The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-25 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—APPLEBY, FEB. 21.
Mr. Baron Platt arrived here yesterday afternoon, and
immediately opened the commission : after which his lord-
ship proceeded to church and heard divine service.
This morning his lordship sat for the trial of prisoners at
half-past 10 o'clock. There was no civil business whatever,
not a single cause being entered for trial.
CHARGE OF SETTING Flat TO A STEAMER.
James Hilly, a respectable-looking man, and William
Jackson Archer, were charged with setting fire to a steams
vessel called the Lord of the Isles, the property of the Win-
dermere Steam Yacht Company, on the 31st of July last.
It Appeared from the opening of the learned counsel for
the prosecution that a company called the Windermere
Steam Yacht Company had two steam-vessels plying on
Lake Windermere, one called the Lord of the Isles and the
other the Lady of the Lake, which plied alternately be-
tween Ambleside and Newby-bridge, calling at Bowness. On
the evening of the 31st of July last both visseli were moored
for the night at the pier at Bowness. The prisoner Hilly was
fireman on board the Lord of the Isles, and the prisoner
Archer was fireman on board the Lady of the Lake.
Shortly before the Lord of the Isles reached Bowness that
night Hilly went to the captain and said he smelt fire on
board the vessel. In consequence every part of the vessel
SW examined, hut no traces of any fire whatever were dis-
covered. This, it was suggested, had been done by him to
disarm suspicions against himself, as he knew what was
going tohappen. A man named Haydock was watchman
onboard these two vessels at night, and before Haydock
went on board the two prisoners only were left on
each in his own vessel. On going down to the lake's side
about 10 o'clock that night, Havdock met the prisoner
Archer, and asked him where he'had left Hilly, and was
, told he was still on board the Lord of the Isles. Ilaydock

went on board that vessel, and shouted for him below, liut re-
e...ived no answer, and then stepped on hoard the other vessel,
which was moored closet*, and went below to bed. He had not
been below many minutes before he heard a footstep cross
the deck, from the Lord of the Isles. About three o'clock
neat morning II dock was awoke by the noise of fire, and
on getting on to the deck he saw flame issuing out of the

IMPUDLNT ROllliEltT.—E. Williams alias G. Miller, was
placed in the dock before Mr. Elliot, on the charge of steal-
ing an easy chair, of the value of 21., front the shop-door of
Mr. Charles Kedge, a furniture broker and salesman in the ;
Kent-road, as long ago as the 21st of September, 1849.
The robbery in this instance was effected in the same
daring manner as many others by the same gang, namely,
by two men driving up in a light cart, and a third man
handing in the property, and all driving off at a speed that '
insured escape. In the month of November following the
prisoner made an attempt to get a portmanteau from the
top of a cab in Bond-street, but having been closely
watched by a constable he could not effect the robbery, but
succeeded in getting into the cart with his compa-
nions. In driving away at a desperate rate the cart came in
contact with the lamp-post, and the prisoner, who was
much hurt by the fall, was secured, but his associates,
George and John Ilackett, succeeded in getting off. For
this offence the prisoner was brought to Marlborough-street
Police-court, and sentenced to three months' impnsonmeut.
At that time the prisoner was fully identified as being one
of the persons who had stolen the chair from Mr. Kedges,
and it was the intention of the officer to have taken him
when released from prison, but he miscalculated the time,
and by this means the prisoner again became at large. On
Friday night he was taken in Mint-street, in the Borough,
on a charge of being concerned, with a young fellow named
Goodwin, in the Commission of two acts of sacrilege, in
breaking into a church and a dissenting chapel, at Croydon.
On these charges the legal evidence as to his identity was
not sufficiently strong, and he was discharged, but hie
companion was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.
The testimony as to the prisoner having stolen the chair,
the property of Mr. Kedge, was quite conclusive, and
Storey, a City officer, in addition, said he was present
when the prisoner and John Hackett had been convicted of
felony, and when tho prisoner was sentenced to nine months'
imprisonment.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial.