The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-08-12 00:00:00

VR.ITERN CIRCUIT.

WILTSHIRE ASSIZES, Atrouss 10.

CROWN SIDE.

John Porter. a boy only nine years o'd. was indicted for mali-
ciously maiming and Ulm,: twentr-one iambs. the property of
Itarid Cootithq. his employer, in June last, in the parish of
minium, in this county.
. . . .

The lad was conviered principally en his own confession, taken
before the M4fistrate, in which he stated that he hail been induced
to commit the crime with which he was charged in consequence of
his matter baring beaten him, and in this way he sought revenge.
Ilis I.oanstt it. ordered the sentence of trlnitr Illation for seven
years to be recorded against the prisoner, but intimated his inten-
tion of commuting that puniahatent fur a twelvemonths' imprisons
Lent in the Penitentiary.
CIVIL SIDE.
•LbrItIMIN r. PER ILDWAIIID 1.00117. DART.

The present action was brought nominalt, against the defendant,
but the party who really stood tit that :apathy was Mr. Jarvis. It
was brought to recover the sun, of which had been levied
under an execution in .March last. The plaintiff a assignee to a
man named liurg:As, who was since dead. The question was,
whether the bitokrurzy took place before the execution was dated.
The principal evidence to shim that the act of bankruptcy took
place prior to the levying of the execution was that of the late bank-1
rupt's daughter.
Mr. Sergeant who appeared for the plaintiff, in his reply
was interrupted by the banking of a dog near the Court. The qua.
drupid's voice so entirely overpowered that of the Learned Advo-
erne that he pleasantly said he would stop until the oppcsing
Counsel had concluded his address. The dng, however, continu-
ing his interrupeon, the Sergeant observed, that the barker was
not the only dogmatical Counsel who sometimes makes his voice
heard. The Leaned Sergeant then proceeded with his address'.
The Jury, after a few minutes' consultation, returned a verdict
for the plaintiff—Manages, 2,ottli.
BT.EAGII OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.
COLI.IXS •EWMAN.

Mr. flergeatit WienE, on the part of the plaintiff, stated, that
the present action had been brought by his client to recover corn-
peimution in damages for a breach of promise of marriage. An
action of this description brought by a lady must he most distress.
ing :0 her feelings, bemuse an exposure uaavoidobly took place that
a female of any delicacy would always shrink from. But these
' actions were necessary, Mistiest+ as reflections might be cast upon
a young woman when a connection WWI broken oil suddenly that
the friends of the parties had anticipated would lead to a matrimo-
ntal union. Ile was extremely happy to inform the Jury, that
they would be spared bearing eynlence in this cause. as the de-
fendant had consented to a verdict being taken for the plaintiff
for

Mr. Sergeant Prxt. stated, that he had advised the defendant in
this cause to 'Whir a verdict to be recorded against him for 2501.
Ile had motives for recommending this course, and the principal
one was, that the defendant had martial' since the action had been
hroucht. The cause must, of Count, have greatly distressed an
amiable female, and on that account lie was extremely happy at the
termination of it in the manner he had recatmuensied.
Verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 2:401.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.

YORK SUMMER ASSIZES, Avsuss 11.

(•CONY SIDE.

(nrthf, ERt.)
DARING ROBIIERV AND AMNIA'. WITH INTENT

TO COMMIT MURDER.

Mr. Mar, ng stated thisnature of the cde as •he part of the
Crown. The prisoners at the bar, said the learned Counsel.
Miehael While and Morrit Camidel, stood charged with having.
on the night of the 9th of March last, broken into Newton turn-
pike-house, near Wakefield, in this county, soon after the Leeds
mail had passed through the said gate, which breaking in consti.
tuted a capital offence. and which offence of breaking was attended
with particular atroci.y on the part of the two prisoners at the bar,
who were a part of four persons who hed committed that rubbery on
the night in question ; at,d if he should only prove that the pri-
soners were in company with the others not now taken, still that
world be sufficient in law to convict them ; but he had no doubt
that he should be able to shew from the witnesses on the part of the
prosecution, that die two men now befitre them were the identical
persons who actnally committed the robbery and violence laid in
the indictment. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to call the
following witnesses in support thereof ; and tirst—
:Gioia Ellis examined by Mr. A [Air risow—She is the wife of
Edward Ellis; her husband and herself keep the Wakefield
toll-gate, between Leeds and Wakefield. She remembers the
9th of March very well; it was half-patt nine o'clock, the Leeds
Mail had just passed a few minutes before, she opened the door
to let it pass ; site did not Listen the gate ; she put the step down
as she always did ; the shutters of the windows were fastened
her husband had gone to bed ; it was very moonlight. She had
a good tire in the room, there was a blaze ; she was going to get
the Bible to read ; some person called out " Gate I" she opened
the dour enough to put her head through to see alto it was ;
snare person struck her in the face, she strove to put the door too,
wh^n three or four men rushed into the house; one man knocked
her down upon the fluor, and beat her on the head and body ;
he did nothing else; I called out to my husband, and said, Ed.
ward they are killing me. I heard them empty a box ; she did
sot see what they did to her husband; it was by the door the
box was ; it contained one dar's money ; I heard them empty the
• money on the table. I heard the glasses ring that had the silver
I spoons in; I heard the glass brake; it was in the parlour, next
to the room I was in. The month's money was in the room
where the glass was. I saw them take the money out of the box,
and SAW two men put it on the table. There was a silver watch
hung upon a nail that was taken away, am! half a dozen sliver
spoons. There were some lialf-crowns--a good many, she could
not describe the silver. She was taken up from the ground by
one of the men by the hair of her head, and thrown against the
clock. The two men had brown jaeketson, just like the prisoners
at the bar, and made in the same manner. She cannot speak to
any more that passed in the house.
By the JUDGY.—She was kept down by one person whilst on
I the floor.

