Star. — London, England, 1803-01-17 00:00:00

OLD BAP,E r. ('n Sain• clay eleven prifonei s were tried, nine ••••••.. m conviaed nt felony, viz. • r; r, wh , wascharged withtherapifair ; f o: is _:.slay robbery, by forcibly taking fro, it: it of joki h Thompion, on die 271 h S.V.:Mher, on the King's higlm ay, t one poun. of England notes, the property of J. fcp ' Thompion the elder. loleph 1 4 hompt;' , ', a boy about 12 years of age 0 ced, that lie was in the trnploy of his uncle, Mt ,mpion, a meichant in Lombard flreet „• that r-n the eveMng of the 27th of September Nit, he c•cer five and li', ecl )ck in the evening, he . was :it to pay two pounds in notes to john blefcltine. fees ant of his uncle's, who lodged at the Sara , en's Head. in Camontile-fir:et ; lie taw him at door, and jut' as he was delivering the notes, k tae prif;,IICT cane up, and Matched them out of : there were one or two other perfons car the door at the time, but he was politive it was the prifoner who thatched the notes out of his hand. Hefeltine immediately caught hold of the ptifoner—the notes were inflantly dropped, and the witnefs picked them up : one of the notes was very much torn. The witnefs told Hefeltine of the eircumflance, who laid to the prifoner, " I in lid upon your mating this note good." The in loner faid he would do fo, if he, Heleltine, would come with him to his mallet's ; the witnefs kept the notes until the next day—Hefeltine and ano ther perfon accompanied the prifoner: on the next day he delivered the notes to Hefeltine. He /41W no more of the prifoner until the 16th of De cember, when he was in cuttody at Bow-flreet; he inflantly recognized him, and was now politive of his identity. The WitnefTes were exynined apart. John Hefeltine sefethen called in, (worn, and related as follows:--On the evening of the 27th September, I was Ambling at the door of the Sa racen's Head : it was on a Wednefday—the Sara cen's Head is a public-huufe in Camomile.flreet ; the prifoner, two other men, and a woman came vp near the door. Soon after, Jofeph l'hompfon, my mallet's nephew, came to pay me come notes —when the boy took them out, the prifoner mated in between us two, and fnatched them out of the boy's hand—they were taken at one fnatch. I caught the prifoner by the collar, he inftantly drop ped the notes—the boy picked them up, and faid to me, " John there is one of them almoft tore to pieces." Of courfe I faid to the prifoner, I infift upon your making that note good. The prifoner faid, he would ill would go with him to his mar ter—l went with the prifoner, one of the men came with us. We went down Camomile -greet ; at the bottom of the ftreet I met Benjamin Mayo, he afked me where I was going ? I told him with this man (meaning the prifoner) to his mailer's to get a note reftified, which he tore out of my maf. ter's nephew's hand. Mayo laid he would go with us and fee me righted. The prifoner took us into la narrow alley called Skill-alley, acrofs Houndfditch ; we could not walk abreaft in it— the prifoner went firft, I followed, Mayo followed me, and the prifonet's companion walked laft. 'A little way up the alley there was a turning to the right hand, at the fecond door beyond that the prifoner knocked two or three times ; as foils) as he had knocked, he turned fuddenly round, and drew out a knife, or tome (harp cutting inftro ment, apparently out of the fleeve of his coat—l immediately turned to Benjamin Mayo, and faid, 4. there is a knife."—l dropped a little back, on which the prifoner advanced, and firtick the knife through Mayo's cheek, into his mouth, flying at the time, " There you bloody —, that's m y Mailer !" The ptifoner's companion then knocked me down with a flick, or the butt end of a bayonet. I could not tell which, and beat me with both his hands very much. While I was down Mayo and the prifoner had a fcuffte together ; the prifonees companion, in tanning to aflift him, jumped over me. I then endeavoured to get up, when, jut" as I was riling on my hands and knees, the prifoner flept afide, and nabbed me on the left fide of the back, on which I fell down again, and the ptifo ter and his companion