The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-26 00:00:00

MAR cm 23.

William Lovell, aged 19, a youth of respectable appear-
ance, was charged with arson, in having, on the 7th of
December last, feloniously set fire to the (Ace of one Joseph
Barnes, and partly destroying the same, together with a
table, desk, and divers hooks and papers.
The Jury found the prisoner Not Guilty.
James Evers and William Woodhead were indicted
for having, with other persons, assaulted Abraham Smith
on the King's highway, and robbed bim of 104., two
handkerchiefs, an 3 other property.

The prosecutor, on the 31st of October last, was going
from Selby to Brighouse, near Hali ax. About four
o'olock in the afternoon, he got about fifteen miles from
Brighouse, and, being tired, sat down upon a bank. A
person, whom he afterwards knew to be the prisoner
Evers, came up and asked him where he was for? Wit-
ness answered for Brighouse ; but he thought he should
get no further than Leeds that night. Evers said it would
be silly of witness to go to Leeds, as there were a great
many navigators about, and it was a great chance he
might be robbed. Ewers added, be could get witness a
good bed within 100 or 200 yards. Witness then turned
back with Evers, to a shop near, and called for a quart of
ale, for which he paid. The ale was drank by Evers
and four other persons, who seemed to be acquainted with
him. They then called for another quart, which was also
crank. Witness said they might pay for it that drank it ;
but the landlady made a dispute, and witness paid for it
also. A shoemaker shortly afterwards entered the house,
and Evers asked him if he conld not give him a lodging
The shoemaker said he did not know; but as witness
seemed to be a tolerably clean old man, he would see.
Witness agreed to go, but as it was still early, he said he
would stay where he was until he had smoked his pipe.
About eight o'clock witness said he wool•' go to his lodg
log and get to bed, and the prisoner Woodhead said be
would show the way. They went out together, and
Evers followed after. They had not got more than tett
yards when Woodhead knocked witness down, and Evers
seized him by the throat. Witness became senseless, and
could not tell what took place next. They took from him
his watch, 10s. in silver, sine copper, and a tobacco-box,
two hanokercniefs and two knives.
The priaoners were found Guilty.

LEICESTER ASSIZES, MARCH 23.

MUSTERS, ESQ., V. THE INHABITANTS OF THURGARTON.

This was an action brought by Mr. Musters, of Col-
wickh.lll, near Nottingham, to recover from the hundred
o' Thurgarton compensation for the injury done to his
house and furniture by a riotous mob on the 10th of Oc-
tober last.

It appeared that on the 10th of October last, a riotous
mob of from 1,000 to 1,500 persons went out from Not-
tingham to Colwick, and set tire to the house, and de-
stro3ed and damaged a considerable quantity of the fur-
niture. The fire was suhsequently extinguished. It was
agreed that if the plaintiff should he deemed entitled to re-
cover, the amount at the damage should be ascertained by
arbitration. The only question in the case was, whethet
or not that provision of the Act of Parliament had been
complied with which requires that either the owner, or
the servant or servants has ing the management and care of
the premises, should go before a magistrate within seven
days, and deliver in the necessary statement on oath. On
this occasion Mr. Musters and hie butler were from home;
and the person who went before the Justices w.is John
Looseley, who had been is Mr. Musters's service for
twenty-five years, first as groom, and afterwards as head-
groom. About tour years ago he had been appointed his
bailiff, and he had the general superintendence of the
whole establishment at Co!wick during Mr. Musters's ab.
genre from home. If during such absence the housekeeper
wanted meat or anything else, she applied to him, and be
gave orders for it. And the other servants in like
manner applied to him for whatever they wanted. He
went before three Justices at three different times; and in
one of his examinations he described himself as groom,
and in another as a labourer. He had his family with him,
and he and they slept in a loft over the stable. Mrs.
Musters was at home at the time in question, but had
since died.

It was objected by the Counsel for the defendants, that
under these circumstances it was not sufficient that Loose-
ley alone had gone before the Justices, as he did not appear
to have the whole care and management of the premises
within the meaning of the Act of Parliament.
111 r. Justice J. PARKS reserved the point for the opinion
of the Court above.

A verdict wss then taken for theplaiutiff, subject to the
opinion of the Court upon the above point, the damages,

sATURDAY. 111•11.eli 24.
"John:Catnuor, a frame-work 'knitter, about 50 years of
age, a married man, and a Ranting preacher, was indicted
,or feloniously assaulting Sarah Smedley. a child eight
years old, at Ashby-de-la-Znuch, on the 10th January last.
The details of this case are much too gross to be stated,
but the outline of what was proved by the witnesses was
this : —The prisoner lived in a small house, one of a row
of five, in the Derby-road, at Ashby, and the parents
,'f the prosecutrix lived in the same row, two doors fur-
,her off. Their children, of which they had several, were
in the habit of frequenting the prisoner's house, he appear-
ing to treat them with kindness. At about eleven o'clock
on the 10th of January, the prosecutrix came into his
house with a baby in her arms. The prisoner, who was at
work in. his frame, took the baby from her, and payed
with it for a few minutes. He then got out of his
frame, and put the prosecutrix sitting on a table near
him, where he violated her person, he retaining the baby
in his arms all the while. After he had committed the of-
tence, he gave the baby back to the prosecutrix, who
jumped off the table and went home,• the prie'mar first
telling her that he would give her a halfpenny nr a penny
'in the following Sunday. The girl appeared ill when she
went home, but did not tell her mother what hail hap-
iened until night, when her younger sister coming in
firm the prisoner's, told her that she had been abused by
him, on which the prosecutrix made a similar cinolaint.
The mother exatnin,d her person next morning, and foo
her before a surgeon, who expressed birn,elf satisfied that
sufficient violence had been offered to the child to eonsti-
a capital offence. The Jury returned a verdict of
Guilty.

I.le prisoner made a long address to the Court, calling
on God to witness that he had never toucht d the girl at all.
Mr. Baron BAYLES' exhorted him to discharge from his
mind the slightest hope of mercy.
The prisoner was removed from the bar, protesting his
innocence, and imploring the Learned Judge to spare
his life.

There was another indictmpnt against him for a similar
outrage, offered at a later hour on the same day to the
younger sister of the above prosecutrix ; but the Lrarned
Judge did not deem it necessary to try hint upon it. his
Lordship deeming the verdict in the other case perfectly
satisfactory.
The Assizes terminated here this afternoon.