Star.
London, England, 1829-08-07 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

CAMBRIDGE, Almon S. '1
Was. Reader, aged 27, and Wm. Turner, aged 22,'
were indicted for voluntarily and maliciously setting fire
to a stack of haulm, at Linton, on the 31st of March
last, the property of Mr. Wm. Chalk.
Mr. HUNT conducted the prosecution, and Mr. SMITH
the defence. The trial lasted nearly the whole day.
The prosecutor stated himself to be an extensive
farmer, living at Linton. About half-past eight on the
evening of the 31st of last March he beheld an immense
body of smoke rise from either the haulm stack or the
barn, which stood close to it; the barn contained un-1
thrashed oats, and another wheat in the straw ; the barley
barn also contained corn. The estate belonged to Ed-
mund Kean, Esq. several buildings and much property
were burnt down ; the amount of the loss was very ex-
tensive. About three weeks alter the fire, the prisoner
Reader told him that be was going to confess all about
the fire ; witness said, " Ah, you and Bill Turner did it."
Witness was near the premises about an hour before the
fire broke out.

Cross-examined by Mr. SMlTll—Witness lives 100
yards from where the fire broke out, and which is three-
quarters of a mile within the parish boundary. The night
when the fire happened was very dark ; Turner was ap-
prehended before he conversed with Reader ; the latter
was very much agitated, and cried when he made the
avowal. The prisoners lived about 300 yards from him,
and William Turner worked on his premises about 18
months back, after that he Trent on the highway, when
witness signified to the surveyor that he was an improper
person to be there, and urged that he might be dis-
charged ; whether he was or not witness did not know,
therefore could not draw inferences of malice.

Robert Casholt, is brother-in-law to the prisoner
Reader.—l heard he had told my wife something about
the fire ; I called him into my bed-room, and questioned
him ; he said he was concerned in it, and Turner, who
heard a conversation in the vestry, when the prosecutor
said that he cared for no man ; he (Reader) said he
watched while Turner got a light from a dark lanthorn he
brought from home; the light went out, but he after-
wards struck some tinder and lighted a match, which he
put between the stack and the barn ; he said they then
ran up the croft (i. e. paddock), and when they got to
the top both barn and stack were in a blaze.—[The wit-
neas then described the circuitous route taken by the pri-
soners to get round unobserved to the fire.]
By the Court.—The prisoner made the confession a
fortnight beyond the fire. Witness kept the thing a se.
cret for one week, and then told the prosecutor's brother.
Henry John Adeane, Esq. the Cambridge magistrate,
deposed to each of the prisoners making a separate and
voluntary confession before him ; each appeared to crimi-
nate the other. Reader said, that he should have made
a confession before to the Rector of the parish, but for
the persuasion of his brother-in-law, who had been ex-
amined. Mr. Adeane further stated, that he communi-
cated with Mr. Peel, and that Hon. Gentleman approved
of his proposal of offering a free pardon to any accom-
plice who had a knowledge of the transaction, not being
a principal, or actual incendiary.—This was the case for
ithe prosecution.
The prisoners had nothing to urge in their defence.
Mr Smith submitted that the indictment was not good,
inasmuch as the word " haulm" was mentioned, and
there was no such word in the statute ; it was clearly
substituted for " straw," which was mentioned. Again,
the word " voluntary " was used instead of " unlaw-
fully."
The Learned Judge could not deny these facts, how-
ever much they were to be regretted.
Mr. Hunt submitted that haulm was straw to all iu-
'tents and purposes, although straw might not be haulm.
He referred his Lordship to Dr. Johnson's large Dictio-
nary, and the Encyclopaedia : the compilers of both
works had quoted from an ancient poet who used the
word haulm in a publication as far back as 1555 (274
years ago) ; he meant Thomas Tusser ; he commenced
the stanza—

" In Clomplon

- ,
Mr. Justice Ps xx a.—Mr. Hunt, perhaps your defini-
tion will be more satisfactory than your poetry. Upon
looking at the extracts, his 'Lordship appeared to think
that the haulm wee straw ; but the other difficulty could
not so well be got over.
The Learned Judge left it to the Jury to say whether
the prisoners were the men who put the fire to any, and
what buildings, and all other matters would be left to the
consideration of the twelve Judges.
The Jury, without much hesitation, found the prisoners
Guilty ; and they were of opinion that they intended to
consume the whole premises.
Mr. Justice PARKE told the prisoners that they had
reason to be thankful that their time in this world was ex-
tended to a distant period; he hoped they would use it
in preparing for another state ; because, should there be
no room for the scruple in his mind, the Judge, who
would succeed him at the next assize, would.sentence
them to die, and order that sentence to be carried into
execution. Should that not be the case, they would be
tried upon a new indictment—so that either way their
lives were in great jeopardy.
LINCOLN, Ans. S.
Ann Baker, a stout short young woman, of ordinary
appearance, was arraigned on a charge of child murder.
.I!ury returned a verdict of Not Guilty of the capi-
tal offence, but Guilty of concealment.
The business of the Assize being closed, the prisoners
were brought up for sentence ; when John and James
Askew and Holmes, for burglary, were sentenced
to transportation for life ; and Smith, the receiver, for 14
.years. Against Hoult, fur horse-stealing, sentence of
Death was recorded. Mary Ranson, who had pleaded
guilty to the minor offence of concealing the birth of her
child, and Ann Baker for the same offence, were sen-
tenced each to six months' imprisonment and hard labour.
The Nisi Prius side has been very bare of causes nf.'
general interest ; the Special Jury cases have also prin=.
cipally been of local internat. , . ,
The whole of Baker-street is now undergoing the pro-.
cos onlacadamizhig.
Mr. LLVET, the Gentleman whoite name has been
recently before the public as one of the adventurers in the Swan'
River "speculation, has built a lirp and handsome theatre et
'Sydney, in New South Wales, and we understand that instil
amateurs of the sock and buskin, wbOs were insuceessfel 'bete,
lave sailed for Sydney, with a view to theatrical employment in
tbaeßttla'eapital. Mr. Lain, had erected a windmill en the top
of bislkeatte, bst;as it was Mouldered dangerous, the Governor
refused to *dose the 'heat* until the windmill should be' removed.
RIGHT AND LEET.--:Whn the British army wan be-
*Ong *Won an Irish eider wai 'badly Wounded in tbe leg: 'so
IDedly that the surgeons were underike necessity of informinkiis
Mat* punt consent to its 'ainplitation or look his fife.. M.ah !
lea k's ao me as whhiper'sbout i 3," cried the Rinerild bladder ;
" so T glee, you my free consent. bat be sire 'You tike off ley left
leg; cm,* was always rather haply !" "' Wed, bat,' resionstrated
IkE. !maim', "it is the right leg that Wharf -anatihith;?, coilve,
toy
yo_must amt state r '! No 7 INKS' tltinti '' ,•'' retailed 01l
skmaa ; "If I sm to lo
,a, logfoeldil 4asat ai tae 1114-
,seats oa.r, .Aod to* this-Gettai hi ft', aittli the magi*
paella Wm by milts, wifeil; as.yod %bier *pan it, Welt atrilige
to take off the right kg j" and accordingly the rfidt 14 %V Wpi.i
toted, vastly to the Captain's indignation, when be discovered that
his handsome limb had vanished. a