Star. — London, England, 1820-03-06 00:00:00

t. 1 11.11 I L'i ;1 ' I 1 i i 1 LA IV IN7LLLIGENCE. IRENIONC;EIt V. HUNT. jul CO TIT OF CHANCERY, 1.1.11iC11 4. ARLEOROLIOII GOLD PLATE. The lon° CII AND-ELIA/Pt came into Court this morn. lag at li,df-past ten o'cloA, and asked if' Mr. Wray was in Court ? Being informed that the Learned Counsel had not arrived, his Lordship said, that he wished to ask Mr. Wray ‘vhat were the valuable zoo& and chattels which his client, the Duke of Marlborough, had proposed to bring into Court, in stead of money, as security for the gold plate which he had in his possession, and why the Noble Duke bad not brought them into Court ? The Duke of Marlborough must know, said his Lordship, that he was indebted to the Court in the van of £l3OO, and if he did yet pay it into Court, he (his Lordship) must deal with him as with every other person who was in contempt. The Duke must be aware that he was in contempt at that moment for not obeying the orckr of the Court, and paying the money. c Lora) CtIANCIF.t.I.O II said, he would take an opportunity of mentioning the case again very soon. CGCET Or KING'S BENCH, MARCH 4. The LORD CLIFF JUSTICE came down to the Court at the u , 11::1 hour (half-past nine) this morn ing, having yesterday declared his intention of sitting a short time, to dispose of some undefended causes which remain en the paper, preyious to the Court adjourning over the Circuits his Lordship, who has been extremely unwell, with a violent cold, during the last week, found himself so much worse, however, this morning, that he was not able to take his seat on the Bench, and the Court, without any busines being done, adjourned over to the 10th of Apt it next. ASSIZES.-WINCIIESTEII, MARCH 2. This cause, which Mr. Hunt, of Middleton Cottage, had previously moved to postpone, was this day brought on to be • tried. It appeared that Colonel Iremonger, the plaintiff, had used every possible means, by persuasion . and notice, to prevent Mr. Hunt from committing depredations on the game, or, as it teas said, of slaughtering the game within the woods of the plaintiff, which were close adjoining Middleton Cottage, and which weir termed the pre serves. The fact-; of Colonel lremonger's repeated visits to Mr. Iluut as a Gentleman, and of rei:eated nices, in a legal form, were fully proved by the ser vants of the plaintitT. The cause was undefended ; and the Jury, under the direction .of the Learned Judge, who held the trespass to be clearly proved, re turned a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages forty five shillings. :nurrrroßD, MARCH 3. John Bell, who stands char2ed in Middlesex, with being an accomplice with Richard Be!yord, in the wilful murder of a Gentleman, named John Thomas Taylor, at Hornsey, about 18 months since (the myste rious circumstances of which are fresh in the recol lection of the Public), was tried here on two indict ments, the one charging him with stealing a lamb, and the other with stealing sixty pigeons. The evi denc. not being sufficient to support either indict ment, be was Acquitted on both. Mr. Barow ti A ItROW then ordered him to be remit ted to the County of Middlesex, to take his trial for the alleged murder abovementioned. This man was indicted at the last Assizes for the County of Essex, with a gang of desperadoes, for a burglary, three of whom were convicted and execu ted, but on that occasion he was acquitted, and moved to the jail of this County. Thomas Pertly and George Butler had been indicted for the wilful murder of Wm. Hart, who was thrown off the Holyhead mail, of which Perdy was the driver, and which had been upset by the Chester mail, of which Butler was the driver, in consequence of the misconduct of both prisoners, who had been racing their coaches, near St. Alban's, in the.month of Augut last ; but the Grand Jury having thrown out the bill for the capital offence, they were now tried on a charge of Manslaughter, and both found Guilty. The Learned JUDGE, in passing sentence, com mertted on the conduct of the prisoners in terms of strong animadversion. His Lordship laid it down distinctly, that it was unlawful for the driver of a public coach to put his horses into a gallop, and that he was answerable for all the consequences of an infringement of this law. The driver of a stage coach was bound to protect oven the intoxicated, the blind, the aged, and the helpless, against their own want of caution or prudence. Its Lordship, in