The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-04-07 00:00:00

CROWN COURT.-FRIDAY.

Sarah Swift. 19, was indicted for the wilful murder of
Elizabeth M at Liverpool. The circumstances of
this case will be rife in recollection. The prisoner is a
prostitute, and also was the deceased. On the 19th De-
cember, deceased and prisoner, with other persons of de-
praved habits, were drinking together at a public- howe in
Wapping, when a quarrel ensued amongst them. The
prisoner was heard to make use of threatening language
to the effect that when she got her (deceased) into a dark
corner, she " would do her business for her." In about
four or five minutes after the dispute, the prisoner went
to the house where deceased was residing, in Mason-
street, where she took out a clasp knife, and stabbed de-
ceased in the neck, from the injuries of which she died.
Very many witnesses were called for the prosecution, and
a more deplorable case of human depravity, perhaps, was
never heard in a court of justice. After an inquiry of
some five hours, the jury returned a verlict of guilty of
manslaughter. The prisoner was sentenced to transports-
for life.

John Crossley and John Wild were indicted for having
forged a promissory note, with intent to defraud Mery
Crossley. The ease went off on a point of law, and the
prisoners were discharged.

GRAND JURY ROOM.—FRIDAY.
(Before Mr, Dundas, Q. C.).

James Shackleton was indicted for having committed
wilful and corrupt perjury, at Todmorden, on the 13th
January last. It appeared that, on the day in question,
the prisoner was living at Swinehead, near Todmorden,
and that he went before the magistrates and made a charge
against certain persons of having assaulted and robbed
him, as he was leaving the Wesleyan Association Meeting
House. The persons charged were taken into custody,
but the prisoner's ststement appealing to the magistrates
inconsistent, they remanded the parties, and required
him to find some corroborative proof. He then subptened
a man named Butterworth to swear that he saw him at the
Wesleyan Association Meeting House. Notwithstanding
this, however, the falsehood was detected, and the prison-
er, after he had twice sworn to the truth of the accusation
he had made, was committed for perjury. The prisoner
was found guilty, and sentenced to two years' imprison-
ment in Lancaster Castle.

CROWN COURT.-SATURDAY.

The criminal business having been got through, Mr. Justice
Patterson proceeded to the trial of civil cases.

BEIM V. ECHOLES AND ANOTHER.

The plaintiff and defendants in till 9 case are brokers, and the
transactions forming the subject of action arose out of an alleged
debt of £372, due from the defendants to plaintiff for certain
railway shares. It appeared from a statement made by counsel
on both sides that the matter of dispute had arisen out of some
unfortunate misapprehension, and it was agreed that a verdict
for £3OO, £72 less than the amount claimed, should be taken.

VILKINGTON AND OTHERS V. SCOTT AND OTHERS

The plaintiffs are glass manufacturers at St. He•en's,and the
defendants are engaged in the same business at South Shields,
and the action was brought to recover compensation against the
defendants for having reta'ned in their services persons who
were legally bound to be servants of the plaintiffs, they (the de-
fendants) knowing at the time they so engaged them that they
were under legal contract to the plaintiffs. In the summer of
last year, in consequence of the impetus given to the glass trade
by reason of the duties being taken off, there was a great demand
for workmen, and the masters entered into stringent terms with
their workmen, and it was alleged, on the part of the plaintiffs,
that the defendants had harbrured the men, knowing that they
were under a seven year's contract to the plaintiffs. His lord-
ship said the plaintiffs were certainly entitled to damages; but,
under the circumstances, net to excessive ones, and the jury
gave them .€5.