Star.
London, England, 1825-08-15 00:00:00

WINDSOR. Auariar 14.

This morning the Xn attended Divine Service, at the New
Chapel in the Royal Lodge.
The Princess AUGUSTA, accompanied by the Duchess
of Nawcasrut (who had arrived at Frogmore the pre.
ceding day, on a visit to her Royal Highness), and bT
her Lady in Waiting, attended Divine Service at the
New Parish Church, where an excellent Sermon was
preached by the Rev. Dr. SIMMONS, who took his teat
from the 15th chapter of St. Luke, and 24th verse--
" For this my son was dead and is alive again ; he was
lost and is found. And they began to be merry." .

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gtrksEN ASSIZES,
• „II a.
BAIDGEWATER, AUGUST 12.
• 31111.111, !MALIN°.
ireter Brooks and Robert Brooks,. who ;Were father
and son, were put to the bar, charged with having felo-
niously stolen, on the Ist of June, at the parish of
Cheddar,• in this county, two sheep, of the value of
forty shillings, the property of Edward Cole. The
indictment contained two other counts, in one of
which the sheep *ere described as the property of the
Right Hon. Henry Baron Mendip, and the last as the
property of the Right Hon. Henry Welbore Ellis, Vis-
count Clifden (since created Baron Mendip).
Mr. GUNNING stated the case on the part of the pro-
secution. The prosecutor, Edward Cole, was a re•
tpectable farmer, residing at Compton Martin, and had
"engaged in the eeding of sheep to a very large extent,
so that perhaps the number he kept might amount to
nearly 1000. The prisoners were farmers. The elder
of them lived at Cheddar, and rented a farm there of
601.. a year. The younger prisoner was the son of
the former, and resided with his father. The prisoners
kept a number of sheep, and as the land they occu-
pied adjoined that of the prosecutor, the sheep of the
two parties frequently fed on opposite sides of the
Cheddar Cliffsi Cole's sheep be.ng kept in an inclosure
on the lett hand side, and priscner's sheep being fed on
some pasture land at the right hand side of the cliffs.
It was perhaps necessary that the Jury should know
the marks which etch party placed upon his own sheep,
to distinguish them from others. The prosecutor had
the top of the near ear cut off from his sheep, and a
circular hole formed in the middle of the off ear. In
addition-tothis they were marked with red ochre, and
some of them were also marked with pitch on both I
sides, with the letter 0 E." surrounded by a circle.—
Up to 1822 the mark used by Walter Brooks had
been a pitched mark of "J. Y.' on each side, with
two streaks of red ochre across one of the s!toulders.
In 1822, he purchased of the prosecutor six sheep, which
were marked in the way already described as Mr. Cole's
property. After that purchase, the elder prisoner
Vegas, to use a mink very similar to that employed by
the prosecutor. The loiter he now marked was a " B."
surrounded by a circle, which differed from the circle
drawn by the prosecutor round his initial in this, that
it had at the top some slight ornament, which had at
tittle distance, ren-fered the similarity of the two
Marks extremely great. In the month of April last, the
prosecutor putl2 of h is sheep, which had been marked in
the usual manner, into an inclosure on the left side of
Cheddar Cliffs. In June following, he took all his
sheep, or at least such of them as he could find, from
this inclosure, and drove them to his farm at Compton
Martin to have them washed. When they arrived there
they were counted, and he then discovered, that out of
the number he bad originally placed there, no less than
33 were missing. He instantly set on foot a vet,' strict
inquiry, but could gain no information respecting
them, until the 20th of June, when -in consequence of
certain information he had received, he went to one of
the pieces of pasture ground occupied by the prisoners,
and there he found six of his ewes. Two of the ewes
thus discovered formed the subject of the present in-
dictment. He returned almost immediately, procured
warrant, and on the following day he went to take
• possession of his six sheep. He also gave information
• against the two prisoners at the bar, and caused they
'to be apprehended. The son was the first apprehended,
'and %Oren the prosecutor went into the field where he
, eras, to take him into custody, prosecutor feigned that
lie came to arrest him under an order of filiation. The
prisoner, however, was not deceived by this manceuvie,
for he answered immediately, " I know what you are
come to- take me up for ; it is for sheep-stealing, but
I'll be cursed if I ever stole a sheep in my lite; the
young' Man was then conveyed to an inn at Cheddar,
aehiti et the father was shortly afterwards brought in
custody. The prisoners being thus together, in the
presence of the prosecutor and some other persons, the
sheep were shewn to them, and instantly acknowledged
and claimed by them as their property. The elder
prisoner said at the time, that his sun had purchased
the sheep for him at the Wells fair, in the preceding
August,- and the son directly confirmed the statement;
they, were dam taken before a Magistrate, and the
sheep again shewn them, and they a second time re-
peateile4m4 claim. That claim was unfounded by the
Ida that these sheep were seen in the prosecutor's field,
in the middle of May, and were afterwards found in
the prisoner's pasture-ground in June following, which_
rendered it impossible that they could have been pur-
chased at Wells fair, held in the preceding August.
When the sheep were recovered, part, of the marki
sialtite on them .by Mr. Cole were found to have been
srp/Ossed`te remain, but theF mark on the off ear was
Aeatly obliterated, the ear-having been cut down so as
almost to 'destroy the' hole which formed one of Mr.
0,014 diatinguishing marks. The horns of the two
ewes, which formed the subject of the present indict-
ment, bad been marked •' W. B." in letters which had
been very recently stamped. These facts were proved
by the prosecutor and other witnesses. The prosecutor
admitted, that when he took the sheep he washed and
sheared them, and the marks were obliterated. For
the def.nce it was contended, that the prosecutor was
unable to recognize the sheep. The prisoners received
a good character.
The Jury consulted together for a abort time, and then returned
• verdict of Guilty against both the prisoners but recommended
them to mercy on account of their previous good character. The
prosecutor joined in the recommendation to mercy. There were
three other indictments against these prisoners for the same kind
of offence, but after this conviction they were not proceeded in.
BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.
EVANS V. BULPIN.
The above case of breach of promise of marriage was expected
to have conic on in this Court yesterday, but to the great disap-
pointment of the female part of the assembly it was agreed to be
referred for the second time.

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