Star. — London, England, 1818-10-29 00:00:00

t , I 1 ' 1 I 1 . • . ; I 1 1 .1,..4 li : 1 ) • . . 1 V .; . ; I 11 1 1 I i . 1I '.. i 1 Li * I I . , A i il i , , if i : ~ t ... , , 1. .L ~ Vi t • OLD BAILEY SLSSIO.VS. Yesterday these Sessions began before Mr. Justice patAas and Mr. Baron GARROW. John Brett was indicted for putting in fear and fel.- cibly taking from the person of John Litchfield, a canvas bag containing 30s. in silver. "The prosecutor is a countryman,. and told his tale With much simplicity. His dialect was so broad as . scarcely to be intelligible. He was coming up to London to the funeral of his son, and met the priso ner on the road, near Barnet. The prisoner said that he would accompany him, as he also was going to London. They had proceeded on the road a short distance, when the prisoner pulled out of his pocket a handkerchief, which he wanted to sell iss: a shil ling, saying, that he had no money , and was almost. broken 'down. Witness agreed to buy it for a shilling, and pulled out the bag, containing the 3os. with which he had provided himself for his journey. The prisoner remarked at the time, " Oh, you have got some silver there, have you ?" They went on to a plate called Colney-hatch, and the prisoner proposed to put up for the night at a public-house on the road side, where, he said, a comfortable lodging could be obtained. Witness however, was desirous of pro ceeding a little further to Hampstead, over Finchley Common, and the prisoner said he knew a short way over the common. They proceeded for about a mile limber, and in getting over a stile, witness; by acci dent, fell bacl - wards into a ditch. Before he could get up, the p:Loi:er bean pulling and rolling him about, and wand threatening language, such as " your rnone:, or your life," .u.d such-like expressions. - He then pus his hand to witness's pocket, and having pulled out the bag contnining"the money, ran oft As soon as witness recovered himself, he told his story to a horse patrole, and gave an accurate description of the man. The patrole immediately went after him, and witness saw him again at the Wellington public-house, and recognised him, although in a dif ferent dress. The prisoner had a smock-frock on .hen he ram away, but had none when he saw him at the Wellington. • - Rice, the parole, stated, that in consequence of *hat the last witnets had said to him, he went after the prisoner, and came up with him about two miles on the road. The prisoner had then no smock-frock on, and had a bundle under his arm. Witness asked him what he had done wish his smock-frock. " What do you mean ?" said the prisoner " I have no smock frock." Witness then asiced him what he had in that bundle? " Oh," said he, " this is sonic of my linen." After interrogating him as to where he came from, witness was satisfied he was the man ;sand, fearing he might throw the money away, said, " If you put your hand to your pocket, I will blow your brains out." The prisoner was then taken to. a public-house, the sign of the Wellington, by the side of the road ; and the property was - found upon him, as well a's a stick which belonged to the prosecutor. Litchfield was immediately sent for to the Wellington, and was told to go up to the prisoner, and shake hands with him, if he saw him. Ile was introduced into a room, where there were six on seven persons, among" whom was the prisoner ; and, as soon as he enteied, he walked up to the prioner, holding out his hand, a , :sl saying, "You did not expect to see me again so soor.. I suppose." In the bundle which the prisoner had under his arm was a smock-frock, which he acknow ledged,was his own. . The prisoner, in his defence, denied all knowledge of the prosecutor before he saw him at the Wellington. The Jury found a verdict—Guilty.—Death. George Beek was capitally indicted for returning from transportation before the expiration of his term. The prisoner, in his defence, at first said that he had been improperly transported, and afterwards stated, that in proceeding to New South Wales, when oppo site Rio Janeiro, a soldier in the ship fell overboard ; and in endeavouring to save hint, he himself fell into the water, and remained there for six hours and a half with an iron upon his leg. When at last he did get on shore, he was unable to stand, and remained in the woods of Rio Janeiro for three or four days without clothes or victuals. The Captain who could prove this was now at sea; but upon a reference to the proper office, all would be found to be true. Mr. Justice DALLAS observed, that the prisoner had had abundance of opportunity of sending for the . papers, if he had thought proper.