The Sun.
London, England, 1824-09-18 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

LANCASTER, SEPT. 15.
[BEFORE MR. BARON ilummoc.l
The Court sat at eight o'clock this morning until eleven at
night, and concluded a laborious Assize on the part of the
Crown, with the important trials of George Hampson otherwise
Henry Hughes, aged 36; Jeremiah Haigh otherwise Jeremiah
Hagan otherwise John Thompson, 27; and Jas. Farley other-
wise Robert Brice, 37, for misdemeanors, who were removed by
virtue of his Majesty's Writ of Habeas Corpus on the 7th of
August, 1624, from the New Bailey prison at Salford, charged
by information with assaulting and obstructing John Richard-
son, John Webster, Joseph Wooddisse, and Thomas Mould,
officers of his Majesty's Excise, in the due execution of their
duty at Manchester. _ _ _ _

SCARLETT, Mr. Serjeant CROss, and Mr. STAUKIE
conducted the prosecution on the part of the Crown ; and Mr.
W 11.1.141319 the defence for George flampson otherwise Henry
Hughes. The other prisoners were not defended.
The prisoners severally pleaded Not Guilty.
Mr. SCARLE.TT stated the case for the prosecution, by say-
ing that the chief difficulty would be the identity of the prt-
soners.

John Richardson examined by Mr. Serjeant CROSS—He was
a supervisor of the Excise when this matter happened; he was
on duty on the 17th of March last, Thomas Mould, John Web-
ster, Francis Dalton, and Thomas Monis, all officers of the Lx.
cise, were on duty that day; they were searching for private stills,
and had made a seizure of one in Bennett-street; they seized
some private stills and spirits in Five Houses.street ; be
sent Mr. Dalton to the Excise Office with what they had
seized. They went to a fourth place and found a still at work,
which led to the disturbance ; he sent for a horse and cart;
Webster went; two got into the cart; the road was bad, and
it stopped. Armstrong said his name was " Freedom and
liberty ; ' he got upon the cart and he took down the end ; they
threw bricks at the horse; he saw Hughes come down to the
cellar; he saw Haigh standing about; Brice did not interfere
—(the information was given in the name of Farley against
Brice). Ile did 'not see any of the officers assaulted; he knew
one was taken to the Coach and horses ; this was Mould; they
were rubbing his temples, and they had fainted away ; a sur-
geon came and dressed his wounds; he found Webster also in
the same state.

