Star. — London, England, 1810-07-25 00:00:00

EDINBURGH, JULY 21. HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY. Monday, alter the trial of John Colston, IsArl Do rald,;ndicted for child murder, under the late statute, pleaded Guilty to the concealment of her pregnancy, and that she did not cal for help or assistance, and th.• child was :afterwards found dead. lieing convicted on her own confession, she was sen tenced to be impt;s3ned in the tolbooth of Linlithgow till the 19th of April next. The Court then proceeded to consider the informa tions in tho case of Jen,: Macfarlane, accused of tit tering base c.)in, when their Lordships found the libel not relevantly laid, and dismissed the prisoner from the bar. He was, however, apprehended on a new warrant, and afterwards admitted to bail. KIDNAPPING CHILDREN DETECTED AND PUNISHED. A case of it most atrocious and aggravated nature was determined a few days ago by the Sheriff of Edinburgh, on a complaint of Messrs. James and Ro. bert Bisset, manufacturers at Prinlaws, mar Leslie, in Fife, and of the mothers and sisters of three young boys (who had been engaged at Messrs. his sets' spinning-mills), with consent of the Procurator Fiscal of the county, against John Leadbitter, some time butcher is North Leith, for having him punished and the boys restored to their parents. The circamistances of the case are these : Leadbit. ter, who for many months had been in the practice of advertising for young boys for sea, oid, about the middle of March last, send off by the Trafalgar coach, which leaves Edinburgh at five o'clock every morning for London, the said three boys for Shields or Sunderland, to persons there, to be sent to sea, or disposed of to the best advantage ; and for each boy, when accepted, he received a premium of two guineas, and was relieved of the charges of sending them to England. The two oldest boys, of the names of Charles Walker and John Lindsay, the former about 11, and the latter only 13 years old, were turned off the coach at Morpeth, and sent to sea ; and the youngest boy, William Barr, only 11 years old, was carried forward to Shields, where he seas put on board a vessel in the Roads for several weeks, but hearing by accident that he was to be sent away on some distant voyage, he privately made his escape, without a hat on his head, or a she on his Eliot, and begged all the way home to Leslie, a distance of fully 140 miles, in eight days, where he was received with inexpressible joy by his mother, a poo: widow woman. The mother of Lindsay traversed the country for ten days in quest of her child, in a fit of despair, till, by accident, at Leith, on her return to Leslie, she was I - informed that Leadbitter was in the practice of dis . posing of children for gain. She accordingly applied to him ; but shocking to relate, in place of being con vinced that he was guilty of a wrung, he declared he was unconscious of it. Every lenient measure to have the boys restored to their parents proving ineffectual, • the, application to the Sheriff before-mentioned be came necessary. In the course of the investigation it turned out, that by this merarious and inhuman traffic, Leadbitter, by his own confession, was pocketing at the rate of about £l2OO per annum ,• that he thought it no crime to send the boys out of their native country, at the age of thirteen, without the consent of their parents, though he himself acknowledged he had a wife and three children. To prevent detection, he took care not to mention the boys' names, but their numbers only, in the way bill of the Trafalgar coach, and was most solicitous to prevent their escape in Edinburgh, and on their way to Shields ; but notwithstanding, some of the boys made their escape, Which generally ended in a-quar rel between the guard of the coach and Leadbitter. The Sheriff most properly appointed Leadhitter to attend personally in Court, to witness all the investi gation going on ; but he, apprehensive of his dan ger, fell open a stratagem to quash, if possible, the matter entirely. On Sunday sc'nnight, he and two other persons crossed the Forth, and travel:ed to Dysart and Leslie, and by gross misrepresentation did obtain from two of the unhappy women, letters disclaiming the process, but which they understood to be letters to the boys themselves, whom one of the persons mentioned be had seen in good health, and would carry the letters to them. Leadbitter produced those most improper documents as a bar to the action, but the women came to Edinburgh, and satisfied the Sheriff that all was an imposition, and required that the action might be proceeded in.