made their efcape. The coat and waiftcoat and Chia I had on then, 'Piave kept der fince, they are all cut through, and the thin is all over blood; they are now in Court." The clothes were then produced, '[hewn to the Court and Jury, and appeared to be ilia as the witnefs had defcribed. Benjamin Mayo was then called, and his tali mony fully corroborated the account given by the laft witnefs : lie added, that in confequence of the wound which ht received in his cheek he was con fined more than fix weeks ; they never law the prifoner till about the middle of 'aft month, when he was in cuftody at Bow-greet. The prifoner being called upon for his defence, faid, " I know no more of it than the child un born." No witneffes appeared in his behalf. The RECIIRDER then entered upcn his charge to the Jut y. As to the capital pat t of the charge, that of the highway robber v. be obfervcd, that it was by no means fuppot Led by the evidence; ftlr it appeared there was no performl violence ufed, or auy ftruggle between the partie., it was merely a snatching, and of that nature !which did not amount to the offence in queflion : the charge of lat ceny then alone remained, refpcfling which they could eafily determine from what they had heard. The Jury infiantly delivered their verdict— Guilty of (leafing, but not of taking violently from the perfon. The Recoense then addrelTed the prifoner to the following aka :—!! It is a fortunate thing for you, prifoner, though poffibly an unfortunate thing for the public, that you had not flopped the lad before you took the rotes, or used the requifite d e gree of violence, for then it would have been found a highway robbery, and under the particular circumflances of your cafe, and confidering the manner in which you condueled yourfelf, I should Iv: thought it my duty to reprefent yon as a pro per objcft fct fpecdy and exemplary puniflnent, by an ignominious death at the gallows. But, as t!.e cafe flood, it was Olt that the benefit of the law flould be extended to you, and, under your. convik!'llon, thole laws allow me no power to pnnifl '7 n beyond what lam about to do and I waft t to be generally underftood, that whenever A erfo n , cireumftanced as you were, draws out a or other °field - we weapon, and ufes it as .0 have done, I hold it to be my duty to punillt , ich offender in the moll rigotous manner, even i;it death, in cafe the law Inould allow it. I la- • , .nt, prifoner, that it is not in my power (and, haps, the public may hereafter Puffer by it) to adjudge you to any severer punishment than that you be—Tranfported for the term of feven years, to fuch parts beyond the feat as his Majefty, with •the advice of his Privy Council, fSall dire& and appoint." Notwithßanding tehut had palled, the priconer had the ciitninal audacity to affi. the Court to order that a few trilling things, together with his knife, which had been taken from him by the Officers, fhould he reltored; on which the RE CORDER rebuked his film:idyls effrontery in proper terms. He told him he was not a fit perfon to be trufted with a knife ; befides, being a convicted felon, deprivation of property was a part of his puniffiment—what property he had now veiled in the Sheriffs. DA:, for healing two raver tablelpoons ' and other articles, in the apartments of Hendley Sufrnan, a Lady refilling in New Lifle-greet. Sarah Lennox Elated, that about the end of lag month the prifoner called one evening at her mif trefs's lodgings; (he was not at home. He laid that he fhould wait her return, and the witnefs (hewed him up (lairs, and left him in the room, in order to get paper to write a note. She heard him loon after coming down, and the plate rattle in I his pocket. She got affillance from the landlord, and the articles, being two filveetable fpnons, a filver milk pot, and a watch and feats, were taken from him. The prifoner laid it was all a joke, and defired them to let him go. He made no defence. The Earl of CaTills and Dr. Blanc appeared to the prifoner's chara&er, but they could not fpeak precufelv to it. Lord Cahllis Paid, that he knew the priioner's parents, who were his tenants, and very refpe4lable