Star.
London, England, 1820-03-15 00:00:00

YORK ASSIZES.

Edward O'Brien, Patrick D'Evine, and Arritetu
BM (removed by I:nbeal Corpus from the ;ail of
Hull), were charged wi;h killing and slaying TT- minis
Rowland. The case was abandoned as to tiie two
last mentioned prisoners. It appealed that the pr
soner O'Biien, who is in the band of the Sth regi-
ment, accompanied by several of his comrades, went
into a public-house at Null, where the deceased and
some other persons were sitting. On entering the
room, O'Brien challenged any person to fight for five
shillings, or a of beer ; this challenge he re-
peated several times. The deceased told him to keep
his own company, he warted no quarrel; but at last
he said he would not mind fighting him for five
pounds. Upon this O'Brien struck him, and he-re-
turned the blow. O'Brien then seized part of the leg
of a table, with which, as %yell as with a candlestick,
Ihe furiously attacked and beat him. In the struggle,
the deceased's lead was forced under a long settle,
and in that defenceless situation, the prisoner retired
about three yards, and sprung upon the body of the
deceased with all his force, alighting with his heels
a little below the navel. This external violence
caused immediate inflammation, and Rowland died
soon after.—The Jury found the prisoner Guilty.
Mr. Justice PanK, in passing sentence, said, he
had never heard a case of more savage cruelty ; and
it-was fortunate for the prisoner he had not been in-
dicted for murder. Ilis Lordship observed, it was
at first his intention to inflict upon him th•-beaviest
punishment the law allows, by ordering him, in ad-
dition to a year's imprisonment, to be burnt in t!-.e
hand. But observing on his breast a medal, which.
he supposed was a mark of met it, he was unwilling
to send him back to his regiment with the mark of
infainy—he should therefore inflict upon him the
next sentence in point of severity, which was—to
pay a fine of one shilling, and le imprisoned
.fir
twelve months.

Thomas Brumfl was. charged with maliciously set-
ting fire to a dwelling-house at Bradford, in which
he resided, the property of Mr. W. Naylor. ,lt ap-
peared that the prisoner's goods had been seized for
rent, at which time he assaulted the officer, and was
seen to go up stairs with a candle. Shortly after-
wards the house was in flames; the prisoner did not
assist to extinguish the fire.
The Jury returned a vet dict of Gsriky.
Mr. Justice PARK, in passing sentence, said, that
in the catalogue of crimes, he knew none of a dveper
dye than that of which the prisoner had been con-
victed. He held out to him no hopes of mercy, and
entreated him to spend the short period that would
probably be allotted to him in this world to a prepa-
ration for eternity.

Monday evening, at dusk, as Mr. Keeting Sme-
thets, a sporting character, was returning fcom the
fights near Barking, in the lane from the Marshes
into the Rornford-road, he was met by two ruffians,
dressed in sailors jackets, one of whom, armed with
a bludgeon, seized the bridle, and the other presented
a pistol at him and demanded his money. They dis-
mounted him with much violence, and ransacked his
pockets of his watch, £l4 in notes, and some silver.
They took the saddle and bridle off the home, and
turned him into a field, and left Mr. Smethers, after
laming him with the bludgeon over the shins, to
prevent pursuit. They were not supposed .to have
been at the fight.