The Sun. — 1863-12-05 (London, England)

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—WINCFILESTER, Dec. 3. (Before Mr. Baron Pigott.)  Valentine Barnbrick, a soldier, and Charlotte Johnson, spinster, without occupation, were indicted for violently assaulting Henry Milner Russell, and stealing from his person four medals, of the value of 305., at Aldershot, on Nov. 15. Mr, H. T. Cole prosecuted.  It appeared that the prisoners were standing at the door of a lodginghouse in Pickford-street, Aldershot, at night, on Oct. 16. Russell, who was lance-corporal in the commissariat department, came up. Bambrick asked Russell to drink, and he took some beer out of his pint. They then went into Russell's room, who lodged in the house, and Russell said he would stand some beer, and ho was in the act of giving the female prisoner some money to get the beer when Bambrick seized him by the throat, throw him on the bed, and tore from his breast four silver medals, one for the Punjab, one for the Sutlej, and one for the Crimea. Russell called " Murder," and his cries were heard by some of the other soldiers, who rushed in and took Bambrick from off Russell, and he was conveyed to the guardhouse. Two of the medals were afterwards found in the passage. Russell was insensible, having been nearly choked. Bambrick made a long address to the jury. Ho stated that he had been in the service 10 years, and would have been discharged the day after the occurrence. He had a pension of £lO a year, and, what was dearer to a soldier than any other modal, a Victoria Cross; but ho would tell the jury the real facts. On that night, as he was walking with the female prisoner towards this house, in which she also lodged, he heard cries of " Murder." He hastened and ran into the house, and saw a girl named Ilayley coming out of Russell's room. She was crying, and said that Russell had beaten her and nearly strangled her. lie went into the room and struck Russell, and they had a struggle together, and then the soldiers came in and took him up. These facts he could have proved on the first day of the assizes, because then Hayley was in Winchester, but as she was what was called an " unfortunate," she could not afford to remain in "Winchester,  The learned Judge having summed up, The jury found the prisoner guilty. The Judge said he should defer passing sentence till the morning.  Bambrick—lt is of no consequence what you do now. I don't care about losing my pension; but I have lost my position. I don't care what you do with me. You may hang me if you like.  This morning his Lordship passed sentence. He said,— Valentine Bambrick, I don't know that I ever had a more painful duty than in considering your case. I have felt great anxiety about it, and have considered everything you urged in your defence ; but the evidence which satisfied the jury has satisfied me, and it does appear to me to be as clear a case as ever was tried. You say you had a witness, and that witness might have put some other construction on don't think any the matter. If you had made an application to have your trial postponed, I should have been the first to listen to your application, and I can't help thinking, from the intelligence 7", andwitness choked and You displayed, you must have been aware that you could wlihnsedtnedfoonunhditii ntharoat was almost have made such an application. lam bound to say that I witness could have altered the facts. You deadly isstrugglewictlheaarn:ither man. F wa; seauidifothoaattowdhheyn thheofpord v•- -d . ~u Russell swore of your medals and perfectly ..,e was robbed of his 2 60,2123 of them were fothe woman lodged, Row and at the house where nlleowdoduihdt they you have cern, from' co'--ti' d they have come there ? . . she breast of Russell ? I have courage, and hay. vf:xihibited great gallantry and great Had it. notb • entitled yourself to the Victoria een toryour Character, lin force ,ho provisions of but c er, should have put cent statute and subjected You 'tp peronal castigation,, as it is, I deal ' , with your Cross.