this case, felt it his duty to pronounce the severest judgment that the law will allow, which was, that the prisoners be severally confined in the common jail of this County for the term of one year. Catherine Hughes and Thomas Kentish were in dicted as principal and accessory for an assault upon Eliza Harris, an infant, under the age of ten years, with intent to commit a gross outrage on her person. It is impossible to enter into a detail of the cir cumstances of this atrocious and diabolical transac tion, which excited, in an immensely crowded Colin, feelings of horror and indignation. The father of tile proeautrix is a respectable grocer in 1.ond;1, and M'.l a country-house at llemel- Hempstead, where he left the female prisoner,. Hughes, in the month of December lila, in care of his five children, with permission to another woman in the. neighbourhood to sleep in the house, and keep the. prisoner company. Na sooner was Mr. Harris's back turned, than these infamous women admitted into the house their paramours. On The 10th of Mcen:ber, the atrocious transaction in question took place. The prisoner Kentish was aided in his nefa rious purpose by the prisoner Hughes ; the health of the unhappy child is seriously injured. The case was proved by the most conclusive evidence, and the Jary found the prisoners Guilty. They were sentenced to three years' imprisonment eaJ: in Hertford jail. William Catlin . was convicted of burglary ; and Dollimore and Joseph Newman were convicted of sheep-stealing. I , , , nky and Drummond, now incarcerated in Ches tcr Ca:Ate, for liot and sedition, have, for certain re fr.►ctory act, been put in iroas. MURDER AND ARSON. FARTHER PARTICULARS. We-gave on Saturday a brief statement of a care of murder and arson, committed in the town of Wool wich, bent, on Friday night last, not exceeded, in point of atrocity by any which stain the calendar of crimes in this country. The-persons murdered were Mr. Thomas Parker, a venerable old gentleman, up wards of severity years of age, and Sarah Brown, his housekeeper. Mr. Parker, had formerly been an eminent gold Smith, residing in London, and had retired to Woolwich, to spend the evening of his days in comfortable retirement. He had amassed a competent property, and lived in a neat house sitoate in Mulgrave-place, Red Lion-street, at a short distance from the Artillery barracks. He was an inoffensive gentlemanly man, very much respected by the whole neighbourhood. His only servant was Sarah Brown, a steady woman of about 40-years of age, who had lived with him three years. She too was well known by the neighbours, and was gene rally respected. On Friday evening, nothing parti cular was observed about the premises. Mr. Parker was occasionally seen at the bow-window of the par lour in which he usually sat, and his servant was seen engaged in her ordinary avocations. NVe should here state, that while the front of the house looks into Red Lion-street, at. the back there a small garden, terminated by a high paling, which divides it from a narrow lane, which is a common thorough fare. The day closed without any suspicion being excited ; but at one in the morning, the sentinel on. duty at the north arch of the Artillery-barracks ob served a dense smoke rising from Mr. Parker's house. He instantly gave an alarm, and several of the artil lerymen rushed forth to give assistance. They soon reached the spot which had attracted notice, and there found the flames bursting from the parlour win dow. The men rapped at the door with great vio lence to awaken the inmates, who, it was supposed, were asleep, and insensible of their danger. To their humane efforts no answer was returned ; a death-like silence prevailed within. The cry of " fire" soon spread, and two engines arrived on the spot, and commenced playing into the window. Corporal An- I Jerson and Corporal Poutis, who were present with. their men, now resolved to force the street door, and, if possible, to rescue Mr. Parker and.his servant from their impending fate. The resolution was no sooner, formed than carried into effect, and these brave men, followed by others, rushed into the passage. From thence they went up stairs into the front room on the first. floor ; here the ravages of the fire were percep- I tibl? ; the furniture of a bed, which was of moreen (a woollen manufacture), had been partly consumed, and the embers still smoked. In the bed itself, there was no vestige of a human being. The