The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-01-21 00:00:00

HEREFORD COUNTY SESSIONS.

PROSECUTION UNDER THE GAME LAWS.
James Erkfry was charged with having been found, on the night
of the 13th of December, in a close, in the parish of Much Cowam,
armed with a gun, for the purpose of killing game. He was in-
dicted under the statute 37th Geo. 111. c.llO, which lenders any
person convicted of the offence liable to be transported for seven
yearn, "or such other punishment as may be by law inflicted on
persona guilty of misdemeanor, and as the Court shall adjudge,"
whether tine or imprisonment, or both.
Mr. POW LL, the Counsel for the prosmutiod, stated the case.
lie alluded to the preamble of the statute, which states, " that idle
and disorderly persons frequently go armed in the night-time for
the purpose of inotecting themselves, and aidiag and abetting,
and assisting each other iu the illegal destruction of game; and
that such practices are found by experience to lug to the commis-
sion of felonies anti murders." lie detailed the evidence ns it was
afterwards proved by the witnesses, and called the attention of the
Jury to the only questions they had to try--Ist, Whether the pri-
soner was found in the close, at night, armed with a gun and, 2d,
Whether they could entertain any possible doubt of his being there
with intent to destroy game ?
Joseph Palmer, assistant gamekeeper to F. H. Thomas, Esq.
was first examined. Ile said that on the night of the 13th De-
cember he was stationed with a man named Banister to watch to
the close, which the prisoner entered about eleven at night; he
saw the Timmer get over a hedge, when he spoke to him, and
said, " Hallo, I have been waiting for you ; the prisoner ex-
claimed, " Hallo," and held up a loaded gun he had in his hands
in a threatening manner ; he instantly closed with the prisoner, a
struggle ensued and be secured Eckley, but during the contest
Palmer received a severe blow on his head, and finding blood
running down his face, he presented a pistol at the prisoner, who
surrendered. He took hint to a house near the spot, and on search.
hog his pockets he found three purse nets. He examined the hedge
at the close two days afterwards, and discovered three nets set to
take game.
Cross-examined by Mr. ARMITAGE—There was a public path
through the close; lie collared the prisoner, bat not till after he
had held up h:s gun in a threatening manner at witness; the gun
had no flint when examined at the house he took the prisoner to;
be could not say front whom he received the severe blow on his
head ; the prisoner said it was from his bully (companion.)
On re-examination the winless stated, that before he took the
gun from the prisoner it had been drawn along the ground some
distance there was dirt upon it : the flint might have dropped out
in the scuffle. The gap by which the prisoner entered the close was
nearly 200 yards from the footpath. lie stated that he did not
present his pistol at the prisoner until he had received the blow and
felt the blood running down his face, nor until he considered his
life to be in danger,.
Jos. Banister gave the same testimony as Palmer.
Thomas Pearce, head gamekeeper to Mr. Thomas, produced
the nets sound on the prisoner ; they had fur on them at the time
they were taken. Oneof the nets found on the prisoner was of the
sante make and materials as those laid in the hedge, and he had
no doubt but that they belor.ged to the same set. He drew the
charge of the gun the prisoner carried; it was loaded with powder
and shot. He had examined the hedge at the close, in company
with Palmer, and found the nets set there which he produced.
Mr. ARMITAGE addressed the Jury in behalf of the prisoner;
he observed that the Act under which the prisoner was indicted,
was equally severe and cruel, and such as they ought not to give
effect to; for under this Act, the prisoner, if convicted, would be
punished by transportation.
Mr. POWELL interrupted the Learned Counsel, and stated that
the law was not ao ; the Court had also the power of inflicting any
punishment of fine or imprisonment, or both.
Mr. ARMI CAGE resumed—So far from severity of punishment
having diminished the perpetration of crime, it was a fact that, in
proportion as the law had increased the penalties, so had poaching
increased.

Mr. PowELL asked if his Learned Friend intended to prove
this %

.... .
Mr. ARMITAGE—The way In which gentlemen sent out their
gamekeepers to watch the poachers, was calculated to provoke re-
sistance—they were sent, like footpads, armed with pistols, instead
of being furnished with sticks, as was formerly the case. He felt
confident that the Jury would acquit the prisoner.
Three witnesses gave the prisoner an excellent character.
• • • -

The CHAIRMAN summed up the evidence to the Jury. He did
not wish himself to give any opinion on the game laws, and he did
not think the Jury were called upon to consider their tendency in
their verdict, which ought only to be guided by the evidence they
had heard. If they had any doubts, it was proper they should give
the prisoner the benefit of them ; but the character he had received
ought not to influence their decision, which should only be guided
by the evidence which had been produced.

