Star.
London, England, 1820-08-16 00:00:00

ASSIZES.

AM %I lam a au .. •••••••,....................
. . NIWCArLEZPONTTNE—CROWN 0017/1:1'.
Vitelaus W2N/WOIMIT BEAUMONT, Esq. M. P. is
Poletnan cithe Grand Jury"; &r CHARLDS Moscit,
late ale Members far the County, was atso on
'the Ghia' .
tit
Mr. Jisioil/4
ARE laid, it was a great satisfaction
to him, on the first occasion of addressing the Grand
Jury of this great County, to find the calendar so
Ask, both as to the number and the magnitude of
the crimes. There were only eight offences charged
in the calendar. Two of these required some obser-
vations from him. One was for concealing the birth
of a child : this could be no ground for presuming
the murder of the child. Coroners had no right to
commit-upon such a charge; their business was only
to inquire respecting death. A case of malicious
cutting would come before them, where the instrur.•
ment was a poker. It was right to mention to them,
that in the case of the King against Heywood, in
1805, ti* Judges held a conviction right under this
statute (Lord Ellenborough's), although an iron crow
had been the instrument. One subject more he had
to mention, which he had adverted to in the lower
part 61 the town, and which he would inculcate in
every part of the town and of the kingdom, if his
voice could extend so far, and he had authority to.
enforce his own impressions. Yet, whether they
would hear, or whether they would forbear— reve-
lake emimam meam. They would perceive that he al-
luded to seditious and blasphemous publications,
which increased and multiplied, which threatened
morality and religion, and which undermined the
security of the country. The licentiousness of the
Press invaded every department of life ; it inveighed
against men in the highest station ; it arraigned the
character of the Sovereign himself; and, what was
more shocking, and made every well-constituted
'heart recoil, it assailed the Majesty of GOD himself.
Many men—aye, and good men—,were accustomed
to say, 4, This is well written," and " that is well'
written," when people ought to drive such publica-
tions from them as a pestilence that would destroy
themselves and their families. As Grand Jurors, in
their higher character as Magistrates, and in the
dearer !elation of masters of families, they would, as
they valued all that was dear to them in this lite— 11
and still more, as they regarded their happiness here-
after—they would drive such pernicious writings far
from them : their language would be, " Here you
shall not enter—here you must not be read." Byl
their own bright example they would give effect toi
their precepts. He said so much, not for themselves,
but for those around them. It was the duty of every
one to eradicate this dangerous and growing evil.
William Minto, aged 35, was convicted of stealing
a brown mare, at Capheaton, in this county.
Eleanor Renwick, aged 48, was charged with hav-
ing, on the 15th of June, wilfully, maliciously, and
unlawfully cut Reginald Charlton with a poker, with
intent to murder him.

Mr. Lour opened the case to the Jury. It would
be proved that the prisoner bad threatened to do
some serious injury to Mr. Charlton before she had
struck him, as charged in the indictment. The cause
appeared to have been that Mr. °bar4lton had dis-
trained upon her fattier for rent.
Mr. Reginald Charlton lives at Moto-hill, parish
of `Park.. The prisoner lives at Letterford ; her father
bad been tenant of witness, and witness had had oc-
casion to distrain his goods on the Lsth of May. The
prisoner lives, not with her father, but with Mr. Pick-
ering, to whom she was housekeepers ahout a mile'
from witness's. On the 15th of June last, witness
went to see Mr. Pickering ; sat with him in the kit-
chen past ten or fifteen minutes ; observed the pri-;
soner moving out and in three or four times. Wit-
ness proposed to go, rose from his seat, and put on
his hat. Mr. Pickering proposed setting him on his
way home, and went for his own hat to the kitchen
window. At that instant witness was suddenly struck
and knocked down ; he felt a particularly sharp blow
on the back part of his head ; he became senseless ;
when he recovered his senses, he heard Mr. Pickeritig
say, " Good Goo, woman, you have killed the mani"
She said, in the Scottish dialect, giDeil ha'e them
cares, for I have long wislitd it ; but he's nae dead
yet, for he's sprawling." He with difficulty turned
round his head, and saw her, he thought. lay down
the poker. Mr. Pickering helped him to get up and
to move towards the door. The door was shut. Mr.,
Pickering called for the assistance of his men. Wit-
ness, by clinging to the wall, got to the end of the
house. His head was bound up with a silk handker-
chief. The wound was bleeding most profusely ; he
was washing the blood away with his hands from
both sides of his coat. He walked home, having de-!
dined going on horseback, or in a cart, for fear of
irritating the wound on his bead. When he got
home, he felt particularly ill ; he was faint from loss
of blood. He was confined to bed for upwards of a
week. His bat was cut through.
Mr. John Pickering, when he had turned round,
saw Mr. Charlton lying on the floor. He could not
distinguish the noise of the blow from that of the
fall. He saw the prisoner standing at the fire, and
the poker in her hand. Mr. Charlton remained
senseless about a minute. Witness said, “ You have
killed the man." She made no reply to his hearing.
He swore that he heard nothing. She never men-
tioned anythlig to him but that she had to pay
money. - When he bad rebuked her after he had re-
turned, she said she was sorry for it, but she could
not help it ; she felt in a passion for what he had
done to her. His carter had carried away her father 't
goods before the distress, at her desire.
Cross-examined by Mr. WlLtrAsra.—Her face was
not in the same way after Mr. Charlton was down ;
it had been turned towards him. He had the partifr
in Court. (Ilere he produced a very solid and massy
poker). She had been nine years and a half his
housekeeper, and bore a very good character for his
manity and good nature. •
By the Comm.—He had given her money to pay
for her father. She had ten guineas a year pf wages.
He gave her then ten guineas and same odd shillings;
it was the balance of an account.
Mr. William Weir surgeon, found much appear-
ance of a concussion of the brain. The wount was
contused or lacerated; it laid bare part of th% sin-
cipital bone. It was two inches in length. He at-
tended for a week.
By Mr. Wu.Liama---Ile called it a contused
wound, as conS4aikitingitisbesl front an incisioni it

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