Runcorn and Widnes Examiner. — 1870-04-16 (Runcorn, Cheshire, England)

SERIOUS ASSAULT.—MaIachi Kelly, Michael Hannan, and Patrick Martin were charged with having committed an aggravated assault upon John Sweeney, on the 25th December last, and again on the 20th March last. —Mr. Bretherton appeared for the prosecutor, and Mr. Worship for the defendant Kelly. The case occurring on the 25th December was heard first —The prosecutor said he lived in Dog-lane, Widnes, and was going home on the evening of Christmas Day, between nine and ten o'clock. When about fifty yards from home, Hannan went up to him, delivered a blow that knocked him down, then kicked him savagely, and in this method of assault he was joined by the two other defendants Prosecutor cried "Murder," but he became unconscious, and did not know what occurred afterwards. His chin was cut and had to be stitched up, and four of his teeth were knocked out. He was laid up for eight weeks as a consequence of the assault. —ln reply to Mr. Worship, prosecutor said he was sober at the time.—Dr. Cooper stated that he was called in to see prosecutor, and found him suffering from a cut on the chin, about two inches in length and one inch in depth. He was also bruised severely about the chest, for which he applied remedies, and attended prosecutor four or five days. The cut on the chin might have been caused by falling on a sharp stone just as easily as by a kick, as also might the bruises on the chest.--P.C. Trainor went to the place, and found prosecutor on the ground. Women were screaming murder. Martin was standing by doing nothing, and another man was there whom he could not now identify, and whom he took at the time to the police-station. Sweeney appeared to be drunk.—Mr. Worship addressed the Bench for Kelly, and argued that Hannan alone was the man who committed the assault. —Martin denied striking Sweeney at all; he only took Hannan from the prosecutor, and would not allow him to strike him any more.—For the defence, Mary Ann M'Cormick said she was standing at her own door at the time, and saw Sweeney lying on the ground, and two men standing by—Hannan and Martin. She saw Kelly at the corner of the house, and she took him to lift up Sweeney and assist him home.. Sweeney appeared to be drunk.—Mr. Bretherton asked for a warrant against Hannan, and, in the meantime, that the case might be adjourned, and the Bench granted both. ' •  Doe Susexnect.—George Scorah was charged with stealing a Scotch terrier bitch, the property of Wm. Jameson, of Widnes.—Prosecutor stated that on the 18th of March he had a small Scotch terrier of a darkish grey colour, eight or ten inches high. It had a collar on its neck, with the words "Jameson, Widnes," upon it. The bitch was with pup. He saw it last at two or three o'clock in the afternoon, and missed it about four. He valued it at £2. Prisoner worked for Messrs. Horsf all, chemists, Widnes and in consequence of information received prosecutor went to the works and saw prisoner, told him of the loss of the dog, when prisoner saidhe had not seen the bitch.—Thomas Scully, time-keeper at Messrs. Horsf all, said he saw a dog with a collar on bearing Mr. Jameson's name, about the works on the 18th of March. It was a small Skye terrier, a kind of iron grey. He missed the dog about seven o'clock, and prisoner told him it had broken the string and got loose. Prisoner assisted him to search for the dog.—Thomas Jones, a dog dealer living in Vauxhall-road, Liverpool, said that on the 19th March the prisoner went to him with an iron grey terrier, and offered to sell it him for 83. He would not buy it, however, not knowing that it was prisoner's own property. Witness saw the dog in the possession of a gentleman on 'Change the same afternoon.—P.O. Knox, in consequence of information he received, apprehended the prisoner, and on charging him with the theft, he said the dog followed him to the railway station, and he took it to Liverpool with him: not having money enough to pay his fare back, he sold the dog to a gentleman on 'Change for 12s. Witness had tried to discover the gentleman, but had been unsuccessful.— Prisoner now repeated this statement; and called a witness as to character, but several convictions were recorded against him—he had been imprisoned and whipped, and had also been five years in a reformatory, out of which he had not long been.—Prisoner was sentenced to four months' with hard labour.