The Jury, after coasulting a short time, returned their verdict—
Nat Guilty.
This verdict excited considerable surprise.

On the next prisoner, R. Lilly, being placed at the bar, Mr.
POWELL, Counsel for the prosecution, requested the Court to
discharge the Jury, but the prisoner having been arraigned with
others in the morning, the Court expressed some doubts as to the
power of dischseging the Jury.
In reply to the application, the enornscur observed, the Jury
have given their verdict in opposition to the most direct and posi-
tive evidence, and, addressing them, he said, " I do not know how
yuu can reconcile it Wyatt consciences."

At the Sessions, at Nerthallerton, last week, bills of in-
dictment were preferred, and found by the Grand Jury,
against James Styan, overseer of the poor of Farlington,
and W. Fisher, constable of that place, and also against
Benjamin Lund, constable of Sheriff Hutton, for lodging
a poor woman, named Maria Holt, in an out-house, at
Farlington, when labouring under a severe diarrhoea, or
bowel complaint, and afterwards removing her in that
state, in an open cart, without an order, from Farlington,
and Sheriff Hutton, to Mahon, and there leaving her in a
dying state in the public street. The place of her settle-
ment was at Snainton, and not at Mahon. Our readers
will recollect the poor creature died at Mahon soon after
her arrival, and a Coroner's Jury found, by their verdict,
that her death was hastened, if not caused, by the removal
and previous treatment. The case stands over for trial
until the next Sessions, in order to secure a full attendance
of Magistrates, and that the subject may be investigated in
a manner suitable to its importance.—York Paper.
VIOLENT OllTß•GE.—lnformation was yesterday re-
ceived at Hatton-garden Police-office, of a very daring and
brutal outrage having been committed the previous even-
ing, between the hours of ten and eleven o'clock, at the
Ilorse and Groom public-house, Turninill-street, Clerken-
well, on the person of Mrs. Mary Ann Ford, wife of the
proprietor the above house. As Mrs. Ford was sitting
in the barclbe perceived the street door suddenly opened,
and just as she rose from her seat to see who was coming in,
she received a tremendous blow on the head, from some
weighty missile, which brought her to the floor in a state
of total insensibility, in which condition she was found in
a minute or two after by her husband, who perceiving that
she bled profusely, immediately sent for surgical assist-
ance. The wound, which was about an inch above the
temporal artery, was of great depth, and caused a very con-
siderable hemorrhage; she was with some difficulty re-
stored to animation, but could give no account of the per-
son of her assailant, the thing being done with so much
expedition, that she had only teen the door open, when
she was extended almost lifeless on the floor. The sur-
geon, who attended, declared, that had the blow been a
little lower, it insist almost certainly have proved fatal.
The missile found at Mrs. Ford's feet has been lodged
with Lee, the resident officer; it is a conical piece of
lead, of nearly a pound weight, and from its appearance
seems to have been used as a curtain dropper. Mr. Ford
has offered a reward of five pounds for such information as
may lead to the conviction of this cold-blooded assassin,
and the circumstance having excited a very strong feeling
of abhorrence amongst the inhabitants of that district, and
particularly amongst the adjacent publicans, there is no
doubt that a much larger reward will be offered, in order
to bring this (lark and truly barbarous transaction to light.
The only motive that could induce any attack of the kind,
either upon Mr. or Mrs. Ford, is that which should shield
them from it—namely, that they conform strictly to the re-
gulated hour of closing their doors for the night, and it is
suspected that some person who perhaps conceived himself
disappointed in that respect, by being refused admittance,
took this cowardly mode of revenge on a delicate and inof-
fensive woman.

DtsTaesslxa AND FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Monday
' last, as Mr. Nathan Horn, sun. was driving his daughter,
Nlrs. Kennicott. and her little girl, a child five years old,
towards their house at Monkwearmouth, in a pony gig,
the pony became suddenly restive, and set off at full speed.
The gig was overturned, and the parties were thrown upon
the pavement with great violence. Mr. Horn pitched upon
his head, fractured his skull, and after lingering till %Veil-
nesday night, expired. Mrs. Kennieott was very severely
bruised, and the child had its collar bone broken. It is
ratber an extraordinary circumstance, that some years ago
Mr. Hull had his skull fractured, and then suffered the
distressing operation of trepanning; his recovery at that
time was considered as extremely precarious. He was a
gentleman of quiet and unassuming demeanor, and by long
habits of successful industry had acquired a considerable
fortune. This melancholy event has thrown a gloom upon
the town of Sunderland, where Mr. Horn was ►ell known
and respected for half a century.—Darham Paper,

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