—Guilty—Death. John Holt was indicted for a highway robbery and stealing from the person of W. Luker, I4s. in silver. The prosecutor had, on the 20th of September, been out drinking the whole night, and on the fol lowing morning (Sunday) at seven o'clock, he came out of the Swan public-house, in Swan-yard, and the prisoner and three others followed him out, when one of them knocked him down, and the prisoner knelt upon his stomach, and taking out a knife, cut off his pocket, in which was the silver in question. Guilty—Death. John Burgess, aged 27, was tried for stealing a coat and waistcoat, value £4, out of the dwelling house of Charles Heather, a' publican, in the neigh bourhood of Grosvenor-square, where he was a lodger, and found Guilty—Death. P. Leeson was indicted for assaulting R. Little on the highway, and taking from his person a watch. The prosecutor is a money-taker at Covent Garden 'Theatre, and late on the - tight of the 9th of October he and his wife were proceeding down Charing-cross, towards their home in Petersstreet, Westminster, when they saw a mob of persons.; on coming near, the prisoner came from the crowd, and pushing aaainst the prosecutor, snatched his watch, and ran away with it towards Scotland-yard. The prosecutor pursued him, and he was taken by the watchman, and the case of the watch was afterwards found near the spot where it was taken. Guilty—Death. Thomas Herbert was indicted for stealing a 101. three 51. and several lL notes, the property of Ro bert Grimshaw.—The prosecutor was a smith by trade, living in King-street, Golden-square. The pri soner lived in the same house, and lodged in the same room. The property in question was kept in a box in the room ; and the prisoner had an opportunity of seeing it several times. One night when the prosecutor came home, he found the prisoner and his.money gone. —The prisoner acknowledged the crime. Many very respectable witnesses gave him an irreproachable cha racter for honesty. Mr. Baron GARROW, in summing rip to the Jury, very much regretted that the prisoner, by his own imprudence, had been bsour,:it into tads unfortunaLe situation. The character he had received could have! no weight with the Jury, unless a doubt were en-I tertaineclof the fact ; but it would have its effect, without doubt, in another place. In this case the prisoner had acknowledged his guilt, and no doubt could possibly exist in the minds of the Jury. A verdict of Guilty was pronounced, but accom panied with a strong recommendation to mercy both from the Jury and the prosecutor. Mr. Baron GARROW observed, that no doubt the recommendation would have its full effect. William White, aged seventeen, was tried on an indictment, charging him with breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Charles and Joseph Ince,. and stealing therein four silver spoons, a time-piece, a bottle of wine, and other articles, on the 30th of Sep tember last.—Guilty of stealing under the value of 10s. but not of house-breaking. The following were capitally convicted: Barnet Chancy, for stealing a black gelding, the property of T. Mulcock. John Franks, for stealing a chest, containing seve ral articles of wearing apparel, the property of J. black, in the dwelling-house of J. Spice. Ann Bates, for stealing a piece of printed cotton, the property of E. Pike, privately in his shop. William Tingey, alias Cripps, for stealing three heifers, the property of W. Franklin. Since the statement published on Monday, fifty more prisoners stand on the list for trial : five for house-breaking, seven for stealing indwelling - houses , thirty-seven for larceny, six pickpockets, five for issuing forged Bank notes (making seventeen persons committed for trial for this offence in the short space of three weeks.) The whole for trial exceed 3'29, and there are a number of others whose r.ames are not in the Calendar. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS. J. Peltier was indicted for assaulting W. Fuller.