Star.
London, England, 1829-12-09 00:00:00

WINTER ASSIZES.

HOME CIRCUIT—Hammes, Diet. 9.
'Before Mr. Baroo•Gaestor.
Robert Cooper was charged with feloniously setting fire to an-out-
house, belonging to Mr. William Cooper, at Baldachin the lit of
Au gust.
Mr. RYLAND prosecuted ; Mr. Dow: moo defended.
The facts which appeared in fvidence are as follow :—At the
last Summer Assizes for this county, held in July, two men, John
.
Trigg and John Keep, were put upon their trial for arson. at
Baldock, but acquitted. They were tried on Wednesday the fOth'
July. On the Saturday after the trial the Balduck. people were
alarmed by mother fire, which broke out on some premises not far
from the place where the former one happened. The loss and da-
mage on this occ Idea was not great ; but it excited a vast deal of
consternation, as it was coojectured to have been (like the for-
mer one) the act of an incendiary. One of the houses that had
been set on fire by this last attempt, was then occupied by a
man named William Cooper, a thatcher, who is the father of the
prisoner. He is not insured. On the Monday' after this a third
attempt was made to set fire to other premises, distant about sixty
yards from the last. It was made by thrusting a piece of lighted
straw into some part of a barn, but which did ant ignite. Baldock
was consequently in an uproar, and suspicion attached to every one
against whom any until* was started. On the morning of this last
attempt, in consequence of certain •informationy given to the Ma-
ghtrates, the prisoner was apprehended ;• but after an examination
and investigation of the charge against him, was discharged. A
month after, however (on the 31st of August,) he was again taken
into custody, and committed to Hertford Gaol. The evidence
against the prisoner was slight.
It appears that the prisoner was subpened and attended at
the last Aedses, in July, as switnees against Trigg .and pimp, to
give evidence• of an expression be had casually overheard them'
use in passing him, and that this • circumstance. rabid a strong
feeling_ of enmity against hint on the part of the two men and'
their Mends, at Baldock. The chief witness' against .the prisoo*,
was a woman named Elizabeth Shambrook, who is slat* to John'
Trigg; and sfre stated, that on Saturday night, about twelve, just
about the time of the fire, she happened to be tin Abe other side of
-the road, atthe corner of the turnpike back lane, in watching her'
'brother, John Trigg, lest he should get into a squabble with the
prisoner, who was passing. She saw him as she said, in in at the
fiottom of and up the close, called Foothls-close, and that be got
over a wall,' by doing which he was enabled to get to the preinises
which were est fire to. . •
• Jane Ansell, in whose father's house the thinner and his family
live, merely stated the time the vintner got home that night, at a
quarter before twelve.. .
John Simkins, a relation, a brotber-in-law, with whom the prl- '
so-ner was not on good terms for a long time, and who lives with
thoprisoner's father, whose house was burnt, said, that he saw the
prisoner•on the spot at the time of the fire ; that he took a chair our
of the house on fire, which was his own father's, and dashed it to
pieces, and a few other trifling acts,' which were perfectly innna
terlal. • Proof was also adduced of some observations made by the
prisoner concerning his brother-in-law Simkins, but they were
of a very exceptionable nature.
It came out,kowever, on cross-exatnination, that the' prisoner,
about the same time that it was supposed he was harbouring a
malicious design against Simkins, had said be was willinglo be on
good terms with that person and all his family.
This was the case for the prosecution.
Mr. DOWLING submitted that there was not snitch:he evidence
here to warrant the calling on the prisoner for his defence. •
.Me. throe MARROW .said he was of the same opinion. Having
made some observations, the substance of which was that the in•
quite :which had been instituted was a very proper one, directed
the Jury to final a verdict of Not Guilty.
The most intense interest was manifested throughout, and the
Court was crowded to excess.
• • • Before Mr. Baron BOLAAND.
.
• J. Alton was indicted fur killing and slaying George Munt, at
ftedbourn, in this county.
• The prosecutiop was conducted by Mr. Paley, who stated
•that' the deceased lost' his life in a pugilistic *cornbat, under the
•following circumstances :—Eariy in the morning of the 7th of
September last, the prisoner, the deceased, and several other
persons, were assembled at a public-horse where they partook
of a considerable quantity of beer. They then proceeded to Red-
bourn to play at cricket ' • and instead of doing so, they sat' down,
on the-grass and drank for sometime. One of the party, named
Ebbs, fell asleep. and the deceased attempted to draw his watch
from his pocket, which awoke Ebbs, and some high words- pais:
tal
ing, the deceased asked him to fight.* This was declined; and the
pirty:thewleft-the Common. The dispute wet then revived, and
a quarrel and fight ensuedbetweenthe detested and the prisonei,,
which was soon terminated by a fall of the -*keened. He died on
the ground ;• the body was then removed to 'a house at a short ciii;.
lance from the Common, and underwent the inspection 'of sue-
-geons,,when, it was ascertained that several large blood 'nails kit
'the head of the decraseditad been ruptured, and throughout •
region of the brain ergs found a great quantity of .extravasated
r Morn, leatringtno doubt but -that recent violence occasioned sir lied
•death. There was no imputation of unfair conduct on the primmer
- in the 1464=1 his character was good.
The case as hatedwas then deposed to by three witnetiehe snit
concurred in their testimony. and were cross-examined by Mr.
, Tandyn. foe tbcptisoner. They gave the-priioner a. Wont:able
character, and
. The imed Jew" briefly summed up the ease, when, the..f ury
acquitted the prisoner. • • • •
SURREY SESSIONS, Dec. 8.

