The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-27 00:00:00

a yeir, which he must have well known, was inadequate
to her support. The. plaintiff was a man forty-eight
years old, and that was surely a time of life when a
man knew what he was about. He had married
the lady deliberately, and now he sought to get
rid of her, for that was clearly the only object of the
present action. He turned her from him with a
miserable pittance of 501.—not enough for her support,
without any protector, and he had then no doubt caused
her to be watched, in order to get up a case against
her. He submitted that there was no evidence of
adultery having been committed, and he said
that the defendant was not proved to have done
more /than almost any other man would for an un-
protected woman. If the jury should, however, think
that there was sufficient evidence to justify them in
finding a verdict for the plaintiff, he was quite sure that,
under the circumstances, they would consider the lowest
coin of the realm a sufficient compensation for the injury
he bad received.
Mr. Baron PARSE having summed up,
The jury, after a short deliberation, fbund for the
plaintiff—Damages, One Shilling.
Friday.
The business of this assize is nearly concluded. The
special jury causes are nearly all tried, and there are
only a few petty jury cases remaining to be disposed of.
Mr. Baron Parke was occupied during nearly the whole
of the day in trying a right of way case, the details of
which were of no public interest.
CROW NI SIDE.— (Before Mr. Baron GURNEY.)
George Plummer, aged 50, was indicted, on Thursday,
for the manslaughter of his wife, by having neglected to
provide for her support, and causing her to be exposed
to the inclemency of the weather without proper suste-
nance. There were several counts in the indictment,
varying the form of the charge.
It will be recollected that the prisoner was indicted at
the Winter Assizes, 1843, but, from some cause or other,
no one attended to prosecute, and the prisoner was, con-
sequently, discharged by proclamation. A bill was sub-
quently preferred against him, and he was now brought
up to take his trial.
Mr. Bodkin appeared for the prosecution. The pri-
soner had no counsel.
Mr. BODKIN, in stating the case to the jury, ex-
plained that by law a husband was bound to support and
maintain his wife, and the charge against the prisoner
was, that he had neglected to do so, and that, by means
of that negle.:t, and the refusal of the prisoner to receive
his wife at a time when she was in a destitute and almost
dying state, he had caused her death, and was thus amen-
able to the present charge. The Learned Counsel went
on to say that the prisoner had filled the situation of
gardener t. a nobleman in the neighbourhood of Sidcup,
and ha'i been separated from his wife for some time
before her death, and had made her an allowance of half-
it-crown a week. She became, however, in a most des-
*tut,e and miserable condition, and was found by a no-
Nman late at night, to whom she stated that
shelad no home to go to. He took her to the prisoner's
honest, and asked him to admit her, but, with offensive
language, lie refused to do so, and the deceased very
shortly afterwards died, and from the medical testimony
there could be no doubt that her death was occasioned
by her state of destitution and want of nourishment.
The Learned Counsel went on to state that it would ap-
pear that shortly before the death of' the deceased, a me-
dical gentleman, who would be called before the jury,
had given her a letter to take to the relieving office r
of the district requiring him to give the deceased relief,
but it would appear no attention was paid to the request.
He (the Learned Counsel) had no hesitation in saying
that if this letter had been received by the relieving