— The Sheriff upon the clearest evidence, had no he sitation in finding that the carrying off boys, when in a state. of puberty, furth of Scotland, without the knowledge or consent of their parents, is a highly ag gravated offence, and that the defender had acknow ledged himself guilty thereof ; therefore he granted warrant to commit him to jail for the space of 14 days, and thereafter, until he find sufficient caution, to re store the two boys, Walker and Lindsay, to their relations, within the space of two months, under the penalty of £6O sterling ; and besides, found him liable in expences. Before pronouncing judgment, the She riff addressed Leadbitter in a most impressive man ner, importing, that if the utmost rigour of the law had been adopted, he would perhaps have been tried capitally, in place of suffering an arbitrary pu nishment. That Leadbitter having acknowledged himself to be a husband, and the father of three chil dren, while he unfeelingly declared, that he was un conscious of guilt, struck him (the Sheriff,) more for cibly than any other part of his conduct. He asked him how he would himself feel if any of his own chil dren had been seat off, perhaps never more to be heard of, if he would not bt , active in bringing to punishment such an impious offender ? Before dis missing him, he reminded him that parents had the sole direction of their children till they were 14 yeati of age ; that, in the present instance, he had deprived them of this :Petra and comfort, by sending them off from their native country for gain, even at the boyish thoughtless years of 11, the age of the boy Barr, whom he just saw at the bottom of the table, and that Leadhitter ought therefore to be thankful for the mild punishment to be inflicted on him, and hoped that he now perceived the gross enormity of his crime, and would never be guilty of the like in future. Friday se'nnight, forty-two Methodist Preachers oatbs prescribed, before the Justices at the Sessions for the County of the City of Dublin. L4W INTELLIGENCE. OLD Adair. . ........—....... Yesterdav, Gene Hiner was indicted for bigaMys , COURT OF KING'S BENCH, JULY ft. in marrying Sarah Morns , s pinster, his wife Anna WIIISKIN V. HOLMES. ;Sophia being then living. This was an action to recover the sum of £2O, for It was proved in evidence, that the prisoner mar work done by the plaintiff, a painter and glazier , to reed his fi rst wife on the ,sth of February, 1793, and the Northumberland Arms public house, Fashion had by her four children now living ; and that he . street, Spitalfields. married Sarah Morris, his second wife , on the lit of The defendant is an Agent for letting public- March, 1803, his former wife being still alive. houses, and it appeared had employed the plaintiff to do the work in question ; but in defence it was con - Mr. GURNEY, on behalf of the prisoner , took an cb. tended he had not undertaken to pay him. jection to the indictment, on the ground that, upon baptists and It was proved in evidence, however, that he had i searching the parish registers for the p. told the plaintiff he was to be his paymaster, and even I marriage of the fi rst wife, the name of Solth:a was n o t 'offered his note of hand for the amount of the bill ;! entered ,- and, therefore, that she was not described in the plaintiff declined taking it, unless some other per-' the indictment by her proper name. son's name was also placed on the bill ; the defen. I The RECORDER over-ruled this objection, and ob dant took offence at this, saying he wat very well ; served, that if such trivial objections were to be ad known to the Lord Mayor airs Messrs. Meta, and • witted, the consequences, in this great metropolis, that his word never before was doubted for £2O. To : must be most mischievous, and half the marriages in this the plaintiff merely replied, 44 if he would pro- London might be annulled, to the great injury of cure the indorsement of either of the Gentlemen he • m any respectable families. It appeared also that the had mentioned, it would have more effect than all his ' prisoner is a methodist, and had justified his conduct bluster." This. however, tree defendant declined to his friends upon scripture authority, quoting the doing, and at the same time declined, in positive . example of Abraham, who bad taken unto himself terms, to pay the bill. The Jury found for the plain- t w o wives, and that he had a right to follow so high tiff—Damages £2O. 