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• mall and sharp spars in them to rake oat the eyes or tear up the flesh of any person struck with them . A horrible fight ensued , and Smith « ndeavoured to stab the policeman with a dagger . He-was sentenced to a month ' s imprisonment . A CLEKfttMAN is Trouble . — A commission , appointed by the Bishop of Bath and Wells , has been sitting at Yeovil to inquire into a charge of drunkenness and undue familiarity with his servant maid preferred against the Rev . Joseph Davenport Elliott , incumbent of Eandford , Yeovil . The commissioners have decided that there are sufficient grounds for proceeding further .
The Wnx Torqert Case at Prestox . —The inquest on the body of Edward Turner , ree < l-maker , was held on Friday week . The prescriptions given by Mr . Monk were produced , and pronounced by three medical men suitable to the deceased ' s bowel complaint . There were no appearances of poison in the body . Dr . Taylor ' s analysis stated that only a few small portions of mercury were discovered ; and these might have been medically prescribed . The j ury immediately returned a verdict of * X > eath from natural causes . ' Extensive Robbeky . —A large amount of property , in gold and silver watches , rings , jewellery , and cash ) the whole valued at nearly 10 OO £ , has been carried away by burglars from a shop in Castle-street , Swansea , a central thoroughfare . The thieves entered through the cellar-plate , and were not heard , although three or four persons slept hi the house .
The Eastern Bank . —The examination of Stephens has been brought to a sudden stop by the disappearance of the bankrupt . Application was on Monday made . on his behalf for an adjournment ; but tliis was met by a request for a warrant for his apprehension , which , was granted . In . a letter to the trustee , Stephens states that his health has suffered greatly from his long-continaed and harassing examination . It wae unreasonable , he adds , to expect that he should on the instant account for the contents of the many letters , books , and
documents of the bank kept by subordinate officers , and that lie should have the responsibility of all their entries fixed on , aim . On subsequent inquiry , he finds that he has made statements to his prejudice , which are acknowledged to be erroneous , and he therefore wishes ample time to look over the bank books that he may rectify and prevent erroneous statements in future , and that he may show that all the advances to Waugh were sanctioned by the directors , and that so late as last February he was assured by < 3 olonel Yates that Waugh ' s security only wanted time to be worth a million .
Supposed Mori > eb . — -A human skeleton has been dug up in a field at MiddJeton , Norfolk . It is supposed to be the body of an old gentleman named John Bell , who is thought to have been murdered about eight years ago . An inquest has been opened and adjourned , and the police are making inquiries . A Thief of High Degree . — -A young mam , who gave his name as Richard Johnson , but who was said to ha the son of a clergyman and the brother of a baronet , has been examined at the Mansion House , charged with
stealing a bag , valued at two shillings , from a shop in Goracechurch-streer . He was partly dressed like a sailor , and a gentleman in court privately gave to the Lord Mayor some particulars of him , from which it appeared that he has been condemned before for thefts . There does not seem to have been any excuse of poverty , and the young man himself said , in a desponding way , that he couldn't think why ho did such things , lie was sentenced to throe months' hard labour ; but the case seems rather to be one for an inquiry de lunatico .
Cottzno and WovNoma . —A child of aix years old , named Philip M'Guinness , living at ShortVgardens , Drury-lane , has been charged at Bow-street with having seriously wounded an errand-boy of the name of John Hall . The child's mother was drunk , and creating a disturbance in the street , in consequence of -which a mob had gathered about her . Hall and another boy were in the crowd , and , -when the former saw what was the matter , he said to his companion , " It ' s only a drunken woman . Lot ' s go on . '' He had scarcely uttered these Avords when M'Guinness rushed upon him and stabbed him in the shoulder with an open knife . The boy Hall immediately fled , but was pursued by his assailant , who then inilictcd so severe a wound in his ribs , that he fainted from loss of blood . A policeman having witnessed the occurrence , took M'Guinness into custody . He was remanded for a week .
