The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-10 00:00:00

}roatz cincurr.

SURREY ASSIZES, CROYDON, Aceicer
Ilanliah Shaer, a single woman, was indicted for the wilful
murder of her foe
caudellegitimate child at Lambeth, on the 113th of
March, by sur In a privy. Second count charged prisoner
with concealing theyirth..
Ur. TuesaYntit, whq 'conducted the prosecution, stated in the
outset that he proposed to abandon the capital charge, itossmuch as
111;was in no entehtlon tomove that the child was horn alive. The
Jury would thedebre hate to confine their attention solely to the
cherof conceilment.
r. lave conducted the aefentlt-
t appeared in evidese that the prisoner (who was In the dews'
distress during her trial) .was n charwoman t she lodged a; the
house of a gardener..nlltued Turner, to Lambeth.
Fticatanti time previous to the loth of March, her landlady had
"eared that she was pregnam,,,, The beadle of the parish 3i4io taxed
her r; to her condition, and werqed her tp leye the parish, lest she
should bring alurdch upon Lambeth, to, width she Jl4l not belong.
She, however, denietl her pregnancy, On tie 18th Muech the. pri.
sat*, thatead of goillg ,her
to her work il'ctualned at horn:. In the
course of the morning Mrs. Tbriter.'s. daughter obacied fief
cate something in a pail to tho Privy, taking fltlr.Ser a
bi broom. Abut twelve o'clock Dim Turner, who had bees
mat home; end learning front het...daughter, what the had
observed, asked the prisoner what had happened to her, and remark„
mg thee her ship! Was very much altered! taxed her Jelth having
dispelled tither inthnt. The prisoner said nothing hid happen
to her; and denied that she had had an infant. Upon being furthci
pressed, she admittbd that she had become a mothiromd had
thrown the Child into the privy. In consequence of this informa-
tion the pia was searched, and the child found ; the birch broom
above having !glen used for the purpose of pushing the
body lama dN saiL • 1
The pefasseat was too dutch distressed to attempt any defence.
Her Cesilasel did avail thing that could be done on her behalf. i
Mr. lamp Oita mot 'steamed up the evidence, and the Jury
found hat Guilty of the concealment.
SFaiiana.—Three awe* imprisonment in the House of Cor- I
r•
unM"gCodhatne Jetap, anti 1.11111i4 two &Ram
a age it foartamorare indicted for a conspiracy to set lire!
to the fitter/ adlh:•J>tira Byng Banks, lace maker an Bertnond-
sey, and *film trial of considerable length, were found--Not
Cagily.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.

3ION3IOUTH ASSIZES, MONDAY, Atro O.

These Assizes commenced this day before Mr. Justice Bun.
lovas oo the Crown side, and Mr. Baron °sallow at Nisi
Prism.
The calendar contained the names of nine prisoners, one of,
them for murder. On the Civil sidt there were twelve causes en-
tered for trial, of which seven were disposed of as undefended
causes, or by verdicts being taken by consent. This despatch of
business caused some delay, as the Witnesses in several of the later
cases had not arrived in the towns and alter a lapse of tome time
the business ptoceeded.
CIVIL SIDE.
Before Mr. Baron Gaaanti.

