The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-07 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—NOTTINGHAM, MARCH 5.
(Before Chief Justice Jervis.)
MURDER AT NORWELL.
Mary Anthff, aged 25, servant, a sullen but not bad-
looking woman, was indicted for the murder of her step-
son, Joseph Antliff, at the parish of Norwell, near
NeWark.
Mr. Bittlerson was counsel for the Crown.
The evidence showed that the prisoner had inflicted
injuries on the child, by which its death was caused.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter.
She was sentenced to transportation for the term of
her natural life.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.-BEDFORD, MARCH 4.
THE EYWORTH BURGLARY.

John Saunders, John Leonard, and Joseph Morrell
were indicted for burglary and violence.
William Saville, a fine intelligent old man, in his 89th
year, proved that he and his wife, who is 84 years of age,
lived alone in a cottage at Eyworth. On the night of
the 17th of January he heard a noise at the lower part
of his house, and soon afterwards three men came up
stairs, one having a bludgeon, another a gun, and the
third a lighted candle. They demanded his money, and,
as he did not get out of bed quick enough for them, one
(Saunders), struck him on the head in a brutal manner,
swore at him, and insisted upon his giving up his
money. The wife interposed to protect her hus-
band, and one of the villains struck her on the
head and knocked her back in bed. The poor old
creatures were both bleeding from their wounds, and
the villains made them strip to show they were not
concealing any property. The prisoner Leonard then
searched the room, holding the candle. The tallest man
then found a box, which they opened, and from it took
the savings of the poor old couple, amounting to 100
sovereigns, 25 old guineas, and some silver, and also
took a watch and some other articles. They rifled the
chest of drawers, and then left, threatening the old man
and woman. The latter has " not been right since," said
the old man piteously, "and I doubt she never will
again." As soon as daylight came the prosecutor got
up and called his neighbours in to show what havoc had
been committed. An alarm was immediately given, and
from the description given by the prosecutor, who had
known the three prisoners by sight, the police soon suc-
ceeded in capturing the miscreants.
The prisoners were ably defended, but the evidence
was so strong that the jury did not pause a moment be-
fore delivering their verdict of Guilty. -
The Chief Baron then directed judgment of death to
be recorded against the prisoners.
This being the last case the Judge rose from his seat,
and as he was about to retire a man in the court, re-
lated to one of the prisoners, called out to his lordship
that he had committed murder in sentencing him. He
repeated his calls, and
.the three prisoners became vio-
lently excited, and shouted " Murder " in the most ter-
rific manner. The court became a scene of great ex-
citement, the cries of murder continued, and terrible
denunciations were dealt forth. The prisoners resolutely
refused to leave the dock, but swore they would die
there first. At last additional officers sprang over the
bar, dragged the men into the cell, and (ironed them.
The van was then ordered, and the prisoners were con-
veyed to the gaol amidst great exciement.
The trial lasted until an advanced hour of the evening.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.-WINCHESTER, MARCH 4
CROWN COURT.

George Dumper and Tom William Wearn were in-
dicted for the wilful murder of Joseph Dean, at Hythe,
on the 24th of December last.

The deceased was an old man, a labourer, living at
Hythe, just opposite to Southampton. On the evening
of the 24th of December last deceased was drinking at
a public-house at Hythe called the Lord Nelson ; he was
rather intoxicated, and left to go home at about half-past
12. He was subsequently seen some way on his road
home, but he never arrived there, and the net raorning,
soon after six o'clock, he was found in the road dead ard
cold, with frightful injuries about the head and face, and
the skull fractured in three places ; his pockets weze also
turned inside out. A surgeon was called to see him, and,
in his opinion, there was no doubt tliPt death was the
result of great violence, probably caused by repeated
blows with a stick, or kicks from heavy boots. On the
spot were found fragmen:s of two sticks, apparently
hedge stakes, and in a field was found a broken stick
with blood and hair on it. This went to show that two
persons had been engaged in the murder of the unfortu-
bate man. The evidence to connect the prisoners with
the commission of this dreadful crin•e was partly circum-
stantial and partly consisted of statements made by the
prisoners at different times.
After an investigation, which lasted during the greater
part of two days, the jury found Dumper guilty of an
aggravated manslaughter, and acquitted Wearn.
The learned Judge then sentenced Dumper to be-tran-
sported for life.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—DunnAAr, MARCH 5.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Cresswell.)

