The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-27 00:00:00

' Cross-examined—l only heard the voice of one person
at my door, and that person continued to bold the door
until the men seemed to go away from the house. No
attempt was made to enter my room.
Miss Mary Holland corroborated the evidence of her
sister. She also praved that on the morning after the
outrage was committed she found a large knife, a stick, and
several stones in the park ur.
Cross-examined—l said to the man at the door " What
do you want?" He replied, "I want money, be quick."
The man said, " Don't be frightened, we won't hurt you."
Mr. J. Fuggles—l was staying at the prosecutor's
house on the night in question, and I was awoke and heard
the noise of voices, and I got up and went to Mr. Hol-
land's room, and I saw three men standing there. One
man presented a gun about a foot from my breast, and I
looked at him for a minute and then snatched it from him,
and et the same instant I was knockel down. When I
regained my senses I found myself on the bed and three
men were vending over use, and I was very much beaten
and hurt: I should know the gun again if I were to see
it, but I cannot identify any of the prisoners. I was a
good deal hurt, but I arts now in a great measure recovered.
Jonathan Tompsat (tbe approver)--I came from the
gaol to be examined, and have been in custody since the
23d of January upon this charge, I know all th.? priso-
ners except Will:am Foster. On the afternoon of Sun-
day, the 3.1 of January, I was living at Hurstperpoint,
tie prisoner Balcarnbe. lekel with n.e. James Foster,
Martin, Balcombe, and I were together I;n:tweets eight
and nine o'clock on that night. They asked me to go
with them, and I sanl " Where?" They repl'cd, " We
are going somewhere where we shall get some money." I
agreed to go wish them, and we went to the White Horse
at Ditchling, where we had some bet r. We then went o r t'.e
road towards Uelta. I i, and got there about six o'clock in the
morning. We came to a lag,. at Lindfield about 9 o'cicck
on the night of the 4th, and according to a4reement we
met Charles Foster and Henry Easton t'::ere. We laid
down in the hedge until 11 o'clock, when we started cor
Bexhill, and whea we arrived there Easton and Charles
Foster went away to get a hirnmer and a hl.icksrnith's
tool, called a " diwn a furze field,
Charles Foster cut v.vo wicks from tho hedge. We g>t
to Bexhill about one o'clock, and at this time Char:es
Foster was carcji ig a gun. I and Martin stood in the
front of the house, and walked about while the others
broke in at the window at the end of the house. The t,vo
Fosters, lealeembe and Easton went into the house, and
I saw them break opea a writing desk, but they did not
find anything of value in it. After this we all ve it into
the house, and five of us went into Mr. Holland's bee_
room. (The witness then stated what took place
lar t, rats to those used by Mr. 11,11 land). A gert'eman
came into the roorr, and I had the gun in my hand at the
time, and be laid hold of the gun and we struggled tcge-
ther, and at the woe nacomtnt James Foster hit him on
the head and fetched bland, and the blow appelred to
"puzzle" hire, and I then pushed him on the bed. Easton
took the prosecutor's coat, and we all vvent away tog, tier.
I should think we were about the house and in it three-
quarters cf an hour. We ie:urr.ed by the same road as
far as Lindficld Stocks, and we abated the gold and
silver between us. Charles Foster and Henry Easton then
parted from us, and th..l took the rioter, the coat and the
watch with them.

