The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-09 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

MAIDSTONE, JAN. 7.
John Burton was indicted fur the wilful murder of Thomas
Page, by stabbing him with a knife at Sandgate,on the 18di of
November last.

Mr. no r.r.a Is conducted the prosecution, and Mr. A Sill E %VS
and Mr. CLARKSON the defence.
It appeared in evidence that the prisoner and deceased were
mariners, the former about N years of age, and the latter 26, at
the time of his death. On the 113th November last, the land-
lord of the Ship at Sandgate, gave what it+ caller's house warm-
ing to sonic of his customers, amongst whom were the prisoner
and the deceased. After supper the prisoner, who was ad-
vanced in liquor, had a squabble with one of the guests named
Gifford, and shortly afterward, went into the kitchen. Whilst
sitting there, the deceased came behind him and rubbed his
face with his hands. The prisoner expressed sonic indignation
at this liberty, and desired the deceased to leave off his tricks.
The deceased left the kitchen, and in a few minutes after return..
ed with his hands blackened, and then besmeared the prisoner's
face from behind as before. The prisoner started up in an angry
manner, drew a clasp knife from his pocket, which he opened,
and pursued the deceased to the door, but the latter escaped. In
two minutes after he returned, and approachiy the prisoner,
addressed him by the nickname of" Bustack,' and stud, " we
incur to have a spree to-night." Theiprisoner, who had kept
the knife open in his hand, immediately started up and exclaim.
ed, " You are the man," rushed at the deceased, and stabbed
him in the lower part of the belly. The deceased, unconscious
at the moment of being wounded, seized the prisoner by the
'arms and called to the persons present to take the knife from
him. At this moment, the deceased perceiving that he was
wounded, said, "Oh Lord, lam stabbed ; the d---d old rascal
has stabbed me." This produced an immediate examination
of his person, and it was found that he had a considerable
wound in the tower part of the abdomen, from which the intes.
tines were obtruding. A surgeon was directly sent for, but the
deceased lingered until the 24th, when he died of mortification.
These facts were proved by several witnesaes.
The prisoner, in his defence, said he was so much intoxicat-
ed on the evening in question, that he had no distinct recollec.
tion of what passed ; he had known and been on friendly terms
with the deceased for a great many years, and bore him no
malice whatever. Ile hid been very ill used during the even-
ing, and if, hi a moment of temporary passion, produced by
that, and intoxication, he had been the unfortunate cause of the ,
fatal injury, he deeply lamented it.
Mr. Bantari IluLLocx summed up the case for the Jury
with great minuteness, and, after defining the law of wilful ho.
micide, left ft to them to determine whether the prisoner, in
the short space of 2 minutes, which had elapsed from the time
of his receiving the rrsonal indignity put upon him by the de-
ceased, and the return of the latter to the room where the wound
was idfiicted, had time enough to recover his cool judgment ;
for if they were of opinion that he had not, the case could only
amount to manslaughter ; but if they thought otherwise, it
would be murder.

The Jury deliberated a tsw minutes, and found the prisonei
"Guilty of Manslaughter."
The Learned li.tuorir, after an impressive admonition to the
prisoner, told him his case was attended with ao few circum-
stances of palliation, that he felt himself bound to carry the sen-
tence of the law in cases of manslaughter to its greatest extent,
and he therefore adjudged that he should be transported for the
term ofhis natural life.
The Assign ended late on Saturday evening.

The workmen employed on the disinterment
of the dead in the Collegiate Church of St. Katherine's burial
ground. for the purpose of the new docks, came last week to
the coffin of a man named M'Donald, by birth a Scotch.
man, formerly a shopkeeper in that parish, who had been
dead about five years. The lid of the coffin being broken die.
covered the body quite perfect, as well as the head; the mouth
was wide open, and the teeth in the jaw quite entire and white.
The whole of the body was covered with a kind of white moss,
resembling a hoar frost. Several medical Gentleman visited it
previous to the body being re-interred.

At a house in York lately the curtains of a bed
were set on tire, in consequence of a servant
turning it down by candle-light. At another
house, a bed was set on fire, from two servants
working in bed by candle-light, and falling asleep,