'an example. The RECORDER, on summing up the ; evidence for the :limy, expatiated forcibly onhe guilt THE WHITSTABLE OYSTER COMPANY V. ROSS. t This was an action brought to recover .the sum of of the prisoner. The Jury, without hesitation, found £2l, for tea 1.1.e1s of oysters furnished by the plain- • him gu ll 'Y• tiffs to due defendant, who keeps an oyster warehouse William Cane Was capitally indicted for a highway in town. robbery on Mr. William Price, upon the tith of July The defence set up was, that the oysters furnished inst. at Eaton-street, Chelsea, in the parish of Saint by the plaintiffs, although warranted, were not sale. George, by assaulting him, putting him in fear, able. It appeared, however, by the evidence, that and forcibly taking from his person, and against his when the defendant applied to the plaintiffs' salesman will, his silver watch and money. at Billingsgate, to know lithe oysters were good, he The prisoner had been formerly a serjeant in the was answered, they were as good as they usually were Guards, and the prosecutor is a medical gentleman, in frosty weather, which has a considerable effect up- aid Assistant Put veyer of Medicines to the Medical on them ; and that, in fact, they were quite as good Be ar e. He stated, that he was in the habit of fre as they had been stated to Ise by the salesman. fluently visiting, after his business hours, his brother Upon this evidence, the Jury found for the plaintiff 1)r. Price, who is a physician at the Verk Hospital, Damages £2l—Cots 'los. Chelsea. He went there on the evening of the Gth HALL V. WILKES , . of July, about half past nine o'clock, but seeing no liu'llt in his brother's apartments, he rettu ned towards Mr. GARROW stated, that tlle plaintiff, a Medical - town ; and on his way through Eaton-street he was Gentleman and an author, sought to recover back met by the prisoner, who collared him, snatched hip from the defendant, a beokseller, between 70 an d watch from his pocket, and desired him to deliver up £BO, being the value of 373 copies of a work, priwed all the money he had. The prosecutor, a good decd by him for the plaintiff, of which I,e had tug .ged to 0 . tarmed, gave him what money he had about him, deliver him 1000 copies, and for which tiumi,er he consisting of some silver; the prisoner then looked had been p lid by the plaintiff. 'The P''Y n ' ent 14 the hard at him, told him that be believed he knew him, 1000 copies was proved, and also that only 627 co. said he was a person of certain detestable propensi pies had been delivered. ties, and had frequently seen him in Parliament- Mr PAufm, for the defendant, acknowledged the stteet ; but that if he would behave like a gentleman facts, as stated by the plaintiff's witnesses, but con- he the prisoner would treat him as such ; but that ii tended, that his client was not bound to pay the ploi.i. rot be would charge him with that crime, and have tiff the full price of his publication, inasmuch as it 1 : • . ll i , I TYI in the pillory in less than a week. The prosccu was of a description so little approved of by the Pub. t ' er was terrified, and told the prisoner that he could lie, that, although it had been published more than not succeed in such a charge, as his character and five years, the plaintier could not prove that a eingle nn wli e iii coections ere ii y respectable, drat Li: name copy had been soli. Tnere was also another reason was Price , and his brother a Physician to the Ye , k theywh his client was not e liable ;it hod been lying in e . ,,, . Hespital. lee p risoner affected to doubt this, and dendant's warehse ever since it was printed, then pulled the prosecutor across the way to a pub although he b e d repeatedly requested the plainti ff to lic house, the Wheat Sheaf, where he called for orrte remove it, and, on the 6th of September I.ist, the brandy and water, of which the prosecutor was indo. • warehouse was broke open, and a considerable quail. pity of pper and books stolen, amongst which the ced to taste. The prisoner then took the candle from i a the bar, and held it up to his face, saying, 64 Let ere defendant supposes were tl,e books in question, as see yen, that I may know "pm ateain." The prose i th ey were missing, and he could iu