The National Register. — London, England, 1822-06-03 00:00:00

(i 1.1) !MILEY SESNIONS. SATIRD4 V, PTA 27.—Thomas Ramsey, Samuel Green. wood, and Joint Beet tr. ee. e capitally indicted for assanhine Tlups. Stattehion, in the parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditelt, and tobbiug him of a watch, value 71., and a gold seal. Thomas Stoughton stated, that on the 15th Slay, about eight o'clock in the evening, he was going through Long alley, Moos fields, in company with his wife, when lie saw a man standing at the end of Angel.ulley, who elood still till he came up to hila, when he received a back-handed blow across the bridge of the nose, and at the stone time his watch was snatched front his fob, and the guard-chain was broken in several pliers. He pursued the thief down Ant el-alley , and was shoot to seize him, when three men relight the witness, and said," What's the matter Wit nests forced his way through them, and the thief escaped. He had no doubt but that Ramsey was the very man who robbed him. It was Greene , . sud who caught him by the body, and Hewer, lie he lieved, was another of them. He Rave information to an officer, and next night he saw the three prisoners in the watelishouse, aid immediately knew them to be the melt. The case (upon this evidence) went to the Jury, who, alter considerable hesitation, returned a verdict of Not Guilty as to all the prisoners. MONO/AY, MAY 141.—The C mon Sergeant took Ills seat on the bench this morning, for the first time siuce his election. Henry Snellgrove, aged Is, as principal, and Samuel Deighton, Thos. Buckusinster, Joseph Smith, and Francis Boyd, as alders and abettors, se ere put to the bar, charged on the verdict of a coionees inquest with killing and slaying William Pratt. Satntel'l'hompson, a beadle in Mile-end New Town, said, lie was at the tight on the 22.1 of April last, and it appeared to him to base been conducted very fairly. William Fordldism, head boi tough, deposed to the same effect and four other witnesses e - ere called, who cot tinned; the testimony of the above. William Black, a surgeon. said he was called in a few bouts before the death of the deceased, who was at the time in a state of insensibility. After his deash,lie opened the bead, and found au extra vasation of the blood upon the brain, which might have been occasioued either by a blow or fall. The prisoner Snellgrove, in his defence, said, that the deceased had sent him a challenge, which provuked him to fight. The Recorder, in summing op, observed to the Jury, that there did nut appear to be aggravated circumstances connected with the tight. The prisoner Snellgrove, ac cording to the testimony of one witness, said, before the fight— "He loved Pratt as his own brother." There was not a certainty that the deceased had come to his death by the blows on that particular day, because the surgeon said a fall on a previous day, viz as n itch as three days before the decease, might have occasioned his death. respect to the other prisoners, there was not eutli cient evidence to convict them. Verdice--Snellgiove, Guilty. The other pi isoners Nut Guilty. TRIAL OF THE MAN UNKNOWN. At five o'clock the Common Sergeant again took his seat, and " the man unknown' was put to the Isar. Ale. Clarke read the hidictment, which charged " that lie, a man whuse name to the Jurots is wholly unknown, and who, being brought before the said Jot ot s in the ens. toffy of an offi, er of his Majesty's gaol of Neweate, did wilwlly refuse to disel-se his 11141111`, did publish a sedi tious and blasphemous &c. dec." Pi isoner.—l pleaded to that two sessions ago. 'the Cotuntun Sergeant.—'Phis is not tit- same indict ment as was preferred too sessions ago. Sou have now fi plead guilty or not to this. l'tieont r.— I am not entity. Sir. Clarke.—Will you he tried now, or traverse? P. ismier.—l will be tt ie.! now. \Then the Jury were about to he sworn, lie asked if any of them were in the box two sessions ago, and being an swered in the nega.ive, the trial proceeded. Mr. Adolphus their proceeded to read the indicted passages, and concluded by calling upon the Jury to con sign the prisoner to the putsieltment which he met hell. The wos k was then read by the Cleik of the Court, and the following witnesses were called : Mr. Paine, the cit.' k of the Justice Room, Guildhall, proved that the pamphlet was put into his hands by Wm. Smith, who obtained the warrant 10. the pi isonei's William Smith proved purchasing the libel of the pri soner in Cnrlile's situp. The prisoner, on being called on for his defence, read it from a voluminous collection of papers which he held in his hand. He began by requesting the indulgence or the Jury, tie being only a journeyman mechanic, and there fore, as tio.y might suppose, an unlettered mats He went on to justify the es hole of the work which he was charged with publishing, and boldly avowed a defiance of the law, said Ito cared not for punishment, and indulged in lan guage which called forth audible expressions