Star.
London, England, 1825-03-17 00:00:00

,LEAN ASSIZES

KINGSTON, MARCH 36. •
• M. M. CANSIBIL V. WILLIAM I[63TRICK,
This was an action of assault and false imprisonment.
bilt."TßASsiOlut opened the pleadings. The declara-
tion stated that the defendant made an assault upon the
plaintiff; and kept and detained him in prison, without
any reasonable or probable cause, and violently and
outrageously seized and searched, and took from his
person a letter and a fleece belonging to him. To this
declaration the defendant pleaded not guilty, on which
issue was joined.
IVlosavar Was proceeding to open the case, when
Dlr.
Mr. Gunner interposed, and communicated with him privately
on behalf of the defendant.
Mr. MAsayetexpressed his regret that the communication had
not been made earlier.
The Counsel en both sides then had a conference of considerable
length, which ended in
Mr. MARRYAT'S addressing the Jury, and expressing
his regret that what he was now about to mention had
not been previously arranged before the pleadings in
this cause were opened. He was glad that some com-
munication had taken place between the parties. Mr.
Kenrick was a Gentleman he had long known and re-
spected. It appeared that Mr. Kenrick had committed
a mistake; he had not any material intention to commit
a wrong.' There had been an offer on his part to pay
the plaintiff a sum. of 51. and costs, with which the
plaintiff was contented.
Mr. Guanav then assented as behalf of the defendant.
A verdict was then entered for the !labia for £5, the Mew
dant undertaking to pay all the plaint Ws casts.

STAFFORD. MARCH to.
Thomas Powell was indicted for the wilful murder of
Anne, the wife of Edward Spencer, by striking her
upon the right temple with a hammer, and under thy
left ear with a pitchfork.
Edward Spencer, the husband of the deceased, said
—ln December last I lived at the Gorse-house, in Bush.;
bury parish, about six yards from the road, and four
miles from Wolverhampton. The road passes in hoot
of the cottage, and Colonel-Graham's plantations are
near it. Four lanes meet just by my cottage. Mrs.
Spicer lives about 150 yards from my cottage. My
wife's name was. Anne Spencer. On the morning of the
22d of December I left my house about nine o'clock,
leaving my wife at home. I went to work on the turn-
pike-road, and saw John Beech pass with a cart
wards my cottage, and sent a bit of malt by him. This
was about two o'clock. In about an hour and a halt
after I was sent for, and went home. At my house 1
found a dozen people. Mrs. Spicer and Mr. William
Jones were among them. My wife was then dead. Her
head was knocked all to pieces. I had a potato-fork in
a shop adjoining the house. I had a hammer for break-
ing coal kept against the fire-place. I did not examine
much that night. The next morning I missed a coat,
two waistcoats, a pair of breeches, two shifts, two
shawl,, and a handkerchief; the coat and waiscoats
Mere black, one of them silk ; the breeches corduroy ;
the shifts, one of cloth and one of calico. The chest
stood in the kitchen; thence I missed the coat, two
waistcoats, and breeches. My linen was kept up stairs
in a box. I examined that hot. I cannot pretend to say
where the linen was. I saw them at a pawnbroker's
named Moore, in Wolverhampton.
Mrs. Mary Spicer—l live near the Gorse Cottage; it
is about 300 yards from my house. About two o'clock
Mrs. Spencer came to my house for water. She smoked
a pipe a little, and went away with her jug; she bad
a cake on the fire, which she was afraid would burn. A
little afterwards I saw a man with a cart, whom I knew
to be John Beech, running down. I went with him tol
Spence: house. I first saw a patch on the fluor, which
appeared to be blood wiped up. I then went up stairs, I
and, on the left hand side, saw streaks of blood on the
wall. There the body was lying with the face to the
right side, a handkerchief was over the head; I at-
tempted to rim her, and my hand was full of blood.
I saw she was dead. There was a great wound at the
back part of her right ear. She had a bruise on
her forehead and her cheek. On the right hand side,
against the back of •a chair, I saw a potato-fork, and a
hammer upon the Boor. The cake was in the pot over
the fire. 'The lock was shot out of the door, but the
key was in the lock on the outside; the staple was burst
off and lay in the middle of the floor. I saw the po-
tato-fork measured by the places in the door, and fitted.
I soon afterwards examined the chest. I had been in
the lane all the time before. There was nothing in it
bat a hat. No one went to the house when 1 was stand-
ing in the lane. 1 sent for assistance.
Mr. William Jones—l live at Essington, between
400 and 500 yards from Spencer's cottage. About a
quarter past three, or a little more, I went to Spencer's,
and found Mrs. Spicer there. A potato-fork stood on
the side of the room, and a small hammer lay on the
floor. There was a mark of blood, which looked as
if it had been wiped up recently. I compared the po-
tato-fork with the marks on the door, and found them
to correspond. They wexe nearly opposite to the lock.
Ann Moore—My husband is a pawnbroker in Dar-
lington-street' Wolverhampton. Wednesday before
Christmas Day the prisoner pledged some things with
rue. It was not quite dark *hen he came ; he asked me
to lend him some money on the things; there was a
suit of clothes, a shirt, two shifts, and two shawls—one
shift was cotton, the other linen ; the coat was black and
the waistcoat black; there was an old silk waistcoat,
which I did not take, and threw it him back. I tied
them up, and lent him 17s. upon them ; he brought a
ticket for a pair of gaiters,
csa and took the gaiters out of
pledge; they had pledged for eighteen-pence.
1 asked his name, and he gave it, 44 Thomas Powell."—
As he took up the money, he said he wanted to get off
hie brother, who had enlisted. I don't think he had a
smock-frock on. • Thursday evening he was brought
into the shop by Diggory ; I then said he was the man
who pledged the things the day before. I took the
things to the Inquest, and gave them to Diggory,
Spencer came in the morning, before I went, and saw
the things.
Mary Harding.—ln December last I lived in Carib-
bee Island, Wolverhampton. The prisoner came to my
house on the Wednesday night, between six and seven
o'clock. He produced an old shirt, and said, ".I will
give you this to make one." He took the one off his-
Umk and gave it me, and put another on. He had on
a velvet jacket and dark striped waistcoat ; his left hand
was all blood; he asked for water; I told him I had,
now in the house: he dipped it in potato water, and,
washed it, and put the cloth in his pocket again: 'I asked
him about the blood? be said, " My noes' hag %been
bleeding." I said I knew it was apt to bleed ; I skit no
marks of blood on his nose; lie alspred- to sti Opt
bones He appear* very friglitesed2l**..llad
the knife was re* to tumble miff Ids Ai trait

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