Star.
London, England, 1814-08-10 00:00:00

ASSIZ s.

EA.zEX AsstZF.S.
nAvts totooks AN D OTHERS.
The plaintiff i,a ruhtic.in. in Lincoln's Inn-fields,
and the defendaots 0:e-Ci.tirchwardens and Overseers
of the roor'of NVootford. The action was brought
to recover a r. ward of k:1(4), offered by th- defen-
dant ii a hand-1)14, to any person 5Lu shonlLl give
such information a. should ,lead to the c.,nviction of
the murderers of Mts. Martha Stevens. The perpe-
.lrator, W. Catiewell, who was executed for this
crime, had been a frequenter Of thae plaintiff's #n
and he gave such a description of hi, person as led af-
terwards to- his conviction. He now, therefore,
chimed the reward. In coming, however, to the
proof to connect the defendants with the hand-bill, it
turned out that two of them wore not present at the
Vestry which enteted into the resolution.
Mr. MA u avaTr therefore submitte.4, that the plain-
tiff most be nonsuited. He admitted, however, that
the plaintiff was one of the persons whose information
mainly assisted in the convictinn of the murderer ;
but the reason why his action was defended was, that
there were several persons who all respectively
chimed the whole. The defendants had tendered the
plaintiff thirty odd pounds, as what they conceived to
be his portion of the NI He was- extremely un-
willing to press for a nonsuit, because he did not wish
to put the plaintiff to pay the costs of this action ;
but, at the same time, he did not think his clients,
who were at all times ready to pay, ought to bear the
expenses. He was willing to withdraw * Juror, and
suffer his clients to pay £lO.O down this moment, pro-
vided the plaintiff would indemnify them from the
demands of other claimants.
Mr. Serjeant Passe insisted that his client was en-
titled to the,w,hole of the 'money or none ; for he was
the peron who give the first information, and whose
evidenc• alone had.led to the culprit's detection. it
was impossible for his client to give indemnity against
all other claims. although lie Odieved there were no
!inch claintatlts :n existence. Vickery, the officer, had
(list:Wined it,- and he knew of no other person who
timid pretend to make any such claim.

Vickery wets called, and verified this statement. .
• .• A conversation here took place between the Cout-
.ol. as to the mode (I arranging the matter ;—but
chn-e-Appeartn4 no disposition to adjust the question,
the Judge said, he mint. n insuit the plaintiff upon the
first objection taken py the defendants, unless the
matter could be othereri4 settled ; but no disrsition
to accommodate being_ta)a infested, the plaintiii was
accordingly nonsuited.. -

--

SUSSEX AsSIZES.—LEWES, AUGUST 3.,
PAG/4 lEN. V. NEWMAN.
Mr. Coawooo stated, that this was an action for
us:patine the plaintiff, by horse.whippieg him.
Mr. GURNEY, in detailing the facts to. the Jury,
stated, that there were no cases which differed more
in their several circumstances than cases of assault.
They might he cases either the most trivial or the
most impertant. The present action, he said, was
one of the most aggravated he ever recollected to
have met with, both as to the parties aid the malig.
sits, under which the defendant committed it.
_the pl intiff was a very old man, upwards of 60
years of age; the defendant was not above half the
age, and.ctiuble his size and strength. T: cireum.•
stances which led to the assault were us
MT. PtlrllM who resides at Ciudray, in this county,
is in the habit of giving annual races in his park, and
the plaintiff, who has been an old huntsman, was ap-
pointed steward cf the course, on the Ist of June last.
In tint character he had occasion to turn off the de-
fendant from the course, who was riding at the head
of the racers, much to the annoyance cf the good
*order of the course. Immediately the race was over,
the defendant came up to the plaintiff, and with
much abusive language gave the plaintiff several
violent blows with his whip. These the defendant
returned, and i f this assault he did not complain,,
for there the account might be considered as settled ;
but it was for the subsequent conduct of the defendant
that the present action was .brought—for the de-
ndant had nursed sn much malice in his mind from
this transaction, that he actually way-laid the old
man, and knowing he slept that night at the Eagle,
at Midhast, he waited for him all night. -The next
morning, at about three o'clock, as the plaintiff was
about to get upon his horse, he followed him, saying,
you, I have been waiting for you,'.' and
being a younc and powerful man, he took away the
old man's whip, which was a hunting whip, with an
iron hammer at the handle. He first beat him un-
niercifully with, the thong, and then turning the han-
dle, he gave him a blow which felled him to the
ground. He was taken up senseless, and from that
time to the present he had not recovered from the
blows.

