The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-14 00:00:00

MARCH 14, 1846.

PRICE SD.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN ClRCUlT.—Salisbury, March 11.

CROWN COURT.—( Before Mr.' Baron ROLM )
SHOOTING A GAMEKEEPER.—Richard Cox, John Cox,
Henry Cox, William Crook, and William Hawkins, were in-
dicted for shooting at Joshua Bell with a gun loaded with
gunpowder and leaden shot, with intent to kill and miirdei
him.

Mr. Slade and Mr. HodgeS conducted the prosecution.
Mr. Stone defended Crook and Hawkins. The other pri-
soners were undefended.

Mr. SLADE having stated the case to the jury, called
Joshua am gamekeeper to Mr. Bruges. Hi 3 name
is Wiliam Heald Ludlow Bruges. I have been keeper to
bins sixteen years. .In November last I had an assistant
named Ponting. On the 17th I went out with him to watch
at half-past eleven. I had a stick with me to protect
myself. I never carried fire-arms at night We came to a
cover called the Morase cover, where pheasants were.' This
was between twelve and one. I heard a gun fired, and
walked towards the cover. Before I got there I heard a
second gun. That was in the cover. I saw the man who
fired the shot by the flash of the gun. I heard a bird fall.
Panting and I went along the aide of the cover, and went in.
then heard a third gun. We went towards he spot where
the sound came from. I saw a man in about a minute. His
back was towards me. He was walking and looking up. I
walked towards him as fast as I could. He jumped round,
and up with a gun and shot 'at me. My hand then touched
the muzzle of the gun. The charge blew the cuff of my
coat to pieces, and went into my coat and through it. The
powder went into my hand, and also set fire to my shirt.
[The clothes were here produced.] I looked round and saw
another man, and he fired. I dropped as the gun went off. I
couldjust see the gun up in the direction towards Inc. I heard
it go off. I attended a few days after—more than a week
after—and pointed out the spot to Hill. After the second shot
was fired I went to the man who first shot and took him by
the collar. He hollowed in a shrill voice like a boy—" Look
out, the are here." I called out for Ponting, who
came up. Punting struck the man that at first fired upon
the side of the head with a short swingel. He had a " Jim
Crow" hat. Then I struck him with this stick on the head,
and the "Jim Crow" hat fell off. I did not hear bins say anv-
thing. It was the same man who shot the,second gun. fie
cause and struck me wish the butt-end of the gun on the
arm twice. I was holding the man. I know that Harry
Cox was also one of them. Four of them came back, and.
three of them asked if 1 knew them. I said, " No." I could
not see; the blood was running into my eves and my mouth,
and I wiped it away. One of them said, "Kill him." Then
I received a blow on the back part of my head, which
knocked me down and made me insensible. When I came to
myself I heard Ponting speaking. I crawled on to some
sticks, and laid hold of them and raised myself up. Guns
were fired after and during the affray, close round us. I
then blew my whistle-pipe. Then I heard the wood crack
as if they were getting out ; and voices crying out, " Come
on," and the like of that. I'and Pouting went to Farmer
Webb's house. He washed the blood off me, and one of his
men helped me home. I could not walk home by myself.
When I got home the surgeon attended me, Mr.-Plimmer.
Was confined to my bed a fortnight.
Henry Bell—l am the son of Joshua Bell. On the morn-
ing of the 18th I went to the " Morass" cover. My father
directed me where to go. I found a swingel and a gun-bar-
rel close to an oak-tree, a ramroad, also a black "Jim Crow,"

hat and a brown cap, a piece of lead attached to a piece of
leather, and a powder-horn. The policeman Hill was with
me. The piece of lead with the leather fits to the handle
now shown me.

George Hill, the policeman, corroborated the last witness
as to the finding the articles, and then stated that he found
marks of shots on an oak-tree and on another tree. He took
shots out of the trees. The marks appeared to be recent.
In one tree the marks were two feet nine inches high from
the ground, and in the other one foot. He also heard reports
of guns on the night in question in the direction of the
" Morass" cover.

