The Sun. — 1847-12-13 (London, England)

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)  OLD COURT.  The December session was opened this morning, at the Usual hour, before the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, Aldermen Wilson and Farncombe, and the Sheriffs.  The grand jury having been sworn, and elected their foreman, The RECORDER proceeded to deliver his charge. He laid the number of prisoners set down in the calendar for trial was 144, 98 of whom had been committed from Middlesex, 23 from Surrey, and 5 from Kent. Neither the Admiralty nor the county of Essex had sent any Persons for trial during the present session. The short tune which had elapsed since the termination of the last session—not more than 11 days—accounted for the Paucity of numbers to which he had referred. The number, however, was about the usual average of prisoners waiting for trial during those sessions which quickly followed upon each other in this court; but before the termination of their labours the number would, no doubt, be considerably augmented by the committal of Persons now undergoing investigation at the various Police-courts. The number, however, comprised some of the most serious offences. A youth, aged fifteen, was Charged with the commission of a criminal offence upon It girl under ten years of age;_ it would be for them to Consider whether or not the offence was committed with the consent of the child, but it was his duty to tell them that the offence was equally criminal and equally Punishable, if the child had given her consent, as it Would be if she bad resisted the perpetration of the outtage. There were a vast number of charges of robbery, of Cutting and wounding with the intention of doing the Persons attacked some grievous bodily harm, but they ,Were not of a nature to require any specific allusion fpm him. It was for them to consider those cases which ought and which ought not to be seat for further investigation before the Court. One person was charged with ttdroinistering poison to another. It appeared he had taken poison himself with a view to destroy life, which We 4 an offence for which he might be tried. Unhappily eight individuals were charged with, the high crime of murder and robbery. No less than five persons had been eo, Inchittecl on one charge, namely, the murder and robuery of i'person, the instrument by which the crime of murder 'etas inflicted being a large iron bolt. The depo • 11,itions s 6 jet forth, but it was in the testimony of one of the parties implicated that the deadly blow was struck by °De of the fife; it would, therefore, be for them to consider Whether they could place credence in the statement; and !Luther, supposing they believed the statement, whether .she others were accessories before or after the fact. There was a charge of child murder, and in that case they would have to consider wether the evidence led to the conclusion that death resulted from violence, or simply from an attempt to conceal the birth of the child. One case had caused' the most painful interest in the public mind—namely, a charge of murder committed by poison administered by the accused to the deceased, who was his own mother. The medical testimony would prove, no doubt, the presence of arsenic in the body of the deceased. tt appeared from 'did depositions that the deeeaaed had a violent attack of illness, and had liken in consequence a considerable quantity of brandy. It was right that he should state that the evidence which would be adduced would De principally that of relatives, between whom and the Prisoner it 'appeared great rancour had existed for some time, and consequently it would be for them to say how far they could rely upon such testimony. If they were satisfied that the deceased did not die from natural causes, and they had sufficient evidence to cast suspicion 'Pon the prisoner, it would be their duty to put the cli_3e into a further train of inquiry; in fact, the prisoner must, irrespective of their decision, be put upon his trial on the finding of the coroner's jury. It was a burce of deep regret that so many cases of murder Y Poison had recently taken place. After some further Zularks explanatory of the duties which they would have discharge, the Learned Gentleman remitted the jury , their duties.