The National Register. — London, England, 1818-03-30 00:00:00

DEVON ASSIZES. A CHILD MURDERED BY ITS MOTHER, Frances Clarke was indicted for the murder of her chill. Comp taketieut Clarke. ay administering to it, a portion of oil ref vitriol, front the effects of which it died. The child was three weeks mad one d ay old. Witham Vesey, a lalararer.-1 know the prisoner at the bar: she lodged at my hews on the c tth of October: she was delivered of a Boy three weeks Ware his nmas was George I.akernan Clarke ; his another said he Was called George lukattan. rad Clarke came of course. She slept in the nasal within that in which 1 :on the Ina of (ktnher I saw the prisoner - bring the child into her own room ; she left it there, and went down stairs ; on her return she had an apron on her arm ; she went into her mem. and in halt a 'minute tear:. :ate c h ild stranalag, the stone as if it we. eliding. Prisoner read out Mat the child was thing: I asked her what waa the matter ? Wit replied, the child was dylag, and ant down stairs in a great hurry, squseaing the child up in her arms. Sustain:lh Vesey, wife to tie hat win:c.a.—l saw the prisoner sm the *seat of (let. with the child in her arms. At two o'clock in the afternoon she was sitting by the tire; I desired her to carry her child vp stairs and lay it on the bed, because she had it the whole forenoon asleep on her lap ; she ran up stairs with it, then %ant into the garden where she stayed two minutes, and on my return she was down stairs with the child in her arms. The child was in a very dreadful way. She said the child was dying. I ..aid, " how could it be dying when it was very well when I parted from her ;" 1 desired her to let ma have the child. She would not, and she went up stairs; I followed her up stairs, but shelves not in the mine room a, at first, She came down Stairs, and I tonic the child from her and carried it to the win dow. I saw ire mouth open, and the stuff that was given to the child liras boiling in its mouth ; I mean by stuff, oil of sitriol. The child was shrieking and crying. I sent after the doctor. I said to the pri soner, " What have you dote this l'or ?" The answer she gave me was, that "It was her mother's titult." I observed there was sme lling on the whittle, and thought it was blood, hut it was not ; I rubbed my finger to it, and put it to my tongue, and found it was oil of vitriol. I asked what she foal done to the child. I said she had given it oil of vitriol, and f did not know where she could have got it. fur we have no such thing in our house. She made no reply. I stopped her, and said, " You bussey, you have murdered your baby, antilll have you took up iminedi.attly." She did not answer. On the 28th of October, I found a bottle in the fire ; there was oil of vitriol in it. The bottle was broke in taking it out of the tire, and vitriol was stilt upon a stick. The child died on the aath, the day after the staff was given to it. The child was, before this, as well as it was possible to he. Cons-examined by Mr. flonkin.—Gcarge Lakeman. 'who is the reputed father of the child, is a g . cntlenian farmer. The parish put the prisoner in coy house to lay in ; no other person lodged ig my 'sous a Sarah 'Maddock, I l years old.—l know the prisoner; 1 live with Salami& Vesey.—lwent for a pennyworth doll of vitriol for Frances Clarke a founight before. Ilucklastleigh fair. which was about six weeks benne rite was taken up. She sera me to Mr. Butcher's after it pennyworth of oil of vitriol Mr her. She toM ins not to tell it WAS fir bet, but the people in the house. Rishard Birchen—l keep a druggist's shop at Buckfastleigh. Sa rah Maddoelocame to rue, aeconling to my recolleetion. six or eight weeks bel;)re the death of the child ; shecenie after vitriol—a penny worth ; on my enquiring. she said ir sea. Mr Fan Clarke. I gave the vitriol to tier, a SW: oil and vitriol. I seat back a very strict charge, that if she drank it, it would kill her. Nicholas Churchill, a surgeon, residing at Rackfastleigh. was called in on the 2 eth of October, to see a child, which a woman said was poisoned. On the Cfah. Few it at the corona ' s inquest, and formed a judgment that it had died in conseqin me of sulphuric acid or oil of vitriol being administered to h.