The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-08-17 00:00:00

BIGAMY

John Alexander Short, 32, labourer, was found guilty
of having married Adelaide Heaton, his former wife,
Fanny Shaw, being alive. As it appeared that the latter
had been taken into custody for larceny the first day after
she was married, and that on coming out of prison she
told the prisoner that she had another husband living, the
court only ordered him to be imprisoned one week.

THE BURGLARY AT SPEKE.
Daniel Small, 31, and Thomas Wood, 40, pleaded not
guilty to having, at Speke, together with certain other
persons, feloniously stolen thirty-three pounds in money,
a watch, and a gun, the property of John M'Farlane ; a
brooch, the property of Ellen M'Farlane ; a watch and
seven shillings, the property of Thomas Edwards ; and a
watch, the property of William Parker. Mr. Monk, Mr.
111'Leod, and Mr. Ovens prosecuted ; Mr. Atkinson and
Mr. Blair defended the prisoners. From the evidence, it
appeared that the prosecutor, Mr. John M'Farlane, re-
sides in the neighbourhood of Speke-hall, which is not
far distant from Liverpool. He is agent for a gentleman
named Watt, a large landed proprietor, whose rents he
received. About nine o'clock on the night of the 26th of
April a number of men broke into the house, and, col-
lecting the inmates, consisting of Mr. M'Farlane, his
daughter, Miss Ellen M'Farlane, Mrs. Edwards, and a
servant man and a boy, into one room, they stood over
them with cocked pistols, threatening to resort to vio-
lence if they did not tell them where the money was.
They had dragged Mr. M'Farlane out of bed ; and, be-
cause he refused to tell them where the money was, they
threatened to put him to the fire, and were proceeding
to carry their threat into execution when he told them
where the keys were. They all wore crape or silk before
their faces, with holes for their eyes and nose. One of
the vagabonds seized Miss M'Farlane, and, holding a
pistol towards her head, told her he would shoot her if
she did not tell him where the money was concealed. She
said they had no money ; but, perceiving that the fellow
was resolute, she told him that it was in a drawer in
her father's office. " Come with me, then, and show
me," exclaimed the ruffian. " No, I dare not ; you will
shoot me," she replied. He gave her an assurance that
she should not be injured, and she proceeded with him to
the office. There they saw another man, with a lighted
candle. On opening the drawer she perceived the money
was gone, and she said, " Why, you have got the mo-
ney." The other man, at the juncture, stooped, and
the mask fell partly from his face, and she saw that it
was Small, whom she had previously known as a man who
had been accustomed to hawk goods about, he having
frequently called at her father's house, where, in fact, he
had formerly been in service. She also knew him by his
voice, he having said, " If you stare at me in that way I
will shoot you." After they had ransacked the house for
spoil, one of the men went up to Miss 141`Farlane, and in-
sisted on her finding him £5. declaring that, if she did
not, he would shoot her. The servant-boy jumped up
and exclaimed, " Don't shoot Miss Ellen, and I will give
you my watch," which he did. It appeared that the
despoilers then became hungry and thirsty, and one of
them, addressing Miss Ellen, said, " Miss Mac, have
you any refreshment ?" She produced some wine, upon
which they all commenced an immediate attack, except
one, who was doubtless a teetotaller, for he asked for
buttermilk, which was supplied to him. After the villains
had remained in the house upwards of an hour they
departed, taking with them the articles mentioned in the
charge. Both prisoners were identified by Mr. and Miss
M'Farlane and other witnesses, who had seen their faces
at times when the masks were partially displaced.
For the defence it was argued that on the night in
question Mr. and Miss M'Farlane would be so over-
whelmed with terror that they could not possibly be in a
sufficiently calm state of mind to enable them to recognise
any of the prisoners. Several witnesses were then called
to prove that at the time in question the prisoners were in
bed at their lodgings. His lordship summed up, in
the course of his observations taking the opportunity to
compliment Miss M'Farlane for the very satisfactory
manner in which she had given her evidence.
The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict
of not guilty against both prisoners.