At the York Assizes, on Monday, Samuel Mulberry, Thomas Booker,
William Booker, and James Duffy, were tried on a charge of sedition and conspiracy. The prisoners were the persons arrested in Sheffield last January. On their premises, or in places which they had hired, large quantities of arms had been found, with grenades, powder, and "iron cats," to be thrown among cavalry horses. They were also instigators of violent proceedings at Chartist meetings in Sheffield, and were arrested at one of these meetings. The evidence was complete and decisive against all the prisoners ; who were found guilty, after a trial which lasted thirteen hours. Sentence deferred.
Mr. Feargus O'Connor was tried at the same Assizes on an ex qreio information filed by the Attorney-General, for publishing a seditious libel in his newspaper, the Nitrthcrtt Star. The Attorney-General quoted reports of speeches at Chartist meetings, delivered by Mr. O'Connor himself and others, and leading articles in the Northern Star to convince the Jury that Mr. O'Connor had recommended violent and illegal proceedings, on the part of the masses, to procure political changes. Mr. O'Connor, in his defence, declaimed against the iniquity of ex officio informations, and read many passages front his viper of a contrary tendency to those cited for the prosecution. A verdict of "Guilty" was returned. The Attorney-General prayed immediate judgment ; but on Mr. O'Connor's statement that there was another pro- secution hanging over his head at Liverpool, and that he should have been prepared with affidavits in mitigation of punishment had he known
judgment would. have been prayed at once, the Court postponed sen- tence.
At Huntingdon, on Wednesday, Frederick Rees Barratt, a teacher of Music, was indicted on a charge of feloniously and for "motives of lucre" carrying away one Mary Ellis, with intent to seduce her or marry her, against her will ; and Martin Mayle was charged with aiding and abetting him. Mary Ellis is the orphan child of a wealthy farmer of Peterborough, and was sixteen in January last. She became acquainted with Barratt when at a school, where he taught music at Stamford. She fell in love with him, and letters passed between them. Miss Ellis was removed by her mother to a school at Somersham, whither Barratt followed her to keep up the acquaintance. On the 3d instant, as site was walking with Miss Pocock, the schoolmistress, the other girls following in a row, the prisoner came up in a gig, driven by Mayle, an ostler at an inn in Somersham. Barratt leaped out of the gig, caught Mary Ellis round the waist, lifted her into the gig, jumped in after her, and drove of at a rapid pace to Huntingdon. From Huntingdon they
went in a chaise to Northampton, intending to proceed by the railway to London ; but there the fugitives were overtaken by the lady's brother,
and site was conveyed home. Although in her examination in chief Mary Ellis supported the charge against the prisoner to some extent, yet on her cross-examination by Mr. Sidney Taylor, sloe stated many circumstances in direct contradiction of the supposition that she was
unwilling to accompany or marry the prisoner. lies love-letters to him were read in court ; and she admitted that at the inn in Northampton
she allowed Barnett to kiss her, and declared she would nevee leave him.
The jury found Barratt guilty of a continual assault, and recommended hiri to mercy ; but the judge, Baron Parke, sentenced him to fifteen mouths' imprisonment, without hard labour. Moyle was acquitted.
The Judge said he never saw a young person of such extraordinary capacity as Mary Ellis scented to possess. She is also very handsome. At the Sheriff's Court, Norwich, an inquiry came on before Mr. N. B. Palmer, to assess damages in an action brought by Mr. Trafford, of
Wroxham hIall, against lieutenant Ellis, of tile Ninth Lancers, for
adultery with pi:Li:loin wife, the defendant having suffered judgment to go by default. The Attorney-General, Mr. Austen, and Mr. Evans, appeared for the plaintiff ; Mr. Thesiger and Mr. Bodkin, for the de- fiariant. The Jury, after ten Illiniltes. deliberation, returned a verdict jro the plaintilf—damages al!. The damages were laid at 5,000/.
At the Stafford Assizes, on -2.1onday, James Owen, George Thomas, and William Ellis, were convicted of the murder of Charlotte Collins,
whom they drowned ill the carnal at Itugely on the 17th. of last June.
These men were employed in one of Piektbrd's fly-boats, by which Charlotte Collins had taken her pass.tge from Liverpool to join her laislavol in London. The prisoners N.:ere tried at the last Assizes on the charge of violating her per:oon, itcouitte.1, but detained to be tried for murder; a man coatined in the same gaol with them for bigamy having heard a confe:, -ion of the murder front one of the boat- men. This man's evidence w::-; very strong, and received confirmation front so many 6n:tuns...a:lees, that no douft of the prisoners' guilt can exist.
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