The National Register. — London, England, 1823-03-24 00:00:00

94 L4IP INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF CHANCERY. TIE6DAY, MARCH LORD PORTS3IOUTII. Mr. Hart, in rising to bring this subject before the Corte, " There is a petition in the matter of Lord Pot tsmouth, which your Lordship was pleased to order to come on this day. The petition, my Lord, is that of Walte► Skirruw, Esq. and prays that the care and custody of Lord Portsmouth might be entrusted to Joseph Draper C he, Esep as pros iaiuttal Com mittee, until I I rmanent committee was appointed ; ■nd in the event of his Lorrharip'a being pleased nut to grant the prayer of the petition, then that tonne other person ttri;;bt be appointed, in order to secure the comfort and happiness of the Noble Lord." The petition also prayed that Mr. Skirrow might be at liberty to pay over certain 1111111* of tnoney, not of the fund then in his bands, for the maintenance of his lordship. The Lord Chancellor, after some prefatory remarks, said— " Let my Lord Portsmouth be removed by Mr. Coomlie to Murstbourne. Let tire greatest care he taken of him ; and if there is any disturbance likely to lie inade, let the ; • plication be jostle to the Court." fig Lordahip declined making any order as to costs, hut said, that if Mr. Skirrow advanced any itrantotiable SUM fn• the maintenance of his Lord►hip the court would take care he should not suffer. L.. lASSIZ hi INTELLIGENCE. EN T. MAIDSTONE, FRIDAY, NIA RCII 21.--Alunnett ov ME. SMITH, OF Lan 13MA/4.-401111 C06'111311 Win ill. Meted for the wilful murder of Mr. John Smith, at Lewisham, on the ggil of December last, by shooting • I with a pistol loaded st ith powder and a leaden 'flits case excited very general interest, and lasted the greater part of the day. It will lie recollected, that in the morning after Mr. Smith was wounded, a carpenter's stock and centre bit were picked sip tinder the window at which lie was wounded. This Implement was traced to the possession . of the prisoner, and was one of several carpenter .' tools stolen from Mr. Bucklaiiil, a carpenter at Deptford.— %V hen the plisoner 4V316 apprehended he made a state. mem of facts, many of which were now contradicted.— The prisoner w as hilly committed for trial ou the 6th ol January. On the Bth the ma g istrates at Greenwich re ceived a letter (ruin the prisoner, requesting the presence a,folie of them at the gaol to hear some statement lie ' Illd to make. Accordingly Colonel Forma II and Mr. . Bicknell, the maziitrate's clerk, went down in Maid stone gaol tin the 9111, and saw the prisoner, when lie proposed to make a declaration respecting the murder.— He was distinctly told over and over again, that no statement lie could make could avail him to defeat the course of justice. Ile then said he hoped his statement would entitle him to die Royal mercy, and that lie would be adnimed as an accuser against hia accomplices. Attain he was distinctly told, that he had been commit. tad upon a chain of evidence which satisfied the minds of the maeistrates, and that any statement he should then make would be received against hint. NOLWith. standing this warning, he made a full confession that he wa, ;me of a party of five or Mx men that attacked Mr. Smith's house on the night in question, for the purpose or rubbing it, that he had used the centre-bit above. mentioned. I n the party were two nephews of the de ceased, and one of them was the person who actually discharged the pistol which effected the murder. It ap . purred that MI. each had been offered for the apprehen sion and conviction of any of the offenders implicated in this diabolical transaction, by the friends of the de ceased, the Blackheath Association, and the parish of Lewisham. On the 4:11 of Jan. a proclamation W:l6 published in the Loudon Gazette, reciting the circisin. stances of the inurder,that rewards to the aniniint of $OOl. had been offered, and then pa uulisi,u the King's pardon to any of die parties concerned in the offence, who should give evidence against any of his accomplices, ex cept the hand that actually fired the gun. Mr. Andrews, for the prisoner, contended that the statement made by the prisoner in gaol was not admissi ble in evidence against hhu, and must be considered as protected by the King's proclamation referred to. Mr. Adolphus answered the objection by saying, that the statettient was made, notwithstanding the repeated cuutimi t h at it would not avail bi:n, and consequently could tint be affected by die King's proclamation. Mr. Biwa Graham said lie should admit the evidence, bin in a case of this description lie 'tumid hereafter deli. berate with other authorities 011 the point, and if the result should he favourable to die prisoner he should have die benefit of it. The prisoner said nothing in his defence. The learned Judge summed up the evidence, and the the J ury found the prisoner —Guilty—Death. The sen tence was respited for the present. STAFFORD NISI PRIUS COURT. CL•3111 TO THE B•RONY OF STAFFORD.