The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-26 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—LEwis, March 25.
CROWN SIDE.
(Before Mr. Justice Erie.)
Mary Arne Ashton 26, a fashionably dressed
young woman, pleader; guilty to two indictments
one of which charged her with stealing a gold
wa 6, and the other with s.ealirtd a gold chain,
thA 1 rnn. w4a .ss turn j‘t I_..
Chelleo, at Brighton.

Mr. Merrifield was instruc`ed for the prosecu-
tion. Mr. Creasy was counFel for the defence.
The prisoner, it appe•:rs, is most respectably con-
nected : her family reside at St. Ives, in Hunting-
donshire. She was on a visit to the family of a friend
at Brighton, and it appeared that on the 18th of
March she went to the shop of Mr. Lewis, and
after looking at different articles she succeeded in
secreting a gold watch, and left the shop without
the theft being discovered. On the following day
she want to the shop of Mr. Chellen, and there
secreted a gold chain and was about to go away
when the article was missed, and the prisoner was
given into custody, and upon a search being made
the watch that had been stolen on the previous
day was found in her possession.
Mr. Justice Erle said he would look at the de-
positions, and consider what sentence should be
pronounced.
Geoigiana Naldrett, 18, a good-looking young
woman, was indicted for the wilful murder of her
female illegitimate child. _ _

The jury, after a short deliberation, found the
prisoner guilty of misdemeanour in concealing the
birth of the child, and she was sentenced to 15
months' hard labour.
At the close of the business the prisoner Mary
Anie Ashton was brought up for judgment, and
sentenced to eiX months' imprisonment and hard
1 sbo r.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.—NoRwicn, MARCH 24.
CROWN COURT.—
(r3•i
°,e Mr. Ju..tice Wighttnan )

POACHING CASES.—SHOOTING AT KEEPERS.
George Hawkins, Thchard Ward, and William
Clarke, were charged with maliciously shooting at
R bert Whiley, an assistant
gamekeeper, em-
ployed on the estate of the Earl of Albemarle,
at Quiddenham, Norfolk, with intent to kill and
murder him. The prisoners were alsocharged
by rther counts of the indictment with shooting
with intent' to re-i-t their lawful apprehension,
and also with unlawfully wounding.
Mr. S evens -n appvared for the prosecution ;
and Mills for the deteece.
Th- case against the prisoners was conclusive.
As y, and anether in .n blamed Dixon, were
w4rehini,, n the night of the 20th Nov., in Ken-
ninghall-fenn, which adjoins Quiddenham, they
heard some guns fired in the park. They went to-
wards the spot which was calle i the "Roundabout
Plantation," and when they got to the hurdles
which the trees were hedged round they saw three
men, to whom they called out. One of the men,
two of whom carried guns, replied
with an oath,
"Shoot 'un," and their guns were discharged, the
contents striking Dixon on the waistcoat and
Severely wounding Whiley in his legs, so that he
was afterwards obliged to keep his bud for five
weeks, and was at one time in danger of his life.
Pieces of paper which had been used as wadding,
were found to be parts of Nos,
70 and 73 of the
" Penny Magazine," and corresponded with other
fragments of the same work found in the posse*siou
of the prisoners when thry were apprehended and
taken to the bedside of Whiley, whom it was con-
sidered necessary to examine as soon as possible, as
his life was in danger. The prisoner Clarke said
there was no other man, only three of them ; that
he shot Dixon, and Hawkins Whiley. Ward de-
nied that he shot anyone. Clarke and Ward also
accused Hawkins of having "led them into it,"
and the latter told Whiley ha would not have been
shot if he had been known.

For the defence it was urged that the prisoners
escapethe
aPPrehension, and without
allnaTydhoienntjle3ul'irstvihofocn intention
ottod
murder
the prisoners Guilty of wounding
with intent to do grievous bodily harm,
Mr. Ju tice Wightman, after remarking on the
desperate character of such offences, sentenced
Hawkins and Clarke to eight years', and Ward to
four years', penal servitude. _

- Henry Gaff was charged with shooting with fire-
arm 3 at George Gedge, at Alderford, (in Nov. 21,
with intent to resist his lawful apprehension.
This was a somewhat similar ease, and the pri-
soner having been found Guilty, was sentenced to
six years' penal servitude.

