The National Register. — London, England, 1818-09-07 00:00:00

SEPT. 7 .CAPITAL PUNISHMENTS. The ease Of West, who suffered on Monday last at Horse. ' Monger-Imm, has eseited eonsiderable interest ; and hopes Were at one -time entertalised that his life would have beers splint!. This unfortunate person was tried at the last As sizes at Guildford for having uttered rune 11. Bank of Eng land notes, knowing them to be forged. It is customary for -the 'Bank to select from their prisoners cases for capital in• dictment, and to allow (littera to plead guilty to their minor char/e, which is that of having hi their possession forged notes. T..e punishment of the lesser offence is transports • titbit for I I year:. 'lids benefit was, however,denied toWest, tilthengli there was reason to• believe that the peculiar count:laces of tale case %%multi hese eutitled him to the indul. genet!. lie was teat in hi, 24th year ; his :liar:icier, which WWI irreploachable, has beet' attested by erseral persons of respectability. -Even admitth:g that lie knew of the motes Arcing forged, it•was toitlent he was unpractised in skirl/nal traffic : anal he parted with them in his own neigh boos hood. and to these who could at any time apprehend him. Urn passing them, he attempted no concealment or deception; he gave his real. :same and &multi midi err s West was •sonie years since in the senlee of a respectable realtster, at !"I)e piton', -vim has given luau an excelleut elm t 3 .1 ter. It VP., at this period that he contracted au intimacy with a fellow-workman named Lausthown, who quitted his employment, and went to sea. 'lbis person shoofly returned ; at, being in distress, applied to West, wise generously re Iteved him. About two years ago, West lift Deptford, and entered Into the emp!oymeet of Mr. Milker, a inaltster, re siding at Brentford, wills whom he continued until May last, when the malting-season being over, lee was discharged. Mr. Barker ftal:e :wended to empioy him again. He says Ciat %Vett adways proved himself a steady and trustworthy servant ; and that he is certain the man is quite innocent of any transactions relative to forged notes, while engaged in, and on quitting, his service. Mr. Harker has also owed, that West is as a yelltl , man of a very weak mind, anal at a disposition liable to be led astray ; and he ha. expressed kis full conviction, that this unfortnuate individual has Items the ittatrtintent of the designed vtlistiny, and that (if guilty) the presets was his first offence. It also appeals, that the pour te.:ow bad Insured himself it p, under the apprehension that he abotild hare been allowed to plead guilty to the minor ob fenre ; ors whirh arena:it, he was not prepared upon his trial to bring forsvard witnesses in his favour, who otherwise worthd have heen , called. The reader is requested to recol lect, that it wet in the month of May last that West coined Nr. Barker's service. 'mane, 'he accidentally met Laos. down at Barnet , . Lausdown appeared to have-seeeral Bank votes in kis possession. 1k requested Westto procure taint 111 l e silver, as he was going to:lreland, anti delivered two IL notes foe this purpose. -West obtained the change, of er which lie went to the Coach and Horses public-house at names, and spent settle time there with several of his fellow workmen. At this time a tVOlll74le, whom West had aerie in the company of Latisai.wn. entered the public-house, and in timating to West the danger of his situation, advised bins to quit the place instantls - he did so, but had scarcely left it, when a constable followed red apprehended him. On his examination before the Magistrate, West admitted that be had passed the notes in question, but denied any knowledge of their beingitorgert; they were, in -fact, the mutes which lie cad reetsived 'from Larisdown. During his examination, a person belonging to the neighbourhood produced a packet of other forged notes, which he stated to have found tinder the gateway of the publiclionse where West had been appre basted. West di Hared that he knew nothing whales er of the notes. It is supposed that they had been dropped by the woman, who was evidently the eoheague of Lansdown. This circinnetance operated greatly against West, slid was proba bly the reason of his not being able to plead guilty to that mime: count. In relit.