The Sun. — 1857-12-02 (London, England)

WINTER ASSIZES.  (NORTHERN CIRCUIT. —LIVERP3OL, Nov. 30. Mr. Justice Wightman arrived here at half-past four o'clock on Saturday afternoon, and at once proceeded to open the commission in St. George'shall. This morning at 11 o'clock his lordship took his seat in the Crown Court, and delivered his charge to the grand jury. The learned judge having entered at some length into the various offences enumerated in the calendar observed that, though in point of number there were fewer prisoners than upon the last winter assize, the number at that time being 118, whereas in the present instance the number was 101, nevertheless the crimes were some of them of a very aggravated nature, including three cases of murder, various others of manslaughter, and several offences of burglary and highway robbery. Alfred Fletcher was indicted for burglary at the house of Mary Child; at Manchester, on the 17th of August last. Mary Childs, the prosecutrix, stated that she resided with her sister in Back Ann-street, Manchester, and upon the night in quesdon she retired to bed about half-past 10 o'clock, having secured the house in the usual way, and at a quarter to five on the following morning she was aroused by a woman named Knox, who resided opposite to her, and upon examining the house she found that an entry had been effected through the kitchen window. The apartment down stairs was in great disorder, and she missed a shawl, a cap, and a cotton bAbin which had been there when. she retired to rest.  Mrs. Knox stated that she was working at her house very early that morning, and saw the pri Boner about 20 minutes to five press open the parlour shutters, force up the window, and enter the house, upon which she immediately went in quest of a policeman, and upon her return the prisoner was in the act of getting out of the window with a shawl under his jacket. The prisoner, upon seeing the constable, ran off, dropping the shawl, but upon being captured the cap and cotton bobbin were found upon him, also some lucifer matches and a piece of candle. The jury having found the prisoner guilty, and a previous conviction having been proved against him, The learned Judge alluded to the circumstances of the prisoner's previous career. In 1851, when 18 years of age, he hid been convicted of robbery ; and in 1852 he had been found guilty of burglary, and sentenced to 10 years' transportation ; and yet ho found the prisoner at liberty, without any as. siguable reason for the mercy which had evidently been extended to him. Th 3 sentence of the Court was that he be kept in penal servitude for 10 years. Benjamin Kenyon and John M‘Dermott were charged with robbery and violence from the person of Thomas Morris, at Manchester, on the 27th of Sept. last. Mr. John Cross prosecuted, and Mr. Wheeler defended M`Dermott. It appeared that the prosecutor was a smith residing at Manchester, and about a quarter past 12 o'clock on the night of Saturday, the 27th of September, he was returning from his club, and on passing St. Jude's Church he saw the two prisoners at the bar standing in company with six other men, and on passing them one of the prisoners asked kim for is. to drink, which he said he could not give them ; whereupon Kenyon. struck him a violent blow upon the eye, and M`Dermott seized him by the throat, and during the scuffle they snatched away his watch, which was suspended round his neck by a guar]. The other men had gone away, but the two prisoners were seen by the prosecutor running away up an entry, and upon his giving information to the police the prisoners, who were well known to Morris, were taken into custody, and after the prosecutor described his watch as having the words "improved patent" inscribed upon the face of it, a witness named Humphreys, who also knew the prisoner, came forward, and stated that on the Sunday evening after the rAbery he was in the house of a person named Vickers, and he saw M‘DermAt offer Vickers a watch for sale ; that he had the watch in his own hands, and he distinctly remembered that it had the words " improved patent " inscribed upon the face. Mr. Wheeler having addressed the jury on behalf of M`Dermott, The learned Judge summed up, and The jury found the prisoners guilty. Previous convictions having been proved against thrm, his lordship sentenced each of them to four years penal servitude.