The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-24 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

WRONGFUL CONVICTION.--At the Clerkenwell Police-
court a man named Bell, who had been convicted and
sentenced to penal servitude for sheep-stealing, attended
to make a statement. The sheep stolen belonged to
Messrs. Elmes and Jenkins, of Newgate Market, and Bell
was convicted on the evidence of three policemen-4
Rowe, Jones, and Ralph—who positively swore a
seeing him drive the lambs along the King's-cross-
road on the night of the robbery. Some time after
the conviction a rumour became very extensively circu-
lated that Bell had been wrongfully convicted, whereupon
Mr. Guerrier, and other salesmen of Newgate-market,
offered a reward of £lOO for information that would clear
the matter up. Subsequently three men, Winder, Daley,
and Burns, were charged with sheep stealing at Chingford
in Essex. Daley pleaded guilty, and gave information
which confirmed the reports as to the innocence of Bell.
Believing that Bell was an innocent convict, Mr.
Guerrier caused a petition to be presented to
the Secretary of State. The petition was referred
to Sir W. Bodkin and Sir Richard Mayne, and
after the most searching investigation it was found that
Bell was suffering wrongfully, and he was released from
custody, the Secretary of State having awarded him an
unconditional pardon.—Mr. Barker said the greatest praise
was due to Mr. Guerrier for his disinterested kindness
in relieving an innocent man from the sore privation
and trouble into which he had fallen, and the cir-
cumstance of Bell's erroneous incarceration was to be
regretted.
PEARFUL CASES OF MANSLAUGHTER.-At the Liverpool
Assizes Anthony Fillingham was indicted for the wilful
murder of Phillis Hayes. The deceased, who was a
widow, lived with the prisoner, and they quarrelled on the
night of the murder. The accused struck the deceased in
the eye, and she threatened him with the poker. He took
the poker from her, and dealt her a severe blow ; but,
strange to say, it does not appear to have injured her
much, as she went out ; but on returning the prisoner
again struck her, and this time with fatal effect. The
jury found a verdict of manslaughter, and the prisoner
was sentenced to penal servitude for life.—At the same
assizes Thomas Howard was indicted for the wilful murder
of Elizabeth Howard, his wife, on the 4th August. The
prisoner in this case, in a drunken quarrel, had stabbed
his wife in the mouth, severing the internal carotid
artery, and causing almost instant death. He was con-
victed of manslaughter, and sentenced to penal servitude
for life.

£l,OOO DAMAGES AGAINST A RAILWAY COMPANY.—At
the same assizes, Mr. Pearson, an auctioneer, brought an
action to recover damages for injuries sustained in a colli-
sion on the defendants' line. The evidence was to the
effect that he was permanently paralysed from the effects
of the injury, and that he would never recover sufficiently
to attend to his business, which was stated to be of the
valtie of £6OO per annum. There was the usual conflict in
the medical evidence adduced. The jury returned a
verdict for the plaintiff for £l,OOO.
THE RIGHT OF ATTENDING PUBLIC MEETINGS.—At
the same assizes an action was brought by Mr. Hayes to re-
cover damages for an assault under somewhat extraordinary
circumstances. The plaintiff, a young man of strong Liberal
principles, resided with his father at Leigh. Some time
before the 24th of February last the Constitutional Asso-
ciation of that town determined to hold a meeting on that
day. 'I he plaintiff being desirous of attending the meet-
ing, obtained a ticket of admission from a friend. A Mr.
Brideoak was at the door inspecting the tickets of the
applicants for admission, and he refused to allow the plain-
tiff to pass. The plaintiff, however, pushed past him, and
got into the lecture-room, and in an instant he was seized
by the defendant round the waist and carried by him
out through the anteroom, were there rwere sixty
or seventy people. This was the assault complained of.
His lordship said that the law of the case was very simple.
If the Constitutional Association or any person on their
behalf distinctly requested the plaintiff to leave the hall,
and he refused to go, the defendant, as agent for the asso-
cation, was justified in removing him. After the case
had proceeded at some length, the plaintiff elected to be
n'nsuited.

FREE AND INDEPENDENT ELECTORS. The
Uswestry Advertiser says :"A contemporary states that in
the parish of Little Wenlock there is not a single elector
out of 110 on the list who dared to sign the requisition to
a third candidate for the borough, their reply being that
' their orders at former elections had been that they should
vote for Forester and Gaskell,' and ' they had no other
Yet•_..