THE COLLISION ON THE LEEDS NORTHERN AT STOCKTON.

George qelburn, engine-driver, was charged with the
manslaughter of Mr. Thomas Grainger, civil engineer,
at Stockton, on the 21st of July, 1252.
The Leeds Northern forms a junction with the Clarence
Railway a little to the north of Stockton, and runs on
that line northward to Ferry-hill. The Clarence pro-
ceeds in a straight line from thence to Stockton town
southward, the Leeds making a curve, and going a little
to the west of Stockton town. The Clarence Railway
is one of those old-fashioned lines that drives on the
right hand, and the Leeds Northern has to run a little
along their line in that direction of rails, after leaving
the Clarence, before it goes on to the line of rails com-
mon to the country. The Leeds Northern to Stock-
ton and Ferryhill was opened in June of last year,
and the mode of running their trains from the Clarence
on to their own line in July last was for a pointsman at
the junction to turn them on with a switch, the rails being
open to the Clarence waggons to run along their own
line to Stockton. The pointsman also kept signals
for the regulation of the trains, and to indicate
danger ; which were when the red disk was turned on
the Leeds Northern train had to stop ; when turned off
all was clear. On the 21st July the train from Ferry-
hill was thirteen minutes behind her time at the junction,
and the engine-driver of her on approaching the points
noticed that the signals were right, but just as he was
about to take them the danger signal was put on, and he
immediately reversed his engine. Before he could stop,
and just as he was turning the curve, a luggage train,
which was being shunted from' the Clarence line from
Stockton on to the Leeds Northern, came into his train,
slightly grazed the engine and tender, and then smashed
up a first class and two second class carriages. A num-
ber of persons were hurt, and the deceased, Mr. Thomas
Grainger, an eminent engineer, who was proceeding
south, received a compound fracture of his right leg, of
which he died on the 25th. The driver of the luggage
train was the prisoner Welburn, who was a servant of
the Leeds Northern Company, and who, after the acci-
dent, had been committed on'a coroner's inquisition for
manslaughter of deceased. Several of the company's ser-
vants were examined to-day, as well as a number ofpersons
who witnessed the collision. It appeared that the points-
man, as soon as he saw the passenger train corning from
the north, put up the signal that all was clear for her to.
come on. Welburn was standing with his waggons on
the Clarence line beyond the junction, and towards
Stockton town, at this time. His waggons were
towards the junction, and the engine and tender at the
other end. It was sworn that if he had attempted to
shove his waggons from the place where he was standing
towards the junction, he should have had a person at the
tail of them to see that all was clear, which he had not.
Just after the pointsraan turned on his gignal for the
passenger train, he observed that Welburn had started
his waggons, and was shunting them towards the junc-
tion, along which the passenger train had to pass. He
sent a mart down to meet him, to tell him to stop, but
he was busy talking to two men who were on the tender
with him, and did not observe the person shouting to
him. The pointsmen then turned on the red disc of
danger, which the driver of the passenger engine noticed
as above stated, and tried to stop his train. The pri-
soner, however, had not observed it; and it was not
until his train approaching the junction that the fiaeman
looked past the waggons, and saw the passenger
train coming, and it was then attempted to stop the
luggage-train, but too late, and the collision ensued. It
was shown that a person shunting carriages along the
Clarence line to the junction had to keep a good look-
out, and that before he attempted to push his waggons
on to,the Leeds line, he must have a signal from the
pointsman, different to those used for the passenger train,
that all was clear, which signal he had never waited for,
but kept shunting his trucks, though he had no instruc-
tions that the train from the north was past.
Mr. Overend addressed the jury for the prisoner, and
his lordship summed up.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty of manslaughter,
but recommended him to mercy.
His Lordship, in passing sentence on the prisoner,
re-
marked strongly on the culpable carelessness of s con-
duct. He sentenced him to six months' imprisonment.