of horror and indignation. The Common Sergeant proceeded to charge the Jury, and having read the several passages indicted, said, he tilt himsell bound to state, that, in his opinion, they could not be regarded in any other view that, as 1410/4 libellous. There was great difference of opinion as to what was, and what was not, libellous, and it was undinibtedly the pro vince of the Jolty to decide finally upon the question. The law of libel was not ;willows defined ; it was not certainly to be traced to any particular statute, but it was a part sal the cuntnun law of the land, %Inch existed for the pur pose of giving protection to the property and the 11110taift of the co 1111111 l eity at large, amid if a man published luny thing to the world by se Itich either was endangered, he was undoubtedly a lit object for prosecution and 1 'b oosts, It was fur the Jury to deride whether the to Owner had, or lied not, done so its this instance. With respect to any difficulty which might have esssted as to his name being unknown, that had been re-tweed by his having pleaded to the itolittment in its present shape. It was with deep et gtet he had heats, the prisoner pursue the line of di fence which be bad done, mid the Jtny would judge whether be had done WM.OI any service iu it. In sense cases it happened that a Jury might be justified in acquitting a man on the ground that he was the unwilling, the unwary, or tile ignutaut instiunient of publication of libels ; but this could nut he urged bete, (or the prisoner 118.1, in his dt.fetice boldly adopted the principles and languare of the indication, Anti avowed them to be his Is e had not interrupted the primmer in his defence, THE NATIONAL REGISTER because he considered it of v At importance. that u per. aroused should he permilial to urge every thing he thought nrcessaly fur his rare; and lie thought it even heifer for the purposes of josice to let a prisoner go oil, though his defeitee should to injurious to himself, and mf•et painful to his hearers. The Jury, without hesitatM, relurncd a verdict of— Guilty. When asked what he had b May in arrest of judgment, he said, " I consider I have lone more than my dotty, and I am proud of my conduct. I shall always be oldie same opinions, and will do all 1 cat to publish it The Common Sergeant sail, that after the line of de fence he hail pursued, and *hat had fallen from him, it was impossible that anV huts very severe sentence could be passed upon him. He wit, then sentenced to IS tumults imprisonment, and at the col of that time to find sureties, himself in 10111., and two others iu 401., fur Iris good beha viour for five years. The prisoner, smiling andputting his hand to his breast, said—" I have a mind, my Loid, which can bear it all will, fortitude." ILESDAYTMAY 28.—Jalin Newnthier and Thomas Crawley were indicted carnally for assaulting Bowerbank, on the King's highway, and taking from his person a metal watch. Talus 81. he Jury found bode the prisoners guilty. The prosecutor begged i iecommend the prisoners to nicety on account of their youth, and the good character they lead teceieed. The Jury wi.,hed also to join in this rye ~,,,,,, endation. ........ The two prisoners, who were both extremely yotine, the one being 0..17 17, uoJ the other IY , wvro Oct Jimsio.cd Sr the dock without a suitable admonition (tont the Recorder. At the cuhclusion of the sessions, sentence of death would be inevitably passed upon them, amid he reamed that there was little hope that in such a ease as this the royal surrey %mild be extended. It was, indeed, high time that a mop should be pot to th, se frequent street robberies, and that other, shoold be detem reel by the pu nishment of those who were detected. The prosecutor sod the Jury had humanely recommended the prisoners to met cy, and it should be roummnnieate , l to the proper row ter ; but lie stiottely advised the young men to pre pas e seriously for death WEDNESDAY, M AY 29.—William Young, a young man of rather respectable appearance., was capitally indicted for stealing (me gold suntl-box, value 201., a gold scent box, aevemal spoons, and other articles of plate, the pro perty of Dr. A. Y. Granville, of Saville row, Builington Gardens. Dr. Granville stated, that the prisoner came into his service 84 footman, some time in the month of February last, and had been in the family about six or seven weeks, when one evening he asked for some wages in advance, and was front that moment missing from the house. 