The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-30 00:00:00

OXFORD CIRCUIT.-OXFORD, JULY V 3.

George Allum, a stout-built young man, stood
charged with having assaulted and robbed William
Peggott, on the King's highway, in the parish of
-Nuffield, on the 17th of April ; and with having,
forcibly taken from him his purse, containing four
sovereigns and some lilver.
William Peggott, the prosecutor, deposed that he-
was waggoner to Messrs. Tanner and Bayliss, and
had charge of the waggon from Farrington ; on
Easter Monday he had four sovereigns wrapped up
in whitish brown paper, and which was pinned inside
his purse, and about twenty-five shillings in silver;
he reached Dorchester with the waggon by ten
o'clock that night, at which place he had occasion-to
take out his purse ; his money was then safe; from
Dorchester to Gangsden Hill, is a distance of seven
miles; there are no turnpikes between, and he had
no occasion to take out his purse while journey-
ing thither; Gangsden Hill is surrounded on
both sides with forest trees, and is embanked on
both sides : there is a narrow footpath branching off
to the left, which leads to Huntingham-lane ; at the
bottom of the hill he saw a man ins short brown
frock, and trowsers ofthe same kind ; that man fol-
lowed him up the hill, and was frequently so close
behind him, that had he stopped a moment they-
must have touched each other; when near the top
of the hill he was deprived of his senses, in a man-
ner of which he can give no account; on recover-
ing, he found' himself in bed in a cottage, about
half a mile distant ; his head was dreadfully cut ; he
waa confined to his bed eight weeks, and is not yet
quite recovered ; it was about half-past three o'clock
when he reached the hill ; a man named Ecklin was
asleep inside the waggon ; he thinks the prisoner is
the person who followed him up the hill, but will
not swear to his identity.
W. Povey—ls,driver of the Stroudwater coach ;
on the morning of Easter Tuesday, about half-past
three o'clock, he reached Gangsden-hill with his
coach, and saw the prosecutor lying on the off-side
of the road with his head towards its centre; he
was lying on his face, with his whip under him, and
his hat at some distance; the waggon was standing
still, about 50 yards distant; there was a man inside
the waggon asleep, who appeared to know nothing
of the affair; there was a great deal of blood about
where the man was lying ; a waggon, driven by
Goodhall, came up at the time, and -witness helped
to lift the prosecutor into it ;- he had then partially
recovered his senses, but could give no account how
he became insensible.

Richard Ecklin was asleep in- Peggott's waggon,
and was awoke by the coachman of the Stroudwater
coach. On getting out of the waggon he found
himself on Gangsden-hill, and saw the prosecutor
lying senseless on the road-side :he was conveyed
to Mr. Farr's, and there put to bed ; his head was
covered with dirt and blood, and one of his arms was
much injured.
William Woking—ls a waggoner in the same
employ as the prosecutor; on the Sunday previous
to the robbery, he was passing up Gangsden-hill,
and there saw the prisoner, who accompanied him

some distance, and talked with him; he was dressed
in a short smock frock, and trowsers to match. He
said to witness, "•you have a waggon which passes
here late every night," and witness replied, " we
have." On reaching the footpath leading to Hunt-
ingham End, the prisoner left him, and went down
that footpath.
Mrs. Russel lives in a cottage about a quarter of
a mile distant from Gangsden Hill ; about half-past
five o'clock on Easter Monday, the prisoner came
to her cottage, and staid there till two o'clock in the
morning; he said he should probably have a new
dress by the following day ; that he had no money
then, but should have plenty by the following day,
and would then give them a treat ; he took a ham-
mer belonging to witness's husband from off a shelf;
it was one with a long handle, and was used for
breaking stones; witness exclaimed, " La! George,
what are you going to do with that ?" he replied,
" it will be useful to me in my travels," and placed
it under his short smock frock, so as to conceal it
from sight; the prisoner, on leaving, said he had a
person to meet at three o'clock that morning. There
are two pathways leading from their cottage; one
to Gangsden Hill, and the other to Hunt►ngham
End, where the prisoner resides. Witness observed
that the prisoner took the path leading to Gangsden
Hill, which is the direct•reverse of his way home.
Ann Richardson, a lodger of Mrs. Russel, confirmed
her testimony. On the Sunday night, the prisoner
wanted to borrow a shilling of witness ; he said he
believed he should be obliged to go to Dorchester
to receive some money from a waggoner.
George Chiltern saw the prisoner the same morn-
ing at the same public-house, at Watlingford, and
was treated by him with some beer, and a breakfast
of bacon and steaks. The prisoner got tipsy, and
wanted to fight with every one ; and on their re-
fusing, said, " Why curse your eyes, I have three
"parts killed a man already this morning, and left him
for dead." Witness saw the prisoner take a sovereign
from out of a piece of whitish-brown piper, and also
saw him produce a handful of silver.

1 - Thomas White saw the prisoner playing skittles