The National Register.
London, England, 1823-03-16 00:00:00

WORCESTER, Caowti CURT, MARCH 11•

Allso3l.—William Harris, Robert Bell, and William
Lilly, were indicted 10r felemonsly setting fire ro the
Writ of Joseph Ja{Leman, near Brotusgrorte, in the county
of ‘Vorcesier,•ott.tlie night of ths 27th or Sept. last.
It was proved by Mr. Jakeinan, that his barn, which
was old and thatched with straw, was. burnt down on
the night in question. Ile could ascr.be no motive to
the conduct of the parties who set it AU fire, except that
he had occasionally threatened the idle boys of the neigh-
bourhood tot' trespassing on his tielde, but had 'lever
executed his menaces. The charge was brought home
to the prisoners by an accomplice, named George Stan-
ton, a lad of 13 years of age. This witness stated that.
on the esemtig or the 27iii of September, Bell, in the
presence of the other rivulets, asked him if he would
go and set the barn ottlire, or if he would tell if the
others did its He replied, that lie would not tell. Bell
then directed him to gn into the barn, and pile up the
pea-h against the rafters: he was afraid to go about,
and Barris and Bell accompanied him into the barn,
while Lilly, watched on the outside. They piled up :he
pea-h• close to the railer. Bell then fetched some
laths to light the fire with ; Harris said they would not
burn, and batught a mil Irons his lodgings. Ile wrap-
' ped.up.this coal in some pea-haunt, and put it against
the barn, which caught lire. The prisoners stayed till
the barn began to bl.ze. and then separated and went
home to their beds. This witness, on being repeatedly
questioned by the Judge, as to the moire wh.olt actuated
the party, declared, that it was merely a frolic, and 110
malicious moire was suggested by me evidence. The
statement of the accomplice was confirmed in several
circutinsianees by other witnesses. It appeared that
Irid been very active in endeavouring tto extin-
guish the flames.
The prisoners being called on for their defence, sere.
rally denied haring any concern in the fire, and coiled
respectable witnesses, who gate themru excellunt cha-
racter for steady, industrious, and regular habits.
The learned Judge directed ibe jury, that awicked
motive was a necessary ingredient in the crime imputed
to the p risonert. If they believed that these lasts had
sei Me the tarn w a lrolic, hosseser improper and

perilous, they could not find a verdict of guilty, on a
charge affecting their gives. But when they considered
the preparation which was made for the work, and the
deliberation with which it was performed. he feared they
could scarcely acquit them el a malicious design. The
bcaks of life and death were M their hands, and he
prayed the God of mercy to direct the balance.
The jury, alter deliberating for twenty minutes, found
the prisoners guilty, but earuestfy recommended them
to mercy.
The learned Jude immediately proceeded to pass yen-
tence
of death, but intimated to the prisoners, that, in
ptitmi.kuCe Of the recommendation of the Jury. the
Crown would mitigate the sentence.
CHARGE or NIURDLR.—Lucy I)aneer was charged
with the wnllul ttttt rder of her child, William Dancer.
an infant of the age of nine monthi. The Grand Jury
threw out the bill, but she was arraigned on the corn-
ner's
It was proved beyond doubt, that.this wretched woman
killed her child by cutting its throat with a knife, which
was produced, stained wi4h blood. She was the wile of
a lalxittring mail, and had another child, to whom she
had always been a tender her. It appeared, how-
ever, very satisfactorily, from the evidence of Mr. Dow-
ning, a respectable surgeon of the county, that she wail
u► a state of abstilme insanity at the time when she did
die act, and had .since remained in that condition.
The jury, tinder the direction of the lea►neu Judge,
acquitted the prisoner on the ground of insanity. and she
was detained iii custody nu 11 his Majesty's pleasure
should be known as to her dt-posal.

