The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-19 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—.GLOUCESTIER, Auo. 16.
Susannah Parnell, a very pretty young worn in, aged
20, was charged with the wilful murder of Mary Harding,
Frederick French being charged with aiding and abetting
the other prisoner in the commies on of the offence.
Mary Porter said—l am the wife of George Porter.
We live in St. Paul's parish, in Bristol. I lived next
door but one to the deceased, who was the wife of John
Harding. On the 29th of June, I saw a boy named
James Stanley with a duck in his hand. The prisoners
are not related to him. I took the duck from him into
the court in which we lived, and told my neighbours that
the little boy had taken a duck from some one. The pri
saner French's mother said, " Let him keep the duck."
The deceased took the duck, and said she would find
owner for it. The woman's sister who owned the duck
came back with the deceased, and wanted the little
boy to go down on his knees and beg pardon. The
boy fell on his knees. The deceased shook him, and
he cried, hut he wou d not beg pardon. In about
five minutes the prisoner, Susannah Parnell, came
up. Sire came to our house, and the deceased called het
by a very improper name. The prisoner, Susannah Par
nell, had s .id nothing up to that time ; but on hearink
that, she gave the oeceased two blows on the neck wit
her fi.t. The deceased struck her again. The other
prisoner then came up, but I did not see him strike an)
blow. The deceased then left my house. She appeare,
ill, and leaned upon tier husband's shoulder. I saw her
a few days after. She seemed ill then.
Cross examined by Mr. WATSON-The prisoner, Su-
sannah Parnell, was much irritated by the bad name she j
was called.

Jane Harding, a little girl, said—l am the daughter of
the decea•ted. I siw the prisoners both strike my mother.
Susannah struck her on the neck and the other
prisoner on the body. She was not knocked down, but
only knocked on a chair. She was very ill after, and
complained of a pain in her neck. She went to the chape!
on the Sunday, and after that she continued ill till stu-
died.

Mr. Board—l am a surgeon. I examined the head and
neck after her death, and found both sides of the neck in a
very brulsed state. and a coagulurn of extravasated blood
on the brain, and also c,.neestion.
Mr. Baron GURNEY-By way of advice I would just
sly that I have heard the most eminent surgeons, Sir
Astley Cooper, Mr. Brodie, and many others now dead,
Rive evidence without making use of a single hard word.
When you are conversing with scientific men it is very
proper to m Ace use of scientific terms.
Examination resumed—The deceased had complained
of tenderness on the right side. Her general health had
been good.
The Jury found both the prisoners Guilty, hut recom-
mended them to the mercy of the Court, particularly the

female.
Mr. Baron GURNEY sentenced the prisoners to be im-
prisoned and kept to hard labour for eight calendar months.
Charlotte Long, a hard-featured woman, aged 33,
who, when placed at the bar, had a very fine infant of
about two months old in her arms, was charged with set-
ting tire to a rick of ray, the property of Jesse Organ.
Mr. Henry Exell said--I went to the house of the
prisoner. I produced the warrant. (It was a warrant to
apprehend the prisoner for setting fire to a rick of Mr.
Organ's, a rick of Mr. Giliman's, and another rick of Mr.
Nichols's, all on the 25th of July.) On being told that
Betsey Burford had made a very serious oath about her,
she said, " Betsy Burford has dug a ditch for me, and I
shall fall into it. She is the beginning, and the end, and
the mother of the fact." I told her Betsey Burford had
charged her with setting fire to the three ricks. She said
if it was true that Burford had sworn that, she should be
hanged or transported. She took up her children several
times, and said she should never see them again. She
also said that Betsy BurtOrd had be-n the ruin of her a:-
last. I aske,l her several times if she knew anything of
the filet, an.l she said she would tell us where the powde,
was b night. Her husband has not liv.d with her for fon:
years from this Assizes. I, as a parish officer, had remove,'
her to her own parish, she was then enciente—that w
twenty weeks ago—,there was a Alagistr ite's order for bet
removal.

Betsey Burford said—l live at Nibley. I know the
prisoner. On the 11Ionilay alter the fires, I sent for her
to come to wash as usual. She told me she had prepared
something to set Mr. Eaell's ricks on fire. She said .he
thought of doing it a night or two before, bat a man
came to the door. She said she intended doing so bee .ttsr
he removed her. She said also that she went to the field
called the Pebrer, belonging to Mr. Ezell, and then a se-
cond thought struck her, that if she set his ricks on fire,
she should be fund out, becau&e she salt to him when
he removed her, that she would ssrve him out when she
came back, and if he bit her fingers she would bite his
thumb. She therefore resolved to go to Mr. Nichols's_
and burn his rick, and she should not be thought of, and
that having watched a man out of sight, she put sonic
tinder and gunpowder to the rick of Mr. Nichole, and
knelt down and struck a
Mr. Ezell recalled—l removed the prisoner to her pa-
rish. She used no threats in my hearing.
The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, and the Foreman
added, " We beg leave most strongly to recommend the
prisoner to mercy, because we think she must have been
set on as the tool of some other person."
Mr. Organ—My Lord, I b,,lieve she was drawn into
it by some one el,e ; and 1 wish to recommend her to
mercy.
Mr. Baron GURNEY--I ant sorry that I cannot attend
to these recommendations. I have considered this matter
very much. There were three ricks fired all on the same
night. The prisoner is not a young girl, and I find that
her husband has been transported.
Another of the prosecutors also recommended the pri-
soner to mercy.
Thomas Gashins, the prisoner, who was convicted of
arson yesterday, was also placed at the bar with , the
pri-
Boner.

Mr. 13,rnn Gun Nair passed the auful sentence of death