The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-03 00:00:00

MANSLAUGHTER.,

Thomas Martlaw, 26, was charged with having, at Liver-
pool, on the 23d March, feloniously killed and slain Sarah
Griffiths. 'rhe details of the case were so lately before the
public, that we need but remind our readers that the prisoner
is a car driver ; that he alighted near the top of Brownlow-
hill, and went for a short time into an entry ; that the horse
which was left by itself, took fright, and ran down the street.
passing the Adel* Hotel, and thence down Ranelagh-street.
On its way the deceased was knocked down by the car, and
when carried into a druggist's shop was found to be dead.
The witnesses to these facts having been examined, Mr.
Ratcliffe, jun., said he had sold the horse to the prisoner's
master. The horse was not a spirited one. The prisoner
was a married man with a family, and bore a good character.
The prisoner was defended by Mr. JACKSON HONE, who
called witnesses to character, all of whom, including the pri-
soner's master, spoke of him as a steady and well-behaved
man.

The learned JUDGE said that the prisoner was not justified
in leaving his horse ; neither was it any excuse to say that

the horse was a quiet one. It appeared that it had got
frightened, and the consequence was the fatality that bad oc-
curred. The case was, he thought, one of manslaughter,
though not of an aggravared nature.
The jury, after some consultation, returned a verdict of
guilty, but strongly recommended the prisoner to the merci-
ful consideration of the court.

The pfisoner's employer being called, said, in reply to the
Judge, " that he would take the prisoner again into his em-
ployment on his being released."
His Lordship addressed the prisoner in a very feeling and
impressive manner, on the situation in which he bad placed
himself, by his carelessness. He concluded by passing sen-
tence upon him of six weeks' imprisonment and hard labour.
Another indictment against the prisoner, for the man-
slaughter of another girl, in a similar way, on the same
evening, was withdrawn, and a verdict of " not guilty, taken
upon it.
Joseph Dunn,l9, Michael Cody, 20, ZYilliam Shoebottom,
.21lichael Sullivan, Richard Jones, 24, and William Salis-
bury, 32, were charged with having, at Manchester, feloni-
ously killed and slain Patrick Canovan.
It appeared that Dunn and the deceased had agreed to
fight, and that the latter came to his death in consequence of
the blows he received in a contest of 50 minutes' duration.
Shoebottom was the stakeholder, and the others acted as
backsetters. What is called " butting" with the head was
allowed. The head of the deceased was dreadfully' beaten,
and effusion of blood had supervened on the brain.

The jury found the whole of the prisoners Guilty.
The JUDGE commented at some length on the impropriety
of such fights, and particularly the practice of butting. He
did not, however, find that the fight was characterized by
the brutalities too common in this county, and he also con-
sidered that the prisoners had already been imprisoned for
six months. The sentence of the Court was that Dunn
should be imprisoned for two months, and the others for one
months, and all be kept to hard labour.
William Wright, 23, was charged with having, at Man-,
chester, killed and slain one George Johnson. The prisoner
and the deceased had quarelled in a public-house, and a
scuffle ensued, during which the prisoner kicked the deceased
on the right temple with his clog, and thereby caused his
death. The jury, after a long deliberation, found the pri-
soner Not Guilty, and be was discharged with an admonition.