The Sun. — 1859-02-28 (London, England)

CRIMINAL COUR T.-(THIS D AY.  OLD COURT. (Before the Recorder.) The March session of the Central Criminal Court commenced this morning before the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs, the Recorder, Aldermen Sir Chapman Marshall, Sir R. Carden, and the other civic authorities. The calendar contains the names of 78 persons for trial. The grand jury having been sworn, The Recorder said the charges contained in the calendar this session, although not numerically large, were of a rather serious nature. There was one charge of a very grave description, but it would not call for much consideration—it was the case of a man named Reber ts, charged with murder. It appeared the prisoner was a patient in a lunatic asylum, and who, whilst at work in the garden of the establishment, struck the deceased, a fellow patient, with the instrument he was using in his work. There appeared to be no doubt that the death of the deceased was caused by the prisoner, but it would be for the jury to say whether he was an accountable agent. If proved_ in evidence brought before them, they should be of the opinion that he was sane it became their duty to return a true bill, and afterwards, if the prisoner was acquitted on the ground of insanity, measures would be taken to prevent , his doing further mischief. There was only one case of murder and three others involving loss of human life. One of the latter was a serious offence, and would involve much consideration ; it was the case of a tradesman named Plews, who was charged with the manslaughter of a man named Burrows. Tho two men, it appeared, had been en terms of the greatest intimacy, but unfortunately they quarrelled, and the deceased having called at the prisoner's shop, an altercation arose, and after Plews had received some provocation he struck Burrows a violent blow which knocked him down, and in the fall deceased fell against the door, which caused instant death. There was little doubt about the facts, and there was also the statement of the prisoner that he would have done the same to anybody else if he had received the same provocation and insult. There were some other statements that • would lead to the belief that the prisoner had been drinking. If the facts as stated in the depositions were sufficier t, then the jury would return a true bill .for manslaughter. The other cases of manslaughter were of a serious description, but he thought they did not call for any particular remark. The next case of a peculiar description was that of a man named Imbrey, who was charged with causing the death of his wife. It appeared that the woman was confined on a Saturday night, and for some time after the prisoner had given himself up entirely to drinking, was constantly abusing his unfortunate. wife, and threatening her with personal violence, so that sho was prevented from getting her natural rest. During the absence of tho prisoner her friends contrived to remove her away where her husband could not find her, but in a few days the fever caused by the husband's violence so increased that the poor woman died. If these facts were proved, they would then think it right to put the prisoner on his trial. The police in this case appeared to have laboured under some misapprehension as to what was their duty; they seemed to think that they had no right to interfere, and this remark would also apply to another case in the calendar. Of the remaining charges the only one that required any remark was that of Robert Newman, who was charged with wounding his wife. The man, it appeared, was given to drink, which brought on delirium tremens, and it was during one of those attack's that he struck her with a chopper. The son called a police constable, and desired him to take his father into custody, but, although he saw the poor woman laying on the ground in an insensible state, he laboured under the impresion that unless the wife would give the man into custody he could not interfere. He mentioned this circumstance because he not help observing that there was a great decrease of sense and discretion in the police force of late compared with that which pervaded the force a few years ago, and in the hope that the attention of the authorities elsewhere would be directed to the subject. If, in the discharge of their duties the jury required asssistance, the Court would most readily grant it.  . The jury then retired, and in a short time, they having returned several true bills, the trial of prisoners was proceeded with.