The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-07 00:00:00

WOT;NDING

William Bradshaw, aged 22, was charged with having, at
Widnes, in July last, cut and wounded William Radcliff.,
There were counts in the indictment charging the offence to
be with intent to murder, do grievous bodily harm, &c.
Mr. Brandt appeared for the prosecution ; Mr. Murphy,
for the defence.

William Radcliff, the person stabbed, is a gamekeeper in
the service of Al r. Crosthwaite, whose estate is called Widnes.
The prisoner was connected with a gang of poachers, some
of whom Radcliff had assisted in capturing and taking to
Kirkdale Gaol. It did not appear that the prisoner himself
had been addicted to poaching. On the 18th of July last,
the piisoner found Radcliff on the road. The prisoner said
he was a poacher, which the prosecutor denied. He then
challenged him to fight, and became exceedingly insulting,
and at length, after the parties had nearly come to blows, he
stabbed the prosecutor in his back. He called ont for help.
and was taken back to a public-house, from which he had
first departed. The blood was overflowing from his shoes,
and he was fainting front exhaustion.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of wounding with in-,
tent to do grievous bodily harm.
His Lonosnir passed sentence of transportation for life.
FALSE REGISTRY OF DEATH. _

Samuel Stretch, aged 49, was charged with having, in
this town, in the month of October last, unlawfully made a
false statement touching the particulars required to be known
and registered in the Register of Deaths, in the District of
Great Howard-street, in this town, respecting the alleged
death of Elizabeth Stretch. The prisoner pleaded guilty and
begged for mercy.
Mr. CuomPToN, who appeared for the prosecution, said,
many cases of this description had occurred, and the prisoner
was prosecuted as an example, in the hope that others would
be deterred from the commission of this offence. In con-
sideration, however, of the very long imprisonment which he
had already endured, he would recommend him to his lord-
ship's favourable consideration.
A gentleman named Rigg, who was espied by the prisoner
in the court, was called upon to give him a character. Mr.
Rigg said he had known the prisoner many years, and he had
always considered him honest and industrious.
His LORDSHIP said, this was an offence which must be
put down. Now that it had become the law of the country
that registers of births and deaths should be kept, it was of
importance that they should be k.ept perfect. As it appeared
very satisfactorily, by the testimony of a witness challenged,
as it were by the prisoner, and not brought there by the
prisoner, that he bore a good character, he should take that.
and the long imprisonment which he had already suffered
into consideration. The prisoner was sentenced to six weeks'
imprisonment in Kirkdale Gaol.
- CHARGE OF FORGERY.

Thomas Arthur Ba;yield, a very respectable-looking young
man, aged 23, was charged with having feloniously forged
and uttered a certain paper in writing, purporting to he a
recommendation from the Reverend Edward Girdlestone,
vicar of the parish of Deane, and an undertaking from him to
be aussl erabie for rent, &c. on behalf of the prisoner.
Mr. Lawrence Peel prosecuted, Dr. Brown defended.
In the month of June, 1839, the prisoner was recommended
by the National School Society to the Rev. Mr. Girdlestone,
to fill the office of head-master of the school of Deane. For
sonic reason, not mentioned, he quitted the_ neighbourhood
in the ensuing November. He wished to become the tenant
of a house, at Markland Hill, belonging to Mr. Thomas
Markiand, of Bolton. He applied to Mr. Girdlestone for
such a character as would satisfy Mr. Markland of his eligi-
bility to become a tenant, the latter requiring some guarantee
or recommendation from him. Mr. Girdlestone refused to
give him a character, on the ground that he was, with the
exception of the recommendation from the committee of the
National School Society, a perfect stranger, and he was not
in the habit of giving such recommendations to the roasters.
The prisoner, it appeared, afterwards went to Mr. Markland
with a written recommendation, couched in glowing terms of
eulogy on the prisoner's character and attainments, and pro-
mising to become security for the rent. The prisoner obtained
possession of the home, and remained in it some time, when
it was discovered that the recommendation and guarantee
had not been written by Mr. Girdlestone.
On cross-examination by Dr. BROWN, Mr. Girdlestone
said, the prisoner was married, and had, when head-master

of Deane school, £35 per annum. He would not say that he
was a young man of considerable attainments, but he was a

young man of considerable professions. He was an artist,
and had taken a portrait of him (Mr. Girdlestone.) He
taught his daughter to write. He (Mr. Girdlestone) knew
that the prisoner was wishful, and had intended, to commence
a boarding-school, and both he and his curate were referees
as to the prisoner's complete competency for this undertaking.
Dr. BROWN took an objection to the instrument, that it
was not such an instrument as rendered the prisoner liable to
be indicted for forgery, nor such an one as bore out the ternt
guarantee used in the indictment.
His LORDSHIP held the objection to be valid, and a ver-
dict of acquittal under this indictment was taken.
There was another indictment against the prisoner for hay-
in..' obtained four works from John Heaton, a bookseller, of
Bolton, under pretence that they were for Mr. Girdlestone.
Mr. Heaton supplied books for the library of the school at
Deane. The prisoner was, during the time he was master of
the school, in the habit of purchasing books on account of the
Deane school, and also on account of Mr. Girdlestone. On
the 13th August last, he went to Mr. Heaton's stop and or-
dered several articles, amongst which were some works on
natural history. On the following Monday he called, and in-
quired if the bookseller had received back the books on na-
tura history, and selected better books as those were not
approved of by Mr. Girdlestone. He selected Goldsmith's
work on Animated Nature, and directed it to be placed to
the Deane school account. He took the books away with
him. The prisoner had a private account of his own. Mr.
Girdlestone stated, that the prisoner had noright to purchase
hooks for the library. At the time when the prisoner pro-
cured these books, Mr. Girdlestone was absent inDevonshire.
The prisoner was apprehended on the 9th Dec. He had with
him at the time, a man who carried his box, audit was stated
by the police-officer, that he was at the time ab!conding.
The four volumes of Goldsmith's work were' found in the
box.

The jury acquitted the prisoner.
The court adjourned at half-past seven o'clock, to Monday
morning.
The felony cases having been all disposed of, the trials of
the chartists commence on Monday.

NISI PRIUS COURT-SATURDAY.

ASSAULT.-DEANS V. EDWARDS AND OTHERS.

This was an action of assault, in. which William Deane
was plaintiff. and Jonathan Edwards and William and AmY
Reed were the defendants.

Counsel for the plaintiff, Mr. Cresswell and Mr. Cromp-
ton; for the defendants, Mr. Alexander.
The jury found Vim. Reed, not Guilty, Edwards
Mrs. Reed, Guilty ; and the damages £3.