'fins circumstance naturally excited suspicion, and on search ing about the house the property mentioned in the indict ment was missed. . . ....... doini Pin tun ' a Bow-street patrol, said, he oppreliended the pri•uner inOxtord sheet on Thursday last. He told I for what lie apprehended him, and he immediately gave up the pawnbroker.' duplicates for the whole of the stolen article:, observing, that he hail been miserable since lie toblicd his master. . The pawnbrokers ',ulaced the property, which was identified b., Dr. trianrille, and eestorsd to him, by order of the Heeoider, flee ut Lspenee. The Jury foond the prisoner guilty—Death. Aged 2S. NorrisWitlism and William Nicholls, two lads, were capitally indicted for stealing lii pieces of Milk handker einels, value 201., and two pieces of silk and cotton, value 21., the property of George Burch, in his ilwelling-lionse. Mr. Burch is a calico printer at Upper Claptou, and on Saturday, the 13th of April, lie missed 16 pieces of silk handkerchiefs, and two pieces of silk and cotton, front his warehouse. They were taken Isom different parcels, in order to prevent discovery. Nicholls was then, and :ilorris had been, in the employment of Mr. Burch ' and on Mor. I is, upon whom suspicion fell, being sent fur, and taxed with the rols'arry, he strenuously denied it. After the constable had locked up Morris, lie was going in search MI Nicholls, when he met him, and lie without hesitation said, " 1 took the handkerehiels; Mortis had nothing to du with it." They then went to the lionse of Morris's fa ther, and Nicholls asked Mtn fur the duplicates which he bad got of his. The elder Morris gave up several pawn broket's duplicate:, which were found to relate to a por tion of the property which had hems stolen (loin Mr. Butch. . _ _ Mr. Burch identified the handkerchief, and gave the primmer Ni.liolls an e•ceilent character. The Recorder die ected an acquittal of Morris, who, he said, could unly be cons ie:ed a , a eceet%er, there being nu 'trout' 01 . Iti6 having btea near the pretniset at the tune ut the theft.. _ . . The July tumid Nicholls guilty of stealing under the v..liie of 41',„ and acquitted Morris. MAY 30.• JLIENILE DEPRAVITY.—John Oliver, au urchin nut more than seven years old, wits in dicted for atealing an ass, a bridle, and saddle, the pro perty of William Williams. It appeased that the prosecutor had lied lila Arabian pony to a post near Smithfield, while lie made some inquiry at a house near the spot, and in his absence 'he little de predator mounted and lode oil with the animal. lutist 10011011 will given to Westbrook, the officer, also took the pt isoner in the act of selling the ass arid equip ments for 20i. he ass was u• u trrted to Mr. Williams, who did not appear ; the Jury, there f ore, under the di rections of Mi. Common Sergeant, found the prisoner Not Guilty. John Mersey was convicted of picking pockets, and ordered to lie transported for life. Hannah Simpson was capitally indict( d for stealing the suer of °I. in moms numbered, the property of J. Tye. plosecutur anti witnesses, on being called, did not answer. The officer who apprehended the prisoner said, that he had co dertrl them to he iu Court by nine o'clock precisely ; and it his Lordship would pet mit the case to stand over fur a stunt •, he had esti y reason to I,elieve they would be there. The Connnmi Sergeant said, " I shall do no inch thing ; it was your duty to has.. rich they attended in time. The Cowl will not pessaiit its time to be wasted by such blameable negligence. Lail tioin on their recogniaances. It they do not appear, let their recogiusances be entreated; and you, Gentlemen of the Josy, must acquit the pt seiner," which they instantly did. Frances Potts was iudictcd for stealing a quantity of linen, the property of Chalk,. Bit kaell. The primmer creme into the prosecutor's service on the 2Yd of this month, and on the 21111 be detected her cars eying assay the articles in question in a bundle. In her defeetee else Said she had relations who were gone to Fiance. and she stole the articles to enable her to go to them.—She was found guilty. John Maloney, aged 11, was convicted of stealing a handkr 'Thief hero the Iverson of Thomas Morley. The prosecutor was going along Monniontle-street one evening, when the prisoner, who was in company with about it) young thieves, pulled his hankerchiet front his pocket. He was seised immediately. The Recorder instantly ordered him sup for judgment, ard desired him if he should ever see any of the young Thieves with whom the officers said lie bad hiller' to asso ciated, in St. tides's, to tell them that the (mutt would pass the same sentence upon them, if ever they raisin to that bar. The sentence of the Cutest upon bine was, that he should be transported foe life. statablAtt HAM& man com mitted to Newg-ite on a charge of horse stealing, alleged to have taken place in the county of Gloucester, and to which county lie was to be removed by Habeas Corpus, to take his trial at the ensuing assizes, was put to the bar, Had a motion was made by Mr. Binderiek on Isis behalf, that his ttiai might take place in this Court at the sleet sessions, instead of al Gloucester. The learned Sergeant said, lie moved on an affidavit made by the primmer, whirls stated, that his prosecutor, one Richard Cooper, had been heard to any that lie would hang him (the pri soner) if it could possibly be done; that if lie wets tried in tirloncester he could not have a fair trial, inasmuch as many of the fanners of that county, who would nece.senily be summoned to serve as jurors at the assizes, had lately lust horses, and that they had declared they would do all they could to convict and liaise the nest mau oleo should be brought before then' for horse•stealing. Floe Recorder said, such an application could not pos sibly be acceded tu, and stated, AN one of the grounds tor refusal, that the Court could not possibly believe that the farmers (Attie comity of Gloucester wee e so wicked as to sutler a feeling of revenge to inflict! them to violate their oaths. The Conte would not give its sanction to so gross a libel upon such a respectable body of men.