people. Dr. Blanc Paid, that the prifo ner had been recommended to his notice by the Noble Earl : and that he confidered him a man of information and talent : he had been educated as a furgeon. • The Jury found him guilty of healing tct the extent of 395. which does away the capital part of, the charge. James Dearing, for healing T s yards of ribbon, the property of hleffrs. Weil and Spragg ; James Tyler, for healing three pair of woman's (hoes, the. property of Lewis Lawrence. He was ordered to be privately whipped and difcharged ; Hugh Charles, and Henry Burgefs, for healing a leg of pork, the property of William Jenkins ; William Jones, for healing a 11. Bank note, the property of Jofeph Thompfon ; John Dixon, for healing a great coat and other articles, the property of Kidd %%rake ; and Sarah Robinfon, for Sealing a printed I calico gown, the property of James Burrell. Muaosa.--yolas Frederick Tire was indiEted for *faulting John Goldfmith, on the evening of Mon day Ta ft, the loth of January, and with a knife, felonioufly and wilfully (tabbing hini in the belly,' thereby giving him a mortal wound, of which he languiffied till the next day, and then died. Mr. KNAPP, who opened the profecution, Oat ed. that the deceafed was a watch-finifher. On. the loth of January, the prifoner had reforted to a public-houfe, in Whitecrofs.areet ; he was then; in company with feveral perfons ; one laid that words had been made ufe of by the prifoner, on a former night, which another denied. A wager of a guinea was laid, and it was decided in layout of the perfon who laid the prifoner had ufed the words ; this excited his indignation ; he laid he would go for his knife ; he went to his houfe, and brought a knife; he placed himfelf againft the fire, and laid, whoever came near him Ihould have it in him. At this time the deceafed came in, and was palled againft the prifoner; there was an im mediate cry that the prifoner had got a knife; they aid, 4 , Poker him;" the deceafed went towards him with a pair of tongs, when the prifoner plunged the weapon in his bowels; the unfortu. nate man died on the day afterwards. The Learned Counfel obferved, that there was no ground for imputing malice afore thought to the prifoner, becaufe the deceafed was unknown to him : the object of their inquiry would, therefore, be merely, whether he had been guilty of Man. Oaughter ? Mr. Jake ROOTER was of opinion the provaea tion was fufficient to prevent the prifoner being convicted of murder. Witneffes were then examined, and proved the faith, as Rated by Mr. KNAPP. The prifoner was found—Guilty, and fentenced to be imprifoned in Newgate for one year, and to pay a fine of one (billing. And two were acquitted, one of whom was Levis itirhardt, indieted for uttering a bill of Exchange for 4501. with an indorfement upon it forged, he, at the time of uttering fuch bill, well knowing fuch indorfemeat to be forged. The Runt Ratement of the cafe was this :—The prifoner, who had been iuthe army for fome time, and vac called Capt Richards, went into the King's Bench prifon for debt, and became what was called the Chum of a pelfon named M'Connel. A Bill of Exchange was tranfmitted from New Hamp(hire, in America, to a Gentleman of the name of M'Con nel, in London, direEted John M'Connel, Efq. Lontion ; the diredtion being In general, the per , fon to whom this letter was defignated could not be found, and therefore the letter was placed in the proper lepartmcnt at the Poll Office, and the direttion of it inferted in the lift which is put up in the yard of the Poll Office, to be claimed in the ufual form : fome time afterwards, the words " King's Bench," were written in pencil oppofite to the direftion fo put up, fignifying that the let•,! ter belonged to a perfon in the King's Bench pri:, fan ; accordingly it was given to the pollman who ' delivers the letters there, and it was by him deli vered to Jas. M'Connel, Efq. N 0.4, jn 5, King's Bench prifon. This 11i11 was drawn on the houfe of Dickcnfon and Co. and it bcink. refentcd to them for acceptance, they accepted it. Afterwards, by tome body or other; an indoißment was made on this bill, purporting to be