The Sun. — 1844-08-05 (London, England)

GURNEY.) George Hart, 17, and David Chilton, 17, were indicted, under the statute, for unlawfully setting fire to certain growing heath and furze, the property of Robert Munro.  Mr. Locke appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Charnock defended the prisoner. Mr. LOCKE, in addressing the jury, explained that the present indictment was framed under a statute which made it felony for any person to wilfully set fire to any growing crop of corn, heath, or furze, and subjected them to be transported for seven years, or for such term of imprisonment as the Court might direct. The Learned Counsel then went on to say that the prosecutor was a, gentleman residing at Godalming, and he possessed a good deal of property in that neighbourhood. On the day mentioned in the indictment the prisoners were observed by a woman to go up to the furze, and with a lucifer match set fire to it in several places. They ran off, but were pursued, and taken into custody, and on their being searched, a pistol and a quantity of gunpowder were found in the possession of them, and upon the other no less than twenty-two boxes of lucifer matches. The above facts were clearly proved in evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of guilty. Mr. Baron GURNEY sentenced the prisoner to be transported for seven years. Jane Filar, aged thirty, was indicted for the murder of her new-born male child.  Mr. Charnock defended the prisoner. It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner had been cook in the service of a gentleman at Guildford. On the 28th May she appeered to be very ill, and at night one of the servants observed her to go down to the water-closet, and she followed her, and, according to her statement, shortly afterwards heard the cry of a child. An alarm was given, and the body of a child was taken out df the closet, and the surgeon who was called in to examine it, expressed his opinion, from certain circumstances, that the infant had been born alive. There was, however, no positive evidence as to this fact, except the testimony of the servant, who stated that she heard the child cry; but upon cross•examination she admitted that she might have been mistaken. The jury found the prisoner guilty of concealing the birth of the child, and she was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. John Smith, 17, was indicted for a misdemeanour. It appeared from the evidence of a police-constable named Timsley, that, about one o'clock in the day on the 26th Jury, he saw the prisoner bathing in the Surrey Canal, and he came out of the water quite naked, and just as a train was passing along the railway he turned towards it, and behaved in a very indecent manner  The jury found the defendant guilty, and Mr. Baron GURNEY sentenced him to be imprisoned for four months, at the same time remarking, that if the defendant had been convicted summarily by the magistrate, he might have been sentenced to hard labour ; but in the present form of proceeding by indictment, he had no power to affix hard labour to the sentence. His Lordship got through all the criminal business by twelve o'clock, and he then proceeded to dispose of some common jury causes, and he will sit again on Monday (this day) for that purpose. The business on the Civil side hitherto has not contained any feature of public interest.  NORTHERN ClRCUlT.—Netccastle, Aug. 3. (Before the