The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-27 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

The January session of the Central Criminal Court was
opened this morning by the Lord Mayor, the Recorder,
Alderman Sir R. Carden Alderman Sir B. S. Phillips,
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—The Recorder, in charging the grand jury, said
the first case to which he would refer was an
indictment for wilful murder against James Con-
ning, a seaman, and they would be under the
disadvantage of not seeing the witnesses on whose
evidence the crime was to be made out. The depositions
were taken before a consul at a foreign port, and if the
witnesses were not in this country the depositions would
be taken as evidence. It appeared that the deceased and
a companion had been on shore and returned drunk, some
quarrelling taking place after they came on board which
resulted in the prisoner stabbing the deceased. The
statement he made was that he did so in self-de-
fence, and under the whole circumstances he (the
Recorder) did not think the crime would amount to
more than manslaughter. There was also a charge of
murder against an Italian named Morelli. In this case
there was no pretence that the prisoner's own life was in
danger, but it might be considered whether, the crime
being committed in the heat of blood, there was sufficient
evidence to support the capital charge. The learned
Recorder next alluded to a charge against a woman by the
name of Eliza Collins, for the murder of her child by
leaving- it exposed in a field, and stated that the question
for the jury to consider was whether there was
any intention that the child should die. There wasa
charge preferred under extraordinary circumstances
against Thomas Wagstaffe and his wife. The charge was to
the effect that the parents caused the death of their child
by neglect, and it appeared they were members of a sect
who called themselves " The Peculiar People. One of
their tenets was that it was contrary to the teachings of
Scripture to have recourse to medical advice for the resto-
ration of health, and the course they adopted was
to anoint the child and pray to God for its
recovery. The child was suffering from inflammation
of the lungs, and the medical testimony was, that if advice
had been sought it would have had a fair chance of life.
It was dif6;:mli to say that death was caused by the neglect
of the parents, but it was a matter for regret that any
body of people should so pervert the words of Scripture as
to neglect the means usually resorted to in cases of illness.
The Recorder proceeded to comment on some cases of
minor importancer and the jury then retired to their room
for deliberation.

THE LATE CHARLES KEAN.—In accordance with
the wishes of the late Mr. Charl.'s Kean, the funeral,
which will take place at Keydell on Thursday next, will
be of a strictly private character. Mrs. Charles Kean has
received from the Queen a letter which expresses in tho
most gracious terms the sympathy awakened in her Ma-
jesty's mind by the terrible loss Mrs. Kean has sustained.
' ACCIDENT TO AIR. CHARLES WARNER.—On Mon-
day night last Mr. Charles Warner, when acting in the
farce "Honey Dove's Troubles," met with a singular and
serious accident. In the character he represents Mr. War-
ner has to drink a glass of wine, and among the bottles on
the table had been placed one containing a strong spirit
used in lighting the gas. This mistake was nearly proving
fatal to Mr. Charles Warner, who was immediately pre-
vented from proceeding with his part. The curtain foil,
and the performer was taken to the hospital. lie is now
out of danger, but, as may be imagined, is suffering severely
from the effects of the poisonous spirit so incautiously
placed vn the table—Eim