The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-17 00:00:00

London, about eight or ten in the evening. When his money
had been taken from him, he asked what had been stolen.
Box is on the Great Western Railway.
John Lucas, the city marshal, corroborated the account
given by the last witness, adding, that while the prisoner was
dressing he said that he did not much like the journey to
Oxford, having promised to meet two friends at Eton and
Windsor the next morning. I went to London the following
day. andfound the place referred to by him in Bell-street, Pad-
dington ; it was a cigar and tobacco shop.
Mr. Guy Thomson, a banker in Oxford, of the firm of
Robinson and others, in High•street, was examined.
Lucas recalled—A man of the name of Burgess pointed ont
to me the spot where a bag was found like the on. lost, con-
taining a box inclosing a stone and somesand. It was about
a mile on the Oxford side of Nuneham.
This closed the case for the prosecution ;
Whereupon Mr. BALLANTTNE proceeded to address the
jury on behalf of the prisoner.
After an able and lucid summing up on the part of the
Learned JUDGE, the jury remained some time in deliberation,
returning a verdict of Acquittal.
CIVIL SlDE.—(Before `lr. Sergeant ATCHERIXT and a
Special Jury.)
BENCH V. MERRICK.

For the plaintiff were Mr. Valentine Lee and Mr. Hodg-
son ; for the defendant Mr. Sergeant Talfourd and Mr.
Alexander.

This was an action brought to recover compensation for a
breach of promise of marriage, alleged to have been made by
the defendant to the plaintiff.
Mr. HODGSON having opened the pleadings,
Mr. LEE proceeded to state to the jury the circumstances
of this somewhat singular case, as they afterwards appeared
in evidence.

The plaintiff, it seemed, was a young woman of prepos-
sessing appearance, the sister of a Mrs. Grimes (whose
husband keeps the Red Lion Inn at Burford), with
whom she lived in the capacity of bar-maid. The defendant
whose mother died two or three years ego, and kept the
Lamb Inn in the same town, about nine years ago formed
an acquaintance with her, and had been in the habit of call-
ing upon her daily since. Sometimes as often as three times
a day, during that period. In consequence of a statement
which originally issued from, and seemed to have been indus-
triously propagated by a Mrs. Street, a tenant of the de-
fendant, to the effect that Miss Bench was a young woman
of immodest character, the defendant discontinued his visits
at the Lion. After an interval, however, of some duration,
he was induced to resume them, and agreed to marry the
plaintiff within six months from the Ist of January, 1843.
This, however, he had neglected to do, alleging, as an excuse
that the plaintiff had been delivered of a child, as he
was informed, when only nineteen years of age. This she
did not deny; but at the same time contended that the de-
fendant had been fully aware of the circumstances for some
years, and now only sought to avail himself of that unfortu-
nate occurrence in order to evade the promise which he had
before repeatedly made.
It was clearly proved, that ever since the unhappy young
woman's seduction by a Mr. Hussey, and it was not pre-
tended that she had ever been guilty of even an indiscretion
with any one else, her conduct had in every way been per-
fectly irreproachable.
Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD having addressed the jury on
behalf of his client, they remained about ten minutes in de-
liberation, finding a verdict for the plaintiff on the first, and
for the defendant on the second issue.

The defendant had pleaded, first, that he did not make the
promise in the declaration alleged; secondly, that at the time
of making the promise, he believed the plaintiff to be a
woman of good character and morals, which he afterwards
found she was not, and upon these pleas it was that issue was
joined.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—York, July 15.
CROWN SlDE.—(Before Mr. Justice C RESSWELL. )
Richard Cooper, aged 23, was indicted for having, at Bads
worth, on the 4th day of June last, felonioulsy stolen ten
sheep, the property of Joseph Jackson.
Mr. Hall and Mr. Overend conducted the prosecution ; the.
prisoner was not defended by counsel.
It appeared from the statement of Mr. Jackson that on
Monday, the 3d of June, he had in a close at Badsworth a
flock of 50 sheep, 48 of which were hog sheep, and two ewes.
On the Monday evening they were all safe, but on the
Wednesday following it was found that ten sheep were
missing. On discovering his loss, Mr. Jackson went over
to Ackworth, the neighbouring township, and inquired of the
prisoner, who was pmder there, whether he had any sheep"
in the pinfold. The prisoner said he had not. Mr. Jackson
then inquired if he had had any lately. He replied, Yes,
that he had had some on the Tuesday morning, belonging
to a Mr. Simpson, a farmer, at Ackworth. Mr. Jackson then
went away, but from some information he received he was
induced to return to the prisoner's house, and accuse him of
having sold the sheep in question at Wakefield fair, the day
before. To this the prisoner at first made no reply, but he
afterwards admitted he had sold them at Wakefield for the
sum of 14/. Mr. Jackson asked where the money was, and
the prisoner replied, that he had 11/. of it up stairs, and that
if Mr. Jackson would say nothing about it, he would give
him the remainder in a day or two. Mr. Jackson got the
11/., and told the prisoner he could say nothing about future
arrangements without seeing the constable. They went in
consequence to the constable's house, where Mr. Jackson left
the prisoner in custody.'
The defence made by the prisoner was, that Mr. Jackson
had told him to take half a score of sheep to the fair, and to
select them as he thought best from the flock in the fields.
He said he had in consequence taken them to Wakefield and
sold them for 14/., but that having got drunk and lost part
of the money he was afraid to go to Mr. Jackson with the
remainder. Mr. Jackson, he said, called on him for the
money, and threatened to charge him with sheepstealing
only when he found that it was not all forthcoming.
Evidence, however, was adduced to show that Mr. Jack-
son had in the prisoner's hearing stated on the Monday that
he was not going to send any sheep to the fair, and that the
sheep which the prisoner was seen on the Tuesday morning
driving along the road towards Wakefield, were then covered
with red ruddle on the rump, so as to conceal as much as pos-
sible the mark " J.," which was the only one upon them
when in Mr. Jpckson's close.
The prisoner had formerly been in Mr. Jackson's employ-
ment, but had left it about four months before this occur-
rence.

