The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-20 00:00:00

OXFORD ClROalT.—Shrewsbury, March 18.

This morning, at ten, Mr. Baron Parke entered the Crown
Court, and Mr. Justice Coleridge presided on the Civil Side.
There are only 20 prisoners for trial, and, with the excep-
tion of four, they are charged only with the commission of
larcenies of a very trivial character.
William Rowland was indicted for a felonious assault upon
one Edward Turner, with intent to maim and disfigure him.
The prisoner, it appeared, had been drinking on Tuesday
the 23d of last January, at the Horse Shoe public-house, at
Dorrington, in this county, with some others, amongst whom
was the prosecutor ; while there, an altercation arose in which
Rowland and Turner both took an active part ; they were,
however, separated by the bystanders, andthe dispute seemed
to have subsided. Soon after, Rowland left the house, and
in about half an hour was followed by the prosecutor, whose
way home coincided with his. He had not, however, ad-
vanced many yards along the road, when the prisoner, who
had been apparently waiting for the purpose, commenced a
furious attack on him in the dark, and succeeded in knocking
him down ; while he was lying prostrate the prisoner knelt
upon him, drew his knife, a formidable instrument of its
kind, and inflicted several desperate wounds upon his face.
Some witnesses were called, who gave the man a good
character as far as regarded ordinary quiet conduct and de-
meanour, but, as it was impossible to negative the charge in
the present instance, he was, after a very brief deliberation,
convicted.
His Lonnsnir deferred passing sentence.

Joseph Willetts, aged 17, was charged with feloniously
firing a barn and four stacks of hay, grain, and clover, the
property of Joseph Morris.
Mr. Allen prosecuted.
Joseph Morris, a farmer, living near Halesowen, examined
by Mr. ALLEN—On the 10th of February I left home ; every-
thing was then safe. On my return home that night I found
my barns, stacks of hay, grain, and clover, nearly burnt to
the ground. I immediately set to work to assist in putting
out the flames. The neighbours were all similarly engaged.
The prisoner was the only one on the premises who rendered
no assistance, and he was standing idly by the stables, as he
said, to prevent the horses from kicking: I asked him some
time after to help at the fire, but he continued loitering about
the stables.
George Graham, superintendent of the Halesowen Police—
On the following day charged prisoner with the commission
of the offence. He stated when in custody that he had some
lucifer matches, which he had purchased in Halesowen on
the Tuesday before the fire, but had thrown them away.
Some time after I heard him, as if talking to himself, say,
" Oh, good God ! it must have been me who set the barn on
fire—if I had a knife I could nut my own throat;" and soon
after he expressed a wish to see his master.
His LORDSHIP having summed up, the jury immediately
found the prisoner Guilty, and he was sentenced to be trans-
ported for life.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—York, March 18.
CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron Rosa.)
Thomas Walker was indicted for forging and uttering,
knowing the same to be forged, a certain interim order in
bankruptcy for the protection of the person and goods of an
insolvent debtor Atom arrest and execution. _ _

The case being called on, Mr. WORTLEY rose and said he
appeared as the representative of the Attorney-General, by
whom this prosecution was instituted on the part of the
Crown; but he believed the Counsel for the defendant wished
to submit some observations to the Court.
Mr. WlLifirts then rose and said that himself and his
Learned Friend Mr. Pa.shley had looked carefully into the
case, and they had come to the conclusion that they could
not resist the- case, which they knew would be proved against
the defendant ; and as no effectual defence could be made,
they had advised the defendant to plead guilty, which advice
he was ready to follow.
Mr. WORTLEY said that in that case he should not deem
it necessary to proceed upon any other charge against the de-
fendant. There were two other indictments ; one for obtain-
ing money by false pretences, and another like the indict-
ment 'now before the Court. The course which he proposed
to adopt, was to take the plea of guilty upon the indictment
before them, upon which the defendant would receive the
judgment of the Court. To take a verdict of " not guilty"
upon the indictment for false pretences, would discharge the
jury from giving any verdict upon the other.
The defendant having surrendered and pleaded Guilty to
the indictment on which he stood charged.
The Learned JUDGE inquired what was the nature of the
charge ?
Mr. WORTLEY then stated that the defendant had been in
the habit of practising in the District Court of Bankruptcy
at Leeds, and having undertaken the case of an insolvent
debtor there, he gave to the debtor an interim order, pur-
porting to be signed by Mr. Bere, one of the Commissioners
of that Court, as a protection to the insolvent and his goods
against arrest and execution by any of the creditors. To
this order the defendant had forged the name of Mr. Com-
missioner Bere.

Some witnesses were then called to his character, and

The defendant was then directed to stand down, the
Learned JUDGE saying he would make some inquiries, and
consider what sentence he should pass.
John Rose and ThOmas Turner were indicted for feloniously
assaulting William Askew, on the highway, at Gilding
Wells, in the West Riding, and stealing from his person four
and a half sovereigns, a silver watch, a gold chain, a gold
key and gold seal, his property.
The case was proved, and the jury returned a verdict of
Guilty against both prisoners.
To be transported beyond the seas for 15 years.