officer, he had grossly neglected his duty in not attending
to it. Every destitute person was entitled to relief, and
if any, relieving officer, under such circumstances, neg
Jested. to .perform the duty that devolved upon him,
there :was very little doubt that he would be liable to have
a charge of a similar nature to the present preferred
against him. The Learned Counsel then called the fol-
lowing witnesses:—
Hannah
Riley deposed that she lived at Foot's Cray.
and knew the prisbner and the deceased, his wife. The
deceased died on the 23d November, 1843, and on tie.,
Sunday before her death she had asked witness to give
her a lodging for the night. She remained in witness's
house three or four days, and during that time she ap-
peared to be very ill.
Thomas Mumford, an illegitimate child of the de-
ceased, previous to her marriage with the prisoner, de-
posed that he saw his mother on the 19th of November,
s% hen .she appared very ill, and complained of great
pain. Prisoner and his mother had not lived together
for some time before this, and he used to allow her
half-a-crown a-week, which she generally received on
Sunday. and he believed she did so on the week previous
to her death.
Cross• examined by the prisoner—Witness was not
aware of the reason of their being apart.
Mary Anne Mumford, wife of the last witness, spoke
to the miserable state of the deceased, a short time pre-
vious to her death. She also proved that the prisoner
and his wife had been separated for four years, and that
he used to allow her half-a-crown a week.
Mr. T. Pritchard, surgeon, of Sidcup, deposed that he
knew the deceased, and had noticed her particularly for
several days before her death. On the 21st of November,
two days before her death, she came to his surgery, and,
at that time she appeared to be in a dying state, and he
told her that she was not in a condition to be about,
and, indeed, he considered that the was hardly fit to go
away from his surgery.. He gave her a letter to the re-
lieving officer of the district, in which he described her
condition, and requested him to relieve her. Shortly
lifserAvards he heard she was dead, and, by direction of
t4toroner, he made a post root tern examination of the
'ffceased. lie found the stomach and bowels perfectly
empty, the liver was diseased, and there was also an ex-
tensive ulceration of the lower part of the body.
. By the COURT—Witness had no doubt the death of
the deceased was accelerated by the want of proper
nourishment and clothing.
William Earl, a police-constable stationed at Sidcup,
deposed that, on the Wednesday previous to the death
of the'deceased, he saw her, and had some conversation
with her, during which she complained of the conduct
of her husband. She appeared very ill at this time.
and he persuaded her to go to the relieving-officer.
He saw her again at eleven o'clock at night, and she
was then very wet, and in a miserable state. She
went towards the house where the prisoner
lodged, and witness heard her ask him to let
her in. Witness told the prisoner, who`was at the win-
dow; that his wife was in a miserable state, and asked
him to let her in. The prisoner replied that he had no
lodging for her. Witness told him that he was her
husband, and ought to provide for her ; to which the
prisoner replied that she was a nasty —, and he should
not get up, or trouble himielf about her, and he then
shut down the window. After this, witness took the
deceased to the house of the prisoner's father, who al,o
refused to receive her ; and he then offered to give Icer
a shelter in the station-house, but the deceased, would
not accept it, and walked away. About three o'clock the
next morning he found her in an out-house, and she was
then wet through, and very iil. Witness got some beer
for her, which she drank, and he did not see her any
more alive.