— From the evidence of the rosecutor, it appeared that he was in the habit of fr. venting a rouge-et-nbir table, kept by the defendant in Bennet-street, St. James's. One night as he was sitting at home, about eleven o'clock, in his house in Edward-street, Ca vendish-square, the defendant entered, accompanied by another person, called him a number of oppro brious epithets, collared him, pushed him about, told him he had employed a person to watch him for ton days, and said he thought he would find him cut at last. This was the assault complained of. But it also appeared, on the cross-examination, that the defen dant (having somehow or other taken it into his head that the prosecutor had excited his, the defendant's, son to rob the Bank at the gambling table) accused the prosecutor of making his son as great a black quard as himself. This charge the prosecutor in the ' Fullest and most unequivocal manner denied. The prosecutor's sister corroborated his testimony completely, and the defendant was found guilty, and sentenced to 14 days imprisonment. It will perhaps be recollected, that, in our Police repent, we mentioned that a woman named Bryan had been committed for the wilful murder of a child named Dugan, in consequence of having taken her out with her, into St. Giles's, aid given• her beer, spirits, &c. during the absence of the child's mother, which occasioned the death of the infant. Guided by the opinion of the Coroner, the Jury, on the In quest, returned a verdict of wilful murder against' Elinor Bryan. Yesterday the Grand Jury appeared in Court, and the Foreman stated to Mr. CoNst, the Chairman, that they had been unable to bring their minds to the conclusion that Mrs. Bryan had that' felonious intent against the child, which would war.' rant them in conscientiously finding a true bill for, wilful murder against her. They had, therefore, found a bill for manslaughter.—The Chairman said he had no doubt they bad acted very properly, and according to their consciences. WEST KENT QUARTER SESSIONS. John Curtis, who had been out on bail, appeared on the floor of the Court, charged with offences of a complexion too dark almost for conception. The indictment contained several counts, severally charg ing him with an assault on Mary Olivia Turner, a child, with an intent to commit a rape—with an as sault, with an intent to gratify his inordinate lust— to defile her mir.d and injure her morals—with an assault on her person—and with indecently exposing his person to the said Mary Olivia Turner. Mr. ADOLPHUS addressed the Jury in this case, in a speech replete with feeling and energy. Ile stated the following facts :—Mr. Tut ner, who is a timber master's assistant, in the Dock Yard of Woolwich (which situation he has held for twenty years), had long been in habits of the closest intimacy wig: the defendant, who was overseer in the same yard. The latter, about thtee years ago, went to. Mr. Turner under very distressing circumstances—that is to say, not with respect to pecuniary matters, but as regard ed his feelings as a husband and a father. He had two children, and his wife was at the point of lying in, and he could procure no habitation in which he might place his family. Mr. Turner, impelled by friendship, took kim into his house, until Mrs. Cur tis's accouchement had taken place. Instead of bei::g grateful for this act of friendship, the defendant pur sued a line of conduct the most diabolical that can be conceived. He had not beer. lo:Ig in the house of his friend, before Mary Olivia, a child of Mr. Turner's, under ten years of age, attracted his notice. He began by taking liberties with her person, which he continued with increased criminality for upwards of two years. During that period, the conduct of the defendant was such as we cannot pollute our columns by describing, and the narration of which, delivered by Mr. Adolphus with an evidently pain:ul reluctance, caused involuntary exclamations of hor ror from many of his astonished and indignant hearers : we say astonished, because the recital was of that nature, that it was difficult to suppose the man existed who could devise and perpetrate such atrocities. The child, prevented by the defendant's injunctions, at first mentioned the affair to no one