The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-04 00:00:00

)1O)I

SUSSEX ASSIZES, I.t*Es, Auausr 2.

Before the Lord Chief Ju.tiee BF.IT.
Slephe• Church was indicted for felortiouttly setting on Are too
hay-ricks. the property oft/mete Band/11, at Ileyshot, in the night
of the 13th July.
Mr. LAW conducted the 'Prosecution, and Mr. ADOLTIII3 the
defence.
A case of great suspicion wet opined and proved against the
prisoner. Ir appeared that he wall soil of a small farmer in the
prosecutor's n.ighbourh.sul. In the night time of the 13th of
July, two ricks of hay belonging to tl.e prosecutor Mete consumed
by lire. The prisoner had been seen going in a direction towards
the ricks at three o'clock in the morning with a hunch, anti almost
immediately afterwards the conflagration took place. As evidence
of his malice towards the prosecutor. it was proved thee he had
*caused a boy to take the linchpins from the wheels of his loaded
waggon for the purpose of its being upset when put in motion.'
Shortly before the lire broke nut. he had also foretold the event,
and when it happened, he declined using any exertions in ex-,
tineuishing the flames.
The Jury, under the Learned Judge's directions, found the
prisoner Xot
Sarah Little, • married woman, was indicted for the wilful
murder of her male infant child, at Pulborough, on the 14th May
last.

Mr. A NORM wS conducted the proiecution, and Mr. Anourtira
the defence.

' It appeared that the prisoner was servant in the family ors printer
at Worhing. Being in the family way, she received notice to
quit her place, and her mistress kindly lent her some baby-linen
for her confinement, which was intended to tyke place at the house
of a re:ation. On the day mentioned in the indictment the prisoner
became • mother, in • field near Billinghurst, after having left •
house In l'ulhorough, where she had taken lodgings. On return-
ing to her lotigisp, her landlady observing the alteration in her
appearance, and that she was extremely ill, asked her what had be-
come of her child. At tint she denied that she had had any child,
but, upon being pressed more homely, she said that in getting over
a stile the pains of parturition came on. and that the infant haring
fallen on the ground, it was killed on the spot. and she had buried
it In a ditch. In consequence of her description of the place. the
child was afterwards found, covered up in a ditch with mud. The
child's head was fractured, and some of the mud appeared to have
found its way into the windpipe, as far an the cells of the lungs.
The surgeons examined gave it as their opinion that the child's
death might hare been occasioned in the manner stated by tile mo.
thee, and that supposing the child in be apparently dead from the
fall, it might hare sufficient lite to imbibe by convulsive respira-
tion the liquid mud found in the windpipe and lungs.
After an able summing up of the case by the Learned Judge, the
Jury found the prisoner Not GtePty.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.

NORWICIT—COUNTY COURT, Mornay, Ava 1.