Sarah Coomber deposed that at the time in question her
husband kept the Black Horse, public house at Sideup.
On the Thursday before the death of the deceased she
came to witness's house and wished for a lodging. She
appeared to be very ill, and in a most destitute condition.
The prisoner was in the house at the time, and witness
told him the state of his wife, when he replied that she
wa, no wife of his, and had •r.ot been for many years.
rShe aflowed the deceasedto remain in the house during
the night, and she was put to bed. The next morning
she was insensible and died shortly afterwards.
A servant in the employ of-Airs. Coomber proved that
she accompanied the deceased to her bed-room, and she
appeared so weak as to be hardly able to stand.
Another witness deposed that a day or two before the
death of the deceased she came to her house, and, seeing
her miserable condition," she called to the prisoner. who
was passing at the time, and asked him to take her away,
when he.rephtsci, "Turn her out, I won't have her."
Mr. Pritchard was re-called, and in answer t 3 ques-
tions put to him, he said, 'that' the deceased would no
doubt have lived. for some time if proper care had been
taken of her. Diarrhoea was the immediate cause of
death, and he was of opinion;that.the death was hastened
by her exposure to the weather on the . Wednesday
night.

7The'prisoner, in defence, said that he and the deceased
• had mutually agrefd to separate, and he allowed her half-
a-crown a week, which was all he could afford. She had
come to him several times in a most filthy condition, and
it was impossible he could live with her.
Mr. Baron GURNEY then addressed the jury, and said
there could be nu doubt that in law a husband was bound

to provide for and support his wife, and if, by neglecting
to do so, he caused her death, he would subject him-
self to a charge of manslaughter. The present case,
however, presented some peculiar features. It appeared
that the parties had agreed to separate. and that the pri-
soner undertook to make his wife an allowance of half-a.
crown a week, and there did not appear to be any procf
that at the time the application was made to the pri •
goner to admit his wife into his house on the night when
the exposure to the weather was said to have caused her
death, that he was at all aware she was in a dying con -
di ti on. The Learned Judge then went through the evi-
dence, and left the case in the hands of the jury.
After a short deliberation they returned a verdict of—
Not Guilty.

NORFOLK 'lRCUlT.—lpswich,july 24.
The Courts both opened this morning at ten o'clock. In
the Civil Court there were eleven common jury causes, all of
,which, with one exception, were disposed of, one way or
another, in the course of the day.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice WILLTAms.)
ARSON.—Ann Mantling, aged 82, was indicted for having
set fire to a dwelling-house in Wangford, on the 25th of June
last, the property of James Rathen.
Mr. Prendergast prosecuted, and Mr. Palmer defended the
prisoner.

From the statement of the prosecutor and others, it ap-
peared that the husband of the prisoner being in prison on
some charge connected with the game-laws, left his wife and
infant family in the occupation of his cottage in the deepest
distress and want. In this state of things there was. as might
be expected, great difficulty in her satisfying the rent due to
the landlord, who found it necessary at length to put in a
distress on the premises on the 10th of June, there being then
2/. 7s. 6d. due. While the distress was in, the prisoner seat
for the prosecutor, and told him she should not suffer her
things to stir before her husband came out of prison. The
prosecutor said he had now no control over the matter, and
the law must take its course • upon which she replied, " You
d—d old rascal ; before you ;hall have my things I will burn
them in the middle of the room. and your d—d old house,
too." In spite of this; the goods were sold on the 17th, with
the exception of a few articles of wearing apparel. Though
she afterwards asked the prosecutor to take as many of the
things as would pay the rent, on the morning of the 25th the
home Was found to be in flames, the fire having, originated
evidently from the inside of the roof. An inquiry was set on
foot, and the prisoner then denied having had any fire in the
house on the day in question ; but she refused to show the
officers where the fire had burst out. When before the ma-
gistrate, the prisoner made a statement to the effect
that "as she was going into the union-bot}se on the following

day, she had, on the morning of the 25th, put an old mat-
tress into the oven to burn ;" but several witnesses deposed
to the total absence of any marks of fire having been seen in
the oven. In the course of the inquiry to-day, it appeared
that though the goods seized realised 2/. 195., the prosecutor
only received 188. towards his rent, the great balance being
all absorbed in the expense of the distress, a fact which
seemed to excite great surprise on the mind of the Learned
Judge.

Mi. PALMER then addressed the jury on behalf of the pri-
soner, and called upon them to view the case with mercy
and compassion, and contended that there was really no evi-
dence against his client bub the declarations proved against
her, which were rather to be considered as the offspring of
anger than of any determined intention to commit the out-
rage imputed to her.
The Learned JUDGE then briefly recapitulated the chief
points in the case to the jury, who, he said, were not to be
swayed, while inquiring into the truth, by those moving
topics to which the Learned Counsel had called their atten-
tion. If they saw any reasonable doubt of the prisoner's
guilt on the evidence, they would give her the benefit of
that doubt; but i Ithey did not, their duty was to find her
guilty, -and leave any circumstances of mitigation or com-
passion which might exist to the consideration of the proper
•
tribunal.