the indorfement of the payee. M'Connel applied to the prifoner to get this bill difcounted tor him, they being very intimate with each other, having been for leveral months Chums together in prifon : Richards, the prifoner, now at the bar, having applied to be dif charged under the Infolvent Aft, and having ifuc ceeded, Jas. M'Conncl made a fonilar application, but was remanded. Richards undertook to try to get the bill difcounted ; he had lonic dealings with a genticoom in the City, of the name of Hog, and had owed him the rum of tol. for which Mr. Hog fuel him ; and the coils amounting to three gui neas, Richards agreed to arrange matters, and gave to Mr. Hog a Bill of Exchange for 131. t 3s. This bill was not paid when it became due. Some time afterwards Mr. Hog. met Richards on Snow Hill, and acculed him of milcondua, in not pay ing his bill when it became due ; to which he anfwered that lie had a bill for 45°1. accepted by a perfectly refpeetable houfe in the City, and which had fume time to run, and if Mr. Hog would dif- count ii, he fhoulcl be paid his bill immediately. Mr. Hog laid, that if the bill was a good one, he (hould have no abjection, and defired Richards to leave the bill with him at his houfe, that he might inquire whether the bill was a good one or not. j Richards brought to Mr. Hog the bill, who took it to the acceptors, where he was told the bill was perfectly good, and therefore Mr. Hog agreed to difcount the bill, on condition of having his own demand paid. He had, however, no more money on the intlant than 4001. and a fraction, and there fore Richards agreed, by way of accommodation to Mr. Hog, to take that fum, and a bill of his, payable at a future day, which was done accord ingly. Some time after this, the real payee of the bill, John M'Connel, Efq. who refides near Rea ding, in Berkfhire, having received a duplicate of the bill, caukd inquiry to be made at the Poll Office, from which the bill was traced, by means of the above letter, to Jas. M'Connel, No. 4, in 5, King's Bench prifon, and then the forged indorfement was dircovered ; and on infpeaion it appeared to be indorfed Jas. M'Connel, although the real payee was John M'Connel. There was not the lean connexion whatever be tween James M'Connel, the prifoner in the King's Bench, and Mr. John M'Connel, the real payee of this Bill ; they were not fo much as known to each other. The angle queflion in this cafe was, whe ther Richards, at the time he uttered the Bill, that is, when he got it difcounted by Mr. Hog, knew the indorfement upon it to be a forgery or not ? His defence was, that he had had many dealings with James M'Contiel while they were in Prilir, together, and that upon the balance of accounts, ' James M'Connel owed him Sol. That he always tuiderflood James M'Corinel to be a mats of haze nrOpertY; he knew that' in his fchednle he had aated to his creditors an:account of property to the amount of 4.0,0001. •That lie had fat/, lone time before this letter arrived with the Bill in tine(' tion, he expeaed a remittance to a conllderabie amount, and that when it came, he thOug)it every thing was fair. James M'Connel applied to him to get the Bill acceptedi which be did; and after wards applied to have 4 difcounted, which he did of Mr. Hog, with whom be had had lonic deal. ings before. That he might have teen that the indorfement was Jas. M'Connel inaead of John, who was the real payee, but that it was not won derful it efcaped him, fence the fame overfight hap pened to Mr. Hog, who Wili a man of bulinefs. That when he brought the money to James hl'Con nel, he paid him 51. on account of his balance, &c. That he knew nothing of the Bill,further than he was informed by James M'Connel, and that he aged in the whole matter merely as James Mac- Conners agent, &c. A woman of the name of Sarah Hawkesfwore that the heard a converfation in the King's Bench Prifon between Jas. M'Connel and the Prdoner Richards, to the circa now (fated by Richards, and Mat the taw J. M'Connel give the bill to Richards, and afterwards Richards pay M'Connel the money, arc. but her evidence was liable to much obfervation, (he lived a long time on