The Sun. — 1861-12-05 (London, England)

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—GLOUCESTER, DEC. 4. (Before Mr. justice Willes.) George Cooper, 23, Thomas Cooper, 29, Richard Roberts, 34, colliers, and Thomas Gwilliam, 31, quarryman, were indicted for the wilful murder of Samuel Beard, at the Forest of Dean, in August last. Another indictment charged them 'with manslaughter. Mr. Powell and Mr. Cripps conducted the prosecution ; Mr. Griffiths defended Roberts, and Mr. Cook and Mr. Evans the other prisoners. This trial occupied nearly the whole of the day, and caused much excitement, the deceased having been much respected, and holding the office in the Gloucestershire police. The evidence was very voluminous, but the facts may be summed up as follows :—lt appeared that Mr. Thomas Guest, a farmer, of Littledean, having missed several sheep, and the offence of sheep stealing being rife in the Forest, he had given information to Sergeant Beard, the deceased, who undertook to watch Mr. Guest's flock on the night of the 17th August. Accordingly on that night Mr. Guest anompanied him round the farm. On the same evening the four prisoners had been drinking together at the " Speech House," a well-known inn in the centre of the Forest; and on leaving Roberts borrowed from the landlord a large file or rasp, which he said he wanted to do some work with at home. The four prisoners then went away in the direction of Mr. Guest's land, where they admitted they set nets to catch hares, They were there for some time, Roberts, Gwilliam, and Richard Cooper watching at a gate leading into a field, where Thos. Cooper was setting the nets. While so occupied, Beard detected Thos. Cooper, and seized him, on which he called to his companions to come to the rescue. The deceased thought Cooper was the sheep stealer, of whom he was in search, and endeavoured to take him into custody ; but he resisted, and a desperate struggle ensued, Cooper using a heavy hedge stake and Beard using his policeman's staff. 'When the other men came up, however, the odds were too great, and Beard was set upon by the whole party, and in the melee received serious and, as it turned out, fatal blows on the head and body, the blood flowing profusely from his wounds. At last Beard was completely overpowered, and was left senseless on the field. In the meantime, the farmer, Guest, who dl/41 not show much courage, concealed himself behind :a hedge. and when the fight was over went to look for Beard, but, as he says, could not fins him, ilor could he get any reply to the repeated shouts for " Beard." Next morning the deceased was found lying helpless in a corner of the field. He wan removed home, and some severe cuts were found on his face and head ; some of which, it was believed, had been inflicted with the file. He lingered for a day or two, when death ensued. When on his deathbed, Beard identified all four of the prisoners as having been the men who attacked him. The Coopers and Gwilliam acquitted Roberts of having had any part in the actual attack on Beard,  and Mr. Griffiths in hig behalf also pleaded a wife and children in mitigation of Roberts's sentence. The jury found the prisoners guilty of man• slaughter, recommending Roberts to mercy. His Lordship sentenced them each to 15 years' penal servitude, but said he "&would recommend Roberts for a mitigation of punishment.