The Express. — 1848-02-21 (London, England)

DURHAM. GAME-LAW MURDERS.—The estates of the Duke of Cleveland, Raby-perk. at Staindrop, and also those of the IMarquis of Normenbe, adjacent to Mulgrave Castle, have 1 I bws the swum of most serious conflicts between poachers end gsmekeepers. Oa the evening of the 3rd instant two watchers in the service of the Duke of Cleveland, at Babypark, named Shirley and Cockerell, were going their rounds when, hearing some shots fired, they proceeded in the dimtion of • place called " Willow Bed " in the game preserves, and there they taw four men, two of whom were ermed with guns. Directly the gamekeepers came up to them, one of the party, known by the name of Thompson, called upon them to stand back or he would fire. The keepers, not daunted by the threat, made an effort to capture them, and a desperate battle ensued. They were fired upon by the poachers. and notwithstanding Stiirley, one of the watchers, said he was shot, he endeavoured to overcome Thompson, and secured him. Thompson, however, raised his gun, and bait his antagonist over the head with the buttend, when the force of the blows broke the weapon; the barrel was subsequently found near the spot. Cockerell, the other keeper, suffered severely. lie was fired at, but escaped mortal injury. The poachers decamped with the belief that both the keepers were dead. Coskerell managed to drag his companion to a neighbouring cottage, where he expired. The politic wi re then des in ueet of the Fang, and in a short time they werepatched apprehenqded, and satisfactorily identified at the inquest on the body of the murdered man. The jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder" against William Thompson, William Dawson, and James Ottifield, and they now await trial in the county gaol at the forthcoming assizes.—The affray on the Marquis of Norman by's domain was equally serious. On the night of Wedtierda se'nnight, about half-past eleven, five keepers were on watch in the Mulvey. woods. They were only armed with sticks, guns being strictly prohibited by the marquis. The watchers heard the report of fire-arms in a particular part of the woods ; on proceeding there, a gang of poachers, armed with guns, presented themselves. -They were in. Mandy called upon to surrender on which one of the gang deliberately presented his gun and' fired at one of the keepers named Brown, the contents lodging in his right arm. A struggle followed, the watchers attempted a capture, but were beaten off, the poachers firing at them, and afterwards making use of the butt-ends of their fowling-pieces. After they had escaped, the wounded man was carried to the nearest habitation. During the affray one of the gang was shot by a companion in the thigh. He crawled away and succeeding in concealing himself in a thicket, where he was discovered. He was removed and his wounds wen dre std. He was visited by the Earl of Mulgrave and the chief constable of Whitby, and in consequence of • statement he made, one of the poachers, named Centlin, was apprehended, whom he charged as being the party who fired at Brown the wounded gamekeeper. The maimed poacher died on the following Thursday. His name was Rhodes; be was a eotorious character. The police are on the alert for the other men who took cart in the murderous engagement.