The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-08-16 00:00:00

the same house, returned home, and on getting up
to his room he found the bed-clothes on fire, raging a
the bed, when he gave an alarm. Mary Churchhousi

her friend Hannah Greenbalgh, a frequent visiter, came
running down stairs with the two children, and some
clothes, part belonging to Myerscoughs, screaming out
„ _

" fire, there's a man in the house," and soon after they
decamped. Upon examining further, they found that the
room lately occupied by Mrs. Churchhouse's father was
filled with smoke, and in the corner was found, heaped
together, a quantity of bed-clothes, which were smoulder-
ing in fire. The fires were extinguished immediately, and
the circumstances led to the crimination of the prisoners.
The jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict of
not guilty, in each case. A second charge for larceny was

she hawing

then prderred against Mary ChurchhOus(
stolen, on the night of the fire, several articles, such a
table-cloths, candlesticks, &c., which she pledged. A
verdict of guilty was returned in this case. Sentence to
be imprisoned, and put to hard labour, for 18 months.

DEFRAUDING TIIE REVENUE.--'311% Digby Seymour
made application on behalf of the Crown, to discharge the
recognizances of Thomas Fletcher, Albert Firth, and
William Kerfoot, out on bail,who had been remanded from
the last assizes, on a charge of defrauding the Customs, by
giving in false returns respecting some fruit they imported.
The Commissioners of Customs had, since the last assizes,
instituted inquiries, which have resulted in leading them
to believe that Fletcher and Firth had been misled by
Eerfoot, and, as they were now willing to pay the amount
sought to be evaded, with all costs, the commissioners re-
commended that the reeognizances should be discharged,
as they did not wish further to prosecute. His lordship
agreed to the' applieation.

Currie G, Ail; WOUNDING. —Daniel Lee, aged-20;' (im-
perfectly educated,) was charged with stabbinc, and Isom/d-
-int- Thomas Grundy,' at Farnworth, on the 28th of April
last. On the night in question,. Grundy went to a beer-
house, called the Queen's Inn, where he met with several
other colliers. Abeut ten o'clock three navvies entered' of
whom the prisoner was one: Quarrelling ensued, and the
prisoner is said to have been challenging all round. When,
Grundy was leaving' the house, he was attacked by the
prisoner, and received several stabs in the hand, which he
hod put forth in protectiOn. A pocket-knife was found the
next morning about 18 yards from the house, but no knife
was found on the prisoner When taken into custody the
prisoner admitted that he had used a piece of glass in at-
tacking Grundy, because he "'collared' him, to keep him
quiet. Found guilty.—Sir Geerge' Stephen begged leave
to subruit to his lordship a high' certificate of character.—
His lordship said he would consiilef his Verdict. _

BußGilitiy.—James Kean, aged 19,• who could neither
read nor write, pleaded guilty to having, at Levenshulme,
near Mane-Aster, btzglariously entered the dwelling-house
of Dr. R. Slhter, and stolen therein several trifling articleS,
in May, beieg discovered in the act. Hepleaded not guilty
to another charge of entering the lays,c•oflir. Mason, also
in Levenshuline, on the Ist of May,- from which three
brushes, &e., were taken, being disdukbed,• while in the
house, by the inmates getting up. The-jury returned a
verdict of guilty, upon which his lordship sentenced him,

for the burglari-' to which he pleaded inilty, ten years
transportation ; for the one to which he pleaded not gmity,
three months' imprisonment.

