DOCUMENTS.

No. 1.

Jamaica Ss., Saint George.

HENRY STERNE, of the parish of Saint George, being duly sworn. maketh oath and saith; that on the evening of Wednesday, the 5th day of November, between the hours of 8 and 9 of the clock, P.M. it being then dark, his special constable, David Clarke, gave him (this deponent) information, that a thief had gone over his fence into his grass piece. Whereupon, this deponent took up his gun, which was at the time loaded, and proceeded with the said David Clarke, his special constable, to the grass piece,and then and there saw a person busily employed cutting grass: this deponent called out to him, and from his voice discovered him to be one William Harris, an apprentice to Mr. Horatio Guscott, of Buff Bay; the thief took to his heels, and this deponent, thinking to intimidate him and cause him to surrender, fired his gun up in the air; but this only made the thief run the faster, and he effected his escape by leaping the wall and pingwind fence.

This deponent considered that he, the thief, had been hired by Miss Matthews, to commit the theft for her horse, and in order to ascertain the fact, returned from the grass piece, pretending to have shot the thief, and declaring loudly that his blood would rest on the head of the party who had caused him to commit the theft.

Whereupon the thief's wife began to bawl and cry loudly, and charge Miss Matthews with having been the cause ; and Miss Matthews, conscious of the fact, lamented openly that she had so hired and sent him to this deponent's grass piece.

This deponent therefore charges the said William Harris, an apprentice to Mr. H. Guscott, on Buff Bay, with felony, trespass and larceny, as the principle; and Miss Elizabeth Matthews, a free person, on Buff Bay, with larceny, as being the aider and abettor, or accessary to the said felonious trespass and theft.

So help me God.

HENRY STERNE.

Sworn before me, this 6th Day of November, 1834.

JOHN BELL.

Further sworn before me, this 6th Day of January, 1835.

FREDERIC WHITE.

No. 2.

Jamaica Ss., Saint George.

WHEREAS information and complaint hath been lodged before me, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, for the Parish of Saint George,

That one WILLIAM HARRIS, an apprentice of Mr. Horatio Guscott, of Buff Bay, did, on or about the hours of 8 and 9 o'clock, p.m. on the 5th day of November, wickedly, feloniously trespass and enter upon the fenced premises of HENRY STERNE, a residenter on Buff Bay, then and there to commit larceny.

And further, that one ELIZABETH MATTHEWS, of Buff Bay, then and there was accessary, by procuring, counselling, commanding, or abetting the said apprentice, William Harris, to enter upon the fenced premises of Henry Sterne, to feloniously trespass and commit larceny.

THESE are therefore, in his Majesty's name, to command you, forthwith, to apprehend the said William Harris, and Elizabeth Matthews, and bring them before me, or some other of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, for the said parish, to answer unto the said information and complaint, and to be further dealt with according to law.

Given under my hand and seal, this 6th day of November, 1834. JOHN BELL, L.S.

No. 3.

Jamaica Ss., St. George.

ARABELLA LAGOURGUE CROSS, of the parish of Saint George, being duly sworn, maketh oath and saith,—That on the evening of Wednesday, the 5th of November, between the hours of 8 and 9 o'clock P.M. it being then dark, she heard a gun fired off, in the fenced grass piece of Mr. Henry Sterne ; she likewise heard voices and hooting, and shortly after saw Henry Sterne come out of the grass piece with his gun ;—she asked Henry Sterne what was the matter, when Henry Sterne replied, that it was one William Harris, robbing his grass piece, whom he had shot. AND, Deponent declares, that immediately on the said Henry Sterne's stating this, that William Harris's wife or sweetheart, who was present, set up a hue and cry, bawling and charging Miss Elizabeth Matthews as having been the cause, and that upon this charge being made against Miss Matthews, that she (Miss Matthews) openly avowed that she had so hired and sent the said William Harris to cut grass in the

said Henry Sterne's grass piece, but that she considered it as much her grass piece as it was the said Henry Sterne's.

AND, this deponent further swears, that the said grass piece is thoroughly enclosed, and has only one regular admittance into it; and that admittance has a high gate, with a lock and key to it, and was locked up at the time. And this deponent further swears, that she knows Miss Matthews has no right to the said grass piece, but that it is truly rented to, and in the possession of the said Henry Sterne.

And, in support of this deponent's knowledge, that Miss Matthews has no right to the said grass piece-she remembers that only a few days back, the said Elizabeth Matthews wanted a few limes, and she had to request it as a favor of Mrs. Sterne, to let her go into the said enclosed grass piece to get them.

