The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-03-27 00:00:00

SOUTH LANCASHIRE ASSIZES.

tt,_ CROWN COURT.—TUESDAY.
35),178LAIIGHTER AT MANCHESTER.—SoIomon Mellor
.fre
z,t )A'7_43 indchesteicted for the manslaughter of Ann Massey,
',tr, on the 17th December last. It appeared
inerl
the vidence for the prosecution, that on the eyen-
was dri day named, the prisoner, who is a cab driver,
whiap,,id rate' his vehicle, as it was alleged, at an improperly
wards the Manchester and Birmingham Rail-
,,,,aY9 knit,c,rl.
The deceased, who was crossing the street,
WereseveKed down and run over, and her head and hand
Were aerelY injured. She was conveyed to the Infirmary, titter , mPutation of the hand was performed, and shortly the ~,L.,ue operation the patient died.—Mr. PoLL9cx, for
e,mitarisaner, contended that the casualty was entirely
noe _
!At. sh.I3LY the act of the deceased herself, who retur
show
that at ' tia4 Partly crossed the street. He could. that I,the time of the accident the prisoner was doing all
Tive".°ollld to control a very spirited young horse.-
whichw,,t.t.ness,ts were then called for the prisoner,. after
Ship eivir• Atink replied for the prosecution, and his lort
%esti en Sitilftled up, telling the jury that the who
the e:„° for them Was, Whether the occurrence had been
Ptisee:secleace of gross neglizence on the part of the
eemed`r,,r had been occasioned by the act of the gen-
:4,.etdiet--i' he jury, after a short consultation, returned. -
-'4llt Cloi n()t guilty —His LORDSHIP : He may be. is
110411 ,Hllttlediatel;,. If he had been found guilty, I
pe have discharged him
ell,i2goL4"(2l°SLY •I`gABBING: AND
.WOl7. INZDlNG.—Richarcl
lelq4i. ' `,, wls hac;oed for Inving at Mid lie Hult?il,
ktelulti'lY stilii.?cl and wounded T 113111.15 11,?,yes,_witn
ketir,,"l" 10 him some grievous bodily harm. The offence
IN ti,"' in On of a quarrel between the prisona t
q 4 'e
Pr°9ecutor, as to which should go down the shaft
niehectikallit first.' Blows passed between them, after
*lc ~" Prisoner struck the prosecutor violentl a
Ittilh.'ween the shoulders.—The jury found theprisoner
lir-Sentence deferred.
tlettithe rZtlainder of the cases tried during the day were
-""' °f Public interest.

fillithe NISI PRIUS COURT.—TUESDAY.
emo'e-Case of Greatrex v. Peel and another, in which
relict w.
e fli the plaintiff , on Monday, the
ttt4tocl-te, daalacrgelsvbneinn:left to the court, his lordship
ho had taked'the case into consideration, and
lititlt‘d."mat t 225 was the sum to which the plaintiff was
lee T
41' hat sum was awarded accordingly.
1,11, v • CASS EACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.
tft-' Wtritiff was ati:nold man, aged 67, and the defend-
' a,ed 60. The peculiar circumstances of the
epo-'" oj-4spe rllatiye position of the parties, gave to the
eemblo interest, and the court was much
leiag the trial.
1,14 i Q.O , and Mr. Robinson, appeared for
4r. and Mr. Sergeant Wilkins for the defendant.
coatitrtwh4lB°:,
it
the case, said he perceived
called provoked a laugh in the
bit, 13(exe,r4Itse tts tiff? in the case was an old, man :
bbee4 b \V) easPsuarlend the jury that it would never have
,--PerBireltht before them at all had it not been for the
.„'efekin.s which had been cast upon the plaintiff by. the
h`heDi;i4.,',,, whereby he had suffered considerable injury.
