Star.
London, England, 1829-09-05 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

CHESTER, Sam 3.
Before Mr. Justice Jsavw
SHOOTING A GAMEKEEPER.
John Royle, 18, John Taylor, 21, John Hanshall,
20, against whom bills were found at the last Assizes,
were put to the bar, charged with shooting at Thomas
Foster, one of the gamekeepers of the Earl of Stamford
and Warrington, on the 23d of December last, with in-
tent to kill and murder. There were the other usual
counts in the indictment varying the offence. The
prisoners are some of a large party of poachers who were
tried for the same offence at the last Assizes. They had
then absconded, and contrived to keep out of the way
until the 29th of August last, when they were appre-
hended, just in time to be tried at these Assizes.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (with whom were Mr.
TEMPLE and Mr. TRAFFORD), stated the case for the
prosecution, and called the following witnesses :
William Parkin (an accomplice) examined by Mr.
'l'm m PLE—I returned from Manchester on the 27th De-
cember, between eleven and twelve o'clock. I called at
Wm. Hewitt's house, and went from thence to Joseph
Fenna's house, where I lived. I went to bed about
twelve o'clock. I slept in the parlour. Wm. Hewitt
came into my room, and I got up. I found all the three
prisoners at the bar in the house, besides a great many
others. They had six guns with them. The prisoner,
Taylor, brought one of the guns, and gave it to Joseph
Fenna. The other prisoners, Royle and Hanshall, had
both of them a gun. Hanshall'e gun was a detonator.
We all went out together towards Birkenheath cover, to
shoot pheasants. While we were on the road, the pri-
soner, John Hanshall, said he had bullets. I don't know
that the other two prisoners were then within hearing.
We went to Ashley Hall big meadow, and Joseph Mas-
sey, one of the party, shot a hare. When we got to
Birkenheath cover, Joseph Fenna, one of the party, shot
a pheasant, which I put into my pocket ; the prisoners
were then present. When we got on the turnpike-road
we saw the keepers. Some one said, " there are the
keepers," and we all jumped over the hedge into a field.
The keepers followed us. Thomas Hulbert, one of our
party, said, in the hearing of us all, " D—n you, stand
your ground." We ran on and did not stand—Hulbert
then said, " D—n you, stand your ground, or I'll shoot
you." We then ran over a foot bridge, over the river
Birken, into Ashley. After we got over, the keepers still
continued to follow us. Thomas Basford (Beresford)
turned to the keepers, and said, " Are you not turning
back yet—are you measured for your coffins ?" The
keepers said, " shoot away ;" and we ran on through a
plantation, the keepers following us. We halted there,
and one of our party again said to the keepers, " are
you not turning back yet ?" And the keepers said, " shoot
away." Then three of our party presented their guns
towards the keepers and snapped them. The guns did
not go off, and we again ran away over another hedge.
The keepers followed. One of our party again said,
" Are you not turning back yet ?" The keepers said,
" No." Then one of our party said, "If you do not, I'll
shoot." The keeper said " shoot away." Thomas Bas-
ford, one of our party, then got a gun from the pri-
soner John Hanshall, and shot at the keepers. Two
More shots were fired at the keepers, but not by
either of the prisoners. Then we all ran away,
and charged the guns again. I saw Basford charge
his gun, and the prisoner Hanshall was aside of him when
he was doing it, and gave him the ammunition. Han-
shall said, " put a bullet in ;" and Basford said, " give
me hold of one." He gave him something which I did
not see, and he put it into the gun. Hanshall said to
Hulbert, " put a bullet in thine." Hulbert said, " I
have got none, give me hold of one." Hanshall said,
" here I have one," but I did not see him give it. Some
one asked Hulbert if he had put a•bullet in, and he said
" aye." We ran on to Ashley Bridge, and along the
road towards Altringham. We passed a plantation.—
Thomas Basford threw the prisoner Royle's gun into
the plantation. We ran on further, and got nearly to
Bank Hall. Basford said, " D—n 'em, we may as well
turn back and fight them, for they will follow us all the
way home." We then turned and stood. The keepers
ran back when we stopped ; they might be about one
hundred yards off ; Basford said " are you not turning
back, or else we'll shoot you." The keepers said, " shoot
away." Then three of our party, Basford and Hulbert
and Joseph Massey shot at the keepers ; the prisoners
Hanshall and Taylor were present, but Royle was not;
he was with some of our party that did not turn round as
soon as we did ; we all ran away again, and the keepers
did not follow us any further. I was taken up the next day.
Other witnesses were then called, in corroboration of
the evidence of the accomplice.
This was the case for the prosecution.
Mr. COTTINGHAM, for the prisoners, submitted that
there was no evidence in this case to support the indict-
ment in the present form. It was framed under the Act
of 9th Geo. IV. cap. 31, sec. 12, which contained a
proviso, expressly limiting the capital felony to such
cases as, if death had ensued, the crime would he murder,
and not manslaughter.
His LORDSHIP (after hearing the Counsel for the pro-
secution, contra) said, he should let the case go to the
Jury, postponing his own observations on this point for

