The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-02 00:00:00

WINTER ASSIZES.
OXFORD ClRCUlT.—Stcyford, Dec. 30.
(Before Mr. Baron ROLFE.)
Samuel Fellows, aged 19, Robert Purslow, 21, John
Parry, 18, and Daniel Webb, 20, who were acquitted of
the charge of having murdered Mary Jane Wild, on the
29th November last, were indicted for the violation of
her person on the above day, at Bilston, in this county.
Mr. Yardley and Mr. Huddleston conducted the pro-
secution ; Mr. Allen defended the prisoners.
Mr. Yardley briefly opened the case to the jury, and
called
Ann, wife of Benjamin Willis, of Bilston, who stated
that on the evening of Wednesday, the 29th November,
she and the deceased went to Wolverhampton. They
started about half-past four o'clock, and remained there
until eleven o'clock at night. When they got to Wol-
verhampton they were joined by the four prisoners and
Thomas Haynes. They all wont to Peter's gin-shop,
where they had five pints of ale, but had no spirits. They
afterwards went to another gin -shop„where they had
more ale. About eleven o'clock they started back to
Bilston. When they got to the Gibbet Turnpike she and
Haynes went across the road from the other party and
the four prisoners, with the deceased, proceeded iu
the same direction, on the other side of the road.
In a short time Webb came across and asked her if
she would submit to him, and made use of some very
improper language. On her refusing he struck her
on the mouth and knocked her down, and Thomas Haynes
picked her up. When Webb struck her he said he
would serve the other girl the same. He then joined
his companions on the other side. In a short time after-
wards witness asked the deceased to come to her, on
which ono of the four said, " Nobody shall molest her ;
I will see her righted." She and Haynes then went on
to Bilston, and left the four men and the deceased
together. She saw her again about half-past one o'clock
when they brought her out of the pit. She was then
quite insensible, and the surgeon was sewing up her
head. She knew Fellows before, but not the others.

Nothing material was elicited on cross-examination.

Thome; Haynes corroborated her testimony.
John Turner, shoemaker, said his house was on the
Wolverhampton road, a short distance from Blaze's
works. On the night of the 29th of November last he
was called up by John Perry and Samuel Fellows.
They said, " Here is a woman in a pit down below ;
come and help us to get her out." He asked them how
they knew it, and they both said, " We were walking up
the road, and heard her shouting down the pit, and we
went on the bank and answered her, and asked her if she
had any bones broke, and she said No.'" Witness im-
mediately went down to them, and said they had better
send for a policeman ; but they expressed themselves
anxious to get her out themselves. He then accompanied
them to the coal-pit, which is near to a footway leading
out of the turnpike road. He called down, but no one
answered, Perry and Fellows then procured a rope,
and witness informed the police. Fellows went down
the pit in what is called a " horse," and having placed
the deceased in his lap, they were both drawn up, a
piece of timber having been placed over the pit's mouth
for that purpose. About twelve persons assisted to draw
them up, and she was then removed to the Crown public
house, in Crown-street, Bilston (where she died), ac-
companied by Perry and Fellows, who said they knew
where she lived. Witness did not hear her speak ; she
seemed unable, and to be very badly injured by the fall.
The deceased's way home was not by the pit, gut just
the reverse. The height of the pit bank from the foot
road is about three yards, and the pit is about twenty-
eight yards deep.
Thomas Tomlinson said he was a police-officer in Bil-
ston, on the 29th and 30th days of November last, and
was on duty on the first of those days, and met the two
witnesses, Haynes and Willis, who made a charge of
assault against Webb, who was in company with three
other men and a young woman, on the Wolverhampton-
road. He soon after met Purslow and Webb, who asked
if they had seen four young men and a girl coming from
Wolverhampton, and Purslow said " No." He then
went back into the town, and met the last witness, and
accompanied him to the pit. He there saw Purslow and
Webb, who assisted to get the deceased out. They said,
" You saw us on the road ; we were then going to get
assistance, to fetch her out of the pit." Fellows brought
the deceased out of the pit, and he said, " She slipped
in as we were going by the pit, and I might as well have
slipped in myself." The deceased's dress was much dis-
ordered ; she had a pair of drawers on, but they were
over her heels and torn.
Elizabeth Salt, the landlady of the Crown public- house,
at Bilston, recollected the deceased being brought to her
house on the morning of the 30th of November, where
she remained till her death.
In her cross-examination she said that on asking the
deceased, when she came to herself, how she got into the
pit she answered, in a laughing manner, " Why I tum-
bled in, to be sure."
John Baldwin, Esq., a Magistrate for the county, said
that on the 22d of December he went to the Crown
public-house, at Bilston, to take the deposition of a
woman who he understood to be in a dying state, from
injuries received by having been thrown into a coal-pit.
Ile found the deceased iu bed, and the four prisoners in
custody. He took her declaration, which she said she
made in the immediate prospect of death. She signed it
with a cross, and his clerk witnessed her signature.
The following deposition was then read by the officer
of the Court :-
- " I am 18 years old, and have lived in Bilston, in the
county of Stafford, about six months. I never was mar-
ried. I went from Bilston to Wolverhampton on Wed-
nesday last, in company with another girl, named Ann
Willis. I came back with the same Ann Willis. That
we were overtaken on the road by five men, who I
shall know when I see them. That four of these men
ill-used me. They pulled me out of the turnpike-
road, and wanted to have concerns' with me, but I
would not suffer them, and the same four men threw
me down a pit because I would not suffer them to have
concerns with me. That the fifth man never came
from the turnpike-road with me, but he went along with
Ann Willis. The man that was with Ann Willis never
injured me at al. They pushed me into the pit, and I
cannot recollect anything after that. It was late at night
when this happened, and I was quite sober) and 1 make
this declaration in the prospect of death soon taking
place, and fully believing that I shall live but a short
time through the injuries I have received. I was in ser-
vice until the latter end of July last, and since then I
have been on the town. The men said to me, before
they pushed me into the pit, that if I would not let them
have concerns with me, that that should be my doom to
be thrown into the pit. I did not think they would have
put me in. I thought they were only threatening me.
They took hold of me round the waist, and then
pushed me into the pit. The four men are now
present. I know them all, having seen them be-
fore, except John Perry. They are the same that were
with me on Wednesday night. I had been with three of
them previous to that night. There were four men went
off the road with me, and one went back again, but I
can't say which it was, I was so knocked about by them
before they got me to the pit."
Mr. Allen addressed the jury on behalf of the prison-
ers, who were all convicted of the crime imputed to them,
and were sentenced by the Court to eighteen months'-im.
misonment, with hard labour.

