The Sun. — 1846-04-02 (London, England)

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Justice Marti.) At the sitting of the Court this morning. William Richardson, aged 49, and described as an astronomer," and Anna Afteria Richardson, his daughter, aged 22, were placed at the bar charged with the murder of Theodore Horatio Richardson, their intent child.  Mr. BODKIN addressed the Court, and said that in this case thetwo prisoners at the bar stood indicted for the crime of wilful murder. He had to apply to the Court to postpone the trial of the prisoners to the next session, upon the ground of the illness of a material witness, the surgeon who had made a post mortem examination of the body. The Learned Counsel then put in an affidavit of the fact. Mr. Cx.taxsoN, on behalf of the prisoners, said he could not under the circumstmces, resist the application, which was then granted, and the prisoners were withdrawn. Frances Leonard, a married woman, aged 4b, was found guilty of uttering counterfeit coin, well knowing it to be such. The prisoner appealed to the mercy of the Court, stating that she had a large fam.ly, and that she had never offended but once bei re.  His LORnsntr, in addressing her, said he could not believe her statement, as he found by a document that had been laid before him that in the space of about seven years she had been repeatedly imprisoned for various periods for the same offence. Under those circumstances, he Aid not think it would he safe to leave her in the country ; the sentence of the Court therefOre was that she should be transported for ten years. The prisoner appeared horrified at the sentence, and was removed from the dock imploring mercy. Mary Anne Smith, descriSed as a married woman, aged 25. Elieabeth Nicholson, also a married woman, aged 33, and Eliza Russell, likewise married, aged 28, all stood charged with the same offence. namely, uttering base coin. The first two prisoners had been tried and convicted for the same offence before.  It appeared by the evidence that these three prisoners were followed about from several shops by policemen in plain clothes, who suspected then), and found that at each shop one or other of them made some trifling purchase, which they paid for in coin that was discovered to be eountcrfeit.  His LORDSHIP having briefly summed up, the jury found a verdlet of Guilty against all the prisoners, but recommen&d two of than to mercy. The JUDGE asked them upon what grounds they did so ? The foreman said the grounds were, that they did not think those two prisoners were the real utterers. COURT —lf they are not the real utterers, then you should acquit them ; for a prisoner cannot be fund guilty, according to the law and the incli,tment, unle‘a they be found really guilty.  The jury then withdrew th. 1r r'. commendation. Upon being asked if the prisoners had anything to say before son. tence was passed upon them, the prisoner Russell said, " My Lord. I hope you will have mercy upon the other two prisoners. I ask for none for myself, for I stand alone in the world, but they have families, and deserve mercy. Our Redeemer came on earth to be mere!• ful to us all, and I hope you will do the same."  The prisoner NichOlson said, " I hope. my Lord, you will have mercy on me, for I have a young family." Mary Anne Smith remained silent, but Eliza Russell again implored the Court to have mercy, and, addressing hi., Lordship in a tone and manner that showed she must have belonged to better order of society than that in which she was now placed, exclaimed. " I dare say, my Lord, the term of oar punishment will be a long one, but I ish you would visit all the severity of it on use, as they have families, though I am not guilty of uttering," and here she shed tears.  His LORDSHIP said he could not think of leaving them in the country after the evidence he had heard ; and the sentence of the Courts therefore, was, thas they should each be transported for ten years. Elizabeth Nicholson—Thank you, my Lord. I hope we shall do better there than we have done here.