The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-08-28 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY.

FORGERY.—Thomas M`Nalty, labourer, aged 48, was in-
dicted for having at Prescot, in May last, obtained a spade by
means of a forced order. He was found guilty and sen-
tenced to six months' imprisonment, with hard labour.
THE BOY MIIRDERERS.—AIfred Fitz, 9, and John Breen,
9, were charged with the wilful murder of a boy named John
Fleeson, at Liverpool, on the 15th July last. The facts of the
case were briefly these :—A boy of the name of James Flee-
son, of the age of seven years, left his home on Sunday, the
15th July. He never returned to his home, but on the Thurs-
day following his body was found in the canal by his father
and a policeman. There was a mark of a blow upon his fore-
head, and another upon his lip. On Sunday, the 15th July,
the deceased and the prisoners at the bar were playing to-
gether in the brickfields at a game which consisted of one of
the boys stooping down and the other boys jumping over his
back, upon which a cap was placed. The deceased and the
prisoner Fitz quarrelled because the deceased did not jump
fairly, and the prisoner took up a half brick and threw it at
the deceased. The missile struck the poor little fellow upon
the temple and knocked him down. From that time he never
spoke nor cried, but he moved his hands and feet convulsively.
As he lay on the ground,. Fitz struck him another blow with
the brick, and then said to the prisoner Breen—" Will you
help me to throw him into the canal ?" Breen said--" Yes,
I will." Fitz then took hold of the deceased by the head and
shoulders, and Breen seized him by the feet, and they carried
him about forty yards and threw him into the canal. The
boy struggled for a short time, and then sank. The children
went home; nothing was said about what had taken place;
and nothing was known of what had become of the boy Flee-
son until his body was found on the following Thursday.
After a brief consultation the jury returned a verdict of
" guilty of manslaughter" against both the prisoners. His
lordship, before passing sentence, inquired of Mr. Gibbs, the
governor of the gaol, whether, in the event of the boys being
sent to the House of Correction, they would be instructed in
their moral duty and taught to read and write, as they were
unable to do either. Being answered in the affirmative, he
sentenced them to be imprisoned for twelve months.
MIIRDER AT PENDLETON.—George Ruth, a middle-aged
man, was indicted for the wilful murder of Grace Nehan.
The prisoner kept a beer-house, and had also a provision-shop,
in Chapel-street, Pendleton, and the deceased lived with him
as his wife, and had done so for about 14 years. On Tuesday,
the 7th of August, a man named Mason, living opposite,
hearing a noise in the street, went to the front door of his
house, and there saw the prisoner and the deceased struggling
together. The prisoner had hold of her by the hair of her
head, and was kicking her about the stomach and legs. The
poor woman said, " You are murdering me," and tried to get
away, but the prisoner dragged her into the shop by the hair
of her head, and again kicked her twice in the belly. She got
up again, and ran to the door, but he pursued her, and,
seizing hold of her by the hair, again kicked her about the
lower part of the person, and dragged her back into the shop.
The door was closed, and shortly afterwards a neighbour was
called in, and a surgeon was sent for. Between seven and
eight o'clock that evening the woman died in consequence of
injuries sustained during her struggle with the prisoner. The
prisoner was found guilty of an aggravated case of man-
slaughter, and sentenced to be imprisoned and kept to hard
labour for eighteen calendar months.
BURGLARY.—Joseph Wilde, charged with burglariously
entering the house of a publican named James Henthorne, at
Baddleworth, on the night of the 20th of June last, was
acquitted. _ _

PoRGEBY.—Peter Crosbie, a porter, was charged with
forging and uttering a request for the delivery of two bolts of
canvas from Messrs. Marriott and Co. He was found guilty,
and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment, with hard
labour.

SHEEP STEALING AT LIVERPOOL.—Richard Holmes,
John Atherton, 24, and William Shuttleworth, 59, were in-
dicted for steaing, at Liverpool, a sheep, belonging to Mr.
Charles Lowcock, butcher, London-road, on Saturday, the 30th
June last. The jury returned a verdict of " not guilty,"
and the prisoners were discharged.
PERJURY AT BOLTON.—A young man, named Benjamin
Procter, was charged with perjury. Mr. Monk, for the de-
fence, objected to the indictment, which contained no aver-
ment, and claimed a verdict of not guilty. His lordship said
he would discharge the jury, and quash the indictment, so
that another might be preferred. Mr. Monk said he would
maintain his position, and claim the verdict of the jury. His
lordship said he was willing to have the matter tried. Mr.
Monk then formally gave notice to the clerk of the crown to
put it on record that the jury was sworn when he claimed
their verdict.

The court rose at twenty minutes past seven o'clock.

THURSDAY.