The prisoner was found Guilty.
A previous conviction for sheepstealing having also been
proved against him, his Lordship passed sentence, stating that
the prisoner's previous history sufficiently showed that he was
utterly incorrigible, and that it was necessary to pass such a
sentence as would be a warning to others. To be transported
for life.

James Bradbury, aged 52, was indicted for setting fire to a
certain heath, at Aldmondbury, in the West Riding, the pro-
perty of George Hinchcliffe.
Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Pashley conducted the prosecution ;
the prisoner was defended by Mr. Bliss.
It appeared from the evidence for the prosecution, that on
the night of Saturday, the 26th of May, two persons were
on the watch in the neighbourhood of a moor, called Good-
bent Moor, which had, during the spring, been several times
on fire. In the course of these several conflagrations great
quantities of the game had been destroyed. About twelve
o'clock on the night in question, they saw part of the moor,
at some distance, burst into a blaze, and they ran off in that
direction. They had approached within about one hundred
yards of the place where the moor was then burning, when
they saw a spark moving about much nearer them, and they•
had come within a very few yards of it when it suddenly
burst into a blaze, and by the light they saw a man, whom
they recognised as the prisonerat the bar, rising from a stoop-
ing position over the burning heath. He was dressed in dark
clothes, with a hairy cap. A scuffle ensued, but the prisoner
succeeded in making his escape. Besides this testimony,
evidence was adduced of the prisoner having repeatedly used
the most violent threats respecting the owners of the moor
and the gentlemen who preserved game in the neighbour-
hood, in which he intimated that Good-bent Moor would he
the scene of a " maunce," as it is called in the hill dialect,
meaning a mischance, before long.
For the defence, it was sought to establish an alibi, which
having failed, the prisoner was convicted.
Sentence was deferred.

WESTERN ClRCUlT.—Winchester, July 15.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice WIGUTMAN.)
_ -

William Cripps, a boy aged 12 years, was indicted for set-
ting fire to the dwelling-house of Thomas Horton, in the pa-
rish of Itchingswell.
Mr. Ball prosecuted. The prisoner was defended by Mr.
Saunders.

It was proved that on the 18th of June the barn of Mr.
Thomas Horton was on fire, which was consumed, together
with his dwelling-house. The prisoner had been seen near
the place a short time before the fire was discovered, and was
apprehended on suspicion. He directly confessed that it was
he, and told how he had done it, viz., by putting some fire
among the straw in the barn. He further said Sally Mul-
lings (who, it appeared, was a girl of eleven years of age),
told him to do it, and had said, if he would not set it on fire
she would. _ _ _

Mr. SAUNDERS contended that it was quite clear that the
boy did not know what he was about.
Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN left it to the jury to say whether
he was doli capax.
The jury returned their verdict that he was not, which was
therefore a verdict of Not Guilty.

MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Northampton, July 16.
This circuit commenced by the opening of the commission
at Northampton yesterday afternoon, before Mr. Justice
Coltman ; the real business of the circuit beginning this day,
the above Learned Judge presiding at Nisi Prins, and Lord
Denman taking his seat in the Criminal Court. There are
twelve causes in the list, three being marked as special juries.
The calendar contains the names of twenty-eight prisoners
for trial, but we believe there are two or three others who
have been brought to the county gaol aince the calendar was
printed. The principal offences charged are, two cases of
manslaughter, two rapes, and one case of arson.