The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-12 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
IVORT-JERN ClRCUlT.—Lancaster, Aug. 10.
NISI PRIUS COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice

WIGHTMAN.)
This morning, an action of trespass of no interest
having been disposed of, and another cause referred,
the civil business of the assize was concluded.
His Lordship then disposed of several criminal cases.
2 howls Marsden, aged 20, and Robert Ainscough,
aged 29, were indicted for night poaching at Bre-
therton, on the 6th of August instant.
Mr. John Cross conducted the prosecution; the
prisoners were undefended.
It appeared that on the night in question a game•
keeper to Mr. Leigh Keck, named John Ainsworth,
was out watching his master's preserves at Brether-
ton, along with another watcher, named Moss, when
be suddenly put his foot into a gin. This induced
him and the watcher to conceal themselves near, ex-
pecting those who had set the gin to come for it.
They watched about an hour, when they
saw three men come up,
two of whom were
the prisoners at the bar. One of these men
went straight to the gin and took it up, when
the witness and his companion rushed out of
their biding-place to seize him, He, however, imme-
diately took to flight, and jumped into the river
Douglas, across which he swam, and escaped. The
witness Ainsworth and Moss then seized the two pri-
soners. Marsden told them to stand off, and, raising
a gun with which he was armed, swore
about striking him with it, when the witness Moss
he
ee
would
dl of
cut
Ainsworth
in two with it ; he was
caught hold of it behind him as he raised it, and
twisted it out of his hands. Marsden was seen
shortly before to
pull out of his pocket and throw
away twenty snares, which were afterwards found.
The prisoners,
and duck shooting.
in defence, said they were out fishing
His LORDSHIP having summed up,
The jury found both prisoners Guilty.
His LORDSHIP sentenced the prisoner Marsden to
be imprisoned twelve calendar months, and Ains-
cough nine calendar months, with hard labour.
CROWN COURT—(Before Lord Chief Justice
CAMPBELL.)
Mark Warburton, aged 27, and Aaron Neville,
aged 26, were indicted for the wilful murder of
Betty Croston, at Livesey, on the 10th of April last.
Mr. Whigham and Mr. MacOubrey appeared for
the prosecution; Mr. Blair defended the prisoner Ne-
ville, and Mr. Monk the other prisoner.
The deceased, it appeared, was the wife of a la-
bourer, who lived about two miles from Blackburn,
and was fifty-two years of age. She waa returning
from Blackburn market in the evening of the 10th of
April, when she went into a public-house, called the
Weaver's Arms, at Darwen, and, after remaining
there some time, she and four women, neighbours,
and a man named Cowgillt proceeded towards Far-
mers'-row, where she lived, and in going there had to
cross a bridge, called Nova Scotia-bridge, over the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The deceased went over
the bridge, and along the towing path, the rest of the
party going
by the turnpike-road. The women told
Cowgill to go with the deceased as she was the worse
for drink, and he accordingly followed her. After
walking some way with her, the two prisoners came
up, and proceeded to take liberties with the deceased,
and to pull her about indecently, Cowgill begging
them to let her alone as she was his old mother. The
prisoners then attacked and struck him, and drove
him away, running after him for some distance.
Shortly after the women on the turnpike-read heard
the deceased cry out," John, John I'll warm you for
this; I'll mark you for this." Cowgill went home,
and, the deceased being missing, the canal was
searched and drags were obtained, and about a
quarter of a mile from the place where the prisoners
had scuffiscl with Cowgill, the body of the deceased
was found drowned. The prisoners were identified
by a witness named Lawen, who met them following
Cowgill and the old woman, and the witness stated
that they said to him, " The old man could not do
the job, and they would de it for him." Another
witness also identified them, who met them going
after Cowgill. A man named Howarth stated that he
heard a cry from the canal of "Help me out, pelf me
out 1" but it was dark, and he could see nothing. He
saw two men run across a field 30 or 40 yards off,
and he called to them to come and help, but they
made no answer. Another witness spoke to hearing
the noise in the canal, and on seeing the prisoner
Neville walk up along the towing-path and ask,
" What's up?" Witness replied that there was
a woman drowning in the canal. They then heard
the woman cry, 44 John, John !" and heard a
then
be
ul o b bu
ame up i n the water, and witness said, "If L's
her she's drowned now." The prisoner Warburton
and said, "It's John Croston's wife
drowning." When searching for the body one of
the prisoners said to a watchman named Booth that
they had leathered the chap who was with John
Creston's wife, thinking he was going to do some-
thing wrong to her. Both prisoners, on being taken
into custody, protested their innocence of the charge,
but Warburton's hands and face were scratched as if
by finger nails. The body of the deceased, when
found, had several slight braises and scratches upon it.
At the close of the case for the prosecution his
LORDSHIP thought the evidence insufficient to sub-
stantiate the charge, and the jury Acquitted the pri-
soner".