JUDGE—Where are these officers? They can speak to the
111-usage themselves.
John Webster, examined by Mr. Paux—He is an Excise
officer; he went with the last witness on the day mentioned;
he recollects the seizure in the street; he saw Armstrong there, he
loaded the wash tubs. Armstrong said, is there any person of
ply name here.? my name is Freedom and Liberty. lie saw
Hampson, her knew him by sight before ; he saw Brice in the
crowd ; he got a cart and loaded it ; the road was bad, and the
cart could not go on ; he got hold of the cart, and called to the'
horse to stop ; cried " whoa!" I said let go ; he rolled off a tub
from the cast, and,l went to secure them. Armstrong struck
him a severe blow on the head ; Haigh knocked his hat oft; and
struck him several times with a brick on the back part of his
head. He heard some of the crowd say " damn him, kill him]
damn him, kill him I" I fell down on my side ; 1 don't know
what became of my hat. Hampson, Haigh, and Armstrong
struck him with sticks; they struck him upon the head and
shoulders ; he was bareheaded at that time. He fell with his
face downwards, they had no other idea than that he must have
been murdered. They made four wounds on his head before he
fell a second time, his skull was bare for near}y three inches.—
lle saw Farley amongst the crowd (i. e. Brice), he did not see
his said;; he was running backwards and forwards. They
bent him whilst on the ground, can't say who, his face being
downwards in the mud ;- he was taken into a baker's shop, and
a surgeon was sent to him; he was insensible and bleeding very
much ; a druggist was sent for; lie was attended for six weeks,
from the March until the 11th or 12th May.
Thomas Mould examined by Mr. SCARLETT.—He is an
officer of Excise, and was with the others ; he was present at the
last seizure; he saw Armstrong; he had a stick, and said he
would taste the wash ; he swung the stick round and said his
name was "Freedom and Liberty," and asked if there was any
one there that would fight with him; it was a bad road; Arm-
strong began to pull something out of the cart; he went along
with Webster; he got hold of the still end, and Armstrong
knocked him down with a stick ; he struck him over the fore-
head Y flughes (Hampton) just got before him; he was stand-
ing on the left hand ; he was getting up from the blow Arm-
strong gave him; he got up, and received another blow by a
brick on the temple, and he tell; he wienfterwards beat about,
And lie lost his senses ; there is is hole where it struck him now;
he felt a blow at the back of the neck ; he was taken to the
Coach and Horses, in St. George's, there, and the landlord got
brandy and rubbed him with it; he saw Armstrong and !lamp-
son ;: can't recollect the others ; Hampton travels, and sells
butter, &c. ; he sees him often at public-houses, and he can
swear to him ;he was ill, and never shall be well,' from the
blows he had on his head ; he was confined from 17th March
until 23d March, when he was obliged to give up, and was
confined until the 2d July.
Cross-examined by Mr. WILLIAMS.—One hundred and fifty
persons were round him.
Examination continued—The crowd was on the other side of
the cart; Hughes and Armstrong were among them.
The prisoners did not cross-examine this witness.
By Ain SCARLETT—IIagan had a blue frock coat on, and
fashionably cut.
William Morris examined by Serjeant CROSS—He was
itaiug up George's row ; he saw Armstrong ; he saw Hughes
rfiampson) ; he saw Hampton beat Webstervery much ; there
were three beating him on his head, back, &e. ; Webster wasi
down on the ground ; his head was bare.
Henry Brasishaw......The substance of the evidence of this wit..
ness resembled that of the preceding ones.
WILLIAMS,- for the defence of Hughes, examined.
John Copley examined by Mr. WILLIAMS—Iie lives at the
back of George's-row in the back cellar where the last still was
seized ; he was there the whole time ; he remembers it well ;
he was the first man who followed after the Excise Officercame
in ; there was a person of the name of Kelly laying bricks he
knows Hughes ; the business commenced at twelve, o'clock; it
lasted half an hour; Hughes was never there.
John Kelley examined by Mr. Wrr.tantrs—He was em-
ployed in the cellar. Mr. Wwker owned the premises. lie re-'
members the Excise Officers coming down ; he had known
fiughea'l2 months and better ; they might be there three quar-
ters of an hour ; he did not see Henry liughei ; he must have
seen him had he been there ; was there during the disturbance;
was not there from first to last.
Cross-examined by Mr. Serjeant CROSS.—He is an Irishman;
he did not put the still in ; .he was laying the bricks in the next
cellar ; there was only a pipe six inches long; people came in
and went out; there were 50 persons • old Patrick Hughes was
off.—(A laugh.)—Hughes did come in ; lie knew the greatest
part of the people ; he can tell a fair tale about them.--(A
laugh.)—lt was not Hampton. Armstrong was the man who
struck the officers ; he can't say who ; there were three ; he
was wrong when he said his friend Hughes was there; can't
say as to Hagan ; he was a stranger ; he helped to take the Ex-
cise Officer away after they had knocked him down and secured
him. (A laugh.)—He did not get his living by putting up stills.
Mr. SCARLETT then addressed the Jury, and said-he would
not at almost the mid hour of night detain tire Court by any
length of address. The Learned tientletnan then drew his re-
marks on the nature of the evidence for the defence, and said it
was clear that Hughes was guilty; and as to Brice,' he would
consent to an acquittal; and leave the Jury to draw their own'
conclusions as to the guilt of the other prisoners.
The Learned JuDGE charged the Jury, and said there was
no doubt that a most violent outrage had been committed on
the officers in the due execution of their duty. With respect
to Hughes, he thought there was no question of his guilt; and
as to Brice, no evidence being offered against him 01 a conchs.
sive nature, he must be acquitted.. The Learned Judge was
proceeding to suns up the case; when the J said they would
not trouble his Lordship further, and found Hughes and Hagan
(guilty, and Acquitted Brice. •
The prisoners will be btought up for judgment next Term.

The inhabitants of Calais, in Maine, and St.
Stephen's, in New Brunswick, by the erection of a bridge over
the St. Croix river, have connected the United States with the
British Provinces of the North.
ROBllERY.—Yesterday, two men and a boy,
dressed as sweeps, went to the house of Mr. Smith, 85, New.
man-street, Oxford.street, and stated to the servant that they
were sent to sweep some of the chimneys. The servant without
hesitation allowed them tb remain in ti►e hall while she went to
ask her mistress, and on her return was surprised to find they
had taken with them, from the drawer of the pantry, some silver
table and tea spoons, marked differently, with the letters S. L.
and E. S. and E. A. S. Information of the robbery was lodged
at Alary.la-bonne Office.
About four o'clock yesterday afternoon, as a
boy belonging to some plasterers at work at a
building at the back of the York Hotel, Bridge.
street, was going up a ladder, with a box on his
head, his foot slipped, and dreadful to relate he
fell on the spikes of an iron railing, three of
which entered just below the spinal bone. He
was immediately conveyed to St. Bartholomew's
Hospital, where little hopes are entertained`of
his recovery. Two of the spikes entered nearly
.flue inches..