The attack on James Farrar [1841]

George Dawtrey, Joseph Saville and Alexander Mackay were indicted for having feloniously assaulted James Farrar who lives in Northowram, Halifax, and robbed him of a purse containing six sovereigns and twenty shillings in silver.

[Farrar] had been to Halifax market and had intended to stay the night at the Coach & Horses, but meeting with some neighbours decided to walk home with them. However, he was walking some distance behind his friends when he was attacked by the prisoners.

He identified one of them as Saville and the others were nearby at the time.

[Farrar] had a knife with him and made use of it and certainly marked some of them.

Feather, the constable, asked Saville where the trousers were that he had worn on the previous night and he said he had them on. Feather found blood-stained trousers in one of the beds.

Mr Wilkins for the defence said it was a case of mistaken identity and asked the jury to give the prisoners the benefit of the doubt.

The Learned Counsel then called Mary and Harriet Saville, Saville's sisters, who swore that, on the night the robbery took place, he was in bed at their house.

After an absence of 10 minutes the jury returned a verdict of Guilty against all of the prisoners.

Mr Wilkins applied for respite of judgment on behalf of Saville; his Lordship did not allow the application, but sentenced the prisoners severally to be transported for fifteen years.

On leaving the dock Saville said

Well, I am going innocent – that is one good job