Bis LORDSHIP expressed a strong feeling of abhor-
rence at the drunkenness, coarseness, and brutality,
exhibited by the lower class of the population of this
who had been brought before him in the cases
bad tried.
cwohuinehtyhe

and found Guilty. They were sentenced
rafterwards
months.
h
t:onTTbeehhoeicimpgprciiriasils,os
eon
imprisoned
nwifsoehrreede
Their Lordships proceed to-morrow to open the com-
mission at Liverpool.

fromk n ow
tnh
e that
gaol
Sparrow
years
snlg and
th e Bird
aot t hnt ech ere
additionalbri eut
10CIRCUIT.—Wells, Aug. 10.
WESTERN CIR
._'there was great con-
sternationmorning upon its being
had made their escape
Taunton
night. It may be recollected
Escort OF PRISONER,.
Tunton last spring for the
in this city this
nadhconvicted at the quarter-
sessions
assizes fur this c•t
then acquitted. H
while
he
Wade. sheandtenuckeedii topalr:
.ylneaarns..'
that Sparrow was triedwaats
afterwards apprebendnecleeta,hat
Frome murder. He
gaol under t—hies sen-
tence,
gether 25 years' transportation. Bird was tried and convicted
crwegnahitsrdyi,scfhorvewrehdieh
he
sessions for mime offence,
and sentenced to an
transportation,ly thus making to-
Bitrod bew atrsaindsspoorctoend-.
transportation ;
Dionday all the pri-
sonersegs, and 14 of them
con-
victed of a burglary and sentenced n•
on which the pri-
In the course of the evening
Somerset
teenhuo'nctlyocks
had irons put on
thereilto iSleep.
Pw. a s Thereneithe r wasbed
entrance were put into one room
sacking suspended as hammocks,
that all
guardh to see whether all
soners slept in their clothes, a
at night the governor
other accommodation
hvint?arrdctshoienrdises,g)arnw.
at night the governor sent a
corner of this parti-
cularwas quiet, and he reported The
right. gaol went
wienut.o the
tthuarnnkaeyfosrarandin gauapradss2lgheadinnoo
different wards opened. At the
whiche the doors of the
leading into a long passage at
thece door, was a door,
end of which was a
watercloset for the use of die .
room, opposite the
About four o'clock this morninprisoners in that room.
in that room knocked at the deg one of the prisoners
turn-
keys that Sparrow and Bird werer' ffand told the
course instantly went into the r00m,13 . Tne officers of
hole had been made through the wall, and found that a
ovr the seat of the watercloset, andwall, immediately
about part of a pair of tongs, about upon searching
2 foot in length,
and which had been chained to a fireplace which was
in the room, was discovered to have been broken
from the chain, and evidently was
the instrument
with which the hole had been made. ument
were both heavily ironed on both . The prisoners
man must have got out legs first, and then The
first
about nine or ten feet into a shallow Stream then dropped
He could then easily have helped his
fellowram of water.
out. Having got out of the water, th prisoner
yard of an inn which was shut up
byey were in the
and there were the traces of the irons on high gates,
on the paint,
made as the men were getting over the
were then in the open country with thicfates. They
standing corn and beans. The governor"oda and
. of the
county prison (Mr. Oakley) was immediately in-
formed of these facts, and he took suciT
.
circumstances permitted. He sent out themeasures as
lice, all the javelin men who remained in citythe P°.
and had several special constables sworn, and city,
all
had
instructions to make the most diligent search through-
out the woods and fields, but it is known that
par
row his on a former occasion remained concealedS -
in
a wood for a month. The greatest difficulty the
will have will be the removal of their ire°ns'
as
con.
they are steel hardened ; at the same time, with
such
a man as Sparrow, it may well be supposed that he
had some friends ready to assist him. He had for
some time been cohabiting with the daughter of
MagtT2, who was tried with him for the From
murder, and Miss Maggs has a considerable
SUM of money in her possession. Mr. Oakley
states that from the weight of the irons it would.
be impossible for them to go faster than two e m ils
an hour. It fortunately hsppens that, is the courser
of the week Mr. o.:.kley had written to the
jury, and had spoken to the judge upon the insecuregand
and inefficient state cf this gnol, and the judge h
sent to the town clerlt, and, as was understood, hadd
suggested to him that something should be done,
the after
this escape the judge and the high sheriff visitedand
spot' and, as we have been told, completely
the officerof the prison from all blame. exo-
nerateds
and over a • ver
ing
of gain have observations appeared compl -a,
the abominable arr n etnen's of this al-.
Wells
prison. At the d• 8 g .
different receiving gaols in the
the county
separate system is strictly atteuded to, and the
are no means butre
of communication or
when brought contamination, 1
for trial to Wells the prisoners- axe all 1