The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-21 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—TAUNTON, DEC. 19.
The commission for holding the winter maize for the
county of Somerset wee opened yesterday afternoon by Kr.
Justice Wiles, and this morning the trim commenced.
The calendar, though only containing nixie n piipenere,
comprised three cases of murder and four of manslaughter,
the rismitinder of the offences being of • serious nature. Is
doe emerge of the day the grand jury threw out a bill pre-
dated against Seethe] Indoe, a Sunday-school tmclier, for
Oke manaleughter of George Adams, jtm., at Wedmore, whose
bah was alleged to bare been occasioned by some blows on
s bead administered by Indoe in consequence of the inabi-
lity et the cbild to pronounce certain letter. No evidence
yea adored in support of the coroner's inquisition, charging
hike with the same offence, and he was accordingly dis-
charged. True bills were found sgainst all the other pri-
soners, Mcluding John William Beale. charged with the
murder of Charlotte Pageley in Leigh Woods, near Bristol,
in September Nat. The trial of this owe is flied for Tuesday
nut (to-morrow).

ARSON.

John Yaks was indicted for malicioody setting Are to two
decks of wheat anfi num of clover, the property of George

Flawei,of instra-in-Gordens.
The prisoner had hem a farm labourer in the service of
the prosecutor, but was discharged on the 12th of September.
Of the 19th the stacks and mow were set on tire, end from
meek threats towerds Mr. Flower, which the prisoner bad
Men heard to mina, he was apprehended, and admitted him
exPreniag his regret that the pro/maim bad not been
la the middle of the fire.
The jury, without Imitation, returned a modict of Maio.
sad the learned judge matenced the prisoner to twisty pare
pad servitude.

NORTHERN ClRCUlT.—Daranim, Dec. 19.
Eli lordship, on taking his seat this morning, at 9 o'clock,
proceeded with the case of
JUIN Naga, 60, • pitma, who wu indicted, on the
eoroser's *tuition, with the wilful murder of Dorothy
Fare, his wife, at Cheater-le-street, on the 9th of August

Xr. Davis= and Mr. Fowler 000 ducted the prosecution ;
the Hon A. 0. Liddell and Kr. Price wore counsel for the

171 • (Toe
I let Dr.ieon having briefly opened the aim, peocooded

to cell evidence as follows :
Labelle Weatherburn, wife of Robert Westin:Thorn, who
keeps the Red Lion Inn, at Plawsworth, deposed that
Naps sod his wife came into their house on the evening of
the 9th of Auguet, about eleven o'clock, and called for mem
whisky. The prisoner did not appear in liquor. but de-
emed wee very drunk. They sat in the kitchen till shutting
up time, when deceased was lying upon the floor. Magee
told her to getup, but she would not. Ile dashed her heed
writhe floor, and. taking her try the arm be dragged her
into the Forage, end out of the !mute. A short time after-
wards Interns was looking out of a window and saw demeasd
lying about two yarde from the door. Mere kicked her in
side several times, end witness heard her call on him to
give over. Witness then went to her husband, who had gone
to bed. In about ten minutes returned to the window end
DIM that the prisoner had dragged hie wife further down the
road. This wes about twenty minutes past two in the