The ai ness then eescribed the route taken by him and
bis companions on their re urn home, and stated at abet
places they stopped. They drank gin, beer, and brandy
and rum at (Efferent putl'e-home?, and they treated the
people in them and &need and amused themselves. On
the Wednesday we got to Lewes, where ae stayed at a
beer-shop all day, and Balcombe and Martin left me, and
I remained at Lewes for nearly a fortnight, with a young
woman, named Vcnn, and B acombo came to see me during
that time. When my money was gone, T. Martin and
Balcombe agreed to go to liadlow to meet Ea:tan and
Charles Faster, in order to get some of the ucte.s they had
taker, and I asked Ede to go along with uF. We get to
Hadlow or, the Sunday. the 17th of January. I saw
Easton afterwards, and Le said that there was 101. to be
given to each of them. Easton and Mtirtia went away
'for the purpose of getting the money, and afterwards I
raw something rolled up in paper and given to Ede, and
we then returned to Lewes, and from tt ence to Brighton,
and we stayed at that place until the following Monday,
when Balcombe and Martin went away, and Bee also
went away on the Tuesday. While we were at Brighton,
Ede told me that he bad changed two of the notes, and
they purchased some articles of clothing. Before are,
Ele asked him if they had done a robtery, and he told
him we had. Ede afterwards told me that he had givea
the notes to different people to get changed. The witness
at some length proc•eedsd to detail his further proceedings,
with a view to his statement being confirmed by other
testimony.

Cross-examined—Did not mike any disclosure of these
circumstances until after he was taken into custody and
bad undergone an examination before the Magistrates.
Had never been in prison for trial before. Had heal in
prison six weeks for poaching and 'breaking windows.
When he was in the army ho was sent to prison for a
month. Had been discharged from the army about fiur-
teen years. Since that time be had been working for his
living as a labourer. He had been working with Charles
Foster on the railway, aid he left the work without "much
notice." He was known on the railway by the name of
" Crocky Ware Jack." Did not hear of Foster losing a
shovel while he was working t'ne e. When they
talked to him about gett;ng money, he knew directly that
they intended to commit a robbery somewhere. He eid
not assist to break open any part of the house, and the
reason he took the gun out of the bed-room was for fear
of as accident" happening. The old gentleman was
pretty strong when be struggled with him, and he Shoved
him back in bed. He did not hear of any reward being
offered until after he was taken before the Magistrates.
The officer read s reward that was offered. The reward
was 2001. for anybody who would give information; but he
did nut expect to get any part of that reward.
Some further cross-examination took place, but nothing
material was elicited.

Cross-examined by the prisoner Easton—You said there
was 801. in notes, but there would be 10/. to be given to a
man who bad given some intelligence about the house, and
that you and Charles Foster were to hive 51. a piece mere
than the others, which would leave 101. a piece for them.
A number of witnesses were then called to corroborate the
statement of the accomplice relatil e to the prisoners having
been seen in company with him on the night of the rob-
bery, and both before and after it was committed. A ait-
ness was also called to prove that:the prisoner Balcombe told
him after the robbery that he and his companions bad gone
as far as they could for water, and then they got into a
house; and he also gave the names of the persons who
accompanied him and assisted in the commission of the
robbery.
_ _ _

Superintendent Fagan, of the Sussex constabulary, who
deserves great credit for his exertions in bringing the pri-
soners to justice, was then examined. He proved the ap-
prehension of four of the prisoners, and also that he found
upon them two silk h indkerchies that were identified by
Miss Holland as her property. He also produced a gun
which one of the prisoners claimed to belong to him.
The case for the prosecution closed at half-past five
o'clock, and the Learned Counsel severally addressed the
Jury, and Mr. Chambers made a most forcible appeal on
behalf of his c:ient.

When the evidence for the prosocution xas concluded,
Mr. C;eary submitted to the Court that there was no evi-
dence ugainst William Fuster to go to the Jury. His
Lordship concurrcd in this view of the case, and directed
an acquittal as regarded that prisoner.
At half-past seven o'clock Lord DENMAN commenced
summing up the evide:ice, and his address lasted nearly two
hours.

The Jury, after deliberating for some time, rEturneJ a
verdict of guilty against all the pt isoncrs, with the excep.
tion of Wiliam Foster.