The jury then retired to consider their verdict, and ulti-
mately returned a verdict of Guilty, accompanied by a strong
recommendation to mercy.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON-4 quite agree with your verdict,
gentlemen, in both its branches. The case is one which
does call for mercy and compassion, and I will take the
matter into my consideration before I pass sentence on the
prisoner.

David Clow, aged 40, was indicted for feloniously setting
fire to a shop, the property of James Hafer, at Farnham, in
this county on the 18th instant.
Mr. Derent conducted the case for the' prosecution ; the
prisoner was not represented by counsel.
It appears that the prisoner, whose family occupied the
" town-house," near to the premises of the prosecutor, had
recently taken upon himself to erect a straw hovel, or " lean-
to," against one side of the prosecutor's shop, in which lie
used to pass the nights. On the night in question he was
overheard to grumble to himself, " I'll be d—d if I don't go
and burn down the whole set of them ; I'll set fire to the
straw shed." This he said about twelve o'clock, as he was
going towards the hovel. In a short time afterwards he
went to the window of the "town-house," somewhat tipsy,
and asked for a light for his candle. Having been accom-
modated with a light, he crossed the yard towards his bed-
room, and was there lost sight of. In about three •quarters
of an hour the premises were discovered to be on fire, and the
prisoner was seen hurrying out of the yard half-dressed, and
with his clothes on fire. On this fact coming out,
, Mr. Baron ALDEnsox inquired of the jury whether they
were not satisfied that the fire originated in accident, not de-
sign? The man was "somewhat tipsy," and the fire did not
break out for three-quarters of an hour after he went to bed.
What more likely than that he fell asleep, and set fire to the
bed and his own clothes too ?

A juror said that he should think so too, but for the ex-
pression of the prisoner.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON—I think that that is rather favour-
able than otherwise to the prisoner, as it was decidedly the
conduct of a drunken man. However, if the jury wish it,
the case shall go on.
The jury then laid their heads together, and in a few mo-
ments said they were quite satisfied, and returned a verdict
of—Not Guilty.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY.)
MANSION-HOUSE.
A young man, named Walter Henry Austin, was
brought before Sir John Key, in the custody of John
Forrester, the officer, charged with having embezzled the
difference between 851. 13s. /od. and 71. I Is. 9d., the pro-
perty
agent. •
of Mr. Robinson, merchant and Custom-house
Mr. Walford, the solicitor to the Customs, attended,
with Mr. Adolphus, for the Board of Customs ; and Mr.
Chambers appeared for the prisoner.
Mr. Chambers requested to be informed whether Mr.
Robinson was the prosecutor, or whether the proceeding
emanated from the Customs ?
Mr. Robinspn said that he attended at the request of
the Solicitor to the Customs.
Mr. Robinson then stated that he carried on business
at No. 12, Water-lane, in partnership with his sons. In
the month of July, 1842, he received a letter of advice of
the shipment of certain silks by the Batavier. from Rot-
terdam. The prisoner was at that time clerk in the
establishment, and • it was his business.to make an entry
and clear the goods. Witness bad, in .the prisoner's
handwriting, a copy of the entry made of the silks, by
which it appeared that 851. 13s. 10d. was necessary to be
paid at the:Customs for duty on a case marked V. 13., 695.
The cheque produced was in the handwriting of the
prisoner, and was signed by a partner in the firm, and
had been paid by the bankers.
The witness, upon his cross-examination, stated that
he acted in the case as a Custom-house went for
Vanbrook and Sons, and that he was asked- by the
solicitor to the Customs to attend, in consequence of
an examination of his books by the Custom-house
authorities.
Thomas Greenslade Whitmore, a clerk in the Custom.
house, stated that the bill of sight produced stated that
certain goods were entered, of which he (the prisoner)
had no invoice, and upon that bill he got sight of the
goods after the usual declaration had been administered
to MM..
Mr. Willi* Wiilimot stated 'that in July, 1842, he
was receiving the ground receipts at the Custom-house.
The perfect entry paper now produced contained an
entry 47/. Ils. 9d. upon which the prisoner obtained
the goods, and the 71. 11s. 9d. was paid to witness's
account.
Mr. Henry Robinson stated that he was partner with
his father. Ile signed the cheve produced. The body
of the cheque was filed up in the prisoner's hand-
writing. Witness could not smear that he delivered the
cheque to 'the prisoner.
Mr. Chambers remonstrated against the proposition
to commit the prisoner, who had, he declared, as ap-
peared from the docunvnts of the Custom-house, paid
duties on the day specified amounting to every shilling
of the sum he was charged with having embezzled. The
Learned Counsel then, upon finding that the Magistrate
was determined to send the ease to a jury, applied to be
permitted to put in bail for his client.
Sir Joins KEY stated that he did not consider himself
justified in taking bail in such a case, and the prisoner
was fully committed for trial.

