The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-07 00:00:00

SOUTH LANCASHIRE IF - INTER ASSIZES. CROWN COURT. - , .; , e..- (Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON.) se '''' At ten o'clock, on yesterday, after the usual proclamation had been made, the following gentleinen were sworn in as the grand jury : William Brown, Esq., M.P. Richmond-hill, fore man ; Henry Ashton, Esq., Woolton Wood, Liverpool .; Henry Ashworth, Esq., The Oaks, Bolton ; Richard Miley, E • 11.- 102a:Ej.J40111A-C-09ke,,,Paa,,,ballnbriAgs Inc... cnesterT-Ttiornas-- - a-tittarr 'Porde, Esq.; Chester ; Henry - A. - Grey, -,,Live.rpool ; John Grimshaw, Esq., Ardenshaw Lod anefiester ; Jolin. ;William garden, Esq., Liver -41 pool ;James Collier Harter, Esq.„ Tetlow Fold, Manchea- EiTUFcrige — HOlt, Esq., Rake-lane, 'Liverpool.; Henry Houldswortl4 .- /Etq., Oak.,hill, lifanhesteir ; ' John Buck tlcry,tleZsq., Lifelipo6l; 'John Bramley Moore, Esq., LiVer pool,siTheinas Edwards. Moss, .Esq. ;Roby , Hall, •Prescot; 4olseet.-Needhara• Philips, Esq., :The Park, Manchester ; liVilliam-Ra.tlabone, Esq., Green Bank, Liverpool ; William t.iiart i .: Esq., Rumford-place, Liverpool; :.Oliver Omerod Walker, Esq., Chesham, Bury ; Charles Carrill Horsley, Esql;iltlett Hall, Manchester ; and James Aspinall Turner, Esq., Penstlebury House; Manchester. .. 1 11is 14440iitin ,, tlien.proceeded to charge the , grand jury. He said—Gentlemen of the grand inquest, you are here, as unhappily has been. the case tor several years at this season of the year, for the purpose of discharging the gaol of the county: of Lancaster ; no doubt a 'necessary, though to you, I dare saY, - an' 'unpleasant proceeding. But, at the same time, I am quite certain that you will always do that which thneetintry expects from gentlemen in your position in life, and;that` you will the-more readily discharge your duties on tail occasion ; as I- see that- you are a numerous body, though notNnite - so -numerous as might have been serving on this grail:lift:quest. We have but-21 instead .of 23 gentlemen ; ltatti Tit LW that -atthi4 period of the' year it is a very ad mirable attendaiicemiosdoribt, of gentlemen in your station lir life:. Gentleindni) thetio is somewhat a bad calendar for you to consider. There are a great many cases of murder—one of them -a very serious one, principally resulting from the very bad state of the law as I think, which permits burial clubs to exist in the manner in which they do exist at the present ,i. l .c.i.i.nt_ The motive appears here to have been, if there be any motive, the obtaining of . ....m. of money, for the purpose of burying two little children—a motive which mightivell - tenapt,..a - Rerkei of hiid.Mind and,eril disposition to earniiiii'Offelices; 'perhaps even the offence with which the prisoner in this instance is Charged. Now, I cannot Ise/p!thfriliirig . tthit it is a Very bad-state of the laW which poriniti persons thus so to speak, to be prompted even to the commission . of the crime: of murder. • We knoW that on night ok daeidne itOsas lbeen plainly demonstrated in'courts of jsistine;i that; inelf , restiltS - - haste felloWed from - s rich premises; an diitibljhovei; theie who 'have infltiened. in parliament=4 see your forman is one of the, rnenibers'for the county of LancasW -, and ,theidore• I address •myself particularly to lairesi-Ltoisbe whether they eannet'by a very easy and simple arfaiiifernent put an. prick to the : temptation, and perhaps, with the temptation, to the crime. It is a most simple alteration '-whieh could be made, as - it seems to me, for,thes pltrpose of . -preventing ' this offence. Why it lam. -never' :been 'done, Passes my comprehension ; and 17,-teigkotl: it--because 1 -do. not think that anybody au.gifVto find fault with the existing law, if he cannot, so ditrtlirieettS hie-itttlgrnent,- ii. 3 6.est a better .tats of the law thi'll tiaal of which he coMplains. It seems to me that this could ,lie '{done by : preventing money being given for t*epurpose. , of burial, and by compelling the clubs o bury the nienibers themselves. They might sup ply all that was : necessary . for the funeral, and bY.tliaf)ineati4 l there- would be no temptation to. the re, .. cipient as there would be no profit at all. There would be no surplus money to be handed over to the family and, titurefortc - ftfrt6friptatioh *Aid .be entirely taken away, if instead of giving money in order that the parents or rela tives might burr perhaps at a cheap . , ate; the persons who are dead, they were compalle,d;tO furnish, through an under tklar,lho firdral requisites, 'more' Or'less subject to control accardirkto the subscriptions which had been paid. That secysaitonielo.he an easy and simple remedy for removing the temptation to this offence ; and: I do hope 'that I may root speak in vain' upon 'this subjeCt, 'gentlemen, With re- Spect to the present case; of course you will investigate it witklars•lsn ions &tire to come-:to: .a correct conclusion. There are circumstances attendant - on the case . which show the presence' of the tWo unhappy ehilNeii whO are the sub iectiof the.inquiry 'with the prisoner, and that the prisoner :tra* subsequently found *ith'sVet Clothes Without the' chil 4ren, _but where they had been threitir into the canal and where they had been both previously seen. _ There are other . noes i iii I. „_i *r ;asp . ~ into wilsiplis you will ,looV atten -47 Astif they lead you to a reasonable :conclusion that tlle priionerli guilty of the crime, you will find the' bill and put liiM on his trial. There is another case of murder in which it will be necessary for you to take into considera tionthe nature of the circumstance under which it has been committed ; for as to the commission of the offence—either manslaughter or murder—there cannot be a doubt, as it was seen to be done. But the question whether it amounts to murder or manslaughter will depend on circumstances to which I beg to call your attention. It is the murder of a police-officer of this town by a young person who was appre hended Under circumstances to wi3....4 your attention shalt Ls drawl:. It appears there was a riot, or something of that sort, and that a police-officer interposed, and that he was struck by . the prisoner in attempting to apprehend him, as he had a right to do, for the misdemeanour of which he was then guilty. The officer then ,seized him and calling theldeeeiled' officer to his, assistance, they take him into their cusfoidy, end they had him in their .custody- under circum stance4' if the depositions in the case be true, in which they had aright tolav,!hini. He was therefore bound to obey the law,• gilt . -while 'thus in lawful custody, he uses the knife, 'stabis giVen,' arid lhopelice-officer dies immediately. I tun Wand to tell you that, if these. facts be proved, it is not marishthghter, but murder. 'lt would be manslaughter if he Nirete .in 'unlawful custody ; for although he had a right 4 tesetie'littiSelf if - iii inlaWful custody, he had no right to do so by killing _another person, unless that was absolutely necessary: - It would amount to manslaughter if in unlawful custody 7 to murder, if in lawful custody ; and that is the pMiit you will - have to consider. In the case of the appre hension .9f a felon, the officer, though he has not seen the fdtony'comniitted, may . apprehend, for the purpose of bring ing up the party to justice ; but in the case of a misde wraith*, he can only apprehend on the misdemeanour being' committed iii his presence. If it be committed in his absence; then he must go to a magistrate, and act under his warrant. That is the distinction between felony and misde mt.ationr, and the'duty of the officer in respect to these two cases. " There is another case of a woman, who is accused of miirder, but who, according to the depositions is apparently of unsound mind, .You will not take that: into considera tion ; but if yen are satisfied that the child was killed by her, - -and looking at the facts contained in the depositions, there seems to be no reasonable doubt of it,—you will find the bill, in order that the trial may take place,- and that the proper result as regards her state -of mind may be ascer tained in open court. There is another case to which I shall also call your attention, in which a man is said to have been killed in the Calabar river, in Africa, and it being com mitted by an Englishman abroad, it is within the jurisdic tion of the. Admiralty ; but by a late act it may be tried here in the county of Lancaster, or wherever else the party maybe, instead of as formerly being tried at the Admiralty seiSions at the Old Bailey. The question will be whether or not there has been any such man murdered either in the place stated or elsewhere. The usual and cautious course of the English law has been not to try any murder whatever, unless it be certain that some body has been murdered. Now, you. must not make pro bable conjectures as to that, but you must be first --- , e-e s -- 4-,, th e fact before you inquire into who has done it. The only eire&u........,, , i- -, —.., chow that are to begleaned frOm the depositions, and are to this eueta.