SOUTH WA LE S.—Carmartken, Dee. 27.
David Jones, aged 39, a farmer, was charged with
having, on the 14th of October last, knowingly, wilfully,
and feloniously, sent to Thomas Williams, auctioneer, of
Landwrda, a certain letter, threatening to destroy the
hay and corn of him, the said Thomas Williams.
The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty.
The witnesses called for the prosecution having fully
est,ibli6hed the charge against the prisoner, the jury re-
turned a verdict of Guilty, but recommended the pri-
soner to mercy on account of his ignorance of the conse-
quences of sending such a letter.
Bridget Williams, a poor old woman, who could neither
read nor write, was charged with having, on Sunday, the
lath of October, at Penrherber, in the parish of Cenarth,
sent a letter to one Benjamin Evans, signed "Rebecca,"
threatening to pull down his house.
The prisoner was found Guilty, but recommended to
mercy by the jury, on account of her children, her po-
verty, and her ignorance.
His LORDSHIP observed that both the verdict and the
recommendation were extremely proper.

December- 29.

The Court opened this morning at nine o'clock, when
Thomas Morgan and Thomas Lewis were indicted for

having. on Li 17th of October last, with other persons,
assembled at Dolauhirion-gate, iu the parish of Ilan-
din,9,Ad, and destroyed the toll-house of the aforesaid gate.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL addressed the jury, stating
the facts of the case, and proceeded with the evidence.
But the case was suddenly brought to a close, his Lord-
ship being of opinion that the charge in the indictment
had not been supported by evidence, there being no evi-
dence that the house had been pulled down by a " riot-
ous and tumultuous assemblage" of people.—The pri-
soners were consequently acquitted.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.

James Green, 29,—described in the calendar as a la-
bourer,
but who was very well dressed, and wore a large
pair of mustachios, was indicted, with two other persons
named Arthur Hodges and Charles Parker, for unlaw-
fully conspiring, by means of false representations, to
deprive different tradesmen of their property.
Mr. Price and Mr. Ballantine conducted the prosecu-
tion. The prisoner had no counsel, but conducted his
own defence, and cross-examined the witnesses very
adroitly.
Mr. PRICE addressed the jury, and explained the
transactions out of which the present charge arose, and
which will appear by the evidence. He also said that
the two persons who were charged as co-conspirators
were permitted to go at large by the magistrate on their
own recognizance, and they had not thought proper to
appear and take their trial. He then called the follow-
ing witnesses.
Mr. James Findon, an engineer, residing in High
llolborn, deposed that in October, 18.12, he advertised a
cabriolet for sale, and the prisoner called upon him after
the advertisement appeared, and when they had had
some conversation he agreed to give 501. for the vehicle,
but said he could not give the money then, but would
give him good references. He then mentioned the
names of Messrs. Hodges and Parker, 10, Austin-friars,
who, he said, were his bankers. Witness remarked that
he had never heard of such a banking firm, to which the
prisoner rejoined that they were merchants and private
bankers also. He went away, and witness proceeded to
Austin-friars, 'and at the address indicated he saw a
person who represented that the prisoner kept an
account with them, and that he might be very safely
trusted for 501. Witness saw the prisoner again on the
same day, and then asked him to give him a reference
to some of his tradesmen, and the prisoner laughed, and
said, " Oh ! I can refer you to my coach-builder, Mr.
Thompson, of Mortimer-street. Witness afterwards saw
a person who represented himself to be Mr. Thompson,
and he said the prisoner was a very respectable man—
that his father bad been a banker at York, and he added