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Salisbury, July 25. At our assize, which ended on Wednesday last, John King Beard for forgery, Peter Woolford for horse-stealing, John Scutt for stealing 40l. from his Grandfather, and William Kneller for stealing a silver tankard, received sentence of death: the two former are ordered for execution on Tuesday the second of August, and the two latter reprieved for transportation.
At this assize a cause was tried before a special jury of some of the principal Gentlemen of the County, wherein George Dawson, late a soldier in the 35th regiment of foot, was Plaintiff, and Robert Wylde, Richard Lucas, Charles Williams, Rich. Gough, Robert Temple, James Johns, and Collen Mackeney, Esqrs. Lieutenants, and Thomas Prowse, Thomas Frazier, and John Higgon, Drummers, Defendants. The action was brought for trespass, assault, and false imprisonment of the soldier. In the course of the evidence it appeared, that the Defendant, Wylde, had caned and imprisoned the Plaintiff without just cause, and that the Plaintiff received 300 lashes with a cat-o’-nine-tails at the halberts, under colour of the sentence of a court-martial, of the proceedings of which no evidence was given by the Defendants; and, after a long hearing, the Jury found a verdict for the Plaintiff with 300l. damages, viz. against Mr. Wylde 200l. and against Mr. Mackenzie and Mr. Gough 50l. each.
— Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal, Saturday 30 July 1763 source