The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-05 00:00:00

MAR YLEB ONE.

A French gentleman, named Villegemot, holding a high
commission in France, charged Madame Fontaine with
detaining his son. He bad two sons, the mother of whom
was dead ; he arrived lately in England, and the eldest
took the earliest opportunity of running away, and taking
up his abode with Madame Fontaine, his grandmother.
Madame said that the little fellow did this in consequence
of his father's cruelty. The Magistrates could not bring
the matter to an amicable adjustment, and therefore de-
clined interfering. The applicant said he should apply for
a Habeas Corpus.
UNION-HALL.

Crouch, a notorious resurrectionist, was charged with
being found in St John's Burial-ground, with intent to
steal the body of a female, whose death was pronounced by
a medical man to have taken place in consequence of
cholera, was interred is the above church-yard. The
body-snatchers got wind of the circumstance, and thought
to make a good booty; but a man had been set to watch,
and he gave an alarm. The policemen arrived, and all
escaped but the defendant, who had in his possession the
implements used for raising dead bodies. Ho was held to
bail to answer the charge.
T HAMA'S OFFICE.
Jane Brown, a respectable-looking young woman, was
charged with smuggling ten costly India silk handkerchiefs,
and two valuable China-crape shawls. On Saturday
morning a Custom-house officer observed her stepping out
of the Waterloo East Indianian, lying off tL2 Blackwell
Dock, and noticed that her legs were very thick in pfopor-
tion to her body. He followed her ashore, when elle said
she had swelled legs from cold. He, however, suspected
she was smuggling, and she was taken to a house ani
searched. The above handkerchiefs were then taken from
her; the goods were then sent to the Custom-house.
John Osborne, seaman, of the Buckinghamshire Esst
Indianian, was charged with having two China shawls,
and sixteen Indian combs. The shawls were wrapped
round his body, and the combs stuck in various parts of his
dress.—These were also sent to the Custom-house.

ASSIZES.

WINCHESTER, MI RCA 3.

On coming into Court this morning, Mr. Justice GAsx-
LIE directed the 12 poachers, who bad pleaded guilty of
being in an inclosed ground in the night armed for the pur-
pose of killing game, to be placed at the bar. His Lordship
then sentenced Steele and Norman to be transported for
seven years, and all the rest for 14 years. Henry Hunt,
John Dore, and Thomas Berriman were then brought
up. These prisoners, it will be recollected, were found
guilty of the crime of arson. His Lordship then pro-
ceed ed to pass sentence of death upon them, giving them no
hopes of mercy. Jamesilzhitcher was then put forward. This
prisoner had been convicted with the last-named persons
of arson ; but it appearing in the evidence that through
his confession the whole was found out, and that before he
confessed he had asked the Magistrate's clerk if the prods-
naation of November, 1830, offering a pardon to the per-
son confessing was still in force, and that it was under that
impression that be had disclosed the facts, his Lordship
told him that his life would be spared, even though his
Majesty should not be pleased to extend to him a free
I anion.

This closed the business here, and the Judges left for
Salisbury.

SALISBURY, MARCH 4.
The Learned Judges opened the Commission here yester-
day. There are 133 prisoners for trial.

OXFORD, M 4 ca 2.

John Gibbs, aged 32, labourer, was charged with
having, on the 12th of February last, set fire to a stack
of wheat and other property, the property of Wm. Wing,
of Steeple Aston, in this county.
The prisoner appeared at the bar in a smockfrock, and
was a very good looking man.
Mr. William Wing was the son of the prosecutor, who
lives at Steeple Aston. He went to bed about nine o'clock,
and about eleven o'clock he was alarmed by a cry of fire. He
immediately got up, and went to his father's farm-yard,
and there he found the wheat-stack, a stack of straw, and
two waggons load of straw, on fire. The value of the
property destroyed was about 2001. Witness knows the
prisoner ; he lived with witness's father some short time
before the fire. He saw the prisoner at the fire, working
the engine, hut he did it in a careless manner, and only
with one hand, Mr. Lechmere, a Magistrate, was also
at the file. Witness entered into conversation with him,
during which prisoner observed him closely. On the
following morning he accompanied Mr. Lechmere to a
cottage of a man of the name of Cross, in the village of
Steeple Aston, where he found the prisoner. Mr. Lech-
mere asked prisoner for his shoe, and be gave it. Mr.
Lechmere and witness then compared the shoe with shoe-
tracks in a field adjoining his father's farm, called Morton-
pits, and near where the fire took place, and they corres-
ponded. Prisoner was then taken into custody, and
brought before Mr. Lechmere ; he made a statement,
which was taken down in writing.
John Foster, a lad of 13 years of age, upon Sunday,
about three o'clock, before the fire, wanted to get into the
prosecutor's barn, and went to the door and found it fast-
ened. He knocked at it, and after some time the prisoner
came out.

