13.--Elihu Burritt addressed a public meeting at St. Andrew's Hall,
Norwich, in favour of the settlement of national disputes by arbitration
instead of by force of arms.
20.--The railway from Dereham to Fakenham was opened for passenger and
goods traffic.
25.--Died at the Grove, Holt, in his 64th year, Major T. A. Girling,
formerly of the 5th Fusiliers, with whom he served in the Peninsula War.
He was for some years adjutant of the Norfolk Yeomanry Cavalry.
29.--At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Baron Rolfe, the trial commenced
of James Blomfield Rush for the Stanfield Hall murders. Mr. Serjeant
Byles, Mr. Prendergast, and Mr. Evans were counsel for the prosecution,
and the prisoner conducted his own defence. The case was opened at nine
a.m., and the Court adjourned at seven p.m. On the 30th Emily Sandford
gave evidence, and was in the witness-box nine and a half hours. Her
examination in chief lasted two hours, and the prisoner subjected her to
seven and a half hours' cross-examination, mostly on irrelevant matters.
On the 31st the Court sat from nine a.m. to 7.30 p.m.; and the case for
the Crown was completed on Monday, April 2nd. The prisoner commenced his
address to the jury shortly after nine o'clock on the morning of the 3rd,
and had not concluded when the Court rose at ten minutes to eight
o'clock. "It was full of repetitions, and everything material might have
been said in a tithe of the time." The address was resumed at nine a.m.
on April 4th, and concluded at twelve o'clock, the prisoner in the two
days having spoken nearly fourteen hours. Mr. Serjeant Byles then
replied for the Crown. The Judge summed up, the jury, after a few
minutes' consultation, returned a verdict of guilty, and sentence of
death was passed. Throughout the trial the Court was densely crowded.
The jury were conveyed each night to the Maid's Head Hotel, where the
assembly-room was specially fitted up for their accommodation as a
sleeping apartment; and on Sunday, April 1st, they attended morning and
afternoon service at the Cathedral, under the escort of the county
officials. (_See_ April 21st.)