IRISH ASSIZES.
KILKENNY, March 16.
MURDER OF MR. JOHN MORTIMER.—The Lord Chief Jus
tice took his seat on the bench at nine o'clock, and the long
panel being called over, the absent jurors were fined 5/. each for
non-attendance. The Court was gook crowded, it being
known that the trial of those accused of the murder of Mr.
Mortimer, at Freshford, was about to be proceeded with.
Laurence Dowling and Thomas Dowling were then placed
at the bar, charged with the wilful murder of John Mortimer,
by Laurence Dowling striking him with a stick on the right
side of the head. inflicting a mortal wound, of which he died
in the space of three hours, and that Thomas Dowling was
aiding and assisting.
Mr. I3nEwsrun, Q.C. (who came down specially), stated
the case for the Crown. The two prisoners at the bar were
the sons of a man named Thomas Dowling, and who for
many 3 ears lived in the townland of Ballylarkin, a mile and
a quarter from the village_ of Freshfi rd. The father had
been a tenant of the late Mr. Mortimer, and the latter got
into litigation with Dowling, who disputed his title to the
lands; the result was that the deceased brought an eject-
ment, old.Dowling was defeated, and the deceased received
possession of the land in the year 1840. He was, however,
induced to grant a lease to the sons of the old man,
the prisoners at the bar. The lease was executed on the
25th of August, 1840, under which the prisoners were t•
hold twenty acres of land for the space of seven years.
Some penal clauses were inserted in the lease, and about
the year 1841 or 1842, the tenants not having fulfilled their
part of the covenant, disputes arose, and Mr. Mortimer took
proceedings in the Civil Bill Court against the prisoners,
which were successful. This did not, however, put an end
to the litigation ; and in the course of the autumn of 1842
he employed Mr. Hyland to take further proceedings, which
he did, by issuing a capias. The prisoners then came to
terms, agreed to give up the poisession of the farm, and to
pass two notes for six pounds each, payable at two distinct
periods. This arrangement was partly carried into effect on
the 25th of November, 1842, by the surrender of the
lease, and the murder took place on the 29th, the day sub-
sequent to that on which possession should have been given
up. In the neighbourhood of the farm, at a distance of a
mile, there lived a person of the name of Tracy, whose name
had been heard before the present period in the criminal
annals of the county, and whose house was the receptacle
of the most dangerous and infamous characters. Among
others, he was intimate with a man named William Delany.
Possession not being given, Thomas Dowling, one of the
prisoners, came to the house of Tracy, and stated there
that he would rather die upon a dunghill than give
up the land ; but, although on the day of that
visit, the 28th of November, nothing definite was ar-
ranged with reference to the murder of Mr. Mortimer, it
would be proved that the object Dowling had in view was
to procure the co-operatian of Delany, who, being a native
of the county of Tipperary, was not known in • Freshford,
and, therefore, a more desirable instrument. Mr. Mortimer,
finding that the Dowlings did not come to elecute the notes,
determined on proceeding into Kilkenny on the 29th, in
order to consult his attorney ; and, becoming aware of his
intention, Thomas Dowling, at break of day the same morn-
ing, returned to Tracy's, and he then proposed to Delany to
come to his house, wh.ere arrangem—ents would be made to
meet and waylay Mr. Mortimer on his return from Kilkenny.
In the course of that day, the 29th, Mr. Mortimer pro-
ceeded to Kilkenny in the public van, to consult with his
attorney and Delany, in company with the prisoner
Thomas Dowling, came to the house of the latter at ten or
eleven o'clock on that day. Mr. Brewster next proceeded to
explain the place where the murder was committed, which
was in the town of Freshford, opposite the chapel, and near
Mr. Mortimer's house, which was higher up and farther re-
moved from the Kilkenny-road. After some delay, the Dow-
lings did not come up, and night falling, Delany proceeded
towards the house of the deceased, who lived net far from
the chapel, and stood in a stream, so as to see Mortimer
coming. Delany then saw the prisoners coming, and the
Poise of tinitiq was heard as it approached from liiikenDy,

and they went towards the car. Mr. Mortimer soon came
towards his house, walking by the chapel, in the belfry of
which Laurence Dowling posted himself. The other Dowling
stood .at the lower chapel gate. The deceased got between
the prisoners, and Laurence Dowling struck him down, and,
extraordinary to say, they so soon effected their purpose, that
he lived only three hours afterwards. •
-
Delany, the approver, was then examined, and corroborated
the statement of Counsel in opening the case. On his cross-.
examination •he adtaitted being concerned in the murder of
Mr. lloyde, since the above murder. He also admitted that
he had been.it the beating of two Connaught men, but he
could not say if either of them died. He want to steal a cow
from a man who owed him 205., but did not do so. He broke
into a house at night, and took a pistol one day. He was
with those who robbed a man of his papers.
The CHIEF JusncE summed up, •and at half-past nine
o'clock the jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.
The CHIEF JUSTICE then ordered that the men should be
discharged.