Star. — 1811-02-22 (London, England)

THE KING O. WITHERS AND OTHERS. Mr. Tommy; stated this to be an indictment chargingW. Withers and Phillips, two Sheriff's Officers, Mr. Carter Draper, an Attorney of Ceuta ; Mr Feathers, whose name the Jury had already heard during the present Sittings, as being keeper of the Guildhall Coffee-house, and two persons named Siddons and Duke, who were Bailiffs' followers, with breaking and entering the kitchen garden-gate of the prosecutor, Josiah Copland, with pursuing him out of his pleasuregrounds, which were between his house and his kitchen garden, to his dwelling-house door, the outer door of %s lick he having secured by bolting it at the top, they forced, by bursting off the cap of the bolt, which also carried with it part of the wood-work of the door; and having thus gained admission, under a real or pretended execution against the goods of the prosecutor, with beating the prosecutor in a most violent manncr. The Learned Counsel need hardly tell the Jury, Oat nothing could justify any Officer, or any other v erson, in breaking into any man's house, • far less inassaulting the keeper of the house after he 14AI so broken in ; and if it should appear that Mr. Draper, who was the attorney in the business, had the super. intendatice of it, and though he might not be origi. nally present, was concealed in the pigeon-house while , the breaking and entering took place, he must be equally responsible with ail the others concerned in the viul,nce thus committed. Josiah Copland said, that he lately resided hi Lower Edmonton. -On the morning of the 21st of May last be went out from his house to his garden, for the pur-1 pose of unlocking the gate of it. In his kitchen-gar• den he observed six men concealed, who immediately rushed towards him, on which be, with equal expediiiini,t tired to his house by the side door, out of which he had prOcteded, which was equally with the door in front on outer door to his house. Having got into his house by this door he fastened it, and bolted it by means of the upper holt. The men followed him, and burst the door open, In consequence of which the cap of the bolt was forced off, and part of the upper part of the woad-work of the door gave way. They then knocked the witness downatelling him if he made any . resistance, that drat would have his bloody melt or his .hlaraly gut. When the .witnesshad recovered, he followed the men into the kitchen, where lie saw them with some plate in their hand, and also with a £lO tai.k note, which he had just given to his servant to get changed. He told the men that he did not coneels e they had any business with his money, on which two of them dragged hint to the-stairs, against which they bent him upon his back, whiletwo others of them be.it hint, telling him they would murder him: The witness at this time felt quite exhausted, and begged they would spare his life. Mrs. Copland then came down in her night clothes—one of the Officers threatened to knock her down, but Siddoas., one of the thh • lowers, pi everaesi him, observing, they had done enough already. In consequence of the assault made • on the witness, be, was blind for three days—his jawbone was dislodged, the Imhof which he still retained, and he verily believed at the time that be should have lost his sight. When he came to himself he was all covered with bkod. Withers was the first person * who struck him, Phillips was the other ; Siddons he knew was also there, and from him he knew the names. of the other defendants. Cross-examined— He believed, but would not swear that Mr. Draper, whom be knew well, was one of the • six. Ile confessed having two guns in his house, one of which•he always kept loaded ; but denied that he had presented either of them to all or either of the party who thus visited his premises. In particular, he denied that Phillips, one of the officers, having run from his garden head along with the prosecutor, had  -_-..---........i•m101