WILLIAM HARRIS, Examined.

I did not go to steal the grass; I merely went into the yard to tell the people how d'ye, and Miss Matthews called me, and begged me to cut some grass out of Mr. Sterne's grass piece for her, as she had no one else to do it. I went accordingly, and all Mr. Sterne's people in the kitchen saw me going. If any of the people had mentioned to me that Mr. Sterne did not allow Miss Matthews to cut grass in his premises, I would not have gone to do so. I had only cut a handful of grass when David Clarke went to inform Mr. Sterne that Miss Matthews had sent me into his grass piece to cut grass; Mr. Sterne then came out with his gun to the place where I was and asked, who are you? I answered William Harris ; immediately after Mr. Sterne fired his gun to shoot me. He missed me, and I fell down. He then ordered David Clarke to hold me till he gave another shot. As David Clarke was coming up, I got up and ran out of the grass piece

No. 5.

Miss E. MATTHEWS, was also brought up under

a warrant issued on an affidavit of Henry Sterne, but discharged this day by The Honorable John Bell.

No. 6.

Jamaica Ss., St. George.

I, ROGER SWIRE, one of His Majesty's Justices of Peace, for the Parish aforesaid, having been called upon by Mr. Henry Sterne, uuder an act of this Island, viz. 33 Charles 2, c. 10, s. 1, entituled " an Act for preventing damages in plantations, &c.

And having agreeably to the directions of the said Act, adminstered the oath, and taken the affidavit of three Freeholders as follows.

On the behalf of Mr. H. Sterne; as Plaintiff — J. T. Bloomfield On the behalf of Miss E. Matthews, Deft.- Wm. W Buckley. On the behalf of myself as His Majesty's Justice— M. M. Sollas

And they having agreeably to the said Act, heard the evidence of witnesses on oath, and seen and judged of the fences, and the trespass and damage committed by the Hogs, belonging to Miss Elizabeth Matthews, the Defendant, and agreeably to their affidavits taken, and hereunto annexed, have valued and appraised the said trespass or damage at the sum of twenty shillings, Jamaica currency. I DO THEREFORE in His Majesty's name, by the power vested in me, as being the Justice called upon to act, and agreeably to the instructions of the said act, adjudge and assess such damage, or trespass at the sum of forty shillings, Jamaica currency, being double the amount for the damage or trespass so appraised by the aforesaid three freeholders. AND I do accordingly adjudge that the said Elizabeth Matthews the defendant, shall pay to Henry Sterne the plaintiff, the said sum of forty shillings, Jamaica currency.

Given under my hand and seal, at Buff Bay, this 16th day of October 1834.

ROGER SWIRE, Ss.

No. 7.

Jamaica Ss., Saint George.

JOHN THOMAS BLOOMFIELD, of the aforesaid

parish and Island, gentleman, having been duly sworn maketh

oath and saith, that having been called upon by Mr. Henry Sterne to act in his behalf, as a freeholder (as directed by the 33rd of Charles, 2 c. 10, s. 1) jointly with two other freeholders, viz. W. W. Buckley and M. M. Sollas, Esquires, to examine and judge of the fences of the lands, tenanted by him on Buff Bay, in the aforesaid parish, and further to see and judge of a certain trespass or damage, done on the cultivated lands so tenanted by him, and further to appraise and value the damage so sustained by the said Henry Sterne.

Doth hereby declare, on oath, that having examined the fences, he considers them fully sufficient to meet the meaning of the act, say 33 Charles 2, c. 10, s. 1.

And further having seen the trespass or damage done on the said cultivated lands so fenced in, and having heard the evidence of the witnesses on oath,

Doth hereby appraise and value the extent of such damage or trespass to be the sum of twenty shillings, Jamaica

currency.

And further that such trespass or damage, was done, according to the evidence adduced, by the hogs of Miss Elizabeth Matthews.

So help me God

J. T. BLOOMFIELD.

Sworn before me, this 16th day of October, 1834.

ROGER SWIRE, Ss.

No. 8.

Is similar to No. 7. only as the freeholder on behalf of Miss Matthews.

No. 9.

Is similar to No. 7 & 8, only as the freeholder on behalf of Roger Swire, Esquire, as his Majesty's Justice of the Peace.

After what had transpired on Wednesday, the 5th inst. as per No. 1, I sat up during Wednesday night, looking over the laws, and deciding with myself as to the steps I should take. I accordingly prepared my affidavit (see No. 1), the warrant to apprehend (see No. 2), and also forms for recognizance for myself