The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-24 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—TAUNTON, DEC. 23.
(Before Mr. Justice Williams.)
The learned judge took his seat to-day at one
o'clock.
Byard Greenland, a powerful-looking labourer,
31 years of age, was arraigned on an indictment,
and on the coroner's inquisition, charging him with
the wilful murder of his nephew, Uriah Greenland
at Frome, on the 10th of August last.
Mr. Prideaux and Mr. T. W. Saunders conducted
the prosecution • and, at the request of the learned
judge, Mr. Brodrick defended the prisoner.
William Milgrove examined, said—l am a la-
bourer, living at Buckland, near Frome. I know
the prisoner. On the 10th of August he was living
at Buckland. I knew the deceased, Uriah Green-
land. He lived at Buckland. We were all three
farm labourers. On Monday, the sth of August,
we went to work together at Codford, Wilts, about
six miles beyond Warminster. We worked there
up to Saturday evening, the 10th August, when
we set out on our return home. \%re stopped at
a public house about a mile the other side of
Warminster, and had some refreshment. The
prisoner had a long spring-back knife at that
time. I should think the blade was between
three and four inches in length, and
about half an inch in breadth. It had a pointed top.
On our way on we got a lift in a brewer's dray, and
we came to a public-house near the Frome Station,
called The Live and Let Live, where we stopped
drinking for some time. The prisoner sang while
we were there. We had three or four quarts of beer
between seven of us. I afterwards left the house
with the two G t eenlands between 10 and 11 o'clock.
After we had got some distance on the road we
stopped. We had four scythes and four reaphooks
vv.ith us. Two of the scythes were tied together on
one stick, and two separate, each tied to its own
stick. On each blade of the scythe there were cases
cut out to prevent them from hurting. They are
little sticks into which the edge of the scythe goes.
The reaping-hooks were bound with straw. When
we stopped on the road the scythes and hooks were
put down flat on the road, not all in one place.
Uriah Greenland said to the prisoner, " Let we put
our reckoning to rights, Byard." The prisoner said
he would not pay until he had eighteen pence for
the gun. Uriah made no answer. The reckoning was
for railway fares and a little victuals. I saw the
prisoner lift his hand, and Uriah fell back on the
ground. As he was falling he said " Oh, Bill, he
has been and hit that knife into I." I picked up
Uriah and placed him back against the bank, and
said to Byard " Thee hast been and done it now."
Byard said, "Bill, can you swear it ?" and I said,
" Yes, I can." Uriah wasabout two feet from me
when he fell, and the prisoner was about the same
distance, or perhaps not so much. I did not see
the prisoner had anything in his hand. When
Udall fell, he fell right away from the
scythes. Upon that I ran to the turnpike
gate, about two hundred yards off, for assistance.
I saw Mr. Gane, who keeps the gate, and alsc Mrs.
Gane, and then went back to the spot where I had
left Uriah and Byard Greenland Byard was keep-
iag the deceased's head up against the bank when 7
got back. I said to him, "Run down to the gate and
tell them to look sharp." He went and came back.
I then ran down to the gate again, and from there
to Mr. Beacham's. I then came back and met Gane
at the gate, and we went to the spot where Uriah
Greenland was. I found the prisoner with his hands
round the deceased. Mr. Gane said Uriah was dead
and that I had better get a doctor. I ran to Mr.
Mallam, surgeon, and told him what had happened.
He came back with me. We found the dead man
alone. Deceased was about 22 or 23 years of age. I
think the prisoner was his uncle. The deceased was
not a very big man.
Further evidence showed that the prisoner and
the deceased had been at variance, that threats had
been used, and also that the wound inflicted on the
deceased could not have been caused by a scythe,
but that it corresponded with the knife belonging
to the prisoner.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty, but recom-
mended the prisoner to mercy on the ground of
there being no premeditation.
He was sentenced to death in the usual form.

THE SUPPOSED MURDER IN INVERNESS.—The
Inverness Courier states that the four members of the Fer-
guson family who were apprehended in connexion with the
unfortunate affair have been examined by Sheriff Thomson,
and committed for trial. Nothing new has transpired tend-
ing to throw light on the tragedy.
The shipments of coal to North America during
last month from the various ports in the kingdom amounted
to 17,009 tons, being an increase of 2,503 tons over the cor-
eapouding mouth of last year,