,:"‘A eon) lained that the defendant had broken a
pitisfr- oriestrarriaPge which she had made to him. The
hirable tned at Rochdale, where he had formerly con-
wav Property, but in consequence of speculations in
de-fendconsider.able portion of it had been wasted.
i.9ehdal ant resided at Carr, about four miles from
1,74 a e' and both•the plaintiff and defendant were per-
-"enti,,4;"l advanced period of life. Last year an agree-
d fi.;;llrevarriage was entered. into between the parties,
2413 of nr.ti° age of the parties, the plaintiff being up-f
it 'O, and the defendant little short of 60 years o
Zarria°llld be scarcely necessary to tell the jury that the
"Qlet, was one of convenience, and the property
Roadft?h had was considered to be sufficient to support
'er for the short time that they had to live in the
that the It
ke , in the month of September of last year
(Nlrl).,.,'aiatiff first made advances. to the defendant.
17°1c vv.) could not tell the jury particularly. what
reaiseace between the arties at. their first interview,
*ld t' " one waspresent at the time with the plaintiff
Placee defenda t Several interviews, however, took
defe4irtween then p. , ann the first step taken by the
Petoant, was a lettnerriewshich she wrote on the 12th of
last year, in answer to a proposal made her
44, 6,Plaintiff. This letter, he believed, was inthe
Ittiv-"ting of the defendant's brother-in-law. The let-
as follows

" Waterhead Mill, October 12,1848.
• yon to say that I shall not be at home until I.lon-
ti '4).2 have considered the question you have mentioned
sie "verings, and have come to the conclusion, at least for
-141.4 e).; nt, not to enter into the solemn and important state
ttter''ol, ho e ou will direct your attention to another
• think 'o P you
find one that will suit you better
irsilY .mliguhtw. I wish you every enjoyment in the
tags life, but above all the meetness to enjoy the
'aher or eternal state.—l subscribe myself your well-
Fro ' "MARIA CASS."
maim that letter the plaintiff followed his suit, and ulti-
!howl ~ao arrangement was come to that the parties
lesprieduc married in January of the present year.. The
etch counsel then detailed the variou! prehminar.i
t „ had been entered into for the marriage, including
11.11;114,rellase of the ring, and an inventory which was to
'ariii,„.."ean taken by thplaintiff's son of the defendant's
ttlet,Cl., for the purpose of effecting a marriage settle-
°rer I. It Was arranged that the plaintiff's son should go
4.taketio t. ndat's house on the 15th December to
to llventory. He did so, and on that occasion the de-
-44'1-„,'ld him that she would not not allow him to take
- entorY, that there was something between his
real, had
herself which prevented it, and the particular
%lb' she assigned was, that she had heard the plaintiff
the zad to
Wives, to whom he had behaved ill, and that
°dam,lo"llld have nothing to do with him.
leSep Ph Andrew Kershaw a young man of about 30 years
e°ll of the plaintiff, .examined.—He lives at Roch-
liolif,;ll'4 is a fruit dealer. His father had some house-
Pad prod
Is a widower and his mother had been
;are 11;"ven Tears. The defendant is a widow living at
At 0,41 Baton, near Bury, four miles from Rochdale.
Cart ;41 of last year his father used to visit at Mrs.
hie f:; Witness on thel7th of November went over with
tea siti," to Bury, and saw the defendant. They took
Sethallieu her. Witness told defendant hat he was very
reved at his father's choice, butt should like to re
• w",ing comfortably. She thanked him, and told him
bat w.,,c);11d be an affectionate mother-in-law. He replied
hli'utd endeavour to be a dutiful son. (Loud laughter.)
er .P'retnber last he drove Mrs. Cass, the defendant, and
ca,lB,,,ter (Mrs. Rose), from Bury to Rochdale in a gig.
she.."'ersation then took place respecting the marriage.
tletimade an inquiry about b ing married by banns of the
tetle (If the Parish church at Rochdale; and on being in-
prlo4sl that the banns must be published in the parishes
remLe4 both resided, she objected to it, and his father
the• that they should be married by license, to which
and the marriage was fixed to take place on
• tblreh
Market
Rochdale, in 1849. On driving
him to them home
Wdt illiamson
th e Mrs. Rose desired stop
W jeweller's shop, to obtain a wed-
-14
He was also requested to take ttfe4eilt for
Coryo Cass.goodser to be placed in her marriage
,tetall:tteat• On the Friday following he went accordingly
,)so
;Lne inventory, when Mrs. Cass told him she was
b7.tive,,LY to disappoint him, but something had happened
-46.14 :,,her and his father, and she had changed her
qteaen-b,',Wished to see his father. He was afterwards
hoth: 'Len his father saw Mrs. Cass. His father said,
hlar changed your mind, Mrs. Cass ; '
not." His father then pulled a
1ie4.4414cit his'pockaevteand tendered. it to her, and hoped
Lil,h.l_Perform her promise. She said, " No, she had
doh," had two wives, and had b.eena cruel man to
He said, it was false. She said, she had heard it
tjAyettl..tarties. He then said, " Then why, Mrs. Cass,
tst,!, ~,?11;.1?!, me.marriage and induce me to buy the
her to 'fulfil your promise ?" His
. Cass, I have conducted myself
Sett, akentleami •ncersl first proposed to you. I have
"t 1 hreceivedayllosul." She said—" You did, Sir." He
%,0 8 father then left.
