The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-19 00:00:00

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Males
Females

... 725
... 684

Total ... ..„
*ln this number are included 38 by Scarlatina, 47
by Typhus Fever, 78 by Diarrhoea, and 4 by Cholera.

The island upon Dement Lake, called St. Herberts,
the property of Sir Wilfred Lawson, of Brayton Hall, was
sold by auction oh Wednesday last, at Keswick, for the sum
of 7001,

CENTRAL CRIMINAL CO URT.
OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice WILLIAMS.)
Joseph Braznell, 22, and John Wren, 20, were in.
dicted for feloniously endeavouring to extort money
from Michael Tasburgh, under a threat of accusing
him of an abominable crime.

Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Ballantine were for the pro.
secution ; the prisoners were defended by Mr. Robin.
son and Mr. Woollett.

The prosecutor in this case is an independent gen-
tleman, named Michael Tasburgb, residing at Burgh-
wallis-hall, near Doncaster, and it appeared from his
statement that he is between 70 and 80 years of age.
The circumstances under which the charge was pre-
ferred against the prisoners were these :—On the
27th of August the prosecutor had come up to town
on business, and he proceeded to the Tavistock Hotel,
and after having dined he went out in the evening for
a walk, and as he was passing through Hemming's-
row he stopped for a moment at a turner's shop to
look at a man who was at work there. It appeared
that the prisoner Braznell and three or four other
men were also standing at the window, and he pushed
against the prosecutor in a manner that induced him
immediately to quit the shop window and walk away.
The prisoner followed him, and asked him if he
supposed he was going to allow him to do what
he had done for nothing, and inquired what
he was going to " stand." The prosecutor,
who notwithstanding his advanced age, appeared
to have acted with a great deal of firmness and deter-
mination throughout the whole transaction, replied
that he would give him nothing, and walked on, the
prisoner following him and making the observation
that he must take the consequences. After this
Braznell wished the prosecutor to go into a public-
house and have a glass with him, stating, at the same
time, that the matter might be soon settled, and that
he did not wish to be hard with him. The prosecutor
resisted all the attempts that were made to extort
money from him, and Braznell at length gave him
in charge for an indecent assault, and he was examined
the following morning before Mr. Hardwick, at
Marlborough-street, and the other prisoner,' 'Wren,
and another man, named White, then came forward
as witnesses in support of the charge that had. been
made against the prosecutor. Their statements, how-
ever, their examination being taken apart, were so
contradictory to each other that the magistrate felt it
to be his duty not only to dismiss the charge that had
been made against the prosecutor, but to order the
prisoners into custody upon the present charge. The
facts were distinctly proved in evidence, and the
utter groundlessness of the accusation made against
the prosecutor was clearly established ; and there ap-
peared to be no doubt that the prisoners formed part
of the gang of miscreants who infest the metropolis
and prowl about for the purpose of extorting money
from the fears of those against whom they preferred
charges of this description.

The Learned JUDGE having summed up, the jury
immediately returned a verdict of Guilty against both
prisoners. _ _

Evidence was then given that the prisoner Wren
bad been before convicted of felony.
The Learned JUDGE, in passing sentence upon the
prisoners, said that they had been convicted of a most
dreadful crime, and it was hardly possible to imagine
one that was more calculated to create misery and
suffering. It was therefore necessary for the protec-
tion of the public that when such an offence was
clearly brought home to the persons accused of it a
most severe punishment should be inflicted. He
then sentenced the prisoners to be transported for
twenty years.
Upon the application of Mr. PARRY, on behalf of
John Wakeman Edwards, a surgeon, who stands
charged with a felony of a peculiar character, and no
opposition being offered by Mr. Ballantine, who ap-
peared for the prosecution, the trial of the defendant
was postponed to the next session.
It was arranged that Mr. Edwards, who has here-
tofore been at large upon bail, should still remain at
liberty upon the same amount of recognizances.
Ellen Hoar, 22, was charged upon the coroner's
inquisition, with the wilful murder of her female ille-
gitimate child.
A bill for the murder had also been preferred be-
fore the grand jury, but they ignored it.
Mr. Clerk conducted the prosecution. The pri-
soner would have been without the assistance of
counsel but for the kind interference of the Sheriffs.
Through their instrumentality, however, she had the
benefit of the able services of Mr. Ballantine.

