The Sun. — 1862-09-22 (London, England)

CRIMINAL COURT-(THIS DAY.)  OLD COURT.  The September Sessions of the Central Criminal Court commenced this morning before the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, Sheriffs and Under-sheriffs.  The Recorder, in charging the grand jury, said the cases to be considered by them were not more numerous than might have been expected, considering the period that has elapsed since the court last sat. The first case which he considered it necessary to call their attention to was that of a man named Cooper, who was charged with the murder of a woman who passed as his wife, at Isleworth. The prisoner, who was supposed to have been married previously, went to Isleworth and proposed to live again with the deceased, but she refused. They had a quarrel, and afterwards they were walking together. A report of a pistolshot was heard, and in a few minutes afterwards the deceased was found in a dying state, a bullet being, after death, found in her head. The prisoner had carried three bullets with him, and when he was asked what they were for he said one was for Annie (the deceased), one for her mother, and the other for the person who might take him. When he was taken into custody a loaded pistol was found in his possession. The next case of wilful murder was one against Adelaide Cole. She went up stairs with her child, and shortly afterwards the infant was found dead, its throat having been cut. There appeared to be but little doubt that the prisoner was insane, but that would be a question for the jury who tried the case to decide. The next case was that of Susan Harter, who stood charged with the murder of her new born child at Wimbledon. She informed a fellow-servant of the fact of the child's death, and afterwards the body was found in a box belonging to the prisoner. According to the medical evidence, the death of the child must have been caused by a stick or some other instrument being thrust down its throat. The next case was that against Mary Ryley, Emma Rose, and Mary Flynn, who were charged with the murder of a child be onging to Riley, who left it in charge of a girl, who gave it some laudanum. When Riley came back and ascertained what had been done she slapped the girl's face, upon which she ran away, and had not been heard of since. The coroner's jury found a verdict of wilful murder against the three prisoners, but there did not appear to be any evidence against them, and he was surprised at the verdict. The learned Recorder then went at some length into the cases preferred against Mrs. Catherine Wilson, of poisoning two persons, and remarked that there was some difficulty in the cases, as there was no direct evidence that poison had been administered. There were several cases of manslaughter. The only other case to which it was necessary to call their attention was that of William Roupell, who was charged with forging a deed, and also his father's will. He did not know what evidence might be laid before them; the only evidence apparently laid before the magistrate in Surrey,who committed the prisoner for trial, was his own voluntary statement. There was the evidence of the short hand writer, from which it appeared that the prisoner distinctly stated that he was guilty of the forgery of which he was charged, A voluntary statement such as that made upon oath, raised a presumption against the prisoner, which if not explained, would justify the grand jury in finding a true bill against him on those charges of which he had admitted himself to b guilty. The Grand Jury then retired to their room.  The trial of Mrs. Catherine Wilson has been fixed for Friday. The Attorney General, Mr. Welsby, Mr. Clark, and Mr. Orridge will conduct the prosecution, and Mr. Montague Williams has been retained for the defence.