The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-24 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIR CUI T.—Ea-der, March 21.
This being Good Friday, the Learned Judges attended
Divine service in the Cathedral. The Courts, therefore,
were not opened for business till one o'clock.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice ERLE.)
Mary Hayes vies indicted for having maliciously set
fire, on the 25th of January last, to a dwelling-house,
eith intent to defraud John Pyke.
Mr. Kirkwich and Mr. Cornish prosecuted. The
prisoner was defended by Mr. White.
This proved a most singular and extraordinary case
in all its details. It appeared that the prisoner was a
servant to a person named Lashbrobk, who was a farmer
rentint, and occupying a farm belonging to Captain Pyke.
On the Monday before the 20th of January last, the
farmhouse was on fire. The fire was extinguished. On
the following day the house was again on fire, which
was again put out. On the Wedtit.sday, the day after,
the roof of the house was again seen to be on fire by one
of the workmen of Mr. Lashbrook, who was at work at
the time in the farm-yard. lle mounted a ladder which
was standing by the house, and, seeirg where the fire
was in the root; he succeeded in putting it out. Whilst
thus ergagt d, he saw the prisoner, through a hole in the
ceiling of the room, w Welt had been made the day before,
fling a quantity of lighted reed through this hole, under-
Leath the thatched roof, and she tolit him that he was
not to touch it, but let it burn if it would, as her mistress
had given orders to that effect. It appeared that the
witness did let it burn, and the consequence was that the
entire house was consumed. When the prisoner was
taken up she admitted that she had set fire to the house,
but added that it was by her mistress's express orders,
who had said that the sin would lie at her door, and that
it w as quite right the 01l house should be burned, as she
bad lived there thirty years, and nothing had been done
to it except nailing up a few boards to the stairs. She
also said that she would not care if old Pyke was on the
top of it, as he refused to do anything to make them
comfortable.

Mr. WHITE addressed the jury for the prisoner, con-
tending that the prisoner had acted under her mistress's
orders, without being at all aware of the consequences
of the act she was committing.
Mr. Justice EIILE summed up, telling the jury that a
party in the eye of the law are always taken to intend
the consequences which his acts were likely to produce.
After a long conversation, the jury returned a verdict
of Guilty.
Thc Learned JUDGE remarked, as there were very
peculiar circumstances in this case, he should not then
pa s sentence, but consider as to what judgment he ought
to pronounce. .

Ma:eh 22.
CIVIL SIDE.

(Before Mr. Justice COLERIDGE and a Special Jury.

DREAM OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.
COMMIES V. WILT ISFORD.

This was an action brought by the plaintiff to recover
compensation from the th lendunt for a breach of pro-
mise of marriage. The defendant pleaded that he did
not promise, with a second pica, which amounted in sub-
stance to a release. .

Mr. Crowder, Mr. Cockburn, Mr. Butt, and Mr. Col-
lier, conducted the plaintiff's case; Mr. Sergeant King-
lake and Mr. Smith appeared for the defendant.
The facts proved on the part of the plaintiff were
shortly as follow:—Loth the parties were native; of
Tavistock, in which place the father of the plaintiff
of as cashier and bead clerk in the Tavistock
Bank, whilst the defendant's father had for many years
practised as an attorney there. Living in the same
country town the young people were of course ac-