Star.
London, England, 1820-07-24 00:00:00

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YORE, JULY 20, •
CROWN SIDE—=HIGH TREASON.
AU the persons in tistody, against whom hills for
high Treason had been found, were brought into
•Court this morning. ,They were brought to be
spoken to in parties of four. Besides. the twenty-
four mentioned on Saturday, theire Thomas
Ferrymond, against whom a true bill has bi.en found,
making thus twenty-five.altogether. Of these, three,
Thomas Ferrymond, Joseph Smith, and John Picker n
ing, are not in custody. Twenty-two were this tbOrn-1
ing brought to the bar. The Barnesley or Grange;
moor division were first called, and of them, the
first, was William Comstive, a good-looking and well-
dressed young man. Of the Huddersfield division,
of whom there are only four, the first was John
Peacock; aged 45. Each party, as they were ar-
ranged at the bar, were thui addressed:
Mr. Justice PARK.—The Grand Jury have found
true bills against you for High Treason. It is my
duty, therefore, to tell you, that yolk have a right to
apply to the Court to assign you Counsel, not ex-
ceeding two. William Comstive, what Counsel do
you wish to be assigned to you ?
W. Comstive.—My Lord, I hope you will give us
a few days to consider.
Mr. Justice PARK.—I cannot refuse that certainly.
You need nor be called up again; Mr. Stavely can
tell me; let it be by Monday next. Have you,made
choice of an attorney ?
, W. Comstive.—Yes, Mr. Greaves (of Sheffield).
Mr'. Justice Pa ax.--Have you agreed, Mr.Greaves?
or.do you Wish for time to consider? '
Mr. GkEaVEs.—l wish for time, if your Lordship
pleases.

All the prisoners in the first indictment, eighteen
in number, made the same request, and obtained the
same indulgence.
Mr. Justice PARK.—You will have copies of the
indictment, a list of the jurors, and also of the wit-
nesses, sooner probably, that is, a longer time before
your trial than is required by law. I shall_adjourn
the Assize for the purpose of having you tried before
it is concluded. It will be six weeks,after the Nisi-
"ess here shall be ended. The adjournment will be
t (La Saturday, but the trials will not commence till'
eight o'clock on the Monday following.
The prisoner James Flowers, aged 49, was asked
whether he wished for time to chuse his Counsel ?
Being very deaf, he replied, " Yes, Sir, I was forced.
from my home."
On the second indictment only four were called :
the first was John•Lintlicy, aged 50. They obtained
the same time for naming their Counsel, but they
readily named Mr. Carr, of Gomersal, for their at-
torney. Mr. Carr was called from the other Court,
and expressed a desire to have time to consider, as
he knew nothing of the men.
Mr. Justice PARE said, that, he should certaibily
have time, and he should make an order in his case
to see the prisoners. But Mr. Greaves could not have
any further order, having already had two.
Mr. RAINE made the usual motion for a list of
jurors to try the persons charged with High Treason,
and for serving that 'list upon Mr. Maule, solicitor
for the Crown.

Mr. Justice PARE granted the order; and added,
that it might be mentioned at the bottom of the list,
that the jurors need not attend till the Monday after
the adjourned meeting of the Commission.
Several hours afterwards, when the Grand Jury
had finished their business, his Lordship said that he
could not discharge them. This would not be a dis-
charged Commission. It was to be adjourned to
Saturday, the 9th of September ; but, unless they had
notice, they would not be required to attend.