% ing the circumstances which have led to the con viction of West, it is far from being our wish to reflect on the jury who tried him, ur on the Judge who Prolloitee 4 the waret sentence of the law. It iv a fart beyond all doubt, teat West did not pass the mites in question ; but it is clear to those who have investigated the case, that lie was the dupe it others who were extensively engaged in this practice, and who have on this neeaSloll eluded justice. As to the guilt or fiumeence of th.s young man, little need now be said. His fate is derided; he is sent to the hilninal of his Maker; and are trust that he has fonad•the judgment-seat of the Most Irligh covered aids melee. We are not as are oldie rule which reettletrstliellsr4iin se„ leeting cases for capital indictment ; and We confess•that the bare yet to learn upon what prinriples of the Bliti,ll consti.. ttit!on the Bank of England ass ttttt es, at its discretion, the ',ewer of dripensing merry. Any selection thus made cannot fail to inspire oifentleie at large with the hope of impnnity, sod to excite among the vorferers swung feelings of anxiety sad iudignatinte In the evidence enntained in the Police Report, recently pa blislietl, the Hey. Dlr. Culton,l hp ordinary of Netvgate, rex ervex,—" 3n eases of dorgery 1 find a good " deal of atig.T in the people against the pulled •nt which • is unnexed b!. law; and in eases of forged Bank notes they 6 . are always diacontented milli the xelect imi which they cull ~ ecive the Batik has made of them as individuals. 'lke man • new about to lie executed told Ille that it vas complete 'nor '' der; and alien I rensonett vithtltina , saying, that others had • iefleted tot it, atid in a late instance, mentioning the case " of Ward, fur ahem so notch intercession was made, he sitiJ, • that was murder alto." Mr. Uaiser, a gentleman who from sandier* of benevolence has, define the last three years, • vi saed the contlenteed eonsiets in Neweate, 511)1, its his tx. mination latiore the stone ronniiittee, "There is a material •' ditletenee of feeling existing :itittnig the priSmiere with re ▪ glad to lot ging Bank limes, anti tittering them. Those who " utter 110 1 ts think themselves oft-nders in a lesser de " tree; and, in general, I find !ha• they are esalartets who " have been drawn tutu tee commission of mime by the emit •' and sattnilly of others, prtitc Apathy youth." Ile ail s," One of " the young men miller utda rs tit. eserotion told me that the •' prrsuu alio stainet it him aas in toe haw of passing at least " 400 mites in a milk, and that of his venni° knowledge ; • that he was 111t1 pet sot aho supplied Finney, Spicer, and " Kelly, Willi times to a rnnsuicaable amount, and that this •• is as known to Mr. W....tweed, the Batik solicitor; end • natw ithstaittlina that, lie to plend to the minor • eh:tip." 11 t• au: thy of rttinti that a coositleralde noinbrr of those selected as ohj..ets or v•oigeallee appear to Wm. beets Noting pot ons.whili• the instances are compuratively rare in which ;ninetieth hail! :mailed. The .her mos....idiom. et the late Assizes thronghout The yummy tot int. ring forget, 1.3.1t0k u 1 Elig;iioil limes has been vets :MO t•sretls, nr belitsr, ill itturettent. I . 4r•litlie• with obi. h tats tilleilci• has hero t ommitteti, Lent the leinfitalion, which it oilers, pile ti.Oileir to the young • unwary, ore WC 0 trrirOlS w t tlittire a e:naleill. 11111 pmhlic THE N:i.TIOI may judge of the extent of the evil in the metropolis alone, when it is know) that there are et this time in Nrwgate only, neat lyforty persons on charges of this withal., awniting their ti int at the approaelling sessions. is there a reflecting mind that can contemplate the present condition, anti possible rate, of these unhappy persons, without feelings of painful sofici tude ; without fearfully antieipaileg the reesirreume of those scenes, when fresh victim; Rhtalt he sacrisced th the mis taken policy of tonal; and without astonishment Ow, in a Christian count, y, human elsoeld be estimated so cheaply, and its destruction regarded with siteledisgraceful inseusi. bility. That thelmnialtment of death bas completely failed in re. straining the crime of forgery was rec. tidy admitted front the Bench. The lenvned Jndge who intely presided on the Crown side at the assizes eit Lancaster, in adilmessing seven prisoner* who had been ;nifty of this crime, itAer stating that, on a turner orensiun. he had the same pa ill fill 11111 y in p 1 . 