-SIR GEORGE JEKNINGIIAM. 1341(1 . , 0 % BELCH.. This was an action of trover by Sir Geo. Jerningliam, the proprietor of Stafford Castle, and of large estates in its Vicinity, against the defendant, a timber merchant, in the liotougli of Stafford, to iecover the value of an ash tree and tao alders, his property, which had been wrong fully converted to the defendant's use. The following are the ciamunstatices out of which this action arose :—ln December last, a person, calling I - self time Hon. James Stamp Sutton Cooke, arrived in Stafford, and laid claim to the estates on which Sir George Jerniughain and his predecessors have been in possession for mute than a century, ou behalf of his brother, to whom he gave the title of Lord Stafford. He soon inte rested a number of the populace in Isis cause by the boldness of his measures and the liberality of his promises. He appointed gamekeepers to the manor of Yorebridge, An which Stafford Castle is situate. ■ud by a manretivre obtained a few boors' possession of the castle it►elf, which Is usually open to the inspection of the curious. Notices were issued to the tenants of Sir Germ ge Jet uingliam, re grilling them to pay their rents only to hlr. Cooke, the amino:Med •gent of his brother, and threatening them with distresses in case they should refuse to comply, In THE NATIONAL REGISTER ordes to induce them (. Ciotti to the new claimant, leases were hffireil them at low rents, on the payment of a pre mium, and a day appointed to receive the rents in arrear, half of ri kirk 411.1 y were req.iired in moist quence of the pressure of the t hurt.. Out these re - preseistationn, smite of the teliatiln actioilly made payments, and receipts Were gi.en thrai for the its .4.1 u the mean' time, Mr. Cooke proecethol to employ men to 1.11 thillor on several pat Is of the domain, %Welt they did, attended by a rabble, and in the whole felled lictoern 711 awl 84 tree,. Altl gli haisol-1/111 WA. I.IIIICII, )11111 11..rveti uu all timber dealers in Stafford. suit to purchase any of du se treen,the defendant 1111111/1111*f. 11CCAIIIP 111114.C.11.11 of some of them, and obsti nately detained them from the owner. ' The defendant in this action was one of the permit's who were thus deluded. It WA) , moved that Iwo alder trees •till'one ash tree, cult 1 , 11 the lands of Sir Uri/iv derningliam on the 14th of Jaimaty in this year, were conveyed to his preniken, and that he refused to deliver them sip when demanded by the agetitii of Sir 6. Jo The valor of the trees was proved to lie 21. 15s. The learned Judge, in his charge to the Joiry, cap, caned his strong "climb:mon of these proceedings. To try a claim of right, II would he enough to cot a twig or take away a clod of elith; and therefore thin system of depre dation nasal violence was entirely will excuse. The only doubt iii the case Wil4, whether the conduct of the delendant did hot amount to felony; to thi. point the evidence did not iptite come, Int it wan van cutely neat it. It Will sight the people 44'1.1.; A 10 MI II 11...111C, that if !sees acre wrongfully soldered one day, without shadpw of excit.e, and taken away the next, the parties who lent themselves to such a taking; would have to ati i suer as felons in another Contr. The Jury fulmar' verdict fur the plaintiff—Datuages, 2!. 13s. SAME V. EA RALTT. This was also an action of trover bs Sir (I. Jernlngliain, to recover the valor , of ire. w felled ler the anon: cir cumataiii.es al those *Web gave tine to the last cause. The Jot, found a veidict Cur the pl 7f—)taniages, 71. 74. IN THE COURT OF TII SHERIFF OF STAFFORD. SIR GEORGE JERNINGRAM, HART., V. JAMES STAMP SUTTON COOKE, This was an action of trespass brought against Mr. Cooke himself, fur the damage co ;;;;; iitted by his orders, in cutting doss tiers of Sir Gunge Jerniugliain. lit this case, lte defesolniit dial not plead, but antlered judgment by default, sod the present inquiry was held to assess the damages. It was proved that 71 trees in the whole were felled on seven didirent farms in the occupation of Sir (}surge Jerninglisin's tenants. 