The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-14 00:00:00

ATTACK UPON. COLWICK-HALL.

Joseph Shaw, aged 35 ; Thomas Harrison, aged
23 ; Samuel Spenser, aged 32 ; and Wm. Freeman,
aged 22, were placed at the bar upon two indict-
ments, of which one charged them with setting fire
to Colwick-hall, the seat of John Musters, Esq. ;
and the other with demolishing the said hall, with
'a view to injure the said John Muster,. They
pleaded " Not Guilty" to both indictments.
Mr. CLARKE said, that as he did not intend to
give any evidence, on the part of the Crown, against
these four prisoners, they would be entitled to an
acquittal on both indictments.
The Jury accordingly returned a verdict of Not
Guilty on both indictments.
Thomas Smith, aged 34, and Henry King, aged
17, were placed at the bar upon ay indictm.-nt
charging them with having set fire to Colwick-hall,
the property of John INiusters, Esq., with intent to
destroy it. The prisoners pleaded " Not Guilty."
Mr. CLARKE stated the facts on which this pro-
secution was founded; but as his statement was
nothing more than a repetition of the opening speech.
of yesterday, it is unnecessary to 1, peer r on this
occasion.
Mr. W. Musters, son of J. Musters, Esq., leave
similar evidence to that which he gave yesterday,
respecting the approach of the mob to Col wick-hail,
and their violent, tumultuous, and dangerou• con-
duct whilst there. They set fire to the hall; but on
their leaving it, the servants extinguished the flames.
He estimated the damage done at 2,0001. or 3,0001.
lie could not identify any of the rioters.
James Lowesby, groom to Mr. Musters, repeated
the evidence which he had given on the former tr;al,
as to his taking a horse to ride to Nottingham for
assistance, and to his being stopped on the road,
and prevented by the mob, who were then in his
master's park. He also described the conduct of
the mob at Col wick-hall. He could not identify the
prisoners as part of the mob.
Rebecca Lee, the maid of Mrs. Musters, was
examined on the same points as yesterday, and gave
similar answers.
Elizabeth Lind, housemaid in Mrs. Musters's
family, was at Colwick-hall on the day of the riots.
" I saw," continued she, " a dark man with a black
beard and dirty apron among the rioters. He set
tire to the crimson and also to the green room.
That same man broke the windows and the shutters
with stones and iron bars. He took a blanket from

one of the beds and carried it among the crowd.
He hallooed up stairs to me and the other servants,
and said, Don't be afraid—we'll not hurt you.'
He had large whiskers. I saw that same man arter-
ards before the Magistrates. lie had his whiskers
on then. The prisoner Smith is that man. I know
him to be so, though his whiskers are now cut off."
Edwin Patchett, the Magistrates' clerk, deposed
that when Smith was first examined before the Ma-
gistrates, he had black whiskers. He was seen in
that stare by the last witness, who identified him.
John Freeman, in addition to the evidence he
gave yesterday, saw the prisoner King among the
mob at Colwick-hall. King had a piece of wooden
fence in his hand.

James Barnes, a little boy, also saw King in the
mob with a stick, on which there was a piece of
red curtain. Freeman pointed King out to him. He
went into the county gaol to look at the men in
custody, and then he pointed out King.
Maria Holman—l remember the evening of the
Colwick riots. I was at the house of the prisoner's
(King's) father. It was about five or a quarter-
past five o'clock, when I went. The prisoner came
in about half-past five. I remained until about a
quarter-before seven. Prisoner was there all that time.
John Bramman—l am married to the sister of the
prisoner. I remember the night of the Colwick
riots. I went to the house of his father on that eve-
ning, at half-past five. I remained till six, and left
the prisoner there after me.
Cross-examined—The prisoner has a brother like
him, about the same size.