Tmc Tuagedy at Ckoydon . —The inquest on the bodies of the persons poisoned at Croydou at the latter end of Last week was held on Tuesday , when the jury returned the following verdict : — That Mary Smithcr . * and Charles Smithors wore wilfully murdered by tha administration of poison by WUHani Holton Sinitherd , and that Williairt Holton Smithors afterwards committed sclL-destruotion , while Buffering under temporary mental derangement . " Muuuisr and Suicide by a "Fiikmcumak . —About a fortnight ago , a man and his wife , who had apparently just arrived fronv the country by rail , inquired at a coffeehouse in Drutmnond-street , Euaton-srmnro , within a very short distance of tho London and North-Western Railway terminus , if they could bo accommodated with lodging * there . They were nniswered in tho affirmative , and were afterwords shown into a room on th « urat floor ,
which they took possession of and remained in until last Sunday , without paying either for the lodging or anything with which , they had been accommodated during their stay . About one o ' clock on Sunday afternoon the waiter asked the man to pay the bill , which by that time amounted to more than 51 ., but , being answered evasively , he called Mr . Harper , the person who kept the house , by whom a request was likewise mad 3 for the money . The man and his wife upon this went to their own room , for the purpose , as was supposed , of bringing the required sum ; but several hours passed , and they did not make their reappearance . At last , at ten o ' clock at night , Mr . Harper went up-stairs to the room they occupied , and knocked repeatedly at the door , but not
receiving any answer , he called in the aid of the police , and the door was then forced open , -when the man and woman were both discovered lying dead on the floor . They were weltering in . blood , their throats having been cut by a razor , which the man still held in his hand . A towel in the room , and some clothes which were scattered about , were stained with blood , the blade of the razor having apparently been wiped on them by the man after he had killed his wife and previous to destroying himself . Although many persons were in the house the whole of Sunday afternoon , nothing calculated to create alarm- \ vas heard by any of them . A good deal of property , including some articles of jewellery , was found in the room occupied by the deceased couple .
A Burglar Stjiangely Caught . —A man , named John Palmerston , has been several times remanded at the Mansion House , for firing off a pistol on ! Fish-streethill . On being again brought up on Monday , a warrant by a magistrate at Shrewsbury was produced , authorizing the man ' s apprehension on a charge of burglary ; and a woman , in whose house he lodged at Shrewsbury , identified him . The Lord Mayor accordingly endorsed the warrant , and he was removed . AssAUXT . —Frank "V-alentine Saunders , a tidewaiter , has been charged at the Mansion House with violently assaulting Mr . D . S . Harding , Inspector-General of the Water-Guard at the Custom House . He had been
accused of not keeping his watch , and Mr . Harding , having inquired into the ease , foutid that the charge was not proved . Saunders was committed for trial . He has pleaded Guilty at the Central Criminal Court , and sentence is deferred .
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GATHERINGS PROM ; THE LAW AND POLICE COURTS . Ax action for breach of promise of marriage , with a singular plea , on the part of the defendant , was tried in the Court of Queen ' s Bench last Saturday . The plaintiff is the daughter of a gentleman ' s coachman , and the defendant is a miller . The young woman , on the strength of the miller ' s proposal of marriage , declined a situation which she might otherwise have obtained . The defendant pleaded that , since he made the promise of marriage , he had . become afflicted with a pulmonary disease , which rendered the least excitement dangerous to him . It was stated on the trial that he Avas not expected to live long ; and this statement was clearly proved by the medical testimony . The jury , after a short . absence , stated that in their opinion marriage would have been dangerous to the defendant , but that the plaintiff had no notice of the fact ; and they therefore assessed the damage at 100 ? . Mr . Justice Eric said ho considered tho plea substantially proved , and would direct a verdict to be entered for the defendant on it , with leave to the plaintiff to move to enter it for 100 / . A Mr . Brown , a cork-manufacturer , has brought an action in 'the Court of Common . Pleas against the Soutli-Eastern Railway Company , for compensation for injuries received by him while travelling on their line , on the occasion of the lamentable casualty which occurred on the night of the 30 th of October , 1856 . There was no doubt as to the plaintiff having been hurt ; but the points were , whether he' had not exaggerated his injuries , and whether the fact of his having accepted the sum of Gl . as compensation did not . bar all further claim . Mr . Brown asserted that , when Mr . Adams , the surgeon of the company , called on him ,, and proposed GL as compensation , ho was in so confused and bewildered a state of mind , owing to tho accident , that ho did not know what ho was saying or doing ; in fact , ho might have taken a tithe of what was proposed , if ho had bocn aslccd . The ovideneo of one of his
workmen confirmed his assertion that ho had not had entiro possession of his faculties since the accident . Thie witness hud assisted him in writing an account of the collision , which was sent to a daily paper ; and had also helped him in tho composition of letters . Mr . Adams admitted that ho had only been ten minutes with Mr . Brown ; that he did not examine his injuries ; that he ( Mr . Adams ) proposed the sum , to which Mr . Urown assented ; and that he was in tho liabit of making bargains with sick persons in their beda ( he was alluding t . o persons injured ou the railway ) . Ho thought Mr . B rown ' tt seemed a slight case ; but tho patient ' s own surgeon gavo a very different account . The jury , however , after some conaidcration , found a verdict for tho defendants . TUo hoaring of tl » o cane of Lard George Townshend waa resumed lust Saturday , iu , tho Iusolvont Debtors '
