>From Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser ( Dublin, Ireland ), Tuesday, August 14, 1838, Issue N/A. MAIDSTONE ASSIZES. - Friday, Aug. 10. Murder of Lieut. BENNETT. This morning the following prisoners were indicted for the murder of Lieut. BENNETT, and all pleaded "guilty", viz :- Wm. WILLS, aged 46; Thos. MEARS; Edward WRAIGHT, the younger, 33; Alexander FOAD; Thomas GREIGGS; Edward CURLING, aged 33; Charles HILLS, 47 ; and Richard FOREMAN, 30. WILLS, a tall athletic man, remained very firm during the solemn investigation. WRAIGHT, a stout man, and FOAD, continued to place their hands together in an imploring manner, and wept bitterly. Several witnesses were called to speak to the characters of the prisoners. The jury returned a verdict of guilty. Lord DENMAN then proceeded to pass sentence of death on the prisoners, but he said that it was right to inform them that he had, after some difficulty, made up his mind to spare their lives. Two circumstances, his lordship observed, had induced him to come to this determination; one was, that a number of their associates in crime had already paid the penalty of their offence by the military in the execution of their duty, by which the law had been vindicated, and an awful example had been afforded of the consequences of resisting it. The other circumstance was, that the relations and friends of the officer who was shot by their leader had stated that they should suffer the greatest aggravation of the pain they have felt for their loss if any more lives should be lost in consequence of that unhappy affair. It is, however, continued his lordship, absolutely necessary that a most impressive example should be made in instances of this kind. As for you MEARS, or TYLER, who was not only extremely active in exciting the other unfortunate men, but for two days after the murder of NICHOLAS MEARS, remained with your frantic leader, and encouraged his violence, and instigated his own relatives to join him - in your case, MEARS, or TYLER, it is perfectly clear that you ought not to be permitted to remain in this country. You must be made as severe an example of as the law allows, short of undergoing the extreme penalty. You cannot be allowed to return to society where you have been so unfavourably known. As for you, WILLS, I am sorry, from what came out yesterday, and from the depositions that I have before me, that a man of such comparative respectability should have indulged to so great an extent in such in such bad feelings; I feel, therefore, that it is impossible not to come to the same conclusion in your case. As for the rest of you, the facts connected with you shall be looked over before I pronounce your sentence. I cannot conclude without observing that many of those who took part in this atrocious affair have not been brought to trial, not because their crimes have been easily proved deserving of the severest punishment, but because those that had the conduct of the prosecution were desirous that the law should not be carried into extreme effect, but that selection should be made; that justice should be administered mercifully and with a consideration of those whose families have already suffered severely. With those observations, prisoners, you will retire from the bar; some of you most undoubtedly to return to your friends and country no more; others of you to be separated from them for a distant period; and the rest of you to undergo such punishment as the court shall think proper. The prisoners retired from the bar deeply affected. >From Preston Chronicle ( Preston England ), Saturday, August 25, 1838; Issue 1356. ( Taken from Maidstone Paper ) THE COURTENAY RIOTERS. - On Friday morning last, the sentences on the Courtenay rioters were received at the county gaol. They are as follows:- Thomas MEARS, otherwise TYLER, and William WILLS, to be transported for life; William PRICE to be transported for ten years; and Edward WRAIGHT, Alexander FOAD, Edward CURLING, Thomas GRIGGS, Richard FOREMAN, and Charles HILLS, to be imprisoned for one year and kept to hard labour in the House of Correction, one month in solitary confinement. N.B. Although William PRICE is only mentioned in the second newspaper report, he is listed as one of the Rioters in the Criminal Records & is shown as aged 30.