The facts of the case lay in a very narrow compass.
The prisoner lodged in the house of a woman named
Davis, in Queen-street, Notting•hill, and on the
14th of August, in consequence of something that
transpired, Mrs. Davis went into the prisoner's
room, and from what she saw there she accused her of
having given birth to a child. The prisoner denied
that this was the case, and another woman then came
into the room, and she also taxed the prisoner with
the same act, and asked where the child was. She
persisted in declaring that she had not given birth
to a child, but upon the room being searched the dead
body of a female infant was found in a box, and with
a cord tied tightly round its neck. The evidence
with regard to the fact of the child having been born
alive was by no means conclusive, and it also ap-
peared very probable that the cord might have been
used by the prisoner as a readier means to relieve her-
self from the agonies of childbirth.
Mr. BALLANTINE made a most feeling and earnest
appeal to the jury on behalf of the unfortunate pri-
soner, and expressed a confident expectation that
they would not
.upon the evidence that had been
laid before them convict a young creature like the
prisoner of such a dreadful crime as that with which
she was charged. _

Mr. Justice WILLIAMS briefly summed up, and the
jury, after a short deliberation, Acquitted the prisoner
of murder, but found her Guilty of concealing the
birth of the child.

She was sentenced to be imprisoned and kept to
hard labour for six months.

NE W COURT.
(Before the COMMON-SERGEANT.)
Edward George Barrington, 36, millwright, was
indicted for feloniously being at large, without lawful
excuse, before the expiration of a term for which he
had been sentenced to be transported.
Mr. Digby Seymour appeared for the prisoner.
The facts for the prosecution were these :—ln
June, 1844, the prisoner was tried at these sessions
for a robbery of notes in a dwelling-house, and sen-
tenced to ten years' transportation. He was subse-
quently sent out of this country, and, not having
received any liberty from the authorities of this
country to return home, he had recently done so, and
had set up a beershop, and had continued to keep it
up to the time of his apprehension in last August,
when some one gave information to Penny, the in-
spector of nuisances for Clerkenwell, who was at
the time of the prisoner's conviction a police in-
spector.
Mr. SEYMOUR made a most earnest appeal to the
jury, and said the defence he had to offer was this :
The prisoner after his conviction had been sent out to
Swan River, where his behaviour was so irreproach-
able that the Governor of the place gave him a free
pardon, and in the October of 1847 he enlisted him-
self as a shipwright on board the Columbin, under
the command of Lord John Hay, and had accom-
panied the whole of the well known expedition in the
Japanese seas against the pirates, behaving with the
utmost courage, and in other respects conducting
himself most irreproachably down to April of the pre-
sent year, when the vessel came home, and with the
prize money he had received went into business as a
beer-shopkeeper. The Learned Counsel handed in
the written document of the prisoner's conduct, and
added that Lord John Hay wished it to be stated
that the prisoner's conduct whilst under his command
had been excellent. The prisoner had received from
the governor a written pardon, but fearing it might
be found by his fellow seamen, and that they might
know what he had been, he had destroyed it.
The COMMON- SERGEANT, in addressing the jury,
said that undoubtedly the prisoner's character had
been very good since his conviction, but there was
only his word about the pardon.
The jury found him Guilty, strongly recommend-
ing him to mercy on account of his character.
Judgment was respited.
John Simpson, 23, labourer, pleaded Guilty to
marrying Jane Robinson, his wife being then alive.
Mr. Digby Seymour appeared for the prosecution.
Neither of the wives appeared, but it was stated
to the Court that the prisoner had married his first
wife in Scotland, and she falling ill became the in-
mate of an hospital. He subsequently deserted her
and married a second wife, whom it was supposed he
had also left.

lie was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.
Mary Ann Geary was convicted of stealing some
articles of wearing apparel, the property of the
guardians of St. Giles, Bloonagbury.
It appeared that she had been for four years an in-
mate of the poorhouse ; she occasionally went out,
and suspicion being entertained that she was robbing
the house a search-warrant was obtained, and a place
she visited searched, and the articles in question
found. A watch was then set on the place, and upon
her coming there she was taken into custody.
In the course of the afternoon the grand jury,
having returned all the bills before them, were dis-
charged with the customary thanks.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, Sept. is.
Before Mr. IVITuAm, Chairman, and a Bench or

Magistrates.)

Henry Preston, aged 31, described as a comedian,
but dressed with all the appearance of a Dissenting
minister, was indicted for having stolen fri-Jm the per-
son a silver watch and gold watch-guar;, of the value
of 71., the property of Charles Dow:len.
It appeared that a scavenger of the name of Bays
went into Cecil-street in the Strand, on the sth inst.,
about four o'clock in the morning, when he saw