The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-27 00:00:00

'f'

CRI3IINAL COURT.—(TIIIS DAY.)
This, the twelfth and concluding session of the present Mayor-
alty, was commenced this morning.
_ The Court was opened in the usual manner by the Right Hon.
the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, and Aldermen Wilson, Hunter,
Moon, &c.
The calendar, considering the lengthened period which has
elapsed since the last sittings, is not unusually hesvy. The pri-
soners number 227. There is one charge of murder and two of
forgery, but the others arc comparatively light.
The grand jury having been sworn, were addreszed by the
Learned RECORDER. He said, Gentlemen of Jury, the calendar
which lies before me contains a list of prisoners amounting to 227,
and there is every reason to believe that the number will be aug.
ntented by additional commitments during the sitting of the Court.
Your labours wi'l, therefore, in all probability be extended for days,seve-
ral
but I am sure you will cheerfully discharge the duties
Imposed upon you, duties which are for the protection of the public
at large. I notice with regret that, in addition to the ordinary
°lass of offences, the number of persons engaged as domestics, to
!horn the offence of larceny is imputed, is very considerable, not
less than 54 in this situation of life being so charged. There
are
several cases of cutting and wounding with
intent to do grievcus bodily harm. There is also a
charge of
attempting to drown by throwing the person into deep
vat'r a charge of attempting to administer poison ; two charges
,
assault amounting to rape, or carnal knowledge of el ildreu of
tender age; five cases of robbery ; and a charge of shooting at
another Person with a mischievous intent. There is, in addition, a
Charge for the heinous crime of murder—the murder of an infant,
and the party to whom the crime -.8 imputed is the stepfather of
the Child,being the husband of the mother. There are not less
than eighteen cases of misdemeanour of different kinds and de.
reel, some of them of the nature of assaults for min:Aural and
filthy,
purpose., some for obtaining goods and property under fals.l
Pretences, and other offences of a like nature. There is a charge
1° of coining, the instruments for that purpose and a quan-
tity of new counterfeit coin having been found in the pos
of the person committed. Among the charges
of tnisderneanour, there is one case of obtaining money under
hfa pretences under rather peculiar circumstances. It is
tistndcase of a man who goes on board of foreign vessels, and prat.
t
',Pon the ignorance of the poor men on board, purchases their
".„""ws, and pretends to pay them with gold coin of this country.
The pretented coin is afterwards discovered to be a sort of gilt
I') Mei. which is sold in the streets for a penny. It will be your
..ItY to ascertain if this miserable deception was practised for the
r 4„ 'Pose of defrauding these poor foreigners, who were ignorant of
'.e coins current in the country. In the case of murder, to which
_t have referred, I perceive by the depositions taken before the
cnronet
that the testimony of the wife was received against her
husband
•Among the many changes daily taking place in our
criminal and civil law, I am not aware of any one that has rendered
*hewife a competent witness ; at the same time however,
L. to the presence of a third party, the wife used
expression to which the husband made answer, that would be
knee to be given by that third party. I do not imagine that
the
7 who conduct the prosecution will tender the wife's evidence;
witnesses rather being those who do not labour under any legal
1:
deg 4(4°,f h Petency. In the case of shooting with intent to do grievous
liarm, the great point will be to see if there is sufficient evi-
itee that the person aiming the gun did so with a knowledge that
eic74 loaded, or in a state likely to explode, and also ohether he
thsls,irn with intent to do the other bodily injury. I understand
to thegun had keen previously uncocked, and it will be for you
duty aY whether, under these circumstances, it will be your
t° Put the case In the course of further inquiry. In the
the :1: attempting to administer poison, the charge will rest upon
14 'Wlence of persons who will prove the sending of the poison
toiaaLl,tily of tea and sugar to the individual who was expected
kid "else of it. You will of course carefully examine the evidence
Doi,,u,,e,seci before you and ascertain whether the fact of sending
The.'" is brought home to the party charged with the offence.
a wore are
e, several instances of cutting and stabbing, in one instance
being struck under the immediate influence of passion. You
yogbo,Pleased to examine into this when the charge comes before
ditto, h' Learned Recorder then adverted to misdemeanours of a
few :unit character, which are unfit for publication, and after a
7.7senetal remarks, dismissed the grand jury to their duties.
"Petit jury was then sworn.

• ,BOW ..STREET.-(THIS DAY.)
Prt
gee.. 74ta of the Guards was charged, before Mr. Hall, with
Ott
a great coat.
the 7 84turday evening, between nine and ten o'clock, A 82 took
"dertisoner into custody, with a great coat folded up in anapokoikn
r hi
• wh2 arm. He had heard of the theft, and was on the
abo ,7't the prisoner was pointed out to him by a butcher's boy,
lituaa_ heard the soldier asking for a pawnshop.
day e:' 0. wen was coming through the Adelphi, Strand, on Satur,
midstlng, when she met three soldiers, and an old man in the
bid of them with a brown paper parcel under his arm. She
1• , ,her curiosity excited, and watched them going into
trik,,Uulic house, whither she followed them. The old
°friort,aireadY the worse for liquor, called for a pint
*eht and a quartcrn of gim. After this, when they all
"
the old man stumbled, and the soldiers, picking him up
te!),, Y Should look after him and his bundle. Two of them
ltt.:3:od the old man along the Strand, in the direction of Water-
-4tltior„id, and the prisoner, in possession of the bundle, after
ditFctalY lookingon this side and that, made off in the opposite
Dtibl In' A short time after this the old men returned to the
41Stel„:"°Use, inquiring for his great coat. The witness imme-
lb;
ic°nveycd information to the barracks.
tb%t ).:4-v•cher boy said he was in Ryder's-court, Leicester-square,
kliii,„",alf-Past eight, and was asked by the prikonor, who then had
4t4,:m'e under his arm, where he might find a pawn-shop. Wit-
-4i i
thantrel'lY, told him a woman had gone down to the barracks to
to th three soldiers had stolen a great coat, and advised him to
The4cre.
thttit,oAsld man, who said he seas an inmate of the Leather Mar_
TheYlum, generally corroborated the main facts of the case.
Plibii:ner, in defence merely said he had been 1, tt in the
—nouse and tl.c great co, at with him.—He was committed,