The Counsel for the Crown here stated, that they
had no doubt the witness had mistaken one brother
for another, and they therefore, after the evidence
they had just heard, would not press the case further
against him.
Mr. Justice GASBLEE told the prisoner that the
Counsel had acted with great leniency to him.
Under the impression that the witnesses for the
Crown may have mistaken one brother for the
other, they now gave up the prosecution.
The prisoner was then given in charge on another
indictment, and no evidence being ofFered on the
part of the Crown, a verdict of acquittal was re-
turned.

The prisoner was then ordered to be given up to
his friends.

Before the summing up of the evidence, an ap-
plication was made to the Court to -postpone the re-
mainder of the trials (for the riots at Wollaton, and
the burning of Nottingham Castle) to Saturday
morning, as Mr. Hill, who was retained for the
prisoners, was obliged to go to Birmingham, on a
case which had been put off till then, in expectation
that he would be able to leave this to-day. There
were several other cases which would be sufficient
to occupy the whole time of the Court to-morrow.
The discussion as to the postponement was at
length terminated by an offer made to them by Mr.
Amos (one of the Counsel for the Crown), who,
with the full consent of Messrs. Clarke arid Gurney,
offered to go to Birmingham in place of Mr. Hill.
Mr. HILL thanked his Learned Friend for this very
liberal offer, which he willingly accepted.

t
heriotcerass,t;aer;dwiOlif tbleiosperofcoeredtehde
burning.T e torfi
Nottingham
of
with to-morrow ; the two cases of incendiarism will
come on on Saturday, and it is probable that the
sentences will be passed on Saturday evening or
early on Monday morning.
Mr. Justice GASELEE then (at half-past five) pro-
ceeded to sum up the evidence in the case of the
prisoner Smith.
At a quarter to seven the Jury retired to consider
their verdict, and at seven returned with a verdict
of Not Guilty. The verdict was received with
loud clapping of hands throughout the Court.
The Court then adjourned to nine o'clock to-
morrow.

The Countess GUICCIOLI (the chere-anue of
the late Lord Bs-RoN) with her brother, Count GAMBA,
is now in Paris. She does not go out much, hut is much
admired in the small but brilliant circle with which she is
surrounded.

DEATH of LIEUT.-COLONEL BRERETON

(From the Times.)
BRISTOL, THURSDAY, JAN. 13.

The labours of the Court-martial on Lieutenant-
Colonel Brereton have been brought to a sudden
and melanclaoly close. This morning the ill-fated
soldier, doubtless actuated by feelings the weight of
which the members of the military profession will
readily conceive, put a period to his mortal anxieties
by his own hand. He shot himself in his house at
Bedfield, near Bristol, about the hour of three o'clock.
Though the rumour of the event was current at
nine o'clock, it seemed so likely to be a fabrication of
the time, that we did not lend any serious attention
to ir, and proceeded to the Merchant's-hall, expect-
ing to witness the progress of the investigation.
The Court presented the same appearance as here.
tofore, the same arrangements for the members, and
the •ame crowded assemblage of well dressed per-
, ins, male and female.

Aftera few minutes before ten, the Deputy Judge-
Advocate entered the Hall, and began to arrange his
documents. The President, Sir Charles Dalbiac,
and the officers composing the tribunal, soon after-
wards took their places.
After the roll of the Court had been read over,
The PRESIDENT rose and addressed the Mem-
bers—Gentlemen, you probably have heal(' the
most distress'ng report that is abroad respecting
the prisoner, Colonel Brereton—a report which I
fear, from his non-appearance here at this hour, is
ton true. I have sent the District Surgeon, and
the officer acting as Assistant Adjutant-General in
Bristol, to ascertain the facts. If you please, p;en-
tiemen, we will await the report of these indi-
viduals.

The PRESIDENT then directed an orderly serjeant
to attend the arrival of these two gentlemen in the
ante-chamber.

In less than five minutes, Nl.jor M:tcksvorth, the
Acting-Assistant Adjutant-General to the officer in
command of the district, appeared to make his