The Sun. — 1841-08-27 (London, England)

COLERIDGE..) Thomas Luke Wills, a clerk in the General Post-office, pleaded guilty to an indictment for having stolen a 101. note, from a letter placed in the Post-office. The facts of this case recently appeared in The Sun, at the time of the examination of the prisoner at Bow-street. Mr. Justice COLERIDGE, in passing sentence, said, that although evidence was ready to be tendered of the good character of the prisoner, the crime to which he had pleaded guilty was so frequent an occurrence, that it was necessary, although it was painful to the Court, to make an example of the prisoner. The sentence of the Court was, that he be transported for the term of fifteen years. Elizabeth Maxwell, aged 30, married, was indicted for eloniously as d maliciously stabbing James Maxwell, her husband, with intent to murder him.  The Jury, under the direction of the Learned Judge, acquitted the prisoner on the capital charge, and she pleaded guilty to the common assault. The facts of the case, as they transpired were recently published in The Sun, the prisoner having stabbed her husband in the back, in a fit of jealousy. The Learned Judge COLE RIDGE then addressed the prisoner, and said—You have been convicted, upon your own confession, doubtless advised by your counsel, of a most serious crime. Upon the statement that Las been made, both by the Learned Counsel of the prosecution and for yourself, it has been thought. right at least that no evidence should be offered in respect to the most grievous part of the charge, and the Jury have done their duty in respect to that, and found you not guilty, and )ou have yourself pleaded guilty to the remainder of the charge. That charge taken by itself is a very serious one indeed, and even under all the mitigating circumstances which appeared to excite you to the commission of it, it is impossible for the Court to pass it over with anything like a nominal punishment. It was stated that having seen your husband under the most highly provoking circumstances, you had gone back to your own house, and then inflicted on him the blow with a knife, and I must say that, if that fact had remained unaltered, it would have been very difficult for the Jury, according to their oaths, not to have found you guilty on the most grievous part of the charge, because however high the provocation the law will not allow any person deliberately so pi yoked to inflict injury or take life. I have had in the course of my experience an instance before me, strongly impressed on my recollection, when one of the most learned and humane Judges that ever sat on the bench thought it his duty to inform a prisoner who was before him, under the same circumstances, that had the Jury believed that he procured the pistol and fired it, knowing it to be loaded with deadly means of destruction—however high the provocation might have been, the offence would have been wilful murder. The law will not allow any person to avenge himself in that mode. You are relieved, by the explanation that has been made, from that serious part of the charge, because it seems you did not go for that purpose when you went home. You had probably no thought of vengeance with the knife you had in your hand when you deserted the house ; but it was in your hand when you received the provocation ; and as the unhappy blow was given, it remains now to pass on you such a sentence as the facts of the inquiry seem to require. And very painful it is for me to pass upon you anything like a severe or painful sentence, because we cannot but recollect that the act was dune on serious provocation—the most grievous perhaps a woman could receive; arid we have learned that up to this passage of your life you have conducted yourself in a most exemplary manner. But you must pay the penalty for the crime for which you have been found guilty—for the sake of others, for the sake of society, and for the sake of the law, you will suffer a severe punishment. The sentence of the Court is, that you be imprisoned in the House of Correction for 12 calendar months, and that during that time you be kept to hard labour. The prisoner, who was extremely affected throughout the address, was then led from the bar.