The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-08 00:00:00

The witnesses who met the prisoner on his way
to Skiersbridge were then called, and proved having
conversations with the prisoner, that he had his gun
with him, and that he said he was going to shoot on
the Rigg, where he had liberty to shoot over some
allotments. He was dressed then, as now, in a dun-
coloured velveteen coat, yellow corduroy trousers,
and a black cap, the same he now had. It was half-
past 4 when the last witness saw him going towards
the plantation. Another man was also seen some
distanee after him, less than him. Mrs. Mary Coats-
worth proved seeing two men pass her house, which
was some two miles beyond Skiersbridge, going
towards Eecleshope Moor, that afternoon about 3
o'clock. They had not guns. She did not know
them.

The learned Judge having carefully summed up
the case,
The jury retired, and after an absence of half an
hour returned into court with a verdict of not guilty
—the result being received with loud cheering,
which, however, was immediately suppressed by
the officers of the court.

The prisoner was then discharged.
The Court then adjourned shortly after 8 o'clock,
the case having occupied the greater part of the day.

DECEMBER 6.

His Lordship sat this morning at 10 o'clock.
The first case tried was one the details of which
are unfit for publication.
Francis Ridley, aged 44, a publican, was indicted
for the manslaughter of his wife, Elizabeth Ridley.
at Haswell, on the 18th of October last.

Mr. Davison and Mr. Fowler prosecuted ; Mr,
Maule defended the prisoner.

It appeared that late on the night in question the
prisoner's wife, who was said not to be sober, and
to whom a man drinking in the house had given
some rum, was heard to shriek out and cry " Oh
dear !" by the man who had treated her. He went
to the bottom of the stairs, conceiving that the pri-
soner was ill-using her, and cried out " Give over,
Frank." The prisoner told him to go away home,
and he again heard the wife shriek out. Next day
the woman died from injuries which she had re-
ceived. The prisoner's account was that his wife
was drunk and had fallen downstairs; that he picked
her up and carried her to her bedroom; and that
she had been severely hurt in her fall, from the
consequences of which she died. The evidence of
this witness varied so much from his statements
made before the coroner and before the magistrates
that his Lordship asked the jury if they could rely
on his evidence.

The jury replying that, in the absence of further
evidence, they could not, and the learned counsel
for the prosecution stating that he could not carry
the case any further, the jury, by his lordship's
direction acquitoed the prisoner.
Thomas Wilkinson, aged 20, and Thos. Cowley,
aged 47, were indicted for assaulting Wm. Cowell,
with intent to steal from his person his purse and
£2 in money, at Shincliffe, on Nov. 15.
Mr. Davison prosecuted, and Mr. Maule defended
the prisoners.

Ie appeared that the prosecutor and his wife and
son were on the evening of the day in question
coming from Shincliffe to Durham, when they were
overtaken by the two prisoners and a third man.
These immediately began using offensive and in-
sulting expressions to the prosecutor's wife, one of
them putting his hand on her shoulder and telling
her she had better go with them. The third man,
not in custody, then tol the others to let the pro-
secutor and his wife alone, as they were man and
wife. The two prisoners, however, still continued
their offensive conduct, and the prosecutor at last
got into a scuflie with them, the prisoner Wilkinson
having first knocked him down. 'Wilkinson then
ran past the woman, seized her bag which was on
her arm, and in which was her purse, containing
£2 in gold and some silver. The prosecutor having
got Cowley down, who cried out for help, the pri-
soner Wilkinson returned almost immediately with
a large hedge stake; meanwhile a policeman had
come up, and Wilkinson struck him with the hedge
stake, and the constable was obliged to knock him
down with his stuff, and both men were taken into
custody. Soon after the bag was found on the
road by the prosecutor's son, and a little boy picked
up the purse of the prosecutor's wife empty near
the place of the affray.
The defence urged was that the nature of the
transaction was not one in which there was any
intention to commit a felony. However indefensi-
ble the conduct of the prisoners, it was clear that
felony was not their object, else why should Wil-
kinson have returned when he had got away ? No
part of the stolen property was found on him, and
it was suggested that the woman had in her ex-
citement dropped the purse.
Witnesses were ealle&who gave both men agood
character.
His Lordship having summed up the evidence,
the jury found both prisoners not guilty.

LIVERPOOL, DEC. 6.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Russell Gurney, Q C.)
Wm. Chadwick, 21, Thos. Shaw, 31, and Bridget
Kelly, 23, were indicted for a garotte robbery upon
John James, at Manchester, on the night of the 20th
of November last.
Mr. Pope prosecuted; Mr. Ernest Jones defended