a foot ing of intimacy with both the Pnioner and James M'Connel, and was fometimes caUed by the name of M-Connel, &c. It appeared alto that there was a long corre ' fpondence between Richards after he came out of the King's Bench Ptifon and James M.Connel, and that they were minutely acquainted with many of each otherspecuniary concerns, and that Richards had molt extravagantly mifreprefented to Mr. Hog, the circurnflatices of James 2.l‘Connel, laying his fchedule was 40,e001. by which Mr. Hog thought his effects amounted to that fum, arid that he had gone into the country leaving the ma. nagement of his affairs to Agents in London,when he knew perfcely that he was a Pastier is the King's Bench Prifon, &c. The CH I RR BARON Of tile E Kr /4 EVER Obfa Ved to the Jury, that this was a cafe depending entirely on circumflances, there being no direa proof either that the Prifoner law the forgery of this Indorfe ment committed, or that he knew it was commit. ted ; but circumflances, when they were all clear, and confident, and tending to one concluflon, were as fatisfaaory as clear politive proof, and often more In, becanfe they were more difficult to fabricate than a fhort tale of porative proof. With regard to circumflantial evidence he took the rule to be this, that when citcuma•nces were related by thofe whole teflimony was'not incredible, and all tended to one rational ciinclufion, without any mixture of doubt, and that they were abfolutely inconfiflerq with the innocence of a pet-fon accufed of a crime, the only fair inferencein Inch a Cafe was, that the accufed was guilty. But if it ap peared that although all the circumflances related be true, duty were not abfolutelyinconliflent with the innocence of a Prifoner, but that it was pot. fible lie flight be innocent, although all circum• Rances (fated again !' him be true; then, however 'doubtful the cafe m ight be, the accufed was enti tled to the benefit of fetch a doubt, and fo acquit ted. So- the Jury would apply this rule to the , Erefeat cafe. If they thought that, from all cit.. cumflances in proof before thew. it Was parable for the Prifoner to be ivor4nt of the forgery o f this Indorfement, and that thelfehnocts he had uttered concerning James M.Connel, were merely dut of attachrttent to him, to vamp stli credit, when, if the truth had been-known, it would have been'difficult for him to obtain any, why then, whatever cheating 'may havi b een in this cafe, the prifoner was not guilty of the crime imputed to him, and therefore he would he mi.. tied to his acquittal. On the other hand, if, lions the cireumlllnccs, the Jury were fatisfied that he mull haie known the Indorfement to be h Fotgc ry, it would be a duty to the Public to And hint b • His*Lordllsip - fummed up the svhbl e evi dence to the Jury, and made many fuitable fervations on the moll material parts, leaving the quetlion of guilt or innocence entirely to them. The Jury withdrew, and in lull an hour, re , turned a verdict of Not Guilty. r_~ SURREY SESS:ONS. THE KING v. NETTLIF/I Lu.---IVilliam Nettle field was indicted for alfaulting Thomas Mar, a watchman, while in the execution of his office. The profecutor (laced, that he was a watchman in the parifh nf Putney. On the igth of 1411 Au guff, he was Itanding at his box, when the prifoner came up to loin, and began to ufe every kind cif abufive language ; the prifi ner. alto attacked him in a moll violent manner, and (buck bins feveral revere blows in the face, exclaiming, Now I % yid give it you, I do not miad the runlet you hold its your hand, if you offer to ufe it, I will take it away; I care not a flailing for you, or any one who takes your part ; you have given m e a Lad charaftet, mid I will be revenged ; I'll provide a flick for you; that will do your Winer," Th e prifoner then left the piofecutor and went away. Willikni•Gordon; Wwatchman, (Aid, he heard the priforrtr having worth wi;11 the profecutor, and came to fee what was the matter. but by the time he arrived on the fpot, the qu.trrel was ore:- the next day after, he went with Rhodes, an oge. cer and the profecutor to tale the Iw-ironer into cuflody ; they found him at