no other way ac-; ' • tutor was so terr ifi e d , and seeing no person in th e count fir the loss of them. I; tapetiont whom he k new or inieht cell to his ass;s- By a witness who was called on the part of the ! tanctehe was afraid to charged's. prisoner with the tote plaintiff_ it was proved that the sum requisite to te- bell,. or call for any assistance to take him into cos . print 373 copies of a quality sjmilar t ' those lost, ! todv, lest hs mivl it in his turn charge him publicly ss nth would amount to £62 .ss. though they did not cost ' so horrible an offence. The prisoner then told him, if SO much when publi..hed. i he would meet him the next night in the sante place, After some consultation between the Counsel, t h e and bring him ! £5, he would not brim any charge plaintiticonsented to take a verdict for X5O. ag ainst -• • against him. The proseciitiw sail he would, but tied Deemer. V. cewritonee. ! n ot come. A few (lays aftetwat ds, i. e. on the Ilti., prisoner came to the Medical Board, caused the The ArronN IN-GEN Etta n stated this to lie an ac- the Lion by which the plaintiff sought to recover from the prosecutor to be called down stairs to him, indu c ed hint to come about (20 paces from the door, and sari.',defendant, Col. Cawthorne, the sum of £lOO, being the amount of engravings purchased by the defendant , " You did not keep your appointment, and 1 :nest from the pl iintiff and his late uncle, Alderma n Boy- now have £5." The prosecutor said he had not so dell. The agreement has; been made in 1793, and ' much about 11:m, but gave him all the silver he had the prints, &c. had been delivered at different periods , in•his pocket. The prisoner then told him, if he slid between that time and 1803. In 1805, the defendant not come to him the next night, in Berkeley -street, had also received a supplemental number, to the ; Wacky-square, and bring the £.5, he would cer. Shakespeare, to which he had been from the begin- tainly bring the charge against him. To, this the ning a subscriber. In 1803, some short time p „,,i. prosecutor agreed, and came to hint acciadiaglv with oils to the late Mr. Alderman Boydell's death, a letter the £ 5 . The Prisoner brought him into Lansdown had been written to the defendant by a clerk of Mr. - Passage, and there the prosecutor ; ;.eve him a £3 Alderman Boyden's, enclosing a statement of his ac. note. The prisoner then said, s• You are a gentleman, count, and requesting his acceptance of a set of the and I do not want to take any ad vanotee of von ; • prints of " Marriage a-la• Mode," then published by ; but I think it. best us ull at once all I moan to have Mr. Aldermen Boyden. In the defendant's answer , of you. You must give me £3o, which I want to er e. Ito this letter, he begged of the late Mr. Alderman i cure my discharge from the Guards, in which I have Boyden to recollect that there was an agreement be. been :t serjeant, but am now a deserter ; and then I will tween them as to 66 Marriage a-la-Mode," to w hi c h . trouble you no more, and you must bring it to me to. he begged him to refer, where he would find that he morrow night." The Prosecutor was still too much (the defendant) was to be entitled to T w o sees of terrified, but promised to come as desired : and then these engravings ; and a; to the other articles in he went and acquainted his brother with all that had his account, he engaged to call and settle it, an d passed. He had been ill for some time pi evious, and' pay the amount when he came to town, which was in a weak state of health. Next day his brother he thought would be about the following Ch r i stmas . • communicated the story to the Magistrates of Marl- After the late Alderman Boydell's death the executors, borough-street ; and two officers, Craig and the in the year 1805, wrote to the Defendant, when he Younger Foy, were appointed to attend him next even• again promised to call on the present Mr. Boydell, ing to the meeting. They went accordingly to l':rke and settle the account. The Defendant had paid into ley -street. The prisoner was punctual, and dressed in a new suit of clothes. The officers kept out of s i g h t . Court the amount of five pounds, being the price of the supplemental number to Shakespeare, published The Prisoner said to the Prosecutor, 46 I suppose you in the year 180.5, but he had refused to pay the pre. hardly know me now, I am so Smart." He then' ceding part of the account. walked the