Lancaster, Thursday, Marc...
The Times, 1824-03-15T00:00:00

.:-H n npeie the cOII OI yestcrday, wid thiij 1a,P-Join t thr grand jiiry were sworn. a'(l the criminal busincss coiti- rnrnced. 31r. Justice Bayley stated why it had been thou,ght WO. :ero ehanze 0te usu.41 order of rircuit, and takethiR county bcf)re fRie murtv of Y'ork. It ofien happtned, thlat at& parties had gone tO d:e troulcb and expense of prepating for trial, they were oblige.A tr zo over to the next as.izes. This hardship arose from the ditfi- coltrof fix-cng -the vrecise period at which the business of the two ; coanfies would conclude. and the inconvenience arising from thit haadhitherto been confined to the county ef YVork, the bifsinds of which was necessarilv closed at a partictlar- period, in order to open his Majesty's commission in LIancaster at the proper time. In ordii to remedy as far as possible this inconvenience 'it hal been de- termined to.have the assizes terminate at York and Lancaster alter. natelv, by which means the convenience of each would be consulted by turns. Bcfore elfr. Jusltite BAYiLEY. Bcjamiy n Thomas, a1ged 18, was charged on a coroner's inquisi- tion with the wiiful murder ot' George Jones, at LiveTponi, on the 17thi of .Mav last, by stabbing himn with a knife, a- d giving him se. veral wyounds, of which he languished anoddied; he was elso charged by indictmnait with manslaughter, in having effected the death of the sa:e person by stabbing and maiming, (but not with malice aforethought.) The prismner pleaded "1 not guilty." James Hanlon deposel, that he was in company with the prisoner in a public-house in ldeerpsol on the evening of the 17th of May la-t ; witniess having a quarrel there with a man of the- name of Turner, he twitness) went iito the street to light him a crowd col- lectedl to see the tight theprisoner was drunk, and went out also, and desired the crowvd to go about thieir basiness. They began to pelt the prisoner with bricks and dirt; lie was iniconsrquence nmuch irritated, and knocked some of them dowi; lie then asked me tolend hi;n a knife, lvhich he knew I liad, that- he mnight squander them." I refused to icive it to himn, but he snaitchied it from me, and ran amnongst tie crowd wvith it. I saw him in half an hour afterwardis in Cleveland-square, and I asked hin tbr the knoe; hereplied lie did not Itnowv who it was took it from him; he caine and slept with me that night; having heard sornetbi_rz, I asked him in the morning what lie hail been doing. arrd lie saitl he could not recollect. Rabert Hughrs exaninedl.Saw prisoner and Gectge Jones in Clevelanid-square; the prisoner struck Jones in the face, and after- Nvards several Otlher blow,; Jones fill, and I saw the prisosaer draw the knife trom his bell; lie then ran at Burns, who jumped into a cellar-hole. Prisonier then brandished the knife over his head; I followed him, and Burns having thlrown him down, we took the ku;if2 out ot his hands, and secured him ; but he afierwartlsgotwayv. Cros-esxanmined._The pxisoner appeared to have liarl soIne drink. Witness knltiew him for a loig reriod and lie had a good character. El:ri Duna cramine d._he stated she was going for her little boy into the strret, having hleard some person cry-" Take care, he lisa a knife." The deceased iwas ruxnning away, and the prisoner had about him what was in appearance a large knife * lie ran against me, pursuing itc deceasei, andl I saw himit run tile knife into his hbwels. Jones tcll, and not thiinking lie hadl been hurt in reality, 1 went away: but he cried out, and I returnied to hiim ; he said-" Let tile alone, I am dring." Cro's.exanined._There hlad been a crowvd in the street shout- ing, about one hour and a half before that. 1 did not see any stones tilrowvi. BIV the CoURT.-lras Jones running backwards facing the pri- sotie ?-H e Wu,s. Didi Jones tfrike the prisoner -He did not. WilliIam Jones, brother tn the tleceaslcd, got the knife from some person in thc crowd. lie gave it to the constable. - I'urns exan:ineld'lTook tite knifcfrorii the prisoner, and gaveit to %I iliam lJones, the lastwritness. Hlanhon re-called.-lMe cotilil not idhentify the knife produced by tihe cnnst:able: but he identified it ofterwartfs. Joseph Untirton, sirreon of the Liverpool Infirmary, deposed he examined tie dc.le-cnd preious to his death. Tihere were two wountds wlichi penetrateil his brfle, both inflicted Witih a kiiife : thev were deep. lie dcid on tle )ihimndav evening tollowing. lias no dou;bt tbe twounds tere the caise of h.> leathi. Prisoner, in his (defience, saitl he was so drunk he did not know wvhat lie was (loinig. Cur. Justice BAY .-Ysuninilned tip the evitlence, and recommended the jury, as it teaS Uroved the LIrisoner acted under a mistaken belief ili t tile Ilree:ied seai oM of tlhe nersonF wio thirew stonesandsludge at him, to titid : verdict of manslaug4ter. and acquit himll of the charge if nurder. The Jury brwight ;n a verdict-", (Cn;hd of rane?aliaghter. Mr. .Ju'f:iee BAY LEY oroce-ded ro pasb sentence on him, antI ad- t;rcssetl h In in the mnit 1ecling manner:- * Prisoner, you have beeni found guiltv of a verv great offence, committedl by volt. bortting on titurdler. All you cr;t plead in your excu.e is nioxicailon. Y'ou now see tie consequencesto whicil that led You. Hta Y Lo hlero at hotme spending you timiie in tihe bosom f your tamil,v this direadf'tl eccurrence would not have happened. 'i'igil I (a'i .ot help feeling tor the d!litress your contilnct has brought upon ysour father endl all Your ft'milv. it is a dutv ifctnm- bent ott tme that Ou shall' receive suchl a sentence as trill deter others fronm the conn'nis.,iun of' such crimes in fuiture ; and that if tiler should be drunk, they should have a proper gutard over their feefitgs. 'i'lie senitice of'tlhe Court is, that You be transported tbr the teriti ot 14 cars." Joqr,'j, C/'ils, aged .9 and Richard e//lent, aged 20. were in- dicted for felonious!le assaul;ing on the King' highliay, Richard Hall, on the 2?\h ot h-ebruarv. anti fi'ln:ioolvh stealing from hirn a promissory note for -I. ot' the Blictlurtie lank, three other notes of the .3laccleshiel.l Baink, a l il !:ir 1001.. a silver watch, and va- rious other articles, his properzy. wi's' were both convicted. LAN(C.ASTER 'Trtr,snA%'- f IL