James Wright—l am a superintendent of police. I went
to Stephen Cox's house on the 19th of November. Harry
Cox was in. He was sitting by the fire bathing his eye. It
was cut and much swollen. It was the left eye. John Cox
then came in, and afterwards Richard. I took them into
custody. The hands and faces of them were much scratched.
I searched the house and found the stock of a gun brass
mounted, also two jackets bloody, one very wet, a good many
Pheasants' feathers in the pockets; also a smock frock with
spots of blood on it. This was also wet, but not so wet as
the jacket. When I took the gun stock John Cox said,
" What are you going to do with that? It is mine, I bought
it and paid for it. '
W. King—l am a policeman stationed at Steeple Ashton.
I went with the other officers to take the Coxes. I saw spots
of blood on the breast of John Cox. I searched Harry Cox.
I found on him a handkerchief stained with blood, and some
percussion caps. Before this I had seen Richard Cox wear-
ing a sealskin cap and a smock frock It is similar to this
(pointing to one shown him). This was on the 19th. I
also saw Harry Cox wearing a round hat like this. On the
20th I searched at Maddox's shop, and found a gun barrel
and a stock of a gun. They did not match. It was lying
under the window. The next day I found a gun barrel in
Maddox's workshop.
Alfred King was recalled, and identified the caps found in
the cover as having been worn by Harry and Richard Cox.
Barnett also spoke to the same fact, and also to one of the
guns being Harry Cox's.
Mr. Phelps was then called—He stated he was agent to
Mr. Bruges, and proved his occupation of the cover in
question. . .

This concluded the case for the prosecution.
Mr. STONE addressed the jury for the prisoners Crook and
:awkins, and contended, first, that there was no evidence

that the guns were tired off intentionally, and even if they
were, there was no evidence to show that the prisoners whom
he defended had any common intention with the persons
firing off the guns to injure the gamekeeper.
317. Baron ROLFE then summed up the case to the jury.
The jury, after taking some time to deliberate, returned a
verdict of Guilty against John Cox, Harry Cox, and Richard
Cox ; but Acquitted Hawkins and Crook.
The Learned JUDGE then sentenced them to be transported
beyond the seas for the term of twenty years.
Hawkins and Crook were then indicted for night poach-
ing, to which charge (under the advice of their counsel, Mr.
Stone) they pleaded Guilty.
Hawkins was recommended to mercy on the part of the
prosecution.
The Learned JUDGE then sentenced Crook to be impri-
soned for eighteen calendar months, with hard labour, and
Hawkins to twelve months.
(Befure Mr. Justice ERLE, presiding in the Nisi Prius
Court.)
John Sharp was indicted for having feloniously incited
one William Sturgis, to steal two Bank of England notes, a
promissory not for 50/., a quantity of sovereigns and half-
sovere►gns, and a watch, the property of one Elizabeth
Sturgis, from her dwelling-house, in the parish of Codford
St. Peter's, in this county,
The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty.
The jury, after a few minutes' deliberation, returned a ver-
dict of—Not Guilty. • -