a public honk ; Las made much refillance. but at lift lit:rendered. The Rev. Mr. Walker, Milliner of the pan& of Putney, was palling through the (keen whits' the prifoner commenced the alrault, he (mind him . vert abufive, and behaving in a brutal manner; entered into tome difcourfe with him im the im: propriety of his conduft, and expreffed? with that the pari(h was no longer troubled with him, as ht appeared a very bad man. • The prifoner had no evidence to fpealc in his be half. At the commencement of his trial be plead ed guilty; but afterward; thought proper tntdte# his opinion. In his defence he laid, that in confe quence of being once in a Rate of intoxication, tbe profecutor had given him a bad charatter, and that when he went to (peak to him quietlr con cerniug filch behaviour, the profecutor put his me ket to him, and attempted to ftrike him ; he then did no more than what he thought necefary iii his own defence. The ptifoner was foundgmity. and the Judge fentenced hiM to be confined dur ing one year, and to find fecurity for his good be. hamar for three years. Soon after five o'clock on Monday morning Lifi. afire broke oat in a (mall tenement in Bonney's Court, in High Reed, Birmingham, the refidence of a poor widow woman,oceafioned by Come ream taking fire which were kept in the attic dory, but by the ready alliftance of the neighbours, its pro: grefs was happily flopped without muds denier.. Wednefday morning. at Taro o'clock, a fire broke out in the houfe of Mr. Hayes, Patrick-fqeare; mar Betbnal•green, which was entirely confirmed. - A • driver of one of the engines oa the occation was run over, and dreadfully hurt, the carriage having paled over the whole length of his body ; bat flight hopes are entertained of his recovery. • . Tuefday morning the upper part of a baker's ' houfe in Little Compton-greet took fire; bat is conkquence of immediate afiflance from the ea. gives, and the attivity of the firemen, it was got under without any material damage. Difiwders that proceed either trorn an impure Rate of the blood, or a rehired Rate of the nerves, • having, in innumerable inflances, Confided by a . courfe of Sri tar's Antifcerbutic Drops, too much cannot be Paid in prat& of that invaluable' preparation. This unparalleled fuccefs, in the . molt complicated cafes, has eltahlifited 13 celebrity throughout the aniverfo ; indeed, where is it potri ble to obtain fuck a reflorerof theconßitution aad infallible core of the Scurvy, Gout. Rheurnatifas, Evil, I.eprofy, and a variety of other complaints, too generally incident to human nature ? Theca Drops are fold in bottles of ss. and 6d. :es. and ii. as. each, with a black Ramp atSrerl to each hot the, by the following venders in London : F. New !very. 45, St. Paul's ; Dicey and Sutton, Bow Church-yard ; E. Newberg, corner of St. Paul's; Wray, Birchinlane; Bolton Royal Erchanr; Evans and Co. Long-lane ; B arclay, Flect-nrarket ; Bacon, Orford-greet; Ward, Holborn ; Bayley. Cockfput-theet ; Swinney, Pall Mall; WA& oat Withers, No. 729, Strand; Sharp and Co. EilsopF gate-fireet ; Clark, NO. - 569, and B. S. No. 4, Borough, Southwark ; and at the Difprairy. No .15, Soho-fqoare. BIRTH. On Friday nigh:, Ike Lady d Lieutenant Coked Mat Cranford, of a fon. MARRIED. On Saturday the t stb loft. 0. Anbwry. Eft of Thotsbarr. in Gloaceilerftiire, to MU. E. Danky fiftr of W. Magi* Efq. of Newman-ftrect. At Anitry, county Oalarty, Lord amain& to the Has. Mifs Blake, only child and tuatara of the it he fiaa. lid Wellkourt, and rand-daughter of t►e late Fart d Los& 1)11-1). Oa Saturday Wades. le Kibullabaas Cad, ear witerc hr had be esaismil lair Ids and at Maar llaah. In Man*, Int Mr. Leesmait GOMM cis la& awl fief sr malting of tbc kilt State Pilfeaata. HIGH WATER. AT LONDON ♦RIDGE 10-11110 IL Morals( • • -• • • 4) aims Aar $ Aftzrtioam l4 minutes after 7 1.0 FiDON 7Prieted ler tbe Praerlasers, by NMI DUrimu: (of Maiden-lane. Covent-Garda) at die Sea' Pawnee- OF/ICt, Na. t, Grey-arm; and pabilbed by LEVEL ICENToriCaeterberyliaeamebetb }at Nfte,CareN4atay and at the Ssaa-Orvica, Tetapie-lee; ambit% Oiler/ etrototegolieugutalta Elm e an torched ea be adlialid