The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-24 00:00:00

GENCE.

evidence, there was little doubt that the parties charged had
destroyed the lives of several of Her Majesty's subjects.

NORTH WALES ClRCUlT.—Dolgelly, July 19.
The assizes for the county of Merioneth commenced in the
Court-house of this town to-day before Mr. Baron Parke.
The Learned Judge arrived last evening, when, after opening
the commission, he attended Divine service.
Jonathan Jones, alias Lewis Woods, an elderly man, of no-
torious character, was indicted for burglariously breaking into
the shop and dwelling-house of Mr. Griffith Davies, a watch-
maker and jeweller, of Dolgelly, on the night of the 3d of
January last, and stealing therefrom 147 watches, 40 gold
rings, 40 gold seals, a large number of gold seals, watch ke)s,
silver thimbles, pencil-cases, and other articles of jewellery to
a great amount.
Mr. Welsby appeared for the prosecution, and the pri-
soner was undefended. From the evidence adduced, it ap-
peared that on the evening before the robbery the prose-
cutor, on going to bed, saw the whole of his property safe in
the shop, but on getting up the next morning he found that
a hole bad been cut in his shop door with some sharp instru-
ment, by which means an entrance hrd been forced, and cn
examining the premises it was discovered that the valuable
articles named in the indictment had been carried away. So
extensive a robbery had not been committed in North Wales
for a length of time, and notwithstanding the activity of the
Dolgelly police the thieves managed to get clear off. Nothing
was heard of the robbers or property until last month, when,
from information received by Mr. Ilill, the high constable of
Chester, he was induced to question a man of the name of
Phillip Dixon, a prisoner confined in Chester gaol, and the re-
sult of his inquiries led him to search a lodging-house in
Chester, where the prisoner resided, and he there found, in a
deal box, four watches, some gold keys, watch-guards, &c.
which were identified as a part of the property stolen from the
prosecutor. The prisoner was apprehended at the time, when
he told Mr. Hill that Phillip Dixon was the man who com-
mitted the robbery.
Mr. Baron PARKE, at the latter portion of the evidence,
asked Mr. Hill where Phillip Dixon was, when the latter
stated that he had brought him in custody from Chester, in
the hope of getting him identified on the road, or in Dolgelly,
but he had been unable to accomplish that object, and there-
fore he had no charge against him ; they had, however, a case
against him at Chester, and he would be taken back there.
Several witnesses were called, who spoke to having seen the
prisoner in Dolgelly on the night before the robbery, and on
the road to Chester the morning after, and the prosecutor hav-
ing sworn to the property found in the prisoner's possession,
he was found Guilty, and sentenced to fifteen years' trans-
portation, the Learned Judge stating that if any violence bad
been used he should have sent him out of the country for life.
At the conclusion of this case Mr. Price, the High Sheriff,
on behalf of himself and the rest of the Welsh magistrates of
Merioneth, objected to the payment of Mr. Hill's expenses out
of the county rate.
Mr. Baron PARKE inquired upon what grounds ?
The High Sheriff thought that Mr. Hill's expenses should be
borne by the city of Chester, as the prisoner might have been
tried at Chester.

Mr. Baron PARKE said that it was quite out of the ques-
tion for for the city of Chester to bear the expense of pro-
secuting a prisoner for a robbery committed in Merionethshire,
besides he could not have been legally tried in Chester.
The High Sheriff appeared disposed to argue the question
with the Learned Baron, who, however, cut the matter short
by ordering all the expenses incurred by Mr. Hill in bringing
the prisoner to justice to be paid by the county of Merioneth.
Hugh Griffiths, a man upwards of !My years old, stood in-
dicted for having, on the 27th of June last, violated the person
of Jane Hughes, a child of twelve years old.
Mr. Jervis and Mr. Townsend were for the prosecution, and
Mr. Welsby for the defence.
The facts disclosed in evidence were of the most revolting
description. The prisoner had been a soldier in the 4th Regi-
ment, and his Waterloo medal, which had been taken posses-
sion of by the gaoler, was handed to the counsel for the prose-
cution for their inspection. He is a pensioner, and had latterly
been employed as the keeper of the weighing machine at Bala,
in this county. Last month only he buried his wife, and
although labouring under a loathsome disease, he was
under contract to another woman to marry again, the bans
of marriage having been pub;ished on Sunday last for the
third time. In the state of health described he committed
the offence, the discovery of which was mainly attributable to
his having communicated the disease to his victim. On being
charged with it, he called upon the child's mother, who to her
disgrace, entered into a compromise, on condition that the
prisoner gave her his deceased's wife's wearing apparel, which
compact would have been carried into effect, had not the cir-
cumstance come to the ears of the magistrates, who compelled
her to prosecute. The poor child, in her examination,
evinced the most deplorable ignorance. She could not speak
English, and through an interpreter said she had never been to
school, had never been taught to read, nor to have a know-
ledge of the Bible.
From a difficulty experienced in getting the prosecu'rix
to speak out sufficiently, to prove the principal charge, it was
abandoned, and another bill for the misdemeanour was
found by the direction of the Judge; to this the prisoner
pleaded guilty, and he was sentenced to 18 months' imprison-
ment.