1 • 1 .0! In on other prisoners eons icted of the same offence, and who had since atoned, with their blood, foe the injury which they hod dune to society, added, " but I do oat p ere ,.; ee that this example hoe been :trended With any miss:flare, nr that it bas produced any diminution in the nnothet of t.d 7 imilers of this description, the of committed Ly the peseta pri soners being all sebsetinent to the last assize." A strong end decided teettng is now tepidly advancing throngliont the Lingdotn, on the injnstire , cruelty, anti i n efficiency of continning to visit the crime of forgery with the punishment of death. Of many of tile evils which affect society the remedies are uncertain. parti.d, 11111 Happily, this is not the ease with the subject to which our attention is row directed. Remedial measures are within our reach, and Sinful will de the responsiltitity of the Legisia• tore if those measures are neglected. Experience has clearly dei 111111111111 l in other countries the beneficial effect of sub stituting a salutary system of primin discipline for the depri nation ant liftman life. The criminal may be altogether se eludrd from ao'iety, it his crimes require it, and his life yet be spared ; and the testimony of those who are moot compe tent to judge upon the subject incontestibly pluses, that its prisounieut for a lengthened t»rin of years, combined with habitual hard labour, in dreaded kfissitely more by every description of offenders, than either transportation or the pnntshmeur of death A citing. has, in fact, become absolutely necessary, and must soon take place. The public voice earnestly demands it. It is impossible to reconcile our feelings to laws whirls inflict with indiscriminate vengeance the same penalties WI crimes widely differing in magnitude. The unfortunate 1.1 dividstal West, whose character until the present occasion stood tinimpeacheil, shares the same imnisliment with the murderer Hassey! In no other country in &trope, we believe, do anch incongruous enactments exist: and it is a tweets reflection on her national superiority, that England should hesitate to follow the example of those states that have pre• red d her in the improvement of critnival jurispindence.— A revisal of the penal code would be as beta ficial to her interests as it would contribute to her fame. The laws would no longer he at variance with the kind feelings of those who seek, and those w i se administer, justice ; but mitigated by the suggestions of enlightened policy, and tempered by the benevolence of Christian principles, they would be cherished by every good subject with veneration, attachment and sup. port. Mr. Thomas Dalton. of Sllll4l Thames, was on Tuesday Cued 20s. and costs before the Surrey Magistrates for suffer. ing his waggon to remain • longer tar in the public road than wasnecessary.for the loading or unloading of the same. A Washington paper. correcting an erroneous account ofa man's death, says, " We are happy to say Major John Ander: son is not dead, he is only married." A singe vine, growing against the front of the hotel at Tenhury, in Worcestershire, has produced a crop of grapes this year, which are calculated to be worth till. at the present market-price. Tuesday, as Captain Stannet, of the ship Boston, lying et Chamberlin's Wharf, was giving instructions to one of the clerks at Union Hall to make out a warrant against a person for a misdemeanour, he had his pocket picked of a silk handkerchief. A letter ti om Veryiers (situated in the Low Countries) con tains the following curious detail r—A rich batchelor, whose social habits bail rendered him very popular in that city, and who appeared to live in the enjoyment of all the blessings of life, waited on his notary, with whom he had an interview of an hour, and on his retorts home destroyed himself with a pistol. 'The mains( declared, that he had been dictating his testament in due form, aud had left four millions of. liyres to Napoleon and his hei rs . Illegal fishiug, for the furtherance of a curious purpose. has lately been discovered on the Thames. Regular fishermen and taree• bodies of poachers sweep the Thames, night and day, of all the white fish, for the sake of their scales merely ; these are sold to Jews, for manufacturing beads ill Imitation of pearls : roach stales are sold at 21e. per quart, dace 245: ; whilst for bleak, font guineas a quart is the present market price in Duke's Place ! The PCitlell are torn off them as fast as they are eatight, and thus, often dreadfully taangled, they , are tossed back its° the water to linger and die in torture. 