The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-12 00:00:00

_MIDLAND CIRCUIT:L-6;lm, Ara. L.

Although there are several eases of more than ordinary
atrocity to be tried at these Assizes, which commenced on
Monday, none of much interest was heard until to-day.
The bigamy cases, of which there are many already disposed
of, possessed nothing calculated to excite attention, the de-
fendants in most instances being acquitted.
VIOLATION OP AN INFANT.--Willianl Polls, of Prest-
bury, a navigator, was charged with a brutal and criminal
assault on the person of Elizabeth Cooper, a child between
four and five years old. The evidence is altogether unfit
for publication, but sufficient may be gathered from the
speech of the Attorney-General, which was borne out by
the subsequent testimony of the witnesses. On the 24th
June last the horrid offence was perpetrated and the unfor-
tunate victim subjected to the most dreadful brutalities.
Evidence of the commission of the atrocious deed was but
too well authenticated from an examination of the person of
tke criminal, as well as that of the miserable child, which
was in a shocking condition. During the recital of the re-
volting details the whole auditory were affected at the sick-
ening disclosure, but tho prisoner preserved a brutish apathy
from the beginning of the trial till his removal from the dock
after he had been found guilty, and the Judge, Mr. Baron
GURNEY, pronounced sentence of death without the slight-
est hope of reprieve.

AUGUST 8.
THE LATE MURDER NEAR NANTWICH.—John Steel
and Benjamin Webb were indicted for the wilful murder of
Boswell Meredith. On the 18th ult., Mr. Boswell Meredith,
a respectable aged farmer, residing near Nantwich, was
called out of bed by a man who stated that some of Mr.
Meredith's cows; ba4 wandered into a potatoe field, and

were doing damage. The old man immediately tone, not
suspecting any evil design, and went out of his house into
line edjolning, where he was brutally attacked by three
men, and received injuries from which he died three days
afterwards. Circumstances sOati afterwards arose attaching
suspicion to two brothers of the name of Steel, who resided
near the Potteries, but whose father lived near Meredith's
house. A communication was forthwith made to Isaac
Cottrill, a county police Officer at Newcastle, who issued
bills describing the persons of Johe said George Steel, la-
bourers, and offering a reward of two hundred pounds on
their apprehension and conviction. After considerable ex-
ertions to discover the suspected murderers, but without
success, George Steel, unable to suffer the pangs of a guilty
conscience any longer, went to Nantwich, sphere he surren-
dered himself into the hands of justice, making a full con-
fession of his participation in the bloody deed, and impli-
cating his brother John and a man named Benjamin Webb
in the same offence. The two last-named men were im-
mediately apprehended in the Potteries. The confession
made by George Steel was to the following effect :—That
he and his brother, with Webb, committed the murder.
At an adjourned inquest held at Nantwich on last Thurs-
day week, before Mr. Faithful Thomas, Coroner, the three
prisoners were committed to Chester Castle on a charge
of wilful murder. The two Steels are, one about 38, and
the other about 23 years of age, both unmarried men.
Webb is married, and has a wife and three children.
His age is about 23 years.
After the ATTORNEY-GENERAL had stated the case,
the Jury, greatly to the surprise of every one, returned a
verdict of Guilty of Manslaughter, and the Judge ordered
them to be transported for life. 'We believe the jury
found their verdict on the presumption that robbery, no
murder, was the object of the prisoners.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

HANSION-HOUSE.

An elderly man, named John Wood, who keeps the
stuffed bird shop, No. 161, Fenchurch-street, was sum-
moned before the LORD MAYOR for poor-rates to the
amount of 11. 10s.
The defendant, who was stated to be the genuine child
of adversity, did not appear to answer to the demand, as he
was afraid to miss, by leaving his place of business, theim-
portant chance of a few ponce, bat sent his friend, Mr.
Shillcock, to mention how impossible it was for hire to assist
his brother in poverty.
Mr. Newman, one of the principal parochial officers of St.
Dionus Backchurch, stated to his Lordship that the sum-
mons had been issued to the defendant in compliance with
the new Poor Law Act, which required that certain pro-
ceedings should be adopted for the recovery of the rates.
The case of the defendant was known to be one of an ex-
treme kind, and the officers did not in consequence con-
template the enforcedent of the demand. There are, how-
ever, many other persons in the parish who, although well
able, refused to pay, becauie those who are unable are not
compelled. The instance before his Lordship was one of ,
an affecting nature.
Mr. Hobler said it appeared to him that Mr. Wood re-
quired the assistance of his neighbours, for, in the endea-
vour to support appearances, the poor man actually denied
himself the necessaries of life, and he bore the marks of
starvation about him. The passion for stuffed birds and for
polished shells was on the decline, and the defendant thought
a shilling a complete God send.
The beadle knew perfectly well that Mr. Wood would
not hesitate to discharge the amount if it were possible for
him to do so.
It was stated by some gentlemen who were in the Justice
Room that the defendant had been for years struggling
with adversity. His shop was the parallel of the celebrated
Mantuan apothecary's, and, his skin seemed to want the
stuffing of a few good meals as much as that of the owner
of that famous repository.
The LORD MAYOR—I am convinced that, in the bands
of the parish officers, the poor man will not be urged to
contribute to the support of those whose meals, he trusted,
were, through the humanity of the authorities, less liable
to fluctuation.

