The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-25 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—STAFFORD, DEC. 24.
(Before Mr. Baron Martin.)
After attending Divine service yesterday at St.
Mary's,
Mr. Baron Martin took his seat in court, and by
sitting till a late hour succeeded in disposing of all
the remaining business.
William Summerfield, 28, juiner, Wm. Brindley,
24, stonemason, and Henry Mace, 22, labourer,
were charged that they, to the number of three, by
night, armed ,with bludgeons, entered certain en-
closed land at Chickley, for the purpose of taking
game there, on the 18th of October, 1861.
Mr. Motteram and Mr. A. S. Hill conducted the
prosecution ; Mr. P. M'Mahon defended Summer-
field, and Mr. Kenealy the other two prisoners.
It appeared that on the night in question a game-
keeper, named John Smith, was out watching game
on the land belonging to the Hon. Mr. Cavendish,
in the parish of Chickley, and being attracted by
the cry of a dog he went to a field, where he saw
two or three dogs running about the rabbit nets set.
The prisoner Summerfield struck the gamekeeper
with a rail, which he tore from the fence. The
gamekeeper was assailed and knocked down by five
men, and the prisoner Mace struck him with a
stake. The prisoner Brindley was identified as one
of the party, but it did not appear that he inflicted
any blow. The injuries inflicted upon the game-
keeper were so serious that for a day or two his
life was in danger.
Mr. Mahon submitted to a verdict of guilty as
against Summerfield, on the first count.
Mr. Kenealy called witnesses :to show that
the prosecutor had admitted that he did not know
any more than two of the prisoners—vizlummer-
field and Mace.
The jury, however, found them all guilty, and
Mr. Baron Martin sentenced Summerfield and
Mace to 15, and Brindley to six months' imprison-
ment, with hard labour.
John Baxter, 38, brickmaker ; Thomas Sanders,
23, puddler; Joseph Sanders, 53, miner; John
Windsor, 35, puddler; and Henry Baxter, were
charged, that they, on the night of the 25th of
July, 1861, to the number of three or more, armed
with bludgeons, entered certain enclosed land at
Biddulph, for the purpose of taking game there.
Mr. Motteram and Mr. Brindley conducted the
prosecution ; the prisoners were undefended by
counsel.
In this case the prisoners were caught in the act
of poaching on the land in question. They were
all armed with bludgeons, but they offered no
violence. The gamekeeper happened to know all
the parties, and he went and got the assistance of a
policeman and took them all into custody.
The jury found all the prisoners guilty, and Mr.
Baron Martin sentenced each of them to three
calendar months' imprisonment with hard labour.
It was then stated that John Baxter had eaten
21 Christmas dinners in gaol, being confined there
for poaching.
Mr. Baron Martin said he had heard of a man
who had been confined for the same offence 22 times
in Winchester gaol, and on one occasion he was
released two days before Christmas-day, and then
sent a brace of pheasants and a hare to the gaoler
for his Christmas dinner, as an acknowledgment of
his attention to him in gaol.
Aaron Harrison, 38, lute-maker ; John Yardley,
48, miner ; Philip Wyatt, 35, miner ; and Henry
Johnson, 28, were charged, that they, to the num-
ber of three or more together, armed with a gun
and bludgeons, entered certain enclosed land at
Stone, for the purpose of taking game there.
Mr. Motteram and Mr. G. Ryder conducted the
prosecution ; Mr. Kenealy defended the prisoners.
It appeared that, on the night in question, three
keepers belonging to the Duke of Sutherland were
watching gan.e and saw a man cross a field. One
of the gamekeepers had a muzzled dog, which he
let loose, and the dog kept the man at bay till the
keeper got up to him. A struggle then ensued, and
the man, who turned out to be the prisoner John-
son, called on his mates to come to his assistance.
About from 7 to 12 men then came up, and the
keeper was knocked down and beaten with sticks
and stones, so that it became necessary to have him
taken home in a van. The other keepers were also
injured, and the poachers made their escape; but
Johnston and Wyatt were identified by the keepers,
and various witnesses identified Yardley, Wyatt,
and Johnson, but the evidence against Harrison was
less conclusive.
Mr. Kenealy called witnesses to prove an alibi in
the case of Harrison.
The jury acquitted Harrison, and found the other
three prisoners guilty.
Mr. Baron Martin then sentenced the three pri-
soners, Yardley, Wyatt, and Johnson, to fifteen
calendar months' imprisonment, with hard labour.
His lordship, in summing up the case to the jury,
said he very much doubted the legality of keepers
letting dogs loose upon men, and in • timated his
opinion that, if a case should occur in which the
dog so used was unmuzzled, an indictment should
be preferred against the gamekeeper in order to
obtain the decision of the judges upon the question.
The business of the assizes was brought to a close
before 8 o'clock.

We believe we are correct in etating that Count
Rechberg has written a despatch to the Austrian Minister
at Washington, in which he states that ho considers the
Government of her Britannic Majesty to be fully justified
in requiring reparation for the proceedings of the San
Jacinto, and Count Rechberg urges the American Go-
vernment not to complicate their own affairs by any hesi-
tation in satisfying the just demands of her Majesty's Go-
vernment.
TEETII.—Don't get young children's teeth drawn.
At least, let this be the rule. Bad teeth come of bad health
and bad food, and much sugar. I can't say I am a great
advocate for the common people going in for tooth-brushes.
No, they are not necessary in full health. The healthy
man's teeth clean themselves, and so does his akin. A good
dose of Gregory often puts away the toothache. It is a
great thing, however, to get them early stuffed, if they
need it ; that really keeps them and your temper whole.
For appearance sake, merely, I hate false teeth, as I hate
psetrf
a wig. But this is not a matter to dogmatise about. I
o never was, I think, deceived by either false hair, or false
teeth,
ge.
cheeks orl
don'tfalse
round,
o call eyes,nu d
it thes great—world, orw falserltat— rld foriu m thereup s a
fororre
making
making i n the
them l
aswa
cheeks,
certain a
hthih
bloom. But you and I don't enjoy such advantages.
,—Pra, Brom