No evidence was given of the first assault on the
morn:ng cf the race-day, but three witnesses were
called who were at the Eagle Inn, at Midliurst, on
the morning after. They said, that as old Page was
going away, the defendant Newman, who is a gen-
tleman farmer, hallooed after bim, and required nim
to give up his whip. Page made no answer, and
was going away, when the defendant followed him,
and wresting the whip from his hand, gave him a
most unmerciful beating. •
A Surgeon was called in, and in his evidence he
said, that the blow on the head had nearly proved
fatal ; and that with respect to the beating from the
thong, he had seen and attended many military pu-
nishments, but he had never seen a military Bogging
- attended with such severe effects.

Mr. Setjeant BEST addressed the Jury in mitigation
of damages, and contended, that it was clear the de-
fendant had received great provocation, otherwise the
plaintiff would have given the whole transaction in
evidence, and he trusted the Jury would give Lim
very temperate damages.
Mr. Justice Lis 13,..aNc told the Jury the question
of damages was the only one for them to consider.—
It was a very aggravated case, and the plaintiff was
entitled to a compensation for the injury which he
had sustainee.

Verdict for the plaintiff—Damages £5O.
PAGE, JUN. tr. NEWMAN.
This was an action by the son of the former plain-
tiff, for an assault upon him by the same defendant.
This was part of the same transaction. The pre-
sent plaintiff,' on seeing the father assaulted as above
.!: bClihed, ran to his assistance. but so far.from being
to rescue him, the plaintiff laid the same horse.'

whip across his shoulders. Verdict for the plain- 1
tiff—Drmages Ws. •
At the Cambridge Assizes. gilliane Pollard, a boy
only 15 years of age, was found guilty of setting file
to a house at Sawston, in the occupation of. John
Matthews, h;s uncle. The prisoner, it appeared, con-
-1 ressed itis'crime to another bcy, and when czamined
lwfore a M Igistaate, said that his uncle came to hint
in the field wh-re he was working, and pt (de a noise
at him f r beinr; idle, when it came ihtn his herd to
set the place on tire, which be did by -placing a piece
o; btirntn: turf close to the thatch. The reason he
Cntif`SSe:l was, that another rrson Was stweected, and
exa,!,iced bout it, and he was unwilling that persno
should be punished. He was sentenced to be hung,,
hut afterwards reprieved by the Judge.
WATERFORD ASSIZES, AUGUST 2.

The fist hu,inss which occupied the Court this
day was. the trial of Philip Corbett, charged with the
murder of Francis Smyth, Eki. at Ballinaclash, on
the 31st of October last.
_ _

Mr. Bl'I? ROW FS SCA(' ti the case on behalf of the Crown.

