The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-12-16 00:00:00

ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER.

John Atherton, a man of 60, was charged with the
manslaughter of Thomas Kirkham on the 24th of Octo-
ber. The deceased and the prisoner had been drinking
together, and the former was found dead near the farm of
the prisoner, having received severe injuries ; but as the
evidence did not connect the prisoner with those injuries,
he was acquitted.

ROBBERY AT LYTHAM

Mary Hilton, 33, a respectable-looking woman, pleaded
guilty to an indictment charging her with having, at
Lytham, feloniously stolen one sovereign, six rolls of
ribbon, one piece of cotton, and various other articles,
the property of Jchn Edmundson, her master. She was
sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment.

A FRAUDULENT BANKRUPT.
Patrick O'Toole, 35. was indicted for having, at Liver-
pool, feloniously and wilfully neglected to surrender him-
self in the District Court of Bankruptcy, after his adjudi-
cation in bankruptcy had been filed against him. It
appeared from the statement of Mr. Blair, supported by
evidence, that the prisoner had been, up to the end of
last year, in business, in Marvbone, in Liverpool, as a
retail provision dealer, and previous to December, last
year, he had incurred debts to a considerable amount, and
amongst others to a Mr. Bristow, a provision merchant.
On the 21st of December he owed Mr. Bristow £338-,
who pressed repeatedly for payment. Mr. Bristow's
warehouseman called on him again and again, for the
purpose of getting some money, and finally, an arrange-
ment was come to that he was to hand over £5OO for
division amongst his creditors, and be promised to hand
over £2OO or £3OO in a few days. On a day named for
an arrangement, Mr. Bristow's man sent to the shop,
and then, to his great surprise, found the name of O'Toole
had been erased from over the shop, and the name of a
person called Sheppardson was over the door, and this
person was in possession at the time. On the day before
the prisoner had assigned his property to Sheppardson,
proceedings were taken in the Bankruptcy Court, and
the prisoner having absconded to America, he was out-
lawed. A verdict of guilty was given.

CHARGE OF STABBING.
William Hal&?ton was indicted l'er stabbing Thomas
Broxon, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, at
Sherrington, on the 13th September last. The indict-
ment contained a second count, charging the prisoner
with cutting and wounding only. On the 13th of Sep-
tember last. the prisoner and Broxon, who are colliers,
were drinking at the George and Dragon public-house,
Sherrington, when a quarrel arose between them, and
some blows were interchanged outside of the door of the
public-house. The prisoner threw down the prosecutor
in the first case, but the latter, being the stronger man,
got up again. They were then separated, but again
quarrelled, and in the second altercation the prisoner
drew a knife, with which, after he had received some pro-
vocation, he struck the prosecutor on the fleshy part of
the hip. The prisoner was found guilty on the second
count of the indictment.
THURSDAY. _ _ _ _ _

Patrick O'Toole, convicted on Wednesday of felo-
niously neglecting to surrender himself in the Liverpool
district court of bankruptcy, was sentenced to seven
years' transportation.
William Houghton, found guilty on Wednesday of
cutting and stabbing Thomas Broxon, at Sherrington,
was sentences to twelve months' imprisonment.
ASSAULTING A CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICER.

Jo/in—/Ii11;mm was indicted for having, at Liverpool,
unlawfully and by force and violence assaulted, resisted,
and obstructed George Jones, he being an officer of the
customs, in the execution of his duty. Mr. Blair and Mr.
Simon were counsel for the prosecution ; Mr. James and
Mr. Atkinson defended the prisoner. The circumstances
of the ease, as stated by Mr. Blair and proved by the
witnesses, were these—George Jones, the person assaulted
by the defendant, is a tidewaiter. On the night of the
24th and the morning of the 25th of November last, he
was on duty at the Coburg dock. There was a vessel
lying in the dock called the Astrologer, of which the
defendant up to that period had been the commander.
He was about vacating the office, and a person named
John Walker was going to take the command. Anout
two o'clock in the morning of the 25th of November,
two persons were seen to leave the Astrologer ; they were
the defendant and John Walker, and just as they left the
ship Jones came up. The latter saw a bottle projecting
from Walker's pocket, and took it out of the pocket.
The defendant endeavoured to get possession of the
bottle, but, failing in doing so, he made off to the ship.
The officer followed him, and while he was running he
heard bottles chinking in the defendant's pocket, and
observed liquor running from his coat. The officer got
hold of the defendant ; the defendant struck him several
times, cut his lip, and used considerable violence. The
defendant then threatened to throw him into the dock.
They then came to the side of the dock, and the defen-
dant, in attempting to jump on board the vessel, fell
down. The officer was thrown down on the side of the
quay ; the defendant was pulled on board his vessel ; and
Jones, calling the assistance of Alexander 'Wilson, a
brother officer, and a policeman, went on board and into
the cabin where the defendant was. Subsequently there
was another struggle, and the defendant again assaulted
the officer, and nearly tore several buttons off his coat.
Mr. JAMES addressed the court for the prisoner, and
called several witnesses who gave him a good character.
but they did not disprove the assault.
The jury, after consulting is the bos for about five

