LENT ASSIZES. MERDER.—George Partridge was tried at Bury, for the
murder of George Ansel!. aged time years. The prisoner and the boy were servants to a harmer at Milden. On the 4th of November, the boy was found in a field quite dead, with his throat cut. As the prisoner had that morning left the place, suspicion attached to him, he was apprehended. and in his pocket was found a clasp-knife stained with blend: there was also blood upon his clothes. The prisoner soon after conthssed that he had murdered the boy, because he had accused him of having stolen a cosset lamb. When asked for his defence, he said "I know nothing about it.'' The Jury found him Guilty, and he was sentenced to be hanged. The sentence was carried into execution on Monday. Partridge had an interview with his father on Sunday morning ; and to hint he confessed, that in August 1827, lie had committed another murder, hitherto undiscovered,—namely, on Jonas Ansel', a boy about seven rears of age, and the brother of his last victim. He committed this crime at the instigation of an abandoned woman with whom he cohabited; and who suspected that the child had been a witness to sonic part of their cri- minal conduct. The body was found dead in an ozier field. Partridge also confessed to Mr. Orridge. that he had attempted to murder a young man named Hawkins who had "checked hint for his intimacy with worthless females : he had pulled him off his donkey, but was alarmed by persons coming up before he could complete his purpose. Partridge, with the guilt of one murder al- ready on his conscience, was actually a spectator of the execution of Corder ; and he was the next to ascend the same platform.
MYSTERIOUS Deal-IL—At the Bury St. Edmund's Assizes, Thomas Church. yard was indicted for having slainElizabeth Squirrel', at Ipswich. The pri- soner and the deceased were fellow servants in a gentleman's family. On Sunday the 11th October, they quarrelled about a supper tray ; and accord- tag to the deceased's story, some angry words passed between them, when she seized a knife, and darted at the prisoner. To frighten her, he took a handful of knives from the trayund dashed them at her feet. She afterwards attended the family prayers, and continued to go about, though she seemed ill. After she had gone to bed on Sunday night, she became worse, but would not allow a surgeon to be sent for. One of her fellow servants who was
called up, discovered blood upon the bed ; and the deceased said, " Oh then, My side has bursted." She was conscious of her approaching end, and re- peated the circumstances of her quarrel with the prisoner both to her companions and her master. She died on Monday at midnight: and On the body being opened, a knife was found !yin. nearly transversely in the body between the hip-bone and the margin of the ribs, with the point turned a little upwards : it had penetrated the stomach and one of the small and one of the large intestines. The knife was a common small cheese-knife, with a sharp point and an ivory handle considerably worn. The surgeons who examined the body concurred in thinking that it was impos- sible that the knife could have penetrated through her gown, petticoate, stays,
had shift, and lodged in the position in which it was found. merely by being thrown. If the woman had intended to kill herself, and had thrust in the knife with her left hand, it would have lain as it did. On the cross-examina- lion of one of the witnesses, it was elicited that when the deceased was lean- ing on her shoulder she had a knife in her hand ; and when asked by the prisoner what she was going to do with it—to kill him or herself ? the de. ceased answered " myself." The deceased was of a violent temper; she had an illegitimate child : and had been heard to say that she would not mind killing any one who "checked" her about her child. These were the lead- ing facts upon which the Jury had to form their judgment. After deliberating about half an hour, they found the prisoner Not Guilty. RORRERY.—Charles Kite, William Wheatley, and George King. were tried at the Kingston Assizes, on the charge of having broken into the Teddington Lock-house, and plundered Mr. Savory, the inmate, of '201. in money, and some other property. The principal witness against the prisoners was a man named Young, who was also engaged in the robbery, but was allowed to turn approver. This fellow, on his cross-examination, confessed, without shame or compunction, that he had on another case turned approver, and given evidence as to an offence for which his brother bad been executed ; and such he supposed would be the fate of the prisoners, one of whom was his brother- in-law. The prisoners were found Guilty and sentenced to be hanged. The accomplice Young, was shortly after liberated: but he was near suffering from a mob the penalty of which he had contrived to cheat the law. When he had reached Kingston Bridge, it was proposed to throw him over—a deed which might have been done, but for the interference of a strong body of officers.
Six men were tried at the Cheshire Assizes on Monday, for robbing the house of the Reverend Matthew Bloor, at Stablish, near Middlewich. The robbery was committed on the 14th of March. On the evening of that day, Mr. Bloor was awakened by the noise made in forcing his kitchen-door ; and as he was getting out of bed, his bed-room door was forced. Two men came in and struck himwith bludgeons on each side of his head, and knocked him down. The old gentleman was found lying nearly suffocated with blood. The robbers took a small sum of money, some articles of plate, and two watches with them. Mr. Bloor identified Paterson, one of the accused; and some of the property was found upon the prisoner Lear. These two were found Guilty. They were sentenced to be hanged. and warned not to indulge a hope of mercy. The other prisoners; were acquitted.
MAIMING SHEEP.—At the Derby Assizes. two men were convicted, on the evidence of an accomplice, of having wilfully cut 'off the head of a sheep and mutilated another sheep. They were found Guilty, and sentenced to be tran- sported for life.
Ss:Dec-rim—In August 1824, Mr. Venn, a butcher at Tiverton, was intro- duced to the daughter of Mr. Maunder, a farmer in Exeter ; and shortly after- wards solicited permission to pas'vhis addresses to her. He was admitted as her suitor, and continued his addresses till October 1827; and was always considered as the future husband of the youug woman. At that time the seduction took place ; and the young woman was delivered ors child in July 1828. On her parents calling upon him to fulfil his promise, he said in a most unfeeling, manner, and snapping his fingers, that "he would be d—d. if he would marry her, and he would not be cajoled into it ; they might sfra their best and their worst, he would not marry her." The young woman's parents brought an action at the Exeter Assizes, to recover compensation for loss of service. Verdict for the plaintiff—damages 100/.
In the Sheriff's Court, Preston, Miss Barker, daughter!of Mrs. Barker, a re- spectable milliner in Preston, lately recovered 200/. damages fi om a young man for breach of promise of marriage. He had paid his addresses to her for three years ; but having at length seduced the confiding girl, he deserted her. She was delivered of a child, which he assisted to support till its death.
BREACH OF PROMISE OF Alanntaue.—A Sheriff's Jury assembled at Chelmsford, to assess damages in an action brought by Miss Charlotte Dyer, the daughter of a gentleman at East Ham, near Barking, against Mr. J. P. Coverdale a surgeon at Barking. The lady is in her twenty-fourth year, and the defendant in his thirtieth. It appeared that after a courtship of nearly two years,Alr.Coverdale broke off the match. The Jury gave 400/. damages. At Gloucester Assizes, on Saturday, Mr. Willis, who had been private se- cretary to Lord Nelson, recovered 2,000/. damages from a Mr.Eirkett, for crim. con. with the plaintiff's wife.
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