except Miss Maskett, a young female companion, a little older than herself. That young Lady, at the expiration cf two years, made inquiries of Mary Olivia Turner as to whether the defendant continued his abominable practices ; and being informed that he did so, she, being by her own advanced age be come aware of the evil tendency of the defendant's conduct, told the story to a woman, who comnauth-. cated it to the pfrents: The father was at first ht-' dined to hush up the matter, to prevent a public exposure of his child ; but it being known to two 0: three persons, the story soon became a ~seneral theme of conversation . The Dock-yard was placarded, and the defendant was universally execrated as the mon ster of the age. The father by this unfortunate pub licity, felt compelled to bring the matter into a Court of Justice, though it was with the greatest pain he did so. In the course of his narrative, the Learned Gentleman made many observations on the several! parts of the case as they arose. Ile said, that he was, addressing an assembly of Christians ; he need not tell them, that man is born in sin, but regenerated by baptism. By that Holy Sacrament, a child is rendered pure, and washed from the oliginal sin in which it was conceived and born. The man who could step forth to contaminate a child so regenerate ed—to defile its pure mind—to break down the mo ral principle —was guilty of a crime of the most dia bolical nature that could be imagined. It was the act of a demon. The defendant had been guilty of that crime. In many other criminal cases, the re membrance of a man's guilt might die away, but the wickedness of the defendant's conduct wa; such, that nothing could obliterate it—even the flood of time could not wash it away. His offence was attended by every possible aggravation. Ile was a married' man, and had two children of hi: own—he was in the house of his.lsenefactor—the object of his bruta lity was the child of that benefactor—he had, by a series of acts during a long period, done all in his power to defile the mind of an infant, to undermine every feeling of modesty, propriety, and morality, which it is for the welfare and happiness of society should be inculcated in the mind of a female. Ile could not :ell v. hat defence would he set up for the conduct of the defendant. It might be said that the behaviour of the child was imoroper—that her keep ing the matter so long a secict implied consent on. Ler part. It might be attempted to show that she was guilty of levity. But suppose all that proved, how could it extenuate the conduct of the defendant?, If she had been guilty of improprieties, who was the, ,cause of those improprieties ?—The defendant ; he Who had by his nauseous criminality poisoned her mind, and led her into the paths of immorality. As to her consent, what could be drawn from that in favour of the defendant ? In law she could not con sent; she was an infant under ten years of age. She knew not right from wrong, and could not. be sen sible of the evil tendency of the defendant's acts.— Here was a man in years seducing a child to con:ent• to acts, the criminality of which her tender years prevented her from conceiving, The Leal lied Gen tleman said he remembered an observation made by a late Judge, whom he always quoted with pleasure and honour, not more on account of his legal know ledge than for his exquisite acquaintance with die human heart, and human affairs—he meant the late Chief Baron Macdonald. The observation he ann.' ded to was made in a case of seduction, where the defendant was an Officer, and the victim of his se duction a female about 14 years of age. It was at tempted to be set up as a defence, that the girl had been guilty of great levity of conduct; and amongst other things throwing stones at the defendant's win dow. His Lordship said, that such a defence was a very unjustifiable one. The girl was but a child; her acts ought to hare.been considered by a man as those of a playful child; and he ought not, as a man, to have condescended to stoop to her seduction. In _ _ the case he had just alluded to, the girl was 14 years of age; in the present instance, the child was under ten years of age; she could not consent in the eyes of the law, and her silence could be no palliation of the defendants