the present.
No witnesses were called to speak to the character of

the prisoners.
Mr. Justice Jzav is, in summing up the evidence, told
the Jury that the keepers, in this case, were not autho-
rized by the Act of Parliament under which this indict-
ment was framed, to apprehend the prisoners at the place
where the final encounter took place ; and that if they
(the Jury) should be of opinion upon the evidence, that
the keepers bad committed any assault upon the poachers ;
or that the latter were under a species of imprisonment,
then undoubtedly, the offence, if death had ensued,
would amount only to manslaughter, and the present in-
dictment could not be sustained. His Lordship then
recapitulated the evidence in great detail, commenting
upon it as he proceeded, and directing an acquittal as to
Hoyle, he not being present when the shot was fired, or,
at least, not so near the man who fired as to be dee '
to concur in the act.

The Jury retired to consider their verdict at half-past
eight o'clock, and, after an absence of half an hour, re-
turned a verdict of Guilty againt Hanshall and Taylor,
and Royle Not Guilty.
The trial lasted seven hours.—Sentence deferred.
BIGAMY.
Josiah Thornton, aged 18, was indicted for bigamy.
The prisoner was a native of Brinnington, and kept com-
pany with a young woman named Ann Knowles, who,
becoming pregnant by him, was removed by the parish
officers to her own settlement, Matlock, Derbyshire.
The overseer of Matlock hearing that the prisoner was
about to be married to another woman, caused him to be
apprehended, when he consented to a union with Knowles,
and the ceremony was performed in Matlock parish
church, after two or three drops of rum had been given
him to keep up his spirits, on the 11th of July; in the
presence of the overseer and constable. On the 13th •of

v• •

July the prisoner again intermarried at the Collegiate
church, Manchester, with Hannah Pearson, the young
woman to whom he had paid his addresses, after aban-
doning Knowles, and on the 14th was apprehended at
Brinnington. Verdict, Guilty. Sentence—two years'
imprisonment and hard labour.
OXFORD ClRCUlT—Gzaucwrza, Szrr. 5.
MURDER.

