The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-31 00:00:00

came in through the gate out of the field into the wood .
They had two guns. One put the muzzle of his gun to
my breast. One of them said, " Which dogs are they ?"
The man who had his gun to my breast went down to
the dogs. and swearing, said, " They have killed two of
tho best dogs. He returned, and put the muzzle of his
gun close to me. I pushed him and told him to keep away.
Luxford was standing by my side. One of the tall men hit
me on the head with a hedgestake. I was then knocked
down. It was Snell did that. Luxford then knocked
Snell down. We began to fight among each other. I was
struck several times. After it was all over, I found myself
lying under a gate. It was then ten minutes past one
o'clock. The four men came to me when I was lying in
the shaw in the road. They said they had finished one,
and now they'd finish another. Bailey hit me across the
back and by the side of my head, and I saw the gun fall
right asunder. It was a very light night. The gun" was
afterwards found in its broken state. I had four wounds in
my head. I conld not go to work for two months. I feel
the effects of it now when the weather changes. Last as-
sizes I went to the gaol and identified Snell. I said I did
not want to see any more. I afterwards saw Bailey at
work by the river at Hawkhurst. There were 20 men.
I passed a great many, and Was satisfied in my own mind
that he was the man who attacked us on the night in ques-
tion. He put his gun to my breast. He went in a stoop-
ing.posture, and was lame.

Oross-examined—laMas sure of one as of another. On
frosty nights it is of no use going after long dogs. There
was a road through the shaw leading from farm to farm. I
struck with my hands, and once with the stake which Snell
had. I knocked him down.

James Luxford—l am an assistant gamekeeper, and was
with Lampard on the night of the 30th of December last.
Our attention was drawn to some dogs that were running
in a field. We followed them to the cross-ways, where
Lampard shot two of them. After this two men came up,
one had a stick, the other had nothing. The one with the
stick told the other to get one, upon which he cut a stick
from the hedge, and then two more men with guns came
out of a field. One went up to Lampard, but afterwards
said, " Which dog is it ?" and ran to the dogs and said—
" their bloods, they have killed two of the best dogs."
He then returned to Lampard and presented his gun.
Lampard took hold of it with his left hand, and pushed
him with his right, then Snell with the stick knocked Lam-
pard down. I knocked Snell down, and Lampard got up,
picked up Snell's stick, and knocked down one or two of
them. They all then got up; and stood there for a little
while doing nothing. All the four men afterwards beat
Lampard until he was senseless. When I recovered my
senses, Lampard was beside me, and the men had gone.
I had several cuts on the head. It was the prisonerßailey
who presented the gun at Lampard's breast. I recognized
Snell in the gaol at the last assizes, and on the Bth inst. I
recognized Bailey working, as a navigator amongst several
other people at Hawkhurst.

The prisoners in their defence called witnesses to prove
an alibi. They stated that Snell was at a public house at
Tunbridge Wells on the night in question, and Bailey was
at a dance at Lamberhurst. The witnesses underwent
a severe cross-examination, but their testimony was not
shaken.
The Jury Acquitted both the prisoners.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.--ErETER, JULY 29.
The commission for holding the assizes for the county of
Devon was opened in this city on Saturday afternoon by
Lord DENMAN and Mr. Justice PATTESON. The business
is light. There are 36 prisoners in the calendar, and only
14 causes on the paper.