Court . The Commissioner said it was clear that the insolvent had deliberately lived beyond his means , though he acquitted him of any intention to defraud ; but the Protection Acts were manifestly not intended for the protection of such persons , and the case -was therefore adjourned sine die , without protection . On leaving the court , his Lordship was arrested . An action for libel , presenting some unusual features , was tried in the Court of Common , Pleas on Monday . Captain Godden , the plaintiff , is tho commander of the
Harlequin , a vessel belonging to the General Steam Navigation Company ; and the defendant , Mr . Abel H-aisman , was a passenger on board this vessel , from Yarmouth to London , on the evening of September 10 th , 185 G . At one time , there were several persons below drinking champagne ; and Mr . Haisman observed the captain take some of that liquor , after having already disposed of what seemed to be a glass of brandy-andwater . According to his account of the affair , the captain got intoxicated , and lie then asked him who had the ¦ middle watch .-that ' night . Godden at first refused to
answer , and was very abusive , the company backing him up , and using exceedingly low and even threatening language . However , at last the captain said that he himself had the watch ; upon which Mr . Haisman retorted that he was not in a fit state for it , and next day he made observations to tlie same effect . Subsequently , be wrote two letters , ono to the registrar of seamen , and the other to the Stripping Gazette ( which refused to insert it ) , accusing Captaia Godden of getting drunk on the voyage . The Board of Trade directed proceedings to be taken ; but the investigation ended in a complete acquittal of the captain . It appeared , from his statement on the present trial , that what seemed to bebrandyand-water was in fact only water coloured with bitters , it being a rule on board these vessels to practise that evasion when the passengers ( as they frequently do ) ask . the captain to drink with . them . If gln-and-water be
the beverage proposed , plain water is brought for the captain ; in the case of a darker liquor being ordered , the ¦ ' water is disguised with bitters , as already stated , or with porter . The evidence as to the alleged drunkenness of Captain Godden was conflicting ; but the jury gave a verdict in . his favour ; damages , 501 . In . the course of the cross-examination of the plaintiff by Serjeant Bylea , counsel for the defendant , Lord Chief Justice Coekburn reproved the learned gentleman for asking frivolous questions . This elicited considerable applause . —Another action has been brought by the commander of a vessel . The plaintiff sought " to recover compensation for his dismissal from the command of the ship Prince Albert , belouging to the Belgian Transatlantic Company . The defendant pleaded that the plaintiff had grossly misconducted himself , and was of intemperate habits . € 01 . were paid -hi to court ; but tlie jury found a verdict for the plaintiff for GOQl , including the 60 / .
A boy lias been charged at the Lambeth police-office with disturbing a congregation of Johanna Soutbcotiaus , meeting at a place in Wai worth known as the Royal Manger . It appears that the edifice is a great nuisance in the neighbourhood , especially on Sundays , when flags are hung out , drums beaten , and candles lighted inside , so that the place resembles a ' penny gaff . ' The boy now accused of misbehaviour went in to see the proceedings , and for a time sat with great decorum while a man , wearing a number of sashes , and having a sword in his hand , gave out a prayer , and while the drum was boaton , and the congregation sang . But , when a woman got up and related her experience of a French famine , saying tliat she had received a loaf which contained ' a rats ' -
nest , ' he burst out laughing , and for thia profanity was given in charge . He was merely required by the magistrate to put in bail to be of good behaviour for a mouth . In the Court of Bankruptcy on Tuesday , an order wan made for winding up the London Unadulterated Food Company . There are some allegations of dishonest conduct on tho part of the company towards shareholders ; but those are dunied . —An adjournment of the examination meeting waa ordered in the caso of Messrs . Gotch and Gotch , bankers , of Kottering . —Two casern came before tho Court , in which small tradesmen had beon induced to Accept accommodation bills for Messrs . 1 ) . and J . M'JDonald , of London and Glasgow , whose estate is under sequestration in Scotland .
I rancid Smith , James Hilder , Tilden Smith , and George Sorivens , bankers of HEaBtlnga , applied in the Bankruptcy Court on Thnrsday for tlieir certificates . Mr . Lawrence , who appeared for Mr . Scvlvens , said that tho estat * had already paid ton shillings in tho pound , nnd that it would " probably yield a further dividend of from three to live shillings . The Commissioner paid a very high compliment to Mr . Scrivona , and gave him a first-cluss certificate . Tlie same was « lso accorded to Mr . Francis Smith . Tho examination * of Mr . Tildon Smith and Mr . Hildor woro adjournoi to the 5 th of February .
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MISCELLANEOUS . Thk Court . —The Quoen and Royal Fairnly still remain ut Osborn . Nothing worthy of rocord has occurred during tho wcolc . Aojouiinmkn * ok Pajimamknt . —Tuo two Houses vrora adjourned last Saturday to Thursday , tho 4 tU of
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No . 404 , December 19 , 1857 . 1 THE LEADER , ion ?
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 19, 1857, page 1207, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2222/page/7/
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