—Did not open the child (the witness looked at the spoon)--would rather not give an opinion at to the effect of oil of vitriol on the spoon, for such an application is nit made professionally by medical men. A bottle was produced.—nuaannah Vesey, I found that battle in the prisoner's box; I api sure it is the same. Mr. Butcher.—There is the appearanee of vitriol about the hottle, bat I ant not csnain ; the bottle is almost clean. Sarah aladdock looked at the bottle. That is like the bottle I got the vitriol in. I got the bottle from Frances Clarks. Mr. Butcher.—lt is impoasible to swear to bottles, in my opinion, famished by druggists. Mr. Rota suraeon.—l can't say whether there has been sulphuric acid in the bottle. Mr. Dunkin requested that the statement of a &statist from London, who was in court, should be receised in evidence. lie then called— Wm. Hallett, a chymist in London many years, who said, I think it impossible to say at the present time what had been in that bottle; I think it had not what is called vitriolic acid in it ; had there been v it r i o lic acid in this phial. and had the phial not been washed or clean wiped, the acid would be pungent, and almost corrode any unit ia applied to it. Cross examired.—l am a wholesale druggist, and a practical drug gist thirty years. 11l not swear there was net vitriolic acid in the phial. The spoon IS iron plated. Oil of vitriol put into the iron meant will cause blackness. Mr. Justice llolroyd.—Will you undertake to swear, that vi triolic aid, put into that spoon, will not produce that whiteness you observe ? Mr. Ilallet.—No, I will not swear it. Mr. biril.—Will you undertake to swear that oil of vitriol was net the lau thing put into that spoon ? Mr. Ilallet.-1 will nut ; all Aids will prodoce a whiteness, hut most of them more than vitriolic acids, on min spoons, plated with lead. This is plated with lead. On colourless linen, the vitriolic acid will CAM; a black shun, and burn it ; the mark round the hide would be white ; the afflict of it on woollen would be nearly the same. Here Mr. II alkt examined the linen apron "it appear :a" said he, to be destroyed by acids." He also examined the whittle of woollen. It. That also may hare been burned by acids. Mr. Hallet was by accident in mot ; be html not been sunattontd to attend. Me. Justice I lolroyd, in summing up, mode a very few conauents .ipnn the evidence. The duty immediaiely returned a verdict of Guilty. Mr Justice I lolmyd then stated to the Airy. that the indictment charged the prisoner with the murder of George Eakinuto Clarke. wit re ts. in the coarse of the evidence. it appeared that the child bad bean el.ristsned George lakeman only. Upon this subje:t that -existed sash a doubt. at to ioduce him, although he thought it right to proceed with the trial, for the rtUrpOt.e of ascersainins the prisoner's guilt or inneeenee, to reserve the poott Mr the coasideration of die Judges. &Nuance of death, of course, was not pawed. A trial recently took place Ireland, which is v►•nrthy of notice, farm its novelty and unexpected terminating. An action was brought by an attorney strainst his client, for a bill of costs, which the latter ri\isetl to pay, alleging, that the attorney had agreed to nct—no cure no pan, and on the trial produced the written undertaking of the attorney to that abet. The lawyer, however, obtained a verdict fir the full amount of his hill, because such nn agrc:•ment was , and cluld not, therctitre, be binding ; but the excrssed Lis disapprolltion, adding, that if suck another agreem-ot came before him he would it.1 . 