The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-02 00:00:00

THE SUN, LOND'ON, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 2, 1844.

WINTER ASSIZES.
HOME ClRCUlT.—Maidstone, Nov. 30.
(Before Mr. Justice 'WILLIAMS.)
Richard Seward, 56, maltster, was acquitted on the
charge of having feloniously uttered a bill of exchange
for 401., bearing a forged endorsement, well knowing the
same to be forged, and with intent to defraud William
Gilbert and another, executors of John Miles, deceased.

MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Warwick, Nov. 29.
This morning the four persons convicted yesterday,
together with nineteen or twenty others, wore put upon
their trial for a riot and assault. The evidence was
almost identically the same as that adduced yesterday.
The names of the prisoners were Thomas Leigh, aged
34 ; Jeremiah Duckworth, 38 ; George Wilcock, 54 ;
James Leigh, 30 ; Peter Warurton Lowe, 32 ; John
Dalton, 49 ; Luke Hullum, 70 ; Thomas Hopwood, 45 ;
Henry North, 37 ; Frederick Townsend, 30 ; John
Leigh, 59 ,• Samuel Ledbitter, 36 ,• William Green, 25 ;
Thomas Taylor, 35 ; Joseph Flowers, 42 ; William
Watts, 34 ; James Bickley, 33 ; Samuel Merry, 26 ;
Thomas Flowers, 37 ; George Flowers, 19 ; Thomas
Hill, 29 ' • Daniel Scriminger, 44 ; William Flowers, 30 ;
Thomas Goldsborough, 36 ; Henry Wilcox, 21 ; Joseph
Thompson, 42 ; Charles Butler, 33 ; and James Flowers,
26. One of the persons who had been committed (Robert
Miles, aged 65) had died since such committal, of a
breaking up of the constitution, and a verdict on the in-
quest was returned to that effect. The two women
spoken of as being with the party were not to be pro-
ceeded against.
With reference to this case the same Counsel appeared
in support of the prosecution as were retained in the
former, while Mr. Temple defended the three Leighs,
and Hullum and Ledbitter. Mr. Spooner defended Duck-
worth, Dalton, Lowe, and Hopwood ; and Mr. Adams
appeared for Hill and Thompson • the remainder
being undefended. For the undefended portion, George
Wilcox put in a written defence, which was read by the
proper officer of the Court, that they had been given to
understand that James Leigh was going to take posses-
sion of the great Stoneleigh Abbey estates by some novel
means, and that being desirous of seeing the same they
accompanied him to the Abbey, but without any evil
intent—that they very much regretted the stop they had
taken in going there at all, which had been productive
of such mischief to themselves, their wives, and families,
and pledging themselves to abstain from further acts of
violence and annoyance to Lord Leigh.
The Learned JoncE closed his summing up shortly
after four o'clock, when the jury retired to deliberate,
and upon their return into Court at half-past seven, gave
a verdict of Guilty against all the prisoners upon the
eleventh count, alleging forcibly entry ; James Leigh,
Guilty of common assault upon Hancocks and Denser,
and Flowers, Guilty of a common assault upon Joseph
Freeman ; and all Not Guilty of a riot.
His LORDSHIP then desired the four prisoners who
had been convicted the previous day to stand forward.
The present was a case of great aggravation, and he
would have them believe what he said to them, namely.,
if William Freeman. or any other person had died, he slid
not see how it would have been possible to have denied
that the offence committed would have been murder.
Considering the violent nature of the affray he must
teach them a severe lesson, and to James Leigh, who
had acted as ringleader throughout, he should award an
imprisonment of eighteen calendar months, with hard
labour ; to the other three an imprisonment of twelve
calendar months and hard labour ; while the remaining
twenty-four prisoners his Lordship sentenced to an im-
prisonment of three months each.
There was another indictment for trial, but the Coun-
sel for the Crown thought sufficient had been done to
vindicate the law, and it was not proceeded with.

Saturday, Nov. 30.
This morning the time of the Court was occupied with
the trial of a man for an unnatural offence, wherein an
acquittal took place. Also a case of rape, and two or
three offences of a minor character, with which termi-
nated the assizes for this part of the county.
The calendar for the other division is but light, the
principal case one of arson. The Commission will be
opened this (Saturday) afternoon.