Frederick Plumb proved his meeting the prisoner on
the night of the fire coming dow❑ a lane from the prose-
cutor's house. When witness told prisoner there was a
fire, prisoner asked him where, though prisoner mast have
seen the fire from where they were. Other evidence was
adduced.

The prisoner, in his defence, said he was as innocent
as the child unborn,

Mr. Justice LirnEnALE summed up the evidence, and
the Jury found the prisoner Guilty.
The Learned Judge pronounced the awful sentence of
death upon the prisoner, who heard it unmoved. Having
shaken hands with his father, he said they might hang Lim
as soon as they pleased, for he was innocent.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3.
George Lay, aged 19, was charged with having, on
the 23d of January last, stopped and assaulted Mr. Ed-
ward Pullen on the King's highway, in the parish of Cul-
ham, and with having stolen from his person five sove-
reigns, 10s. in silver, and a gold watch, his property.
The prisoner had no Counsel, but cross-examined the
witnesses with a degree of ingenuity not to be expected
from a person in his station in life, and his firmness and
self-possession, during the trial, were such as has been sel-
dom or ever witnessed.

Mr. Juszicx called Mr. Pullen. The appearance of
the prosecutor contrasted with that of the prisoner excited
no little surprise. Mr. Pullen is a most powerful man,
and nearly six fret high, while the prisoner is in appear-
ance a perfect boy of slender make, and very little over
five feet. Mr. Pullen wore a black handkerchief round
his head, and on its removal his forehead and round his
temples exhibited some severe scars. He has been con-
fined to his bed since the robbery until within this few
days, and the trial was put off to the last day of the
Assizes, in order that he might be able to attend. He
was then examined and deposed as follows :—I live in Sutii
ton Courtney. I am a farmer, and have been so for many
years. On the 23d of January last I was at the market
of Abingdon, and about half-past six o'clock on that day I
left Abingdon to
go home. I had four sovereigns, two
half-sovereigns, and 10s. in silver. I had it in a canvas
bag, which I had for three years. I tore it down on one
side so as to get my hand in more easy. I had also a gold
watch. I had it and my money when I left Abingdon.
I had a small stick in my hand, the pieces of which I now
produce. In my way home I went by the caurway. A
few minutes after I got on the causeway, I was joined by a
person ; he was not a tall man. When we came as
far as Culham-bride, two men passed us ; they wished me
good night. I did not see any other person, or hear any
footsteps, except those of tile person with me.. We came to
the canal-bride ; there is a swampy place, with a few foot-
stones. I went over this first. The person was close behind
me. It was the same person who was with me all the way
from Abingdon. I could bear the roar of the waters of Sutton
pool. It would be impossible for the cries of a person in
distress to be heard with the noise of the waters. I had
not got more than thirty or forty yards from the bridge
when I received a violent blow on the side of my head. It
knocked me down, my hat fell off. I endeavoured to defend
myself with my stick. The second blow was on ray head.
It completely felled me to the ground, and I never got up
until he left me. I said, " For God's sake, what are you
going to do with me ?" He replied, " Your life or your
money I will have." I said, " If you will have the money,
you must have it." He took the watch. My bead and

on Friday at the parish church of St. Botolph, Aldgate, fur
the purpose of electing four constables in the room of as
many persons rem
lately
oved. It is difficult precisely to
PORTSOKEN WARD.--A wardmote was held
say what was done, as from the commencement to the
end of the proceedings the whole was one scene of con-
tinued uproar. Every attempt of Alderman HUGHEs
HUGIIEs to speak was the signal for tumult on each side.
Of his address we could only distinguish some snatches
, as
" If any one interrupts me"--" Since no oth
I have no choice ere are
You're no Alderman''--" We don't blame
don't attempt to be thrust upon us," &c. When,
vo-
lunteered"—" "--" I now declare"—
Amidst cries of " We don't know you"—" Go back to
that those persons proposed by
HUGHES be elected, the show of hands was de-
cidedlyainst it, in the proportion of, we should think,
w
a motion was put) Which the meeting believed
the friends of Mr.
three to one. Mr. TYERS demanded the roll-
books,yttOliilooocuwobfGoe;ell. v
or
ldbeE
i ru'
asgt
‘‘a7 order to take the four next names on the list.
This was refused, and Alderman HUGHES HUGHES left
the meeting with his friends, having, as we understood,
declared the four persons proposed to have been duly
elected. There were many ladies present, some of whom
took a very decided part against Mr. HUGHES HUGHES.
Two, who had got into the pulpit, were turned down, by
order of the churchwarden, Ms. Mammas', amidst cries
of " Shame ! Shame !" from the meeting.
........„,.._______

BIRTHS.
On the 2(.1 inst, at Owston, Yorkshire, the Lady Helena Cooke,
of a son.
On the 2d inst. in Montagu-place, Belford-square, the lady of
S. It. Bosanquet, Esq. of a son.
On the :29th ult. in Rutland-square, Dublin, the Countess of
Longford, of a son.