The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-22 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
.1170R7'HERN ClRCUlT.—Liverpool, Aug. 20.
(Before Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN.)
Joseph Travers was indicted for having, t Winstanley, in
this county, shot at Joseph Birchall, with intent to murder
him. Mr. Pollock appeared for the prosecution, Mr. James
for the defence.
The prosecutor, it appeared, was a tenant of Sir J. Gerard,
and on the night of the 9th of April was sitting in his own
house in company with one John Birchall. Some of Sir J.
Gerard's watchers had been on the track of some poachers,
who it was understood were in the preserves, and they had
surrounded a cover called Caleb's Rough, in which it was
supposed they were lodged, and which immediately adjoined
the prosecutor's. The prisoner was seen by one of the
keepers, the moon being then at the full, to come out of the
cover into an open space adjoining, and on seeing the watcher
made a peculiar chirp with his lips, by way, it was sup-
posed, of alarming the others, and ran off in the direction of
Birchall's house. The watcher followed, crying, Stop him,
stop him." The prosecutor, hearing the cry, ran out in
company with John Birchall, and sew the prisoner crossing
his garden. He ran after him, and the prisoner got out of
the garden into the adjoining croft. The prosecutor ran
after him, and had nearly reached him, when he faced
round with a gun, which he had in his hand, and cried
" Stand off." The prosecutor drew back a little, and the
prisoner then ran on. He reached the rails surrounding the
croft, and finding the prosecutor pressing on him, faced
about again and pointed'the gun at him. He was then going
off along the side of the fence, where the prosecutor again
approached him, at which he turned round, and pointing the
cun at a distance of not more than a yaid and a half, dis-
harged it. The prosecutor turned half round at the moment
the shot was fired, which caused the contents of the gun to
take him in a slanting direction on the left breast just below
the heart, and his jacket and waistcoat being both of a thick
woollen texture, the charge, which was small shot, fortus
nately produced no further injury than a contusion on his
side, which rendered it necessary to apply leeches for the
purpose of reducing the inflammation. He seized the pri-
soner and, with the assistance of John Birchall, succeeded in
taking him into custody. The charge of shot and the wad-
ding which had lodged in his jacket were now produced.
Many of the shot were clotted together, in consequence of
the closeness of the object at which the gun was fired, and
it seemed most extraordinary that no more serious injury
had been sustained by the proseutor.
Mr. JAMES addressed the jury for the defence.
The prisoner was found guilty of a common assault.
To be imprisoned 12 calendar months.
Peter Brown, aged 21, and of au appearance much younger,
was indicted for having at Warrington killed and slain his
father, John Brown.
Mr. Pollock conducted the prosecution; the prisoner was
defended by Mr. Sergeant Wilkins.
It appeared that the prisoner was employed at the Vulcan
foundry in this county, and his father resided about five
miles off, at Warrington. The prisoner usually went home
every Saturday, and remained over Sunday. The prisoner's
mother, it appeared, had for some time been seriously ill,
and was confined to her bed. The prisoner, on the 10th of
May last, was at home on one of his weekly visits, and was
out until a pretty late hour. About 10 o'clock he came
borne, and appeared to have been drinking. His father (the
deceased) was in the house, and was also somewhat intoxi-
cated. There were a number of persons in the house who
were lodging there at the time. The prisoner, on coming in,
spoke to his father, and after a few observations the prisoner
remarked that if anything happened to the old woman, he
(the deceased) must go to the workhouse. The deceased
said, " Nay, nay," and declared with an oath that the work-
house was not made for him. The prisoner several times re-
peated what he had said, upon which the deceased got up
and struck him. The prisoner then threw him down on the
sofa, and shook him. Some of the persons present
then interfered, and separated them. The deceased got
up and stood at the end of the sofa. The prisoner came up
to him, and the struggle recommenced. The prisoner threw
him down on the floor, and kicked him several times in the
side. The deceased called out " Oh, my side," several times,
and the prisoner discontinued striking him, and left the
room. The persons present lifted the old man on the sofa,
and afterwards assisted him to bed. He seemed very ill.
A short time after he had gone to bed some of the inmates
were alarmed by the noise he made, and going into his
room, found him gasping, and apparently dying. A
medical man was sent for, but before his arrival the
old man had expired. The prisoner, after the scuffle
with his father, had retired to bed, and on being informed
of what had occurred, displayed, it was said, no peculiar
emotion. He merely said, " Let them take me and hang
me now."
It appeared from the cross-examination of the witnesses
that the deceased was of a very ungovernable temper, and
given up to habits of intoxication. He made his living by
selling blacking, and spent his earnings principally in drink.
The prisoner was very kind to his mother, and always
brought her his earnings, by which, in fact, she was chiefly
supported.
The body of the deceased on being examined showed se-
veral marks of violence, chiefly under the armpit on the right
side. Internally it appeared that three of the ribs were
broken, the fragments of which had penetrated the lungs and
caused his death.
Verdict Guilty. To be transported for seven years.
The grand jury were to-day discharged, and on coming
into court for that purpose, made the following presentment,
which was read aloud by the foreman :
" The grand jury having concluded the examination of the
cases submitted to them, feel it their imperative duty to place
on record their opinion as to the prevalent habits of drunken-
ness, so forcibly alluded to in the charge delivered to them
by Mr. Justice Wightman, as being the cause of at least four-
fifths of the offences comprised in this, as in almost all other
calendars, as well as with regard to the best and most effi-
cient means that can be adopted towards the extinction of
that degrading practice.
" It is obvious from all the records of crime that a very
large proportion of offences are committed by those who are
imperfectly or not at all educated, and on this most striking
fact the grand jury rest their conviction that no great hn-
provement can be expected until the means of education are
placed within the reach of all classes of the people. They
are at the same time sensible that such an object can only be
obtained by means of a provision for national education to
be made by the State ; and for this purpose they do respect-
fully call upon the Government to introduce in the ensuing
session of Parliament a measure which, by its comprehensive
and conciliatory nature, shall be likely to obtain a general
consent, and which shall have the effect of securing the ge-
neral education of the population of these kingdoms.
" The grand jury are satisfied that while early education
alone can gradually eradicate vice and prevent the evil con-
sequence of drunkenness, it is also most important that a
better spirit and tendency should be produced in the mass of
the community by providing the means of recreation and em-
ployment of leisure hours in other pursuits than those which
now so unhappily prevail ; and they point with great grati-
fication to the exertions wich have lately been made in this
town and Manchester, by the establishment of public parks
museums, and libraries, for that purpose. It is in vain to
look for any amendment in the national character until an
inducement can be offered to those who have hardly any
other enjoyment to relinquish the evil indulgence of habitual
drunkenness.