John Blacker, aged 35, was charged with behav-
ing in a riotous manner, and creating and encou-
raging divers disorderly persons to riot and endanger
the public peace, at Sheffield, on the 11th of April ;
and also with having in his possession a loaded pistol,
a pike, and other unlawful weapons, to endanger the
public peace.
Mr. RAINE conducted the prosecution. The charge
was a riot of a most mischievous and dangerous kind.
Sorry he was to say, that this *was the second time
he Lad to prove a charge of this kind against the
man at the Bar; he had but just left this Castle,
where he had been imprisoned two years for riot,
when he headed a most, dangerous rabble in Hud-
dersfield, and at the very time when the alarming
disturbance at. Barnsley and other places took place,
and at a time when all the_Authorities of the-place
were at Pomfret attending the Sessiqns. The man
I at the,Bar had a pistol, which he lorded with slugs,
and fired several times, but without aim. The ob-
ject evidently had been to take'the Barracks, and the
cry was, " Hunt and Liberty I" The Jury knew what
that clamour for liberty meant.
John Phipps, watchman at Sheffield, said there
had been upwards of 200 persons assembled. They
marched in separate parties through the town. They
were quiet and peaceable. He heard a pistol fir
several times. He heard the party that went down
the Hay-market shouting. The people were shut-
ting their shops. It was half,past eight. Witness
said to Blacker, " If you don't mind, you'll get into
a hobble again." Blacker replied, " Touch me ifi
you dare."
Joseph Prince, apprentice to an ironmonger in the
Market-place, was ordered to shut the shop at half.'
past seven, because a number of men were beginning I
to assemble. His master had fire-arms in his shop.
Three other ironmongers shut up at the same time.
At half-past eight he heard a pistol fired, just facing
King-street. The men all fell into ranks like sol-
diers. Witness went away and saw no more.'
Henry Girth, apprentice to a draper, heard them
shouting as they went down King-street, and heard
a pistol fired. A number said, " That is little
Blacker, the King." They went towards the Lady's
bridge. He heard them say, " When we have stop-
ped the mail, we shall do." Their numbers were in-
creasing. There were upwards of 200. He did not
see Blacker, or know him.
John Stevenson, draper, saw about 200 assembled.
There was a good deal of alarm. He shut half an
hour earlier than usual in consequence. He saw the
prisoner in company with another. The prisoner
had a long pole, with a bayonet at the end. The
other bad a stick, with a sharp instrument in the end.
. William Smith said his mother kept a spirit shop.
While he stood at the door, he saw a pistol fired.