— that at about 200 yards from the land in the Calabar river, some of the sailors went ashore and got into a scrape with the natives. There was a frightful tumult, and the captain of the ship came for the purpose of .carrying back the sailors who had left without leave. The unhappy . person about whose death, if he be killed, we are to inquire, was one of the. three sailors who had thus left, and the only evidence of his being killed is that some of the witnesses, theflerle la that respect there are others who Contesa:..,o mem, state that they heard the captain e-Y wnen the man was in the water atteriel 4 -5 0, escape, " shoot," " shoot"—that then they near( two guns fire, and that they never saw the man again. Does that entirely satisfy you, the man being only a very short distance from the shore, that he has been killed at all? He'niight have swam ashore at another place and landed. Oi'does it satisfy you that he was killed by the shot if he was killed at all ; for I am told, and some of you know it better than I do, that there are adventures which happen in the river on the coast of Africa, in which persons are killed Whe are swimming, either by sharks or alligators, or animals of that description, which frequent those rivers. What is there to show that if he be killed, that he was killed by the shots ? Nobody . sees anything—they only hear the, shots fired, and the man is not seen afterwards. There is contradictory evidence in the depositions as to whether any shots were fired at all; but on that I do not speak, be cause it will be a proper question for you to consider. The case would be somewhat clear if any one had seen the man dead, and you will therefore consider whether, under the existing circumstances, it s 7 vould be right to put any man ou his trial for the crime of murder. It would seem to me that you would act very rashly in so doine . ; for4_ would be a very a w f u l thing if a man were executed in this country to-day, and that the person for whom he su(fered subsequently arrived here, having escaped from Afsaea with. life. . That would be a very awful thing ; and thqrefore it would be better to wait fo r di s ti nct evidence to sea, thatove had some person killed, before we put any man °Otis trial-fer murder. . There am other matters in the calendar to which it is not necessary to call your attention ; but there are two classes of eases upon which I shall say a word—not upon the individval cases, but upon their cha racier and number,: , I find no fewer than seventeen cases of stabbing. -Among eighty-three prisoners, there are sevesiteen who: are accused of the offence of stabbing ; a nd I hay ; e beenfuthished, I am sorry to say it, by parties who have Wien pains to inquire into the matter, with very satis fac,tory evidence to show that this crime is increasing in a most enormous extent in this country. In: the course of the lastpthree years the gutilber of such cases was this—from 184 to Igsl, there were 77 persons accused of this offence iu this country ; from 1861 to 1852, 62 ; and in the present . year, from 1852 to 1853, there have been committed and tried for this offence, 99 ; and now we have 17 more. It is said this is an un-English offence. lam sorry to say the statistical account does not bear out that boast of ours. Of the 99 who have been commuted for trial in this country, only 9 have been foreigners —the 90 have been natives of our, own dominions. No reason, therefore, to boast over the foreigner in that res p ec t. It ceases to be an un-English crime—it becomes a very English - crime ; and one cannot help lamenting that it should be so. These cases have been ..avezlFdimided... Of the 99, 30 belong to this town---they are natives of it ; 14 only are due to all the rest of England ; 44 to Ireland ; 1 to Scotland ; Ito the Isle of Man; and 9to foreign countries generally. What is the cause of this ? Is it a general fierceness of disposition ? That is a serious ques tion to be inquired into by those who live here —clergy, magistrates, and gentry ; and I commend it specially to their attention, that they may do what lies in their power, to atop an evil which seems to be so prevalent. So far as my learned brother and myself are concerned, we will do 'the best we can by making examples, which are necessary to be made, if the cases should be ever proved before us. Probably we shall reserve our sentences upon this class of offences till we arrive at the cud of the business, so that we may see in what state the thing is, and„so apply ourselves as far as we can to cure it. There is another class of cases in which two or three persons are accused of a riot at Wigan, arising from that unhappy difference of opinion between the workmen and masters, which I am sorry to say has been so prevalent in this county of late---not indeed in this county alone, for this species of insanity is pervading almost all labourers of England. It has extended even to the amricul tural districts, and with the agricultural labourer it has as little good sense and as little reason, as it has in this case. The great want of knowledge on the part of the general. body of the people of the real causes which govern the rate of wages in the world, is the principal cause of this evil. If they did but know a little more of that political economy which many people talk of, and so few under stand, they would see that this is not the way in which the thing can be done even if it were desirable to be accomplished. It is lamentable that it should be so ; and one cannot help thinking that it is from the want of experience that this matter arises ; for the short ness of life in the manufacturing districts renders it that the people employed there are generally very young. The pro portion or the experienced to the Inexponenccd, then, is very small, and it has been my unfortunate fate in the course of my official life, to come here and try in succession, persons of this description, for the same sort of offence. Every eight, or nine, or ten years, a new generation arises. They have not the experience or the sufferings of their prede cessors, and by their numbers, they overbear the more experienced; and thus the thing arises from time to time. I don't see how the thing can be prevented, unless by a more general spread of sound education amongst the people ; that is the only mode in which to my mind the remedy can be provided. If we could but do that—if we could teach them what was really for their good, they would cease to be the prey of empty-headed fellows as they at present seem to be. These are the only observations I have to make on these cases. We can only deal with them as they are brought before us ; but wish that we could save them from the commission of these offences by that additional experience which from our age we possess, and by our knowledge through education, which we are willing to communicate to our poorer brethren if we could. Ait is, we can only repress the crime as it breaks out into violence. We shall do that, but of course with a merciful disposition; because after all we cannot help seeing that there are people who believe themselves to be in th right, although they break out into insubordination which tends to breaches of the peace. The rest of the calendar is such that I have no doubt you will easily dispose of the cases that come bdore you, but if you should have any difficulty I shall be glad to give you what assistance