Prosecutor into Lansdowne-passage, end' The agreement, and letters by the defendants being , asked him if he had seen the newspapers latch., and given in evidence, by which the plaintiff's claim was the account about the persons taken tip in Yore-street. , completely made out, The Prosecutor answered he had. The Prisoner then i Mr. Seenesere addressed the Jury on the part of said, 66 have you heard that a certain Noblem an the defendant. The Jury would easily collect from (naming one) was obliged to give £lOOO for conceal.i the defendant's letters, that he had been proprietor of :tient ?' The prosecutor said he had not. o Then," the paintings_ from which the Engravings of " M ar - : said the Prisoner," you are a gentleman, and so i siege A-la-Mode" had been taken, and that a coml. am I, and I wish to treat you as such ; I must have deration for the liberty of taking these engravings " from you £lOO, which will carry me in • to my own had been stipulated for between the late M r . Alder country, where I have an es ta te, a n d then you will man Boyden and the defendant. ! bear no more of me." The Prosecutor said that was Lord Etessaoencou was of opinion, that the proof ' a large sum, 'and he did not know whether he could of any such agreement as this alluded to, lay on the i afford so much. The Prisoner replied, you can give defendant. If the Jury thought that the letters of !me e2O now, and bring me the remaind er had any reference to a pro m i se to to-morrow 1803 and 180.5, `. night." The Prosecutor answered he had only a two pay, as well as to settle, they.must find for tLe plain-' pound note about him, which he put into the Pri tiff, subject to £5 paid- into Court, and to £5 more. : soner's hand. The note had been previously marked as the price of the second set of prints of M arr i ag e I . by hie brother and the two officers. Foy passed a-la-Mode, refetred ;to, in the - defendant's letter, as iby them at the moment, towards the other end having been. premised to him.... . . lof the passage, and heard the Pri s oner sa y, " this is The Jury, having deducted asese two sums, foundi I not enough, it will not do, I ma s t h ave more ."— for the plaintiff—Damages 190. Craig then came up, and seised the Prisoner by the atm, and took the note out of his hxvid, mid asked him what it WAS. The Poisoner areoveted he did not know, but it was something that Gentleman (pointing to the prosecutor) had given hint. Foy then came up, and took him by the other arrrt, ulron which he sp k e to Foy by his name, ar..l said ^' thi3 v-as a bad je).- I Foy asked him wh it he had done with the Criiile -1 man's watch ? and he answ4 io3, that he had returned jit to him on the preceding nigh . . On h i s way to the office he said that Mr. Price had made him a reset.: of any money he got from him, and that if he sh, Ind' be b ang ed be world die innoo.ent. A t the office he denied that he ewer had the w:tch. . . _ William Craig, one of the officers, marked the two pound note with his initials, and scent with Mr. Price to apprehend the prisoner. While Mr. P. and Caite were speaking together, Foy passed them ; and wit. .ness followed and toi•k the prisoner, who had thr marked two pointd note in his hart J. Cane ah Foy, this is a bad jeih." Foy asked w!iat he hid done with Mr. P.'s watch, to which he atisv.cre:!, had given it to him again. On their way to the diet the prisoner s tid, if he should 1w hanged he was ' 1:1 . nocent. Foy corroborated the evidence Of ltst w;t. ne-s, and added, that when lie pas,ed "Ir. P. and the pesoner, he heard the latter s.ly very landly, not eaough, I must hav Dr. J. Price, a phys'ci.ta, bnither to the prmetutor, proved that his bruther had b:.en long til, pßivioas Ithis affair. The primer made a most disgusting, defence, which in tact, while it charged Mr. P. also tended to crimi nate himself ; and the RECORDER hav•olg summed up the evi,lence in the clearest manner, ani declined it as his opinion, that 11: - _d le been so charged, he would have instantly knocked thc person d o w n , w h might have been the consequeoce ; Jut )-, 5. itL o ,, t hesitation, found him Geilty—Death. Andrew and Eleanor sll'are stood i;relic ed for law gl riously breaking into the house of Daniel Ma. on t he .2 , :nh of June, at:J stealing therein a r , cket book, and sundry articles, the prope:ty of Mary Bin goyim and the said Daniel Mack ty.