At the Supreme Judicial Court, holden in this town, for the county of Essex, which adjourned on Thursday last, several persons, criminally indicted, were convicted and severally sentenced.  Isaac Coombs, an Indian, was found guilty, at last June term, at Ipswich, of murdering his wife; at which time a motion was made to the Court, in arrest of judgment, on which the Court suspended giving judgment thereon until this term; but the said motion being overruled, the Court gave judgment of death against him.

Besides the sentence of the Indian, as above, Thomas Kendry, for breaking into the store of Israel Bartlet, and stealing sundry goods, was sentenced, on his confession, to pay said Bartlet L33-9-6, to sit on the gallows one hour with a rope about his neck, to be whipped 30 stripes, and confined to hard labour on Castle-island two years.

Thomas Atwood & John Ransum, for breaking open the store of Knott Pedrick, and stealing dry fish, were each sentenced to pay said Pedrick L40-5-0, to sit one hour on the gallows, be whipped 36 stripes, and confined to labour on Castle-island 3 years.

    John Smith, for stealing goods from Abner Perkins, was
    sentenced to pay said Perkins L18-4-0, and be whipped 25 stripes.

The same John Smith, for breaking open a sloop, and stealing goods of John Brooks, was sentenced to pay said Brooks L16-8-0, to sit one hour on the gallows, be whipped 30 stripes, and confined 18 months on Castle-island.

    John Scudder, for stealing from Eli Gale, was sentenced to pay
    said Gale L5-2-0, or if unable to pay, to be disposed of by him,
    in service, to any person, for 2 months.

Joseph Ballard, for stealing a horse from Thomas Dodge, was sentenced to pay L30, be whipped 20 stripes, pay costs, &c. and, if unable to pay, that said Dodge may dispose of him in service to any person for two years.

Calvin Newhall was indicted for assaulting Deborah Sarker, a negro woman, with intent to commit a rape upon her.  He pleaded not guilty; and the jury found him guilty of the assault, but whether with an intent to ravish they could not agree; whereupon the Attorney General would no further prosecute for said intent to ravish; and the Court ordered that said Calvin should be whipped 10 stripes, and recognize in L60, with sufficient surety in a like sum, to be of good behaviour for 3 months, and pay costs.

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Punishment in 1644 for criticising the preacher and the music, and for sleeping in “meeting.”

The Hon. Wm. D. Northend, in a very interesting and valuable address before the Essex Bar Association, Dec. 8, 1885, mentions the following among other cases taken from the Essex County Court Records:—­