Lent Assizes.
The Times, 1824-04-17T00:00:00

Thiomas Clarke, aged 27, from Macclesfield, was indicted on the Coroner's Inquest for killing and slayjag Drvid Brindley. It appeared, that the parties hiA bea1 quarrelling near to a place where there was a precipitous descent of 10 or 11 Kree. Brindley, who was an old man, came suddenly up to the prisoner, and struck him violently over the head with an iron poker; he was sryeparing to follow up the blow, when the deadly weapon fell from fiis hand. A scuffle then ensued, and deceased was pushed against a low wall, not more than two feet high, which grotected the dangerous place before noticed. In this situation, Clarke seized him by the leg and threw him over, and his neck was broken. He died in avery few minutes. It should be stated, that the blow given bv the de- ceased was extremely violent, the prisoner's face and clothes being suffused with blood fron a wound on the temple. The Jury found the prisoner Gilty ; and Judge M ARItEN, considering the aggravation which the prisoner had receivedl, and his imprisonment since October last, sentenced him to pay a fine of 61. and then be disclarged. ITURG}LARYV Geor,ge Woolley, aged 20, and Thomas Bates, aged 19, both old offenders, were indicted for a burglary in the dwelling-house of William Sotbern, a dealer in coal and lime, residling in a lonely house on the banks of the river Weaver.' About one o'clock in the morning of the Gth of December last, the prosecutor, who is a deformed nran was alarmed by two men knocking, and demanding admission. Ele got up, and asked them what they wanted ? They said they wished to come into the house aad lie on the hearth till morning. Sothern refused them, but said if they would go about their business, he would give them a sovereign, which he did by pushing it undler the door; they then demanded another sovereign, which he also gave then, and then they asked for two shillings to make the money into a guinea each. At last they proceeded to force open the premises by escalade, when Sothern co'nsented to open the door. One of them imnmediatelv seized him, and picked his pockets, whilst the other rifled lis office of a quantity of copper coin. Amongst the property taLen, were a sovereign, a Alacceafield and a Nortliwich 11. note, wrapped up in an old coal invoice in Sothern's own rriting. Having taken all the cash they could find, they left the house, promising to keep a sharp watch on i. tfU day.break. On the following day, the prisoners were seen in Stockport, by Donovan, a constable, who knew them both well from their being in custoly at the New Bailey there. They were dividing a large surn of noney, and as Donovan knew Bates had none a day or two before, his suspicions were excited, and he took them into custody. On searching Bates, the identical notes, wrapped up in the coal in- voice, which were taken from- the prosecutor 'were found upon him and upoll Woollev about 20s. in copper. These were the leading facts on the part of the Crown ; but whilst in gaol, B4ates, in addition, made a full disclosure of the burglary to J. S. Barrett, a constable. The Jury found the prisoners G#ilty, but sentence was not then pronounced ; it is feared, however, frorn their known bad character, that their lives will be placed in great jeopardy. The trial of Price, for the murder of the old man at Buerten, is fixed to take place on M.londay morning next, at 8 o'clock. The Grand Jury were discharged this morning about 11 o'clock. Just before that hour the Foreman came into court, and stated that, owing to negligence belonging to sonie one connected with the court, a bill, which had bee found against Thomas Green and John Alack, was lost; and another of the jury said, that some years ago a similar circumstance had occurre. liirections were aecordingly given to prepare a new indictment, but very f&rtunately for the at- torney, in about ten minutes the foreman returned, observing he was sorry he had unintentionally deceived the Court forthe lost billhad been found in the Grand JurY Room by the baiiiff in attendance. A case of ejectment, in which a Mr. Pickering, of Hackney-ter- race, is the defendant, and which involves property to the amount of between 5,000L. and 6,0001., is, by a rule of court, fixed to tome on at these assizes. NfMPRDER OF WILLIAIt WOOD. - At the last summer assizes for this county it may be recollected that a young man, named Joseph Dale, was convicted of the wilful murder of lWilliam 'Wood, a ,,respectable factor, near Whalev, in Cheshire, on the 16th of July last. The trial lasted from nine o'clock in the morning intil eight in the evening. M1r. D. F. JoNEs. who was counsel for the prisoner having, however, moved for a respite of judgment on the ground of a flavw in the indictment, it not having been statedtherein what number of stones had been used in the murder of the unfortunate man, sentence was not then passed. The question has been since argued before the twelve Judges, who hbve decided that it was not essential thht the number of stones should be stated in the indictment; and one of their lordships appo- sitely asked, whether an indictment for murder would be invalid b reason of its not baving been stated by how many small shot the deat of a murdered man had been occasioned. About six weeka since, a petition was forwarded to dhe Secretary of State for the Home Depart- ment for thepardon of Dale, itwasinostrespectablyandnumerously signed, and among the names attached to it were those of the Illayor and Sheriti of this city. This cirumistance has been matter of surprise to most of those who were acouainted with the circum- stances detailed in evidence oil the trial: On the evening of the 16th of July, the prisoner and two other men were seen walking in the company of thedeceased along the road leadingto the spot where the body was found: at a subsequent period of that night, the pri- soner was seen running in company of his two companions froni the spGt. A 61. note was found on the person of Dale when taken * of this he has given no satisfactory account, and a tradesmnan of Stock- port gave evidence on the trial that he had pail this same note to the deceased on the morning of the very day on the erening if which he was murdered. One of the prisoner's companions was taken a short time after the murder, and being committed to tie Nev. Bailey prison at 7Manchester, hunghimr.lf in his cell the same niight. The third person has not yet been taken, and it is to be hoped that Dale will yet think fit to make some atonement to the violated laws of his country, by giving infbrmation that may lead to the apprehension of his associate in the horrid deed. It is expected that sentence of deatb will be passed on Dale some day this week, probably on Saturday, as it has not, we believe, been usual for that awful ceremony to take place on Good Friday. Time fate of Dale has become of unusual interest in this end the adjoining counties, although it were difficult to account for this ex- citement beyond the youth of the prisoner, he being only 18 years of age. LrNT ASSIZES. CHESTER. WrVn%PSqAn. AvnTT 1A