Star.
London, England, 1824-03-18 00:00:00

The Chewist. No. I.

This is another addition to our cheap literature.;
sheet to be published weekly. It is impossible lint to
approve at this and similar cheap publications, intended
for the instruction of mechanics and the working classes.
How different must be .the result, when we co►npaic
such publications with the weekly political garbage
with which, we may say exclusively, the lower order
were before supplied. The circulation of such useful
publications Should be-encoutaged by all who are con-
vinced that every accession of useful knowledge muds •
to improve the moral condition of mankind.
The Common-Sense Buok. Vol. I. No. T. Bvo. pp. 151.
Our limits prohibit a long notice of such a work as this; •
but we may say that, judging from the al st NumlCer, it
promises to be useful. It presents sonic well.digested re-
marks on the State of the Nation—embracing the King,
Lords, Commons, the Administration—our Foreikd ►e-
12tions—Colonial Policy, &c. &c. This addition to our
daily increasing list of periodical publications is to make
its appearance on alternate Months.

Llal'7' ASSIZES.
LASCAsThit, MARCH 15.
' Thomas Tayar, Richard low, ,K 39 Aspinall,
James Ally, and John Lowe, were indicted for a
burgl:u y and robbery, committed on the 6:h of. October,
in the dweiing-house of Mr..lames Allen, at Ratak
near Manchester. Dimelow pleaded Guit'll ; the others
pleaded Not illy.

Mr. CoLTALI N stated the case. The circumstances of
ihisOttack•were most atrocious, and arc fully detailed in
the evidence.
James Allen, jun. said--I was awoke at two o'clock
in the morning-of the 6th of October, by loud screams,
which proceeded from my si-ters' room. I got up, and
saw a man going into my father's room ; the man had
a candle in his hand, and I immediately sewed him,
and pulled him half way down stairs. (Witness here_
said, he believed the prisoner Taylor was the man he
seized). Two of the patty then came up to us, saying
We will settle you." One of them struck me on the
head with a tile shc• (produced the shovel). I made
every esettion to get to my sistr room, but was struck
several times, it might he with a gun. When I got
thee, I found my too sisters kneeling on the ground
entreating for mercy from four men who were in it;
they were armed; one of them had a gun, one a pistol,.
one a aidgeorobi other man with the shovel. As I
'went up to them, the man with the pistol pointed it at
me, and said he would blow me through, or something
of that sort. INIy sister Mary screamed when she saw
me, aul said I was bleeding. I was bleeding in the
head from- the blow of the shovel. The fellow imme-
diately turned to her, and pointing it at her breast, said
he would blow her brains out. The others demanded
money from me, and not getting it from me, they said,
66 We know you have money, and you shall get some
and. the man with the shovel said to me, " rro you
want me to strike you again ?" The others threatened
to kill me; they then turned to my sisters, and dernanded
money. • My sister Mai y then asked them 66 Wilt you
go when you get it ?". One of them replied, " Give us
10/. and we will go." My sister Alice then began to
rummage in a drawer, which had been pulled out and
ransacked by them before, and found in it a purse,
which 1 snatched out of her hand, and said, "-I will
see them go first before they get it." One of them
(Jolly) immediately wrenched it from me ; he tore it in
his teeth, and two guineas dropped out ; four of them
went out, leasing my sisters and me in the dark, saying
to the than with the pistol, "Keep hint safe here." They
had two lights with them. The man ith the pistol
was DimeloW. The man with the gun was like Lowe.
obterved he was taller than the rest. i tried to get
out of the room, but could riot ; is was held fast. I then
opened the window, intending to go out, but a man
stationed underneath struck the wall with a heavy
bludgeon. I thew placed something against tire door to
prevent their coming back to the room. Whilst doing
so, I heard footsteps retreating from the door, and
lifted the latch, and went down stairs, and saw three
men leap through a window. The fourth man was just
going through the window, and I said to him I would.
let him r through the door instead. -He safe,opeu it: which did, and he w ent out. I watched them
to the nest cottages, about 500 yards off, and returned
back to the house. On my return I found my father
all over blood. I only saw my father at the time I had
left my sisters' bed-room-door. On the Monday night
following, I saw the five prisoners at the New Bailey,
Manchester.

James Allen, senior, deposed-•• The windows of my
house were closed on the night the party got into my
house. I also was alarmed by my daughters screams,
and got up, when I saw my son struggling with the
man on the stairs. There came another man up to
him, with a candle in one hand and a weapon in the

• other. My son was struck on the head. I told my son
to get out of the way, or they would -kill him. One of
'them said, “ Get you to bed, or I'll kill you ;' and he
struck me on the head with a fire-shovel, which cut it
to the bone. (The witness hete shewed the 'mark.) 1
was knocked down, and heard the men go up to my
daughters' chamber ; I went to my own room, and I
believe soon aftei- three of them came into my room.
One of them said, " Deliver your money, or you are
a dead man." I said my money was in the drawer, they
might take it if they pleased. They took out of the
drawers four or five sovereigns, some silver, and some
copper, belonging to my daughter Mary. When they
had taken the money out, they went into my sods room,
and I went down stairs,.and opened the back door ;
man was on the outside; who pointed something at me,
saying, "If you stir you area dead man ; I'll blow your
brains out." I then went to the front door; but I was
all aid to open it.—(Witness corroborated the statement
of the preceding witness, as to the party leaving his
house; he identified Dimelow, and only expressed his
belief as to the others.) •
Allen, jun. re-examined by the COURT.—I saw five;
men on the Saturday I was first examined. I never ex-
pressed any doubt as to Jolly. I was quite sure of him
and Dimelow ; not sure of the others. Ido not know
who it was I let out at the door ; he was a tallish man.
,Alice Allen deposed—l was awoke and alarmed by
a man standing at my bedside, with, a candle in one
hand, and a pistol in the other. I screamed out, and
he said," Si!ence, or I'll blow your brains out." There
were two other men iu the room at the time.,. They
rushed not of the room, and presently after returned
into it with my brother and another man. (Witness cor-
ioliorated the tiist.witness's te,timony, and identified
Jolly, 'Taylor, and Dirhelow). .Taylor was the first that,
opened her drawers, and iniumaged them out.
Several w itoesses w ere then examined, who proved
that on the erenikg the robbery was committed, the
ptisoners were Jriii ing tosether 'in a public-hotise in
the village of Heywood, which is about five miles from
Allen's house.

Mr.tav6nder, the con.table, deposed that he appre-
hended all the prisonetg hut Taylor, on the Nth of Oc-
aoher, at Warrington. They there denied any know-
ledge of each other. A silk handkerchief was foundon
Jolly, which he said he bought from a pedlar.
Miss Alice Allen identified it as one stolen from the
house on the night of the robbery. When Taylor was
apprehended, an old halfpenny was fotnd amongst others,
which Mary Allen also identified.
The prisoners Made no defence.—The Jury found
all the prisoners ; and the Judge passed on them
the ass till sentence of Death.