The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-08-01 00:00:00

SUs.F.IC ASSIZES.

LEWES, JOLT 30.

Mr. Baron Hal- lIANI and Mr. Serjoant RUM NINO.
ros arrived at this town, on Saturday evening, and
opened the Commission ; this morning they pro-
ceeded to business.
On the Civil Side, nine causes were entered fee
trial, three of which vvere Special Juries, but they
were all for assaults aad obstruetions on Revenue
ID:ncers, and none of the causes are worth any de-
tailed report.

CR:f AVM SIDE.
Before Mr. :stricane RLNNINGTON.
CHILD MURDER.

Mara Gear, a gir I of seventeen. was indieted for
the wilful murder o f her female bastard child, by
El:rowing it down t' ie privy and suffocating it.
Sarah Stamford said she kept the Anchor public-
house at Ringmoo r, in this county, and that the
otironer lived servant with her in March last. On
C!ch day of t! rat month, as she was passing the
!-1.,.,111 door !here the Prisoner slept, she heard
I.er :•. • tning as tl rough in great pain. She went in
to is tre what 'etas the matter; the girl said she
was very ill, and that she had hurt herself by lilting
large keeler (a h oiler). The Witness got her some
warm gin and seater, and she said she felt herself
better Soon afterwards, about eight in the even-
in r, the Piffles ; went up into the room again, and
v....; surprised tit finding the Prisoner not there.
She immediately went into the garden, and met
midi her coming from thence. Suspecting what
Led happened,. she asked her where was the child ?
Vie girl imnicidiately replied, it was down the privy.
Mary Stamford, the daughter-in-law of the last
Witness, confirmed the above statement.
Charles Stamford stated that he was in the gar-
den on the Bth. of March, in the evening, and he
heard something, as it were digging. at the back
of the privy ; afterwards hearing what had hap-
pened, he searched the place, and found a new-
born male child.
James Moor, a Surgeon at Lewes, stated that he
was called in to examine the child—he found it with-
out any symptoms of putrefaflion—there was a small
Lceration of she scalp, behind the left ear, above
that a small hole, through which a part of the hair
had oozed out ; but there was no extravasation of
blood, or any thing which could lead him to sup-
pose that any violence bad been used to terminate
the life of the child. The lungs were florid and
healthy, and seemed to have imbibed atmospheric
air ; Lut, he said, that was no decisive proof that the
clald was born alive.
The Learned Serjeant who tried the cause told
the Jury, that they first ought to be satisfied th. t the
child was born alive, before they pronounces the
Prisoner guilty of murder. He then recapitulated
the evidence upon this point, and observed, that
there was not a single tittle which went to demon-
state that the child was live b fn. If they were of
this opinion, their next duty would be to say, whe-
ther she had concealed the birth, which would sub-
jetct her to another of punishment. And he
coofessed, from the manner in which she answered
to the interrogatory of her mistress, where the child
was ? declaring. that it was down the privy, that he
thougin there was hardly sufficient evidence to find
her guilty of this part ut the case.
The Jury, with soma hesitation, found her gene-
rally Not Gast*.
Thomas KeJneiy, a soldier in the I lith regiment,
was infieled for a burglary and violent assault upon
William Marin, at the Parish of Icklesham.
In this ea.e, which was of a very aggravated na-
ture, the evi 'ence was chietiv circumstantial. The
Prisoner, a d some other soldiers, had been in the
habit of using the house of the Proscutor, who was
what is called in this county, a fair trader (that
is a smuggler) who sepplied the soldiery with
spirits, &c. and some time in February last they had
behaved with a great degree of riotousness, for
which they were s otenced to a severe punishment
by a CA1(04411141. Till> was however remitted
upon the appli :a:103 of Martin. The prisoner from
this time conceived a design of revenge against the
Prosecutor, and, it was proved, fiequently urged a
man of thenarne of Wafer to break into his house, and
not only to rob him, but alai to brat him severely.
On the right of the 2d of Mty the proisecutor arid
his wife being both in bed, where awakened by seve-
ral heavy blows : uotwithstanding their cries, they
were continued ; the is ife had her arm broke, her
bands and aides dreadfully bruised ; and in their
retreat the villains Carried off a watch and other ar-
ticle.. They could not identify the prisoner ; but
one of the persons supposed to he the prisoner spoke
with an Irish accent, and wore soldier's cloaths.
When the alarm was given at the barracks, which
was done immediately, the prisoner was found in
bed, a; though not having been out that night; but
the serjemr, searching about the bed, found his
Ineezi.es concealed under the bed, the seat of them
Le rig very much dirtied and mudded ; and looking
round, they discuyered that amass had evidently got
ern Oi a window and had slid down a window frame,
wh•ch would have the effeff of dirtying the cloaths
in it as his were. It was also proved, that a person
• keht 1 was seen a's-iitt that street on the riutside of
,Lebar:Af:s.-1 he Salty f, uri lam Credo.

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