The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-09-20 00:00:00

__ the Pristhier had it td his I
when the accident happened, the Prisoner
,;hat it Was afore the sailor's fault that his,
'ibe tun cocked.
hose circumstances, the JUDGE summed up
:ace, and the Jury, after a ftw minutes
on, returned a Verdict of—Not

DURHAM ASSIZES.

_...~-

THE IEIIIO T 6 MARY YOUNG, ELIZ. YOUNG, ANN
wooer., and mount YOUNG, en the pratecsisan of
BRIDGET MASON, Wife DENNIS MASON, .for ell
•qsault.
Mr. R•ittz, on the part of the prosecution, stated,
that the quarrel which produced the assault, arose
from the Prosecutrix's husband having been ejected
off a farm by the Defendant, Robert Young, who
was trustee to the farm the Prosecutrix's husband
heed upon, and that the prosecution had been
brought before the Quarter Sessions, but had been
rernoied from thence, to this Court, by the Defend-
ants.
Bridget Mason, the Prosecutrie, deposed, that
she was the wife of Dennis Mason, who held a farm
adjoining to Fowler-house, which he quitted last
year ; and that the Defendant, Young, succeeded in
putting another person on the farm ; and that the
Prosecutrix and her husband had since gone to live
at Beldershaw: She said, that since they left Eow •
lee-house, she had not spoken to any of the family
of the Youngs for a year and a half, except Robert
Young. On Wednesday morning, the 6th of Aug.
last, she wasgoing to Darlington Market, and had, on
her road, to pass Fowler-house, where the Defendants
live. si As I passed the horse," said she, I saw
the females at the door, but did not speak to them.
I had got about a hundred yards past the door, and
I heard somebody behind me; upon turning round.
I saw the two Youngs and Ann Moore. The twu
youngest came and thrust me on the breast, and put
me backwards ; before this I had done or said au-
thing to them. I told them, it they would not let
me alone, I would fetch a peace warrant. The
father, Robert Young, was there, looking over the
workmen on the road, he being surveyor of the
high roads, and one Robert Lamb was then working
near him. The father said, I could have no peac
warrant, for I had no witnesses. Mary and Eliza
beth Young then closed me on each side, and
dragged me back towards their house for near nine
or ten yards. When they got me over against their
father, they threw me down upon the mad, and
Elizabeth held me by the throat, and tried to chock
me, for I could not speak. Mary Young pressed
me by the head down in the mud. Robert Lamb
CAMe and took Mary Young off, saying, • Two
against one isnot fair.' I then strove with Elizabeth
Young, until I could get off. I bit Elizabeth's arm,
and my hand came loose, and I got up. Mary
Young took up my coat, and trampled it in the
mud. I then went, and struck Elizabeth with my
stick ; Mary came up, and I kept her off with my
stick. She then called out, r Daddy ! Daddy! this
old devil will beat us both, she beats with a stick !'
Robert Lamb came a-back of me, and' twisted the
stick out of my hand, over my shoulder ; it plumy
thumb out of joint, and I was lame in both my
hanZs."

Upon cross-examination by Mr. Sc* a tat, he
asked her, " hid you ever forgive old Young for
turning you out of the farm ?" Her answer was,
" That is another question." She further said, she
first saw the father upon the road before the daugh-
ters came up. " I first said to Who can I
trust to, if I cannot trust to Robert Young ?' I
never stopped upon the road to abuse him, till I was
it° by the daughters."
871 a being asked, what Magistrate she first ap-
plied to for redress? she replied, " I never applied to
any Magistrate, but first went to Mr. Kirton, of
Dm ham, attorney, for advice."

The next wicness was Robert Brown, of Denton
Lane End. He stated, that he was leading cones
upon the road. " The first that I saw of the par-
ties were the two Youngs dragging Mrs. Mason,
whom they threw down. I saw one of them tread
the cloak in the mud. I afterwards saw Margaret
(the soother). and I heard her say, If I had been
there, I would have given her twice as much."
upon cross-examination, he said, 66 I was abiait
one hundred yards distant when I first saw them."
Elizabeth Newton deposed, that she lives near
the Defendants, Youngs', and that on the day tht
rencontre happened, Bridget Mason came into her
house, when she washed her cloak, and she seemed
much toyed.
Here the evidence on the part of the prosecution
closed, and Mr. SCA R LET, on the part of the De-
fendants, addressed the Jury.
He said, that this case had, and he thought wisely,
been removed by corlisreri from the Quarter Ses-
sions to that Court. The case itself was a singular
one, and reminded him of the story of two knights,
who fought till the one run the other through the
body with his sword; notwithstanding. he again
rose and fonght, and conquered ; so it was amongst
these female heroines—the amicable Bridget was
brought to the ground, but she rose again, and, with
her staff, she overcame her opponents.
As there was no evidence against Ann Moore,
who was also included in the indiCtment, the Jews'
direEted the Jury to acquit her, in order that she
might be admitted as evidence.
The Defendants then called Mary Sewell, who I
&Toyed, that she knows Robert Young's teinw, and
saw Bi fidget Mason upon the road, near the house,
on the day the assault was said to have been com-
mitted. She saw Robert Young upon the road.
and the Proseeutrix abusing finis. When she first
came up to him, she said, "Good morrow, honest
man—you are a d—d great rogue!" and she con-
tinued abusing liim. Elizabeth Young then came
up to her, and desired her to go away quietly, and
not abuse her father: she then abused them all,
and bit Elizabeth's thumbs. The Prosecutrix first
went up to her, and seized hold of her : she then
wen: up to Mary Young, and scratched her face,
and cut Mary's head with her stick. till the blood
came, and she fell down: she then went to Eliza-
beth, and hit one of her thumbs again.
Thomas Young was then called. He said, that
the first address he received from the Prosecutrix
was, " I will have a paper written upon a tu►npike-
gate with roar chatatter." He then described the
assault, the same as the recediarsimesa He said.