11,e. the :atorney oir the roll. M Long We'.:leslev, in Ms ailtiress t:t the Wiltshite freehnlaers, states that he h:ts tixel ua that co:lnty as the place of his constant residence, THE NATIONAL REGSTEIL WES•TMINSTER SESSIONS. On Saturday the WeatucinAer Sessions closed. Among ehe persons put to the bar as reputed thieves, was-the cele brated Hill Soarnes. lie bad been apprehended by Oddy, a pulica ms't,rr, who had a warrant against lam, in the gallery of the Surrey Tneatre. limnplweys. a Bow-atreet officer, stated, thia helnul known Soarnes as a reputed thief. organising gangs of pickpockets for the last 10 years with unceasingaetivity. Seames.—•'• Dettl believe a word of it, Mr. Chairman lam not four years in the country." Ilunaphreys.—" lie's right enough. Sir, for he returned from tranaportation within tile last tour years; but I knew him before his t7aves, and I have constantly seen hint since picking pockets about be Strom!, with others of the gang." Soanris lint in a written paper. containing a defence not dissimilar to ilia of Barrington at the Old Bailey. Ile complained that his character was bla , ..ed from past imiiseretiovs, and that he could find no one to Five hint what he Fought, an honest livelihood. lie can didly contiissed that the l'eSce were his most uncomprimising ene mks, for he &aid , ' not appear in the streets to look after an honest situation without being immediately recognized and attacked by them. Ile declared himself innocent of the charges made against him, and said, that he had obtained the Prince Regent's patdon for his last conviction. which was obtained at the instigation of Vaughan, and others of the same description. The Chairman.—:" Soaines, it is a shocking thing to see you con tinuing this career, after repeated convictions, punishments, and escapes." Soames.—" Sir, I am most anxious to get an honest livelihood, but the police officers stop 'lie the inainent Igo out to look for it. When I was taken I was in the ant of seeking a stewardshipin an East In dianian, a situation I once held, and could have got it if it were not for this arrest." The Chairman.—" You have abilities, and it is a pity they are not honestly employed; it would be very desirable if you could find untie situation out of the country, where you might retrieve your character. Can you get the situation you allude to now ? I know you have friends." Soamea.—" I think! can, Sir." The Chairman.—" Then let the sentence stand-neor until the day of adjournment." The Prince Regent has had a attack of the gout in his knee within these few claws ; but, yesterday his Royal Highness was better, and there was every appearance of the attack passing oil' without coming to a regular fit. Private letters from Italy announce, that the Princess of Wales is in a very declining state of health. Her illness has been caused by excessive grief for the loss of her Royal daughter, the beloved and lamented Princes Charlotte of Wales.—Ecening Paper. The Lord Advocate of Scotland has, at length made a return to• the Order of the House of Commons tar a list of all persons arrested in Scotland upon charges of treasonable practices, and of administering and taking unlawful oaths. From this return it appears, that of 37 persons arrested and committed to the Castle of Edinburgh, only one was tried, and he was acquitted ; another was held bv the Court of Justiciary without trial, the remainder - were released, after being im prisoned for several mouths. The French Papers state that an embargo is said to have been laid in the ports of Spain on all the vessels of the United States of America. Another Bill is also before Congress, which affects our manufacturing interest, by increasing the duties on iron in pigs, castings, nails, anti alum. A letter from Valenciennes states, in a positive man ner, that tire army