Star.
London, England, 1824-08-04 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WINCHESTER, AUGUST 2.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE and Mr. Baron GARROW
arrived here yesterday, and opened the Commission with
the usual formalities. Their Lordships attended Divine
Service this morning, at which a most appropriate dis-
course was delivered by the Rev. Mr. HAGARTH, Chap-
lain to the High Sheriff. After Service was concluded
the Judges proceeded to Court, and commenced busi-
ness. The LORD CHIEF Jusrlcs on the Civil side, and
Mr. Baron GARROW on that of the Crown.

After the Grand Jury had been called over and sworn,
his Lordship (Mr. Baron GAR/tow) proceeded to address
them on the state of the Calendar. The following trials
then took place.
Thomas Sample, aged 20, stood indicted with steal-.
ing, in the shop of Mr. Chat les Dale, of the borough of
Andover, three pieces of ribbon (two of black and one
of blue), of tree value of I Is. on the 18th of May last.
T. Hawkins, shopman to Mr. Dale, was called and
examined to the fact of his having secreted the ribbon
up his coat sleeve. blr. Dale being also produced and
sworn, deposed to the same effect.
The JUDGE charged the Jury, who immediately re-
turned a verdict of Guilty.
The prisoner was recommended to mercy by Mr.
Dale, the prosecutor, in consideration of which the
JUDGE sentenced him to six months' imprisonment, and
to be kept to !laid, labour.—Tbe young man retired
front the dock very much affected, shedding abundance
of tears.

John Allen, a hardy robust looking man, aged fifty,
was charged with having feloniously stolen a ewe sheep,
in the pat ish of Up-Hurstborne, the property of Mr. W.
Purver, on Saturday night or Sunday morning, the 3d
or 4th of July last. The prisoner at first pleaded Guilty,
but being warned as to the consequences of such a plea,
he withdrew it, and on the question being put to him a
second time, he answered Not Guilty.
• Chalin being called, deposed, tha: he lived in the
parish of Coombe, Hants : he went to a club on the
2d of July last. About two o'clock in the morning he
was on the road from Mr. Purver's house : he met the
prisoner : he had a sack and a sheep, which he carried
across his shoulders: asked him what he had got there?
he answered it was no business of his, and then put it
down: knew it to be Mr. Purver's sheep, from certain
marks upon it, amongst others that of a single " P."
The prisoner said he would carry it back, which he did,
and returned it to the fold.

Jonathan Hall was called, who swore to nearly the
same effect as the last witness.

J. Aker, the shepherd, on being called, identified 'the
•
sheep as his master's.
The Junce observed, that they had to consider the
intention of the prisoner as to the theft, for had he not
been detected, he would, of a certainty, have carried it
into perfect execution.
The Jury then returned a verdict of Guilty, but
strongly recommended him to the mercy of the Court,
in consideration of his advanced age, and large and dis-
tressed family. His Lordship passed sentence—trans.
portation tor life. _ _ _

James Hoare, aged SO, stood indicted for stealing, on
the 20th of July last, at Lumly, in the parish of West-
bourne, in the county •f Sussex, a quantity of bacon, the
property of Charles Mont, a miller; he pleaded Not
Guilty. It appeared that the prisonir was in the habit
of going to the mill to catch rats (that being his pro-
fession), and thereby had free access to all parts of the
house and buildings.
Several witnesses were called, who proved his having
taken away the bacon. The prisoner being callei upon
for his defence, made one which excited considerable
interest, from the manner in which it was couched and
delivered, it was certainly a mail( splendid defence from
such a man. Tile Judge appeared astonished at the
unhesitating manner in which he spoke. He was a
married man, he said, and had served in the Army nine
years, and was discharged a serjeant, since which
time he had maintained himselt and family by de-
stroying rats at farm-houses. He called a respectable
looking farmer to speak to his character, and who gave
a most excellent •ne; he never heard any harm of him
up to the time of the alleged theft, and he had known him
six years. The prosecutor's servant also spoke well of
him up to that time.
The Jury returned a verdict of Not Guiky, and the
prisoner was discharged.

HUNTINGDON, AUGUST 2.
Thomas Savage, the younger, was indicted for set-
ting fire to a barn wilfully, and afterwards to a house,
on the morning of the 26th of May.
James 'finkler aaid—l remember the fire at Somers-
ham on the morning of the 26th of May. I rose at one
o'clock that morning, to begin brewing. When I
looked out, I saw that Mr. Wallman's barn was on fire.
I went over directly, and was the first who called him up.
Mr. Wallman said—l am a farmer ; I was called up
on the 26th of May by the last witness. My barn was
on fire ; when I got to it, the roof, I found, had fallen
in. Mr. Mast's house, and Mr. Aspland's, afterwards
caught the fire, and were burned.
Mr. J. Mast was a shopkeeper at Somersham. His
house was burned on the moaning in question. A
small part of his property, consisting of mercer's goods,
was saved.