men then ran into the bed-room on the second floor, which via, found in flames; but the devouring element was soon extinguished. The search which was made for Mr. Parker here was also fruitless, as it was also in a back room in the first floor ; neither he nor his ser vant could be found. Every exertion was now turn ed toward suppressing the flames in the parlour, which were gradually extending, by means of the window-frame, to the room above. A hole was cut in the floor of the bed-chamber, through which water was poured ; and by this means, added to the inces sant playing of the engines without, the danger was subdued. In a short time the parlour door was thrown open, and Lyons, a man belonging to the Artillery band, entered. He looked eagerly round in search of the hapless tenants ; he perceived a heap of something lying behind the door, and he approach ed and attempted to lift it up, when he found it to be part of a human body. The man called to his companions, who now joined him, and a second body, which proved to be that of a female, was found stretched in the same place, although not so much burnt. All hope of restoring life had fled, and the bodies were left in this situation for some time, no duubt being entertained that they were thoSe of the unfortunate Mr. Parker and his servant. A further investigation of the premises now took place, when it was perceived that blankets had been nailed up against every window, as if to conceal from those without the appearance of the flames within. This led to a more minute examination, and it was ascer tained that fire had been communicated in three dif ferent and distinct places, no one place having the slightest connexion with the other : that is to say, in the parlour on the ground floor, in the bed-chamber on the first floor, and in the bed-chaniber on the se cond floor. From this it was concluded that there had been some foul play,.but by whom yet remained a mystery. Sentinels were placed round the house, and at break of day the investigation was renewed. The dreadful truth then burst upon the horror-struck spectators. The bodies of Mr. Parker and his ser vant were examined. The former was burnt nearly to a cinder ; the left leg and foot, on which there was a black silk stocking and a shoe, only remains entire. The skull, however, although the flesh was burnt off, remained whole, and afforded convincing testimony of the commission of a most foul and de testable murder - on the left side, towards the back, there was a terrific fracture.. The body of the woman was next examined, 'and here, if doubt existed before, it was completely re moved. The unfortunate creature lay stretched upon her face ; her apparel was partly consumed, and her hair, which was long, was spread in dis hevelled locks about her. She was lifted upon a table, and the cause of her death became at once perceptible. A horrible wound, inflicted apparently with a blunt intrunieut, appeared over her eye, and at the back of her head were three deep fractures, which some imagined might have been produced by a bayonet, or some such weapon. Two men are in custody on suspicion; the onehad worked, as an occasional gardener, for Mr: Parker. The Constables in the neighbourhood were on the alert. Mr. Champion, the High Constable of Wool wich, took charge of the premises. Bennett, the Bow-street patrole, and Tucker, an officer, of Dept ford, were likewise on the spot, in order to gain such particulars as might enable them to go in pursuit of the offenders. CORONER'S INQUEST, ON THE BODIES OF MR. THOMAS PARKER, AND HIS SERVANT, SARAH BROWN; BEFORE -•-• CARTTAR, ESQ. CORONER FOR THE COUNTY OF RENT. • The Jury summoned to inquire into the circum stances attending the death of Mr. Parker and his housekeeper, first assembled at one o'clock on Satur- ho d d a ie y s . l - ay Th , proceeded rtaktiongthae minute n tvie 'shich .I ' vof ttihlce• re mains of those unfortunate persons, they returned to the Red Lion Tavern, where, upon a short consulta tion, they agreed to adjourn until six o'clock in the evening, in order .to afford an opportunity for col lecting such evidence as was likely to throw alight • upon the horrible and mysterious transaction. At six o'clock they accordingly met. • The first witness called was Thomas West, one of the Woolwich watchmen, wlin stated, that at about half-past two o'clock on Saturday morning, as he passed Mr. nuke/7's, in Mulgraye-place, his attention was attracted by a smoke