'rite Prince Regent's gamekeeper, T. Lemon shot a wood cork in fine condition, a few (lays ago.near Oakliampton. A male sea unicorn, alive. about 2U feet long, has been brought ft um Circ.:Mandolin' is now to Newcastle npunTyne. Ilie failure of the crop of potatoes its the southern parts of the kingdom, will, it seems, be happily compensated for by the uncorni 11111 l ly abundant produce of tam valuxklevegetable in Scotland, where those of the tioe•t quality arc at this time selling at half a crown the boucles d seight,orfrn yawed, tea shillings the ton, which quantity is now worth, in Covent Oar. den market. sixteen Alois, but will probably be reduced to about cute quarter of that . price, on the arrival of the cargoes preparing to be shipped fronithe North for Ike River 'flimsies. The StsSimis for Middlesex rb •uce at the Sessions House, Ctrs kenw ell-green, to-morrow. The Stamford paper says —" Immediately after n thunder storm in July lasi, at Haddenhani, in the isle of Ely, sever I living cieeping creatures were picked up from ell the htah wa) by tine in•aan ins of the neighbourho(d, and is itlCintieli astoni.liment laid 'refute the Rev, Al r, Pritchard. the Dissent ing Minis:er of that place, who instantly primooneed them to be lull grown locusts, eaeli measuring six inches iii lengths, and in no wise differing from those which he had :Well lit Egypt and other distant countries, the native homes of those devout - ing insects." At seven o'clock on Monday morning, Jae). Martin, the baker, alias the pugilist, bloated from th e null, i ll Kant Sheen, to run to lie Clay ton As los, etas too Street, Netilliligtoll a distance of eight Indus mei a halt, for a wager of JO 10'!t) gnilllcA., to pet form it in an hour; which he act:4,1)10.44d in six initiates t‘llltlll the govt:is CORONER'S I NQITSTS. An inquest W 23 held on Tuesday before. Mr. Stirling. on t 1 body of Michael Dillon, of Drury Lune. The deceased had bom„h • an ounce ()lucid of su r ar, and an ounce of Epsom salts oil Satuniae week, and on Sunda? morning his :•ister, by mi s t a k e , gave hi m t h e poison instead of the mediei ne , be having put away the two powders together wi.:.out any to dictinguirdi ot.e from the other. Axton, achymistuf Soho, Ptatell, that he had, at the request of the jury, roans, the Maly, and froin the appearance pfter dissec tion. he was of opinion the death of the dezeased was caused by nia taking some cor:osire substance ; acid of sugar would produce the %Bet. Mr. Joh:i Cooper, aul:mot to Mr. 11. e Ilrun, chymist,.king.strort, tiißt on Saturday night week the deceased cara ] !. to Nit. I.e Itrun'r shop, and pirclevol an ounce of acid of sugsr, for which he paid is. Ile %COI to a Tile the name of it on, when the deceased said, .6 Never nar.l," and second in a hurry. lit about to leave, when he asked fur an ounce of Epsom sate., and Icit the shop inunetliately. Coroner.—A sttprhcial observer miuht acid of s , igar for salt. 3 ? r. Cooper.—T:tere is a difference is appearance and in t' ' t. Coroner.—Yes, ene is very sour, ant the other extremely nl4- ieL:F,. Mr. Cooper.—One is larger in tic crystals than the other. Juryman.—l. am of opmian Mr. Cooper's conduct was estrem-ly culpable. Pray, Mr. Cooper. it' you had so n the two papers ins few hours aftervards, could you, by a superfkial view, have told which. contained the salts end which the acid.of sugar P Mr. Cooper.—No,. I couh', not. Juryman.—l'ven I hapo tin,.; will rove a caution, not only to roc but every other medical man. Mr Stirling, in stimmiti, up the evidence, marked the inr-f, priety of Mr. Cooper's corluct ; he said that lie had acted with incaution, but not with r.r.y Juryman.—Every medical man ought to have the word " poison," written en deleterious Coroner.,Your verdict t'' en will be, " The deceased died from taking acid' of sugar in mistake for cal:sr" if any gentleman if of a contrary opinion he will say so. Juryinan.—l (lan. I think tikedeceasetrs death was caused Sy the culpable neglect of Mr. Coo .pind I wish that to be mentioneri in the verdict as a caution to all medical men, and which may be the means of preverting Cie recurrence of such a lamentable case. One of the jury 'hot:gilt such a verdict would prove injurious to Mr. Cooper's reputation. The Coroner uid, that it was truly an unfortunate accident ;r there was some negligence on the prat of Mr. Cooper. but that he had aes. ed wilfully was totally out of the question. Afte- a long conversation aril a warns discussion, the following verdict was recorded:—" Died in consequence of having taken!' large quantity of acid of ..I , gar instead of a dos: of salts, which se wongly resembles." . An amendment afterwards ism arr,ecd, that the words '4 a large quantity" should be oinittc3, and the weeds 4' half an ounce" should be inserted. It took place at the instance et' ch.! surgeon. that the medical world might be acquainted with the effects or half an ounce of acid of sugar, which had such a fatal effect in or.ly 16 minutes. ... The deceased was 27 years of age. and St'SS to have been marrird in a few days to a young lady, who has beau ever since iu astute of distraction. An inquest W3s held at the King's [lead, James -street. Westmir ster. on tit!. body of F. W. Pretty, a watchman, who nut his dcat't by falling from the scaffolding of one of the towers of Soul:umbel land House. Verdict.