether it took place
on a Wednesday or a Saturday. Tho deceased was