which he saw issuing from the top of the house. He thought it proceeded from the chimney being on fire, and immediately began rapping at the door to alarm the inmates. There was no indication that he was heard. Ile listened attentively, and thought he heard a crackling within, as of wood burn-' ing. He then rapped still louder, and sprang his rattle. The neighbours wet e alarmed, and rose from their beds, and he soon saw several soldiers come from the barracks. They were joined by some of the sur rounding inhabitants, and it was observed that afire was raging in the parlour. The soldiers then re solved on breaking open the door, and proceeded to do so immediately. They entered the house, and, ac companied by others, went up stairs. Witness re mained in the street, to take care of some of the fur nituic which was brought out. He did not patrols Melgrave-place the whole night.. John Both and Thomas Ring had been there before him. He spoke to these men, but they had seeks nothing of the fire as they went their rounds. John Hay, the Barrack-master of Woolwich Bar racks, deposed, that he arrived at the house of Mr. Parker, with an engine, soon after the alarm was given. He assisted in playing the engine and in ex tinguishing the flames. He afterwards entered the house, and went up stairs. In the bed-room. on the first floor he saw there had been a fire, but it had gone out. The curtains of the bed is ere much burnt. He then went up stairs to the room over, and found that the bed there had also been in flames. The feathers were strewed about, and there was a sub stance among them which looked like pitch.—[The Jury had examined this substance, but thought it was produced solely by the burning of the feathers.] The bed-curtains and the greater part of the bedding were destroyed. He saw several drawers standing open, and articles of linen strewed about the floor. He did not think this could have happened after he had gained admission to the house. At half-past two, the fire in the parlour was got under. Ile then discovered that fire had been communicated to the 'house in three different parts, none of them connec ted with each other—namely, in the pat lour, in the bed-room over the parlour, and in the attic over that again. The door of the parlour was at length forced open, and, after the smoke subsided, he, with others, entered. He saw a heap lying behind the door, which proved to be two human bodies, the one stretched across the other. Ile saw a man attempt to lift one of them up, but the body came asunder. He afterwards saw them laid upon a table. One proved to be a female, and on examining her head, he discovered two dreadful wounds over the eyes. She bled at the mouth and nose, but was quite dead. He was satisfied that she had come to her death by violence previous to the file. The other body was so much burnt, that lie could scarcely distinguish it to be a human figure, except from the leg and foot, which remained perfect. David Riacks, a bombardier, deposed, that he was one of the persons who broke in the door in question. He was sure the door was not bolted, but was on the spring lock. This witness confirmed the last as to the state of the premises. He saw several boxes open, and wearing apparel lying about the floor. Stephen Hannard, an apprentice to Mr. Hudson, a carpenter, in Woolwich, deposed, that he resided with his mother, in Nlulerve-place. He was alarmed by the cries of " Fire!' and got up. On reaching Mr. Parker's house, he found some soldiers breaking °penile door. He went and fetched an adze, with which he knocked the parlour-door off the hinges. He then broke the window from the outside, and knocked in the shutters. He afterwards went up stairs, and found blankets nailed against the windows. The back-door was fastened on the inside with a piece of timber. William Champion, a constable s proved that he was called up, and went to the house after the tire had been extinguished. He, found the drawers and boxes in the different rooms open, and several articles strewed about the floor. In the kitchen, he found a pair of silver sugar-tongs, and in a cupboard, also in the kitchen, he discovered a silver table-spoon. He also found, near the spot whore the bodies lay, a bunch of keys. Ile had since remained in charge of the property. William Raven, a shoemaker, was then called, to speak to the identity of the bodies. He had known air. Parker and his housekeeper for several years. He had made shoes for the