CLERKENWELL.
Chad,: Henry Thomas, a young man of gentee.
appearance, clerk to Messrs. Tennant and Harrison, No.
2, Gray's Inn-square, solicitors, was charged with steal-
ing a large quantity of silver plate, valuable books, &c.,
the property of Miss Elizabeth Grimes, a young lady, to
whom it was stated Mr. Harrison was guardian. Thtepri-
soner refused to mention his residence.
On Friday evening last, the prisoner offered in pawn,.
for ten shillings, a silver toast rack, and some otherplate,
at the pawnbroking establishment of Mr. K ng, in
Holborn. He had previously pawned a pair of silver
policeman, and Chapman, 38 E., arrived, who
candlesticks there. The pawnbroker, suspecting him,
sent for a
knowing the prisoner to be a clerk to Messrs. Tennant
and Harrison, at once took him into custody. On his
person were found a splendidly bound edition of the Illus-
trated Bible, folio, in two volumes, a pair of silver snuffers
and tray, and a toast rack. On the Bible was engraved
the name of " Crow, who the prisoner said was his
aunt, and lived in Gray's Inn-lame, to whom all the pro-
perty belonged. On their way thither the prisoner,
after some further misstatements, owned that all the arti-
cles, as well as others which he had pawned elsewhere,
belonged to Miss Grimes. He was accordingly taken
to the station-house.
•
Milk Baker. the laundress the chambers, identified
the toast rack, snuffers, and --candlesticks, as Miss
Grimes' property. Mrs. Crow was Miss Grimes' aunt.
They hada:erne from Bristol in a ease, and were deposited
in a room adj .ining the office in which the prisoner was,
employed. The telescope was produced by Mr. Crochet,
a pawnbroker, in Denatestreet, with whom the prisoner
had pawned it.
Mr. GitNENWOOD remanded the prisoner, having ex-
pressed his determination to send him for trial.
BOW-S T 1? EE7.
On Thursday, among the night charges, George O'Malley
Irwin, an Irish barrister, was brought before Ilfr. Hall, at
the instance of Mrs. Sarah Collier, the wife of a coffee-house
keeper, 54, Holywell-street, Strand, for indecently assaulting
her.
The complainant stated, that about eight o'clock on Wed-
nesday evening, she was standing about three feet within her
door with her apron to her face, when the defendant crossed
the street and without uttering a word committed an assault,
the. particulars of which were of too indecent a nature to de-
scribe. She immediately collared him, and the circumstance
having drawn the attention of a neighbour, he called a con-
stable to whom the defendant was given into custody. He
then made a laugh of the matter, and said he never was in
the habit of assaulting women.
In answer to the defendant, the complainant said she
struck him on the head, feeling indignant. at his conduct,
and she !night have trod upon his hat which fell off in the
scuffle.
The constable proved, that when he arrived the defendant
was much excited, but quite sober ; and he did not deny
having touched the complainant, though accidentally, with
the stick he carried at the time.
The complainant being recalled, said the act was com-
mitted by the defendant in the most deliberate manner with
his hand, and she was standing at the time inside the
threshold of her door.
In answer to the charge, the defendant said, in his burry
he 'could not say whether he touched the complainant
with his hand or his cane, and as the act was purely unin-
tentional, he had only to express his regret it having given
any offence.
Mr. HAIL said it was not to be tolerated that a respectable
married woman should suffer such a gross indignity while
standing at her door, and the defendant should pay a penalty
of 31., or be sent to prison for 21 days. The defendant was
then removed from the bar, and in the course of the day hav-