881/I_laPlined.—His father was not in tears when he
r• as father was 66 years of age—now. in his 67th
Oth,`,'allehter.) Did not know that in the first place
te;e totherg to visit the defendant, tookl great
iv) Dull hairs out of his nose. (Roars of au6ll-
- pr,,,e.had been a witness for his father on two or
dpo aafilimts occasions. The house he drove the defen-
k,e• ftuer sister-in-law to had witness's name on the
tue was not his father's house. Was not aware of
ba4ti°/18 against his father. His father 11_0
_kerne!
Ass ltless at all for the last twelve months. He hi
6...1!:1 the fruit business. He dealt in vegetablesr
,100,
ht They had mutton for dinner the day_ t
Q, herd" and her sister dined with his father. Mrs.
lkitcat we a washerwoman, was there to meet them.a
hate
„tit to the White Bear at Manchester,. kep by
thZere (118 hi ~guised in a smock-frock, and asked in a coarse
his feather war theare," to induce the belief
helloa,ilather Was a poor man in order to break off his
atialvith the widow. His father speculated in rail-
%h-r wins in consequence sold up—turned out a stag.
lep;alif,; 'lid not go and look over the defendant's gar-
sjiD acs to want to buy some fat pigs in order to
40p h°Y.---'lllaintance with her. A surgeon's assistant—
, k shad recommended the lady to him. (Laugh-
he-ek
q4erl.(loer-",tned•—llis father had accumulated considera-
T''9e uY before he speculated in railways. He now
end e I,ct-" rYear.
'rev"ead hy the learned counsel in his opening was
114;48,40d to have been written at the request of the
Xttld was put in. The purchase of the wedding
i'alidlvait,r proved. Mrs. Shepherd, the washerwoman
1,.'4,1r.ti1,°11 the plaintiff and the defendant when she
beet!-,4l:t'i, -"In, was called to prove the visit. On cross-
hi• 'orrlf;tl she said, chairs, glasses, and spoons, had
'l`l,"(MotZed by the plaintiff for the occasion, and that
def r'' was known as " old Flocky."
as the case for the plaintiff.
1,111/414,,40t4ea11t WILKINS then addressed the jury for the
illthrver'Land at the outset of his observations, said he
ears of such a meagre case in his life, and on
ois client, he (Mr. W.) was like the cat in the
teet fc:r„he did not kow where to begin. (Loud
rt,oi,"` the After contending at some length that the ob-
viNy, Plaintiff was to get possession of defendant's
ticl4.eß lost r that of any other lady who would have him,
Own b s eculations, the learned
Pro4e,qleicid,S roar's oft l'asuaghtep.r from all parts of the
10111,tao of t,,it to analyse the evidence, referring. t? the
iher, Ita son of the plaintiff, he said it reminded
th, Y of old Weller and his son Sam, in Pickwick.
for °pid ern, Y all
thknew, old Weller was in the habit of say-
lit ever he was married it must not be to
t'IY ittl'earea t nd so it seemed to b.e with the plaintiff
4 tt, l
.hat lie had been paying his addresses to
444NatIrt esatwin'od"" in the neighbourhood. The learned
ted %Ai s,_
.ed his address for some time in a very
Ipe tiliiip,tstr4lll, being frequently interrupted by ri
144:,,joiner lau4hter, in which both the bench an(
'4 to th He concluded by calling upon the jut:),
'e Plaintiff the smallest coin known in this