The Sun.
London, England, 1830-12-31 00:00:00

READING, THURSDAY, DEC: 80.

The Court sat at nine o'clock, and a huge number of
p: stoners were arraigned for breaking threshing-machines,
and various acts of riot and robbery.
Edward Harris, George Arlet, John Nash, dam
Coventry, George IVilltrrnrx, Joseph Quarterman,
/lam llawhins, Thomas ..firown, Luke Brown, Alexan-
der Barra, (lorries Vince, James liatehens, Stephen
Williams, John Coal, fames Burgess, Charlus
Bruns, and domes Fuller, were placed at the bar, indicted
for having, upon the 1
9t h of November, at Aldermaston,
made all assault upon Keneick Hickman, put him in kar,
and robbed hirn of ss.

The majority of the prisAers tvere yesterday enlivieted
of having broken a thrashing machine It.longing t, the
prosecutor. It was upon the same occasion that the (hence
laid in the present indictment was committed.

Mr. GoaNttv stated that there were chargenof robbery
and breaking inachiaea against every one of the prisonera,
aoine of whom had been already convicted of tke latter
crime. Actuated by a desire to combine justice with
mein Ott Car tw peactieisble) in these proiiteutions, the

Crown officers had selected some if the milder cases, and
would not offer any evidence in support of ibis more
serious charge,
Mr. Justice Palm directed the Jury to acquit the pri-
soners, observing that the Counsel for the prosecution had
acted with great lenity and forbearance.
James Burgess, labourer, aged 21, was placed at the
bar, charged with having, together with one hundred
persons and more, riotously assembled together, and un
lawfully, maliciously, and feloniously, broken a thrashing-
machine, the property of William Perrin Brokenbrow, on
Thursday, the lath of November, at Beenham.—Guilty.
John Hutchins was charged with having broken a
thrashing machine, the property of William Lailey, at
Standford Dingley, on the 18th of November.
The prosecutor gave the prisoner a good character.—
Guilty.
Stephen Denton and John Hutchins were indicted for
breaking a thrashing. machine, the property of Benjamin
Mathews, on the lath of Novumber, at Standfurd Dingley.
The prisoners did not appear above 18 or 19 years of age,
and could neither read nor write.

The Jury, under the direction of the Court, acquitted
the prisoners.
Thomas Bance, William Hamblin, and Thomas
Britton, were charged with having destroyed a thrashing-
m►chine, belonging to Sarah Larkcom, at Standlord
Dingley, on the 18th of November.
Bunce and Hamblin are labourers, Britton is a publican.
There king nu evidence against Britton, the Court
directed his acquittal.
The prisoner. said in their defence, that the prosecutrix's
son had invited them to break the machine,—that he said,
" Go to work, do your work like men, and when you get
to Bucklebury, I will pay you." They also stated that
Larkcom desired them to break the threshing machine at
Ilucklehury, hut to take cars and do no harm to the mill.
When the machine was destroyed, Larkcom said, " Break
it a little less, it's en large we can't get it into the cart."
Hamblin having received a good character, and evi-
dence being given to show that Dunce was compelled to
j in the mob,
Mr.GIIRNRY said, under all the circumstances, he should
not press for a conviction.
The Jury, to whom Mr. Justice ParrEsots had, in
summing up, left it to say whether there was any thing in
the conduct of the witness Larkcom to countenance the
idea that he had not authorized the mob to destroy his
mother's property, returned a verdict of Not Guilty in
favour of the prisoners.

Charles Gilliam, Wilham Hamblin, and James
Wait, were indicted for robbing Charles Wetherington
half-a•crown, on the Itith of November. ifamhlin and
Gilliam were also charged with robbing the Rev. J.
F. Moore, of ss. on the same day. A verdict of acquit-
tal was recorded iu both cases.