Cross-examined by Mr. A Lexaxnea—She did not go before
the Grand Jury; believes there is a Canal near %Vakelield, was to
pass up and down the River ; the man wore a similar jacket to the
prisoner's ; they are common among them ! the money box they
did not take away j before she had been lifted ar the ground by
the hair of her head she paw them through the door; her husband
might be asleep at the time for any thing the knew, she generally
set up until between twelve and one o'clock; it was a cold night
and windy; she had a good tire; can't say she made a blaze
Were the niail coach passed, but she might after it had passed ;
the toll-gate is a quarter of a mile from Wakefield.
Re-examined by Mr. A I.DERSON—They wore blue jackets--
are navigation men ; the River is the oppossite side of Wakefield.
Edward Ellis examined by Mr. 31AUDE—IIC Is above sixty.
seven years of age ; his wife is tiftv-two. He lives at Ncwoo toll.
gate; the parish church is Wakefield; Keaton is the township.
He pays the window rates at Stanley. There is a new church with
two steeples, but it is not used yet. 1:e did not know what had
taken his wife to the dam on the evening of the 9th of March.
She called out, " Edward, they are killing me," and he arose from
his bed to her assistance. He sat up in his bed. Two men seized
him by the neck; they dragged him off the bed. He recovered
his feet, and ininiediately struck one of them with his left hand,
and drove him towards the parlour-door. Ile could not see how
many there were. Two men hail hold of him ; the prisoners at the
bar are the two men; he had seen Michael White, one of them,
befiire at dilVerent times. Mr. Ward, the Surveyor of the Roads,
had brought him to his gate to pay him his wages; he did this two'
or three nines. White was employed on the turnpike road by Mr.'
Ware ;is not certain how long he has been employed. Thts was
near a twelvemonth before this alter happened ; it was in the win.
ter; they threw him down on the floor; one of the prisoners held
him by the neck and the other by the leg; they jumped upon him,
and poised him with their feet; lie despaired of his life. Knows
nothing else; can't say how long they kept him down; they went
out in a hurry; he heard some men in the house; no person woe to
him but the prisoners; they never left him the whole time; lie did
not see where his wife was all this time; he was on his back on the
floor; they were both upon him ; I could not get up ; they conti-
nued on me with their fee; can't say if they all went out together.
Ile was left upon the floor; he was unable to help himself ; be
was cut upon the eye (pointing to the cut) and on his nose ; he
had also two ribs broken; be was raised to his bed ; his wife got ,
assistance. He was three wicks confined to his bed before he could
get up or down ; it Will thirteen weeks before he could do any.
thing for himself. Ile had upwards of 1101. in the house at the
timeicif the robbery. Mr. John Ward, of Bradford, sends fur the
money • he is the lessee of the road, and came once a month for
it. There was upwards of Bfle taken away; it consisted of silver,
two promissory notes, ten guinea notes • might be {Si. notes.
In one pot there was a purse of nearly ten pounds in half.
crowns; the rest was in mall notes and silver. The live guinea I
' note was pinned to two guinea rotes; he took particular notice of
the note for W.; it was of the West Riding NVaketield Bank ;
does not know the number ; has seen it since, and bilieves it to be
the same note; Mr. Wiseman, the Magistrate, had it. White was
dressed in a dark-coloured jacket; Caudill in a darker; he de.
' scribed them situ marls.
Crosa.4xamined by Air. ALETANDER-113g been a toll-bar-
keeper fifteen years. He received a great many notes; can't say
how many ; he allays notices five pound ones; takes notice of has
money, to be sure, that had been paid to others ; once gave a five
pound note away for a one, which makes him careful; can't tell
any other. Mr. 'Ward brought men and paid them three or four
times at his house; it was not very .agreeable to him ; at one time
there were half a score men there; It was nearly twelve months ago
since Mr. Ward brought White there; can't speak to a hundred
thousand people ; he was not asleep ; did now know what his wife
went to the door lie ;he bas nothing else to say.
Mr. A I. EN /km nElt—O yes but you have !—lle did not hear her
feti to the door; the first thing lie heard was her crying nut, "
ward, they are killing me !" lie was not asleep ; they were upon
him immediately or he would have gone to her assistance ; he does
not know what time they •vere about him ; he was seized in un in.
slant ; he saw two men come rushing in ; he had not time to see
them before ; could not before they came in ; they threw him off
the bed on the ground ; he stood on his feet at first ; one had hold
of his throat, and one was behind him ; can't say how he fe!t; he
snuck and strled with them ; he did the best lie could for
himself. Mr. John Ward is his master, to whom he gives an Sc.
count ; be pays him every month ; he is a servant to him ; if he
quarrelled with him, which he never did, yet does not know whe.
th‘r he would turn him to the right-about.
The J MIE thought it unnecessary to ask the latter part of the
question.
weeese eemegmed—The cstdle was not out ; the tire was a good