The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-21 00:00:00

THE CHARGE AGAINST A MAGISTRATE OF

FIRING AT BAILIF PS.

It will be recollected that at the Northumberland
Arises 12 months ago Mr. W. Bewicke, of Threepwood,
formerly • magistrate of that county, and a loaded pro-
prietor of some position is the gale of the Tyne, was sen-
tenced to four years' penal servitude on a charge of having
fired a gun at some bailiff's followers who had come to his
hall to make distraint for damages and caste arising oat of
a charge of false imprisonment, brought against bins
by the wife of one of his labourers, and upon
.which
charge he had bees removed from the commission of
the peace. Circumstances arose after the trial of
Mr. Bewicke, who conducted his own defence, to in-
duce a large number of respectable persons in the county
to mmocsilise the Home-office fora mitigation of his sen-
tence • a prayer that was complied with, and Mr. Bewicke
has been removed from Millbenk to Newcastle Gaol, where
he will remain two mouths and will then be discharged.
Other matters have since come to the knowledge of Mr.
Bewicke's friends to cause them to believe that he was the
victim of a conspiracy, and that the bailiff's followers were
the persons concerned in this conspiracy ; sod so strong
became the impreuion that four of them—John Dodd,
WiniAM Hutchinson, John Daglish, and George Berefonl—
were apprehended; and, after two long days' inquiries,
Hutchinson and Daglish were on Wednesday night com-
mitted by the county magistrates fur trial upon a charge
of perjury, and Dodd for a misdemeanour. Reesford was
discharged. The evidence against Hutchiumon and Dorn&
went to show from couversatious that hod been overheard
in alehouses and barbers' shops subsequently to the trial,
that they had made untruthful statements, and that When
they swore that Mr. Bewicke Hutt a bullet from the water-
closet window into the cart-shed, where they were, it was
impossible for him to do so, Sergeant Rankin swearing
that it was not possible for a person to put lie shoalder
out of the window and take an aim ; he could not get
his shoulder out ; that was impossible. Mr. Rewicke was
himself examined. He was a fine, bluff-looking country
gentleman when put on his trial. He presents now a mast
punt and careworn the mere shadow of his
former self. He swore hat he discharged the revolver into
• tree opposite, but before doiog so ho asked if there was
any one there. Daglish replied, "We are in the cart.
shed, sir ; it's all right , fire away." He said he used fire-
arms because fitainthorpe, the sheriff's officer, had presented
a pistol at his head on the morning of the levy, the 10th of
January, 1861. Dodd is charged with placing the bullet in
the cart-shed, into which he sad the other prisoners swore
Mr. Bewicke fired it.

8110c1LING AMIDE-NM—Lest evening an inquest
was held before Mr. Bedford, the Westminster coroner,
touching the death of Thomas Nicholls, aged 21., empioved
at Smith's distillery, Thames-bask, Pimlico. Last Friday
rooming about 6 o clock deceased was going to his work, and
almost immediately afterwards Burton,the night watchman.
and Stacey, another workman, were startled by loud and
piercing cries for help. They immediately entered the dis-
tillery and ran to the washiat of boiling liquor, from which
the cries mime, and there found the deceased hanging by his
hands, immersed in the boiling liquid up to his aromita. He
was at once pulled out and taken to the eogioeers' shop,
where his clMhes were stripped off as quickly as possible. A
sheet was wrapped round him, and he was removed to the
hoipitaL The father-in•law said that the deceased accounted
to bins fey the omerrence by saying, " It wee dark, and! fell
in." Mr. Valeutioe Smith deposed that he was owner at the
distillery. He was called as soon as the accident happened
sad ?mod the poor fellow in the engineers' shop. He did
everything be meld for him. There win plenty of lied at
Oat point, bet be apprehended that as he was hurrying
past the pit to his work he must have been blinded by the
steam. The mash-pit had been in its present riondltion
for man ears ; and, though MO men were employed on
the establishment, and a great number of strangers passed
it daffy and contintiall , this was the Ant amides{ that
over warred- died the same day. A umbel was
returned by the jury of " Accidental Death," with ► re-
commeedatioe to Mr. Smith to erect a barrier, for greater
safety for the future. Mr. Smith assured the comer and
jury that this had already been decided upon.