OXFORD CI RCUIT.—HEREFORD, MARCH 24.
CROWN COURT.—(Bkifore Mr. Baron Watson.)
A STRANGE CASE.

Thomas Watkins, labourer, 26, was charged with
unlawfully entering a certain wood, the property
of Sir Henry 0-. Cotterell, Batt., at Mansell
Gatnage, with other persons unknown, to the num-
ber of three or more together, on January 31,
about the hour of four o'clock in the morning, the
sail Thomas Wa kins being armed with a stick,
the sai,f other persons being respectively armed
With guns, for the purpose of taking and destroy-
ing the game ; and the said Thomas Watkins did

Mr. Powell, for the defence, callel prisoner's
master, mistress, and three other people of the
family, who all swore distinctly and positively that
prisoner went to bed at nine o'clock on the night
in question, and rose at six next morning. One of
the witnesses—the farmer's own son—slept with
the prisoner, and declared it impossible that he
could have gone out without his knowing it, as the
bed was small, and they touched each other as they
lay. This witness awoke at one o'clock in the
night. The same witnesses also contradicted the
identity of the dog, produced boots which they
swore the prisoner wore on the day in question,
and declared that the marks on his arm, instead of
being those of blows, were from pimples.
Mr. Mathews, in reply, cast no doubt upon the
evidence of the respectable people who had come
to prove the alibi for their servant, but submitted
that they had been mistaken, and that the prisorier
had gone out and come home without their know-
ledge.

The judge, in summing up, said that was an'ab-
surd p. ssibility, and the jury must either acquit
the prisoner or believe that all the family had
come to perjure themselves. He summed up very
strongly in the prisoner's favour.
The jury, however, immediately returned a ver-
dict of guilty, which seemed to take evezy one by
surprise.

The judge, without comment, sentenced the pri-
soner to three years' penal servitude.

NO R-THERN CIRCUIT. —LIVERPOOL, March 25.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Martin.)
MYSTERIOUS CASE OF GARROTTE ROBBERY BY WOMEN.
Mary Roach, aged 19, and Mary Routledge,
aged 32, two athletic fish-sellers, were indicted for
assaulting and robbing Bridget, Judge, at Liver-
pool, on the 26th of Feb. last, of 25 sovereigns.
Mr. Temple appeared for the prosecution ; and
Mr. Scott defended the prisoners.
On the evening in question the prosecutrix was
going to make some small purchases, but while
passing through Brick-street she was attacked by
the two prisoners from behind. Her apron was
thrown over her head and drawn tight, so that she
could make no noise. She was then knocked down,
and after being severely beaten she was left lying,
in a state of insensibility, in the street. A police
offic2r found her lying in this state, and had her re-
moved to her own house, which was close at band.
On recovering, tke woman found that she had
been robbed of 25 sovereigns, which she had stitched
up in her dress. The money had been sewn up in
her gown, but apparently whoever had stolen it
must have known where it was concealed, for the
exact piece of the dress bad been torn away,
Mrs. Judge, in examination, said she had saved
the 25 sovereigns out of her husband's earnings,
although he was only a dock lab iurer, without
regular employment. She also stated that no per-
son except her husband knew where the money
was concealed, and how the prisoners obtained the
info rmalion as to where it was, remained a
mystery.
Thera was no corroborative evidence as to the
assault, but several witnesses were examined, and
proved that Mrs. Judge was in possession of a con-
siderable sum of money. On the other hand, two
witnesses were produced to prove an alibi, as Rout-
ledge was at home when the robbery was said to
have been committed.

The pms-cuttia was subjected to a long cross-
examination with a view to elicit that before the
robbery was committed she bad threat ned to be
reve,ged upon the prisoners for giving evidences
against her cousin, but she denied it.
The jury returned a verdict of not guilty for both
the pi isouers.