The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-08 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

The July Sessions commenced yesterday, before the Lord
Mayor, and Aldermen Challis and Hunter.
The Common Juries having been empanelled,
The RECORDER proceeded to deliver his charge to the grand
jury. He said, the calendar before him contained a small number
of cases compared with those usually contained in the calendar,
from session to session ; which was to be attributed to the short in-
terval between the last and present session. Nevertheless.
it contained several cases of importance, calculated
to demand at their hands grave and full consideration ;
but they were, at the same time, generally speaking, cases relating
more to matters of fact than of law. There were five charges
against persons with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and six
charges against persons for uttering forged instruments, knowing
them to be forged. There was one charge against a person for
rape, and a charge of manslaughter against a party whe was the
father of the deceased person. With regard to the latter
charge, it was their duty to inquire whether the evidence
went to establish that death was caused by the act of the
party accused. If they should arrive at that conclusion,
they would next inquire under what circumstances that death
was so occasioned. Without going at all into the circumstances
detailed in the depositions, he thought it right to inform them that
the point with which they would have more immediately to deal
was, whether death was in consequence of the party charged, be.
cause the circumstances detailed in the depositions amount to that
which constituted the crime of manslaughter. The evidence which
would be adduced in this case would be that of members of the same
family, the accused and the deceased being father and son. With
regard to the charge of rape, he would merely state that
it appeared to him that if the facts contained in the
depositions were established, they should find a true
bill against the party charged. The charges of uttering forged
instruments involved mere matters of fact, not of law. But if,
contrary to his expectations, any difficulty should arise, the Court
would afford them the best assistance in its power. The same
observations applied to the cases of cutting and wounding, but
there was one case which was a little out of the ordinary course.
The charge to which he referred was one against three
persons, two as principals in the act, and the other as
an accessory before the fact. The offence imputed to
tbose actively engaged in the commission of the crime
was for injuring the person of the prosecutrix, by exposing her
to an explosion of gas caused by contact with a lighted candle, they
having first removed that which confined the gas, and consequently
rendered it dangerous by the approach of a candle. The person
charged with being an accessory to the commission of the act was
not in the house at the time, but was seen for an hour and a half
before it on the evening preceding the act, but he did not
enter the house; but the charge was made against him
from expressions which he had uttered at various times,
and from other circumstances. He had resided for a
long time in the house of the prosecutrix, a publican,
and the day before the offence was committed, an application was
made to a magistrate in consequence of the conduct of this person.
It would be for them to say whether there was sufficient evidence
to warrant them in putting him on his trial—whether the offence
was committed at his instigation. The Learned Gentleman then
detailed the law on the subject, and held that if it were proved
that he had instigated the other parties to the commission of the
offence, he was equally guilty, though absent at its commission.
By the Ist of Victoria, whoever unlawfully or wilfully
caused to be delivered, or to be received by any
person, any corrosive fluid, or destructive matter, with intent to
burn, maim, or disfigure any person, or to do some grievous bodily
harm, should be guilty of felony, and, being convicted, shall be
liable to be transported beyond the seas for his or her natural life, or
for any term not lees than fifteen years, or to be imprisoned
for a period not exceeding three years. It was a most painful cir-
cumstance that, session after session, persons charged w►th the crime
of cutting and wounding, with intent to do some grievous bodily
harm, and the use, in sudden frays and quarrels, by the lower
classes, of Instruments dangerous to life, were constantly brought
before thews. Out of 60 cases of larcency, 27 were against ser-
vants. The total number of cases in the calendar was 102, which
would probably be augmented by 20, or more, before the close of
their labours. He should, therefore, remit them to their duties.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

Sarah Whiter, aged 17, and Harriet, her sister, aged 16, very
meanly clad, but remarkably good-looking girls, were charged with
the following daring act of shoplifting :
Between four and five o'clock on Saturday afternoon last, the
prisoners were observed to pass and re-pass several times the shop
of Mr. Peter Robinson, of No. 107, Oxford-street, linen draper,
and, at length, they entered just within the shop-door, and not per_
ceivtng any person in the shop, they snatched out of the window a
muslin dress, of the price of 66., with which they both act off
running. They had, however, been observed by Mr. Robinson's
shopboy, who, giving the alarm, they were pursued and overtaken
in Castle-street, Oxford-market, having thrown from them as they
ran the dress in question.
Mr. Maursv asked the witness which of the prisoners took the
dress out of the window P—The witness said he thought it was the
younger one, and that she handed it to the other.
The prisoner Sarah (eagerly)—No, it was not my sister took the
dress; I did it.
The prisoner Henrietta—How can you say so ; you know I took
It. Why do you wish to screen me P (bursting Into tears, and
holding her hands before her face.)
Mr. MALTBY ordered the case to stand over for the present.

THE WEATIIER.—Judging from the appearances
of the sky, and the continuous flashes of lightning which pre-
vailed for a great part of Sunday night in the south-east, there
must have been a severe thunder-storm somewhere in Kent
and Surrey. The lightning also occasionally extended
towards the north-east, followed by distant thunder. A
heavy fall of rain took place about four in the morning, but '
the weather still continues sultry, though there is a fine
breeze from the west. The accounts in the provincial papers
describe the weather as very fine, and the appearance of the
crops most cheering.
BRIGHTON, SATURDAY.—The Duke of Manchester
and Lord Loftus left yesterday in the Menai steamer for Dieppe ;
and Prince Kennetz, Lord Butler, Lady Kavanah, and Captain
Kelly, R.N., arrived in the Fame steamer this day from Dieppe.
The town is filling fast with fashionables.
THE LATE DUEL AT GOSPORT.—GOSPORT, JULY 6.
—The friends of Lieutenants Hawkey and Pym have given
notice to the Clerk of the Arraigns that the surviving principal
(Lieutenant Hawkey) and his second ( Lieutenant Pym) will
surrender and take their trial for their alleged participation in
the death of Mr. Seton at the next assizes at Winchester,
which will commence on Thursday next. Messrs. Crowther
and Cockburn, we believe, are retained for their defence. The
prosecution is ex qffic , under the charge of Mr. J. Howard,
Town-clerk and Clerk of the Peace for the borough of Ports-
mouth, wt o has retained as counsel the Recorder of Ports-
mouth (Mr. C. Rawlinson). The witnesses are all summoned
to appear.
DEATH OF SIR A. R. DILLON.—On the 3d inst.,
at Eccles-street, in the 74th year of his age, Sir Arthur Richard
Dillon, Bart., of Lismullen, county of Meath—a General in her
Majesty's service. and a baron of the Roman Empire. He is suc-
ceeded in his title and estates by his next brother, now Sir William
Dillon, Bart.
SERIOU3 INJURY FROM THE BITE OF A DOG.—
On Saturday afternoon, as Miss Amelia Low, residing at Penton-
ville_hill, was fondling a spaniel, the animal suddenly inflicted a
severe bite upon her left hand. • Though the wound was rather
painful, the young lady took no notice of it, except by covering it
with a piece of court plaister. Yesterday afternoon, however, her
arm began to swell in a most alarming manner, and was extremely
painful. A medical gentleman attended and cut out the bitten
part, afterwards cauterising the wound. The dog has been de.
stroy ed.