The Sun. — 1861-12-24 (London, England)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  WESTERN CIRCUIT.—TAUNTON, DEC. 23. (Before Mr. Justice Williams.) The learned judge took his seat to-day at one o'clock. Byard Greenland, a powerful-looking labourer, 31 years of age, was arraigned on an indictment, and on the coroner's inquisition, charging him with the wilful murder of his nephew, Uriah Greenland at Frome, on the 10th of August last. Mr. Prideaux and Mr. T. W. Saunders conducted the prosecution • and, at the request of the learned judge, Mr. Brodrick defended the prisoner. William Milgrove examined, said—l am a labourer, living at Buckland, near Frome. I know the prisoner. On the 10th of August he was living at Buckland. I knew the deceased, Uriah Greenland. He lived at Buckland. We were all three farm labourers. On Monday, the sth of August, we went to work together at Codford, Wilts, about six miles beyond Warminster. We worked there up to Saturday evening, the 10th August, when we set out on our return home. \%re stopped at a public house about a mile the other side of Warminster, and had some refreshment. The prisoner had a long spring-back knife at that time. I should think the blade was between three and four inches in length, and about half an inch in breadth. It had a pointed top. On our way on we got a lift in a brewer's dray, and we came to a public-house near the Frome Station, called The Live and Let Live, where we stopped drinking for some time. The prisoner sang while we were there. We had three or four quarts of beer between seven of us. I afterwards left the house with the two G t eenlands between 10 and 11 o'clock. After we had got some distance on the road we stopped. We had four scythes and four reaphooks vv.ith us. Two of the scythes were tied together on one stick, and two separate, each tied to its own stick. On each blade of the scythe there were cases cut out to prevent them from hurting. They are little sticks into which the edge of the scythe goes. The reaping-hooks were bound with straw. When we stopped on the road the scythes and hooks were put down flat on the road, not all in one place. Uriah Greenland said to the prisoner, " Let we put our reckoning to rights, Byard." The prisoner said he would not pay until he had eighteen pence for the gun. Uriah made no answer. The reckoning was for railway fares and a little victuals. I saw the prisoner lift his hand, and Uriah fell back on the ground. As he was falling he said " Oh, Bill, he has been and hit that knife into I." I picked up Uriah and placed him back against the bank, and said to Byard " Thee hast been and done it now." Byard said, "Bill, can you swear it ?" and I said, " Yes, I can." Uriah wasabout two feet from me when he fell, and the prisoner was about the same distance, or perhaps not so much. I did not see the prisoner had anything in his hand. When Udall fell, he fell right away from the scythes. Upon that I ran to the turnpike gate, about two hundred yards off, for assistance. I saw Mr. Gane, who keeps the gate, and alsc Mrs. Gane, and then went back to the spot where I had left Uriah and Byard Greenland Byard was keepiag the deceased's head up against the bank when 7 got back. I said to him, "Run down to the gate and tell them to look sharp." He went and came back. I then ran down to the gate again, and from there to Mr. Beacham's. I then came back and met Gane at the gate, and we went to the spot where Uriah Greenland was. I found the prisoner with his hands round the deceased. Mr. Gane said Uriah was dead and that I had better get a doctor. I ran to Mr. Mallam, surgeon, and told him what had happened. He came back with me. We found the dead man alone. Deceased was about 22 or 23 years of age. I think the prisoner was his uncle. The deceased was not a very big man. Further evidence showed that the prisoner and the deceased had been at variance, that threats had been used, and also that the wound inflicted on the deceased could not have been caused by a scythe, but that it corresponded with the knife belonging to the prisoner. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, but recommended the prisoner to mercy on the ground of there being no premeditation. He was sentenced to death in the usual form.