LEWIS I. isicifxn De.
Mr. C. PIIILLIPS opened the pleading..
Mr. Ckst enexi. stated that the plaintiff was landlord or the
Crown Inn at A bergavenny. The defendant was a timber merchant
in the same town. The parties had both been in the habit of hay.
ing their linen hung out to dry in apiece of waste ground called thE
Priory-yard, for which the plaintiff paid the defendant sixpence a
year. On the day in question the plaintiff's linen was drying, slid
the defendant came in agrest passion and knocked down the clothh-
poles. The plaintiff 's servant replaced them, and the defendan,...
a towering wrath fetched • carpenter's axe, and with that he hschAssi
a pair of sheets in pieces. The plaintiff came tip and renionstrite%
and the defendant struck him twits with the pole of the axe.
William Jones said, I am the plaintiff's servant ; our clothes
used to dry in the defendant's pound ; on the day in question he
pulled up the clothes-posts, and threw the clothes into the mud. I
I replaced the pole, and the plaintilf came up and ordered the cldthes
in, but the defendant trampled on them. The defendant then tau
into a carpenter's shop and brought out an axe, with which he flat
cut the clothes line, and then two table-cloths and a pair hf thy mis-
tress's pockets. The plaintiff tried to get the clothes away, knd the
defendant with an oath told hint to begone, and hit Min on the
I head with the pole of the axe, I mean the iron head of the ate, op.
posite to the edge.
Cross-examined by Mr. Leto r.ow.—They had not been Scuffling
II before. 1 had seen their bands lifted up for ten minntes ; they
were rather in a passion, I heard the defendant order the paintiff
off his premises.
Re-examined.—l knotty the clothes are here.
Frances Jones proved the same facts, and produced the clothes.
They presented some frightful gashes, and were in Put rendetsd
wholly useless.
Mr. lArrixow addressed the Jury in mitigation of damages, and
at the express request of his client called a witness, who proved
that be was present, and did not see any blow pass, brat l e !Minh-
tad that he saw that the plaintiff was bruised, but how it happened
he did not knob.

Mr. CAMPBELL replied.
Mr. &WOO GA no* "toured up the MI to the Jury.
Verdltt tbr the plaintif—Darnates,
FADE IMPRISONMENT.

JAMES I'. SWIFT, Eau.
Mr. CAMPBELL said that the plaintiff was a small freeholder
living at Pinhbrn, the defendant. Mr. Swift, filled the office of one
of the bailiff's of the borough of Monmouth. Ile had the honour
of knowing Mr. Swift, whoa as they probably were aware, wss •
magistrate of the, Borough, and however respectable on other oc-
casions, had certainly misconducted himself now. In the month of
Novembet the flaintiff was going home, and on his way passed
Troy-house, the seat of his Grace the Duke of Beaufort, and there
be met Mr. Swift, who said that the plaintiff had stblen his tim-
ber; on this a Mr. Powell came up, and said he would give his
word fur the plaintiff's appearance. The plaintiff, hovrevet, would
not accept of the interference, and the defendant said, " I'll be
il—d if you shan't go to gaol ;" and Mr. Swift then sent him to
the house of the sergeant-at-mace, on a charge of stealing this
timber, and the Magistrate being resolved to ito his duty, ordered
the plaintiff's pockets to be searched, no doubt in the hope of finding
the itoien timber, but he should prove that they had only found
Hton him a pocket handkerchief, a penknife, anti a smiff-box.
owever, notwithstanding this, Mr. Swift sent the plaintiff to the
Gate-lipuses which, as they knew, was • bdilding near a thousand
years old, having no light, except at some of those slits through
which our ancestors shot arrows at the besiegers of the town.
Here the plaintiff' was locked up, without chair, table, tire, or
candle, anti was only let out at the intercession of Mr. Williams.
the plaintiff's attorney, after having been locked up six hours.
No charge was, however, attempted to be followed up against the
plaintiff on account of the timber.
The notice of the action being proved,
George Powell said, I was near Troy House on the night in
question; I saw Mr. Swift and the plaintiff; Mr. Swift's two men
had hold of the plaintiff', anti I said, " What are you going to do—
to kill the man or rob hint ?" Mr. Swift said, " No, he has robbed
me." I said I had nothing at all to say if that wit, sd. Mr. Swift
then asked me if I knew the man. and would become bail for him,
to which I assented ; and Mr. Swift said he would deliver him over
to me, but tile plaintiff said he would not film bail, he had
done nothing to want bail for. Mr. Swift then Mid, " Now we
will have him to the Tower," and Mr. Swift's men took him away.
I The Tower is on the bridge; it is a bad place on a Novembrf
night. There is no bed there—a good deal of straw, and plenty of
company. (A laugh.)
Cross-examined by Mr. Lodi-ow—The plaintiff mien be •
little fresh, but not very drunk; he was not sober; he had not
been drinking in my house. The NVye had been flooded, and
timber had Hosted away. Mr. Swift said the plaintiff had robbed
him, but did not say that the plaintiff had insulted him.
John Jones, a sergsam-at-mace, said, I carried the plaintiff to
the gate.hcuse, but before that he was searched, and some money,
a pocket-book, a penknife, and s snuff-box found upon hint, but
I did not find any pieces elf timber in his pockets. This was at
about eight o'clock at night. There was straw in the lock.up
house, but no fire ode candle. De was kept four or live hours.
Mr. Swift directed me to lock him up.
Cross-examined—Mr. Swift is a magistrate The plaintiff we;
very drunk, and rather abusive.
Mr. Luntow addressed the Jury for the defendant, and called
Mr. Swift's men, who swoti that nothing was said about any dm-
ber, but that they took the plaintiff hp for being abusive to Mt.
Swift.
However, a third witness being called, he stated that the timber
was mentioned when the plaintiff was taken, but that the plaintiff
said he eared no more for a Monmouth Alderman than an apple-
dumpling. his, Swift then said, if he would riot be civil he would
hate him locket up.
Mr. CAMPBELL replied.
Mr. Baron Ganctow said, that this mate had nothing to de with
Mr. Swift's Mike of a Magistrate, and chid the Jury ought to give
such moderate damages as they thought the plaintiff fairly en-
titled to.
Verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 61.

