The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-09 00:00:00

TUESDAY

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCIU T.—Liverpool, Dec. S.
Mr. Baron Parke and Mr. Justice Erle, the Learned
jadges
of appointed to deliver the gaols of the county
palatine Lancaster, arrived in this town on Satur-
day, and proceeded to St. George's Hall to open the
commission this morning, attended by the high sheriff
and mayor of Liverpool. They proceeded to the
court at half-past ten o'clock, when Mr. Baron Parke
charged the grand jury in the Crown Court. Although
the courts are completed sufficiently to enable the
business of the county to be dispatched in them, yet
the noble structure, St. George's Hall, in which they
are situated, is not yet finished. The courts are very
handsome, but whether they will be well adapted for
hearing, and will be otherwise convenient for all
classes who have to transact business in them cannot
be known until a fair trial of them has been allowed.
Mr. Baron Parke took his seat in the Crown Court ;
Mr. Justice Erle in that which is intended for Nisi
Prius business.

The_ calendar contains the names of 74 prisoners,
of whom 3 are charged with murder, 9 with man-
slaughter, 23 with robbery, 6 with stabbing, cutting,
and wounding, 5 with burglary, 3 with rape, 2 with
forgery, 4 with riot, 1 with bigamy, 1 with night
poaching, 2 with cattle stealing, 1 with embezzlement,
and 4 with larceny.

NISI PRIUS COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice ERLE.)
WilliamWagden, aged 20, was charged with having,
at New Accrington, on the 15th of September last,
feloniously cut George William Summers, with in-
tent to kill and murder him, or to maim and to do him
some grievous bodily harm.
Mr. Wbigbam appeared for the prosecution ; the
prisoner was undefended.
It appeared that the prosecutor, who is a police-
officer, was on duty in the turnpike road at Accring-
ton on the night of the 15th of September last, and
meeting the prisoner, who was carrying a carpenter's
basket on his shoulder, an adze being through the
handle of the basket, he stopped him and asked hint
what he had got, and where he was going. The pri-
soner said he was going to Blackburn, upon which
the prosecutor said, you are }fining to Whalley. The
prosecutor then accompanied the prisoner back to
Accrington, and knocked at a house, which the pri-
soner pointed out, to make inquiries, and while be
was knocking at the door the prisoner raised the adze
with both hands, and struck the prosecutor such a
violent blow with it that it penetrated his hat, which
was bound, as the policemen's hats are, with iron,
and wounded him severely on the head. This
blow felled the prosecutor to the ground, but being a
man of courage and great bodily strength, as soon as
he recovered his senses he followed the prisoner and
succeeded in capturing him, with the assistance of a
witness who came to his rescue. The blow was so
violent that the head of the hatchet flew off, and the
handle enly remained in the prisoner's hands. The
prosecutor was subsequently attended by a medical
man, and it was found that he had received most
dangerous wounds not only on the bead, but also on
the leg. The wounds on the head tended to erysipe-
las; and the wound on 'the leg nearly severed an
artery, which, if it had, would have been attended
with the most dangerous consequences. The prisoner
had pleaded guilty to an indictment which charged
him with stealing the tools be was carrying in the
basket.

His LORDSHIP having summed up, the jury returned
a verdict of Guilty, with intent to do grievous bodily
harm.

His LORDSHIP, in passing sentence, said that, in
addition to the offence of stealing, he had been found
guilty of using a deadly weapon against an officer of
justice who was in the execution of his duty, and,
under all the circumstances of the case, public justice
demanded that he should be transported beyond the
seas for the term of fifteen years.
His LORDSHIP said that be had mentioned to the
proper quarter that he thought some reward should be
given to the police officer, for the courage which he
bad displayed.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron PARKE.)
Thomas Phillips, aged 41, was charged with having
feloniously assaulted Richard Worley, with.intent to
rob him.

Mr. Sowler conducted the prosecution ; the priso-
ner was undefended.

It appeared that on the night of the 22a of