The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-22 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

James Carroll against whom a bill of indictment for
the wilful murder of Elizabeth Hobbs was found at the
February sessions of the Central Criminal Court, was
brought up this day before Mr. Traill on the charge,
having been at large since the offence was committed
From the evidence of Sergeant Sturgeon, M division,
it appeared that in the month of February last, a man
named Hobbs and his wife lodged with the prisoner in
the Mint, Southwark. A quarrel having occurred be-
tween the prisoner and Hobbs's wife, a scuffle took place,
during which some blows were struck, and the woman
Hobbs received such serious injuries on the head that she
died, and on the inquest subsequently held on the body,
a verdict of wilful murder was returned against the
prisoner, who immediately absconded. It appeared that
the prisoner left England and went over to France, where
he got employment on a railroad, but that, having
lost his situation, be hastened back again, and on Tues-
day was met in Tooley-street, and being recognised. he
was taken into custody. He had disguised himself as
much as possible by shaving off his whiskers and wearing
different clothes, but still his person was identified,
although he declared the sergeant was mistaken, and
that he was a stranger in London.
The certificate of a true bill having been found against
the prisoner was produced, Mr. Traill asked him if he
wished to say anything with respect to a denial of his
being the individual named in the bill of indictment ?
The prisoner, who looked very much depressed,
merely shook his head, but said nothing.
Mr. TRAILL said that, the identity of the prisoner
being proved to his satisfaction, he had only one duty to
perform, and that was to commit him for trial.
The prisoner was committed accordingly.
Mrs. Margaret Curtis, described as the widow of the
late Dick Curtis, the well-known " Pet of the Fancy,"
was brought up, having been found wandering abroad in
an insane state of mind.

A policeman stated that at an early hour that morn-
ing he saw the defendant near Kennington-common, and
perceiving she was very much fatigued and sitting down
on the steps of a door, he went up and asked her some
questions, but her replies convinced him that her mind
was affected, and he took her to the station-house.
When the unfortunate woman was brought into Court it
was apparent that she was not in her proper senses ; she
first burst out into a loud fit of laughter, and then
changing suddenly, she began to cry, and exhibited other
unequivocal. symptoms of deranged intellect.
A respectible female present said that she was ac-
quainted with Mrs. Curtis, whose mind was latterly af-
fected, and that she was in the habit of straying away
from her lodgings, and remaining until she was nearly
starved.

In reply to Mr. Traill, the witness said that she was
not aware what means of support Mrs. Curtis had, but
that she seemed to be very badly off, and she (witness)
believed had not property of any description,
Mr. MAILL said that if that was the case, she had
better be sent for the present to the workhouse, where
she would be taken care of, if she had no friends to go to,
until a certificate of her insanity was procured for her
admission into a lunatic asylum. That it was dangerous
to allow a person in her unfortunate condition to be
wandering about the town, and that proper care would
be taken of her.

The poor woman, who seemed unconsciuu: of what
was passing around her, was then conveyed to the
workhouse. '
John Harfield, a tanner, in the employ of Mr. Smith, the
leather dealer of Bermondsey, was brought up on a charge of
robbing his employer.
The complainant employs two hundred men, and of late a
large quantity of leather has been missed from the premises,
which, there was no doubt, was taken by some of the work-
men. On the preceding night the prisoner was suspected,
and on being searched, a large quantity of leather was fuund
tied about his legs, and with which he was in the act of leaving
the warehouse, As other parties suspected of being engaged
in the pinnder of the premises are still at large, directions
were given to take them into custody, and in the interim
the prisoner was remanded.
John Ward, a tall raw-boned man, was charged with
stealing a leg of lamb, belonging to the landlord of the Crown,
in Beat-street.

On the preceding afternoon the prisoner went into the
Crown, from the tap-room of which an inviting leg of lamb
was to be seen hanging up in the skittle•ground. The pri-
soner taking advantage of the temporary absence of the land-
lord, ran into the skittle-ground, took down the leg of lamb,
and went away with it. The circumstance, however, having
been witnessed, the landlord was informed of the fact ; and
having ascertained where the prisoner lodged, the remains of
a leg of lamb were discovered.
The prisoner denied that he had been in the Crown at all ;
and as the Magistrate was desirous that the complainant's
statement might be verified as to the fact, the prisoner was
remanded.