offence. Mr. Adolphus having con cluded his address by same animated observations on the criminality of the defendant, called Maria Olivia Turner, the obj Pct of the defendant's brutality. She was an interesting child, about 13 years of age, and gave her testimony with great pre cision, and from her answers, evinced a considerable degree of intelligeuce. Her evidence went to fully' prove the facts stated by Mr. Adolphus: they wet:: so inconceivably disgusting, that, ac we before ob served, a repetition of them is impossible. it appeared that the defendant did not perpetrate the actual crime for which so many men have suffered the extreme punishment of the law, but his conduct towards her from the age of ten years, up to July last, was per haps more demoralizing—more pernicious to the, mind of the child, than an act, the repetition of which, by its speedy detection, would have been pre vented by the punishment of the offender. To add: to the guilt of Curtis, it appeared that he haz! not confined his criminality to Miss Turner, but had on one occasion scandalously exposed himself to her, in' company with his own children. Mr. ANDREW'S cross-examined her, but could elicit from her nothing to shake the credit of her testimony. In one part of the examination she burst into tears, and appeared much distressed by the questions of the Learned Counsel. Miss Muskett, a young Lady of 17 years of age, was next called, and deposed to the communication of Curtis's conduct being made to her by 3liss Tur ner, two years ago ; and of her informing the child's parents of the circumstance in July latt. Mr. Turner, a very respectable looking man, the father cf the child, was next called. He deposed that previous to this horrible discovery, he and the de fendant were on terms of the closest friendship,. titey having formerly been on service together. lle was informed of the defendant's vile conduct on the even ing of the 9th of July. The next day he went to his house, and charged him with his criminali:y. defendant acknowledged that he had acted impro perly, and expressed great contrition for what had passed. offering to make any reparation in his power. Witness told him, that the injury heltad done to him by the destruction of his child's purity and innocence was beyond the reach of reparation. After loading him with reproaches he left the house, :Ind had not spoken to the defendant since that day. Witness, in the first instance, resolved to bring the offender to justice, but his wife prevailed on him to abandon his intention, she being at the time in a state cif great nervous debility (to which she was occasionally-sub jut), and declared, tkat to Lave her child exposed in a Court of Justice in such a case, world deprive. her of reason. The matter Cad since btcome !AI public, that he was induced to Like the urcc-:sary steps for tlic punishment of the offel.der. Ile case for the prosecution .1)6%; 7.11. i a n mot .'s•.:Dnrws addree•ed the C on 4 . the defendant. Ji'")• .11 ?( • The Jury deliberated f or a slum timea verdict of—G u ilty of the as.saLlt t%'tl fact guilty on all the cou n t s of the indi ct "' a t. let- ' ocgonurnHitiltrniLyseitioccetalYiaeinrichdaoaiPeptir:t—e,innceowbphwraiconfhsi-naed‘g‘'.:fthsath're watt 4enc'r the re than ordinarily came bef ore a Court,; t,',„' ITA „: i . 4 ,7 1 5 ,. sions. As a legal offence, it ra: one -; a rious nature, and in a mo re l p s‘ c,int o f yi e • most the worst that cou ld b e committed. Ili--; duct was attended by every circutr,,trn te f Evil vation ; he had injured hi s b ene f oittrr. areiCiaW, family of his owu, had endezveured tce•r zcsl L.," 4 A ,_ struction of all moral princil 12 ir t'• e r.i n g — o • child of him who had ever treated h•ro ai a fi r „,i• The punishment which the Court i• • .,„", to inflict was very inadequate to J.c but his Lordship hoped, that the ir . , , -;sor,. would undergo would brin g hin t to rCti.-ti;!-.< penance of his crime. His Lords'aip then him to two years' inryrisonment to '-‘laid rxe,li• The defendant was a decently dress. '- in stature, and about 36 or ye: r+ • ate. The rider of the post helw cr. Thirsk, has been committed tc . I `ir 4 of Correction ft - three weeks, f n• b.... . :ttsa whilst on duty. At the Michaelmas Quarter &, s i ncs for the stern Di% ision, Ker t. :I v • ' 30, was convicted of beit.