The Sun. — 1845-07-12 (London, England)

ALDERSON. ) George Hicionott, on Wednesday, pleaded guilty to four charges of forging receipts, was placed at the bar to receive sentence.  Several witnesses gave the.prisoner an excellent character. Mr. Baron ALDERSON said there was no doubt that the prisoner had prior to this transaction borne a very good character, but still the offence was one of so serious a description, that it was impossible to pass it over without inflicting a severe sen • tence, such as would be likely to deter other persons committing it in future. A short time ago the prisoners life would in all probability have been forfeited, and although the Legislature had of late taken a more merciful view of the offence, it doubly became the duty of the judges to take care that no misplaced lenity on their parts led to an increase of the offence, and compelled a return to that dreadful punishment which the Legislature had abolished. He then sentenced him to be transported for ten years. Witham Leonard, 24, and John O'Brien, were indicted for feloniously assaulting L.:llen Reeney and causing an explosion of inflammable gas upon her, whereby she was severely burned and injured, with intent to kill and murder her ; and Patrick Twon,y, 33, was indicted for telomously procuring, hiring, and commanding the first-mentioned prisoners to do and commit the felony. The circumstances under which the charge was preferred will be fresh in the recollection of our readers, as they have been given very recently in the police retorts. Mr. Baron ALDERSON, at the close of the case for the prosecution, expressed his opinion that there was no evidence to induce the jury to conv.ct the prisoners of the offence of intending to murder the peosecutrix. He doubted whether, in law, if the prisoners had really caused the explosion by the act imputed to them—viz., unscrewing the gas-pipe, it would come within the scope of the Act of Parliament., or whether they could be charged with the intent to murder the prosecutrix. In his opinion, the more probable intention and object was to' burn and injure the house, but, at all events, he could not help thinking chat the evidence was very slight to support such a serious charge. The jury concurred in the view of the case taken by his Lordship, and they, therefore, at once returned a verdict of Not Guilty. William Wallis was indicted for the manslaughter of James Boxall.  It appeared that the prisoner and the deceased were at a public-house together, both being slightly intoxicated, when they quarrelled, and eventually fought, and the deceased, ►n the scuffle, received such injuries as caused his death. Evidence was adduced for the defence to show that the deceased had forced the quarrel and fight upon the prisoner, and the latter received a very good character. • The jury found the prisoner Guilty, but strongly recommended him to mercy, Mr. Baron ALDERSON sentenced him to a month's solitary confinement. .  Margaret Shaughnessy was indicted for unlawfully desertmg her child. After the examination of some witnesses,.  Mr. Baron ALDERSON expressed an opinion that the evidence did not support the specific charge contained in the indictment ; and the jury accordingly returned a verdict of Not Guilty.  (Before Mr. Baron PARKE and Mr. Alderman