Before the Lon• CHIEF .711:9TICE.
BOVIEF.II V. BITVEWEILL.
This, was an action of treepau for an injury sustained by the
plaintiff Irvin the negligent driving of the defendant, through which
the plaintiff ;oat a hone of 40 guineas indite.
Mr. Rom xsow, in stating the plaintiff's Case, remarked. that
in order to justify the Jury to find a verdict for the plaintiff, it was
unnecessary firs, them to decide that his conduct had been the runic
of malice or any unworthy feeling. Indeed he was not instructed
to attribute the loss fur which he "might reparation to any other,
circumstance than mere ;occident. However. it was well undentood
that there wart a law of the road, and that law was well known, and
its vinlation. whenever through such a breach accident emu, An
punished. The Jury would hear the facts of the case, and then
judge whwthei in this case Cie plaintiff had not a right to complain
of the defendant's negligence, and if so, to what damages he sou
entitled for the hats he had sustained.
It noneared from the evidence of a gentleman, who, with the
plaintiff; was riling from Sealant to Lynn, that, as they were
proceedirg along at " a fairish pace." he saw at a distance of he.
tween 4 and ADO yards lights attached to a gig. The gig was pretty
nearly in the centre of the road. He called oat before he came up
to the driver of the gig to keep at one side, and the gig was moved
aceordirfa to his suggestion. The reflexion of the lights prevented
hint from seeing for some time. lie saw no other gig, but the
plaintiff called out to him, and he saw a pony Icing on the ground.
and the plaintiff's horse thrown nearly into the ditch. The plaintiff
was then on the right side of the road. When the horse stopped
there was a large hole in his chest.
Cross-examined by Mr. STORIES—They were going at eight or
nine miles an hour. Will swear it was not at ten. Was not a little
elevated either through the influence of bottled patter or the high
price of corn. They rode on, notwithstanding the accident, two
miles fun her to Lynn.
Curl was then called. who had accompanied the defendant on
the night in question. He stated that the defendant was on the
right side of the road. when the nlaintiff road against him.
Crose.examined—The plaintiffrnde over* heap of atones. The
road was about 24 feet wide. I will swear that the plaintiff in my
judgment was riding at rite rate of ten minutes an hour.
Re-examined—There were baps of stones at both sides of the
road.
When you say 24 feet, do you mean including the gravel ?
The CHIEF-JUSTICE—The other where. hunted twenty. three
—he has given you a foot more. Is it worth while, Mr. Robinson,
to waste the tine of the Court by such inquiries ?
Another witness proved that there was blood on the left hand
side of the road.
A veterinary surgeon proved that the horse died—he was worth
40 guineas, anti his bill was 11. 124.
.4r. Salmon proved that the plaintiff was sober when he set out
front Swaffbain.
3lr. STotixs, on the part of the defendant, ridiculed with consi-
derable effect the positions sat gravely put forward ; that it did not
matter what had been the plaintiff's conduct provtded this accident
occurred. The ',earned Gentleman proceeded to comment upnrs
the teatimony of the witnesses and " the law of the road" as laid
down by the high authority to which he was opposed, and con.
traded that. under all the circumstances, there must be a verdict for
. the defendant.
The (litter JttsvlCE summed up the evidence. and the Jury
found a verdict fin the plaintiff'—Damages One Shilling.
This action was nu e; en to. w if. rros.
brought hi' the plaintiff, who was lately overseer
of the pariah of Suntan Morley, against the defendant, a shop-
! keeper of the sante pariah, for compensation in damages for rertain
I delantatoey expressions need by hint concerning the plaintiff in his
' character of overseer. The special damage laid was ten pounds,
the amount of the yearly allowance made to the overseer, who lost
his appointment in consequence of the defamation. Plea, the gene-
ral issue, upon which tune wis joined.
From the testimony of the plaintiff's witnesses, it appeared that
at a parish meeting held in March last for the purpose of electing
overseers for the next year, the defendant said that " Turner
(meaning the plaintiff') had etnployeel men to work in his garden,
and paid them out of the money of the parish and lie could prove
it." In consequence of which the plaintiff lost his situation as
overseer. There were other expressions of a similar tendency at.
tributes' to the plaintiff, but he had never proceeded to establish'
these charges against the defendant.
On the defendant's part it was contended, that the words were I
not spoken of but to the plaintiffat a parish meets,. It was also ,
proved that the p'aintiff took up the parish books and carried
them away whin he perceived that the effect of the defendant'sl
statement was to require an examitiatton of them. It was also i
contended that the monis were not spoken of the plaintiff in his
capacity of ()veneer, but of surveyor, he holding both appoint.'
ments at the time. This, however, failed, as no juetificatton aas
pleaded ; and the Jury returned a verdict tot WI. the amount of ,
the special damage laid in the declaration.
CROWN COURT.
Before the LORD CHIEF' Remote.
Tkorruss St :mann! stood indicted, for that he on the 21st June
last, at the parish of Scoulton, feloniously, did steel, take, and
carry away live pigs, the property of Joseph Lane, clerk.
John Chesnut said, I know the prisoner. I met him in company
with two persons, Crown and Norgate. They were walking along
the road in the direction of Seoul:on. The prisoner lived at that
time at Lealtinn. The road where I met him, was that from
Leaham to Scoulton.
'flumes Preston knew the prisoner. This day six weeks, he
net him in the company with Crowe and Norgate„ near Senulton.
I asked him what they were about. They said looking for hoeing. 1
John Browne said, he knew the prisoner ; met him going to.
Little Effingham, and two persons were with hint, whom lie does
not know. It was about a furlong from )Ir. Lane's, the clergyman.
They asked me the way to Rockland.
The Rev. Joseph Lane, the prosecutor, said, that in the after,
naon of June 21, saw three men leaning :on a gate, near his
premises. They went then in the direction of !Attie Effingham.
Wm. Whyett way in the service of Mr. bane. His master lost
five pigs on the night of the 21st—he traced their footsteps some
way in the road. Ile found One on Thomas Norgate's premises,
and two on Crowe'a. None on the prisoner's.
There was much evidence to the same effect, bet the CHIEF
BARON thought that it so ,slightly affected the prisoner, that he
directed an acpittal.
Joseph Pavia: was indicted for stealing a sheep, the property of
Mn. Brumley.
It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner was met in the
Mad by a Mr. Semen, with the sheep in a ditch.
' It turned out upon cross-examination, that the night was moon-
NOE and that Mr. Semen knew the prisoner from his having been
it his employment at various times.
For the defence, Henry Bennett was called, who grated that me
Saturday night, when the charge of robbery wale made, he was 1.
dos Cross Keys, at Walpole. with the prisoner. They were drinking
Swan twelve in the day till eight at night. The prisoner was fresh,
sad he went to get another pint of beer; he was very drunk, an
be left Payne at halt'-past teu, at his own house. Payne went WM
lila own house.
Crass.examined—llis houses is about a mile end a half from 3101.
13,01,110Y'llgrotind.
The prisoner's son proved that he too had been drinking at •
public-house. and he was not fresh. When he got home It Wile
half-pant twelve, and his father was lying on the bed in his clothe%
'latex Mated.
The Learned Junor summed up the evidence, and tbeJueg
found that prisoner Guilty.
Sentence .if deit:i was recorded, the Cum' BARON' 01 ,
that the prisoner's defence greatly aggravated his ciente :" mall.
though the sentence of dumb would nut be carried into execetion,
he must prepare himself for a eel long absence fretti this cauntry.