morning.
Robert Weatherbuni, worn, add he remembered the
tight in gonadial'. end the Magma coming into his house.
Otherved when Dorothy Magee got np to go that the was
not qualified to walk, and raid they had better leave bee.
Magee mid she would go well enough when sbe got out.
She had her bonnet and cap on. Noticed no merke about
her features. Some time afterwards bolted the kitchen door
and watt to bed. Wituee's wife came to him, perhaps,
about two o'clock, and he got up and went to a bow window
over the parlour looking on to the turnpike. Saw deceased
lying below the window, with her feet towards the house,
and prisoner pressing her to get up. She reamed, and he
thereupon took her by the shoulders and United her about
ten yards tower& the turnpike. Mageethenwalked away, and
Minas went to bed again. Neat morning, about ten o'clock,
went down the turnpike reed with a policeman, and found
a quantity of blood and hair together about eighty yards to
the north from the home. There were eeveral apses of blood
further on. There had been a heavy rein during the night.
Mary Ann Magee, a daughter of the &mused, deposed
that her father came home about twenty minutes past four
on the morning of the 9th slightly in liquor, and told her
sister that their mother was lying near a little house beside
Plaweworth, and directed her to go thither. Witter sad
bee Pieter accordingly went to Plameworth by one route and
their brother Thineas by another. When they arrived at a
blacksmith'■ chop between Weldridge Fell (where the pri-
soner resided) and Plewsworth they met their brother resting
from carrying their mother. Did net know whether she was
alive then. The deter mike to her, but there was no answer.
They brought her pore and put her to bed. Her fare was
oat. Pthe never 'poke. When they gat home main, between
he sad dr o'clock, her father had changed hie clothes and
pee out to work In the colliery. Deceaaed ray 53 yeas of
▪ Thomas Magee, son of prisoner and doomed. spike to
finding hie mother lying at full length on her hack with her
bonnet off on the roadside It' spoke to her, but the made no
sneerer except by a kind of lemming noise. It,. father, on
riming home end telling them where deceased was lying,
▪ tt I don't are if I never roe her any more."
ltobert Clephern. a pitmen, deposed to finding a good deal
of blood and come hair on the gram where the body was
found, and on the turnpike, end a piece of ribbon close lay.
Henry Smith, a policemen, raid he found a pod del of
hair, of the same colour as deceased's, opposite the window
of the It'd Lion.
A policeman named Ellison produced the clothes worn by
Magee when he went home on the Sunday morhinr. The
drawers at the knee and the shirt wristband were saturated
with blood.
Mr. Wm. liolmon Sheila, the surgeon who ermined the
body alter death, said—There were several wake of dis-
coloration on the legs and arms. He found three cute about
holt en inch deep oar the brow.. The scalp wee torn from
the nitro of the seek tower& the forehead In a strip ten
lochs long, end, in one plate, three inches wide. -Upon
thus lona.strip were three contused wounds, 2 inches in
ng
lenth end penetrating to the bone. The remainder of the
reap his lowly upon the skull. The membranes covering
the brain were more congested than usual ; the brain Reel(
end the rest of the body were heelthy. my opinion
death see rowed by the injuries inflicted upon the head. Ile
attributed death partly to the dela to Om nervous eystem.
The mom& at the beck of the had could not have been
awned by a fell.
Mr. Madmen, toupee, concurred In Mr. Shetld's opinion
se to the mum of death.
Mr. Liddell contended, on behalf of the prisoner, that in
thin case there was not the *lightest evidence of malice afore-
thought, or of any preconceived iotentiun on the part of
Magee of doing his wife bodily harm even. The tenor of
the evidence went to chow that they had lived for many 's'',
fi happinees end comfort, and no witness was called who
proved that they bed ever quarrelled in their lives, or that
limes was ever hoard to threaten injury to his wife, or
that an unkind expreecion towards her was ever heard to
escape his lips. 'lke only evidenee of intention was that of
an intention to get his wife home, and to get beam himself, sod
to bud, in order lobe up to his work on the Sunday morning.
The learned counsel then went minutely through the evidence,
commenting iin it, and explaining away its Wrath prints as
I
b proceeded.
lia Lordship slammed up at great length, and
The jury retired to deliberate. After a short themes
they returned into court with a verdict of Gritty of Man-
slaughter.
lite Lordehip Protested him to 20 years' penal rerviinde.
The length of time over which this amine extends has
been frequently remarked by the learned judge and the bee.
At the conclusion of the foregoing cam, at six o'clotk, there
were Ave or eta heavy eases to be Merl ot, and hie lord-
chip hinted his withered,. to sit di widnieht If the bar
would content. It was understood Out • telegraphic unimaga
was despatched to York last evening for a learned aerjemt
to sestet his lordship, but the help did not arrive. The cam
misdeal for Northumberland is fixed to be opened on Mon-
day, and it in thought that hie lonirhip will return and con-
clude the Durham busineee, if he finds It imposeable to finish
it so ae to leave a reasonable fillle for the eeremoniels con-
nected with opening the commission. When our report left
the court was tming • oedema ease of manslaughter.