The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-04-08 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL ASS! ZES,

CROWN COUItT.7-TuEc,A r.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

James IstatelYre, 19, and. Peter Beaton,. 28, were charged With.
having feloniousiy assaulted ;John. •Ougari,.anci stolen from his
person four sovereigns, two poundS seven shillings in silver, and
some copper. The prisoners pleaded not guilty.
Dr. BnowN appeared for the prosecution. Mr. Bil4Ntrr
pearedfor Heaton. . Ratcliffe was undefended.
It appeared in evidence that the prisoners, the prosecutor, and
five other men had beeh drinking together in a beer-house, at
Burtouwood, near Heaton Norris, on the'2.l day of 3eptetriber.
last. Upon leaving the house at midnight lhe'prasecutor was
persuaded by the two prisoners to accompany them to a barn, to
sleep there all night. some short distance from the place where
they had been drinking. To that the prosecutor complied: and
as they were proceeding along the road the prisoner Ratcliffe
knocked the prosecutor down, and the other prisoner; Heaton,
rifled his pockets.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty against both the pri-
soners.-Sentence deterred. • -

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.-STOCKPORT.

. _
Wl'Wain 25, Royie. pleaded nut guilty to a charge of highway
.
robbery at Stockport.
The jury.found him Guilty, and the coart, in consideration of
his being an old offender, ordered judgment of death to be re-
corded against him.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY AND ATTEMPTED MURDER,

James Al Ginnis, 21, was indicted with having feloniously, as-
saulted James Urch, at Liverpool, on the Bth October last, and
stolen from his .person a watch and .fifteen sovereigns.
Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Rushton appeared for the prosecu-
tion. Mr. Clarke and Dr. Brown defended the prisoner.
James Urch examined.—ls a cabinet-maker by trade. Came
to Liverpool in September last, at the end of the month. His
wife and children came with him ; they were going to America.
Lodged with -a Mr..lll`li..eeli in a house in a court in Redcross-
street. Prisouer lodged in the same house. There became ac-
quainted with him. About the 6th of October following witness
look a cellar in Itedcross.-street. On the 7th he bought some
furniture, bedding, and blankets. The prisoner was with him
when he bought them. Prisoner was iu the habit of coining to
his cellar. The prisoner saw hint pay for the sheets aud
Remembers the prisoner coming to his cellar, onAhe 7th
October, to accompany hini to purchase some bedsteads. .Told
him ha .k new A man: who had gut three to. sell, and he could have
them at his own.price. They went together at night to loek at
the bedsteads ; it was about .half-past six in the evening when
they started. Witness left his wife and children iu the cellar.
No one left the cellar with him but the prisoner. Had £l5
some silver, and ,two watches when they left the cellar. The
silver was loose in.one pocket, and the sovereig,us were in a lit-.
tle yellow canvas bag in the other. 'Witness walked away with
prisoner in, the direction of London-road.- They, went about a
mile and then prisoner fell behind him and left him. He cried,
out haloo, and prisoner almost immediately came up to hitn.out
of a dreary place. He was rubbing his coat as if it had .been
dirtied. Witness does not know whether he had any stick with
him or not. They then walked along together a little way, and
I said, " Don't let us walk on this uncouth road; I must go
.back if you go farther." As he walked along he said, some-
thing about my money, but I can't say what ;—that I should
not take it home, or something of that sort, but I could not hear
very distinctly. Before we got three yards further prisoner
seized me by the shirt and collar; we had a long tussle ; we both
fell; he the undermost. When on the ground I sail, " You
villain, why do you do this?" He said nothing, but drew s. use-
thing out bf his breast, like a long piece of iron, and st..uck me
with it. The blow was not hard enough to stun me. He tht n telt
prisoner's hand in his right hand trowsers pocket, and felt him
drag out the bag with the gold. With his other hand he took
the watch and silver out of his left pocket. Prisoner then struck
him again several tiatesabout.the head and face, and that is a 1
he remembered about it. The next morning witness found him-
self at the Infirmary, where he saw the prisoner. Di.l not re-
member much .of what transpired after prisoner had got his
money. had no doubt as to prisoner being:the man who robbed
him. Had no previous acquaintance wish him before coming
to Liverpool, and saw him for the first time in August, in Liver-
pool. Had given him no provocation on the evening he robbed
him.