NORTHERN CI RC ClT.—York, March 11.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice CoLEamcat.)
Joseph. I.lOdkin, aged 18, and Joshua Eastwood, of the same
age, were indicted jointly, the former for haying, on the 27th
of February last, at Ecclesfield, in the West Riding, feloni-
ously shot at, with intent to murder, one Thomas Greaves,
and the latter for being feloniously present, aiding, abetting,
and assisting Hodkin in the commission of the said felony.
The offence was variously stated in the indictment, the
several intents, to murder, to maim, to do some grievous
bodily harm, /sc., being laid in several counts.
Mr. Overend (with whom was Mr. Smith) appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Bliss defended the prisoners.
The prosecutor himself, in consequence of the injuries he
has sustained, was too unwell to be a witness; but from the
evidence of Mary Ann Walker, 011ershaw, and Jno.
Booker, the servants, it appeared that on the 26th February
the two prisoners came to the prosecutor's house, where thev
sat down for some time arid had some beer, and behaved them-
selves quite quietly. On the next day, the 27th, they came
again, and were in the house in the same room with the
family, during the time when the latter were at their dinner.
They were not intoxicated ; they had two pints of beer
between them, and some bread and cheese. The prosecutor
and his wife, together with the two men-servants, sat at one
table, the maid-servant and the two children at a separate
table, and the prisoners were together at a third. The pri-
soners carried sticks with them, but of no extraordinary size
or shape. They were rough sticks; the larger apparently on
oaken hedge stake, about an inch and a half in diameter.
Before the family had finished their dinner one of the pri-
soners was heard to say, "Let's sup up and go." Upon that they
both arose, and at that moment Booker, who sat with his back
to the prisoner's table, received a blow as with a stick, by
which he was knocked down. This witness heard no shooting,
being, as he said, " maddled"—stupitied, or made dizzy by the
blow. He got up quickly, but was alarmed from the attack
made upon him, and invr ediately ran out of the house and into
saTeseilcnizineepdewounded, by the other man
a plantation. The female servant, whose position was such
as to enable her to observe more, stated that she
.F.awa
the prisoners as they got up. She saw Hodkin
puro"se-
pistol out of his pocket; hold it towards the
and fire
cutor's left cheek, as if to take' ai at
prisoner
ainnd t
hh
eatwas
Eastwood cheek.no
it. when the prosecutor became
Having done so, Hodkin mawdaerdhs!
t
captured till some time afterwards.. The
the
getawaegnmeuwehasst'ronger prisoner, brought
did not
servant, who,
him down upon the floor, and there "jowled" him a good
deal, after which he was pinioned and kept in custody. East-
wood, while in the hands of 011ershaw and on the floor,
called out, saying, „Let me alone, master, I'll tell you the
truth; we meant killing you, and robbing the house." A
pistol loaded with powder and ball, was found in this pri-
soner's pocket. Hodkin carried off with him the one which
he had fired, and the latter pistol resembled the one found
upon Eastwood in point of size.
Mr. Jonathan Barber, assistant to Mr. Overend, surgeon,
of Sheffield, stated that he had attended the prosecutor upon
the occasion of the wound he had received. It was a pene-
trating wound, about the middle of the left cheek.. It per-
forated through the cheek, and there was a wound in the
pallet. One tooth had been knocked out, the second tooth
from the back on the upper jaw. There were remains of gun-
powder upon the face which had penetrated the skin. The
wound was such as would be caused by a bullet. Witness
discovered no ball, however. It was a matter of knowledge
that bullets may get behind muscle and remain undisco-
vered. The prosecutor was doing well, and in all probability
he might recover.
His Loassitzr, in summing up, observed to the jury, that
they would first hare to determine whether the prisoners had
committed the acts alleged, and next, whether with any of
the intents specified. His Lordship then went through the
whole of the evidence, suggesting to the jury that they would
have to decide whether the act of shooting were done with
intent to murder, or with some other of the intents laid in the
indictment.

The jury deliberated for a minute or two, and found both
the prisoners guilty of wounding with intent to do grievous
bodily harm. _ _

The Learned JUDGZ, in passing sentence, told the prisoners
that one of the charges upon which they had been tried was
a charge which, if it had been established against them,
would have caused them to be capitally convicted, and to lose
their Eves. It was not easy to arrive at any other conclusion
than that they were guilty on the capital charge; on the
whole, however, his Lordship thought that the view taken
by the jury was the right one. The prisoners would not lose
their lives, but they would suffer a severe punishment for
their offence ; and that punishment was, that they he
severally transocrtod tbr fourteen years.

The Marquis and Voirehloness of Queensbtury left
Farrence's Hotel, on .411Ftr44V, for their seat. Kinmouht, Duna-