The Sun.
London, England, 1814-04-01 00:00:00

LINCOLNSHIRE ASSIZES.

This was an indictment against Robert Morris, a
prisoner in Lincoln Castle,- miner an exeettlion.for
debt; it was stated, to the amount of nearly
14,000/.—Mr. CLARKS,. Counsel for the prosecu-
tion, stated that it .was for an assault of a very ag-
gravated
,nature, committed on William Toxford,
the turnkey of the prison, at a time when that
person was suffering under extreme. ill health,
°Whig to a violent assault made ott him some time
before by a felon prisoner whom he Was assisting
a blacksinith to iron. 'This assault. IN the defen-
dant Marris happened on the 2d of December,
1812 ; and the reason why the visiting magistrates
of the prison-bad chosen rather to bring- the mat-
ter before a jury`, than act summarily upon the
powers with which they were armed. for the pu-
nishment of refractory prisoners, was, that a com-
mission of inquiry had been instituted by
.Parlia,
ment, on the complaint of Nfarris and others, into
the regulation and stiperinteildance of the gaol,
and the report of that'commission was still pend-
ing at the time they would hare-been called•npon
of their own authority to punish the defendant.—
It was, therefore, to avoid even the appearance
of injustice that they hall foregone therautho-
rity, and referred, the complaining turnkey to a
jury.
William Tuxford being caned into the Witness's
box, stated the Circumstance or the case, as fol-
low :—About a quarter before five in the evening,
the bell Was.rung, as usual, to call the debtors

A

I

v'ho are‘allOA ed the'range.d
ing.thedaY, to their apartments in the prison • 11." t
bat the defendant attended to it, and we'.
iii ;' he, instead • of.' regarding it, continued.. tor
walk up _ma. down with. gentlemen
Booth and, :Mr. s:
-and. 5."-aa,„ aft,cr .soine
notes, when ail the oilier. debtors had been lacri.44
up;clKilly•remindea. hy:tlie, tornkty .(thr, witnes:
that' the bell kid heetfruni: • bf this, also,lort
Idiik no notice ; 'but- was soon afieragain acc.os‘e'e
hy the turnkey, -who said, " If you will not CoTe
in,- f shalt he- :blige-d• tri use Means. that wig'
.uupleasant hot'':. to myself and to you;"
.upon Marris u A very gross language, • and ca ,j
oat to Mr. Meiryweather, the gaoler, 'kilo -""Y.'!3
iiithe garden, -to know he " authorised
'il—d.rascalo. of -.turnkey to insult hint."
Merryweather said be knew the man wohil '
do so, unless lie was himself insulted, • and 03,
Marris must go in,. but his friends
company hiM if ',bey pleased. -The two gent lenit:;•:
however, wishes.; Marris a g ,od night, and, .wen'
away. Marris ;Lien went towards the prisou, e 1
elaiming,that Mete weather was a d--(.1 (as%
and a d---7d tyrant, and be had hot Jong e
reign there. L continued this abusive lani;totr
some time ; and, in particular, he-said, sPe".
ing still to the gaoler, " you
cal, rye will do for you ;' we have Mary'l3o'°(
in London." He then went up the stairs
Abe ptison leading to his room, the Witness I°l4.
fowing, and being so weak as to be oblig-"e,
to take hold of the iron bannisters for support•.:l
Marris abused him, said he was a d—d rascal, 3-1`
that be and Merryweather should he hung of •
ther Witness said, " 1-have done nothing t°
hanged for ;" Marris replied, " You d—d ass,_
shall prove that you hare done somethidg."';
Witness observed, that in his conduct be 13
been guided by the wish -only of seeing all felln'i
prisoners' come in alike. Marris rejoined,'
you call me fellow, I'll knock you down, for
not be fellowed over by you." Witness obscrve'ur'
that he did not wish to Have word* with him, ,
with any body, for he was too ill. The wit°es
not being able to walk till the stairs
Marris had two, or three tiines halted to' let,„l';'l'
get up, that he might continue his abuse. 1'1:
•liess went to the women debtors' room, at the
of the stairs, counted them off, and saw that tt'i
were all right, and was returning, when lie 19").'L
l‘larris waiting for him on the landing, who 01,,,1
`` IVll'at do you wean by calling me a felloiv,"
Witness answered, "l_did not call you 'a fcil°,yl
Sir; yon. misunderstood me; 1 'meant no,su'n
`thing." Marris, however; directly struck hia:4
the shoulder, grasped' him round the body,
said, he would be d—d it he would not throol'i.i,
over the bannisters. Witn6ss had' the .keys dthi:e
prison in his band, which he drOpped down
stairs in defending. hitnself; and, clinging by .`t);
banui,:ter with one arm, and by. Marris's.
with ,the other, he was able to hold so .as to I',' .c
Vent. his 'being thrown\ over. Marris tried 311.14
'possibly could to accomplish that; and wOte:g
.was extremely hurt; in his weak state, front
Violence used towards him, it is a stone- :it'll:0
case'; had he fallen over the bannistert, he
have pitched 1.:l'or 15 feet at -least. He h'"'io
blister on Atilt! time, which: was rubbed off .1":1%
itruggle, and the blood poured down bis
his arm, where he had hcen_ bled, al5“; brok'. °it
bleeding again ; his right sick, was MUCh
against the iron railing, and, altogether, he, 't
so much injured, that he knew not how ta 1;1I
down_itairs for pain. Millais laughed at this, io
"Said, "1 would cry if 1 was you ; but I'll, gosti
you cry before have done with you." '
had been' for five or six days before under thec,„
of Mr. Franklyn, surgeon of the prison ; air'
in consequence of Marris' treatment, danger°''
ill for sonic days after.
. Mr. SOijeant ROUGH addressed the Jury
-41

your of the defendant.---'the Jury considered'
a few minutes, and returned a verdict, GuiliP
14
The trial took place on Saturday. On M°l!itoi•
morning Mr. Marris was brought up in the el1;0,
nal Court for judginect.—Sentecced to be trip
fined in Gaol for one year, and, at the expilliol
of that tiine, bound over to keep the peace for
years longer, in securities of 3UU/. /
The Assizes. at Lincoln finished on Toevi°'e/
, :the 1.-.lo'nLiaron AVoon left three persons foc;
cation, tr;inely, Humphries and Nay, fora:10;
glary at-Long Bennington ; and Ward, for tar
utilu offence: at Marehatn-le-Fen. The
April is appointed for their execution.

MARRIED. Itirr
• 4
to. .
' On Thursday last, at St. George's, Ilanover-svarelaiyiiill,
Wyatt,,F.sq... to Miss Ranking, daughter Of George I. .;,
Esq. of Caventhsb-square. •'„ 11. t,
Yesterday, at Sr.' Clement Danes, Lieutenant Furuc;:sife4
to the:seemo) datighter of John Dam, Esq. of G3(4) tf
Linoolll'A Inn. tot a
Lately,. Mr. F. Sedgefield. of Welburn, :Yorlishiret ,4 tpr,
widow of Mr. M. Smith. Ths.bride has been titarrte
times, although " not 21.
.