James Woods (the first approver) said—l live at So-
mersham, and know something of the prisoner. Two
days previous to the fire, I was going down the fen to
Muckhart, and he overtook me. We had some con-
versation. He said that he had nothing to do ; that
there wanted a good fire in the town, and that there
should soon be one—he had turned the matter twice in
his m?nd as he lay in bed, and, this time, he would do
it. We then went on talking, and Savage asked me if
I would back him? I answered that I would have
nothing to do with it. He said he thought that he
should set the fire to " Old Billy Mason's." After-
wards, he said, " If I set fire to Mrs. Ibbett's, that will
take to the barn, and the barn to the other shops ; and if
you will stand at my back, and hand the old iron chests
about, we shall never want any more as long as we live."
This was all that passed at our meeting then ; but I saw
him again about six o'clock on the morning of the fire.
He then said—" I told you how it would be, my old
fellow."—l answered 41 Yes." He said, " Have you
made your market ?".—I said," No; I have got nothing."
Then he said, " Never mind, my boy, I have got a
pretty suit for you." Some days after this, I saw the
prisoner again; and he told me that he had got 70
yards of breeches-pieces, a roll of velveteen, some silk
for waistcoats, and some gown-pieces ; he also said that
he had removed them from his own house, and put
them between two haystacks. I saw the prisoner again
after this still ; but I forget on what day ; and he
charged me with having said something about him.—
I denied it; and he said" Well, I thought I could trust

yon, and I think I can still." He told me then, that he
had been lying trembling in his bed all night, for fear
the officers were corning to fetch him. Ilis mother
wanted him to run away, but he would not.
Cross-examined by Mr. SraEas..---I am a labourer.
At the time I refer to, I wai in Mr. Warner's service.
I said nothing to the prisoner but what I have repeated
here. I said that I wanted to have nothing to do with
the affair. I did not inform immediately. At the Jus-
tice•room, I told the same tale that I have told here. I
had told it to my master on the Saturday night after
the fire. I never agreed to share the plunder, or said
I would take a part of it were it offered to me. I saw
the prisoner at the fire, where he had been pumping,
and assisting to put it out. I know John Cooke, but
I never spoke to him on this business. I never saw
the place where the plunder was hidden. The fire
awoke me on the morning of the 26th. I had gone to
bed at half-past nine on the preceding evening.
John Cooke (the second approver) said, I know the
prisoner, and a mitt named John Dal by. About seven
or eight o'clock in the morning of the '2sth of MA), we
were together, and talked about setting fire to Mr.
Wailman's barn. At eight in the evening we met again,
near Mr. Wallman's gate. Darby gave the prisoner
three bunches of common matches. We then parted,
and met about ten o'clock at Mr. Aspland's barn, where
we laid down until nearly eleven. At eleven o'clock, we
went to Mr. Wailman's barn, and Savage put the
matches under the eaves of it. He then said to me, " If
you will set Mason's barn on fire, I will set Mr. Leeds's."
I refused to do this, and went home to bed.
Cross-examined by Mr. Srexns.—l came here from
the gaol. I was not there for this fire, but for a hat
which I put upon my head which did not belong to
me. When I had been in gaol a week, they asked me
about the fire; I never said anything about it until I
was asked. I sent a letter about giving my evidence:
a debtor in the gaol wrote it, and 1 made my mark. I
am positive Savage fired the barn, and that I did not.
Mary Easton proved that she saw Cook and Savage together at
a public-house on the evening before the fire.

John Kimpton swore, that he had alarmed Charles Woods (the
witness) on the night of the fire. Woods had answered from his room.
W. Simkins proved having found a variety of mercery goods in a
stack at Redleigh fen ; Mr. Mast identified them as property which
had been stolen from his house.

Mr. Torkington, a Magistrate for the county, proved a written
confession made after the prisoner had been warned of what he
was doing.

This was the case for the prosecution. The prisoner
merely said in his defence, that he should never have
thought of setting fire to the barn, if Charles Woods
had not advised him to it.

Witnesses were then called to strew that, up to the
time in question, the prisoner had borne a good character.
The Jury, without retiring, returned a verdict of Guilty.
The LORD CHIEF BARON, in passing sentence of death
upon the ptisoner, said that his crime was of such a na-
ture as to preclude all hope of mercy. He would do
well to make the best use of the short time which re.
mained to him in this world, in the only way in which it
could really avail him, the preparing himself for the next.