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342 V THE J^AjDJE Kl [y^ggg^ Saturday
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MORE ABOUT MODERN WITCIICKAFT. A. singul...
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THE ASSIZES. Joseph Stilhnan. aud Willia...
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CENTEAL CRIMINAL COURT. Tho April sessio...
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nilDDLESEX SESSIONS. Joseph Petit, a Fre...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Our -Civilization:.-. . . ' . . ¦ . — ' ...
actuary from the savings-bank . One could understand how a poor old man , seeing the prisoner ia sach peril , might give way to temptation and perjure himself to save bis own son's life . Tke three constables said the old man had stated that his son had only a few shillings ; hut then they all differed as to the questions which had been pot to the father . The father must have known that four sovereigns were found on his son . If the old man ' s story was false , would , he not have said he gave Mm four sovereigns , and not three sovereigns and halfa-sovereign ? Would not that go some w & y to satisfy them that the old man ' s story -was true ? He had thought it right to make these observations , and they must deal with them . " ITafcion was found Guilty , and sentenced to death . The execution has been fi-xed for next Tuesday week , the 21 st inst .
342 V The J^Ajdje Kl [Y^Ggg^ Saturday
342 V THE J ^ AjDJE Kl [ y ^ ggg ^ Saturday
More About Modern Witciickaft. A. Singul...
MORE ABOUT MODERN WITCIICKAFT . A . singular communication appears in the Times of Tuesday . It ia from a country magistrate , who does not give his name or place of abode , but who sets forth the substance , an $ even the minute phraseology , of an application made to him during last November by a farmer "in the parish of Hockham . " The farmer ' s wife was bewitched , and the symptoms were of this astonLsh iug character :- —r" Continual worrying—like wind teasing her , and like a sow with all her young pigs apulling her to pieces . " They had spent every shilling in doctors , but all in vain . Therefore , the farmer wanted his worship to grant a warrant" to have the-vvitch proved "—that is to sav , to cause her to bs swum .
" IVe heard say that , if they be witches , and if you take a line ( not to do them any liarm , but just to swinVem ) , they won't sink . I ' ve heard say that , there was a . gentleman at —— - who had one swum ia the river . / don ' t know exactly how it fi nished , hut 1 heard she didn't live long after it . . . . .- ¦ . . I do hope your worship will grant the police to take old Mrs ! C . all of a sudden— -by surprise like—and take her to a pit and swim her ( not to hurt her ) . If she ' s an upright woman , she'll sink , and if she don't sink it'll prove her guilty . " This statement was followed by a metaphysical discourse between the magistrate and the farmer on the subject of demoniacal possession , the magistrate in vain eudeavouring to cure the applicant of his superstition . Finding he
could not obtain the judicial assent to the trial by drowning , the farmer asked his worship to . ' take the supposed witch into a zoom , and have her stripped , to see "if she had anything bad about her . " icing asked "what she was likely to have about her that was bad , the man replied , "Why , sir , some say that they have imps about them ; hut 1 don ' t 7 c ; ioiv . " "What is an imp ?" asked the magistmte . " I don't know ,. sir , " answered the farmer , whose faith seems to have struggled with so . ne doubt as regards details — " unless it be some bad spirit or other from . the power of oltl Satan ; but I never seed one" He then gave the following relation of the way in which the source of his wile ' s ailments was traced to Mrs . C .: — " My -wife was advised to send for
the woman —— , of — - — , who is wonderful clever in these things . She came and told us to take some particulaT liquid and put it in a bottle with some of the liairs out of the noddle of my wife ' s neck , and the parings of her finger-nails and toe-nails ( these we cut quite close ) , and some old horse-shoe nails . ( These , you see , air , uro little schemes which go fro in one generation to another ; there's always something to is learned out of the . weakest and ignorantest . ") Well , sir , wo put the bottle on the fire , and wo waits while it's boiling and burning , and what not ; aud when it bursts wo looks out of the
window , andtho evil-disposed person stands belore us . Last Friday night was a month that my wife did this ; niul , after she done it , she got out of bod , as she do sometimes , to take a drop of drink or a little magnesia , aud she looked out of the window , and there sho saw the woman C— standing beforo the window , at a most unscalable hour , in the moonlight , in an agony sort of state . " It does not appear what became of tho old lady who thus pceaonted horsolf " at an unsealuble hour ; " but , from information afterwards obtained Ijv tho magistrate , it
appears that , if you resolutely refuse to apeuk to the witch when thu 3 forced to appear , sho will go homo and die- In tho course of further conversation between the . magistrate and tho fanner , a vciy prosaic monetary reason for suppressing witchcraft was advanced by tho latter . " Sir , if our squire know that thcro wa 3 nny such , bad things , as witchcraft in tho parish , he would have it altered ; became , yow know , sir , I ham to pay the rates and taxes , hard and fast , " But , finding be could not obtain an order for tho watery ordoul , he hit upon a very strange substitute . " Can ' t you at any ruto havo her hitched to the Vnion House ? That might he u hanttfit : Tho magistrate afterwards had some conversation with tho occupants of a neighbouring cottngo , who gav « him further particulars of tho black art , and argued tho theory upon abstract grounda .
