The Sun. — 1846-04-03 (London, England)

PLAIT.) ' i ""ril -- .'" --Benjamin Skyrnal, aced 20, was indicted for firing a loaded -' ( /.. gutt at William Hughes, on the 13th of last August, upon .k j 4 the Quoen'e highway, with intent to do him some grievous  bodily harm. Mr. Greaves and Mr. Huddleston prosecuted ; the prisow,r was eefended by Mr. Skinner. From the evidence of the prosecutor, who is a cattle and pig dealer, living.at St. Margaret's, it appeared that on the day in question .he had been at Hereford. and was on his return h,ime in the evening, when the prisoner, whom he previously knew by sight, came up t r Mtn at a place called the Slough, in the parish of St. Margaret, and entered inter conversation with him, walking by the side of his horse, until they came to a garden belonging to a man of the name of Colman, when Skyrnal stopped, And appeared to be taking ‘niething out of the hedge; meanwhile Mr. Hughes rode on t 100 yards in advance of the prismer, whom he heard after him, whereupon he reined in his horse, and at Je seine instant a gun was fired, and his (the prosecutor's) Aet fall upon the neck of the horse. He recovered it, and immediately galloped off. Very shortly after this Mr. Hughes procured assistance, and finding the prisoner still at the spot whence the shot had been fired, he charged him with having attempted his life, and secured the man at the bar, who observed that it was a person of the name of John lavis lOW had fired the gun. The prosecutor had sold about .50/. worth of stock in the morning, and had that amount about him at. the time of the attack. • Additional evidence was adduced corroborative of the prisoner's guilt ; a little girl, to whose fatter the gun belonged, proving that she had lent Skyrnal the gun to shoot birds with about the time in question, and the gun was found the same morning after the occurrence abeve detailed, ten or twelve yards from the place where Mr. Hughes was  rennin,  fired at. The prisoner was convicted of firing with intent to do some grievous bodily harm; and a previous conviction for felony having been proved, he was sentenced to fifteen years' transportation. As soon as their Lordships have disposed of the few remaining cases here they will proceed in the course of the afternoon to Monmouth, and open the commission for that county, where seventy prisoners now await their trial. The following is an analysis of the Monmouthshire calendar :—Violating the person, 7 ; housebreaking, 4 ; cutting and maiming, 2 ; forgery, 3; sheep-stealing, 9;. killing cattle, 1 • highway robbery, 6; stealing from the person, 5; minor offences, 30; manslaughter, 2; firing stacks, 1— total, 70.  WESTERN ClRCUlT.—Tauntln, April 1. The commission for holding the assizes for the county of SomerSet wns opened in this town yesterday afternoon, by e soejuiullbnnedtitin g the eh ili.arcilizersc.eulii'tf;th.i se i.] he ge a extremelyc al i etlbusiness,dairi,6rihot,bra stehyleetrrae,s ibbseevienengr very heavy, only 19 nearly 120 prisoners for trial. The follow ing is a summary of the offences:—Murder, 1 ; attempting to mur3arl tree: der, 3 ; manslaughter, 3 ; maliciously ' wounding, 6 ; arson, 4 ; burglary, 7 ; housebreaking, 3; rape, 4; horse-stealing, 1; sheep-stealing, 6; robbery, 4; bigamy, 1 ; bestiality, 1: larcenies, 60; embezzlement, 3; entering inclosed land by night, 7 ; concealment of birth, 1. John Hake and Dank/ Hake were indicted for burglarieuslv breaking and entering the house of William French, at Otterford, and stealing therefrom several knives and other articles, his property. Mr. Cox was counsel for the prosecution. From the evidence it appeared that the prosecutor's house having been properly closed at night, on the following morning it was found that a panel of the door had been broken through, and that a quantity of knives, in which the prosecutor dealt, had been taken away. From some information which had been received, suspicion attached to the prisoners, who were. brothers residing in the neighbourhood; they were apprehended, and the stolen property was found upon them. John Hake confessed that he had broken into the house. The jury found both the prisoners Guilty. Sentence—John Hake, transportation for 15 years; Daniel Hoke, transportation for ten years.  ' • NORTHERN ClRCUlT—Liverpool, April 1.