The National Register.
London, England, 1822-07-28 00:00:00

CROWN SIDE.

ItippingdaleWa:iMleied under Lord Ellen-
borough's Act, fur cutting and 111:11111ing TIIOI. Noakes
with a knife, with intent to kill and mom( r hint, at
Billingdon, in this county, on the 14th of :tlarelt last.
It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutor, that
on the et ening of the 13111 of March, he went to a pith-
lie-house at liallincden, where be met the ritioner.
There were several other persons in the room. lle en-
gaged in 114nr.e al:creation with the prismier, who struck
Liu wilt a stick and knozkeil him down, and the blow
deprived him of his senses for the moment. When he
recovered, he gut up and struck the prisoner. Tire latter
then went out, and after two or three minutes absence
returned, went tip to the witness and ripp d up his ab-
domen with a knife, producing a wound of nine inches
iu lenutli and a 6reat part ante vi►cera obtruded into
his hands.

In his cross•exainittetion by Mr. Broderick for the
prisoner, the witness contradicted himself in many
particulars of die previous transactions which led to the
unlOrtuitate act of desperation imputed to the prisoner.
lie der led that lie had first taken hold of the prisoner
by the collar, but afterwards admitted that he had. Ile
dented that he had es er called the p risotter a d—d liar
and challenged him to fulit.
A wi tens named French, who was present at the
t ansaci ion, d •posed, that the prisoner and the pros, cotor
were very violent with each other, abusive and pr. vines• g
!align hte I on both sides. The altercatton lasted
for about two hours The prisoner ()tiered to fight the
prosecutor ; upon which the latter went up to the funnier
and took hold in him by the ciollar, and on the instant
the prisoner ripi cd brut tip with his ►wife. The prisoner
had not left tile nom as the prosecutor had stated, and
there was no time for premeditation.
Iti this state of the case Mr Broderick submitted that
there was enotath upon the es idence fur the prosecution
to negative malice.
The Chief Baron remarked, that iheevidence, now
detailed by the prosecutor, was different f hat gist it
in toe deposi . ors before the committing magistrate in
Material particulars. His Lordship upon this stops the
Case, and told use jury that they must argon the prisoner.
—lt was true that the prisoner had been guilty of most
atrocious and savage conduct, but unless the offence
would have amounted to murder, if death had cowed.
the case was not within the mischief of the statute on
which the indictment was founded. If ilia h had ensued,
the offence could only have amounted to
and titerefure the case did slot conic within the spirit of
the attune. 'Fite Jury, theiefore, asely found the
prisoner Not Guilty.
ARSON.—Ttoomis Bloomfield was indicted fur felo-
niously and maliciously manila fire to certain corn stacks.
belonging to Page, iii the pari►h of Great Clack-
ant, hi this comity, on the 4th or February last.
The case disclosed in evidence was this:—The pri.
so ter applied to the overseers of the parish of Great
Clack toil, to which he belonged, lot temporary relief.
Tue us erseers, of Wtium Pave, the ;woes:tow, tv,s
one, oat considering him a fit object of relief, leaned to
render him any assatance. The prisoner. on the Willie
day, spoke to los next door neighbour, a man named
11. ebster. and complained that the overseers had refused
to relieve bins, and said lie would Haze some of them.
He was asked by Webster what he went by blazing
sonic of 'liens ? In reply he said he should set fire to
Master Page's stacks; lie would be even with hint when
lie found I from home. It appeared that Mr. Page
had occasion to leave home about lour days afterwards.
namety. on the 4di of February. About six o'clock on
the evening of that day the prosecutor's stacks were
found on tire, and considerable damage was dune before
the flames could be extinguished. To fix the guilt upon
the prisoner, in-addition to the threat above mentioned,
it was• prosed that he had watched the prosecutor in
going from home; that just alter the fire began to blase
forth. a Mail resembling tile prisoner was Well skulking
under a hedge ruining; from the lire; that soon after Inc
fire the prisoner was been standing in a field near the
prosecutor's pn•usises, and looking on ; that the prisoner
having been taken up oil suspicion, the shoes which he
wore corresponded wail the impressions made by the
feet of the person who was seen running from the fire,
41+$(1 with tile liot•marks of a person Si a !Tot where a
Illider-bUX was found close to the pennies, with tire
exzeibioli dial in the prisoner's shunt were souse nabs,,
which it appeared he had himself driven in a le iv days
after ihe•firc. At first the prisoner was discharged sty
the magistrates, it being considered that the nada in ha
siiues was a lavouralile circumstance, demonstrating his
innocence. inasmuch as the impressions seen on the
ground h d no turd mat ks ; but upon its betngdiscoser, d
that heliail himself put in the owls alter the fire, and
the shoes Oliiersvise corresponding exactly with the im-
pressions nu the mono& he was again taken up, and
up in the evidence now adduced cot 1111 l itted Ihr trial. On
exaininattun before the magistrates, use Pr6""er gave
an iseemint of himself which appeared highly incredible,
and which was now contradicted.
The Lord Chief Baron su 11111 l ed up the case for the
Jury. Considering tile heinousness of the offence. anti
the certainly of execution upon conviction, the Jury
ought to be perfectly satisfied of the truth of the offence
they had heard; and in such a case if there was any
rational doutd, the prisoner was entitled to the la, nelit
of it.
Tue Jury deliberated fur about ten atiutites, awl found
taut guilty.

