The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-23 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME (ZIRCUIT.—CifELMSFORD, TUESDAY.
CROWN COURT.
(Before LORD ABINGER.)
I Abraham Orpia, aged 19; William Usher, 19, and
George Parish, 22, were capitally indicted for bur-
giariousty_ breaking and entering the dwelling-house of
Uriah Kent, at Rockford, and stealing five sovereigns
and nineteen shilangs, his property ; and the indictment
also charged that at the time the burglary was com-
mitted, the prisoners struck, beat, and wounded the
prosecutor.

Mr. bowling. who conducted the prosecution, stated
the case to the Jury, and said that the prisoners were
charged with the commission of a most daring outrage,
and it was an offence for which, if they were convicted,
they would be liable to forfeit their lives. He there-
fore entreated the patient attention of the Jury to the
facts that would be produced in evidence,
Mr. M. CHAMBERS defended the prisoners.

Uriah Kent, the prosecutor, a small farmer living at
Rochtord, deposed as follows :—On the night of the 17th
July, Sarah, my wife, went to bed at the usual hour, and
I had previously seen that the fastenings of the house
were properly secured. Before I went to bed I placed
a jacket which contained five pounds nineteen shillings,
in gold and silver, under my pillow. About half-past
twelve o clock I and my wife were awoke by the three
prisoners bursting open the door of the bed-room. Their
faces were blackened, and each of them had a long thick
cudgel, and Dupin, in addition to this weapon, had a
gun. I had known the prisoners before, and I recog-
nised them notwithstanding their attempted disguise.
One of the prisoners walked up to the bedside and
seized my jacket, and when I also laid hold of
it, I was knocked down by them three
times. \Villsher and Parish were the men
who knocked me down, and Orpin stood over
my wife with his gun. When I was over-
powered, they searched the house, and took all the
money out of my jacket, and some other property. I
afterwards saw two hats and a gun produced, and I
have no doubt they belonged to the prisoners.
By Mr. CHAMBERS.—I was very much frightened,
but lam sure the prisoners are the same men. I did
not fall down while struggling to get the jacket, but I
was knocked down by them. They had lighted a candle
they found in the house, and I could see them by its
light.

By Lord ABINGER.—The men got in by forcing
open the front door of the house.

Anne Kent (the wife of the last witness).—I recol-
lect well the night of the 17th July. I saw the three
prisoners when they rushed into our bed-room, and one
of them opened a hatch or box, and pulled out my
cloak. I said, " Heigh, my lads, what now ?" They
made no answer. Willsher attempted to force the
jacket from my husband, and when he tried
to prevent them from doing so, they knocked him down
several times. During this time the prisoner Orpin
stood over me with a bludgeon ; and when I saw my
husband knocked down, I said, " Don't hurt him ; take
what you will, but don't commit murder." When I
said this, the prisoner Orpin raised his bludgeon and
struck me a violent blow on the head, and I was covered
with blood.
Cross-examined—The gun was not pointed at me.
By Lord ABINGER—I had known the prisoners
about the neighbourhood for some months, and I recog-
nised them the moment they came into the room. I
did not cull them by name, because I was afraid that. if
they found out that they were known by us, they would
have murdered my husband and me.
Lord ABINGER--I think you acted very sensibly.
John Cole, the constable of Rochford, proved that
upon searching a wood near the prosecutor's house on
the morning after the burglary, he found two bludgeons
and two old hats. He: also found a gun at the place
where two of the prisoners lodged. He produced the
articles he referred to.
Some
mort
.h ecr h
aconfirmatory e
addressed
esvdsiede evidence having
the
Jury
forbeenthe
pardi:
sdounceerds,.
Lord ABINGER summed up. and the Jury returned a
verdict of—Guilty.
Hii LORDSHIP then addressed the prisoners, and said,
that the offence of which they had been convicted was
one of a most outrageous character, and it was one of
the very few to which the Legislature still affixed the
penalty of death. Her shouldmojestdyi,rsenclte judgment
wouldo of death
to be recorded, and her
pro-
bably be extended towards them, to the extent of
sparing their liver, but it could only bo upon the con-
ditionfor thsoati,t,lbigeyasslttiolueyldsibleoutirdanisirpeo.rted to another coun-
try Sarah Hatch, ag.ed :25, a good-looking young woman,
was indicted for feloniously exposing her female child to
the inclemency of the weather, with intent thereby to
kill and murder it.

The Jury found her guilty of deserting her child,
with the intent to relieve herself from the cost of its
rn iintenanec,• and the Judge sentenced her to be kept
to labour in the House of Correction for s►x
months.