The Times has had a loading articlo ou tho subject but wo confess we should havo boon hotter Bfttiatled had a fevr namoa boun given ..
The Assizes. Joseph Stilhnan. Aud Willia...
THE ASSIZES . Joseph Stilhnan . aud William Ilnyoa havo boon found Guilty at Glouoeator of a Lighway robbery , witti violence
an John Paine , at Bristol ,. on the 9 th of last January : Paine , whais an old man , was . in the employment of some coal merchants at : Bristol ,-aud was proceediag with a . packet of . money belonging to his master , to the house of one of the partners at Kingsdown , when he was met by three men ( two of whom were the prisoners ) , who took the money from him , and beat him violently -a ^ tms the face . One of the witnesses at the . trial—a man named Thomas—was apprehended under suspicion of being the third man ; but he turned Queen's evidence . His testimony , however , was doubtful , and it wa 3 not even certain that he was concerned in the robbery ; for a man , named Manning , absconded shortly after the aifauyaa if from a guilty knowledge . The case being fully proved against StiUman and Hayes , and a previous conviction having been established against the latter , the one was sentenced to twenty and the other to fifteen years ' transportation .
A Mr . Shellingford has obtained 800 ? . damages from the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company on account of an accident on their line , froni which he received injuries on the hip and head , to such an extent as to deprive hum of a post worth from 30 01 . to 350 £ a year , which he held at the railway post-office . The company did not dispute the allegation of negligence on the part of their servants ( the accident arose from the wrong turning of the points in the Bangor tunnel , so that the carriages went oft" the right line , and came into collision Avith some railway trucks ); but they loft the question of damages to the decision of the jury .
Tho case of ill usage of English sailors on board the American ship James L . Bogart wa 3 tried on Friday week at the Chester Assizes , where Peter Campbell , one of the men of the vessel in question , was indicted for shooting James Chrystie , an English sailor . Charles Vanderpole , another English seaman , said that , on the night of Saturday , January 17 th , he and Ghrystie left Birkenhead in a boat to go on board the Robin Hood , to which they belonged . They were taken on board the James L . Bogart instead , under pretence of that being the right ship . "I was wakened next morning , between five and six o ' clock , " continued Vanderpole , "by the second boatswain , and was sent to clean the top-gallant forecastle . Campbell then called us to . breakfast . After
breakfast , we were standing tip , ' and Campbell told the second boatswain to go to the forecastle and take some men with . him . Chrystie told the second mate that he did riot ship for that vessel . Campbell laid bold of him by the back of the mck- Ohrystic rail away . The second mate ( the prisoner ) had a six-barrelled pistol in his hand . Furber , the chief mate , then picked up a billet of wood to strike Chrystie with . He threw it at the latter , and then picked it up again . Campbell was chasiag Chrystie aa well , and he cried out , ' Shoot the- — -if they won ' t work . ' He fired three times at Chrystie . The chief mate fired as well . After firing , they went off . Chrystie then came and stood by me . The prisoner and the chief mate cime to us , and said ,
' Will you work ? ' We replied , 'We will , if you will treat us like men . ' Campbell then iired at me , but did not hit me . I heard a ball whistle past . lie then fired at Chrystie , who cried out , ' Oh God , I ' m shot ! ' Before firing , Campbell said , ? I'll shoot every ono of you . ' Chrystie stood still after being shot . One of the men then struck the chief mate , and he fell on the deck . Tho chief mate was struck with a handpike . When he fell , he was bleeding very much . The pilot and staward then ran up a signal of distress , and soon after the olticers came on board . Tho chief mate and Chrystio were taken to the hospital . " Chrystie coulinned this statement ; and Campbell , being found Guilty , was sentenced to transportation for life .
Centeal Criminal Court. Tho April Sessio...
CENTEAL CRIMINAL COURT . Tho April session commenced on Monday . The trial of Thonius Bacon and his wife for the murder of their children was postponed to next session . The first case tried was that of William Smith , a lad of fifteen , indicted for perjury in having falsely procured the conviction ol another lad , whom he charged with an offence for which sentence of death was rocorded . Suspicions of Smith ' s veracity having been entertained , steps wero taken to put it to tho proof , when ho confessed that he had told a lie . Tho sentence ngninst the other lad was then reversed , and ho was declared Not Guilty . Smith was now convicted , and sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment , and then to bo kept in a reformatory school ton throe years .
Two letter-carriera in the employ of tho General Postoffice , have been found Guilty of stealing letters co : ita-ining money , and havo beon sentenced to four years ' penal servitudo . —Another postman was charged with misdemoanour in delaying to deliver certain letters committed to his charge . When ho was first questioned with . respect to the letters , he suid he had concealed them in a field , and he showed the place . Ilia oxcuso was that ho was , too , tired to deliver them overnight , hut ruoant to do so tho next day . Ho was found Guilty , aud condemned to hurd labour for oightcon months .
