The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-21 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.

Thomas Dillingham, a shoemaker, George Savage, a weaver,
and William Skinner, a sawyer, -were indicted for a riot on the
4th of July instant, in the parish of Hagley.
Mr. RYAN conducted the prosecution, which was instituted
by Daniel Rogers, Esq. one of the Magistrates of the county.
It appeared that the defendants Billingham and Savage pro-
posed to fight a regular pitched battle on the 4th of July last
en Penmore common. This intention came to the knowledge
of Mr. Biggs, a magistrate of the district, who gave them no.
tice that if they persisted, he should take measures to prevent
the breach of the peace which they contemplated. Notwith-
standing this warning, the men refused to abandon their de-
sign, but changed the scene of action to a marsh in the parish
of Hagley. To this place Mr. Rogers repaired, and findingthe
combatants stripped, a ring prepared, and a large mob of idle
spectators, he forbade the proceeding, and ordered the people to
disperse. They refused, however, and attempted in a tumul-
tuous manner to accomplish their purpose; when Mr. Rogers,
observing Skinner taking an active part in the affray, seized
him. Skinner resisted, and succeeded in escaping ; on which
a loud shout of triumph proceeded from the crowd, who insulted
the Magistrate' and continued riotously insisting on the right
to fight out the battle, till dispersed by the constables.
The Jury found the prisoners Guilty; but they were recom-
mended to mercy by Mr. Biggs and Mr. Rogers; upon which
Mr. Justice BuRROUGH only sentenced them to be severally
imprisoned for a month, and to enter into their own recog-
nizances in 1001. to keep the peace for a year.
Fanny Dallow and Elizabeth Dallow, two wretched looking
women, were convicted on very clear evidence of stealing a
gelding of Jaures Smith, from a field in the parish of Tenbury,
and judgment of death was recorded against them.
The whole of the criminal business ended at one o'clock to-
day, having been almost unprecedently light. In the city gaol
there was not a single prisoner for trial.

SALISBURY, TUESDAY, JULY 19.
HORSE-STEALING.

Rassage was indicted for stealing a mare, the pro-
perty of Abraham Hawkins.. The prisoner was brought by
Habeas Corpus from Surrey jail. The prosecutor had turned
out the mare to grass in a field, about a quarter of a mile from
his house, at .Maidston, on the 26th of October, and from
which place she was stolen the next morning. The prose-
cutor said he had seen the prisoner in a public-house, called
the Fortune of War, on the 26th of October, which was a
quarter of a mile from the place where the mare was turned
out. On the 6th of November, a Mr. Killow, of Durring-
ton, said he purchased a mare from the prisoner for ten
guineas at Berwick-hall Fair, near Salisbury. The prisoner
then said his name was William Bartlett.—On the part of the
prisoner, evidence was called to prove an alibi. They stated,
that the prisoner was not at the Fortune of Warr public-house
on the night stated by the prosecutor, but that he slept at Ro-
chester, and breakfasted there the following morning ; and
that on the day that Killow said he purchased tilt.• horse, the
prisoner was at Rochester, slept at the Crown and Thistle Inn 2
and on the following morning he accompanied the landlord to
Gravesend. The case was left to the Jury upon this contradic-
tcry testimony, and the prisoner was acquitted.
James Smith and Robert Jeferies were indicted for stealing a
brown gelding, the property of James Bosberry, and Bassage
was indicted as a receiver.. The horse in question was turned
into the prosecutor's field at Warminster, Oxon, on the night
of the 26th October, and was stolen the following morning.—
Lynch White, a cow-dealer, of Vauxhall, said he purchased
the horse from Bassage and a man named Stedman, for 181.
Stedman, who was admitted as an evidence, said he saw
the three prisoners on the 7th November, at Salisbury.
Smith and Jeffries were mounted on horses, and they had the
prosecutor's gelding with them ; they informed Bassage and
Stedman where they had obtained the brown gelding, and
that horse, as also the other two, were purchased by Bassage
and Stedman ; and they afterwards sold the gelding to White.
Bassage, in his defence, said the horse was sold as Stedman's
property, and he had no interest whatever in the matter. The
prisoners were all found Guilty.
Levi Burton and Belcher Dick were indicted for having sto-
len a mare, the property of Humphrey Gifford, at North Cad-
bury, in the county of Somerset, on the first of July, and for
having, on the same morning, in like manner, feloniously stolen
a black mare pony, the property of James Parsons, at South
Cadbury.
Mr. Gifford proved that he had seen the mare safe ita his
field on the night of the 30th of June, and missed it the folL
lowing morning.
James Folliott had seen Burton at fairs and markets fre-
quently. At a very early hour in the morning of the Ist July,
lie saw the two prisoners riding by his house at East Scrogle,
in this county. Burton rode the mare, and Dicks the black
mare poney : his suspicions being excited by the circdmstance,
lie pursued them on horseback, having got a friend to accompany
him. They overtook the prisoners at nine-mile Water, on
Salisbury Plain, where he found them concealed in some bushes
—the horses were running loose. Witness called to a shepherd
to catch them, and they were then taken to the George Inn, at
Amesbury. When the prisoners were questioned, they denied
all knowledge of the matter. Witness and his friend Killow
found two bridles, a saddle, two horse-cloths, and two blue coats
near the spot. He did not overtake the prisoners till between
twelve and one o'clock in the day.
The prisoner denied that he had passed by the witness' house
within the last twelve months.

Charles Killow corroborated the last witness's statement, and
several witnesses also proved, that the prisoners had passed
their houses in the manner described by Folliott, and one wit-
ness proved that the pony had been offered to him far sale.
The Jury found Burton Guilty, and Dick Not Guilty.
Judgment of death was recorded against Burton, and he
was informed by the Learned Judge, that although in all pro-
bability his life would be spared, yet that he would be assuredly
sent out of the country.
Becher Dick was then a second time indicted for the steal-
ing of the black mare pony. This indictment was rendered
necessary by a doubt which seemed to have been entertained,
whether both the prisoners had joined in the felonious stealing
of both the mare and the pony, or whether each had not been
guilty of the separate felony.—The same evidence which had
before been given was repeated, and the Jury found the pri-
soner Guilty. The Judge passed sentence of death on him,
but gave him the same intimation as to the former prisoner.