BURGLARY AT OPIINSITAW. —John Thonvoh,, aged 20,
who could only read was indicted for burglav and sthaling
a watch. A verdict 'of guilty was returnekand his lord-

ship sentenced him ta seven years' transport:Alen:
BURGLARY AT Ili-Mc—Mary Gough, aged-. 22, • who
could only read, was indicted for having feloniously and
burglariously entered The house of Mr. John Taylor;' carter,
of Hornby-street, Bury, on the morning of the 26th of
:May last, and stolen therefrom a blanket, sheet, and other
articles. A policeman met the prisoner about fire,o'clock,
with a large bundle of clothes, and when he Tiestioned
her, she said that she had come from Liverpool, irifore she
had been to fetch them out of pawn. The jury found the
prioner guilty of burglary. His lordship said it appeared•
that it was not the only use in which she had beent,con-
victed of felony ; this w= 'the third time. She pleaded
that necessity had driven her. to it. Sentenced to seven:
years' transportation.
atsnarl MITER.— William. Sellers, aged 52, who could'
neither read nor write, hawker and broker, was indicted:
for having at Prestwich-cum:Oldham, near Manchester?:
caused the death of Jonathoroßeeth, aged 44, a grocer. On,

Whit-Friday, the deceased went intoa public-house kept
by one Joseph Taylor, where :le. met the prisoner Sellers.
The conversation turned on dominu-playing, when the Ord

They first, preparatory to the wager game, had one to
decide who should have first chance. The deceased lost,
whereupon, he refused to play the wager game. Alterca-
tion ensued, which was closaVby a fight, and when the
deceased turned round to talk to the landlord, the prisoner
struck Kim on the side of the head„ which Caused him to
reel a Odle, and then he folio :we-dup. this by a blow on the
face, about the lips, which caueed' a flow of blood, and sent
him attained lying on the floor; as if dead. Being taken
up, he complained of being sick,- and, after remaining two
or three hours, he got home about ten o'clock. At home,
he became subject to vomiting; and pains in the head,
which increased so that a medical 'man had to be called in ;
he died an. Tuesday, the 16th of May,. a fortnight after the
affray. A post mortem examination took place, when
congestibn of the brain, and hemorrhage were found to
have taken place. After a short consultation, the jury
returned a verdict of not guilty..
ROICAbRY OF JEWELLERY- AT' IVIANCTIESTER.—John
Robinson, aged 24, was charged..:with having, along with
two others,. committed a robbery, of jewellery to the
value a,x3oc7 Mr. Howard is•azjewelbv and silversmith,
at Manchester. On Wednesdays • the. 7th of March, Mr.
Howard; at half-past one, left his.. daughter, Miss Fanny
Howard; to. attend: to the shop Whilehe went to dinner.
A young man came in, whom .31iss-Howard had noticed
pass the shop-door before, andlie asked the price of a
diamond ring in the windoxvs. Miss Howard, suspecting
him, said the window was kicked, and that he had better
call when her father was in, „ She. recollected the same
persoFraad: called on the previous Thatrsday. He asked
for a card, which, on being handed to him., he said it did
not contain the name of the-streets, and; he requested her
to write them upon it. Mii.u.HOWard turned away to get
a pen,. and having a bonnet on{• she' did: not observe that
she erase followed until she found' an arm had grasped her
by .the throat, and she was l'Oroed into, the little division
at theend of the shop. She-.screamed out, but the man
got his hand over her mouth, There being a mirror before
her, which reflected what was: being; transacted in the
shone ,she saw a man busit- ransaeldng the window, hastily
padding; up all the jewellery which l e could get at. She
was,so dreadfully alarmed and - injured; that she was not
even yet fully recovered. Tbe prisoner was recognised as
being- one of the persons who assisted, the two men in the
shop; in taking away the jewellery, as he stood outside the
shop, driving away any person whose, curiosity might lead
him to notice what was .going min the window. The
blind was pulled down- ahring the operation. The police
apprehended the prisoner some: time; after. Numerous
witnesses were examined, who substantiated the above
facts: The prisoner cross-examined; them upon the point
of identity. After the evidence, the prisoner begged to
.say a few words. He..-said he would state his case as well
as, he could. The fact was,, he was a poor, unfortunate
:wretch, taken up on suspicion; and committed, because he
'could not find out and point out those who had committed
the robbery. HiS,lordship carefully summed up.—The.
jury, not being able to come- to a decision, retired frown
court about twenty minutes past six, and returned about
seven with a veritint of, guilty.. HSs lordship then sentenced'.
him to ten yeare„transportation„
The court adi4urned,at Wien, o'clock, until nine o'clock..
on Saturday murning.

