The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-10 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT. —CROYDON, AUG. 8.
(Before the Lord Chief Baron and a Special Jury.

EDWARDS V. BULLEN.

This was an action of assault. Mr. E. James,
Q.C., Mr. Lush, Q.C., and Mr. Needham were for
plaintiff; Sergeant Shee, Mr. Brown, and Mr.
Worsley appeared for the defendant.

Mr. Ed-w-in James, in opening the case to the
jury, said, the plaintiff, Mr. Edwards, carries on
the business of an insurance broker, in partnership
with a gentleman named Pitman, and the defen-
dant is engaged in the same occupation in partner-
ship with a gentleman named Hancock, and they
are all members of Lloyd's, and it appeared that
up to the time of the c ommencement of these pro-
ceedings, both firms had business transactions toge-
ther, and were on intimate terms. The wife of
the defendant had, it appeared, shortly before the
month of June in the present year gone on a voyage
to Quebec, by the advice of the physician who had
been in attendance upon her for a serious illness.
On the 17th of June, Mr. Pittman went on a visit
to a gentleman named Wilson, who resides at Brox-
bourne, in Hertfordshire, and during the visit, Mr.
Wilson made a communication to Mr. Pittman upon
the subject of the defendant's domestic affairs, and
particularly in reference to the journey of his wife
to America, which was certainly of a very offensive
character, and Mr. Pittman upon his return to town
told the plaintiff what he had heard, and said that he
should in consequence decline to do any more business
with the defendant, and directed the plaintiff to close
the account. The plaintiff was unwilling to do
this, for the sake of all parties, as their business ap-
peared to be mutually profitable, without making
inquiry and ascertaining whether the statements
respecting the defendant were true or not, and he
accordingly, a day or two afterwards, spoke to a
gentleman named Beddome, also a member of
Lloyd's, and whom he knew to be intimately ac-
quainted with the defendant and his wife. The
only object the plaintiff had, in doing this, accord-
ing to the statement of his learned counsel, was
that the business transactions between them might
not be broken off without some explanation, and
solely from a kind feeling ; but, it appeared, that
Mr. Beddome at once communicated to the defend-
ant what had been stated by the plaintiff, and on
the 24th of June he sent a message for him to come
to his counting-house, and upon his going in, his
partner, Mr. Hancock shut the door, and the
defendant then, without giving him any oppor-
tunity of explanation, laid hold of him, and heat
him in a most violent manner for several minutes
with a stick. This was the assault complained of,
and for which the present action was brought against
the defendant.
Evidence having been adduced,

Serjeant Shee Made a most eloquent speech to
the jury on behalf of the defendant. He admitted
that the defendant had committed an assault, and
the plaintiff was therefore entitled to a verdict,
but he said that when the jury looked at all the
facts of the case he thought they would have no
difficulty in coming to the conclusion that the
plaintiff had brought it entirely upon himself by the
slanders he had been the means of promulgating
against the wife of the defendant, and for which the
defendant had no legal remedy, and was conse-
quently obliged to take the mode of redress into his
own hands. _ _ _

The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a
verdict for the plaiiff—damages 2501.

NORTH WALES' CIRCIIIT..CHESTER, Aug. 8,

ATTEMPTED MURDER.

John Woolley was charged with having on the
Ist of Auvust stabbed Ann W►lliams, a married
woman, with intent to murder her, or do her some
bodily harm.
The pn-tsecutrix was going home from market
between four and five o'clock in the afternoon, and
when going through a stile gate with a basket and
an infant, the prisoner rushed on her, and knocked
her down. She got up, and was again knocked
down, when she felt something hurting her. After
a great deal of struggling a man came up and re-
leased the woman, who was then found to be
stabbed on the neck and breast in six different
places, and a clasp knife was taken from him, and
he was secured and taken into custody.
The learned judge having summed up, the jury
returned a verdict of guilty of wounding with in-
tent to do grievous bodily harm. Sentenced to 10
years' penal servitude.