of occupation is soon to quit France. The contingents of the minor powers arc, it is said, to march homewards in the month of May; the British and Russians remain until September; and the latter have agreed to transfer to France, by virtue of an arrangement not yet made public, the whole of the horses of their cavalry, artillery, &c. which saves effec tually the risk and expense of carrying them round by sea. . _ On Saturday the prisoners who stand committed on various charges of felony, amongst whom is George Chenael, jun. Thr the murder of his father in Gtuldford, were removed from I forsemonger-lane Gaol to Kingston fin. trial, where the Assizes for the county of Surrey connuenced this morning. A melancholy circumstance occurred at Lincoln, on Thursday morning, during the execution of tour cul prits on the New Drop there. The number of people assembled to uitness their awftil exit was so immense, that before the unfortunate wretches were launched into eternity, a sudden pressure of the crowd took place, and forced an aged female and her daughter, a young wt. man about Iti years of age, into an adjoining well, near .20 feet deep; and before the necessary apparatus to ren. der assistance could be procured, they both became the victims of their fatal curiosity. SrAFFORD.-At these Assizes one of the javelin men (all of whom arc Sheriff's. Officers) arrested an At torney in a place not very distant front the Court. The Attorney appealed to t:iu Court for protection, stating, that he was attending as a witness. Mr. Justice Park bad hint sworn, and Le stated that he was attending in Court as a witness, and had been auli,tcenaed. Mr. Justice Pad:, "Ile must be dia. eha ged; mind as he attends here as.a witness, he must be protected to his own house." It is supported that Sir William Geary will retire f. an the representation of Kent, and that Mr. 'W. I'. Hollywood will offer himself On Monday, the :2:ld instant, the parishioners of Stanway, Essex, unanimously resolved to present a va luable piece of plate to Roger Nunn, Esq. to mark the sense they entertain of the talcat, assith ity, and huma nity, which ho has evinced in the treatment of a conta gious fever, lately cxistea among toe poor. ]MARCH SO A man supposed from his description to be Haney, the murderer, was apprehended on Wednesday evening about a mile from Deal, and examined before a Magis trate, who committed him to Sandwich gaol till his par son should be identified, for which purpose the party who took him into custody immediately set oil fur Bow. street—Can terbury Paper. By infOrmation received on Friday, in a circular let. ter from a Magistrate in the west of England, Hussey is traced, by a most accurate description, to have passedthrough that district—and, from the prompt measures which have been adopted, the public may expect hourly tidings of his being in custody. Some small potties of green gooseberries, about the size of peas, were brought for sale, last week to Co vent-garden market. INOMMI RV BIRTHS. The lady of Adm. Sir C. H. Knowles, Bart. of a sot:.—ln Mbe marle-street, the Countess of Waldegrave, of a daughter. 111ARRIF.D. C. Telfair, Esq. to Annaballa, eldest daa. of the late Adm. Cham berlayne.—Capt. F. G. Bradshaw, of the 9th Dragoon Guards. to Mary Anne. dau of the late C. Weston. Esq.—Lieut. W. Drew, B.N. to Ann. youngest dku. of the late E. Baker, Esq. of Foley plr”, Cavendish-square.—At Madras. the Rev. W. Malkin, B.A. of Mag. College. Cam. and chaplain to the lion. India Company. to Mary Anne, dau. of Sir S. Toiler, Advocate General, Malras.—G. Dew, Esq. 11. N. to Charlotte Mary dart. a E. Scott, Esq. of Han-. sir" Illoonbury-square. At St. Helena, R. Leach, Esq. aged CA. Member of Council there. —At Villa Franca, agtd 19, 11. A. B. St. John Sparrow, Esq. the only 9011 of Lady Olivia, Bernard Sparrow.—ln her fourth year, Lady Caroline Parker, date. of the Earl of Morley.