Cross-examined.—Had come from Bristol, where he had been
in business for upwards of twenty years as a journeyman ca-
binet-maker. Had come from Bristol by water. Brought up-
wards of £2O with him to Liverpool Does not know whether
any person ever saw his money ; never showed it to the prisoner
Or to any other person. Having no box or seeuie place to put
it inn., he always carried it about with tam in his pocket. Had
not, engaged a passage to America. On the nightin question,
went up the London-road. .Does not know where it was the
prisoner left him. He was abseut about two or three minutes
only, and then came out of the passage. It was very dark, but
not so dark but he could distinguish the features of prisoner..
After the fist blow was struck the blood flowed, and he came to
his senses, and then saw the prisoner struggling with him on
the ground. Can't say. whether he cried out or not. There was
no one passing at the tune, nor did he see or hear any one near
the spot.
Ann Urch-7ls wife of last witness. When she and her Ws-
band first came to Liverpool, they lodged in a cellar at a house
in Redeross-street, ..Prisoner lodged., with, them. They lodged
there about ten days ried then took a cellar. They had no fur-
niture nor bedding. Prisoner came to the cellar several times
after they had taken it. Remembers prisoner. coining to their
cellar on the 6th of October. He went out with her husband to
buy some ailing fur a bed. Prisoner wished her husband to go
out that night to buy souse beadsteads. Her husband told him
he was too tired that night and could not go, but would go with
him in the morning. The next morning witness sent a little girl
to prisoner to fetch him. to go with her husband to buy the bed--1
The:prisuner came very soon afterwards. He said he
could not go that moluingand that he could uoesee the man
'who had the bedsteads on sale till half-past six at night as he
had not done his work till that time. ,Prisoner came again in
the evening at half-past sic. .Does not knew whit money her
husband had on the night in question. He had £25 in the whole
when they left Bristo . Her husband ti ok away is. 4.1. of his
money with hint, toge her with two watches. They hedeio place
of safety to put them in. Bete een six and seven they left the
cellar in company. Witness sat up all night. About twelve
she went to Mrs. M`Keens but found the door fast. In the
morning sent one of her little girls to Mrs. M'Keens to ask for
-Er:owner. He vesPovrt- op and the girt went again soon after. -
Prisoner came to her a liA.e before ten. On his coining into
the cellar he said " well poor woman, I am sorry for you and
fOt the children.'.' I said, " what hate you done eith Urch ?"
He said, "1 left him at the top of ties s reet, (Rederuse-street)
and he said he should• go to a miner's yeed .to bey slime bed-
steads. I- said; "he wouid not goeub istipetelo,ieliseketo buy
them." Ile sail; e" her husband had eisidebeeireold,go to the
glaziers to get kith to put in glass enteteivitte beokem windows in
the- cellar._ I said " I knew ahatieras ifaleftelesemeehusbaud
hid made Ithearifemenie trready,mitbribeiglitzetitl teeeitenii)e,!! I
then satillie if a wifiteeeeieeisa s been fighting :With ?elleloyteleae.e,‘yoe
mot thbse scratches on your facer-- I observed he was ciean
_shaved. He bacesbort ewiekers in generalebittittiat morning
had had.theineshaved off. Shortly after he was gone some per-
son came in and'. saideny: Militated wit at Atte anfivnitti•y. She
wen their! alid'saev her,hu,band...,
'
Cense-examined—The girt I, sent. for the prisoner is nine
'Ye ars old. It :was AU Ahe Wednesday her husbaudwent9liti.
it was-on the Thursday.night he went out with the prisoner to
buy the: titethet^eAt was between six and seven o'clock. They
have five children.
Robert Shaisituessy-was one of the. patrol in October last. •
Was on duty on the nth of that mouth in the evening. His
beat waslin,Paeliarnent-lane, which leads from the new cemetry
to Windsnr. About eight o'clock that night he met a man
and woman who told hint they had heard great moaning. in
Falkner-square, as if some person was ill there. In consequence
I went =there and 'upon this foot walk at the south side lof the
square found the prosecutor lying on his back. This was a few
minutes past. . His hat was about three yards from him.
It warquite'dark Witness lifted him up, but found him quite
powerless. He could not stand. Called for assistance and the
patrol came up. His clothes were very bloody. One of his
cheeks was much swelled:- There was blood on the ground in
two places: He tried to make him speak; but could not Under-
stand him to say anything. He thought ,he muttered, " Oh,
