The Sun. — 1830-07-26 (London, England)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  WESTERN CIRCUIT,'--WINCIIESTER, Jinor 2S. Wm. Brown and Smith William, two convicts from the hulks at Portsmouth, were indicted for the wilful murder of William Witiney, on the 15th of January last, by striking him a blow on his tOre.. head with a harmer, and also with cutting his throat. It appeared that the deceased was deputy foreman of the convict sawyers employed in the Gun Wharf at Portsmouth; he was known to be  of penurious habits, and to have occasionally tained tobacco, spirits, &c., which he afterwards retailed to other convicts, by which traffic he %%us  known to make money ; he had besides been seen with sovereigns in his possession. At eight on the morning above described he, with several others, went to the Gun Wharf, where he was seen about heir-past eight talking to a lab9urer, at half-past nine he was found in a shed with his head almost severed from the body, and the skull near the temple, (lectured. 'From a careful examination of the (rector% and its effect, it was clear that the wound must have been inflicted by some blunt instrument, before the throat was cut. When the deceased went to the shed it was observed that Brown watched him very narrowly, followed him in, and came out shortly after. Immediately after the deceased was found, in the situation above described. The principal evidence against the prisoners was John Purcell, guard of the convicts. On the 28th of January I saw Drown on board the rori; I learnt that he wanted to give soma information respecting the death of Whiney I said to hire," Brown, I understand you know something of this business : why do you not disclose it, as every one in the ship suspects you were concerned -in it ?" he replied, " I am not the person, but I know who did ;" he then named the person; I said, " bow do you know that ?" be said that a person told him, and gave him sixpence and a bottle to get a quartern of rum, and that be returned the bottle and rum to the person, with the change, which was procured by one of the Board of Ordnance men, on the day prior to Winney's death; he then said be saw the person going over to the deceased in No. 9, and in the course of a few minutes after he saw him come out with his hands and clothes apparently covered with blood; he said he asked him what he had been up to ? he replied, " Never mind—hold your tongue—all is right be then said the other person went over to the pump to wash his hands, and that he followed and asked him whit the devil he bad been up to P lie said, " Hold your tongue, all is right--I have planted the money, and when we come again all will be right, and we shall divide it ;" be said it was either in a bottle, or the neck of one ; I said to him, " It appears to me you pretneditated this business;" he said " Yes, three weeks or a month before, but he did not think the person would have murdered the man,- but would have hocursed him (sent him to, sleep with laudanum), so that be might have been robbed:" The person he alluded to Was the other prisoner,  In sentencing a sheep-stealer to transpnrtation for life, his Lordship observed that the offence had lately become so common, that it occurred in every county in England. The criminal business of the Assizes concluded to-day. Mr. Baron VAUGHAN has been engaged, during this day and yesterday, in hearing a case which involves the right of the Corporation of Portsmouth to a tax of 2d. upon every chaldron of coals which comes into the harbour of Portsmouth. The details of the case were wholly uninteresting to the public. The Attorney-General came down special on the part of the Corporation. The Jury found in favour of the claim of the Corporation. The business of the Assizes was concluded altogether to-day.