I can. The grand jury.then retired. The Grand Jury having retarned into court with a number of bills, the trials proceeded, _ _ ASSAULT AND 7 ROBBERY AT LlVERPOOL. —Elizabeth Rowe, 23, Charles Hazeldine, 28, and John Lewis, 25, were charged with having at Liverpool, on the evening of the 24th of September last, feloniously assaulted John Butcher, putting him in bodily fear, and danger of his life,, and with violence stealing , from his person one sovereign, and that immediately before and at the said time of the robbery, they did feloniously beat and strike the said John But2her. Mr. RAFFLES conducted the prosecution. The prisoners were undefended. The prosecutor is a warehouseman in the employ of Messrs. Gardner and Co., wine and spirit merchants, Dale-street, in this town. On the evening of the 24th of September, last, he was proceeding home from his place of business, when he met the female prisoner a little above London Road, near Gildart-street. He accompanied her for some distance, and whilst walking along with her, he noticed the prisoner Lewis standing at the corner of Gildart-street. Prosecutor went with the female prisoner into an entry in Gildart-street. When they went into the entry the prisoner Hazeldine was standing at the bottom of it. They had not been there many minutes before the prisoner Hazeldine came up, and seized hold of the prosecutor, whilst the female prisoner rifled his pockets and took a grivprpign thorofrona ' and then ran away. Tho prosecutor succeeded in struggling away from the prisoner Hazeldine, and cried out " stop thief." Immediately after this he was knocked down and kicked by the prisoner Lewis. After recovering himself he still further pursued the female prisoner and saw her run up the steps of a house in Finch-street. He gave information to the police, and the next day he accompanied two officers to a house in Prudoe-street, where the prisoners were all taken into custody. In the course of his evideme the prosecutor swore very distinctly to the identity of all the prisoners. Several witnesses having been called in support of the prosecution witnesses came forward to establish an alibi on behalf of the female prisoner Lowe, and the prisoner Hazeldine. _ _ The learned judge having summed lip, and the jury retired, and after the absence of about half-an-hour returned to the court with a verdict of guilty against all the prisoners. STA.BBLNG AT WARRINGTON. Thomas Woods, 16, was charged with having, at War rington, on the 28th of August last, feloniously stabbed and wounded Martin Connelly, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm. Mr. OVENS prosecuted, and the prisoner was undefended. From the facts of the case, as elicited on behalf of the pro secution, it appeared that on the evening of Sunday, the 23th of August last, the prosecutor, who lodged with a Mrs. Flan naghan, in Glasshouse-yard, Warrington, was going home to his lodging 3 about eleven o'clock, when he heard a quarrel under the window of the house. He went to the spot, and saw the prisoner and three or four other persons fighting on the ground. Prosecutor took part in the quarrel, and struck the prisoner, on which he ran at prosecutor, and stubbed him twice in the left buttock. The prisoner was found guilty of unlawfully wounding, and acquitted of the felonious intent. Sentence deferred. STABBING AT LYTHAM Andrew Caldwell, 23, was indicted for having, at Lytham, on tht Bth of September last, maliciously stabbed and wounded John Fazakerley, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm. Mr. MILNE conducted the prosecution, and Mr. TAYLOR defended the prisoner. The prosecutor is a post-boy, and the prisoner an ostler, at the Clifton Arms Hotel, Lytham. On the evening of the day on which the alleged offence was committed, the prosecutor and the prisoner had a quarrel in the yard of the hotel, and fought for about five minutes, when they were separated by some other parties present. After they were separated.the prosecutor left the yard, with the intention of going home, when the prisoner again ran at him, and stabbed him twice with a knife. Afterwards pri soner seized a pitchfork, and again ran at the prosecutor, and was about to stab him a third time, when the weapon was from him by one of the bystanders. The prisoner was taken into custouy ! ma on being arrested, he said, "He should have let me alone ; 1 dui it in sew defence." Several witnesses were called for the prosecution, after which, Mr. TAYLOR addressed the jury on bolL.lf a the prisoner, urginm extreme r: —vutlCloll, and that the prosecutor was .tatruea by the prisoner in self-defence. The jury found the prisoner guilty of unlawfully stabbing. Sentence deferred. MANSLAUGHTER AT LIVERPOOL. Evan Hughes, 43, was charged with having at Liverpool feloniously, wilfully, and unlawfully killed and slain Joseph Royle. On being called upon to plead, the prisoner said—" guilty of pushing him, but not to kill him." The plea of gu ilty was taken, and the prisoner was ordered to stand down. At a later part of the day the prisoner was again placed at the bar, when, 111 r. ASPINALL, who appeared on behalf of the prisoner, said his lordship would perceive by the depositions, that i n the present case, the prisoner had applied to the deceased for payment of a small debt, which had been owing for some time, and that in a few hours after making this appli cation they met at a public house, and both being in a state of intoxication, the prisoner, by a push, knocked the de ceased down. There were several extenuating circumstances in the case. lie had several witnesses who would speak to the character of the prisoner. Mr. Roberts, joiner, was then called, and stated that the prisoner had been in his employment for twenty years, and during the whole of that time he had also found him an honest and steady man. Mr. Councillor : Picton was also present to speak in th e prisoner's favor, but his lordship said it was not necessary. His LORDSHIP, in passing sentence, remarked on the peculiar circumstances under which the offence c h arge d h a d been committed. At the same time one could not but lament that it had been the cause of . the death of a p erson with whom the prisoner was acquainted. He (the •judge) had no doubt the prisoner was sorry . for what lie had done. It showed very much how necessary it was for all of us to keep our anger under. But taking into "consideration that the prisoner had been provoked to do what he did, and under the circumstances that the blow upon the deceased was inflicted with the fist, the judgment of the court was that he be imprisoned one week in solitary confinement. BURGLARY AT BURY. Josiah Ainsworth, .53, was charged with having at Bury, on the 4th of September last, burglariouslv broken into and entered the dwellin g h ouse o f M rs. Hine, 'Princess.street, in Bury, and stolen therefrom one jacket, the property of Ashton Hine, and one waistcoat, the property of Thomas Gleeson. The facts of the case were briefly these. The prisoner was formerly in the employment of the prosecutrix, who ke4ps a beer-house in Bury. On the night of the 4th of September they went to bed, leaving all as they thought safe. On the following morning they discovered that the house had been entered, and the stolen articles taken away. A few days afterwards the waistcoat was found by Gleeson, on the'prisoner's person, on which he was taken into custody. On the prisoner's house being searched the coat was also found there. Evidence, as above, having been given, the prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to twelve months' imprison ment with hard labour. STABBING AT STRETFORD. Tames Barlow, 26, was charged with having, at Stretford, on Sunday, the 11th of September, feloniously stabbed and wounded William Garner, with intent to do do him some grievous bodily harm. Mr OWENS appeared on behalf of the prosecution. The prisoner was undefended. The prosecutor is a boatman, and on the evening of the 11th of September he had come with a boat, on the canal from Leigh to Stretford. On arriving at Stretford, ho went into the Dog and Partridge there to get some refreshment. lie ordered a pint of ale, which was brought to him. The prisoner and several other persons were in the room. Soon after the ale was brought in, the prisoner took hold of it and poured a portion - of it into his own mug, on which prosecutor complained, and they had some words. Sometime afterwards the prisoner became noisy, and was turned out of the house. The prosectitor was standing near the house at the time, and the prisoner ran up to him, and stabbed him. It was found that prose cutor was wounded in two places, and he was conveyed to the Manchester infirmary. Several witnesses were called in support of the prosecu tion, including the house surgeon of the Manchester infir mary, who deposed to the serious nature of the wounds the prosecutor had received. The prisoner was found guilty. Sentence deferred. ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE AT LIVERPOOL. Jane Hickson, 17, John Clarke, 21, William Dirks,lB, and ilfichael Flynn, 19, were charged with having, at Liver pool, on the evening of the 2nd of November, feloniously assaulted Michael Malley, and violently stealing from his person two half-crowns and other monies, and one hat, and that immediately before, and at the time of the said rohbery, they did feloniously strike and beat the said Michael Malley. Mr. PRESTON prosecuted, and Mr. FOWLER defended the prisoners Flynn and Wilkes. The other prisoners were un defended. The learned counsel for the prosecution stated that the prosecutor, who is a pensioner, residing at Preston, came over to Liverpool on the 2nd of November last, to see a friend off to Ireland. Between eight and nine o'clock in the evening, the prosecutor was walking along Great Howard street, when the female prisoner came up to him, and he went ;with her out of Great Howard-street into Vulcan street. Almost as soon as he had got into Vulcan-street, the three male prisoners rushed up to him. One of them got hold of the prosecutor, whilst another—he believed Clarke, seized him by the throat, and he was then knocked down, and Wilkes kicked him in the eye. Flynn held him down while the others still kicked and struck him, and in this position lie cried out " murder," when all the prisoners ran away. When the prlseentor recovered himself he found that he had been robbed, and the female prisoner and Clarke were taken into custody the earns evening. The prisoners Flynn and Wilkes were arrested and taken into custody in the police court the following morning. In his examination, the prosecutor Malley swore distinctly to the identity of all the prisoners. Mr. Jacob . ' Samuel, outfitter, 122, Great Howard-street, stated that about eight o'clock in the evening he saw the fe male prisoner and four men standing, at the corner of Vul can-street. He passed them two or three times, and subse quently he saw the :prosecutor and the, female going down Vulcan-street, the four men following them. He then gave information to a police officer to keep his eye upon them. Shortly . ,afterwards he heard a cry of "murder," and saw the female prisoner running up Vulcan-street. He met her and gave her into the custody of a police officer. The prisoner Clarke at that time came up to witness, and said she was not the person who had committed - the robbery, on. which Clarke was also taken into custody; Mr. SOWLEIL addressed the jury on behalf of the prisoners Wilks and Flynn, contending that with regard to both pri soners the evidence adduced on behalf of the prosecution had entirely failed to establish their identity. The learned judge having summedup, the jury retired, and after about half an hour's absence returned into court with a 'verdict of guilty against the prisoners Hickson, Clarke, and Wilks, and acquitted Flynn. Sentence deferred. BIGAMY AT LIVERPOOL. Mary Jane Wild, 52, a very respectable looking female, was placed in the dock, charged with having, at Liv er pool, feloniously married James Marshall, her former husband, Joseph Wild, being still alive. Mr.'Simorr appeared on behalf of the prosecution, and Mr. SOWLER defended the prisoner. It appeared from the opening . statement of the learned. counsel for the prosecution, that in the year 1837, the pri-, soner, wno was then a widow, named Stray, was introduced to the family of Mr. Joseph Wild, then residing at the Mat-' lock baths. At; this period Mr. Wild's then wife was suf fering from indisposition ;_ and the prisoner attended upon her during her illness, and up to the period of her death, which took place in October, 1837. The prisoner remained connected with Mr. Wild's family after the death of his, wife, and in the following. October, of 1838, Mr. 'Wild mar ried the prisoner at the parish, church of Rotherham. For some reason or other, which was not material to the present trial, the prisoner had not lived with Mr. 'Wild for some years past ; and it appeared that in the early part of the' present year she became acquainted with a person named James Marshall, residin. at Southport, whom she mar ried in July last. He 'the learned , counsel) understood that her only excuse was, that she had not heard from her husband, Mr. Wild, for many years, and that for anything she knew to the contrary, he was dead. After some further remarks, the learned counsel called John Whittle, one of the county constabulary force, who stated that from instructions which he had received, he took the prisoner into custody on the 18th of September last, at a lodging house which she kept at Seaforth. On informing her of the charge, on which he was taking her, she said that it was twelve years since she had heard-of her husband, and she also remarked to witness " has that Marshall put his threat into execution ? If he has, lam glad of it, for I have been tired of him for some time." The witness then stated, that after taking the prisoner into custody, he pro ceeded to Rotherham, and obtained a certificate of the prisoner's marriage at. the parish church there, in , the year 1838, with Mr. Joseph Wild. [The certificate was here put in]. Margaret Wild, a young woman, apparently about thirty years of age, was the next witness examined. She said that she was the daughter of Mr. Joseph Wild. Recollected the prisoner being at her father's house during witness's mother's illness. Her mother died -in October, 1837, and twelve months afterwards her father was • married to the prisoner at the parish church of Rotherham. They were then living at Matlock baths. Sometime after the marriage they went to reside at Sheffield. Remembered seeing the prisoner at Matlock baths in 1843, when witness's seeing was there. Prisoner must have seen him on that occasion. Cross-examined by Mr. SOWLER—Her father and the prisoner had been separated for several years. James Marshall, a man apparently about fifty-five years of age, said that he became acquainted with the prisoner in the earlier part of the present year, and on the 18th of July last, they were married at St. Peter's parish church, Liver pool. Cross-examined by Mr. SOWLER. —The prisoner did not receive a letter after the marriage stating that her former husband was still alive. Witness did. Prisoner told him there was a letter, and on the 23rd of July he went to the post-office, and received a letter to that effect. The letter ut; TVA Th-s+ t.ll hor after that there must be h mistake, as her former husband was no doubt dead. Was not aware she had property when ho married her. Never saw any. Prisoner did not tell him that she had been married. Said she was a widow; Mr. SOWLER then addressed the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and said the only defence was that she believed her former husband was dead, and that she was at liberty to marry again. The fact was, that after her marriage with Wild, he was very gay and went away from home continu ally for a long time, and she did not know anything about him. At length she gave him up, not having seen or heard of him for several years. Tho prisoner was a highly respectable woman when she married Wild. She was first married at eighteen years of age, in the year 'lBlB, and had struggled hard, having had nine children by her first husband. The JUDGE : Nine stray children ! (Laughter.) Mr. SOWLER : Yes, my lord. The JUDGE : Well, I think she will perhaps like to go back again to the Wild gentleman. Let her be imprisoned for a week. The court rose at six o'clock; SECOND COURT. (Before Mr. Baron MARTIN.) The learned judge took his seat in this court at ten o'clock. FORGERY AT MANCIIESTER. Lancelot Rainforth, 43, remanded from the last assizes, stood indicted with having, in the mouth of February last, forged a bill of exchange for £5O. There was also a count in the indictment, charging him with uttering the bill with a guilty knowledge. Mr. MONKS conducted the prosecution ; and Mr. WIIEELER defended tho prisoner. Mr. John Shayler, a silk manufacturer, of Manchester, said—l have known the prisoner for ten or twelve years. He was a dealer in silk-wares, and I have, during that period, had considerable dealings with him, and in the month of February he became indebted to me £5O. He gave me bill for £5O, signed by Thomas Morris, and that was, on becoming due, dishonoured. The bill was dated Feb. 25th,. 