The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-07-18 00:00:00

QU/RTLII SLINUONS.

At the Town S.ssions for Beverley, held on Timi-
d./ List, an indidment was tried, the subje6 of which
Lad a good deal occopie the attention 4.,r the neigh-
hoorbool—Mr. Eccles, a mpettable ,:oal-merchant
in Beverley, charged Horner and Smith, quarter-
master-eer)eants .ia the Durham and West Yo:k
Militia, with an assault. The witnesses for the pro-
secution stated, that Eccles, Pearson, and another
man, named Smith, left the Beer-houses on the Hull
turnpike road, about nine o'clock on the evening of
the 15th of November last. It was allowed on all
hands that Eccles was then fru*, but the witnesses
wore that he did not gallop or ride furiously. After
Cg a brisk trot tor about half a mile towards
y. they said they heard horses galloping to.

et thorn Ile night was excassivety dart; and
to prevent mischief, Eccles and Pearson, who were
first, drew near the edge of the road to the left
hand; when they had so done, and both be-
ing considerably to the left of the crown of the
road, Horner rode against Eccles's horse, bosh
the horses came down, and i,:cles was severely bruis-
el. A man of the name of Bruce, who lives near
the place where the accickat happened, swore that
fast previous to it he heard horses gdinping from
Beverley, and that he ir:irnediately declared, be was
glad he was not tia,,,the road, as in such a night it
would he very dangerous. Randerson, who keeps
the toil-bar a few hundred yards from the place, and
nearer Beverley, swore that two men, who were ap-
parently soldiers, had galloped through the bar just
before the accident, in a very riotous way. The
witnesses swore that Homer's horse was laid near
the edge of the road. No evidence of assault ap-
pearing against Smith, he was immediately Ac-
quitted.
The witnesses for Horner deposed, that be and
Smith left Beverley to go to HArll, rriedly sober,
about half past eight o'clock. .1 hat they set out in
a quiet and leisurely manner. A witile< Liam!
of Eushaw, of a most respectable appearance de-
posed, that when Eccles left the Beet--louses, he, the
witness, held his horse ; that Eccles was much in
liquor; that he set of in a gallop, declaring " his
horse would ride over the devii." The
,guard and
coachman of the Hull coach deposed, that just be-
fore the accident, they met two men riding furiously
tovards Beverley, and near the place where the acci
dent happened. Randerson had sworn that on the
night of the 15th of November he had gone in the
Hull coach to Bruce's house. These two .witnesses
distinctly swore, that an this eveainq, the 15th, there
was no snow on the ground, but that when they did
carry Randerson, there was snow on the ground,
and that whilst Randerson was on the coach, they
stopped to take up a hat laid on the road, which
they discovered from the snow lying around it.
They also swore they met two men riding furiously
from Hull who ran against the coach horses.—
Purdon, the keeper of the Hull turnpike-gate, de-
posed, that there was no snow lying on the ground
on the night of the 15th, but that there was on the
16th. He further deposed, that on the evening of
the 15;h, after the accident, Horner stopped ten
minutes at his gate, conversing in the most sober
mane-r. From the testimony of these three wit-
nesses, it was argued Randerson must wilfully mis-
represent one fad at least ; that it was clear he did
net go on the top of the Hull coach the evening of
the accident, but on some other day. Bruce, on his
cross-examination, acknowledged his wife and he
had differed respecting the quarter whence horses
were coming, for that she imagined they were com-
ing, from Hull, and riot from Beverley. Mr. Par-
don further deposed, that Homer's horse was not
lying on the side of the road, but very near the
middle.

The Jnry found Horner guVty t and he was fined
by the Court 2us.