The Sun. — 1844-07-22 (London, England)

UNION-HALL.  James Carroll, against whom a bill of indictment for the wilful murder of Elizabeth Hobbs was found at the February sessions of the Central Criminal Court, was brought up this day before Mr. Traill on the charge, having been at large since the offence was committed From the evidence of Sergeant Sturgeon, M division, it appeared that in the month of February last, a man named Hobbs and his wife lodged with the prisoner in the Mint, Southwark. A quarrel having occurred between the prisoner and Hobbs's wife, a scuffle took place, during which some blows were struck, and the woman Hobbs received such serious injuries on the head that she died, and on the inquest subsequently held on the body, a verdict of wilful murder was returned against the prisoner, who immediately absconded. It appeared that the prisoner left England and went over to France, where he got employment on •a railroad, but that, having lost his situation, he hastened back again, and on Tuesday was met in Tooley-street, and being recognised, he was taken into custody. He had disguised himself as much as possible by shaving off his whiskers and wearing different clothes, but still his person was identified, although he declared the sergeant was mistaken, and that he was a stranger in London. The certificate of a true bill having been found against the prisoner was produced, Mr. Trail asked him if he wished to say anything with respect to a denial of his being the individual named in the bill of indictment ? The prisoner, who looked very much depressed, merely shook his head, but said nothing. Mr. TRAILL said that, the identity of the prisoner being proved to his satisfaction, he had only one duty to perform, and that was to commit him for trial. The prisoner was committed accordingly. Mrs. Margaret Curtis, described as the widow of the late Dick Curtis, the well-known " Pet of the Fancy," was brought up, having been found wandering abroad in an insane state of mind.  A policeman stated that at an early hour that morning he saw the defendant near Kennington-common, and perceiving she was very much fatigued and sitting down on the steps of a door, he went up and asked her some questions, but her replies convinced him that her mind was affected, and he took her to the station-house. When the unfortunate woman was brought into Court it was apparent that she was not in her proper senses ; she first burst out into a loud fit of laughter, and then changing suddenly, she began to cry, and exhibited other unequivocal symptoms of deranged intellect. A respectable female present said that she was acquainted with Mrs. Curtis, whose mind was latterly affected, and that she was in the habit of straying away from her lodgings, and remaining until she was nearly starved.  In reply to Mr. Trail!, the witness said that she was not aware what means of support Mrs. Curtis had, but that she seemed to be very badly off, and she (witness) believed had not property of any description, Mr. TRAILL said that if that was the case, she had better be sent for the present to the workhouse, where she would be taken care of, if she had no friends to go to, until a certificate of her insanity was procured for her admission into a lunatic asylum. That it was dangerous to allow a person in her unfortunate condition to be wandering about the town, and that proper care would be taken of her.  The poor woman, who seemed unconscious of what was passing around her, was then conveyed to the workhouse.