1853. I went to the village •of Tarvin to look for kr. Thomas Morris, when I inquired if there was, or had been such a person there, and the general answer I received was that there was not, nor had there ever been, such a persOrt there. After the bill had become due, I saw the prisomk, and told him I must sue his accepted. He said he hoped I would not, as he had been a very good customer to him, and that he did not wish to disturb him, as he owed him THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES. some other moneys. The prisoner had stated to me that he had a large sum of money out at interest, which he would call in, when-he should _be enabled to,pay me and others. This was not correct, as he has since ;old me. By Mr. WHEELER —The body of the bill produced is in the hand writing of a person named Shalcross who was for many years a traveller for the prisozer. I and others have searched for this Shelcross, but have not been enabled to find him—we only heard of him. Other witnesses were called,. ,rho spoke to not having been enabled to find the person of Thomas Morris, of Tarvin. MS LORDSHIP, after hearing a few remarks from the counsel for the prosecution, as to the nature of the evidence adduced, said he could not see that there was any evidence on which to send the case to the jury. There was no evi dence to prove that he had forged the bill, or that he had uttered it with a guilty knowledge; he might have received it from the person Shalcross, 'innocently, and directed the jury to acquit the prisoner, conceiving it to be his duty to do so—as it was a point of law that was involved. The prisoner's counsel said he had witnesses to character, and that he should have been enabled to prove that his client had been ruined by the schemes of Shalcross. There was a second charge, but as the evidence would have been precisely the same, his Lordship also directed au acquittal, and the prisoner Was immediately discharged. THE DYERS' STRIKE AT MANCHESTER. Robert Snaps stood indicted with having on the 2nd of August last, stabbed, cut, and wounded Mr. 'Crompton, of the parish of Pendleton, with intent to, do him some bodily harm. Mr. J. CROSS, conducted the prosecution, and the prisoner was defended by Mr. P. WHEELER. Mr, James Cronipton : I am a dyer at Pendleton, Where my dye-works are. In the month of August last there was a strike amongst the dyers of Manchester. My men were at their work in my place. About half-past frie o'clock on that afternoon I saw five or six persons running towards me. The prisoner was one of them; They had sticks as thick as my urn in their hands. Before they got up to me they said, " Here' the devil is," and began to strike me with their sticks in all parts of my body. The prisoner said— " Blast him, • kill him." I called out . "Oh dear." The police came up and I escaped into a petty at the back. I cb,sed the door, but the door was broken open by a tall man, who struck me on the head. (The witness here exhibited a wound he hid received.) The man said " Come out." I went. out when I was conducted to . the Pendleton station, and had my wounds exhibited. • • Mr. CROSS . Are you sure the prisoner was there ? Witness : I am. I have known him many years, he and his father has worked for me for many years. I know the prisoner well. By Mr. T. WHEELER; The strike is over now, and the men have returned ici• their work at the old terms. My men did not " turn out;"—only a few of them. I only saw the prisoner for half a second. The men who came up said —" Come 'out, come out," as if they wanted to get my hands out from the works. Police-officer Barlow : On the 2nd of August I was on duty near Mr. Crompton's clye-works, abotit six o'clock in the evening. I saw about' twenty, running towards the gate, armed with stick. They nnd others rushed into the yard: When I and the other police-officer went into the yard, Mr. Crompton waS on his knees and about six persons were standing over him, beating him. I went up, and Mr. Cronipton got away, but was afterwards again attacked. I spoke to the mob and they let him go. At the time, Sir A. Armitage came on the ground, and I apprehended some of the parties, but was knocked down. On the 6th of Novem ber I apprehended the prisoner,- having been looking for him since the 2nd of August, in Salford, Manchester, and Pendleton. By Mr. WHEELER. : There were between twenty and twenty-five persons rushed into the yard. The men em ployed at the works stayed all night. Tulford, a servant in the employment of Mr. Cromp ton, was in the building at the time the affray took place, and fully corroborated the evidence already given. He dis tinctly saw the prisoner strike Mr. Crompton with a thick stick, about two feet long. He had known the prisoner for some time before the affray. David Ditchfield, another of the prosecutor's employees, saw from 80 to 100 persons about the lane near the works ; the prisoner was amongst them . . • Mr. Thomas Haywood, surgeon attended Mr. Crompton. He had a long cut on the scalp, and other bruises. This being the case for the prosecution, Mr. WHEELER addressed the jury for the prisoner, and argued that the evidence was not sufficiently conclusive, the prosecutor, doubtlessly, being too much alarmed at the time to bring this most disgraceful assault home to the prisoner, the identification being confined only to the statement of the witnesses. He called several witnesses for the purpose of proving an alibi, —stating that the prisoner, with others, were "picketed" with other turn-out dyers, at a factory some distance off, at the time of the affray. Mr. CROSS repliei to the defence, after which his lord ship summed up the evidence, upon which he most minutely commented, and the jury returned a verdict of guilty. 'The learned JUDGE, in passing sentence upon the prisoner, said he had been Anima guilty, on what to his mind was clear and conclusive evidence. He had been engaged in a most violent outrage upon Mr. Crompton. It was admitted by all that persons had a right to work or not, but it was equally obvious that they had no right to commit such an offence as they had. Had not, at the last assizes, two per sons been tried for a similar offence, and sentenced to seven years' transportation, by the judge who tried , them, he should have felt it his duty to inflict a much severer punishment, but as such was the case, he should pass the -same punishment, or a punishment tantamount to that, for since the last assizes a bill had been passed that transportation could not be inflicted for less than 14 years. He should therefore sentence him to 4 years' penal servitude. As this was the first time the law had been car ried out, except in London, he would mention to the pri soner and to others who committed offences, that that sentence would be carried out. You will now have to work like a slave for the full period, instead of having your earnings for yourself, your wife, and family. It ought to be a warning. You will have to -work the full period of four years in penal servitude. GAROTTE ROBBERY AT MANCHESTER, Thomas Darcy, 22, stood indicted with having, on the 22nd of October last, assaulted azel rubbed the prosecutor, William Fone Smedley. • The prosecutor, a potter, was going home on the 22nd of October, and called in at a public-house called the " Weavers' Arms," where he had some ale. The prisoner was there with a party : When he had got a short distance from the house the prisoner followed him ' tripped him up, and when he wa s d o w n , he cau g ht h o ld o f his throat. Another person came up, and