Star.
London, England, 1823-08-22 00:00:00

AN IRISH BANDIT CHIEFTAIN:

COUNTY OF COitIC ASSIZES.
Thursday seinnight the following fiery intereatisi
trial took place in the County Court.
David Nagle stood charged with feloniously taking
;urns lrom the house of Thomas Wood; for aiding
and assisting in taking the same, and for causing them
Ito be delivered by Charlotte Wood, through threats
and intimidation.

Charlotte Wood, the wife of Dr. Wood, who re
sides at Coolgrisk, deposed, that on the night of the
20th May, between eleven and twelve o'clock, the
family, being then in bed, were alarmed by a rapping
at the front and back door, and a call of " open the
door, bring a light—arms," Witness requested the
Doctor to give the arms or she would drop dead.
Dr. Wood got up, opened the window, and asked what
was wanted ? to which an answer was given from
without—" arms ;" and another voice called out to,
shut the window, or they would fire. Witness said to,
them, that perhaps while she was shutting it they
would fire, to which a voice, which she ascertained to
be that of the leader, said they would not, but told her
to come and open the door; she descended accordingly,
and called a servant on her way down to light a
candle ; the rapping continued very loud, and witness,
requested that they would not break the door, to
which the same voice that she had before distin
guished said they should not, but to make haste; the
servant then came forward and opened the door, and
witness went partly up stairs, from whence she could
see several armed men come in ; the Doctor, who
bad not come down, addressing them, desired their
leader to come forward, upon which a person did,
and asked for arms, upon which she, without giving
the Doctor time to reply, ran down to the hall,
and said, as the Doctor did not fire on them,' she
hoped he, the leader, would not suffer his men to do
them any injury or trespass. The leader said, turn-
ing to one of his men, " Come up stairs with me,
First Lieutenant;" and to another, whom he placed on
the door, 66 Take care, Second Lieutenant, not to let
any of the men enter the house, or do anything out-
side to injure the concerns." Then, turning to wit-
ness, he said, " Now, Ma'am, shew use the arms."—
She then went up, accompanied by the Doctor and
maid-servant, and followed by the two men, the
leader and the First Lieutenant, and went into the
bed-room, where the arms were, which she pointed
out, and they took them. They consisted of a gun,
blunderbuss, and a cane sword. The leader begged
she would not be alarmed ; said that it grieved him
to see her so agitated, and asked her if she had not
a case of pistols in the house, as he understood she
had ? There was a wardrobe in the room which he
desired to be opened. In this were some brooches,
rings, and all the plate-in the house, which, when he
saw he desired her in a hurried manner to lock the
door, which she did.. Observing what was on the
table, he asked her if it 'was hers? She said it was,
upon which he desired her to put it on the top of the
wardrobe, as he was afraid, while he was speak-
ing to her, some of the people would take any pro-
perty ; but, he added, if they did they should suffer
for it. A man, one of the party, come up at that
moment, and said to the leader, that there were se-
veral things in the house which would be useful, and
asked leave to take them. He stamped, and said, if
the house was filled with silver he would not suffer it
to be touched. Just then a voice from below said,
" Captain, if you don't make haste, we will fire up."
Upon which the First Lieutenant said, " Captain, the
men have burst into the hall, and will do mischief."
He asked the witness if the gun which he held in his
hand was loaded? She told him it was, upon which
he sprung to the landingwl:tce, which commanded the
hall, which she then observed was filled with armed
men, four being at the foot of the stairs, with their guns
pointed at them. Theleader presented his gun at them,
saying, in an angry tone, to go out or he would fire.
Then turning to witness, he said, " he hoped she was
satisfied; he did'nt mean that any mischief or harm
should occur to her." He then returned to the room,
looked under a bureau, where there was a hot, with
three locks to it, but immediately yarned away. He
tock from a desk a few. flints and balls and a little
powder, but returned the horn, saying be would not
take anything from her. There were two large chests
in a closet adjoining the room, but he did not require
to have these opened, though she offered to do so.
He requested her to put on more clothes, as he was
afraid she would get cold, and regretted extremely
that he had been obliged to come there. He next
asked what the hour was? She took her watch from
the head of the bed, and shewed it to him. After
looking at it, he desired her to put it up at once. She
said to him, that when it was known they had lost
their arms, their house would be attacked by robbers,
and asked him if he would return them ? He first
said, " he would take it into consideration," and that
after that, "he would if possible." He then said,
" Good night, Madam, GOD bless you," descended,
and went out, upon which she desired the servant to
shut the door, and beard men outside speaking to
him in a very angry manner. He then said, 66 Mrs.
Wood come out. She went to the door with alight
in het band—the men continued speaking very an-
grily; he said nothing, threw his gun carelessly across
his shoulder, and notwithstanding his former kind
and respectful demeanour, she thought they were
going to make him fire at her; he looked at her for
two or three minutes, and then said—" Let the Doc-
tor take care of his conduct in future—good night—
GOD bless you," and then went away. It was the pri-
soner whom she now identified.
Judith Quinlan, the servant-woman mentioned by
Mrs. Wood as 'lrving accompanied her when the
rapping was at the door, and subsequently up stairs,
WaS next examined, and deposed to the same facts
&bather mistress had done. Neither was cross-examined.
Mr. HOWARD, Agent for the prisoner, now stated
that the prisoner wished to withdraw his plea of Not
_Guilty; and substitute that of Guilty. He would have
done this at the commencement of the trial, but would
thereby havelost the benefit of those mitigating cir-
cumstances which had been stated by Mrs. Wood.
Mr. Justice %mos said Mr. Howt-d would see
that the prisoner would not put himself in a better
(situation than if the ease went to the Jury. He there-
fore thought it would be the better way to let the
evidence lot the Crown, met least of the witness on
the table, proceed.—A few additional questions were
then put to her, when the Counsel f r the Crown in-
timated that they had closed ; andlohis Lordship being
iaformed that it was not intended to exaMine any.