The National Register.
London, England, 1820-07-31 00:00:00

46

•
goonr :Votelligence.
KrsT.
WEDNESDAY. JULY 26.
CIVIL SIDE.
LOCKWOOD, GENT. V. BARDO.
was an action by an attorney of Rochester against •
the defendant, for an assault.
. it appeared in evidence that the defendant had been a
• client it the plaintiff, and in all action brought by the
'latter on his behalf a verdict to the aillettot Of 401.
damages and costs was recovered. The plaintiff nut
having settled the business to the satisfaction of the de-
fendant, the latter met hiin in Rochester on the ituli of
.Itily it. last year, and taxed hist, with roguery in the
transaction, sug4esting that he had not paid over the
money recovered, and stating that he was " a c!•—d old
.1-o:4lw—that he had behaved to him worse than a big,h-
waytnan, and that he ought to be shot." This language
was accompaniethby a violent shake of the arm, and the
decent:ant thrust his list in the plaintiff's face.
The Jury found for the plaintiff—Damages 20s.
There was no other case on this side worthy of public
not icc. _ _ _

CROWN SIDE.
'BANK OF ENGLAND PROSECUTIONS.
Richard Worthing, Samuel May, and Thomas
Satin fers were severally indicted for uttering forgel
Bank of England notes;k now ing them to be forged, hot
having pleaded guilty to the minor offence, of knowingly
having forged notes in their possession, the capital
charge was abandoned. They were each sentenced to
• 14 years transportation, pursuant to the statute.
Thomas Snuiders and Joseph NVilkes were then in-
dicted capitally lor tattling a forged one-pound Bank of
En ::and note, to one Philip Chapman, at Chat nano, on
.the _'Bth of April last. The prkoner Saunders was'
juined with Wilkes in this indictment as a matter of
form' it being a joint offence, with an understanding
• 44at his plea of guilty to the minor charge as above
stated, would exempt him from capital ptintAnnent if
convicted.
The facts being proved, the Jury found the prisoners
CPC ilLy—Death.
' -Richael•Biddulph and Elizabeth IJ.her were indicted;
• for tittering to Elizabeth, the wife of William Crowe, a
forged 11. Bank of England note, on the sth of April, at
6 reenwich. •
ipat

Baron Wood, upon the evidence of the
..princip.
witness, said, in his opinion, there was no case to go to
the Jury against either of the prisoners; but certainly'
. atone against Elizabeth Usher.
Mr: Gurney said, that this being his Lordship's
opinion, he should certainly not press the case farther.—
Tile Bank of England, in prosecuting this case, had
merely discharged their duty to the public, the prisoners
having been committed by the local magistracy. His
clients could not be defrauded by such crimes, because
they always stopped the forgeries whenever they were
presented.
The prisoners were therefore acquitted and discharged.
Both prisoners appeared simple young women, in the
condition of servant maids.

CUTTING AND MAIMING.
Joshua Ruck was convicted of Maliciously cutting off
the left hand of John Cook, with a sword, on the 17th
of June last in the parish of Chartham.
The prisoner received a good character from several
witnesses, who, however, said that his temper was very
hasty. Whe►► told of the mischief he had done to the
prosecutor, he expressed great sot row for what had hap.
veiled, and said he wished he could restore the hand to
its place.
"I. he Jury found the prisoner Guilty—Death.
TiIURSDAY, JULY 27.
THE KING Y. GEORGE AUGUSTUS HIRE, ISO.
. _ .

