The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-07-29 (London, England)

GRAHAM. Injaam French was indicted, on Lord Ellenborough's Aet, for cutting and maiming Elizabeth, his wife, with a knife, with intent to kill and murder tier, at Chatham, on the 19th July. Mr. M AIi9HAM conducted the prosecution. From his statement it appeared, that the prisoner had been frequently afflicted with menial derangement, and confined at different periods in the workhouse at Chatham, and at the Asylum at Bethnal-green as a lunatic, but allowed to come abroad again when apparently restored to sanity. lie had been many years parted trotn his wife, wha lived as servant at a ,public-house at Chatham. For some time, previously to the 19th July, she prisoner had been at large, and on that day h► went to the public house where his wife was, and whilst she stood at a wash-tub, lie tripped her up. and pulling a knife out of his pocket, declared his intention of cutting her legs off, and on the instant he inflicted a dreadful gash on one of her legs. ller screams brought the master of The . house and others to her assistance, and she was rescued from farther violence. Two of the arteries had been cut through, Ind but for the prompt attendance of a surgeon, the unfortunate woman must have died from the effusion of blood. The prisoner assigned no motive for his conduct, nor did it appear that he had any. It was suggested that probably the act was committed in a returning fit of his for. mer insanity, and in that view his conduit was submitted to the Judy. The facts of the case were clearly proved. The wretched prisoner tell into an epileptic fit whilst in the dock, and his general appearance denoted unsoundness both of mind and body. Mr. Baron GRARAM left the Jury to say whether, under all the circumstances, the prisoner was of sound mind at the time the offence was committed, and if they were of opinion that he was not, directed them to acquit him on that ground. The Jury 'mm.dtately found the prisoner Not Go;:ty, ob the ground of insanity, and he was ordered to remain in custody until' the King's pleasure should be known. Bansgr, who had been brought from Salisbury gaol by !labels Corpus, having been convicted at the last Assizes for that county, and sentenced to fourteen years' transportation for receiving a horse knowing it to be stolen, was now indicted for stealing a duo gelding, at Maidstone, on the .2tl of November last, the property of Henry Floate. Mr. DOWLIgI3 conducted the prosecution, and Mr. ANDREWS the defence. _  It appeared in evidence, that in the night of the 22d October last, the horse was stolen from ajleld Leloagtng to the prosecutor, a farmer, at Wilton, In Sulam On the 7th of May last it was traced to the possession of a respectable grocer at hlaidstone, who hail purchased it of a person named Chittenden, on the 17th of March. Chittenden stated that he had purchased it of the prisoner and one Thomas Steadman jointly, at Maidstone, on the 2d of November last, and paid the prisoner M. 10a. as the price of it, about three weeks afterwards. On these facts the case for the pro. aecution rested.  The defence set up was, first, that the prisoner was merely the innocent agent of Steadman (who is now in confinement in an adjoining county, on a charge of horse-stealing) in disposing of the horn ; and, second, that the horse had been sold to Steadman, at Marlow fair, on the 24th October, by a man named Sergeant, who was lately executed in London with Probert, for horse. stealing. Two young men from Hounslow were called to prove that they saw a horse of the description in question in the possession of Sergeant, at Marlow fair, on the 24th of October, but there was no positive evidence of the identity. Several witnesses gave the prisoner a good character. Mr. Baron G MIA)/ summed up the evidence for the Jury. The Jury found the prisoner Guilty. He vehemently exclaimed against the verdict, and declared that he was a lost man in consequence of the perjury of some of the witnesses.  There were three other charges against him of receiving stolen hones, knowing them to be stolen.