THE ROCHDALE MURDER.—POSTPONEMENT OP THE
TRlAL.—Jonathan Heywood was arraigned this morning on
an indictment charging him with having, on the 22nd of
July, at Rochdale, feloniously, willully, and of malice afore-
thought, killed and murdered Margaret Jones.—The prisoner,
in a firm tone of voice, pleaded not guilty.—Mr. Monk, on the
part of the prosecution, applied to have the trial postponed till
next assizes, on the ground of the absence of Charlotte Albin-
son, a witness material to the prosecution, who had, in Liver-
pool, on the previous day, prematurely given birth to a child,
and was in such a state of health as to render her appearance
in court impossible. This application he supported by the
affidavit of a surgeon. The ground of application was admitted
by the counsel for the defence. The judge concurred, and or-
dered the trial to be postponed to next assizes.
BURGLARY AT LEIGH.—John Ratcliffe was charged with
having, on the 26th of July, at the parish of Leigh, committed
a burglary and robbery in the house of William Grundy. After
hearing the evidence of the prosecutor, his lordship expressed
his opinion that the story was quite incredible. The jury
concurred in the opinion, and acquitted the prisoner, who was
instantly set at liberty. Mr. Bradshaw, the superintendent
of the Bolton branch of the London and North-western Rail-
way Company, gave the prisoner an excellent character for
honesty, steadiness, and sobriety.
ASSAULT AND ROBBERY AT SALFORD.—WiIIiam White-
head (aged 22), was indicted for having, at Salford, on the
24th July last, assaulted Samuel Cartwright, and robbed him
of eighteenpence.—The prisoner was found guilty, and sen-
tenced to 15 years' transportation.
BIGAMY.—John Clayton, a butcher, 32, charged with
having, at Liverpool, on the Bth of April last, unlawfully
married Lucy Bradley, his former wife being still alive, was
found guilty, and sentenced to eleven days' imprisonment.
The term of his imprisonment:expired on the rising of the court.
ALLEGED ROBBERY PROM THE PERSON.—A youth, named
John Anderton, surrendered to take his trial on a charge of
having, on the 23rd May last, stolen from the person of one
John Bannister, a jacket, a necktie, a pair of boots a half-
sovereign, and other articles. On the night in question, the
prosecutor was returning home from a public-house in Green-
lane, near St. Helen's, when overcome by the liquor he had
imbibed he lay down in the road, in a state of insensibility.
On his return to consciousness he found himself sans coat, ,
sans necktie, and the other articles mentioned in the indict-
ment. The things were afterwards found in possession of the
prisoner. He accounted for the possession of them by saying
that he found them lying in the road, and knowing to whom
they belonged he took them home with the intention of re-
storing them to the owner when lie became sober. He and
the prosecutor had been drinking together. The jury re-
turned a verdict of not guilty.
FORGERY.—John France, 27, a porter, pleaded guilty to
having, at' Manchester, on the 19th April last, forged a
promissory note for the payment of £l5. Sentence deferred.
CUTTING AND WOUNDING.—John Gerard, a spinner, 30,
was charged with cutting and wounding John Greenhalgh, at
Harwood, on the 25th July last. On the night in question
some men were drinking together at a public-house, when a
quarrel arose betwen the prisoner and the prosecutor. A
fight took place, in the course of which the prosecutor was
stabbed in the shoulder by the prisoner. The prisoner was
drunk at the time. The jury found him guilty of unlawfully
wounding ; and he was sentenced to be imprisoned and kept
to hard labour for twelve months.
ROBBERY, WITH VIOLENCE, AT MANCHESTER.—Henry
James, a labourer, 29, was indicted for having, at Manchester,
on the 20th July, assaulted one Chas. Waters, and robbed him
of Bs. 6d. The prisoner admitted that he had robbed the pro-
secutor, but repudiated any intention of abusing him. The
jury found him guilty as charged, and his lordship sentenced
him to fifteen years' transportation.
MANSLAUGHTER AT ROCHDALE.—Patrick Mack, 40, a
chair bottomer,was charged with the manslaughter of his wife.
On the 30th July last the prisoner took lodgings for himself
and his wife at a house in Rochdale. About five o'clock that
evening he went home to his new lodgings in a state of in-
toxication, and immediately afterwards his wife entered in a
similar state. They had some supper, and at about eight
o'clock the prisoner told his wife to go to bed. She said she
would not. Angry words were spoken ; blows were given
and exchanged ; and ultimately the prisoner was seen to
strike his wife a blow with hisyfist under the left ear. She
fell down, and soon afterwards died from the effects of the
blow and the fall.—The prisoner was found guilty, and sen-
tenced to six months' imprisonment, with hard labour.
ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER AT LIVERPOOL.—Wrn. Kelly
was indicted for the manslaughter of his wife Ann Kelly. It
appeared that, on the 26th July, the deceased was admitted into
the Brownlow-hill Workhouse in a very weak state. She conti-
nued to decline :until the 3rd August, when she died. Previ-
ous to her death. she made a statement to the effect that about

three months ago herhnsbandkickedherin the stomach because
she had not his breakfast ready for him. Upon a post mortem
examination, Mr. Ay-don, one of the medical officers of the
workhouse, found a black mark upon the abdomen, and he was