The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-03-14 00:00:00

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Istmerowded Intend* Meted, hones et
expeetation %tiaras persons winitend iblifeed with t
murder of twoof the inhabitants of
.Ch am, in the
issaslt which was made upon thi innilitints by a party
of the inhabitants of Langley would he tried. hat is ap-
peared that either from the number of winsome, or other-
wise, the Orind Jury met with much diileulty ih the
ease. Ifwat not until the calendar was cleared, and all
the other Crown business had been concluded, that the
Grand Jury. after baring bad repeated conferences with
the Learned Judge (Burrough) upon the raw came Into
Court and delivered In a true bill against George Tbo.
mas and Thomas Pearce, fur the murder of James Rey-
nails at Chippeuhato, on the 7th of September knit
The hills apinst Knight and Matthews, and the other
Inhabitants of Langley, for the murder of Hall and Rey-
nolds, were Ignored. but true bills were found against
them all fur riot. L

The two prisoners, Thomas, aged 21, and Pearce, aged
20, Were pot to the bar, and arraigned on the charge of
baring murdeiedJames Reynolds.
Mr. Msawarwsmien said, that it was impossible not
to be aware that the matter which they were about to try
had been made the subject of conversation, publication,
and, he might say, of exaggeration; but he claimed their
unbiassed judgment upon the facts which he should lay
before them, divesting themselves of all they had seen,
heard, or read of them, and lie should endeavour to set
`theta an example, in stating the caw, by rejecting every
..thing that did not apply strictly to the matter befog
tlmm. The Learned Counsel then said he should ad-
duce such circumstantial evidence against the prismiers
as would prove that, before and after the murder, they
assisted and acted In concert with the assemblage
persons from whom the deceased met his death. It weseM
he unnecessary to enter into a minute detail of the case,
but wily such leading features as would enable the Jury
better to follow the triin of evidence which must come
better from the witnesses. The Learned Counsel then
pointed oat on a map the local situation of Chippenham,
which lies on the Beth read, and Langley, which lies,
about two miles from it. It would be proved, than on
the night of the 7th of September list, in the evening,
parties of the Liugley people catered Chippenham, and
separated io various public-houses; that when three or
her of the Chippenham people assembled in the street
round a man who had fallen in a Os, the prisoner Pearce
came up with others of the Langley people, and beat
them, when more of the Chippenham people came
eat on hearing the noise, and they also were knocked
dowa'and beaten by the Langley party, who gathered in
igreat numbers on the bridge of the town, and hurt and
maltreated all that came in their way. Pearce, it could
be proved, was present at all these points with the Lang-
ley party. It would be-shown that be alone knocked down
and beat several. It would be proved that the Langley
party, who made their first attack between nine and ten
o'clock, after having committed' various outrages, re-
treated from the bridge, followed by the Chippenham
people. The former, however, mustered again in the
road out of the town, and a stout man, giving the
word " Come on," led them again to a second assault,
at half past twelve o'clock; and on that occasion the
Chippenbam people were driven back again through the
town. It would be shown that ten minutes before the
two parties came through the town, 'the deceased was
seen perfectly well, and that be was seen among the
last of the Chippenham people before the Langley party
Who were pursutug with slicks and stones the inhabit-
ants of Chippenham. It would be proved that the pri-
soners were found acting at various times and flaces
with the Langley party, and the Jury must ;apply their
minds to the circumstances, and say whether the two
prisoners acted in the prosecution of the general de-
sign, whether they were present when, in the prosecu-
tion of that general design, the fatal blows were struck,
and whether their conduct, both 'before and after the
fatal circumstance, diet not unite them with the party
who occasioned it. It would be useless to waste time
by entering into the law of the Case, for it was clear,
that the design which it was alleged the party from
Langley set out with., was au unlawful purpose, and that
if they occasioned death in the pursuit of that unlawful
purpose, all who were present and acting in it were
guilty of murder. Though the Jury would look indul-
gently towards the prisoners, yet they would act fear-
lessly before the country, and if the evidence were found
to be coticlosive, take care that the arm of the law did
not fall short in its mark.
Thomas Rigging', a young man, was examined by Mr.
RODGERS.—I live at Chippeoliam, and left any work on
the 7th of Sept. and after receiving my wages, went to
the Bear Inn, where John Hulbert was. Halbert had a
fit in the street, and I was called out. Thos. Hulbert
was there—a pushing took place. After the min who
bad a tit had got ep, and gone sway, Thoa. Pearce, the
prisoner, came up and said to Thos. Jones, 113—n your
eyes, your one of them, and knocked him down. He
then knocked down T. Pound, and I told T. P to keep
quiet, when he knocked me down. I ran into Mrs. Rich-
ardson's, and got over the back way so a coal-yard. I
beard Murder called out often from the• place where I
came from. Witness named the persons, Mathews and
others, whom he saw with Pearce. I went for Mr.
Banks, the constable of Chippenham. Before I raw lie.
Banks, I looked over the coal-yard gates, and saw the
Langley people all in a posse. When Mr. Banks came
saw them all running. I went down the high
street after them to see what they were going to do. I
went as far as the bridge after them, whey I saw George
Thomas " leathering" Wilson with x stick about half as
thick as my wrist or bigger. They had Wilson down.—
The Langley and the Chippenham people were all toge-
ther. I don't know what they were doing. I saw no
lighting. I was amongst them. There was a great
noise. I saw blows pass between George Thomas and
Wilson. I went after the people over the bridge, and
went over the bridirt. to Mr. Prairie's yard. I looked
over the small and The people, and saw Pearce and
Knight and others of the Langley men pulling up atones
and flinging them back towards Chippenhain. I then
/et into some timber in the yard. Witness described that
he afterwards escaped from theyard, and got into a bush,
from whence he saw atones dying (roan the Lessees, side
of the turnpike gate, towards the Chippenham side. He did
Dot see a single stone thrown front/the Chippenham side.
It was perfectly light enough fox' him to see the people.
He saw a nun lying near the gate. He continued—" I
'staid in the bush until some stones came into it, when
I son out of it and ran down with the Cbippenbam pea-
-1 plc. The men on the other side followed me and the
others round, When Jones was struck down by Pearce 1
saw no provocation given."
Daniel Jones.-1 keep the turnpike. 06 the Ilk of
September between seven and eight o'clock, saw a num
ber of persons come from towards the Langley gate. I
.nbserved persons passing to and fro. They had nearly
'all sticks as big as my arm. Nome had smock frocks,
others had jackets on. I went and spoke te-them, and
asked them is hat they were doing. They swore at tats
and told we to go ie. They went away in about half in

hour. •
Richard Hinton examined. —On the 7th of Septem-
ber I went thtougb the Langley sate, when 1- se* at
about lep o'clock three men I;auing against the stall.
Not far • from them 1 saw tour turn together in smock
'fresh,. He described other parties of the Langley peo-
ple lurking *bunt the entrances to the town in parties,
armed with sticks. ..
Mr. Justice Bensons!' observed, that unless concert
were prove-I between the parties, all this repeating the
differtat bodies could not affect the prisoners, who were
not proved to Isa)s bees-cottneeted-with therms,
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