Summer Assizes.
The Times, 1824-08-06T00:00:00

William Salnton was chargedl, on the oath of Thomas Smith, on suspicion of having set fire to a barn in the occupation of said Smith. The prisoner was a boy of fifteen, of decent appearance, and the case appeared to be one of those alluded to in the close of Alr. Baron Graham's address to the grand jury. The witnesses were orlered out of court. Mr. BRODE iTCx stated the case for the prosecution. Thomias Smith, examined by Air. BnoDErtscsC..-I anm a farner living at Great Bamfield. On the 12th of lav one of the barns was on fire at 7 o'clock in the evening. Two barns, a stable, and cow- house, part of the granary, and a bean stack, were burnt doyn. Andrews was thenl inmy service,snd had been so since Iichaelmas, to look after the cattle. Never had a quarrel, thougl I had occasion to correct him. I know the prismner Salinon ; he lived within half a mile of me. There had been a fire at Pitley the night before. Two barns were burnt down. Cross-examined by Mr. KNox.-Did not aee the prisoner on my premises the evening of the fire. I found Andrews after the fire hatd commenced, near 10 o'clock. The fire was not extinguished all the next dayv. Andrews came in, and said he wondered how the fire commenced. I don't know if he assisted to ptut out the fire. There are nine persons in my familv. ily wife is in such bad health we could not bring her as a witness. I have reason to know that the clothles of Andrews were removed from the place where they were usually kept. The boy at the bar is of excellent character. There were combustible materials close to the place wlhere the fire was laid. Never had a quarrel with the prisoner. Charles Andrewa.-I am 16 years old. I lived in Alay last with Air. Smith. I recollect the night of the flre. I saw on that evening the young man at the bar. He came up to the house with some yeast at 5 o'clock. I was going after some hay for the cows. He asked me if I were going to suckle the calves. I said "Yes." He said, " I will stop and see you do so." He stayed for some time, and hte made answer to me, whatalarge fire there was at Pitley last night. I m-oean by his making answer to me, that he said what a great fire. hte t hen continued " Tbere will be a great fire lere to-night." I said "I think not." He did not say more about that, but asked me for a little new milk, lHe went from the cow-house to the stable, and came back again, and wer,t away soon after, as if going about his business. I went to give thte bullocks water and straw. I locked up the barn,and earried the key into the kitchen and hung it up. After I hung up tne try, t wat- oe . t * tIae cowtwf hay,rofd rho,, vrent behind the owhouse, and I saw the prisoner get over the gate from the samne field by the sidc of the barn into the yard. We crept through the rails joining to the gate,post, between the gate and thte barn. He then went to the corner of the barn, and stuffed somnething mnto the rat-hole. I was not far from himn at the timne. 1 saw the plae dstictly.What he put in aopeared as dzor it aas tinder. After eputitintherat.hole,itseemedasifhegota matel andlitit. Icould not see the colour of what vras put in. He then ran down the pasture as fast as he could. I went back into the cow-house. I could not see what he put in, but I supposed it was tinder. I did not go up to the hole to see what he put in. Inever thought anymore about it At that time I did not actually know what he put in the hole. Ir. Roose soon after called me out of the cow-house. The fire had not broken out thei. Roose said, " See the smoke," and I went and looked in at the barn-door. It was not the nearest barn to where I stood. After I saw the smoke, I recollectedl what Salmon did, and that in- duced me to go to the farther barn. I went and got the cattle out as fast as 1 could. I was taken up on the Monday after. I did not tell my master in the interitn what Salmou did. I told Dodd, the constable, first of it after I was taken u P. Cross-cxamined by Air. Kxox-Were you sworn before yoiu went to the Grand Jury ?-I kissed the bork. When the book wuas given to you. did vou say " I won't do it, I know nothing about the matter ?"-I forget now. I was not willing to take the book. Did you notgive asa reason for your unwiUingness to take the book, that you knew nothing of the matter ?I did not know what I was to take the oath about. Did you not tell the officer you knew nothing of the matter ?-I forget what passed. Did you not tell Nicholls in gaol, ttat you would not tell the story agrainst Salmon, unless Dodd the constable urged you to doit ? r can't say but I did. Did you not say the same to another man ?-I deo't know. I forget now. Did you not tell Dodd that vou saw Captain Chester fire a gun nrar the barn, and that the wadding set fire to it ?-No, I did not. Or that any person fired at rats near the barn ?-No, I never did. John Barlow crier of the coutrt, swore the witness to go before the Grand Jury. i had great difficulty itt makin him kiss the book, and he said, " X know nothing about it." The nature ofthe biU was rstated to him with the other witness:s. Samuel Dodd, the constable, apprehended the last witness. He ntade a communication to me on tke Monday following. I never urged him to accuse any body. I made no threat or promise to him. WVhat he said was perfectly voluntary. I asked him if he knew any thing about the fire ? He answered, he knew nothing of it; he did not know it. He did not mention any thing about Captain Chester's shooting ratls near the barn. rIr. Baron GRAHAM,t here interfered, and as the case depended en. tirely on the evidence of Andrews, even if they tere to spend the wtole dlay in the investigation of it, the jury coul not fad the prisoner gruilty on such testimnony. It was therefore a waste of time to go on furthur with the charge ; and if the jury concurred with Itim that there was no evidence against the prisoner, they would at once return a verdict of "not guilty." The Jury, after a few minutes' consultation, returned a verdict of Not Gziltu,, and the prisorier was irmediately discharged, Andrews being retamned by order of the Coutt. SUMMER ASSIZES. CHELMISFORD. TRuRSDAY. AUGUST 5. cRowN; SIDE.