300 



ANNUAL llEGTSTER, 1818. 



could hardly be taken to convey 

 what they meant ; and though 

 they were not to be forgotten as 

 pvincing a general disposition to 

 evil, and rendering what hap- 

 pened more probable, they 

 were not to be relied on as de- 

 claring the intention of murder, 

 which no man in his senses who 

 meant to commit the crime would 

 previously declare. The learned 

 Judge then went over the different 

 parts of the evidence, and showed 

 its bearing on the guilt or inno- 

 cence of the prisoners with great 

 penetration, discrimination, and 

 impartiality. The learned Judge 

 concluded an address to the 

 Jury of two hours and three 

 quarters, about 10 minutes before 

 9 o'clock. 



The Jury almost immediately 

 returned a verdict of Guilty 

 against both the prisoners. 



GLOCESTER ASSIZES, AUG. 15. 



We have now to call the atten- 

 tion of our readers to an event 

 which we understand is unprece- 

 dented in the history of assizes 

 holden in this country, namely, 

 the fact of the commission for 

 holding the assize for this county 

 having been rendered nugatory, 

 •in consequence of its not having 

 been opened before 12 o'clock 

 at night on the commission day. 

 We have already stated the fact, 

 that Wednesday was the day 

 appointed for opening this com- 

 mission, and Ixive also alluded to 

 the anxiety which Mr. Baron 

 Garrow expressed to perform 

 that duty. Unfortunately his 

 Lordship was unable to effect his 

 object, for though he travelled 

 with all .the expedition his horses 



and the hilly roads would pemnit, 

 he did not reach the court-house 

 at Glocester until after midnight. 

 Long antecedent to this time Mr. 

 Tommes, the clerk of indictments, 

 had arrived in the town, and, 

 attended by the Under-sheriff, 

 the Mayor of Glocester, and 

 several other gentlemen, had 

 proceeded to the Court with 

 their commissions, in order that 

 they might be opened the mo- 

 ment his Lordship should arrive. 

 These gentlemen remained in 

 anxious suspense until the hour 

 of twelve approached, when, ap- 

 prehensive of the consequences 

 that would follow the non- ar- 

 rival of the Judge at that hour» 

 every watch was drawn forth and 

 compared. Time still rolled on 

 — his Lordship did noj arrive, 

 and the hour struck. The second 

 quarter after twelve had been 

 completed, when his Lordship 

 was announced, and the com- 

 missions were opened in the 

 customary way ; subject to what 

 was then conceived to be an 

 insuperable bar to their effect — 

 namely, their not having been 

 read on the day which in their 

 own body was directed and ap- 

 pointed. 



Matters rested thus until the 

 arrival of Mr. Pugh, the clerk of 

 assize, who entered the town at 

 10 o'clock in the morning, and 

 immediately had a conference 

 with Mr. Baron Garrow. The 

 result of this interview was a 

 determination on the part of his 

 Lordship to go into court after 

 divine service, and to have the 

 names of the grand jurors for the 

 county and city called over ; but 

 to take no other step until Mr. 

 Justice Holroyd, with whom he 



wa* 