Mr. Wood was, we understand, a highly respectable gro-
cer in the City some years ago, and carried on an extensive
business, which declined upon the death of his wife, and at
last, in consequence of unforeseen calamities, dropped to
nothing.

Mr. Newman—We shall take care that no measures
shall be adopted against Mr. Wood, whom indeed it is our
anxious desire to serve. He has seen a most melancholy
reverse of fortune, and the effort to bear up against adver-
sity evidently costs him a great deal.
The beadle said that the gentleman who appeared to ex-
cuse the defendant had also experienced the inconstancy of
fortune. Some years ago he carried on business in the tea
line, in Phi!pot-lane, and having put together 3001. by his
industrious exertions, ventured to take the next house.
That house having required repairs, the mason and carpen-
ter were set to work, and a debt of 6001. was soon con-
tracted. The improvement in the premises unfortunately
produced no improvement in the trade ; on the contrary,
tea became an unprofitable article, and the concern soon
became the property of others. The two poor men, who
were friends in brighter days, still endeavoured to reconcile
to each other, by acts of mutual kindness, the sharp combat
with poverty which they were doomed to fight as they ad-
vanced in years.
Several parishioners who were known to the officers to
be well able to pay the rates were ordered to contribute
their proportion within a given time, the LORD MAYOR
having refused to listen to any excuse except that of un-
doubted distress.

A man named Hyde was brought up, charged with
having stolen a new mat, which appeared to hate been torn
from its fastening on the floor of some doorway.
Mr. Whithatn, the principal superintendent of police,
saw the prisoner moving along with the mat on his shoulder
until be reached Cutler-street—the great mart for goods
obtained in a questionable way. The moment the prisoner
entered the market the Jews gathered round him to bid for
the article. One of them, however, knew the superinten-
dent, who followed in plain clothes, and gave the wink to
the other clothesmen, and they all, to the great surprise of
the prisoner, turned away from him when he put up the
article for examination. " Come," said he, "my lads, this
is a regular good un ; it never seed more than a couple of
days' dust. What do you say for it ?" The Jews shrugged
up their shoulders and said, " No, no, we never deals in
such goods. You had better take it to the good people you
got it of, my good man." " D—n it, an't it better than
any dozen 1 ever sold to you before ? What the h—ll's
the matter with you ?". cried the prisoner. " Oh, s'elp me
G—d I wouldn't touch sich a thing for the world," said one
of the fraternity. " You'd better take it away—it an't fit
for this place." " No," said another, "it don't look like
an honest mat, s'elp me G—d." " Why, let me have half-
a-crown for it, at any lite," said the prisoner. " Not a
farthing," cried all the Jcwr, in the most indignant manner,
"ye consider you ought to be kirered with shame for
bringing sich a consarn among honest dealers. " D—n it,
then take it for sixpence," roared out the prisoner, throwing
down the mat and looking round, while the superintendent
caught his eye and his arm at the same time.
The prisoner—Please you, my Lord, I bought it of a
man I sea in the streets for a tanner, and I took it to Cutler
street, because I always sells my goods there.
The Loan MAYoi—And I suppose to these very men
who refused to buy upon this occasion. Prisoner—The
vary same.

The LORD MAron—You have lately come out of prison.
said I took it.
Prisoner—Yes, there was a mistake about a ham, and they

The Lonl;MaYoa—There seems to be a mistake about
the mat likewise. Prisoner—l wish I had my sixpence
back again.

The policeman into whose custody the prisoner was given
said that the mat must have cost 18s. or 205., and had evi-
dently been dragged by force from some hall.
The prisoner was remanded.

JIA.RLBOROUGH-STREET.
The adjourned case of Bonzer the chimney-sweep, sum-
moned by the Master Chimney-Sweeper's Society, for im-
proper usage to his apprentice, which stood over for the
production of the boy, came on before Mr. Chambers and
Mr.llyer.

. -
The boy was brought forward, very well dressed, with his
face shining, as if French polished.
Mr. CHAMBERS put some questions to him, and the an-
swers were very satisfactory.
Mr. CHAMBERS—The boy certainly appears to have
been pretty well treated, but I should like to know the rea-
son why the Magistrates of Marylebone-office refused to
bind him to this man.
Defendant—lt vos only von on 'em, and that ere vos
Mister Shutt. The Magistrate said these ere werry words,
" I vont bind that ere young boy not by no means, vithout
you brings for'ad two substantial housekeepers who'll swear
plump blank at the boy's father is bis father."
Mr. CPAMBERS—I never heard of such a request before.
You must have made some mistake.
Complainant—The Magistrate told the defendant to bring
two housekeepers to be answerable for his good behaviour
towards the boy.