— -They weir a c. quitted. Ephraim lribon and ;limy Cathglan weie convicted of slealing a watch, .C-1- in notes, and nineteen shil lings in si.ver, ft orn Thom is King, a Purser's steward, belonging to one of his M tjesty's ship, of war. John Nark and Richard .sieve convicted for sealing se v era l raid s of cloth (tarn the house of : 4 41. Kirk, a woollen-draper. The following were also convicted of felony, vir. C. Robe:tun, alias Maxaeld, fur stealing a wadi. "ld chain, and seals ; Thomas Ephraim, for steal. P r inn a hamper contaning- a quantity of bottles ; Alders, for stealing a coat; Mary Mills, for s,:eaiing two pair of stockings ; Ma, y Thomas, for steality. gown ; \V. Rnssel, tier stcaiing a watch, &c.; Ir. Loring, for stealing a coat ; C. Baton:, an-1 F. Rogers, for stealing two haatikerc aide ; Fiiaahet Scott, 1-r stealing a quilt aid tyro sleets; W. Serog. I gins, fOr stea:ing several articles of wear art apparel ; i Ann Ric kaby, for s:ealing, a q u antity of wool; R. Brown, fir stealing, a cle;;;:se ; ar v Davis, stea:- ,mg two pets ter pots t, L M orig6eid, for stripping a child ; T. Evans, far stLebo g 4 flower baskets ; Eliz Areal I forum, fir , ste.:iiitg a. table cloth. After some other trials ii no poi lie interest, the prisoners trieL. and convicted duriag the Sessintts were brought up to•receiv:: seitteac.. Senterce of death was passed upon the following: G:or,;4e Freeman, for lionse.breaking ; James Mane fir highway robbery ; George Garret, for steal ing its a ; William Qnelch, for stealing tigwood, value 4 - 25 tu..m a bnge Upon the river Thames ; Buns on, for horse stealing ; A...thony 1 lilton, for steaiing goods ::hove the value of 49 s'alliags in a dwelling-house; George Tovre:s, for burglary ; Richet d Evans, for returnang front Irunspin ration previous to the es ohation of the ti rtu for which he was transported ; J. Wiiiiams, for a like offence ; Wm. Harrison, for steaiing goods value Cht in a dwelling-house ; Wm. Cane, tor a highway rob bury ; Esther Gamble, for stealing , value .f:'.;t ,in .t dwelling-hi lise ; Bridget Belie, for stealing iaivateiy in a shop ; Jane Simpson and S nalt Jones, tot cola. ing ; the latter to tie conveyed to the place of eke cution upon a hurdle. Twenty-three were ordered to be transported for seven years ; eight to be imprisoned in the 11.:use of Co i ection for one yeas, and six tot sis menths ; seven in Newgate f r various periods ; three ju.kernent, respired ; two tined Is. and discharpNl ; tour pri vately and one publicly whipped; and IS discharged by proclamation. Sessions adjourned to the 1 itlt of September. A sharper has hem vary sneccssful lately in his de : predations on shopkcepers, by assuming th: 0: servant to Lady Dawson, of Harley -street, orderiu,.; goods in her name, in payment I . (ir which he ha; pro. duced I, , rged diecks, .4,1 d rcctie.:d the chang.. 0:1 enTnry, it turned out that no such p..ason S I..a.ty Dawson wa, known in the neigh:pm:hood. One Hundred Clubs have ieceived Shares cf . 420,000, .ClO,O otl, and .C.5,00(t Prizes, witl,in thew three years, at I - 1011\sny and Co 's, Cure!, 11 and Boroa,.)i ; and what is !mire rental kalile, tire Clubs can manifest their success nit two occasiors sante pet iod ; in consequence thereof, more ‘:nr:clic. ate now fo:.ining than was ever known. Five T You% Thousand Pounds are truly inviting, and nn will create a universal demand, 'ere the Drawii.. cnnnuences, October the 19th. CL) ItsE. OF FXCi - L A matertllm, ss 0 2 U Palermo, £3 Pcnc: prr Dim, at 3t: 2 I.cr!torn, 53 tottertlAni, c. f. 10 0 2 U (;ii:•l3, 31 liamburgh, SG 2 25 IT Venice, n. C. 52 Liv. Piceole Altona, no 3 :1 U ineM:ctive ptr I. Po. . . . _ . I Paris 1 day's da. I I I.iv. Naples, 12 Pitts, 2U. 21 5 I iisb..n, 6/I1 Bourdraux, do. ili 5 I Oporto, lit 4 t Madrid, 44 Fillet. Dt.blin, 9; Catliz, 11i litre:. Cork, Iti Bilboa 41 F11 . .11.t. New Dollars, be. Via. Rio Jamb.° 72, Alal:a ',.9. (Stbr.,l , ar ltil MARRIED. Yesterday evening, by special licence, at St. fleorge . c. Flato trisr-scitiare, by the Hon. and lktv. Henry Cum, the Night /do Lord 13rownlow, to Miss Hume, daughter of Sir Abraham Hume, Bart. and niece to the Earl of Bridgewater. Yesterday, at Tottenham. Ur. A. Hurreil, of Tumitts, rear Witham, Essex, to Alt•e Laic tennett handless, of stamforil bill. LONDON : Pnotea and puhl:shed by 1.1.1'E1. KEW!, of Ca"• terbury-Place, Lambeth, at the STA 11-Orract, Nn. 1, t ar , l areal. Published also at the STA R.Ol /ICI, Tflinifit liar took the e Quarter 1