... k 1

Henry Rodi.U, 17 years of ige, was indicted for stealing two
:balf-crowns from his employer, Mr. Raymond rainier Hunt, at
Christ'Church.' -Tbe.prosecotor deposed, that having some suspi.'
Cions of the prisoner, heinarked the pieces of money, and gave
them to a PoMMl.Plancd- Hall; to buy some articles with them at
his shop.
Hall proied the petchate Orainies on with the marked money.
Ciutisithe'Wfilder, deposed that he found the half-rrowes, on
searching the.prisdneropon him, *at with other money. . •
Steeral.pemoin gave!the prisoner a very -good character. The
,priseitee was fond Guilty, and setitenced to hekept to hard labour
at Billiton for six Martha, and .during the first and last seven -days
ottbit lieriad Id be 'kept in-solitary ennfineoient.
William Gray was cbargedwith stealing -a quantity of rope from
• Mr. Joseph Sigma" dealpr in marine stores, at. Bermondsey.
The prosecutor said, be missed pane rope from a abed, which he
hid- placed nut to dm; botlisirwing whom to .accuse, he put a,
'piece of rope in•the yard; on •tba Friday morning, the rote was
gope; prosecutor then went down to Mr. Dawson*. at Richer-
web., where be saw the piece.of-rbire he had lust; be asked Daw-
son from whores he hiii.purclused it, and he told him..
John Dawson, dealer in marine stores, deposed that be resided
at 28, Rotberbithe-wall. On Friday, the prisoner brought into his
,bop about 2011 w. weight of rope;which be bought of him for
11.5 d. at the rare of is. per 10614s..betlien west away. • •• •
In con mince of the evidence being deficient in identifying the
rope, the prisoner was acquitted • ..
OLD 8414.EY. ,SESSIONS—Monday.
• -
•

Before Mr. Sergeant Anemic. • • I
Was. Clarke was indicted for uttering two counterfeit ball.
crowns, with latent to
.defraud.
'The case was clearly. proved, but had nothing to distinguish It
from many of• the same class.'•
Sentence-B[z mouths' imprisonment. • .
Mnrgerve lioddick was convicted of a similar offence. hot I
being an old offender, she was sentenced to twelve months' int.
prisolunent. •
George &ow was indicted for stealing thirty pictures,' value
£4OO, the property of John Hewitton, and William Malcolm' for
retelting the same, with a • guilty knowledge. The Wirer is
twenty-nine,' =Urge latter thirty-one years of age; both of res.
pueblo appearance.• •
Mr. ALLtiv stated the case, and called • •
. John Hewitson—l am a picture-dealer. I have had Kemp in
My employment, to assist in the sale of pictures. I went to Bristol
Ind brought hint' With the. I had some pictures there. ' I had oc-
casion to come to London; and left some of my pictures with. him.
He came to Londonio. Getober, after having been at Southampton
and other places: He•rpturned me forty-three pictures. He said,
I, Here theytre for you, safe and sound." I Said, " They are not
so.". One Of- tbens watt badly •paited and all over dirt. They
were deposited at Gerard's Hall. Subsequently the pictures'were,
mining. •, Lfquod them in
•two days after 'their Mislays! in Tieb-
borie-streit was 'present when .-]itakohn war, apprehended;
he said that he had theM in hi* possesaion, and that I might do my
best. 1 asked his where they were ;he Petaled tis tell Itorissid..
he gave Kemp siieo for the pictures: Insight go to law for
their recovery;. to Wise 'a warm-ft was'ocit the ivayt. bisaid I
shotild go regularly to law for them. ~The. pre ttelisliteere invoiced
to me et £437. . • • .
Cress-examined by Mr: Castiesari...,Tise 'friers upset which
tespe witleme to Bristol. Mote on condition of Ms receiving
:OCa:ettird of the profits.- I* admit -thsi' 17 reeefired tfiese pkiurri
• wrrite 'amain invoiced price. • 1-was• to self thent,end 1 wit to
get the direvenceletween- that epd whatever I could *it them
dm' PlimMIV titat My agreement with. Risme and Mar.
+holm the
.pictures, was that I should return such as were
Alit, And pay foi the . others at invoiced prices, but not till
Aar ;sale. • L • . • •
Me.sesegeadt ARAMs said it was a onestloo for tiortlersi
thee oeloofilLetti•irtig'ht not,' under the:circumstames. mordthi;
himself to stand. iiothe situation of co.ageni or partner with the

prosecutor in the business of selling the pictures. If the Jury, from'
the crass-examination, arrived at the conclusion that he might have
thought be stood in that situation, they could not And him guilty
of a felonious taking.
After some discussion between the Bench and the Counsel at
both sides, the cross.enamination was resumed at considerable
length; and several pecuniary transactions between the.parties were
made the sulsjea of inquiry.
Counsel for the prosecution having, at the request of the Judge,
Stated briefly the other facts which he meant to prove, his Lord-
ship said, taking those things for granted, there even yet must be a
verdict of acquittaL—Acquitted accordingly. • •