Rattuden was indicted tinder
Lord Ellenborough's act, !or stabbing Win. Blidgewater
with a knife, with intention to kill, to disable, ur to do
I • sonic grievous buddy harm.
It appeared ihat a quarrel had arisen between a brother
of Itsinstlen and a ,tnan named Cuandl.r, about half-
past nine u'cloc.k in the evening, at a public-bottae called
the Crab Mill, H, the town of Brunisgrove. The pro.
secutor acted as the second of Cliamller, and thinking
he law thelprisoin r unlairly assisting his brother, remon-
strated with hnia on his conduct, 1410.11 which the pri.
toiler raised a stick, and drseatened 10 knock out his
brains. The prosecutor wrenched the stick f his
hand.; on which the prisoner struck hint on the side
with some shall) instrument, and blood flowed from the
wound. Tile prosecutor stated that he was confined to
the house for a week afterwards—that he was attended
three weeks by a medical tutu, and that he still felt
pain on stooping.
The surgeon who dressed the wound was not in at-
tendance, but the learned Judge requested Mr. INtwiling
to examine the part where the wound was inflicted.
That gentleman having retired for the purpose, informed
the Court that the Cal 1111151 have been very slight--that
it could not have produced any serious consequences.
and that the statement of Bridgewater that he now felt
any inconvenience resulting from it must be untrue.
On this evidence, Mr. Justice Best directed the Jury
to acquit the prisoner, but ordered hint to find bail to
answer for the assault, witich his Lordship characterised
as most cowardly and brutal.
The prisoner accordingly gave bail, and was then dia.
charged.
Tile business of the Crown Court was finished at one •
o'clock on Weduesnay. Four prisoners' Thomas Jack-
son, Joseph Aston, Janies•Davis, and Thomas Gibln.
received sentence of death, for stealing cattle. His Lord-
ship intimated that, in conseritience of the prevalence of
this crime in the county, one or more of them must
sutler the last punishment of the law, and that, unless
the crime should be lessened at the text assize, all who
were convicted would share the same fate. Five pri-
soners received sentence for burglaries and robbing cot-
tages in the day time, to whom similar intimations were
given.

WINCJIF.STER. MARCH 8.

DREW •. GREEN.

This was an action to recover a compensation in damages for
(be seduction of the plaintiff's daughter.—The plaintiff is a
rublicsn resi.liag in Winchester, be has fire ions and two
daughters. The defendant is a hatter, st Winchester. barn
a shop also at Alton. Ile is a married man, and Imo a child.—
The 'plaintiff and defendant are next door n ighlsours. The
substance of the unfortunate girlrs evidence is as follows :
She is twenty-two years of age, and the youngest daughter of
the plaintiff. Soon alter the defendant camp to reside near her
fattier, she became intimate with the defendant's wife, and
mutual visits took place. Mrs. Green was sometimes absent
from Winchester. During her absence in January,lB2l, -Mrs.
Green, having no servant, requested Miss Drew (who had
been sacrist 41 to assist Mrs. Green, when at home, in her
household strolls), to come in and make his bed for him ; this
was between eleven arid twelve o'clock in the morning. In
consequence of this request she did go the house, and pro-
ceeded to do as ha bad asked her. Whilst she was so em-
ployed, defendant came into the room and conversed with her
on indifferent subjects, and then went down stairs. She.
finished the bed, arid then went down into the silting room at
the back of the shop. Miss Drew left his house, and went
borne, but did not disclose what had happened to any person.
About a week after (during which no intercourse took place),
Mrs. Green asked Miss Drew to come and trim a but for her ;
accordingly the day a.ter each request, she did go into the de-
fendant's house for that purpose, bat Mrs. Green had, unknown
to Bliss Drew, gone from borne. In d ctober, ploupeird
daughter was delivered of a child, which is still living, and of
which she declared the defendant to be the father.

i,n—atpioenrenaprodantu.soed.hospddii.tioonpaeln ftauctlsh,eiipiusbulit
The
strait ; °
lance a:a:Elio:lan:glass window between the shop and the sit-
ting room; that the defendant only succeeded iu his purpose
by toree sod violence: the door dividing oho room troui the
shop, may or limy not be more than four 'girds from the publio
street, and is in a line with the front door iu the shop ; peo-
ple often were in the shop; the counter is about two yards
f.oin the room door ; there is a window belonging to sootier
house within a few ysrds of the back window of the sitting•
room ; the mother of Miss D. had always possessed her 'flea-
lion and confidence, hut she conuealed from her what had hop.
pened; sbe (Miss D.) had once before stated that the stroll*
stated bad liken place in December, 1820, but it was by
mistake; she never told Mrs. Green of it; her mother Grid (iy


♦egad, 1821) discovered ber situation ; before that floe no
nos knew it.
m 4 defence noted prieeipAlly ow The improbsbiiittea and
contradictions in the evidenca given by Mire Drew.
The Jury, after some considerable deliberation, returned a
•erdict for the plaintitr--Dsmagea 601.