The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-05 00:00:00

A'ORFOLII CIRCUIT.

NOIIFOLIt ASSIZES, Nonwicn, Wlnirmsriatt, Ave 3.
CRIMINAL COURT.
Before the LORD Cnner BARON.
Christopher Watts and Win. If stood indicted fee baying,
on the 28th of May last. burglariously entered the house of Fuller
Coker, and stolen from thence several articles, his property.
Fuller Coker, the prosecutor, is a tailor, residing at Beaton, io
this county. Ile has a shop which forms part of his dwelling. Ile
remembered the 28th May lest. On that day he had a great-coat
and other things in his shop. Ile went to bed that night, and all
was safe. There was. a door and window front the shop to the
garden. On the next morning he rose first, and observed that the
few things left were scattered about and trodden under foot.
The window was broken open, and the door was half open. lie
missed a great coat, • pair of breeches, 14 or 15 yards of calico,
and a bundle, containing various articles.
By the COURT—It was ten o'clock when I went to bet: ; it was
six when I got up. and the sun had risen some time.
Elizabeth Coker, the prosecutor's wife, said that she recollected
the 28th May last, and on that evening she had put several articles
into a shawl. She set it on the board where her husband worked ;
there was in that bundle a box and cotton, a black velvet purse,l
and three large clasp knives, and one penknife; perhaps as many
as twenty children's books.
William Hunter is a constable of the parish of Boston. On the
30th of May, be apprehended Christopher Watts, and took him
before a Magistrate. After I had apprehended the prisoner I took
from him a shoe called " a high-low," and compared it with the
impression made in the garden adjoining Coker's house, and it cor-
responded exactly ; I found, on searching the prisoner, two knives,
one a clasp knife, anil the other a penknife. When before the
Magistrate, he denied having broken into the house, hut he said
the sweep did. I asked him where the things were; be said he'd
show me if I accompanied him, anti he brought me to a field, from
the ditch of which he produced two bundles.
Thomas Moore lives at Boston. lie recollects the prisoner Wm.
Watts. Ile went on the Tuesday after to Mr. Large.", where the
prisoner IVm. ‘Vatta lived as servant. I said I had heard of some
knives he had ; he took one and gave it me, and other things, such
as needles, &c.
Thomas King, tie* to the Magistrate, produced the articles al-
luded to, all of which were subsequently identified by the prosecu-
tor and his wife.

This wee the case on the part of the munition.
The prisoner, Christopher Watts, in his defence, said, that on
, the night in question he was drinking with George Smith, and he
lover persuaded him to go with him to the prosecutor's, when Smith
entered. and gave him the things for watching, and hid the bundles
lin the ditch.
The other prisoner, Wm. Watts, stated that his brother had
given him the things found upon him.
The CHIEF BARON, in su.nming up the evidence said, that for
aught that appeared on the evidence the house of the prosecutor
had been broken open in the day time ; and, therefore. the offence
of burglary was not made out. The house had Imo broken open
certainly, but goods to the amount of forty shillings had not been
taken. That' might, however, be found guilty of grand larceny
under this indictment, if the jury were satisfied that the evidence
brought home guilt to the prisoners. If they saw any distinction
between the cases, and thought that such distinction benefited
either of them, to that prisoner they would give the benefit of such
distinction. The Learned Chief Baron then read over the evidence,
tilling the Jury that, most probably, they would find it incumbent
upon them to make a difference between the cases of the prisoner.,
The Jury found the prisoner Christopher Watt* Gritty of steal-
ing under the value of forty shillings, and Win. Warta !Not
Gritty.
The prisoner we sentenced tetwelve months imprisonment in
the llouse of Camden, and to be kept to hard labour.
Joie Roma was indicted for having on the 18th of April last,
on the King's highway, in the parish of Benham, feloniously as-
saulted James Cram, and taken from bin person a puma contain-
in five pounds, andcertain monies, his preperty.
James Creep, the prosecutor, said be rk•d, in April last, at
Benham. He is a labouring man. He lived at the King's Arms,
Binham. He is now married ; but was not then. Ile spent his
evening on the 18th April at Hr. Dickorie's with Ellen Clarke.
She lived two milats Nun Dinham. lie went from Mr. Dickens's
between nine and ten with kllea Clarke. It was • little after ten
when be reached her home, and he did not leave till near two ,
I o'clock for Benham. On his return he met with two men. Ono'
of them kept loch. The other urns up to him. I knelt late 184-