said to prisoner, " have you got it ? " He had six half-crown pieces taken from his pocket by the prisoner. Samuel Sutcliffe, the waiter of " the Weavers' with proved that the prosecutor and the prisoner, with others, were in the house ; that the former left, and was followed out by the prisoner; and police-constable Duckliffe spoke to apprehending the prisoner at a lodging-house, when he said "it was not him that did the robbery, but it was Murray and Dodd." The prisoner, who was undefended, simply denied the robbery, and the jury acquitted him. HOUSEBREAKING AT CASTLETON. Ames Geldart, 18, stood indicted with having burgla riously entered the dwelling-house of John Buckley, with intent to commit a felony. The waiter of " the Stone Masons' Arms," kept by the prosecutor, stated, on the morning of the robbery he un locked the cellar door, when he found the prisoner amongst the coals. He asked him NI hat he was after there, and he said he was warming himself. He immediately took him to the police station. The prisoner had entered the cellar by the Fratiug. The prisoner denied that he went to rob, and the jury acquitted him, his Lordship observing that it was 6w of:lnt-in/Ipr . ! t.hP prisnnPr GAROTTE ROBBERY AT MANCHESTER. Margaret Warburton, 22, was indicted for feloniously assaulting and robbing, in company with others, William Newton. Mr. Fowler conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Atkinsoudefended the prisoner. William Newton, a carter, was going home on the night of the robbery, when he saw two men and the prisoneri When he had passed them, they seized him behind, ho fell on his back—the woman caught himby the hair of his head, and put her left hand into his pocket. He shouted - the men ran away, and he stuck to the woman until the police came up. He missed 9s. 3d. out of his pocket. He was perfectly sober. , Mr. ATKINSON having declined to make any defence for the prisoner, the jury returned a verdict of guilty, and his lordship sentenced her to six months' imprisonment, with hard labour. HOUSEBREAKING AT CHADDERTON. Dennis 111' Caughall, 10, stood indicted with having burglariously entered the dwelling-house of Miss Smith, and stolen therefrom a gold ring and other articles. The prisoner was on a second count, charged with receiving the same knowing them to have been stolen. Hannah Smith, the prosecutrix, occupies a house with her mother. The night previous to the robbery, all the doors, and out-doors were quite safe.. She went to bed about half-past ten, and got up at six, when sho found the house had been entered, and missed some bread and cheese, and clothing from the drawers, which had been broken open. A variety of articles were stolen, amongst which was a shirt and a handkerchief. The thieves had entered by le kitchen window. A police-officer apprehended the prisoner, upon whom he found a handkerchief, which he said he had received fromia person named John Mills. • His LORDSHIP directed the jury to acquit the prisoner . ; he had previously pleaded guilty to another charge of house breaking. ' ASSAULT WITH INTENT. Patrick JPGracle, 25, stood indicted with having, at Haigh, wounded Michael Polan; with int e nt t o d o hi m s ome , bodily harm. ! The prosecutor, on the 15th of September, was in the em ploy of Mr. Sumners. The prisoner was his brother-in-law, and was in the same employ. On that day, - while he was washing a puncheon, he was stooping down, when the'p '- senor, with a hayfork, struck him on the head. He had n t spoken a word to him that day; but the night before, t e prisoner and the bookkeeper had a • quarrel, and the pros • . I tutor took him out of, the house ; then the prisoner was intoxicated. From tlie - vmssex4minatiQn of the prisoner, it appeared that a few days before there had been some little family quarrel. Henry Warrington corroborated the prosecutor's state ment ; and the surgeon who examined the prisoner, found two contused wounds, which were not of the least danger. The jury returned. a verdict of unlawfully stabbing the prosecutor; and 'his lordship, seeing they . were relations, sentenced the prisoner to six months' imprisonment, which, he said, was but a very slight punishment for such an offence. POLICE COURTS.-iESTEBD•' i ' TI ROBBERIES BY WOMEN OF THE Tows.---* was charged with stealing 4s. from the person The prisoner was given into the custody of p oll, about nine o'clock on Sunday morning. The a sailor, stated that about four o'clock that nl Ol -, a mate fell in with the lorisoner, when they asl;!a they could get some coffee. She replied there liefl'ouse;ltid"tlicy• acainpattied - her thither. he gave her is. 6d. to allow him to sleep there, after, she came into the room 'and he felt he' pocket, from which she took 4s. The girl ever went into the room. When searched, 2 5 . ° that was found upon her, _vhich, she stated the Saturday night. The maiiitiates ordered to be given to the complainant, and discharged • Mary Douglas was charged with stealing_ £ 4 a man who gave his name John Evans. lie state the girl in Castle-street, and they walked tof, Park-lane, when he gave her so me coppers. S went up an entry, and he followed her, when purse, the prisonerhavingpreviouslyfeltabout he accused her of stealing it. She.denied the he told her, being a married man, he would if she gave it up, as he did not wish to be posed. The prisoner stated the defendant wit' with him told him he had no money. The admitted that he did tell her so, and the charged the prisoner. Rose Mort was charged with stealing S' man, almost under precisely similar circur above with the exception of the locality, the pi being near Moss-street. The prisoner having times before the magistrates on similar charges , tented to three months' imprisonment. Mary Wilkinson, Ann Willimnson, and /OM charged with stealing a pocket-book and Bs. mau named William Hall a clerk, living at Saturday night. Police-officers 63 and 7 spoke to apprehei soners, who were positively identified by the who said he was sober at the time. The magistrate committed them all for sessions. Mary Cordran, an old offender, was commi months, for stealing a piece of beef from a bul STEALING A COAT.—Bead _Pearson and were remanded for seven days, on a charge of a coat from the shop of Mr. Grundy, Prince The prisoners went in to look at a pair of is supposed that the female took a coat, witL camped, leaving the male prisoner in the slier, followed her example. PICKING POCKETS.— William Riley was picking the pocket of a female, while standin, some music, near Park-lane, and the offence 1 proved, he was committed for three months, ho offender. 111)..a. Lf a rgar et )u o f J o lice- ofticel -- he eoplai r. l: ohd s r l e ° : was ru r : e seri d hate ill ad i l in P re t lr i el i t t : 2s. Bd. icsil ; • ited sbe y' ✓ed ther. ; • • L 4 ;ed the p ' .. ... Os. 6d,:: .tj • • e stated , •• , ogether 35 ••••:::• She aftr .......: Len he t his pocet! • ::::: he charge, , Y • old give her , • trou bled or ;"• • , t when File •.. . .. The comP• ..• , raagistratF,, • . • £7 f ro o, •• imstaues rot°o •• , ring bee s harges, L. oi . : 17s om : e . r ita n r i l trei : tt r i tet 4 : '4411 'l\l the Pr', i I ede i= b u t c her'` 4, , d An" )01 of havia 4 Lee Edoisol trousers, „, NeW Lth ich ct•pi,Dr„et?t, 3 shop, )0° a 6 chargOof iding to O i l . , ace beirg ;, he being r \'`Ll...s. !jam /PO; f;tl eo as charg„,,,,ft OhnS oll t had, ld 't in a fietji 044 aCCOnga:4ls received, iit/ Our of th of the vli' d °elJ i't4l,s in the he field belP j, e" 4 1 N- ca lled wl'Arloo an a peon to thatrs aftetfai kk 9 mnising to to Is: 4 ,', p -s, scams, s, 0, w.nderiava.„ bu t stateuro Lence of a cla en there. ,00, ere was 1 1 ° We ?' 'l %L ‘ ' for four ,tail6l4:: YOO lt L L. fO I3C • 1,40, 111:e ,COUNTY CO URT. v E STE RDAY The court sat at the usual hour on yesterday. TATE v. CATO AND MlLLER.