William Salewell, alias Sully, was indicted for the
wilful murder of his wife Sarah, at Ruspedge Moon, St.
Briavel's.
Mary Ann Meredith examined by Mr. WATSON—I
live at Cynyford, about a quarter of a mile front the pri-
soner's house. On the 23d of May, about nine o'clock, I
was going home on the tram-road with a bushel of coal
upon my head. I heard tho prisoner's wife cry murder. I
did not know her before. I heard her cry murder a great
many times. I was at some distance when I first saw
them. I saw him kick her violently a great many times.
The woman was sitting down. I passed by them close. I
heard the wife tell the prisoner not to kick her any more ;
she said, " Doesn't thee kick me no more." The prisoner
said, "Then get thee up; d—n thy eyes, if thee doesn't
get up, I'll give thee some more on't." The deceased
said she could'nt. I saw him kick her again several
times violently. I was frightened, and I passed by on
my way home as quick as I could. I said nothing to
the prisoner, I was so frightened. I might have been
there five minutes. I looked back ;he was still kicking
her. I met Llewellyn Reece ; I told him what I had seen.
I saw him run towards them. I left my coal at home
and went back again; the prisoner and his wife were still
there with Reece, who was talking to them ; the wife
was then standing up. I saw the prisoner and his wife
go down together. The woman walked slow and quiet.
It was light enough to see her,person ; there was a hole
in her arm almost big enough to put my finger in ; it was
all over blood. I heard no quarrel before I heard the cry
of murder. The prisoner wore thick nailed shoes ; I didn't
see the nails, but they were of that thick heavy kind
which labourers wear, and which are nailed. He ap-
peared sober. lam sure I heard no quarrel.
Llewellyn Reece—On the evening of the 23d May I
met Mary Ann Meredith, and in consequence of her
statement I walked quickly towards the place described ;
I heard cries of murder from a female, following heavy
blows. I then ran and found the deceased down upon
the ground, and the prisoner standing over her, beating
her with both his fists. I asked him what he beat her
for ; he said she had been abusing him for drinking ;
she replied, " No,William, I did not, only for your good."
I could tell by his breath that he had been drinking, but
by his actions and answers to my questions he appeared
sober. Some other persons came up. I told him (the
prisoner) to beat her no more.
The Prisoner—l never touched her after.
George Tindall, a boy about 14 years of age.—l saw
the prisoner and his wife come home on the night of the
23d of May ; the wife walked lame, the child was with
them; I think the prisoner carried the child; his wife
was crying and complained of her side. I heard the pri-
soner say—" If thee doesn't hold thy tongue I'll beat
thee more."—She said, " William, you've no need to
beat me no more, I shall never want no more in this
world :" this was about ten o'clock on Saturday evening.
On Sunday morning I was there again ; his wife was
lying on the bed; he was sitting. They had no chairs;
the bed was hay and fog, on the floor.
Ann Parry, a poor neighbour, took the deceased some
tea, and administered such comforts as her poverty. al-
lowed, and after her death took her to her cottage and
performed the last offices for her. She spoke to bruises
on the head, &c. and stated that the prisoner threatened,
if she didn't keep away, he'd do for her the same.
Mr. Abel and Mr. T. Phillips, two surgeons, gave it
as their opinion that the deceased died of the violence re-
ceived ; a rib was crushed, not so much broken as literally
smashed.
The Judge (Mr. Sergeant Ta DDY) with great clearness
summed up the evidence.
The Jury, without hesitation, found the prisoner
Guilty. The Judge then condemned the prisoner to die
on Saturday morning.
The prisoner begged that his Lordship would not let
him be dissected. This seemed to the prisoner the most
awful part of his sentence.
Peter Meggett and Robert Evans were indicted for
burglariously entering the house of Thomas Hatten, at
Coleford, on the night of the 24th of May last, and
stealing therefrom a quantity of drapery and mercery
g"Kbl Mr •
. Cuawoon conducted• the prosecution : Mr.War-
sow the defence.
Thomas Hatten, the prosecutor, said he kept a draper's
shop at Coleford. On Sunday night, the 24th of May
last, his house and shop were quite safe, but on opening
the door next morning he found that part of the shutter
had been broken or cut out, and goods to the value of
1001. taken away.
Thomas Hawkins saw the prisoners together, near
Coleford, on the 23d of May. They had with them a
hawker's caravan. Meggett's name was on the caravan.
Witness saw them again the following Tuesday ; the ca-
ravan was then standing by the side of the road.
John Williams apprehended Meg,gett, and on search-
ing him found a phosphorus box and two pieces of riband
in his breeches pocket. He found also his license as a
hawker. He knew Meggett, and his name was on the
caravan. On searching the other prisoner, he found in
his sleeve part of a centre-bit.
James Marsh, the chief police-officer of Gloucester,
searched the prisoners' caravan, and found in it a dark
lantern, and the handle of a centre-bit ;it fitted the
piece found on the prisoner Evans, and with the holes
cut in the window of the prosecutor's shop ; he found
also in the caravan a number of articles of drapery,
which the prosecutor proved to have been stolen from his

shop.
John Hatten, the prosecutor's son, said, that the pri-
soners sent for his father, and begged him to save them
and have mercy on them, as there was nobody in Cole-
ford concerned with them ; the different articles found on
the prisoners and in the caravan were now produced
and sworn to by the witness as part of his father's property.
Cross-examined—My father did not employ the pri-
soner to carry the goods to Gloucester. I have heard
that another man has absconded.
In his defence, Meggett said he had purchased the
goods from another man as remnants.
Mr. WATSON then called two witnesses, who gave
Meggett a good character.
Mr. Sergeant TARDY summed up the evidence, and
the Jury returned a verdict of Guilty against both the
prisoners. Sentence of death recorded.

It is stated that in the next Session of Parliament a
clause will be introduced into the Ucensing Act to prohibit public.
houses to open on Sundays earlier than one o'clock in the forenoon.
Under the new Police, it is slid that each man will
pass every point in his station once in every quarter of an hoer.
The main entrance to Covent Garden has been erected
over a public-house, which has been carrying on its business all the
time ; and in &. George's. Hanover-squire, while two public-
basica are rebulkllng, the trade of earl is carried on in sheds
erected in the streets.