Sarah . Prico , a miaornble-lookLng young woman , was tried for tho murder of hor infunt child . Sho throw it , with a ligature tied round tho throat , into tho euuulin
the Regent ' s Park , after being driven to despair an . 1 apparently to insanity , by the desertion of her tn-tit child s father , and by" the state of extreme- poverty to which , she was reduced . She- attempted shortly after wards to drowa herself , but was prevented by a policel man coining up . Her blood , she said , was all turned to cold water , and she added that she felt it cold round her loins at the moment she was speaking . She also stated that the child was suffering from diseased kidneys and that that was one of the reasons why slie killed it ; ' and she said she wished she was where it was . A verdict of acquittal was pronounced , on the ground of insanit y . Alexander Claris American
, an and a photographic artist , was indicted for the manslaughter of Eliza Burm The woman had had a photograph of her little bov taken at Clark ' s house , but there was a subsequent quarrel with respect to its not being sent in , though the money had been paid . After high words on both sidesa scuflie ensued , and Clark was severel y handled bv the woman and a female friend of hers , both of whom " were very violent . He was thrown down into a pan of water , hut got up again , seized a hanimer j and struck Mrs . Bunn on the head , of which blow she died . At his trial , Clark said he had acted in self-defence ( it appeared , indeed , that there was a great deal of struggling for the hammer ) , and be expressed deep contrition for what he had done . He was found Not Guilty .
John Tobin , John Davis , John Vernon , and George Brodrick , were tried on Tuesday for stealing certain pieces of hide --from Mr . Waring , a hide and skin merchant in Berinondsey ; aud Alfred Bevington and James Prcctor , who are glue merchants in the same neighbourhood , were charged -with receiving the property , knowing it to have been stolen . The hides were offered to and purchased hy . them at a price far below their proper value ; and this was the principal point relied upon in support of the prosecution . , I 3 ut it was elicited in the course of the case that every transaction with Tobin , who was--the sdler of the pieces , was regularly entered
in the books , and that there was not the slightest concealment in any respect . It also appeared that Tobin was known to be a man whq ^ went about the country collecting small lots of the article in- question for the purpose of disposing of them to wholesale , dealers , and that the sales ^ vcrc effected by sample ; and there was no proof that j & essrs . Bevington and Proctor ever saw the article : tbia ' t was delivered in bulk , or that they were aware of its quality . They were therefore Acquitted . All the rest were found Guilty . Tobin was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour , Vernon to twelve , Davis to six , and Brodriek to four .
A man named Fowler has been sentenced to trans portation for life for coining . A woman assistant was at the same time condemned to six months' imprisonment . ¦/ . ' ¦ '¦ .. Lewi 3 Evans , an old seaman , was found Guilty of defrauding the East India Company under circumstances which appeared in our paper last week , lie was sentenced to three months' imprisonment , William W « bb , alias Philip Cohen , alias Philip Nce 3 y , a young man only nineteen years of age , was tried on Thursday for the murderous assault on Mr . Alfred Buckler committed in a railway-carriage on the 5 th of March . lie was found Guilty , his counsel admitting that there was no possible defence ; and , although convicted on the minor count of wounding with intent to do bodily harm , instead of the Grst count which declared the intent to be murder , he was sentenced to transportation for life .
Abraham ltechtherd ,. a German , has been found Guilty of the attempt to extort monoy from his employer , Asher Stern , under a threat of sicc ' using him of committing arson , of which we gave the details last week . The trial of the two other persons concerned with him was postponed till next session ; and so also was-tho sentence on llechtherd . Kobert M'Donald has boon sentenced to six years penal servitude for a murderous attack on an African seaman at Wapping . Another man win ) was charged with participating in tho oftenco -was Acquitted .
Nilddlesex Sessions. Joseph Petit, A Fre...
nilDDLESEX SESSIONS . Joseph Petit , a Frenchman , bus been tried on several charges of robbing hotels . He would take a bedroom at some well-known house , would ransack several of the rooms , and depart with his booty . He was furnished with a great many disguisos , including artificial beards and moustaches , and seems to have exhibited much ingenuity in his thefts and evasions of detection . The dulunco was that ho hud Buffered illneaa and money losses in , the Kant , and that his brain was affected ; but ho waa found Guilty . Ho haa beon sentenced to peiuu servitudo for five years . John Boriuau was convicted of robbery nt an election meeting , and , boing an old ofibiulor , wih sentenced to four years' pcual servitude . A case of ingratitude on the part of a ticltot-of-leave man , similar to one we reported last week , waa tried on Monday . Uuorgo Corbiahloy , a respectable-looking , middle-agud inau , of good education * , was . charged witn oinbuKzluig four suma of mouoy , amounting in all to 38 / . 11 s ., from Mr . lieubou Count well Gruaiorex , i » n architect and liuildor , in wUosu ; employment he lived aa
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 11, 1857, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_11041857/page/6/
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