The Sun. — 1868-02-24 (London, England)

OLD COURT.  The February sessions commenced to-day before the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, and the Sheriffs. The Recorder, in charging the grand jury, referred to a number of cases in the calendar, which contained the names of 109 prisoners for trial. The principal cases to be disposed of were those of a prisoner named James Necdell, a clerk, who stood charged with feloniously wounding Thos. Chatterton, with intent to murder him. It would be seen from the evidence that he met the prosecutor in the neighbourhood of Clerkenwell, and deliberately discharged a pistol at him, the charge taking the most serious effect on him. The witnesses would prove the fact most conclusively, but they, the grand jury, would have nothing to do with the state of mind of the prisoner at the time he committed the act ; that would have to be determined at another tribunal. There was also a charge against a man named James Clancy, a printer, against whom there were three charges of shooting with intent to murder. The prisoner, in the first instance, was followed by a detective sergeant, named Chown, from his lodgings in Somerstown, and on arriving near Bedford-square, the constable went up to him, and, after putting a few questions to him, Clancy made an evasive answer, and then drew a revolver and deliberately discharged one of the chambers at the constable, and then attempted to run away. Chamberlain, who was with Chown at the time, then came up, when the prisoner again discharged the pistol at him, fortunately without any effect, although Chamberlain was very close to him. The third time the piece was discharged was at a coachman named John Hurst, who came to the assistance of the constables. The bullet on the last occasion never left the pistol, it becoming fixed between the pin and the barrel of the pistol, in which position it still remained. They would have the whole of the facts placed before them, and if there was a prima facie case made out to their satisfaction it would be their duty to return a true bill against him. There was another case contained in the calendar which would call for their most serious attention, and such an one that had not come before the Court for many years. It was the indictment of Maurice Lyttleton, Florence Macarthy, and James Richardson for traitorously compassing, imagining, and intending to deprive and depose our most gracious lady the Queen from the style, honour, and Royal name of the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom, and such compassing, imagining, and intention they expressed by certain overt acts and deeds. There were two other indictments against the prisoners : one was for feloniously administering, and causing to be taken by one Daniel O'Leary, a certain oath and engagement, intending and purporting to bind him to commit the offence of treason by adjuring allegiance to the Queen, and by undertaking to take up arms in the Fenian cause against the British Government ; and the other was for feloniously administering and causing to be administered to James Boutell a certain oath and engagement binding him to take up arms in the Fenian cause. The prisoners resided in the neighbourhood of Deptford, and on the Bth of January the prisoner Lyttleton introduced Boutell to O'Leary, who, he said, was a head centre, an i then the offence with which they stood charged was committed. The prisoners, with the exception of O'Leary, were taken into custody through the circumstance of Boutell communicating the whole of the proceedings to one of the detective officers of the Greenwich division of police, and after a very long examination before the magistrates they were fully committed for trial. The Recorder then detailed the evidence given before Mr. Maude, the magistrate at Greenwich, and told the jury it would be for them to say whether there was such a case against each of the prisoners as would warrant them in finding a tine bill against each of them. Having referred to some other cases of lesser importance, the learned Recorder concluded his remarks and the Grand Jury retired to their room. In a short time after the ordinary business of the session commenced.