—William Tate, a journey man shipbuilder, sought to recover 17s. 6d., wages from Messrs. Peter Cato and James Miller, master shipwrights. - From the evidence given, it appeared that the plaintiff had been engaged by the foreman of Messrs. Cato and Miller on a Monday night, to go and work on Tuesday. He went in the morning and worked the whole day. On the Wednesday he only worked half a day, up to dinner time, after which he went to attend the meeting of ship wrights, which was held in the concert-hall. On Thursday he went to work, and at breakfast time he was dismissed, being paid only a quarter of a days wages. He claimed to be paid for two whole days and a half-day. On the other hand, the. defendants contended that he was only entitled to receive wages for oue day, half a day, and a quarter of a day. It was stated on the part of the defence, in answer to a question from his Honor, that if a man chose to leave off work after a quarter of a day or half a day to go to a meet ing or for any other purpose, he was entitled to be . paid, and was invariably paid, for that portion of the day during which be bad worked. His HONOR said it appeared to him that the case was quite clear; and that there could be no doubt whatever about it either in law or in justice. If a man were hired for the day and by the day, and was discharged at any time short of the day, he was entitled to receive from his master the whole of the day's wages if he was ready to work out the whole of the time. But if a man were hired with a power upon his part of leaving work at any broken part of the day,. the same power must extend to the ,master, in the absence of any direct provision to the contrary. If the party employed was at liberty to leave his employment at a quarter-day, half day, or three-quarter-day, and . get paid for the portion during which he had. worked, leaving his master of his own choice, then the master would be at liberty, in the same way, to dismiss.the workman, pay ing him for such time as he had worked. There was no distinction whatever between the right of the master and the right of the workman ; and he would wish that .the men should see clearly that there was one law and one rule, both in law and in justice, to be applied to themselves and their masters. The right which the ra m had the master had, and the right which the master had the man had. His Honor therefore gave a verdict for 12s. 3d., being the wages for one day, half a day, and a quarter-day ; and ordered that the plaintiff; having refused to accept that amount when tendered to him, should pay his own costs. WILLIAMS v. GRIFFITHS. —This was an action brought to recover 51.. ss. 6d., the balance of an account for services, as a mining engineer. The plaintiff, Mr. Bell Williams, of 16, Castle-street, Liverpool, claimed to recover the amount from Mr. Richard Griffiths, of Sealand, near Queen's Ferry, who was one of the parties engaged in a project for working a lead mine near liolywell and Flint. The plaintiff was em ployed to report upon the appearance of the mine, draw up prospectuses, &c. Mr. Him, appeared for the defence, and stated that the charges disputed were seven guineas a-day 'in the original bill, for inspecting the mine, four guineas for drawing up a prospectus, and four charges of half a guinea each, for at tendance. The bill amounted to over 301., of which plaintiff sought to recover the balance. Mr. WILLIAMS was examined, and stated that his charges were all regular, and that 7 guineas for inspecting and re porting upon a mine was his usual charge, and not an exorbitant one. Mr. Hum said he had never heard, nor he supposed had the court ever heard of such a charge as seven guineas a day for going to survey a mine. His HoNoit have known fifteen guineas paid. Mr. IlimE : Yes sir, under certain circumstances in rail way times. His Hozron: And twenty-five guineas charged. Mr. HATE: Yes, and I have known a bill for £l,BOO furnished, which was sent to London, and taxed down to £2OO. His HONER ; You asked me, Mr. Hime, if I had ever heard of such a charge, and I have to tell you that I did. Mr. HimE; Yes sir, but that was in railway times, when men got five guineas for doing what they were only in the habit of charging ss. for. Mr. William Ramsden was then examined by Mr. Hime, and deposed that he was surveyor to the Marquis of West minster, Lord Fielding, Sir Piers Mostyn, and other noble men and: gentlemen. lie had 28 years experience in mining, and was well acquainted with the Welsh mines, was one of, the parties who went to Holywell with Mr. Williams. They were about three or four hours enoaged there. Is of opinion that the charges made. by Mr. Williams are too high. ,Seven guineas a day, is more than the usual charge. Witness himself charges two guineas a day and his expenses. Two guineas a day is the general charge, and in witness's opinion seven guineas is an exorbitant charge. Witness never charged half-a-guinea for his attendance, when par ties called upon him in reference to a mine. Is of opinion that £2O for the work done ought to be satisfactory pay ment for Mr. Williams. Witness had done considerable more work himself, and his account was only LlB charging two guineas 'a day. Mr. WILLIAMS : Mr. Ramsden lives in the immediate neighbourhood of the mines, and he has only to go out four or five miles and come back again, which is quite different from my position. His HONOR : Can you, Mr. Ramsden, give me any in stance of a surveyor 'from Lancashire or Yorkshire going down to the Welsh mines for two guineas a day? Mr. RASISDEN said he knew of a surveyor coming from Devonshire for two guineas a day and his travelling exl penses._ _ _ Mr. HINE said, of course that rule was not supposed to apply to such engineers as Stephenson or Brunel. His HONOR : But this is a case of a gentleman taken to report upon the appearance of a mine, in reference to the prospects of working it. That is the highest and most diffi. cult of the mining engineer's department, or as difficult as most. Mr. WILLIAMS said he had refused in some cases to go out of his house for seven guineas. His HoNon: What do you say to these charges of half a guinea for attending ? Suppose the mine had been brought out eventually. through your means, would you charge these half-guineas; these small charges ? Mr. WILLIAMS : Either those charges, or else commission upon the sale of the mine. I gave them my time and experience, and advised thein as to the mode of forming the company, and the law under which the company would exist. _ • His HONOR : I confess that as respects the charge of seven guineas, it is not a question perhaps which I am competeit to deal with, but it is impossible to say from the rate at which one man is paid how another ought be paid. One gentleman of the bar will never leave his chambers under ten guineas another under fifty, and I know other counsel who will n ot take less than £lOO. Others again may think themselves perfectly able, and be very glad to do the same work for five guineas. So it is with all trades. Whatever the profession may be, position, reputation, and skill bring their own price in the market, and you can no more judge of what one man has a - ight to be paid than you can judge of the capability of e.r, gentleman by that of another. I I have known very much higher charges than seven guineas a day, and very much lower also. I do not think I can intorfore with that. m ter. With regard to the charge for attendince, I do not say they are usual—ham my experience I think they are not. Mr. 111 ea : And the four guineas for drawing up a pros . - pectus.__ His Hoicon: That is a matter with which I shall not interfere. The skill with which these things are laid beforo the rnblic must be paid for. Tho gentlemen who get these flaming prospectuses drawn up consider it a great point, we know, to have them well done, and they are of great impor,- tance in inducing parties to take shares. I shall deduct these four half-guineas for the attendance, and allow the balance. A verdict was accordingly given for 3s. 6d. LONDON TO AUSTRALIA.—The tonnage from the port of London to Australia last week was 4878 tons in eight ships —five to Port Philip, two to Sydney, and one to Hobart Town. SUICIDE IN A POLICE-OFFICE.