01 these, five only had not been recovered ; but the damage beyond the value of these arose from the cutting of trees unfit for felling, from the improper manlier in which the leers were cut, and front the expenses incurred in bringing back Ilse trees from the variunx plocus to which they lard been mitre) ed. On •ne °erasion the defendant was shown In be present, and giving money the workmen who performed their office iu the midst of the rabble. Die whole of the damage was estimated at 3-11. Iss. 3.1._ _ _ Mr. Caldwell, wbo acted 014 assessor to the Sheriff, left the July to say whether the acts complained of were sufficiently 'Mown to be the acts of Mr. Cooke, and to what extent the plaintiff had sustained injury. The Jury aa,r.seil the damages at 341. I Ss. SECKYRSON UAIL V, CRANK, AND SMITH. . _ The plaintiff in this case is a 1441670 f, residing near Stafford, and agent to Sir George Jernitigham, of whom lie holds a considerable farm. Oat the leak of January last, while lie was absent from home at the sessioes, the three defendants, who are labourers in Sutfurd, entered his house tinder pretence of distraining for 1,0001. arrears of rent, sine to " Lord Stafford." They began to take an inventory of the goods, but were put ont by the sit, of the plaintiff. At fonr in the afternoon they returtirds attended by a crowd it people, and attempted to gain admission to the house, but tumid the doors locked and barred, to prevent their entrance. They then mole their way in the ►tables and back yard, where they began to take an inventory of the goads, bid were expelled by the constable, after considerably alar 11l il eg Mfr. Seckerso and the flintily. On the following day, while Mr. Seeker son was at the sessions, they rime again, and the trout dour having beets UVlied to admit Mrs. Williams, widow lathe lute Mr. Sergeant Williams, who canto to visit Mrs. Secket sun, they entered, passed through the parlour into the kitchen, and began again to make a catalogue of the goods. They were agent expelled; and, hi consequence of their intru►ions, the doors were barricadued fin' several days. The Jury assessed the damages at 201. SIR GLORGE JAKNINGDAN, DANT., P. DEAKIN. Tlik was an iletioll of tiespass against the defendant, who k a gueunittli at Stafford, titr beating the rovers id' Sir Geo. Jerningliain's preset yes lor game. It appeared that he had dune so on eight several dap. It was under stood, but did not appear in evidence, that the defendant was tine of the persons appointed as gime-keeper by Mr. Cooke. The Jury assessed the glantageN at 51. litnillNal U. CHUTCIILEY. Theis was an act by a tenant of Sur G. Jerningliani, on whine lands limber had been cut, against the delendaut, who hail forcibly entered his close to take it away. The Jury anaeuell the damages at 20a. DORCHEiiTh.Ii ASSIZEb. Russell y AT ItlivroN Aunt:v.—Thomas Moodier and Thomas Harvey were charged wills having entered the dwelling house of Lady Caroline Darner, at Milton Abbey, and stealing en immense quantity of silver plate, amongst which were I 26 silver plates,five large silver fruit baskets, ten dishes, 115 spoons, and 4,000 ounces of plate, of a . nikcellarreous description. William Harvey, orre of her lad)ship's footmen, was charged as an accessory before the bier, The evidence for the prosecution having been gone through, the Jury deliberated a few minutes, when they returned a verdict, finding Thomas Harvey end Downier guilty of the burglary, and William Harvey guilty as ac cessory before the fact. Alter a solemn pause. Mr. Baron Hulioek put on the black cap for the tryst time. Hie feelillp were so power' that it was with difficulty lie addressed the prisoners. —The learned Judge passed the sentence of death upon the prisoners in a manner which did not leave a dry eye lu the Court. William Harvey, at the conclusion, tell down and was carried nut senseless. 'Thos. Harvey was ontewhat adecled, but Dasiter was unmoved, POLICE. GUILDHALL. THURSDAY. MARCH 20.—Public indignation was strongly excited this morning against a fellow named W. Smith, who ..as slopped with a cart on Holborn contaiiiime lour dead boilies—logettier with all thte implements tired by body snatchers in s•iolatiog the bodies of the dead. twelve o'elock the prisoner was brought to the Just * Room in a hackney coach, followed by thu enraged multitude, who would have inflicted sunimary ininishment upon him had he not been protected from their fitri Ly the oillcers. Shortly afterwanls Alderman Cox arrived, and the examination of the witnesses was gone into. Batty, a watchman of St. Andrew, Holborn, stated, that about six o'clock this morning, lie was going tiff duty with another watchman, named Gallonage, wheit a young man, dressed like a butcher, came up amid told loin theme was a small cart with a black horse, coming down the hill, and lie suspected it contained something it might not, and advised him to keep his eye on it.-- Witness odd hint lie would, and the young man went away. 