The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-08-27 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

STANDARD. Archibald Balfour, beadle of Liverpool, said he was present at the inquest before the coroner, and heard the prisoner make a statement (which was now read), to the effect that the deceased owed him £l2, and when he asked him for it, on the Sunday before, he said one had been put into the burial ground to-day, and there would soon be another, meaning the prisoner. _  This was the case for the prosecution. Mr. WILKINS then addressed the jury, in a most eloquent speech, on the part of the prisoner. He commenced by stating that he trusted he should be able to convince them that at most the offence was one of manslaughter only. They had heard that for many years the prisoner had home an excellent character for humanity and kindness, and if that were so was it not inconsistent to say that he could in one moment become a murderer. He contended there was nothing to prove that the deed was done by design ; in the first place there were fifteen persons in the house, and the instrument was one of the most clumsy that could have been selected. Again, if he intended to scald the deceased there were two kettles of hot water which he might have used, without his going to the trouble of making the mixture spoken of. He must have known too that the screams produced by the torture of the scalding must inevitably lead to his detection. The view he took was, that the prisoner went down stairs to prepare breakfast previous to both going on their journey ; that when he took it up stairs some sudden quarrel took place about money, and in the heat of the moment, without premeditation or intention, threw the mixture upon the deceased. A knife had been produced, but it had not been proved to belong to the prisoner ; but it had been proved by the deceased himself that he had told the prisoner that there had been one funeral that day and there might soon be another. After some further comments the learned gentlemen reverted to his original position, and called upon the jury to return a verdict of manslaughter. The CHIEF JUSTICE then summed up, recapitulating all the circumstances of the case.  The jury then retired, and after an absence of a quarter of an hour they returned into court with a verdict of Guilty, but recommended him to mercy on the ground of his previous good character. The JUDGE ordered the prisoner to be broughp for sentence to-morrow morning (Friday.)  ASIITON ELECTION RIOTS  Job Tankard, 33, James Hallsworth, 25, William Marsland, 23, John Briggs, 26, Richard Hadcret, 34, John Royle, 2G, and James Broster, 26, were indicted for feloniously and riotously beginning to demolish and pull down the dwelling house of James Taylor, at Ashton-under-Lyne, on Thursday, the Ist July last. Dr. Brown and Mr. Brandt prosecuted; the prisoners Hallsworth and Briggs were defended by Mr. James ; the others were undefended. It appeared that the polling at the election for the borough of Ashton-under-Lyne took place on the Ist of July last, and, party spirit being very strong there, a riot took place, in the course of which much violence was exhibited. The prosecutor kept a tavern, which was resorted to by, the friends of Mr. Hindley, one of the candidates, called the New Town Hall Inn, and it was against this house that the rioters di rected their attacks, doing considerable damage. A great number of people were apprehended, among whom were the prisoners. The jury found all the prisoners guilty, but recommended them to the mercy of the court, on the ground that it was probable their actions had been induced by others in a different station of life. The CHIEF JUSTICE said he was bound to order sentence of death to be recorded against them, but the act which directed him to do so would expire in the month of October. Under these circumstances, he should add his recommendation to that of the jury, and in all probability they would be discharged on finding sureties for their good behaviour. If that should be so, he trusted those sureties would never have to be estreated.