minutec found the prisoner guilty, but strongly recOnl'
mended him to mercy.
In reply to the usual question, the defendant said-4
have nothing to say, my lord and gentlemen of the int!'
further than that he (Jones) swore, in three different in-
stances, a false oath, to injure my character ; bat I sub-
miti, to your decision. I never lifted my hand to stmt
him. 1 never had such an intention. I never got hold of
him, but I endeavoured to prevent him taking hold of ne•
The prisoner was sentenced to be i'eprisoned six weeks'
HIGHWAY ROB CRY.
Thomas Cunlife (aged 25), and William Cunles (23)'
were charged with having, at Parr, feloniously assanlte
Robert Bullock, putting him in bodily fear and danger of
his life, and stealing from his person two half-crowns'
The case against William Cunliffe was not clear, and be
was acquitted, but the jury found Thomas Cunliffe guiltP
and he was sentenced to imprisonment and' hard labour
in the House of Correction for twelve months:

ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER.
James Aspden (aged 57) was (+arced with having. at
Blackburn, killed and slain Paul Parkinson. Tne evidence
was to the effect that three boys, one of whom vies the
deceased, had made game of the prisoner and threw Mis-
siles at him, and that in his passion he had struck the boy
with a stick, and caused his death. Mr. Blair, the Pri;
goner's counsel, argued for the probability that the wound
which caused death was received by the falling, and 11°'
from a blow with a stick. The jury acquitted the prisoner.
His lordship said he was sure the pri.oner's own feefelP
had been a sufficient punishment. He need not warn bun
to guard against using such a stick as had been described'
against a child in future.

JUVENILE JACK SBIPPARDS.
Frederick Jones and William Walker, two boys, were.
charged with having, at Heaton Norris. assaulted Ellen
Wood, by presenting a pistol at her, with intend to rob'
They were also charged with assaulting in a similar manner
Harriet Beckett, at Levenshnlme, near Manchester, with
intent to rob her. To both indictments the prisoner!
pleaded guilty. Mr. Sadler, the head of the Stockport
police, stated some curious facts to show the evil copse'
quences of reading low publications. The boys, who were
about 16 years of age, were about a year ago unfortunately
put to work under a man who had long been in the habit
of reading, and who continued to read, low publication!,
such as Jack Sheppard and Paul lifford, and others illus-
trating the vicious habits of notorious robbers. These
boys had been eneotyraved by that person to read such
publications, and he (Mr. Sadler) b►:lieved that that had
led them to the commission of the offences to which the)"
had pleaded guilty. They had had the best of example!
set them by their parents, and he had ascertained that 11P
to the time of their goime to work at the place to which
he had referred, they were extremely well-conducted
youths.—His lordship said the information given by the
police-officer was very important, because the two offence!
were of an extremely desperate description—that of pre-
senting a pistol at two women, and persisting in demand'
tog their money. Subsequently his lordship sentenced
each of the youths to six months' imprisonment, and gale
them a suitable admonition.

William Dupdale, who had pleaded guilty to an in:
dictment for bigamy, was sentenced to twelve months'
imprisonment, with hard labour. Isaac Lawton, who bad
pleaded guilty to a similar offence, was sentenced to SIX
months' imprisonment._______

FRIDAY.
.Tothua Blunt, who pleaded guilty to an indictment
charging him with the man4augherof his brother, WM.
B tint, on the 28th of November, in 'Toxteth park, was
brought up for sentence. His lordship remarked that,
after giving the best consideration to the case, he could
not find• that even the eye-witnesses sl/4w hi m•give the blase
which killed his brother. He had been attacked and
beaten; still that was no justification for the use of the
knife. He should sentence him to be imprisoned for
twelve calendar months, with hard labour.