• , a 1 0g11L111,: . and wandering abroad and Harbledown—imprisoned '7 4s i at Monday, at the Gener,l Sessi•:;ts cf the Pew fr Kent, and the City of r a.sterbur-. l :eld hall, John en nselell, co - evicted i•! -1 . • Elizabeth Rasell, at fee parish - • the Martyr, in that City, on tie r:.. cf 1806, his former wife, to whoa: teamed zt the church of St. Mary, Whiteclta;.,:. , ti.e November, 178:1, being then and now ::.• tented to be imp% itoned three caleitd.r n•••ctii , . At Kildare Sessions, Mr. Dal id Pcnii. holder, was convicted, and sentmced to p,r; t. the prosecutor, a fine to the ('rewn, and :a remelt • 1 jail until the same is paid, for violently as zalf: 7 !ir George Evans, Collector to Mr. Be.,:r.e,proptit:4 • the mail-coaches at Monasterevea. • Deadly, the man who is stipro•ed •••• bare r - demi his wife and thrown her Imo the veil t ; Duke of York public house, at Promptan, vas • charged from the 98th Regiment, and entered the 80th, a detachment of which left Caathara • - the command of an Officer about three weeks b ac k. Sunday night last some villains in, he open Ca. • sham Church, and stole the branches of a large . :1 chandelier. Bow-ST seer.—Yestertiay Es . '-••••••;%.cf meet, Smithfield, was car.7ictea in peially • CS, for purchasing scme regime: tal . soldiers of the 3d Regiment of Fent fitiards. The. • • men, it appeared, had been condemned bra P.:S it mental Court 41artial, to different term; of itnpi men: for their part .of the ofierce..i.e being one, in which, to the l.nr.etii Ra-.:) nel, the Duke of GLOLICEsTr.R., ail cc-rozal puni ment is abolished. ANCLIDIST Snarl:RES.—Sir DAM 'LINDSAY, lON I Scots Poet, was a man of both cottra i ,e ard teG Ia King being one day sunotr.led by a irra-:. of Nobility and Prelates, LINDWAT appre,,..• with due reverence, and began to pc& petition, that he would instal him in an 'Stitt:shin was then vacant.—" I have," said he, .• *nit Tar Grace lang, and luik to be rewardit as ithers now your Maister Tailor (at the pleasare of Gov I depa-rtit, therefore I would desire of your Grits bestow this little bent to upon me."—Theliita plied, that he was amazed at such a request. huts t man wlko could neither shape nor uw.— c' T , joined the Poet, •• that makes nae matter; Pe ; ha'e gi'en bishoprics and benefices to mor.:•en4 here about you, and yet they can nouther -each nes preach; and why may not las weel be Irr.r TM, ; thoch I can nouther shape nor sew—semi tetd.'n and preaching are nae less requisite to . their rocant than shaping and sewing to ane ta • lcr: • A retail tradesman in a general way of h•••iness, •• Uckfield, in Sussex, has lately did z-al left to hist: milt', the immense sum of £100,72,0, itch he - lised in the course of nearly half a center;'s F IN:a . industry. His eldest son, to v.h.c:n £lOO,OOO, still pursues his fathers trade. BIRTIIS. Monday, at Canterbury, the wife of rir.tley, of a dasjibter. At Woolwich, on the 21 at lest the L. 47 of Gault, Royal Artillery, of a daughter. ter of the late Rev. R. Dean, of 1.1.1t0r..1 -Near, L • ; W W oo - d ed l n ' e Ot c s i n a ilausba l l ig , h l. t :Ci a . t of la I ED. f. 14 Week. at Norwich, 31r., shat ?:cure, I.te: ingenious Publications. :m 2o m , ain , , u t i tte nltltsatre G re at ageds, :4 t Ramsgate, 2 } l. :in w \ l ‘ ky C c a l' u p c i t t rp: ' : , s t 7. ,‘ 1 1 • c i l ; t. • down to breakfast., when he drogp•cl fr.-7.7 a., The iith inst. at Milford, Capt. isaic Croons upon her passage from Glasgow tc Sunday, at Claalfaut Ss. Gileis, ..17c1uc . .., the *state turinetiy occupied by the Poet Thursday, in her 54th year, Arabella, s. if.. if the H-rebuckle. nit 1 nth inst. at the Res. E. warkira's,ef Coi,r••' • the eizcts ut a fall from a gig oc the Ulm year, Emma, youngest lit:eater et Pelry Northampton. Dr. and Uri. Luc ock were by tb.. •••• ala7ningly bur. ear The t due4ml l . l_ sbo t r h r. i i i n i ct st was . of i b li , ss RW rond,av J evaiki llo si cd the call ; but mat appearing so won as cio.st , a:, second surc.rnons, found to be a eerple. COAL MARKET, orv. es. Ships at Marko.. Ship. Sold. in . 0! to :r• • 10 Newcastle 53 2 Sunderland n.l o Oilmen •< 0 (Intim 0 1114;i1I W A TER at LONDON Ii MO: hlustuing AfternHots - LONIVN: Printed m d published bY I.r. • ham, Temple-liar.