The Sun. — 1844-12-20 (London, England)

ALDERSON—You have been convicted, prisoner, by the clearest evidence of this crime of attempting to burn down Mr. Laud's ricks, since there  eanbe no doubt, had not the fire been discovered when  it was, the whole of the seven ricks had been destroyed. You did this for revenge, and you must now suffer the consequences of that revenge. I saw too much of this most detestable crime last summer to feel any doubt as to what my duty is in this case. Those who deal with such crimes with lenity make themselves to a certain degree accountable for the crime when again committed. I will not do so, but will wash my hands of all responsibility by inflicting the heaviest punishment of the law. His Lordship then sentenced him to be transported for life.  I ready loaded in both barrels, and that the shot found in the prosecutor's bed, and taken from his person by the surgeon, were of the same rise as those with which the gun had been loaded. The previous day and night had been rainy, and a quantity of sand had been washed down from the hill sides on the foot-path which ran behind the prosecutor's house, whilst the ascent behind had been rendered soft by the same cause. On the rising ground were seen the marks of the man's knee and toes, where be had knelt to fire the two shots, and both there and along the footpath were the distinct marks of two persons' shoes. The two prisoners were apprehended at different hours the same morning, in the tent erected by a pitman, named Hepplewhite, a unionist pitman, who had been ejected from his house by the owners of the Edmondsley colliery, about one mile from Waldridge. The clothes and shoes of both were wet, and marked with the peculiar kind of clay which was carried down the rising ground, and the trousers of Brown were daubed with clay on the right knee. The shoes worn by the prisoners were compared with the footprints near the prosecutor's house, and found exactly to correspond. The jury found Brown Guilty, and Acquitted Muckleroyd.  His LORDSHIP, in passing sentence on Brown, said no doubt could exist as to the intent of the prisoner in firing the gun at the prosecutor, and a very few years ago the offence would have met with capital punishment, for no doubt if the man had died of his wounds the case would have amounted to murder of the most deliberate kind. The motive for this outrage was apparent enough. He and other workmen had thought fit to strike, and it was not the first time, on this circuit, to his own knowledge, in which those strikes had led to similar offences, offences induced by the opinion that they could not succeed in the object of their strike so long as other men were willing to work ; and those men who did not adhere to their party were generally the objects of their malice. The sentence of the Court on him was, that he be transported beyond the seas for the term of fifteen years. John Marley (who bad yesterday pleaded guilty to two charges of burglary), William Plummer (who was acquitted on one of those charges), and Mary Wilkinson, aged 26, were charged with feloniously breaking and entering into the house of James Hay, in the parish of Monkwearmouth, and stealing therefrom various articles, his property. Mr. Granger conducted the prosecution ; the prisoners were undefended.