'Witness has:riled 10 the watch lonise, and coni intioicated what hail been told him in Mr. Fruit), the beadle, who was dies, discharging the men, and he (witness) and t h e oilier watchman, Caminage, went after the cart, tool brought it hack, together with the prisoner, to the watch house. (;amiliage, the other watchman, said lie went with the last witness and Mr. Fruit) after the cart, which by this time had gut as fir as Shoe Lane; he called so the primmer to stop, but he drove on at a quicker rate, and witness ran alter it, and ptille I the prisoner from his sea., and took him hack to the watch house. Folio, the beadle, stated, that when the two last witnesses ii.fi d hits that they ruspecte.l a cart, that had just gOIIC dowil the hill, contained something that it should not, he i 11111 l ediately ran out, and saw the cart going at a bill/kl3ll rate towards Fleet Martel. He called to the prisoner, who was in the ears driving, to stop the horse; but • finding he did not, he desired the watchman to tuft after it, and to bring both the can and its driver back to tie watch house. Ott inspection he found in the cart three sacks, containing the dead bodies of three females; one of diem appeared to have possessed considerable beauty ; and the (lead body of an old man was lying in the bottom of the cart, naked, with a cord tied round his neck, and his legs were brought over his shoulders for better conveyatice. He also found a new spade, and a boat hook fastened to the end of a stick about five feet long, which was used in raising the lids of the coffins. The bodies appeared in a very fresh slat , , and hid evidently beets recently interred. lie spies. tinned the prisoner how he became possessed to the bodies. lie 'said lie had been employed by two men. whom he Jilt not know (and who were walking at a distance before hint at the time be was stopped), Cu carry the sacks in his cart after them, wherever they went, and lie did not know at the time what the sacks contained. Alderman--Where are the bodies now ? Witness—They have been placed in shells, and are lying at the workhouse. Alderman—Have you any errijectures front what burial piece they have been stolen f Witness-1 suppose they have been taken from St. Faocras burying ground, from what the prisoners said. Time prisoner was then called for his defence. He said that he was a groom bin out of place; he wife and family living at Surrey Face, Blackfriars' Road.—Yesterday evening, two men whom he dm not know, called on him, and told hint if he would meet them at four in the morning, with his horse and cart, at the new bridge Kentish 'rowit. they would give him a job. Ile met tht.in at the oppoiiited hour, and they loaded his cart ; but with what he was totally ignorant, till he was stopped by the watchman. The Alderman said, he should commit the prisoner for re-examination, and in the mean time the officers should make inquiries at St. Pancras, of the sexton. if anv graves it) that church-yard had been violated. The prisoner was then conveyed to the Cumpter, amidst the execration. of a vast multitude. Mr. Dewily lieeves, and the Churcinv , rdenc or St. Andrew, liultirn, were pier.eut during the txamiva. hint. IRELAND .MOST VRIGHTVUL ?,111ROCRomm.011 the Sth instant, ot: the lands of Trihoo, two miles from Redhills, in the county of Cavan, a most cruel murder was perpetrated. The victim was Thomas Beatty, an amiable young man, about $. , 0 years of age, sou to John Beatty, a constable. They were usually intrusted with the collection of the county cess, and more moderate and deserving men in their situation were never known. Unfortunately, there was sonic misunderstanding among the tenants, incite of whom not only refused to pay, but were prepared to resist any who should enforce it. The young man above mentioned, advancing incautiously, was assailed by two men and tour women, armed with, the shafts of spades. grills, &c. prepared for the purpose. (Jne of the men, coming behind poor liestiy, struck hint nn the g d, they all fell furiously upon him. On the father's attempting to save him, they left the son, and began at ; and while they w ere th us en . gaged, a woman, observing the son revive a little, struck him on the head with a loy—haft, and fractured his skull: they then all ran off. The agonized father car ried his al t lifeless sun into a field, and ran for assist. ance; the best medical aid was pr o cu re d, b u t a ll i n vain, he lived in gre4i agony for tine,. days,and expired, lamented by all who kn ew hint. 'Pte rtiffian who first struck hint ran to a house, and swore lie had " sent a Protestant to On Wednesday evening last a well-dressed man threw himself oil lVaterloo bridge into the Thames and instantly sunk. His body was instantly dragged lur, but without success. A