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[arson - New Norfolk] R. v. Stanfield and Crahan Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land Pedder C.J., 14 June 1824 Source: Hobart Town Gazette, 18 June 1824
MONDAY -- William Stanfield, a farmer, and James Crahan, a labourer, both late of New Norfolk, were arraigned for arson. The indictment charging, that, feloniously and with malice, on the 7th of July last, about 7 at night, they had set fire to a barn, situate at New Norfolk aforesaid, then being the property of Antonio Buckall. Plea - Not Guilty. The Attorney-General described the prosecutor as a poor foreign black, who many years ago had arrived here from Norfolk Island, and had ever since on a small farm derived from Government, laboured with proverbial industry and perseverance. Mr. Solicitor Dawes, for the prisoner Stanfield, strove to establish the validity of a deed, by which the prosecutor was stated to have transferred half his said farm, and the barn in question, to Oscar Davis, by whom they had been passed into the possession of the prisoner. And the Jury after receiving from His Honor the Chief Justice, an argumentative and impartial summary of all the circumstances, pronounced an - Acquitted. |
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