—A man, named James llamilton ' committed suicide in Glasgow police-office, on Monday last. He had suspended himself by a black silk handkerchief from the padlock of the window. The act was committed during the night'so quietly that a party in the same lock-up did not hear him. THE CYCLOIDAL DREDGE. —A modified form of the cz cloidal digging machine has been made applicable to the purpose of deepening rivers or river-bars where deposits have become an obstruction to the navigation. The ma chine is a cylinder composed of any required number qf wheels revolving on an axle, each wheel being provided with a number of prongs fixed at equal distances round the rim, and each prong. (capable of being detached at pleasure), curved to correspond with the segment of the geometrical figure called the cycloid. The method °fusing the machine is to attach it to a steamboat by chains or lines, and to draw it over the obstruction which it is required to removc. The prongs sinking perpendicularly in front and rising be hind at right angles to the line of descent, will lift the (If posit to a higher level and more rapid current, for it is a well known fact that the velocity of a stream is greatest at the surface, and decreases at the bottom at a ratio in pro portion to its depth. In tidal rivers, or those against which periodical winds blow, the meeting of the waters occasions at such places a temporary stillness, during which mucli mud is deposited; salt water also mixing with the fresh, causes a still more rapid' deposit. The proper time in nearly all cases to use the machine will be when the tide is falling or the current bearing outward.—N.• B. Alvil. Th© cholera still lingers at Anibroath, CHARGE OF SHEEP STEALING.— WiIIiam keeper of a beer-house in Blake-street, was stealing four sheep, the property of Mr. Johns° ll butcher, Prescot-street. The complainant had, afternoon, about four o'clock, 15 sheep put in a top of Hall-lane. About seven o'clock he, other persons, from information he had r , the field, where he found a shandry, and four of knocked on the head, quite dead. One of the stated he saw ,a person like the prisoner, in the A could not swear to him. The shandry in the fie'" to the accused. Mr. Hughes, on behalf of the accused, called who proved that he was at home all the evening, the, shandry was taken' from his door by a Pa s ' Morton,'who had been out with the shandry that The prisoner was discharged upon his promising at any future time, if required. ls s SHIP DESERTION.—Thonias Carruthers, gc 3ll charged with having deserted his ship at Sunderlf admitted the fact of having 'left the vessel, but' he feared his life was in danger, in consequence of which arose between him and some other men there . o The Captain expressed his belief that there wa s dation for such a fear. Th e man was sentenced to be imprisoned for fa llr and kept to hard labour. A , THE LATE PRIZE FIGHT NEAR lavErtpoo-• 0 0 4 named Joseph Clarke, generally known by tht0 0 , 1. 5 "hobby Clarke," was placed in the dock, hatl.".atero# dered himself to take his trial at the assizes, asl one of the seconds in the prize fight, which t e° joYel i the 12th of November, near Liverpool; betwee n tot, and Gill, which ended in the d ea th o f th e l a tter. ro ect i , 3o Mr. Walters, who app eare d as p u blic ly r .t is briefly mentioned the fact of the fight having 7.pe l. and the death of Gill shortly after in 1; 1 ,c1 e f , r - hoso inquest was held un the body, and a ve n er s, a ping slaughter returned against Donnelly and names were then unknown to the jurors., r 6c,e 2 Th e d the prisoner came into his (Mr. Walter's) ap rendered himself as one of the second 9. this trial the bench to send tho prisoner 4 , 11 7 in assizes, along with Donnelly', w goal. John Patrick, ° was a .detective officer, deposed prisoner came into the police-office about nt vo the morning,..seePhie heard they were looking` I l e and wished to surrender himself. He stated tba 0 01" been a second to Donnelly, and added that Gill T is received some injuries subsequently to the fig ll,4 him eat and drink after it. Tile Court asked if the prisoner wished to thing ? Prisoner: I have only got this to say— 0 51 $11 Mr. Campbell, solicitor : I advise you not t° 0! thing. to Mr. Walters said the prisoner appeared to, pre y something, arid it was an unusual proceeding him. s ecos e Prisoner : I have only got this to say, that I va s e l t O Donnelly, and it was a very fair stand-up fight. , m v" a of for Donnelly as a loser, -three times before the 41 f fight. . The depositions were then taken, and the a ordered to be admitted to bail, himself in £ 5O , sureties in £25 each, to take his trial at, the assize s ' 1 tl ,1, is MA_NCHE STER. e asf n 1 1 )11 STEALTH° A MECHANIC'S TOOLS.—At the city r C : Manchester, a boy about 14 years of age, char:roll:1 t yr e ing, on Saturday, stolen some mechanics' tools fro 0 0 , raises of Mr. Sykes, machine-maker, Hulme. the boy is Samuel Johnson; and it appeared from. f ox made by the magistrates of the boy's father, that l i e o f of weak intellect, and had frequently been the ca us his o ble to him. He had done all he possibly could for be idp but the medical men had given him no hope of stored to full possession of his senses for some 'tirn 4 would some time since have sent him to the asylur e 0 , 3 " wick, but found the expense greater than his cit .° pt` would afford. e The magistrates felt it their duty to commit the P ie ry ro; to the sessions, but told the father, who seems a r es 'af man, residing in York-street, Hulme, th a t prope r t i and other charge would be kept over him. m ocVei DESERTION OF A WIFE AND CHILD.—At the city police-court, yesterday, a packing-case nia s-e iliiy Joseph Pritchard, was charged with having desert and children, and left them chargeable to the par ls , c ciAol family of the prisoner, it appeared, had been seven ti/ the workhouse, during which time he had not bee .0 them. ob i Pritchard said he had been out of work, and tba t it wife's fault he did not live with her • 1° Mr. Maude told the absconding . husband that it I own fault if he was not in employment. t t he Mr. Brounsmith, of the workhouse, stated tb., 3 , lr ee.„ipl fendant had twice before deserted his wife and all" VI The wife stated that her guilty husband had be e n another woman. To be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for 2 1 00 tel° 1 0 ' Finn IN MANCHESTER.—ShortIy before nine . d c ' e ocl Sunday night, Mr. Platt, landlord of the Bull's P• re eVbsi: was walking; down Corporation-street, when he P c , a goo, strong smell of fire. He looked round, and sai o ri, „ico mering light in a warehouse fronting Hodson - s c l oc eNt , the back of which comes into Corporation-stree t ' try by -Messrs. Render and Milner, commission a..fi c o r el ll o4 Platt at once sent one of his domestics with tu. o , toe information to the Town-hall officer, and infortna PS been conveyed to Mr. Rose, superintendent of t,. . ail to brigade, of what had occurred, they turned et_L o ,lict; arriving at the spot, found that the flames were e revi eli ci ot the first floor. Instantly after the arrival of the %boo ite jet was attached to a high-pressure main, and a l , l OO tb.. e supply of water was procured, which was'directen...ed vix with the greatest effect, the great point to be gal t u ct . to o the extinction of the fire without injury by wo3ceinellf id goods on the premises. So rapid were the in yIV the brigade, that within about twenty minahorn 1114 discovery all danger from the fire was over, and s f e , wards was completely extinguished. The origin hint is unknown. The damage is estimated at se ve raoc e of ounds but that is amply covered by insp. Tr . c loy' Alliance-office. The damage done to the b Lula' " o p? exceed 10/. rt o f Loop? PORT OF LONDON.—The arrivals to th e po The_side, last week were 248 ships, but of large tonnage ery c 0 , 5, vals of fruit for the Christmas, sales " was .knish uY rable, but the importations of grain q uarto ere 0045 total quantity reported being 28,030 have 12,074 quarters of wheat. In addition, t 80 bag s ,ks! ;61 4 8 barrels and '2,016 bags of flour ; and 3 779 C3 ',161'10 Of sugar there were reorted 3,240 bha,.s f_ sks aII din cases, and 41,357 bags; of coffee, 1,32 0 _'i 1.2 bald t o , a rters , IP- iM c e, bags ; ballas t, Ol e 'to being andegtx in - the previous week. Of these 23 werc , numberoutwardsofoftevae,s4sell,39Bo6leparaelages; and l o v f as hcf 3 s B, ,bither b as above stated, for the Australian colonies, ro s ue of e r ports during the week have not been larg e' call for particular notice. y Pr o in x te fo d rd an -s d tr P ee u t b , lis a h t Published Establishment, 19, South John-street, ,tion 7 ' WEDNESDAY, DECEMBE R y G Z I T L A S n tli , L _ Lj e o Vs. t