James Hickey Avas Stem .rd to the late Mr. Smyth.
On Sunday the 31st of October last, witness was at
Mr. Smyth's house, at Ballittaclash ; the only other
persons in the house were Mr. Smyth artd a servant
girl. In the evening, before dusk, witness was going
to fasten up with boards some broken panes, and when
turning hack to get some nails he had forgot, per-
ceivei three men going toward the hall door. Wit-
ness called out to them to know what they wanted,
when one of them took out a pistol from under his
coat, and preiented it at witness, saying, 64 What
need you care, you rascal 1" At this time witness was
within three yards of him, and had a lull rpportunity
of seeing his face; knows it was the prisoner at the
bar; he was then a stranger to witness. The man
then entered the house, and witness went to the win-
dow of the parlou-, where Mr. Smyth was, and called
nut to him to take care. of hirnst If ; saw the prisenT
enter thepatlonr and pre.an:t his pistol at Mr. Smyth.
Witness was then laid hold of by one of the othtr
men, and forced into the hall, and subsequently into
the parlour : the prisoner desired the nth; r mall to
strike witness again. Mr. Smy th entreated them not to
do soond prisoner replied he would strike him to death.
—Mr. Smyth asked them if they would take voile
whiskey, %%hid) they refused ; he then desired witness
to co.ae over and sit with him at the fire, which he
did. Corhea then desired witness to get up till they
would give him his.dtessing (beating), when Mr.
Smyth begged of theta for the love of Gnu not to
beat him (the witness). They then ordered witness
to go out of the parlour, - which he accordingly did,
and went dovin to the kitchen. Witness had a boll
opportunity of seeing prisoner when cmssieg the •
pat lnur to the fire, but was afraid to direct his eyes
towards him afterwards ; is positive the prisoner was
one of the party. Shortly after Witness went into the
kitchen, he heard the report of a pistol in the par-
lour, which was about 20 yards distant ; was going
• to see-what was the matter, and heard his master ex.
claim 66 I'm k.lled, I'M killed," witness said; 66 I he-
here you are, sir, and if I'm to he killed Myself I'll
face to you." He ran up towards the parlour, and
met Mr. Smyth in the.passage, supporting himself
along by de! wall ; perceived his waistcoat on tire,
and endeavoured to. extinguish it by rnbbing it with
his hands, in doing which his fingers got into the bo.,
som of his master, when he felt the blood gushing
from hisbreast ; witness called to the servant girl to
conic and as,ist him, but though she came she was
so much frightened as to -he unable to give him any
assistance ; witness placed Mr. Smyth with his back
against the wall, soon after which he fell, and ex-
pired in about half an hour from the time of receiv-
ing the shot.
The witness underwent a long cross-examination.

Catherine Knox, the servant woman who was in the
house, described the manner of the murder, as related
by Hickey, hut WAS not able to identify the pi isoner.
The case here closed for the prosecution. •
Several witnesses were called on the part of the pri-
soner, to prove an alibi —The Jury, after a short con-
sultation, btought in a verdict of— Guilty.
The Learned Judge addressed the prim ner with
great eloquence and solemnity, and passed sentence
of death upon him, to be executed this day.

Tuesday se'nnight, a boy, three years old, in the
New Wynd, Glasgow, drank, unperceived, a quantity
of a composition for poisoning pies. Recourse was
immediately had to medical aid, but without effect,
as the child died in a few hours afterwards.
Mr. William Cowan, grocer and spirit dealer, in
Ayr, was drowned while bathing there on Thursday
morning. He was found in very shoal Water, from
which it is supposed he had been seized with a tit, to
which, it would appear, he was subject.
Monday se'nuight a considerable quantity of barley,
of the first qsality, was cut down on the farm of Mr.
John Archer, at Kinmonth, Perthshire, the propeity
of Patrick Small Keir, Esq. ; and another lar„cr
quantity, on.the same farm, is ripe for the sickle.
Wednesday part of a field of barley was cut down
on Ruthven fat m, same county ; and be remainder,
consisting of upwards of '25 acres, will be ready for
the sickle in a very short time.
Barley harvest commenced at Winton Castle, in
East Lothian, on the '29th ult.

Thursday, a small field of barley, in the parish of
Cathcart, belonging to Mr. Finlay, was cut down.
Tuesday se'nnight, a field of barley was cut doWn
on Clyde's Mill Farm, Catnbuslang.
INQUESTS. —littore G. Hodgson,•Esq..—Monday,
at Shepperton, on the body of a young man, who was
drowned in, what is called Shepperton Deep. He had
gone too far with a cart, and he was drowned with the
horse. Accidental Death.-130ore A. Gell, Esq. Mr.
James, a linen-draper, in Holborn, was drowned in
the Serpentine,* week cr more since. He bathed when
he was inebriated, and aphoogit a good swimmer,
ix a; drowntd.— Accidental Death.

Saturday an Inquisition was held at the Britannia,
Pritannia-row, Islington, on the body of a buy named
Dawson, the a an of an inhabitant of that row, who
died in consequence of having swallowed arsenic on
the preceding Wednesday. It appeared that a child,
of the name of Austin, as he was going to drool,
picked up in the street what he conceived to be a piece
of pepperrnent, which lie bat in pieces, and gave part
of it to two or three of his schcetl-fellows, all of whom
were taken ill, hut the application of proper remedies
eonnterosted the effects of the poison in all, except
Dawson, who died on the following dap—lVerdict,
Accidental Death.