flamer. He went to see the remains of two human bodies in Mr. Parker's house. It was impossible to recognize their persons. One was burnt neatly to a cinder. There was a black silk stocking and a shoe on the foot of one of the bodies. He examined the shoe ; and although he could not swear he had made it, yet he could speak with certainty to its being Mr. Parker's. He remem bered Mr. Parker bad sent to him, by his housekeeper, three or four months before, a shoe to.be stretched. In the stretching, a part of the upper leather was, burst. He repairea the breach, and under the parti cular circumstances in which the shoe was presented to him be had no doubt it was the same shoe he then I had in his possession, and he Was equally well satis fied that the remains he saw were those of Mr. Parker.: He examined the body of the, female who was found in the parlour, and was sure it was Mr. Parker's housekeeper. He could give no account of their death but ,by surmise. Mr. Itidout, the High Constable, proved that the shoe produced had been taken from the foot of the body found in Mr. Parker's house. W. Heaven, a shopkeeper in Mulgrave-place, de posed, that he had seen the body of the female fount In Mr. Parker's house, and was sure it was that of Sarah Brown. He could, not speak to the other body. ' Isabella Jointure, lives opposite to Mr. Parker's House. She knew Mr. Parker and his housekeeper very well. She saw the latter about sine o'clock on. TlVay, and spoke to her. She had some meat on a plate, and seemed to have been at the butcher's. She saw Mr. Parker about four : he was . standing at the window, with his spectacles on. Witness's window commanded a view into Mr. Parker's parlour ; and if there was a light in the room, she could see him sit down to all his meals. Other neighbours could do the same. She made no observation after four o'clock. She frequently saw the old Gentleman standing at his window. She did not know his age ; but the housekeeper was at least 40. Mr. Wm. Patten, a Surgeon, was next examined : lie saw the remains of two dead bodies in the house to which the other witnesses had alluded. Oile of them was much disfigured ; so much so, that it was impossible to recognize it. He knew that Mr. Parker had lived in that house. The other body was that of a female. He did not know, Sarah Brown, and could not swear to whether it was her body or not. He examined the bodies, ae:d discovered an extensive fracture on the back pay of the head of the woman. Thete was another fracture above the right eye, and the face was much di:fiured, as ii horn violent blows. Either of the fractures which he saw would have been sufficient to produce death ; and therefore he believed the cause of her death was one or other of these blows, and not the fire which had' surround ed her. The other corpse was in the most di eadful state—the skull was still preserved ; he examined it, and found a piece of the parietal bone completely broken and depressed. There was also a fracture on the temporal Lone. Either of these fractures was sufficient to have occasioned the death of a human being. These wounds appeared to have been given with a blunt instrument, such as a hammer. The wounds on the woman might have been given with the claw of a hammer. The wounds might have been inflicted with one or both of these instruments. A cooper's hammer, and a claw hammer of a si milar description, were then produced. These were found in the cellar, under the parlour, the floor of which had been burnt through. There was no means of accounting for the manner in which these hammers had got into the cellar ; but they might have fallen through the parlour Roor.--.. They were a little rusty, but it could not be ascer tained by the candle light whether they were stained with blood or not. This was the whole of the. evidence taken. CARTTAR, the Coroner, then summed up the whole of the facts, dwelling upon all the suspicious circumstances, and leaving the Jury to draw their own conclusion as to the cause of the de:tth of the parties upon whose case they v..eie to decide. • The Jury, after a short consultation, found a ver dict of—Wilful murder against some person or persons tin ;noun. The. inquiry was not brought to a conclusion till twelve o'clock at night. From the back door being found fastened, it is conjectured that the miscreants by whom this horrid: offence was perpetrated escaped by the front entrance, which was secured by a spring lock ; and as