—At au advanced age, Capt. E. O'Reilly. He served under Frederick the Grcat.—At Greonwitir, aged 88, Ann, widow of the late l.ieut. Gen. Forbta Nl' :lean, of the Royal Artillery.—Sarsh, wife of R. Thorpe; Esq. LI ~D. late Chief Justice of Sierra !.cone, and Judge of the Vice Admiralty Court of diet colony.--At Bristol, Lieut. Col. 11. Balfour, late of the East India Company's Service.—At Tunbridge Wells. aged 7J, Dame Deborah, relict of Sir E. Dering, Hart. of Surendeu fleeing, Kent.—At Idstone, }leeks, Lieut. Gen. Tarrant, late of the Royal Engineers in Ireland.—At Broadwatcr, Deets, Capt. W. Ince, late of ssth regt.—At Cononley !tall, Yorkshire, .lane, wife of Ma-. jor Joneg, late of the 18th Ilussars.—ln Chapcl-street, Grosvenor place, aged 30, the lion. Annabella, youngest dan. of the late, and sister to the present Lord Ilawke.—ln Devonshire-street, aged :.to, Caroline, de.u. of the late J. It. Came, Esq. Member of Coun cil at Bombay. LONDON MARKETS. CORN-EXC HANCE. VIHDAV, MARCH tr./. We had a very limited arrival of any Grain since Monday, in con sequence of which the trade in gener:d is rather brisker.—Barley, Beans, and Pease are each about is. per quarter higher ; and having but few fresh arrivals of Oats, b?tter prices are obtained.—ln other a+ tides we have 110 alteration to unties. MONDAY, MARCU 50. There was a litrral supply of English Wheat this morning from Essex, Kent, and Suffolk ; the fine samples experienced a brisk sale at the early part of the market at rather higher prices than on last Monday. Fine Barley being in reque.t. advanced Is. per quarter, and the middling sorts were considerably dearer.—Rcil, mg Pease in demand.—Beans maintained their prices.—There were several arrivals of English Oats, whieh caused the sale to be brisk for fine samples; other grain with little variation.—Rapeseed and Linseed at lust week's prices. s. s. s. S. Wheat B2 a SG WhitePeae?? aGO Fine ditto 6.3 a 100 Grey Pease 44 a 48 Rye 42 a 511 Hens 42 a 54 Fire Harley 36 a Co Ticks „4O a 4'9 Malt..—... 58 a 80 Oats B3 a 32 B. f. Poland Oats 26 a .74 Pt nnoe ditto 2:t a 31 Fine Flour 75 a an Second ditto 70 a 7.5 Rape Seed4Bl. a 551. PRICE OF BREAD. The highest price of the best Wheaten Bread throuf?hout the me ropolis, is stated by the Bakers to be 141. the Quer:era tonic Bakers sell the Quartern Loaf from id. to 3d. lower. AVERAGE PRICES OF CORN PER (WARTED. IN ENOLAND AND WAKES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH II Wheat. I Rye I Barley I Oats I Beans 1 Pea.,e 84 8 30 3 47 5 125 56 3 3; PliloE a 11)1111111ELD. MEAT, MONDAY, Ataituz. 50. e. ri. a. a. Bed 4 0 a 3 6 Mutton 4 4 a 6 Veal a 6 4 l'ork 4 0 a 6 4 Lull.— 66 a 4 NEVJGATE AND LEADENUALL. Brads r:f Cattk at Circast a. d. a. 41. S.,,;thfrtd. 11484 58a 4 8 Beasts, about.— 11,7 n Mutton 44a 5 IP Veal 4 8 it 6 $ Pet!: ....5 4 a 6 6 Lamb.... 5 4 a 8 0 Shcep iespo Cdvix Pigs --VB9 .... 300 HAY AND STRAW PER LOAD. s. d. X. s. d.Aver.X. s. d. (Hay 40043150-4176 SKI:1111E1.D -: Clover s 0 0a 7 0 0 510 0 I Straw 1 10 0 a 5 5 0— Y 6 6 }I sy / 400a06 0 5 3 0 M ST. JAES . S (lover 1 15 0 a 6 6 0— 5 10 6 Straw 0 14 0a 3 6 0 .... 3 0 6 ( I lay S 0 0a 6 WIIITTCHAPEL • Clove► 6 0 6 a 7 Straw ° 0 5 10 0 0 0 —. G la 0 5 0 2 12 0 AVERAGE PRICE OF SUGAR, Cornputee from the Returns mule in tits week en.lin:; Alareh?..s,ls 5-33. per 1 ••t. exclusive of the Ditty of Custom.. paid er payable thereon on Importation thereof tutu Great liritaiu—( Soto rdays te. ) PRICE ON STOCKS. Pan% Stock 5 per Cent. Reduced per Cent. Consols 4 ptr ent. : B ili 5 pt r (Ant. Navy 105; Ird:n Steck Ilit o north (5 per ('ent.) BO 8.: pr Ex, bequer Bills, 2d. per Day ti i 3 pr Corrolr for I.org A nr.uitiet Lossnow : Printed and published by R. IV mast. No. IS': FILLET. TREET. between St. Clasreil And Fetrot Lane, nd forwarded into the Country by all Newsn:ve Suukiall as, and Clerks of the Road, lex of pveldis.; 104