" The grand jury are aware that this is not the occasion to
enlarge further on these points, however important; but they
earnestly hope that this public expression of the feelings
consequent on their position will conduce to the public good
by promoting the consideration of these subjects.
" On behalf of the grand jury,
" W. ENTWISTLE, Foreman."
On the civil side the Court was engaged the greater part
of the day in trying the case of " Muss v. Dickson," a ques-
tion relating to some oatmeal, the matter in dispute being
whether the oatmeal supplied by the defendant to the plain-
tiff, and which was engaged to be of a peculiar quality, en-
titled " Dickson's best fine," came up to that denomination
or not.

Mr. Martin, Mr. Crompton, and Mr. Heath appeared for
the plaintiff; Mr. Knowles, Mr. Atherton, and Mr. Vance for
the defendant

A verdict was finally returned for the plaintiff-
Damages 300/.

IV E STEI?IV CIRCUIT.—Rristol, Aug. 20.
(Before Mr. Justice ERLE and a Common Jury.)
SIDNEY V. SEALEY.
Mr. Crowder and Mr. Taprell were counsel for the plain-
tiff, and Mr. Cockburn and Mr. Phinn for the defendant.
It appealed that the plaintiff had been sub-editor to the
defendant as proprietor of the Great Western Advertiser,
published in Bristol; and he alleged that the defendant owed
him six months' salary, to recover which he brought the
present action. The defendant paid 201. into court.
The plaintiff resided in London, but in 1843, at the
request of the defendant, he came down to this city and
sub-edited the paper. At first the salary was 1201. per an-
num, but in May, 1845, it was increased to 200/. a year, and
there was an arrangement that the engagement should be
put an end to upon three months' notice ; but in No-
vember, 1845, the plaintiff was dismissed, and, as ho con-
tended, without reason, and therefbre, he said, he was
entitled to six months' salary, to May, 1846. This the de-
fendant refused to pay, and urged that he was perfectly jus-
tified in dismissing the plaintiff; because he had stated to a
paper-maker, to whom the defendant was indebted, that he
(the defendant) could not carry on the Great Western Ad-
vertiser for want of funds, thereby indeavouring to injure
the credit of the defendant; and this fact was proved by a
commercial traveller.
Mr. COCKBURN, in addition to the evidence, con-
tended that the plaintiff could not recover in this form
of action, indebitatus assumpsit ; that he was only entitled
to salary due to him for work and labour actually done and
performed.
The Learned JUDGE said, if it should be necessary, he
would reserve the point; but he would take the opinion of
the jury upon the evidence, which, if they believed, would
give a legal right to the defendant to dismiss the plaintiff,
because, according to the evidence of the commercial traveller,
the plaintiff had betrayed his trust; and if a man did that, it
was a sufficient ground for his immediate dismissal. Of
course, if they disbelieved the evidence as to misconduct the
jury would find for the plaintiff.
The jury gave a verdict for the defendant.
The Court sat till ten at night,

REMARKABLE SUPERSTITION.
The following astonishing narrative of superstition is
abridged from the Patriot, which describes in the letter
of " A Parishioner," headed " A Woman Sold to the
Devil," and addressed "To the Very Rev, the Dean,
the Right Rev. Fathers in God, the Very Reverend and
the Reverend the Prebendaries of Westminster"
On Friday night a large number of the thieves, pros-
titutes, and other blackguards residing in the vicinity of
Westminster Abbey, collected in the churchyard along-
side that venerable building. They began to congregate
soon after eleven o'clock at night, and, by midnight, the
number assembled is estimated to have between one and
stwweoartihngou, sand. They continued together, shouting,
of Satu
laying, and fighting, until nearly two o'clock
Saturday morning, when they dispersed in the most
uproarious manner. On inquiring into the cause of the
tumult, it was ascertained that a report had gone abroad
that one of the prostitutes infesting the neighbourhood
of the Abbey had sold herself to the Devil for 4s. 6d. on
the Tuesday night previous, and had engaged to ratify
the bargain, and deliver herself over to his Satanic
Majesty, in the churchyard, by the side of Westminster
Abbey, on Friday, at midnight ; and the assembly had
taken place to see the bargain consummated.
The various tales current since then among the in-
habitants in the vicinity of the Abbey, caused the writer
to make inquiry of the agents of the City Mission, who
visit those distriets • and he finds the idea is universally
entertained that the poor girl had so sold herself, and
that the Devil was and is actually on the look-out for
her. Several declare that while the people were as
sembled in the churchyard waiting for him, and the girl
had gone out, her room was illuminated with a most
unearthly flame; that, after the clock had struck twelve
the flame gradually vanished, and left behind a smell of
brimstone of the most horrid kind.

One of the City Mission agents in his visitation met
with the unfortunate girl who has been the cause of all
this hubbub, who is still suffering much fear and per•