The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-22 00:00:00

COMMON LAW.

PROBATE COURT.—Sir James Wilde has had before him
the case of Harriott v. Harriott and Harriott.—This was
a suit instituted in order to test the validity of the will of
a James Harriott, residing at the time of his death in
Liverpool and Manchester, and who, it was alleged by the
defendant, was of unsound mind at the tinle it was
executed. Dr. Spinks, Q.C., and Mr. Searle appeared for
the plaintiff, and the defendant appeared in person. It
seemed that the testator had been a long time in
Africa, and returned to this country in 1862, and
went to the defendant, his brother, stating that
he had amassed a considerable fortune, and was
possessed of several ships. The defendant resided at
Feltliam, near Liverpool, and shortly after he came back
he was taken ill at Liverpool, and defendant went to
•
purse him there and at Manchester. He was given to
habits of drinking, and the defendant endeavoured to
correct them. Be was, however, induced, after constantly
being re bY his brother James, to leave him, and to
go ti livewith
o the widow and daughter of another brother;
and in July 1866 he made a will in their favour and in
that of two other brothers, and left the defendantnothing.
The defendant detailed the habits of the testator, and
i3tated that his memory was entirely gone, that there
had never been any quarrel between them, and that
his mind had been prejudiced against the defendant
by his brother Frank. The latter had impressed
upon testator's mind a belief that the defendant wished
to put him into a lunatic asylum, the consequence of
which was they parted, and afterwards he was induced to
make this will, it was alleged, by undue influence. The
deft ndant called members of his family to prove his
devotion to his brother, and also others who could prove
the state of his mind. The case is still proceeding.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Dity.

MANSION HOUSE.

A VENDOR OP SHAM JEWELLERY.—At the Mansion
House, Peter McDermott, a respectable•looking, elderly
man, who described himself as a hatter, was charged
before the Lord Mayor with, endeavouring to dispose ( f
several spurious articles of jewellery, by falsely represent.
ing them to be gold. Henry Hagget, a City police-
constable, stated that at about half-past four on the pre.
vious afternoon a young man, named Arthur Baxter
Howard, a hairdresser in Bermondsey, told him that the
mate of a vessel had offered to sell him a gold watch-chain
and a diamond ring and scarf-pin for R 2 18s., and that he had
obtained the money, and had had a look at the articles,
and thought they were good. At that time the prisoner
passed, and Howard said that was the man. Witness told
him that he'was a " duffer," and that if he gave him into
custody, he would take him to the station. This was done,
and on being searched, the chain, ring, and pin, and some
sham studs, were found in his possession. On a former
Occasion the prisoner had offered some spurious metal
jewellery to Curtis; a plain-clothes officer, who took him
into custody, and he was then sentenced to a month's
imprisonment. The story he told was that he was mate
of a ship, that the captain had died, and that he had
broken open his box and taken the jewellery.—Remanded
for a week.