—Motion re fused. Thomas Jay, the young man who is charged with steal ing a wattle, Mc. from the pesson ail mast unknown, was put to the liar. Mr. Modes ick said, he had to move the Court that the trial of the prisoner might be postponed tit the ties' sessions. He was well known to two persons who had ass opportunity of Wise, ving his conduct on the night in ques tion, and could, therefore, give material evidence ill his behalf. These persons wee e not now fortlico 11l ll g, but would be at the next sessions, and it was hoped that the Court armlet consent to postpone the trial. The is ial was accordingly postponed, and the prisoner was told lie most lie really with his witnesses by the first day of next sessions. itissaatv.—Thomas Sale Denby, a tespectable looking young man, was indicted fur feloitiously intermarrying with Elisabeth Keene, Mary Anne Reeves,lns lawful wile, being at the time alive. his his defence, the prisoner said Isis first wife had eloped wish another Wan, anti was now living with I The Jut y found him guilty, and lie was immediately sentenced to transportation for seven years. The Isiah having ended, the RI cos der proceeded to pass sentence upon the pristine's convicted. Fifteen re— ceived sentence of tralispultalion for seven yt ars; one for I f yeas; one for lite; amid she dreadful sentence of death was passed opou 13, who acre convicted oh capital Crimes. 'lke sessions then adjourned to Wednesday, the 13th o J itly Ilex.. DREADFUL AFFRAY" IV W ESTMINSTER. On Monday evening lost an Merming riot took place iu Great Peter-street, Westminster, and the 'deem; adjacent. It ori ginated in a quarrel among smite Irish people of the lowest class in a public house, the Duke's Dead, in Peter-street, from wheice they turned into the street ; when in the course of a few minutes, upwards of 200 persons assembled, armed with every description of weapons, and a general taray com menced. The police attached to Queen -square office hating received information of the outrage. proceeded to the spot, re inforced by a strong pnrly of the Bow-street patrol, and the Thames police, under the direction of Sir It. Dirnie. After a very prolonged and determined resistance, after the riot Rained been read, the rioters were driven into the houses, and were folk .ved by the police officers armed with cutlasses and pistols —several of the officers were very %merely beaten, and much injured by stones, &e. being thrown net them from the windows. A pistol loads with ball was lire-d from one of the windows, it is said, and the contents lodged in the groin of a man named Welsh, and he was carried to the hospital iu a state of imseesi• Bt the exertions of the police, and a number of the ito hubiktets, who were sworn in special constables on the 11Ces sion, 31 of the rioters were taken into custody in the course of the evening. Many persona were cut and heat in the most shocking rummer, the rioters being armed with long sticks. mod supplied stones by women from the neighbouring streets. Such was the consternation of the the inhabitants, the shut ters were almost universally closed ; several of the sloops were wantonly attacked, and the windows destroyed. Had mot the police promptly arrived, one house would hare been completely demolished. WEEN•RaIfARE—EIAMINATION OF THE Rturrr:.—Tees day morning this office was excessively crowded to hear the examination of the poisoners. Several witnesses having identified them, and sworn to their participation in the tie, they were all cotton itted, except Urea nun, who was admonished and discharged. The prisoners in the evening were all conducted, under et proper escort, to Tothill-fields Prison. 'floe examination lusted until late in the evenine, and the office was surrounded by thousands of persons durin:, the day. Priests have the reputation of being the inventors of army of the greatest plagues and instruments of torture. The hellish machinery of the Inquisition was the *souk of Jesuits. Gun-powder, so etlective in human exit r ruination, Was invented by Berthokle de Schwan*, a German Monk. Bombs, by Galles, Bishop of Monter —iron cages, for roasting or starving to death built ,0 victims, were invented by the Bishop of Verdun, N Ito was the first to suffet the death he invented for others. lie was shut up in the first cage that was made during fourteen years, under the adnnuisintiun of Cardinal Richelieu. 174