The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-03 00:00:00

SPRING ASST:

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.-NEWCASTLI ON- TYNE,

March 1.
(Before Mr. Justice Mellor.)
THE THREEPWOOD HALL CASE.

During the whole of yesterday, until seven o'clock
this evening, the Northumberland Assize-court, at
the Moot Hall, was densely crowded with persons
from all parts of the county, assembled to listen to
a most extraordinary charge of perjury prepared
against three bailiffs' followers, belonging to Hex-
ham. The persons charged were John Dodd, Wil-
liam Hutchinson, and John Daglish, aild the offence
alleged against them was that on the 11th January,
1861, they caused William Bewick, of Throepwood
Hall, to he accused of having shot at Hutchinson
and Daglish.
Mr. Sergeant Shee, with Mr. Blackwell and Mr.
Hopwood, appeared for the prosecution ;
Campbell Foster and Mr. Maule for the defence.
The facts in this extraordinary case were these
—Mr. William Be wick was a magistrate and
county gentleman, residing at Threep wood Hall,
in this county. He was a person of somewhat
excitable temperament, and in consequence: of
having locked up one of his labourer's wives on a
charge of larceny, and violated the strict rule of
justice, his name was removed from the list of
magistrates, and the husband of the woman
brought an action for false imprisonment. Mr.
Bewick was cast in damages and costs. Those
he refused to pay; and on the day in question
a sheriff's officer, named Stainthorpe, with
the prisoners, prodeeded to Threepwood to levy for
the amount. Mr.B ewick being aware that they were-
coming, barricaded himself in; and the three pri-
soners were left in charge of the effects outside the
house; they taking up their quarters amongst some
hay in a cart shed. The accusation of perjury arose
out of an occurrence that took place that night.
Last Spring Assizes Mr. Bewick was sentenced to
four years' penal servitude, and he was so convicted
and sentenced upon the oaths of the prisoners.
About nine o'clock of the night in question they
swore, upon Mr. Bewick's trial for unlawfully
shooting, Daglish and Hutchinson were lying bt •
the cart shed upon the hay, when Mr. Bewickopened
the window of a water-closet, and having shouted
out, " Where are you ? I am going to fire ;" and
that he deliberately fired five bullets out of a re-
volver into the shed where they were. Dodd the
next morning picked up a bullet from amongst the
hay in the cart shed, which he alleged upon oath
was one of those fired by Mr. Bewick at them on
the previous night. Yesterday and to-day, Mr.•
Bewick, who had been brought down from Millbank,
in custody, was examined, and he swore that he
never fired into the cart shed, but as he wanted his
housekeeper to clean his gun, and it was Laded, be
fired the charges, five of them, the gun being a re-
volver, into a tree opposite. This evidence was
confirmed by his housekeeper, Mrs. Lodge, and tl- e
evidence of musketry inspectors was taken, to show
that it was impossible that Mr. Bewick could have
fired into the cart shed from the water-closet
window. And additional evidence was pro-
duced to show, from conversations that bad,
been overheard among the prisoners, that they ball
conspired together to get up this horrible charge
of unlawful shooting in the hopes of getting moncYr
from Mr. Bewick, and that Dodd himself placed the
bullet he pretended to find in the cart-shed himself.
The proceedings of the trial were extremely in-
teresting and exciting, and great sympathy was
expressed with Mr. Bewick, who has not only suf-
fered twelve months' imprisonment on this false
accusation, but has had all his personal effects taken
away by Greenwich Hospital.
Dodd and Hutchinson were tried separately,
their trials, as already stated, occupying two dais-
They were found guilty. Daglish then pleaded
guilty. Dodd was sentenced to two years' im-
prisonment ; Hutchinson to four years' penal serve'
tude ; Daglish to twelve months' imprisonment.