James Grant and Elijal► Baker were indicted for
breaking a thrashing-machine, the property of Joseph
• Cundell, on the 23d of November, at Shalborne.--Guilty.
The prisoners were also charged, under another indict-
ment, with breaking a second machine, belonging to Mr.
Cundell, but no evidence being offered in this ease a verdict
of acquittal was recorded.
Solomon Allis, Charles Horton, John Horton,
James Simonds, William Simonds, and John Wheeler,
were charged with having, on the night of the 20th No-
vember, riotously and tumultuously assembled at the house
of Murtha Day, in the parish of Waltham St. Lawrence,
and broken a thrashing machine, her property.
Martha Davis, a very aged and infirm woman, whom
the Court allowed to sit while giving her evidence, stated
that she Ltd a farm in the parish of Waltham St. Law-
rence. On Saturday night, the 20th of November, I was
at home, My son's wife, who had been put to bed two
days, a girl, a nurse, and one of my suns, were in the house.
I was alarmed by a bating with a sledge hammer at the
kitcl►eu window. I went up to my bed-room, and look-
ing from the window, saw some men going towards the
back door, which they struck with sledge hammers. I
came down and opened the window at the back door. I
saw about six men, and asked them what teas the matter.
They said they were forty sworn men come from Kent to
drive the country before them. They demanded victuals
and drink. I said they should have both. They asked
rite whether I would rather have my ricks and buildings
set on fire about may ears, or my threshing-machine broken.
I told them to break the machine in five hundred pieces► if
they liked, but for God's sake not to burn the staff of life.
One of the men had a sledge hammer in his hand, another
a sword or cutlas, which he flourished about. I said I
would give them all I had, and gave them victuals and drink
out of the window. I begged them not to conic into the
house as my eon's wife had been lately put to bed. They
said they did not want her, but must conic ie. They broke
and splintered the door, and came in. Seeing Simon
Allis there, I remonstrated with hint. Be was a near
neighbour, and has worked for me many a time. I alia
saw Charles Horton. The men told me they were going
to break the thrashing-machine, and asked for a candle
and lantern. Shortly afterwards they came back, and
said they had broken their sledge-hammer ; and Solomon
Alb's asked for a hammer to mend it. I lent them one
fur that purpose. They returned it, and, when they had
got as much beer as they wished, went away.
Allin asked witness if he had mentioned any thing
about fire? Witness—l can't say whether it was you or
somebody else.

Al I tell you I defied the above any thing ?
Witness—l did not hear the words.

Allin—Did I tell you I came out of Kent ? Witness—
I am not sure who talked of coming out of Kent.
Thos. Davis, son of the lest witness, identified Allis, C.
Horton, and Wm. Simmons, as having been among the
party at his mother's house on the night in question. Anil'
had a fold-stike in his hand. One of the men who had
a sledge-hanuner, put it close to witness's face at the
door. Allis said, " We are coining to break your thresh-
ing-machine. You have had notice enough of it." I
said, "We had no notice, but hearing of the disturbed
state of the country, we had pulled it up ourselves."
They said, " they must go and see : they were sworn to
it." They all went. One of them palled a lanthern from
under his sinock-frock,, and Allis examined the machine.
ila said it was nut pulled up. I said, "It is >all in pieces,
we can't work it." To this he replied, it was easily put
up again, and called out to the man with the sledge-ham-
mer to come forward. The man said, " 'What is to be
done, Solomon,—you're foreman of the gang ? Allis said,
" Smash it." The man with the hammer then struck the
horse•wheel of the machine, and broke the teeth Out. They
said they were going round the country to break all the
machines and regulate the county for six months, and set
it to rights. They were six in number, but they said
they had inure ready to join them at the bottom of the
wood. The prisoners called no witnesses.
Mr. Baron Bouatin charged the Jury, who, without
hesitation, returned a verdict of Guilty against all the
prisoners.

Solomon Allin, Glandes Horton, John Horton, and
Junes Sinionel,q, four of the above-nruned prisoners, were
then put on their trial, being indicted for having, on Sun-
day, the 21st of November, destroyed a thrashing-Ill:tains,
the property of Richard Glasspeol.
The offence was fully proved, and the Jury found the
prisoners Guilty.
The same four men were then arraigned for Laving, on
the 20th of November, burgiariously broken and entered
the house of Joseph Barker, with intent to steal the goods
and chattels therein.—Acquitted.