mypeor wife and children." The prosecutor was conveyed to
Bridewell. The place where witness found him was about 200
yards from any house.
Crois-examiiied—lt was on the parapet in the public road, or
rather on afoot path in the square. Went on duty that night
about half-past five. Had heard no cry for assistance—no cry of
murder. It was not a rough neighbourhood. It was soon after
eight when he found the prosecutor.
Faulkner-square is a new square just built, there are trees in
it,' but no houses.: ' .
Nathan' Park.-=Keeps a public-house in. Liverpool. Re-
members, on the Bth of -Octoberen little after eight o'-clock in'
the evening, passing the place where prosecutor was found.
Witness was on his'wav home from the railway. Hearing the
watchman's rattle. he went to the place and there saw the pro-
secutor lying bleeding. One side of his face was knocked quite
level. The eye was quite swollen up. Spoke to proiecutorond
shook him, but'coutd get no answer from him.
Cross-eeaMitied.—Falkner-square is 'near the railwey station:
Th.e distance 'from Redeross-street to Talkner-seurire is bettet
than one.mile and a half the nearest way.
John lel‘Culleck.—ls keeper of the bridewell in Brick-street.
On the filth•of Oetnber remembered prosecutor being brought to
the bridesvell about half-past eight o'clock in the evening.
Spoke to him, but got no answer. Sent for a surgeon. Prose-
cutor was.then rentoved to the intirMary. His coat was clotted
with blood and dirt. :Searched his left-hand trowsers pocket
and found a shilling and a watch.' The pocket on the other
side was cut away. He had no money upon him except the
shilling. '
VI the infirmary. On'
Mr. James Long.—ls house striven
• the BtH Oct.' proeptuter wae 'brought there in a srafe of stupor.
"He had several wii'l'inds ijpiin kis head, (our on the left half of
the scalp; two of tlin were one at the top and the
other a little alenye the left'ent.eine.was-otherwise severely in-
jured in' various. parts ef•iilVNitt)ineti,The' surgeon went on
to desctibe the state of the erdleatfewee earl and body when he
was broua'ht to the Infirmaryeiltetonclusion, he observed that
such was the state in which he hats that he thought he would not
be able to five through the night. Witness was preeent the next
morning, in the room, e hen prisonercame in. Urch immediately
recogni;sed h:m. The poi collar winds Urch used he did not
exactly remember. Thought he said " I know him, I know
giro."
Eliza, M'Keen.—ls wife of Barnard M`Keen. Keeps a
lodging-house in a court in Redcross-street. elinows the pri-
soner. - He lodged with them in October last for about six
weeks. F r better than a month: prisoner occupied a room to
the front on the first floor. Saw the'prieoner the!dity before the
rebbety. About dusk, priioner was at- tea that evening. Did
not see him go out. Did not see hirrt-tilr next Inorninsr.
Heard a knock at the door, and Mrs. Brown opened it. Beard
prisoner come in. It wait about nine in the evenieg.
Jane Brown.—Lodged. in the house eflast witness. Remem-
bers the night prosecutor was robbed. About nine o'clock
heard a knock at the door, and on opening it the prisoner at the
bar came in. There being no candle, she did not see his face.
He slept at home that night—he went up stairs to bed. Next
morning witness observed it scratch on his cheek. -
Cross-examined.—Cant say whether or not prisoner everwore
whiskers. _ _ .

Ann Dignum corroborated the evidence of last witness as to
the time of coming in. .
William Naylor.—Was one of the police on the Bth October.
Took prosecutor to the Infirmary. In consequence of some-
thina: which he had heard he went (on the 9th of Oct.) to
M`Kean's house, and there found the prisoner at breakfast. I
said " You must go with me and giye an account of where you
left Urch last night." He got up and made no reply, but was
apparently almost choaked. I said " Where did you leave
him ?"'After some hesitation, he said"! left him iwthis'street."
I said " What street?" He said " Redcross street." He said
he was at home and in .bed before. the deck struck nine. Hit
face was scratched.on• each side of the cheek. I took him to
the Infirmary. and said to Urch; " Do you know -this man?"
He replied "That's he,' that's he—lhat's the' villain; that's the
villain."
•
This closed the case for the prosecution.
_ _

The prisoner,.in his defense. staid he left the prnseeutne in
Re'rktrosi-street, and that he never saw him afterwards finite
was taken. to•hitn at the Infirmary the next mornin:r.
For the. defenge Dr. BnowN called' Vvilltam iligginson.
He rives- at .:11t...Gibann's, in' Ranelagh-stred, linen-draper,
Had been in Mi. Gibion'a empf6y- three kncou