Lord DENMAN than sentenced Ede to be imprisoned for
six months, and directed all the other prisoners to be trane-
ported for life.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT—LANcesrEn, March 24.
Richard Boothman, James Wilkinson, Thomas Riley, and
Henry Bidehaigh, were indicted for the wilful murder of Jo-
seph Halstead, at Colnc, on the 11th of August last. A second
count charged Boothman with the murder, and the other pri-
soners with aiding and abetting him.
It appeared in evidence, that about a week before the event
serious disturbances had oectirred in the town of Colne, and
the Magistrates thought fit to send for the military,, who re=
mained from Friday to Sunday. On the evening of Monday
the Magistrates received such information as induced them to
swear in seventy Special constables, among whom was the de=
ceased, a respectable tradesman of the town. The Hint Act
was read first at the Old Church, and then about a quartti
of a mile further, A distance further on was the New
Church, from the fence ~f which iron rails had been torn.
The Magistrates and Constables preceedtd down NbitliTh:,
street to Cross-street, where they heard the spring of a rat-
tle, and heard a considerable noise and the dicharge of fire-
arms, and soon heard that a man had been killed. Firoiri the
time the deceased was sworn in he Wa'S fit Coinpained by a speCial
constable named Wild. In Cross-street they Were tbltowed
a few yards b. the mob. A violent blow was airn,s'd 41 Wild
with an iron liar, which so alarmbd him that he went home;
The deceased was then standing at the door of a mats isarn6d
Hawksworth, who looked out Of his sindtivv, and saw a man
down on the ground, and Oft, limb making exclamations, " Kill
him." Some taid, " Don't kill him." Others, again, said,
" Kill him,'' and he was killed. The deceased wait Subseq4entli
found on the ground by a man neitied Snowden, with his heat
beaten to pieces, but Snowden was driven away by the mob
while endeavouring to get it into a hbusei but the body was so
disfigured that Snowden could no, recdgnise hiiii. Three police
officers Will prose that Boothman was in the mob, and that
he struck the blow which brought the person down who was
standing at Hawksworth's door. He then rats awd.y, Mid
dropped an instrument, and an instrintiont watt taken up at the
With blood. There place. With respect to Rilby, a man who had known him be-
fore,pillow,was found followed him, He fell, and a large piece of wood was
dropped, and he was secured. As to
_Wilkinsen, the evidence
I, various.
roollff theAhosupseeeial constebit, named Fowls, passed by
subskuently found in bed, and a jacket stained
subs, quently
upon them, was also
waistcoata pair
,sotfain weted
w shoes,ith b
blood:
with :
o grassn
the ownership of which he denied. its a cradle,
but the man sent tits° tth
officer'
blond, His hat
was found a shirt stained in part with
saidhad been knocked oft by a eoristablth He
been sent to the Houes
football." It will " I Shetild not hate done it,
proved that in January; 1840, he had
16, to the House of Correction for playing at
of Correction for twb months on an ins
formation given by thee
as to the prisoner they Cl/4"' Solri'e information was given
, tam out
found till Vebruary, when R of the way, and he was not
*ound in his head, which h: was taken in Halifax, with a
Ile afterwards said that on thsoaT he had got in the street.
coming to Colne, and met the moaby of the occasion he was
his hand, when he was knocked downy ato put a weal on into
a door in Cuss-
street. The next morning a piece of iron, coveds with blood;
was found about 200 yards from the spot -.e
where the deceased
was killed.
Evidence also was given to show that in Jams y
prisoner Wilkinson had been convicted and sentaren,celB4o, the
months' imprisonment, under the Malicious Trio dto two
'Tres as Act, on
the information of the deceased.
The evidence against the prisoners Riley and Bidehaigh
wast
fix
such as to connect them with the riot, but as it did no
them with any actual violence to the deceased, his Lordship Ca..
quit ted them.
Mr. WiticiNs then addressed the Jury on behalf of Booth-
man and Wilkinson, and his Lord-hip having summed up the
evidence, the Jur ~ ayes a c nsiderabie r,etiiemer.,t, returned
wish a verdict of Guilty against iketimran, sod acquitted Wil-
kinson.

Sentence of death was immediately passed upon Boothman.