ing paid the fine, he was discharged. To open letters is esteemed the greatest breach of
George Gator, a constable of the F division, who was., lionour. Even to look into them already opened, or acciden-
brought up on Tuesday last, charged with having without tally dropped, is held an ungenerous, if not an-immoral amt.
in Fleet-street, into custody, she having merely drawn his TV e are happy to learn that a treaty has at length
lawful cause taken Mrs. Hogg, the wife of a hosier and glover —Pope.
attention to the condition of a child apparently deserted in been concluded and signed in London between the Ministers
the public streets, attended before Mr. Twyford to receive the Plenipotentiary of the Queen of Great Britain and the King
judgment of the Court, which had been deferred for the pur- of Hanover, for the adjustment of the protracted and em-
pose of taking the opinion of Mr. Hall, the chief magistrate, harnessing discussions arising out of the Stade dues. The
upon the subject. principle established by this convention will substitute a
Mr. Hogg, who was present, had the whole of the evidence uniform and moderate tariff of dues for those numerous, ex. read over, and was complimented by the magistrate for the cessive, and ill-regulated charges, which have so long been a
steps he had taken in bringing a subject of such importance serious burden on• British shipping in the principal commer-
before the public. cial outlet of northern Germany; and we trust that this are
The defendant said, that there were a great number of re- rangement will terminate, or at least reduce to their just
spectable persons present who were willing to come forward limits, those restrictions which' have so long frustrated the
in his behalf; but he did not think it necessary to call them, intentions of the treaty of Vienna, and interfered with the
expecting that Mr. r
Hogg would tell nothing but the truth. navigation of the Elbe. As, however, the exchange of rati-
erlecius
Mr. Twyeoess_He has told the truth, that you impro- fications, which will complete this agreement and conclude
pw veyi
nptor setodd,
yce:drrays. tuna
the negotiationS, has not yet taken place, it is premature te
very ingri
enter upon any discussion of the precise conditions which the
you should be made to know your duty. treaty rnayecontain ; but we believe that a reduction of not
st
annt t lsl eeme mso onosbt rtauns ti t
vaek
• The defendant said the child was dressed in black, and so less than one-third hae been effected in the duties on the
was Mrs. Hogg, and, on his telling her she should go to the most important articles, and that the settlement of the Stade
station, she said it was not her business. He then addressed . fees and charges has been embodied in a general treaty of
her in respectful terms, saying it was her business ; and upon commerce and navigation with the kingdom of Hanover.._
husband coming up, he said she should not go to the sta- Times.
by n, unless it was distinctly stated she was in custody. He ' FIRE AT TwrcicEtsmor.—On Wednesday night a
said if the child was left in his care she should consider her. 1 hay--stack belonging to Mr. C. Eley, of Twickenham d,
self in custody, and she was then conveyed away in a cab. was discovered to be on fire, but by dint the
.V°4
f
of e exertions ons o
He never heard the lady was in the family way, nor did he a party of Lancer
s,from Hounslow, and the police, the fire
observe that such was the case.
Mr. TWYFORD
said the consequence of such an argument was prevented from spreading to other stacks in the yard. The
would he that no person would in future interfere with
a child • •
loss amounts to about 2001. The accident is believed h
urinated in the natural heatini of the stack to Aye
•s. • . •