The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-08 00:00:00

BERY AND ATTEMPTED MURDER.

HERTFORD, DEc. 5. This morning, one of the most
atrocious and desperate cases of highway robbery, and
attempted murder, was heard at the Shire Hall, in this
town, before Mr. Mills, chairman, and a full bench of
county magistrates. The prisoners were Charles Pearse
and Benjamin Smith, two ferocious looking young men,
who have been in the habit of travelling about the coun-
try under the pretence of selling brushes, but whose chief
occupation has, it is believed, been robbery. The prose-
cutor is a dealer in earthenware, and who has been for
some years past well known in Hertford, as an honest
and industrious man. The occurrence took place about
a fortnight since, but the prosecutor had not previously
sufficiently recovered from the effects of the wounds he
received on the occasion to appear before the bench.
He appeared very weak, and was obliged to be accom •
moaated with a chair during the inquiry. His head and
face presented a most frightful appearance, being cut in
all directions. and in some pla,!es large pieces of flesh
had been entirely beaten away, leaving his scull quite
exposed to view. He said—My name is James Jarvis.
I am a hawker, and am in the habit of travelling to the
different towns in the county with earthenware. On
Saturday, the 21st ult., I was at Welwyn. I was in the
Horse Shoe public-house, I there saw the prisoners. I
cannot say whether I had ever seen them before. After
staying at the Horse Shoe about ten minutes, I left for
Ware. I went into the Checquers at Ware. I had not
been there long before the prisoners came in. I was in
the Checquers about half an hour, I then left for Datch-
worth. I told the prisoners where I was going.
By the Bench—What iadaced you to tell the pri-
soners where you were going ? Prosecutor—Some
person in the Checquers said, " It is a fine night; where
are you off to, Jarvis?" I replied, " I have sold all my
goods, and I am now going to Datchworth." It was
between four and five o'clock. I then left the house.
When I arrived at Fishwood I felt what I consider two
stones thrown at me. One struck my hat. It was dark,
and I could not see any person. I cried out, "Iloilo,
what are you at?" I did not hear any person speak,
and almost immediately after I received a dreadful blow
on the left side of my head, and before I had time to
speak I received another on the top of my head, which
caused the blood to run out of my ears, eyes, and nose,
and mouth, to such an extent that I was nearly choked.
I then felt that two persons had by some means got into
my cart from behind. As they still continued beating
me, I said, " For God's sake don't murder me ; what do
you want ?" One of the prisoners said, "D— you,
your money or your life." I replied that I had not got
any money. They then threw me down in the bottom
of my cart, and one still continued striking me about the
head, whilst the other was searching my pockets, but
not succeeding in finding my money, one said, "Let's
murder the —, and then we can search him better ;"
and the other replied, " So we will ; he's got money,
because he said he had sold all his goods ;" and they
immediately commenced beating me about the head in a
most unmerciful manner. By this time I was nearly
choked, as I felt my throat filling with blood, and feeling
assured that I should be murdered, if assistance did not
arrive, I therefore by some means managed to jerk
myself out of my cart. The persons followed me, and
finding myself quite overpowered, and completely
saturated with blood, I gave myself up for lost, when
the persons who were assaulting me, hearing some per-
sons coming, ran off.
By the Bench—Did you know the void of the person
who said, " Your money or your life ?" Prosecutor—
Yes ; I immediately recognised the voice to be Smith's •
and the party who said " Let us murder him first" was
the prisoner Pearse.

BY the Bench—What did they rob you of ? Prose-
cutor--Twopence, a comb, and a knife.
By the Bench—Was that 101 the money ru had
Prosecutor—No; I had between four and five pounds In
one of my pockets, but the prisoners did not search that
pocket.

William Hyde said, on Sunday, the 22d, he found the
tick which he now prUcluced, laying near the spot where
the robbery took place. There was a great quantity of
blood near the spot. Witness also found the lining of a
man's hat.

- The stick (which bore evident proof of having been
used on the occasion it being covered with blood, and ir.
some placs where the bark had been knoclAed off waf
literally dyed through) was a piece of nut hazel, about
four feet long and eight inches in circumference. It had
evidently bet n recently cut from the tree.
Other witnesses, who saw the prisoners at the public-
house and on the road, corroborated the evidence of
Jarvis ; and the police inspector stated that at the house
of Pearse's mother he found, a pair of bloody trousers,
and a pair of boots covered with blood, which belonged
to Pearse.
Both prisoners wore committed for trial.

THE WINTER ASSIZES.-Mr. Justice Cre!sswell
and Mr. Justice Vaughan Williams, the Judgos ap-
pointed to preside at our winter assize, will open the
commission for the county and city at York, ea is day
(Saturday). On Sunday the Learned Judges • will at-
tend Divine service at the cathedral, when the assize
sermon will be preached by the sheriff's chaplain, the
Rev. S. Gamlen, vicar of Bossall ; and their Lordships
will be accompanied to the cathedral by James Walker,
Esq., of Sand Hutton, the high-sheriff of the county. At
present there are ninety-nine prisoners for trial in the
county and one in the city, exclusive of those. .out on
bail, and some of the cases to be tried will eyieit4 can-
' siderable interest,—Leeds Times.