The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LOADON, WEDNESDAY EVENIIG, DECEMBER 4, 1861.

They must all earnestly pray, therefore, to be kept
out of war. If our Government, failing in obtain.
ing redress, decided upon an appeal to the sword,
then the responsibility must rest with those who
have driven us into it. But he could not believe
that such would be the case. lle felt confident
that the American Government would make rea-
sonable reparation ; and ho believed the English
Government would demand nothing more. He fully
bel:eved that no American Government would ven-
ture upon the insane course of involving these two
countries in war ; or if they did so, he believed the
American people themselves would speedily show
their disapproval, and insist upon the necessary re-
paration being offered.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME eine-Uri' .—__M ATbSTONE, Dec. 3.

Mr. Justice Williams went to church this morn-
ing at ten o'clock, and proceeded from thence to the
court, and commenced the business.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT BY A CONVICT.

George Burkett, 20, soldier, a determined-looking
young man, was charged with, feloniously cutting
and wounding John Cooper With intent to murder
him. In other counts the intent of the prisoner was
laid to do grievous bodily harm.
Mr. F. Russell and Mr. Barrow conducted the
prosecution, which was instituted by the direction
of the Home Office.

It appeared that the prosecutor was a warder in
the convict prison at Chatham, and the prisoner had
been sent to that establishment in June, 1859, under
a sentence of five years' penal servitude for a rob-
bery committed at Leeds. He had misconducted
himself on several occasions, and the prosecutor had
been compelled to report him, and he had, in con-
sequence, been placed in solitary confinement and
kept on bread and water, and the prisoner 'lad re-
peatedly threatened the prosecutor with violence.
On the 22d of June a gang of convicts was em-
ployed in some works at Chatham under the charge
of the prosecutor and some other warders, and
while the former bad his back to him, the prisoner,
who was one of the gang, attacked him in a
most savage manner with a spade that he had
been working with, and struck him several
blows on the head with the weapon, inflict-
ing very serious injury upon him. The prosecutor
raised his arm to protect his head, and he then re-
ceived a tremendous blow from the spade on his
right hand, which broke several of the bones. The
prisoner would in all probability have isflicted still
further injury upon the prosecutor if the dockyard
guard had not come up, and he was charged by one
of the officers with a bayonet before he would give
up the spade, and he was then secured and taken
before the governor, where the only excuse he made
for his conduct was that he did not intend to mur-
der the warder. The prosecutor, it appeared, was
under medical treatment for the injuries he re-
ceived for four months, and he was then found to
be incapacitated for the performance of his duty as
a warder, and was discharged the service.
The learned Judge having summed up,
The Jury immediately found the prisoner guilty
of wounding the prosecutor, with intent to murder
him.

Mr. Justice Williams, addressing the prisoner,
said that, as the offence of which he had been con-
victed was committed before the passing of the
recent statute, he was bound to order sentence of
death to be 'recorded against him. At the same
time, he thought it right to inform him, that the
offence of which he had been convicted was no
longer a capital one, and that consequently the
capital sentence would not be carried out ; but he
must expect a very severe punishment, and very
probably one of penal servitude for life.

ABOMINABLE CASE, OF CO.NSPIRACI
AM) _ROBBERY.

William D'Arcy, aged 19, apprentice to a prin-
ter, was placed at the bar, before Mr. Yardley, at
the Marylebone Police-court, yesterday, having
been apprehended by Sergeant Tanner, of the Scot-
land-yard detective force, charged NI, ith conspiracy
with another party not in custody, in extorting the
sum of £5, a silver watch, two gold rings, and an
umbrella, from the prosecutor, at 38, Manchester-
street, by threatening to charge him with an un-
natural crime. _ _

without. The young man, who had been sitting at
the window all this time and appeared very uneasy,
left the room.
Mr. Yardley said he could not see the expediency
of taking this evidence in the absence of the young
man.
Mr. Girdlestone said he thought it was expedient
to show the connection of the young man with the
prisoner in the conspiracy.
Mr. Yardley—The evidence, so far as it at present
goes, and in the absence of cross-examination, seems
to make the case of a more serious nature than con-
spiracy. It was more like a robbery.
Witness again continued—After I had let the
young man I went upstairs and looked out of the
window, when I saw him join the prisoner and
enter into conversation. lam sure it was with the
prisoner, as he had the same coat on that he has now.
Before the young man left he appointed to meet me
the following (last Saturday) morning, in order to
receive the 1.:2 ids from me at the post-office in Vere-
street. On the Saturday morning I left my home
at half-past eight, and had only one or two shillings
in my possession. I went into a tobacconist's close
by Vere-street and bought an ounce of tobacco, and
smoked one pipe of it in the shop. I stayet: !here
from 26 minutes to nine till four minutes to nine.