The Sun. — 1847-08-12 (London, England)

LORD CHIEF BARON.) Samuel Mills, a stout railway labourer, was indicted for a felonious assault upon Jane Edmondson, a little girl under the age of ten years, at Blackburn. Mr. Sergeant Wilkins and Mr. Whigham appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Macoubrey for the prisoner. The prisoner was convicted upon very clear testimony, and sentenced to be transported for life. Richard Dickinson, aged 15, charged with a misdemeanour, in attempting to perpetrate a similar felony, was also convicted.  Sentence--To be imprisoned, in Preston House of Correction for fifteen months, and kept to hard labour. Joseph Goadby stood charged with having, on the 3d instant, at Preston, feloniously stabbed and wounded Richard Miller, with intent, as variously laid, to murder, maim, &c. Mr. James conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Sergeant Wilkins appeared to defend the prisoner. The prosecutor, Miller, stated that he had been working as a railway labourer, and was in the employ of Mr. Sharp at Preston. Prisoner was in the same employ when the offence was committed; and on that day they had met together, at the Bank Tavern, which the prisoner entered in company with two other men. Some dispute arose between him (Miller) and the prisoner, when the prisoner threw a bottle of harm at him, which, however, did not hit him. But shortly after, more words having passed between them, and Miller having gone outside the house, and being engaged in wrestling with another man, the prisoner, who had threatened to cause him to be turned away from his employ, approached him, holding a knife, and stabbed him in the ribs. The prisoner, after the bottle had been thrown, and before using the knife, had exclaimed, "I'll do you before you leave this house."  On cross-examination Miller admitted that he had been the keeper of a house of ill-fame, that he had been before the magistrates, and by them fined for an assault, and also that he had been tried for receiving stolen goods, and convicted. Two other witnesses were called for the prosecution; but their evidence varying on material points from that Of Miller, Mr. James, at his Lordship's suggestion, gave up the charge of felony. Upon the question of the common assault, The Learned JUDGE said, that by Miller's own admission his previous conduct and character had been bad, and his manner as a witness had been flippant. His Lordship should not deem it necessary on the present occasion to inquire into the charge of assault; it might be inquired of before another tribunal. The prisoner was therefore acquitted generally, and ordered to be discharged.  John Shaw, who liad pleaded Guilty to two several charges of stealing, in each case a watch, was sentenced for each offence to three months' imprisonment, with hard labour. John Longstaff, convicted of stealing 41., the property of William Sayer, his master, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, with bard labour. Ham Hyde, convicted of manslaughter, in killing and slaying Richard Marsden, at Over Darwen, in a fight, was then put up to receive sentence, in proceedinc, to pronounce which his Lordship told the prisoner, in reference to the mode of fighting pursued upon the occasion of the death, that he (the Learned Judge) had felt ashamed that so unmanly a mode of contest should be called, as it had been, " fighting Lancashire." The striking an adversary after getting him down, and sparing no part of his person, was a practice most cruel and barbarous, and calculated to arouse, with those among whom it might prevail, passions of the fiercest and most savage description. It was Rot the prisoner who, in the present instance, had given the challenge to fight; otherwise, if deceased had killed the prisoner, instead of the prisoner him, his Lordship, in stigmatising the offence in the manner it became every judge to do, would certainly have transported the offender. As it was, he (the Lord Chief Baron) had felt himself constrained not to pass sentence hastily, but to postpone the doing of that duty from yesteaday until to-day, in order that, having calmly reflected, he might safely trust himself in the sentence he should award, and which was that of eight calendar months' imprisonment, with hard labour.