--Lccidental Death. A bottle was last week picked up orrthe Lizard, containing a piece of paper with the following curious inscription Ship Andromache, off Cape Clear, FA. 15, 18IR. " Caught a shark, and, by way of emwrini,ra, put the bottle which contains this paper down its thmat, and auffemd it to swim away. "J. MsLcutas. Surgeon." A well dresed man Mow out his brains on Saturt:ay week in this park of Veriatitits. In his }rocket a note was found, with two lettcrs for his family, who reside in Paris, The note was concluded in the following words:—'• My name is llcrthier, my age is 25i years. If I blow out my brains, it is not frotts want; it is chagrin that Ls driven me to it. _ . The American Beacon of the 211th of July, gives the following dreadful relation from The.aiii r..ifonitor:—•• On Saturday morning last C. Reed, of Madison township, Picks way county. in a sudd e r. fit of insanity, seized a stool, and struck his little son, about eight or nine years old, on the head, His dai%diter, a y oun g woman, cau g ht the boy in her arms. lie repeated the blows , saockixl the child CU:. of her arms, and fractured his skull, on which he died on the fellow issq Monday. lie th OTC7 s e tr rl tek rescued his Kedge. Site was, s c w b the d w i le e y ont e h t e :g h h e te 4 r d with an iron however, . The unfot_ ablate man afterwards cut his own throat; nun thus terminated Ins eaistsnce ." • An alarming fire lately broke out in a cottage at Aston, Berkshire. which with two .others and an stdsoining beam, fulled oats in the straw. w ere entirely destroyed. Several other dwillings, though very near. being to windward. a ere preser eed = but showers of ignikd srr.w f e ll on the out building (at snore than 100 yards distance ) of e , e Rbv. Mr. Bicheno. which took tire happily, however, the side of n-a house presenting a high acme eurfrio., though repeatedly on tire, and en engine arriving at the cririm: moment, this building was pre. servod. The troops of the 6th regiment of Dragoon Guards have been marched to Macclesfield, and other troops a the same regiment air also stationed at Ltek:and Couglemn, as measures of precuutien, r e ndered ucecssery by the active means taken by bad minded mar. sole discontent in the minds of the working part of society in t:* manufacturing districts. —Jlfavic;rester Bepre-s. A w h a l e , measuring feet in length. has been lately stranded 'a South Gist.— I nv, men On Monday night. the dwelling house of Mr. Ilatrh, of Queen's flow. Walworth, was broken open. Several articles of plate and large quantity of wearing apparel were carrier: off by the robbers undetected. Tuesday, the Royal Balloon roach , fr London to Vrprerster, was overturned opposite Farmington Moir, near Northleaeli, when two gentle:mit ;jlttascitgos•juert. ally hurt: and oil Thiustlay they: coJeli again suet a *evident w ithint:oll yards of the s one snot, bat no materiel injury was sustained by the pus..eltgers, there being hit one on theontside. Whe Bahama Royal Gazette/1f June IS Rater., that the ye/- low fever had broke out at the llacauuab, and was ina*Mg extensive ravages. l he 3continence on Wedn e ..e ze :111‘eil"e..leaut t he fliteis n on l' ( l .. l . l i .a t i l l i f e Y heaviest ewer reinemberet:, there being opwatils of 400 prisornas for trial. T,,e Kentish (;./.7 airr *co rs to learn, by Hie Emily SMllliseamaii, %skirl: arrived in the bow :is an Saturday that great nl preh PllSio:Pi wet e titel tallied at 111 P C;1:40 for the safety of the Union fuiliaman, whiels ship had b. e n a con espondent. that a f r i en d o f bi t expc.aed cur a long time." it his haml till a wasp, that had settled thei d ,4 B ,, l e V i i v i e n: ar i : informed by die o f a parlo u r door, he experienced the moil never. pain, till she servant putt the blue brig into warm water, and app:lzd it to the pars *lung, whirl. aw e. him in• taut trio ecrri.spondent informs ox, that in the lii broil of mcanion, ill lilt' 1'011411., of 111 nIC r,rl , nppli a i r e sit ph, m i t „ ), that crier is for IS,. 4:1.1 it. net ht.t plead , .4, 4 304.111 Allnr, /I'l o e,, s. ti soh: a ..lt rat. r