Philip Alartin and T 1 1111 l tas list Fri itch were indicted
for assaulting John Cook on tile Kine.'s highway, in the
parish of Steeple Bummed, nit the 4th of April, put.
ling him iti fear, awl taking from his person a fl. note
and ss. in silver.
The prosecutor was a school-master. and on the day
nientioned in the iudncuurnl, had been attending au
annual meeting at Stambourii, of au .osociation for the
prosecution of telons, for which he had acted as clerk,
and allies receiviiii; his animal salary, lie was rentriiiiig
I •in the evetiing. about iiitie oclock, when he was
met-taken by the prisoners, who dragged tutu down on
the ground in a byefootpatii, anil demanded his mootey•
lie begued for mercy, and cited our for help. Otte of
the prisoners thrust Isis handkerchief into the proseett
torss mouth, whilst the other rifled his pockets of
in moitey, and both rail away. The prosecutor knew
one of the prisoners from the circuit stance of his hav-
ing been formerly a scholar of his; but positis ely swore
to the ident.ty of both. lie was cormborated by tile
testimony of two wit nesse?, one a constable, who over-
heard a cotiversation hetweell the primmer, when in cus-
tody, hi which they talked the matter over, and declared
that nobody could say any thing against them if they
kept their own counsel. The prosecutor did not take
the prisoners up mini 14 days after the alleged robbery.
Mr. Jc-sop. fur the prisoners, called some witnesses
to prove an ; but on their crosrexamination there
was a good deal of contradiction
Tile Lord Chief Baron d up the evidence on
both sides. and left it to them to say to vs hich class oh
witnesses they would ascribe the greatest credit.
The Jury deliberated a few minutes, and found the
prisoners both guilty—death.
There was nothing of public interest on the civil side.
NORTHAMPTON, JULY 19.—Wilitaun Meadows the
younger, William Gent the younger. Edmund Middle.
ton,l'homas Bates, It. WWI, and Charles James. in-
dicted for a rape on Ann Newman, were put to the bar.
The particulate of this oftener, cot 111 l itted on the
person of a young Wolllljll, near \Ventilator., in this
COllllll. 9re already before the public, and must be its ge-
neral recollection.

Ann Newman, the proseciitrix, stated the facts of the
outrage committed ill 1 111.1:Iller which excited universal
spur any.
Tile learned judge was indefatigable in sifting the
testi 1111 l wi:11 the ino,t scrupulous caution, and alter
elahotately detailing to tlw jury every lact which had
been st•ued in evidence. and pointing out the weight and
bearing of it, as well ill favour of the prisoners as against
tnem, the jury, under the directions of his Lor.lship.
yuiucd 11'arit, and found a verdict of Guilty against the
other five, on whom sentence of death was immediately
pawed.