CROWN BIDE.
Before MT. JettliCe Brit/101'CH.
BURNING A WOOD.

Edmund Young was charged with setting fire to a wood, the pro-
perty of his Grace Henry Heise of Beaufort, on the 19th day of
April last.
Mr. ('Ross stated the case.
William Owynne said, I am one of the wocedwerds Of the Duke
lof Beaufort. There was a fire in the Beacon Wood. I went to it ;
about ten acres were burnt. I. had seen the prisoner M the rood,'
near my house. There is way from my house to his; near the
tire. I taw the prisoner go in a direction towards the place where
the Ere was; but I saw no smoke for mere than half an hour.
The Saturday following, I asked him which way he went home,
and he told the through the wood. I asked if he bad seen any fire,
and he Said he had not. It was short oak wood, but the wind blew
very hard. I could find where it began, but not how it had been
done.
Margaret Hoskins. a little girl, said, I remember the ate. 1 was
picking tip chips. I observed a smoke. lUM a man by the wall
side, and soon after saw the smoke; the man wore a carer's frock
and a black hat. I did not know him; he was a long way off me.
I s►w the prisoner about half an hour after; lie wore • similar
dres►, but all the country people wear nearly the same sort of
dress.

Mr. Justice Butiounn, on this evidence, directed an ac.
quittal.
Verdict—Not Guilty.

lit IDL.4A'D CIRCUIT.
WARWICK ASSIZES, WAnwscs, Ago. O.

The Assiree commenced here this day, before Judge PARK itl
the Civil, and Judge IllitlioKo it the Criminal Court. The Re.
lendarls.rtniparat Ively 1404
Ai r. Justice Hot n 0 Ir hls!barge to the (hand Jury, no.
fleed the case of Stockman, o.ugilittorhcn be reprobated the
breaking of the pease by the 110 eght, which, causlid an eneeenhlead
of thieves and persons of the Pont des/11140. tyke aided sod
abetted in breaking the peace. The earned Jntlgeeuibplt•lX
the borough ALogistrates for preventthg thb lite holing
log place within their jurisdiction. The peace, bowerellPlß
was broken at a very short distance from We shwa; bin the Mow
Magistrates.were most probably not aware of so 3uddctt all nemnin+
Wage. The Learned Judge next adverted td thi liba
which blundy conflicts were, he 'aid, against all Christian an sop.
ral feelings, by the torture of noble anioutls. He itt) Id. if 911111-
atom: at correct, the Magistrates had power to supirkin such ter
tore, as the Atiing 4bottt ittha ild beasts was illegal, It casaitd
terror, and hazarded the live,' of hies Majesty's subjects. . There was ea trial of the slightfat interest during the day. gtoe.sr-
man's trial will probably take place on Wednesday. John Currier,
from Birmingham, was brought here teiterday, and fully We-
mined, as an accomplice in the robbery of_Mr. rata.