The Sun. — 1849-11-02 (London, England)

GUILDHALL.  Henry Snell was brought up :for final examination on the charge of sending letters threatening to take the lives of his wife and son, unless the former sent him 101. or 151. immediately. Mr. W. H.:Snell, aged 19, son of the prisoner, and a`clerk in the firm of Messrs. Allan and Son, St. Paul's-churchyard, said, that in the early part of last week two letters, which he produced, addressed to his mother, but directed in envelopes to himself, arrived by post at his employer's shop. He showed them to his mother, and from their contents they were alarmed, and feared that the prisoner would carry out his threats and murder _them. They were in the prisoner's handwriting. The letters, which were of great length, were then read, in which prisoner used most violent and indecent language towards his wife and son, and threatened to take both their lives unless money were sent to him and that he would die with pleasure on the gallows for them. He even went so far as to say he would follow his wife to h-1, and that he had laid out hilast shilling in the purchase of a pair of pistols to walk into Mr. Allan's shop to shoot her son on the spot. Mrs. Jane Snell was then sworn, and identified her husband's handwriting. She, as well as her son, wished for protection, as they were not safe for an hour while the prisoner was at liberty. Mr. Wontner, for the-prisoner, said that his client was extremely sorry for having sent the letters, which were written when he was in a state of great excitement, almost bordering on insanity. That he was not a man to be guilty of inflicting such an injury on his wife. The prisoner, as he was instructed, was formerly owner of two vessels which were wrecked, and he was compelled to sail for some time past as a captain. In January last he proceeded to Spain, and since his absence had forwarded upwards of 70/. for his wife's support. On his return he could not find his wife, who had gone away, and his son refused to gixe her address, when certainly, as he (Mr. Wontner) had said before, he did write the letters under great excitement.  Mrs. Snell said that she had received money, but that it all went, with the exception of 25/., to pay his ship's provisions and other debts. Had her husband kept sober and read the letters she sent him, he would never have returned, but he let the mate and others see them, through whose hands they came to the owner's. Lie lost all his situations through his own misconduct, and was now so lost that no virtuous woman could live with him. He certainly had a small share in two vessels many years ago. Mr. Wontner said, it was a pity that a family quarrel like this should have gone so far. There was no doubt the prisoner had faults like other men, and if Mrs. Snell had acted kindly, he perhaps would be a different man. He had shown his kndness by transmitting money from time to time since the 14± of January, to the amount of nearly 751 The letters were written in a moment of exasperation, and he thought the justice of the case would be met if the prisoner was held in his own recognizances to keep the peace. Alderman HUMPHERY said, he could not think of such a thing, for the letters were so desperate that he thought the prisoner would not mind fulfilling his threats. If he felt inclined to admit him to bail, it would be such as no person would become responsible for after reading the letters. He should not be doing his duty if he did not send him before another tribunal, and therefore he stood committed for trial.  The depositions being made out and read over, the prisoner was conveyed to Newgate.