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They said k was jockey !tacker. There riffs a great
crowd. He fbllowed them, and saw Blacker loading
his pistol front a round paper. Blacker said to the
people, " Go tin, my lads."
Blacker.—lfow many were with me?
Witness:—Five or six" opposite to Jackson's:
Blacker.—He is right, my Lord ; but not as to the
Words, for I did not speak anything.
George Hamilton, * printer, .beard loud shouting.
about a quirtiebefere nine. . He. saw Blacker with
i cartridge in his, hand, and pulling the top off to
load bis pistol.. One division marched oa ; a few .
stood with Blacker at Jackson's window. In Blacker's
division, after a pistol. was fired, there was a cry of
" Hunt 'and Liberty 1" There was a good deal of
alarm. When they had formed into a compact body,
there might be 200 or 300.
Matthew Hill, apprentice to a scissor-maker, saw
.a great crowd Coming up by,the road from the Mar-
ket-place to the Barracks. He heard shouting, and
saw Blatker loading a pistol'. They said they were
going to the Barracks-.
. .
Thomas Johnson, draper; went to•the Barracks to
communicate the proceedings to ('oronel Ogilvie, •
the Commanding Officer. The Barracks were a.
mile from the to*n. On returnjng, -he saw, about
half-way, upwards of 300 persons. He heard, "Be
firm, my lads! all in a mind to the Barracks." As
he passed them, he heard that expression frequently
repeated,
Blacker, being asked, if he had any questions to put?
said he had only to say that Johnson had perjured him-
self when he had been tried before, and that he now
said not a word of truth.
Mr. Justite PARK made some remarks on chi**
against witnesses and depositions, and concluded with
saying, " Many take oaths when they Ought not."
Blacker.—" Yes, my Lord, of I should not hive
been two years in this prison. before."
William. Fox, Constable, heard the -shouting and
the cry of " Hunt and Liberty !" He heard them
proposing the West Bar as the gainert road to the .
Barracks. He heard them say, when dispersing,
" Remember the 144.11."
John Waterfall, Constable, *as sent off by Mr.
Wortley from Pomfret, on the morning of the 12th.
He went with several other Coostables to Blacker's.
Blacker was on his boartf(tailor's). Witness seized a
pistol, which was placed over Blacker's head ; it was
loaded with slugs, primed and cocked. A bayonet
was found close behind Blacker. A long pore "tea
was found, the end of which was exactly fitted for
the bayonet. jAll those instruments were produced).
George Mapples, Constable, had found the long
pole under the board, and, on scotching prisoner s
box, found four cartridges containing slugs.
Thomas Smith, Constable, drew the pistol, and
had taken powder and slugs out of it, The prisoner
said, it had been loaded with the same sort or 'stuff
the day before.
Joshua Johnson said, the prisoner had expressed
himself dissatisfied that the Meeting was put off, and
said he would have nothing more to do with them.
On another occasion he said, that he Would not
scruple to shoot any Magistrate, even Mr. Parker,
that attempted to apprehend him.
• The prisoner said nothing for himself, and called
no witnesses.—Guilty.
Mr. RAINE said, he should nothave done his duty
if he did not move that the prisoner's recorizances
should be estreated, for he had found sureties for the
former offence for the term of five years.
Mr. Jus PARK.-' Let them be estreated.' His
Lordship then described the riot proved against the
prisoner as the most dangerous he had ever become
acquainted with, either judicially or professionally.—
The prosecution had been most mild and merciful,
for the circumstances might have Warranted a dif-
ferent charge. " You appear, Sir, to be a person of
the blackest possible heart and disposition. Your sen-
tence is imprisonment for thirty months, and recog-
nizances, yourself in 4:40, and two sureties in I:20
each, for five years longer. I hope you will never
Again set yourself up for a leader, for which, if it were
,virtuous, you are not fit."
JULY !I.—MURDER.
Wuhan' Old field, aged 55, of Bradford, innkeeper,
was charged by the Grand Jury and the Coroner's
Inquest with the wilful murder of Mary Oldfield, his
wife, on the 27th olJune. - c •
Mr. JONES made his election to proceixl to trial
without Stainesby's evidence, and opened the case thus
to the Jury The charge, Gentlemen, is wilful
murder, and of the wife of the person alleged tohave .
committed the murder.. In the outset 1 implore of
you, for the prisoner, that if any rumours or preli-
minary inquiries have reached you, to remove their
impression, and to try the prisonerrwithout prejudice.
or prepossession, but by the evidence, and the evi-
dence alone. The prosecution is by the town of
Bradford ;rand the only object is, that justice should. ,
be done. The prisoner kept an inp, called the Horse
ancrGroom, in Bradford. It is not of the first rate,
but the prisoner acquired considerable property. He
Had a wife (to whom .he had been married for some
time) and three, children living in the house—the
eldest fifteen yeaii.br age. There were some•lodgers
in the bailie,- oflWhcith one or two shall be produced,
Of the prisciner's antecedent conduct I shall not say
one word, eicept' what I am Wend to say, that re-
cently he and his Wife had not agreed well together.
On Tuesday night, the rith of June, the wife was
at home: the prisoner came not home till late. In
the house there are two staircases ; one from the
outer door passage, and conducting to the bed-room •
where the prisoner and his wife slept, the other led
from the kitchen to another part of the house. A
person of the name of Wheatley had retired early to
bed,_ awoke before the clock struck two, and hegrd
the cry of Minded' twice repeated. For reasons
which I shall not mention, because I am particularly
anxious not to step beyond the evidence, the import-
ance it deserved was not attached to this cry. Ali
was then silent and still : well it might—it was the
silence and stillness of death I At five in the morn-
ing Wheatly rose first: he found in the kitchen, an 4
near the bottom of his stair, the body of the unhappy
woman.; she was lying in her blood, obviously dead.
He felt alarmed, and gave the alarm to others. Was •
this murder?' ll,y whom committed? IVheatley has
no dopbt that the cry of murder proceeded from the
room of the prisoner, and from the prisoner's wife.—
The- voice was the voice of Mary Oldfield. Blood
was traced from the bed-room to the very spot where
the body lay. The woman had before been well iii