Mr. Parker and his servant were in the habit of retiring early to rest, it is supposed the murder must have been committed before nine o'clock. There were marks of footsteps in the garden ; but these, on exa mination, did not appear to have been recently made. At present no clue has been found to the vile assas sins; but the most vigilant inquiries have been set on foot by the Magistrates and Constables of the neigh bourhood. One Hundred Guineas reward has been offered for the apprehension of the offender or offenders. Mr. Parker had lived twenty years in Woolwich. He has an only daughter, who is married to a person of the name of Jackson, at Walthamstow, Essex. Mr. Jackson was on the premises the whole of the day yesterday. A murder was committed on Monday last, in tEe neighbourhood of Kilrush, by an abandoned female of the name of 13ridget AJ'Tigue, with some blunt instrument, on the person of Catherine M'Grath, liv ing in service wirh Laurence Houlihan, who was un fortunately from home that day, but on his return ing in the evening found the deceased lying dead close to the hearth, her head shockingly mangled. = It seems that the clothes of .the victim was the only inducement which urged the execution of this foulest of all crimes. The murderer was apprehended our the following morning. Saturday se'nnight, the Lady of 1)r. Danvin, of a daughter- Monday, at Deal, the Lady of Captain M'Culloch, of his . tda • jesty's ship Severn, of son. • MARRIED. February 24, at Guernsey, the Rev. N 161013.8 Carey, Chapiain to one of his *Majesty's Chapels-Royal, St. James's, to Niartla, second daughter of John Serrv, Esq. Guertv sr; February 24; •at Yoxall, Francis Close, Esq. B.A. of Sr. .klm's College, Ctlmbridge, to Anne 1). third daughter of tLe Lite kev. John Arden, of I.on3ort.lt Dail, in the county of Stafford. Monday se'nnlght, at Aston, near Birmingham, the Rev. Hyla llslden, M.A. of l'embroke College, Oxford, to Aree, youngest daughter of the late James Richards, Esq. Camp Ilia. February 17, W. G. Mackni,;ht, Ess. of Green Castle, .la 7 maks, to Fliza, youngest daughter of Thomas glanders, Edq. of the Crescent, . Thursday, at St. Saviour's, Southwark, Captain J. N. Button. of his Majesty's 53d Regiment of Infantry, to Martha, second daughter o; Richard Baker, Esq. of Barham llouse, Herts. DIED. The Rev. Jelin Davies, Rector of Longworth, Berks. Wedr.esday, at Cannock, Jane, the wife of the Rev. C. Dates, of that place. Wedr.esday se'rnight, at his house in Windsor Castle, the Rev. William Cookson. 1). D. aged 6.5, one of the Canons of Windsor, and Deputy Clerk of the Closet. 'Ft:es:lay aer.v.il - ,ht, aged C 3, :lit Rev*. T. S. Stahl, U.A. and 'Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. Sunday se'noight, In Lower Brookestreet, the Rev. John Tokc, Vicar'of Ikaksbourne, and Rector of Harbledown, is the county of Kent. Monday, at 14, house in Dv/mstake-street, at an advar-ett age, General Thomas Hartcup. February 11, at Rothesay, in his s3d year, John Blain. E-c.. late Collector of the Cmtonis there, Sherifi"Substitute of tt Gounty of Ilute, Commissary of the Isles, &c. Feb. 18, Robert Jeffery, commonly known throughtint tkt kingdonl by the name of the Governor of Sombrero," win.. some years ago, was left *n the desolate island of that name. February 21, at South Abbey-cottage, near Cabe.t.... town, Isle of Man ',ll the 61st year of her age, Mrs. EiizabLas Wrixop, wid o w of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Wrixti::, 50th not. December 10, in the !shed of Antigua, West Indies, after an illness of only AI:: days, Charles Salisbury Butts, I. 111611-WATER it LONDON DRID(;E TO- - ..701i11t):V .31i rnir.g - - .. ' 4! trdnutes :far 6 Afternoon - - - 84 -...--- 6 LONDON : punted and published by Lrsza. Knit, Pic K , . Place, Teniple-Bar l U t II D 19 al Likdos % . . .. .•• -*: . • 1.11555.1.. XV 111 T H C I G is the i - : ) 1' hat any w k'orenoc •Ircun th of the 1, -GHAT c:f these LO , :: Conti :: T Th D ro , $, 1749 to o C a:: 1 • • HE P In One N. rals ; an with a r designec A Set Scier.c;:, Print , Al, 'ml fi liernoil sbop of (Peter ] 1 ' • Aujor grave, . s lirin:lle Tatham lington, The :rntnts, 1 and an • Printed Vols. L This da , T"' Cost Leigh ; V den. 'I had on c portant The 1 Cha-acti cord his nea'ion 1 astfar as . Lohdoa ME wily PI • • '. l lel tte4 I • Svo. am , fa. Id ' . Second .4lIP.1)- i - :3* Li 4. M ... ' 'l'ourtle S. Li ' . 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