The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-12 00:00:00

COURT OF CHANCERY, Julyl L

The following notice was put up to.day in the Lord Chancellor's
Court :—" The Lord Chancellor will sit on a Committee in the
House of Lords on Friday,"

ROLLS' COURT, July 11.
The Master of the Rolls took causes to-day of no interest ex-
cept to the parties concerned.

VIOE-CHANCELLORS' COURT, July 11.

His Honour the Vice-Chancellor of England heard unopposed
petitions, petitions, short causes, ani causes.
The Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce took cause petitions and
causes, and
The Vice-Chancellor Wigram, after disposing of the cases of
Cafe v. Bent, and Forsyth v. Ellice, proceeded to hear the further
arguments in the part-heard case of,Phene v. Gallan.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON. )
George Hicionott, on Wednesday, pleaded guilty to four
charges of forging receipts, was placed at the bar to receive
sentence.

Several witnesses gave the.prisoner an excellent character.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON said there was no doubt that the
prisoner had prior to this transaction borne a very good charac-
ter, but still the offence was one of so serious a description, that
it was impossible to pass it over without inflicting a severe sen •
tence, such as would be likely to deter other persons committing
it in future. A short time ago the prisoners life would in all
probability have been forfeited, and although the Legislature
had of late taken a more merciful view of the offence, it
doubly became the duty of the judges to take care that no mis-
placed lenity on their parts led to an increase of the offence, and
compelled a return to that dreadful punishment which the
Legislature had abolished. He then sentenced him to be trans-
ported for ten years.
Witham Leonard, 24, and John O'Brien, were indicted
for feloniously assaulting L.:llen Reeney and causing an explosion
of inflammable gas upon her, whereby she was severely burned
and injured, with intent to kill and murder her ; and Patrick
Twon,y, 33, was indicted for telomously procuring, hiring,
and commanding the first-mentioned prisoners to do and commit
the felony.
The circumstances under which the charge was preferred
will be fresh in the recollection of our readers, as they have
been given very recently in the police retorts.
Mr. Baron ALDERSON, at the close of the case for the pro-
secution, expressed his opinion that there was no evidence to
induce the jury to conv.ct the prisoners of the offence of in-
tending to murder the peosecutrix. He doubted whether, in
law, if the prisoners had really caused the explosion by the act
imputed to them—viz., unscrewing the gas-pipe, it would come
within the scope of the Act of Parliament., or whether they
could be charged with the intent to murder the prosecutrix.
In his opinion, the more probable intention and object was to'
burn and injure the house, but, at all events, he could not help
thinking chat the evidence was very slight to support such a
serious charge.
The jury concurred in the view of the case taken by his Lord-
ship, and they, therefore, at once returned a verdict of Not
Guilty.
William Wallis was indicted for the manslaughter of James
Boxall.

It appeared that the prisoner and the deceased were at a
public-house together, both being slightly intoxicated, when
they quarrelled, and eventually fought, and the deceased, ►n
the scuffle, received such injuries as caused his death.
Evidence was adduced for the defence to show that the de-
ceased had forced the quarrel and fight upon the prisoner, and
the latter received a very good character. •
The jury found the prisoner Guilty, but strongly recom-
mended him to mercy,
Mr. Baron ALDERSON sentenced him to a month's solitary
confinement. .

Margaret Shaughnessy was indicted for unlawfully desert-
mg her child.
After the examination of some witnesses,.

Mr. Baron ALDERSON expressed an opinion that the evi-
dence did not support the specific charge contained in the in-
dictment ; and the jury accordingly returned a verdict of Not
Guilty.

(Before Mr. Baron PARKE and Mr. Alderman MUSGROVE.)

John Marshall was placed at the bar, charged with a criminal
assault upon the person of Sarah Ann Strate, a child of tender
years, on the 24th June last, in the house of her aunt, a washer-
woman, living at No. 10, Little Coram-street,

Mr. O'Brien appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Ballantine
for the prisoner.

It appeared from the statement of counsel, that the prisoner was
living in the same house with the prosecutrix and her aunt ; that
upon the night laid in the indictment the prisoner committed the
offence with which he stood charged, and which would be detailed
by the prosecutrix.
Sarah Anne Strate was then called ; her appearance created the
greatest sensation ; she did not appear to be more than eight or
nine years old, though stated to be between ten and eleven, and of
very weak and delicate frame. Having st...ted that she understood
the nature of an oath, and was aware of the consequences that would
follow a violation of it, she was sworn, and deposed that pn the
night in question she was alone in the house; her aunt liad
gone out. The prisoner came into the room and put her on the
sofa, and told her not to tell, and that he would give her sixpence a
week. (Here the prosecutrix described the particulars of the as-
sault, which were very revolting and disgusting.) The prisoner
had hurt her very much and she cried out ; she told Mrs. Higgins
and Mrs. Parker the day after. One of them examined her and
then took her to a gentleman's house, and from that she went to
Worcester by the train.
Cross.exarained by Mr. BALLANTINE—When her aunt came in
on Saturday the prisoner was present, and said, " if this charge is
to be made against me, let her be examined by a surgeon ;" was
examined by a surgeon.

By the COURT—Ia the surgeon here ?
Mr. BALLANTINE---1 believe not, my Lord.

Prosecutrix, then la continuation, said she had been turned
away from school because she was bad, she meant by that that she
would not learn the books; never mentioned at school that any
one ever behaved indecently to her.

Sarah Higg.ns sworn—Lives in the same house with prosecutrix's
aunt. Remembers the 28th of June. Prosecutrix complained to
her on that day and said that the prisoner had been ill-treating her.
Witness and Mrs. Harper examined the child's person and found
that she had been seriously injured,
Police constable James Newman deposed that he apprehended
the prisoner in the house in question about one o'clock in the
morning of the 29th June. One of the women present said the
child had been sent away about a fortnight. The aunt said she
had been sent away only that evening.
Here the case closed.
The prisoner's Counsel did not address any observations to the
• jury.
The Learned JUDGE said that there was not sufficient evidence
to prove the more serious offence; but he thought it would be well
to remand the prisoner to the next sessions, and then have him
tried for attempting a criminal intercourse with a child under the
age of twelve years of age and above ten; the prisoner to be admit-
ted to bail upon giving security, himself in 801., and two sureties
in 401. each.