SATURDAY.
(Before,) r. Jftiotice Wightmand

ATTEYCP.I.,, TO POISON, AT ASTON-UNDES-LamTA-7"
Martha Walker, aged 41, was indicted with having, at
Ashton-under-Lyre, on the 24th of May last, administered
nitrate of lead, with intent to murder her husbandiMilip
Walker.

It appeared that the prisoner is the wife of • Philip
Walker, a cotton-spinner, at Ashton-under-Lyne- They
had lived in quietness. till within the last twelve .months,
when,,in consequence of the prisoner being found in the
house of a. neighbour, a dispute arose beetweenthem,And
whicia had been tbe.cause of frequent unpleasantness since..
They had three, children. On the 24th of May Walker
returned home at his usual hour of six o'clock, when he
asked• his wife for some coffee, which he usually took on,
his return from work. He noticed that it tasted very
disagreeable rough and sticky. He went-to bed shortly
after. ten o'Clock, and awoke at one o'clock, when he felt
very ill, and went down stairs to wash, his mouth out.
His wife asked him what he was doing) and he tord her,
stating that his throat was very rough and sticky. She
said. that hers felt so too. He awoke. again about five
o'clock, still feeling poorly. He went downstairs and got
smile coffee which was always put in. Ucanister for him to
take to, the factory ; his portion and that of his children
being kept separate. On pouring it out,, he noticed that
there wore white specks in it. On this he put it into
a piece of paper, and took it to a_ druggist named Steer, to
whom he gave a description of the pains from which
he had suffered, and requested. him to analyze it. He
eontinued very ill both on Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday ; and, by the advice of the prisoner, he took some
castor-oil. He also took some further portions of the
coffee placed out for him by the prisoner to Mr. Steer on
Friday ; and he told the prisoner that he had done so- He
also told her that he had found some white specks in it,
and he thought she bad put it into his coffee to poison
him. She said, " I have put nothing in it In conse-
quence of this a quarrel arose, and Walker struck the
prisoner with a poker. On the Saturday morning be
found his coffee left out for him as usual; this he also put
in a paper and then into his pocket. He did not take any
of that coffee, but got ;some fresh off the mantel-piece.
He still felt-unwell all day, and left off work at two o'clock.
He then spoke again to the prisoner, who said there was
sugar of lead in the coffee, and that it had fallen out of a
glass in the eupboard into the coffee. She said she bought
a pennyworth about four months before to bathe her face
with. He then told her that he had informed the con-
stable, Mr. Buckley, about the matter, and that she said
it was sugar of lead, on which she replied that she had
been cleaning the cupboard out, and that she had pulled
over a glass containing the sugar of lead, which fell into
the sugar. He gave information of the matter that night
to the police-constable Buckley.
The prosecutor, Philip Walker, deposed to the above
facts, and also said that on the night of the 21st May he
arrived at home late, and found his wife beating his son
John. He asked what was all this hubbub about. She
said, " Hold your noise • you haven't above three
weeks to live." He said, " What, are you going to poison
me, then ?" and she said, " No, thou may live as long as
thou can." He had felt very unwell for a fortnight before
this. He was a member of a burial society at Hyde, and
at his death there would be £4 payable to his family.
His wife payed the subscription fortnightly. He looked
every night into the cupboard where his wife said the
sugar of lead was kept. He never saw sugar of lead, and
he did not know what it was like. He saw a glass in the
cupboard, but it was empty. His wife had nothing to do
with her face for twelve months before the time he was
taken ill. _ _

In cross-examination, he said that his wife had borne
him eleven children, and that five years ago she had con-
sulted a Dr. Gibbons respecting her face, and she then
took something for her throat. His wife is a member of
the burial society at Hyde, and if she died he would get £4.

Mr. Henry Steer, druggist at Ashton-under-Lyne, stated
that Walker frequently bought laudanum of him, and
about two years ago he cautioned him about the doses to
be taken. PA Wecbleeday, the 25th of Nan be (Walker)