(Before Lord DENMAN and a Common Jury.)
THE KING V. BRICE AND FIFTEEN OTHERS.
The defendants in this case were committed to take their
trial at the Easter Sessions for the city of Exeter for having
administered unlawful oaths, they being members of an
illegal association. The case was removed from the Ses-
sions by certiorari to this Court.
Mr. FOLLETT, with whom was Mr. GREENWOOD, pro-
ceeded to state the case. It was an indictment preferred
against the defendants, who were bricklayers. They were
aware that, in the course of last year, there had been a for-
mation of certain societies in London, and it had been the
intention of thd members of those associations that branch
societies should be established in different towns connected
with the societies in London. This association was formed
of working tradesmen, bricklayers, carpenters, and others.
What the precise object of these associations was they could
not tell, but the ostensible object was to keep a check on their
employers. They would observe, that the way in which this
was effected was, that the persons who conducted these pro-
ceedings in London were to give notice to those in the coun-
try, who were to act upon those instructions. Every person
on becoming a member bound himself by an oath, adminis-
tered in the most solemn manner, not to disclose anything
which might take place among them. He believed that
the spirit which had set on foot these associations had di-
minished. That they were most dangerous no one could
doubt ; it could not be proper that the working orders of
the people should meet together, and bind themselves not
to disclose their proceedings : it might be used for the most
dangerous purposes as regarded the welfare of the State.
The object of this prosecution had been to check in the
outset the formation of these societies in this city. He
believed that two of the defendants had come from London
for the purpose of forming these associations. The object
he had in view was to show these defendants that they
were, in entering into an illegal association, violating the
law, which would not permit such associations to be formed.
Mr. Sergeant WILDE here interrupted Mr. FOLLETT by
stating, that as his learned friend had intimated that the
object of the prosecution had been effected, he had to sug-
gest that, as the parties were now satisfied of the illegality
of their proceedings, every object had been answered, and
public justice had been abundantly satisfied, and he there-
fore hoped the prosecution would not be pressed further.
Mr. FOLLETT said there was no wish on the part of the
prosecution to press the case, so that it was understood by
the defendants that their conduct had been an infraction -of
the law. The object of the prosecution had been answered,
and there was no wish that the defendants should receive
any punishment, and they might be discharged upon entering
into their own recognizances.
Lord DENMAN then addressed the Jury. Under these
circumstances, the Learned Counsel for the defendants
feeling they could not defend their conduct, they would
find them guilty. The offence was an offence of conspi-
racy to administer unlawful oaths, for the purpose of rais-
ing wages, and he trusted that it was understood that the
law would not permit these associations ; that it was not a
legitimate mode by which the working classes could obtain
any object. Although many might have become members
with very fair and reasonable motives, yet they were ren-
dering themselves liable to the heavy penalty of the law.
They would find the defendants guilty, and they would not
be brought up for judgment unless the prosecutors should
think proper to complain to the Court of any thing relative
to their future conduct.

The defendants then appeared, and entered into their
own recognizances. They were then discharged.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.—NonwIcH, JULY 29.
The Assizes for the county which gives its title to this
circuit commenced this morning. The calendar is numeri-
cally light, but the character of the charges is unusually
grave, there being one of murder, one of manslaughter, one
of maliciously stabbinn., two of arson, and two of unnatural
offences. In the Civil Court only eight cduses arc entered
for trial.

(Before Mr. Justice GASELEE.)
THE KING V. DUNN, GREEN, LOVICK, AND CRASP.

This was an information against the defendants for a.-
saulting and obstructing John Madan, an officer of customs,
in.the execution of his duty, on the 29th of March last.
Mr. Sergeant STORKS (with whom were Mr. ANDREWS
and Mr. MALTBY) stated the case for the Crown. Mr.
W. COOPER defended the accused.
The prosecutor, Madan, is a commissioned boatman in
the Coast-guard Preventive Service, and was stationed with
a party of his men on the Norfolk coast at Stiffkey on the
29th of March. On the 3d of that month the prosecutor
and his men had made an extensive seizure of tobacco,
horses, and carts, in that village, which had caused a great
sensation there. Since that affair, he had received instruc-
tions from his chief-officer that he and his men should carry
their cutlasses unsheathed whenever they were on duty, in
order to prevent surprise from any of the very questionable
characters who are to be found on many parts of the coast.
At seven o'clock in the evening of the 29th of March, the
prosecutor left his house in company with his wife, to go
to the village in order to call out his men for their evening
duties ; and while he was descending the hill, leading to
their quarters, he saw the defendant Green, and his wife,
advancing towards him from the village. Green asked
what business that fellow had with what he had in his
hand," pointing to the prosecutor's cutlass ; to which Mrs.
Madan replied, that "he was a King's man, and on duty."
Green answered that "he did not care a for him,
his duty, or the King." He then turned round and fol-
lowed the prosecutor, who turned and faced him, and re-
treated backwards with his cutlass pointed at him. Green
then made several attempts to disarm the prosecutor, and
in so doing caught hold of the cutlass, which was drawn
through his hand, and by which he was severely wounded.
By this time they had reached the village, where Green
was joined by the three other defendants, and other persons,
to the number of 50. The first thing they tried to do was
to set a large dog on the prosecutor, but the animal " not
taking kindly" to the office, Lovick said " he would go and
get a gun and shoot the fellow ;" he left accordingly, and
in three or four minutes returned with a pitchfork, which
was handed to the defendant Dunn. Immediately upon
receiving it, Dunn aimed a blow at the prosecutor with it,
which the latter caught on the handle of his cutlass in the
" seventh guard of defence." The effect of the blow WWI