The National Register.
London, England, 1822-03-25 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTEA

prisoner, John Bell. had been apprehended as a party in
the transaction, and was now brought to trial.
It appeared from the evidence of John Ford, who
was a native of Kent, was at the time of the transaction
connected with a gang of thicets haunting the neieh-
bottrhood of ‘Vhitechapel. In the early part of the
month of May last, Cable, Willis, and himself, went
down to Dr. Piggoit's house to plan the robbery in
question. They returned to town and were joined by
the prisoner 8.-11, and on the ntort.iiig of the 14th of
May, they walked down to Mereworth, and lurked about
the house, until the family had retired to rest. About
midnight they broke into the dwelling, at a lower win-
dow, by means of a centre bit ; three of theirs entered,
and one remained outside to give an alarm, in case of
disturbance. The prisoner, the witness, and Willis,
proceed to rifle the house. They broke open the seem-
t tory, and a nest of drawers of the prosecti.or, containing
a curious collection of coins and medals illustrative of
the history of the country. These, together with a con-
siderable quantity of the current specie of the mho,
two gold watches, a gold snutl-box, and other valuables,
they put into their pockets. From the hall they took
three great coats, and the like number of umbrellas.—
A considerable quantity of the Doctor's holy linen was
also taken Irmo a chest of drawers, and alter regaling
themselves hr the kitchen with cold meat and beer, to
which they helped themselves, they all decamped,
leaving the candle alight among some papers in the
Doctor's library. In a neighbouring wool each mart
pot on Italia dozen shirts, part of their plunder. At
Gravesend they separated' in pairs, one crossing into
Essex, and the other retortion; to London by the River.
They met by agreement at the house of a Jew trained
Shimei Demoony, in Thrall-street, Brick-lane NVliitet-
chapel, to whom they sold the property, and divided the
proceeds, amounting to between 501. and Gul. Each of
die party had retained a shirt of the Doctor's and some
other trifling articles. To confirm the accomplice a
great nomber of witnesses were called to prove that in
the collateral parts of his story it was founded in truth.
—Some of the articles which the prisoner lit II had re-
tained in his possession were found at his lodgings, now
produced and identified by the prosecutor.
Mr. Baron Graham summed up the case fur the Jury
with great minuteness, and the prisoner was found guilty
—Math.

Before Mr Baron Wood.
William Rolfe was indicted under the 52d Geo.lll.
for having, with divers other unknown persons, on the
10th of November last, feloniously assembled with fire-
arms, for the purpose of aiding an assisting in landing
and carrying away uncustunted goods at Cherinton,
its
this county, and for having feloniously shot at and
wounded, and aided and assessed others iii shooting at
and wounding William Laury, an officer of the customs,
in the execution of his duty, and others who were aiding
him.
Mr. Baron Wood summed up the case for the Jury,
recapitulating the evidence, and the Jury found the
prisoner not guilty.
The assizes for this county ended late on Saturday
afternoon, both Judges sitting the principal part of the
day. No less than 5.1 convicts received sentence of
death. Of these 19 were the men implicated in the
smuggling outrages committed at Marshy Bay, near,
Margate, 011 Sunday, the 2il of September last. It was
expected that five or six of these would be left for exe-
cution. The other convicts were for housebreaking in
the day time, burglary, sheep-stealing, horse-stealing, in
stealing in a dwelling-house, highway rubbery, and
uttering a forged note. James Goodwin, the only per-
son convicted of the later offence, on the prosecution of
the Batik, was left for execution ; as was also John
Bell, for the burglary at Mereworth.
WILTSHIRE.
William Taylor was cons icted of burglatiously rob-
bing Mr. Stride, the landlord of the Crown Inn, at
Hindon, of a table cloth —Death. This was a most
hardened offender. lie had been twice tried be-
fore and found guilty ; and on going limn the court he
said to the crowd—" I shall have a chuck for it now,
but that nothing, it won't take a minute, 'us only
crying keck and it's cner."—At the same assizes,Sainuel
•
Alford was indicted for being found in a wood belong-
ing to the Marquis of Lattsdown, armed with a goo
with intent to kill game. Robert Bull, one of the game-
keepers, went with John Pearce, toward: where they
beard the smold of a gun, at about half-past 0112 in the
morning of the 5111 of Feb. They got under a tree, and
saw a man in the wood walking towards them; the 111:111
afterwards turned round, rats about 40 yards, and fell ;
witness fell upon him; Pearse came and took up a gun;
prisoner said—take care, it is Ipaded ; they took trout
him two lien pheaAants; the gun had a slip barrel.
Judge—What is that ? Here the witness began to des-
cribe it to his Lordship, and with the morale pointed
towards him said—" My Lord, it be cockt and loaded
now." There was a general movement in Court on
hearing this communication, and the Judge severely re-
primanded him for bringing into a crowded Court, or
even carrying through the streets, so dangerous act in-
strument. Ile said that the matt at the bar had shewn
a greater desire and had used more caution with respect
to the lives of his fellow-creatures than he (the keeper),
and ordered him immediately to draw the charge.—
John Pearce corroborated the testimony of Bull, aid the
Jury returned a verdict of guilty,

On Wednesday morning last, between two
and three o'clock, the stables belonging to the
Crown Inn, Wycombe, were set on fire, owing to
the carelessness of an ostler, who threw the snuff of
a candle among the litter. Besides the loss of the
stables and other property, Ibur fine homes perished
in the flames.
The Revenue cruisers have again been placed
under the directions of the Lords of the Treasury,
instead of the Board of Admiralty.