This ass au indictment against the defendant a hicif.pay
Captain in the Navy, employed in the service of the cos-
- hams fur asraulting and wounding with a tuck or dirk, Geo.
Pitcher, tit Hithe, on the 15th April, 1818.
Mr. Adolphus (with whom was Mr. Abraham) opened
the case with his usual eloquence, and introduced it by
observing, that the facts he should have to lay before the
Jury would disclose an instance of the most gross, wanton,
mid cruel abuse of office, that ever came before a Court of
Justice.
'lke case opened and proved against the defendant was to
this elect :—The prosecutor, a respectable wine-merchant
and dealer in spirits at Hithe, had out the 15th of April,
purchased 50 gallons of brandy and gin, into milks, at a
Sale, at New Rmnney, which cost him 801. and having
übtained a permit to convey them to his own stores, he was
rettlflling to Ilithe in the evening, and about nine o'clock,
ashen he had nearly arrived at that town, he ass hailed by
the defendant, by his name, and asked what he had got in
his cart. He, replied that he had got spirits; upon a Mai
the defendant said—" You have smuggled them, and 1 must
seize them." The prosecutor answered, that it was rather
hard he should lose his prospect), whirls lie had purchased
and paid fur, before he gut it home, Ile WWI askcd by the
defendant if lie had got a permit, and he replied in the tar-
mative. The defendant then, with peat fury, insisted upon
seeing the permit. Mr. Pitcher said, he had the permit in
his pocket, that tic could not part with it, as it was his only
protection, but added," I'll spew you my permit, with great
pleasure, as boost as we get a light." They soon approached
the Duke's head public-house, at the entrance of the town
of Ilitbe, a hen the moots Mar culled to the landlord to
bring a candle. The losallurd did so, alien the prosecutor
produced his permit, and the defendant utttempted to snatch
it out of his hand, but he avoided his grasp' and then said, he
had nu objection to put it into the hands of Mr. Madden, by
whom they were immediately joined, saying that he was a
respectable 1111111, and lie act ordingly delivered it to, that
gemlimice. The defendant, however, insisted upon seizing
the cart and its contents, in the. King's name and his own.
Thai was opposed by the prosecutor, who went to his hoists'
mod, and arid it by the bridle, and at the same time threw
away hie whip into the cart, saying he did not want to resist
the defendant. The defendant tlini pulled out a tuck from
his stick, and advancing ai.6 peat rage towards the pro.
secular, apparently with an intention of striking him, the
latter held up his arm to a and off the blow, and was a ucaded
severely between the fingers. He then ran round the cart
a order to avoid further injury, and ht was pursued by the

TIM NATIONAL REGISTER..

