The Express.
London, England, 1868-08-01 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.-811REW8BURY, JULY 31.
Csown COMM—(Before Mr. Justice Myles.)
SEE NORDLE OP ♦ OONNINICILL Pit•VILLIN IN SIMI,

Gawp Harris, 30, chainmaker, was placed in the dock,
charged with the wilful murder of Barnett Zuemun, at
&Miley, on the 16th November, 1867.
Mr. Motteram, Q.ll, and Mr. Burley appeared for the
prosecution ; and Dr. Bentley, Q.C., and Mr. Young
for the defence._ _ _

---TiTeniniieetof upwards of 70 witnesses were on the
briefs, but the following were the chief points elicited
during the examination yesterday.
Aar( n Gottherneir stated that on the morning of the
16th November, the docesee.l, who lodged with him at
the Rove and Crown Inn, Ironbridge, left his house,
stating that he was going to Finger-lane, Horse-
ley, and Dawley, and would return to dinner
at 3 o'clock. He took out with him a black ()d-
-omed box containing watches and chains, which it was
his business to sell. Ho did not return, and witness never
saw him alive again.
John Watkins was in the service of the prisoner on the
16th of November. About 11 o'clock on the morning
of that day the deceased called upon the prisoner at his
works at Dawley, and they went away. together. On the
night before the body was found the prisoner showed the
witness two gold watches, apparently new, and one of
them having attached a long gold chain. He said he had
also a silver watch which he would sell to the witness.
Subsequently when the witness was summoned to give
evidence before the coroner the prisoner said he
would give him the silver watch if he would tell
the jury that on the morning of the murder he had seen
the deceased at Dawley, m company with a strange tea!n
carrying an oil-cased parcel, with a strap round it.
On the day, of last inquest witness was returning from the
court with the prisoner, and in the course of the conversa-
tion about the murder he said, " u lose my heart
before I split." Emma Maiden was at work on Sonthell
Pit bank on a Friday about a fortnight before the body of
the deceased was found. The prisoner passed by on the
way to Strickley in company with a strange Jew carryings
black pack, like the one produced. It was about
11 o'clock in the morning. The prisoner spoke to her
and said he was taking his companion to Mr. Williams, of
Strickley-hall, to try and sell him a watch. He returned
about one o'clock alone, and remarked in psenng that he
had been sheltering from the rain at Mark Cookson's
public-house. Miss Williams, of Strickley-hall, stated that
to the beat of her knowledge he bad not called there with a
Jew on the 16th of November, and Mrs. Cookson said that
as far as she knew he had not been there, as he alleged
to Emma Maiden. Mr. Isaac Cohen, watchmaker, Bir-
mingham, said that on the 10th of November the deceased
reported to him that he had sold to the prisoner a
gold watch and chain for 271. 10s. On the day the body
was discovered Mr. Cohen saw the prisoner and asked
him whether he bad purchased a watch and chain from the
deceased. He said that he had, and that he agreed to pay
271. 10s. for it. He added that he had paid the deceased
21. in cash, and had given him a silver watch ant Albert
chain as value for U. The witness asked him when he
bad made those payments, and he stated that he had done
so at the time he received the watch. The witne.,a asked
him whether that was mentioned in the agreement, and
he replied that it was. Mr. Cohen then showed him the
agreement signed by himself, showing that he had paid
only 10s. on account, and the prisoner then said, " All
right, my guod fellow; PA call next week and pay you
something.'
Police-constable Purchase produced a chain with the
swivel broken which he had received from Ernest Corbett,
to whom the prisoner had given it. This witness also
proved the finding of a certain iron pot in the workshop
of the prisoner Harris.
Mrs. Robinson, pawnbroker, proved that on the day
following that on which the prisoner had purchased the
gold watch from Zusman, he had pawned it with her
for 81.

Mr. Palmer, watchmaker, then duly related a conversa-
tion which took place between himself and the prisoner,
in the course of which he produced the works of a watch,
and asked witness how much an ounce old silver would
bring. The witness said 45., and the prisoner replied,
If I could get that, I'd soon melt up."
At this stage of the inquiry the examination was ad-
journed till this morning.

NORTHERN CIRCIIIT.—MANcuzsma, Jinx 31.
CROWN COtrßT.—(Before Mr. Justice Renueu.)
. THE NtrEPHT RIOTS AT ASHTON.

John Flynn, 28 ; Daniel ila;;;;Krn,39lFatriek Hanley,
49; Edward Xellny, 22; Patrick Carny, 27; Robert
Dvf, 22; Wet. Cusick, 68; Thomas Harley, 19; Law-
rence Delaney, 19; James H‘Dermot, 18; Patrick Quinn,
16 ; and James Flannery, 66, were indicted for riot and
assault at Ashton-under-dyne on the 10th May.
Mr. Hi Q.C., and Mr. Edwards were for the prose-
cution ; and Mr. Pope and Mr. Jordan defended eight of
the prisoners, instructed by Mr. Henry Coppock, town
clerk of Stockport; and Mr. Torr and Mr. Addison de-
fended the others.

Mr. Higgin, in opening the case, said the circumstances
under which the riots occurred were so notorious through-
out the county of Lancaster, and perhaps, indeed, through-
out the kingdom, that he would only have to report
them very
_briefly. For some time past a person of the
name of Murphy had been lecturing in various places
professedly in favour of protestantism, and had so con-
ducted himself as to set party against party and class
against class, and so to raise up an amount of religious
and party animosity and antagonism between protes-
tant and catholic which was much to be deplored.
In fact he believed there was hardly • person
acquainted with these lamentable events who did not
feel they were traceable to the conduct of the per-
son described. Now there were a great number of
prisoners to be tried for these note besides those in the
dock. For some reason the prisoners were divided into
two classes—English and Irish. He believed that had
arisen from no fault of the magistrates, but from the fact
that the Irish prisoners now at the bar were apprehended
first., and that at was not till after the case against them
bad been proceeded with very considerably before the
others (English) had been taken. He wished to draw
no distinction between them ; all he had to say was that
it was a most disgraceful riot, and he was bound to say in
fairness on the part of the men now at the bar, that they
had to put up with a display of party colours and pro-
vocation, while the protestants had to put up with similar
displays by the cafholics. On the 9th May (Saturday
evening) tens bad been a meeting of Orangemen, at
which all the party colours and emblems had been dis-
played by the protestanta. It was esoly wrong, but
so it was, and after the meeting they paraded the streets,
leading the authorities to anticipate a riot that night; and
so probably there would have been but for a heavy fall of
rain, which led to their dispersion early. The riots, there-
fore, commenced on the following (which was Sunday)
evening. He would not go into details, but the English
or Orange party took up • position in Henry-ssuare, and
the Irish took up a position near them armed with sticks,
scythes, and other weapons. Collisions took place
which the police ultimately quelled. Three to four
thousand persons were engaged in these riots, and
the email force then present were comparatively powerless,
so that • good deal of property in the Irish qua-tern of the
town was destroyed, and the Roman catholic chapel was
attacked. And it was daring those riots that the prisoners