defendant, In whom he iinmediately said—" You puppy,
what do you ineau by drawing upon a naked wan.' The
lay-standers interposed and prevented farther violence, but
the defendant still insisted upon snaking the seizure, and
culling to some butchers, be placed the horse and cart in their
custody. Innuedintely afterwards no excise officer was sent
for, to whom Mr. Pitcher delivered his permit. The pro-
secutor theta remonstrated solidly with tint defendant, and
asked him what could induce him to dinw his dirk upon as.
unarmed matt who had given no °deuce. lie was answered
withgreat violence by the defendant, who said, " I thought
it items:try, for such siongichug rascals us you always carry
anus wish you cutscealed." The prosecutor replied, that lie
was no smuggler, and that he was without the means of
offence or defence. In a short time afterwards, the permit
having been examined, the prosecutor's horse and cart and
spirits were restored to him without further objection. It
appeared that the prnseeator was well known to the defend-
amt, and that the latter had previtnoly dealt with bin fur
spin its. this evidence vim corroborated by that of Mr.
King, the publican, and Mr. Haddan,ii stone-mason.
The prosecutor's permit was not produced. His cart
had no name upon it, but that circumstance was explain-
ed by the fact, that it bad recently been repaired.
Mr. Sea jeasit Ouslow (with whom were Mr. Marryatt,
Mr. Gurney. Mr. Nolan, and Mr. De Lany) addressed
the Jury on behalf of the detendant, without calling wit-
nesses.
The Chief Justice charged the Jury, that, if the defend-
ant was bunt: fide acting nutter tlie impression that the pro-
secutor was conveying smuggled spirits, it would be their
ditty to find bins not guilty, because he appeared to be
a legally authorised officer of the Customs. At the name
time, however, if they were of opinion that lie had no
ground for entertaining that impression, they were bound
to find him guilty ; or, if, soppusing he hail exercised his
ditty, or had acted a ills mute violence than was justifi-
able, though he conceived himself merely acting in pur-
suance of his ditty, still tie would be guilty. His Lord-
ship dwelt with consitlei able emphasis upon those cir-
cumstances of the case which appeared favourable to the
supposition that the defendant had acted honestly in time
discharge of his duty, and not from wanton severity to-
wards the prosecutor.
The Jury retired tor about half an hour, and returned
a verdict of Utility.
YORKSHIRE.
CROWN SIDE.—HIGHWAY RODBERT•
Joseph Pickersgill, aged 27, was cliarvil with having
violently assaulted and robbed Squire Ranisden, near
Wakefield, on the evening of the sth of May.
Squiraßamsdest saitlehe lived at Wakefield Out-wood.
On the btli of Play lie had been at a public-house at
Bray Line. He went in at a quarter past to, and
stayed an hour and a half. The prisoner was there, and
proposed to go home with him, but declined to go when
witness did. Witness proceeded homewards, and was
overtaken and passed by Mary Horton. lie heard a
footstep, and as he turned to look he was knocked down,
and some person began kicking him on the head very se-
verely,and said "I)—n thee,wtlt thou not give over ?wilt
thou not hold thy din ?" at the same time punching
(striking) witness's mouth wit Is his foot. Witness knew
the voice to be Pickergill's; witness lay still, bleeding
copiously from his mouth and head. The prisoner
then took from him liis purse conta.
at the time turned on his face, and the prisoner held his
knee on the back of his neck, pressing his mouth to the
ground. The prisoner next took two small keys out of
witness's pocket, and went away. Witness, feeling un-
able to rise, called fur help. The prisoner returned, said
said—•• I)—n thee, thou art not quiet yet ; but ill have
not given thee enough, I will do." He then kicked
him severely on the other side of the head, on the ribs,
and in a particular part of his body. He then took from
his inside waistsoat pocket a pocket-hook, containing a
one pound note and memorandums. Witness said,
4"rhou hint got my money : let me die quietly." The
prisoner gave a coarse and savage answer. The witness
became insensible.
Other witnesses, who came up to the prosecutor and
carried hint home, deposed to the situation its which
they found liim,:iiid to Pickergill's having given different
and contradictory accounts of the blood on his
stockings. They saw him throw away a purse, and
drop a pocket-book. The keys were found his pocket.
The Jury at once found a verdict of—Guilty. Death.
On Friday afternoon, Mr. Justice Park, passed sen-
tence of death on the following prisoners :—Janies
Shelmerdine and Richard Cook, convicted of burglary;
Patrick Murphy, convicted of highway robbery; and
George Graham, convicted of forging a bill of exchange.
T. the last prisoner the Judge held out at g hopes of
obtaining a mitigation of his sentence. Win. Oldfield,
of Brmllinel, innkeeper, was found guilty of the murder
of his wife, and ordered for execution.

At Preston Sessions, of the 15th instant, William
Pucke, the younger, was found guilty of conspiring with
ten or twelve others, and committing an unprovoked
violent assault on the Messrs. Frederick Lilly and Joseph
Brown, two members of the Manchester and Salford
Yeomanry Cavalry, during the corps being on permanent
duty, in June last. After a painful investigation of six
hours, the jury retired for a quarter of an hour, and re-
turned a verdict of guilty against the defendant. The
worthy Chairman, ou passing sentence, adverted to the
enormity of the crime, and sorry was he to see a person
of respectable connexions like Pucke, arraigned before
him for so heinous as offence :—" Your sentence is six
months imprisonment in his Majesty's Castle at Lan-
caster, and at the expiration of that term, you enter into
your own recognizance of BM., and find two securities
of 501. each, for your good behaviour, and to keep the
peace for three yea's to conic."
The Assizes at Cambride terminated on Thursday,
and we are happy to announce, as certainly creditable
to the moral state of the country, that only one prisoner
was capitally convicted (an old offender, who has been
sent tss ice across the seas at his Majesty s expense, but
now destined for life). We understand that the calen-
dars throughout the country arc unusually light. We
know not what apology those gentlemen will make to
an insulted community, who so stoutly and vociferously
insisted that " irreligion and immotality" were fright-


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