The National Register. — London, England, 1821-04-01 00:00:00

The Lind Cblef Barge—" hiseees,lll de all la rn power to save your life." I isoner—" Do if you please, my Lord." The prisoner was then taken from the bar. Several per sons it the crowd muttered " What, is not he to be hanged then ?" STAFFORDSHIRE. THE VINO v. JOHN WRIGHT. This was a very affecting case. The prisoner was in dicted fur the murder of his own son, au infant only five years of age, by throwing hint into the Birmingham canal, nu the sth of September last, whereby the unhappy child was drowned. Sarah Lies.-1 live at Wolverhampton—know the pri soner. Is the month of September last lie lodged at my Louise. He had a wife, but she did not live with him, and a little boy five years ui age. His wife was in service —she came home with her husband on a Sunday, the ad of September. They all thought she intended to stop.— i canoe about 7 o'clock, and found her in the house. She zernained that night, and she and the prisoner appeared to be very comfortable ; they slept together. In the morn ing the prisoner got up before his wife, and went to fetch what was necessary for breakfast ; lie then called his wife, and they hrcakfusted together. After breakfast the pri soner's wife asked hint it lie was going to work ; he said lie was, and added, Well, wench, you'll get my dinner ready," and she said she would. Thu prisoner was ex tremely cheerful and happy. Hid wile went away as soon as lie was gone, and never returned since. The pri soner came home to dinner about one; lie said, " What, hasn't my wife got me any dinner?" I said, " No; she's gone out." He stamped his foot, and said, " I sin sure she's gone off again." He remained at home some little time, and looked very wild. He went out in an uncom mon way; and I sail, " Where are you going Wright, or what are you going to do r' He said lie was going to look for her. I was afraid that lie would make away with himself from his agitated and wild appearance, I had felt alarms of that sort before. I tried to persuade him to come back, but he would not. When lie came home his clothes were very wet,tand I accused him with havine, attempted to drown himself; lie looked very stern at me, and denied it, and begged me to say nothing at all to him about it. He remained in his clothes as they were, and would not have them dried. In the afternoon the prisoner went to ,etch his little boy from school; this was not his habit. He pressed the little boy to his bosom and said, " AL ! thy naughty mother has left us again ; and when he looked at the child seemed to become more tender s althongh very good at all times; was particularly kind to the chill the whole of the evening. The prisoner lived very poor in general, his earnings being very small : at times, when there would be but little bread in the house, I'd say, " Wright, have a pint of beer, and a bit of bleed, it wiil be better than nothing; and lie said, " No, I will keep it for little Jem—he can't do without." This oc curred frequently during the time he was with me. If they were short of food, he always kept some for the child, and was particular in having the child washed, and hearing it say its prayers. I have offered him money, and lie said "Keep it to buy milk for Jem." On the Monday in question, lie asked me to put the child to bed, which I did. The prisoner and the child always slept together; they slept together that night. After the prisoner went to bed, I fetched his clothes down to dry; lie wonld keep his wet shirt on. The prisoner had nothing to eat that night, but had two half pints of ale which I and a neigh boor gave him. He got up the next morning a little afier seven, and called the child. Hearing hint call the child, I got up also. When I came down stairs lie was smoking; very soon afterwards lie went out with the child ; neither of them had any food. I thought the poi soner was rather calmer than the evening hefure. I asked hint where lie was going to take the boy; and he said, "to the workhouse.'' Nothing more passed. He returned about half past ten; he was alone. I asked biro it' lie had left the boy at the workhouse? lie said lie had. I ob served that I thought it was a very good job that lie an, taken into the workhouse. I added, " Now, Wright, you must pluck up your spirits, and endeavour to forget her, for she has forgotten you." He cried, and shook his head, and said, " Alt, mistress!" and trembled very badly. lie asked me if I would go and fetch his uncle Jem, and I said, " 1 will just now." He left the lionse, saying lie would go limself. When he came from the workhouse, as I thought, lie looked very ill indeed, and trembled. I thought his feelings were hurt at being obliged to leave the child in the workhouse. I did not observe his clothes. Alter the prisoner had left the house I went to the workhouse, in consequence of something I heard from his uncle's wife. 1 did not find the child there. I then returned home. Some time after the prisoner came in with his uncle, Samuel Wright. When lie came in, I said, " Wright, what have you done with the child—where is poor Jem ?" He replied, "He is dead, mistress." When lie said this lie was crying sadly. I said nothing more; Litt the prisoner's uncle said, " He has drowned the child in the lock.'"f lie prisoner said nothing. The prisoner, 011 being asked by Mr. Baron Garrow ' whether lie had any question to put to the witness, said, " None at all." Mary Anderson.—l live in the Hainptiin Lock. On the morning of the 1 1i of September l had beat for some milk` and aas returning I had gut to get over a gate. lit geiliu over I saw a man standing in n held, with his hack 111 Me /111 d facing the bOll. A child lay on the grass by the side of the man. I made up to him and asked 111111 10111 lif he had he child in the cut. The child ails, dressed, nod wet. He said " Ay." I said it was a good jolt that he had gill it out again. The prisoner was that man. I afterwards saw the . child carried by me house dead on the saute day about one o'clock. Other witnesses deposed that they had seen the prisoner with the boy in a similar manner. James Wright—l live at Wolverhampton. lam uncle to the prisoner. On the sth of September last the prisoner came to me about half.past ten, and said he wonted to speak to me. I went out with him, and on going towards the Welnall-road lie said to me, " Uncle, I have drowned the lad." I said, " I hoped it was lint true." lie said, " It was too tine," mid added," I wish 10 see my mole Samuel." I neat a ith the prisoner to look for his undo. We met him close by the Ited Lion-ion. When we met him, sAid, 0 John, w bat is the matter with you/ I see something very horrible is your countemtoce." I told my brother what had passed. The prisoner looked .very wretched; he was all of a tremble. My brother said, " eVhat shall I de now 2" I did not hear the primmer make auy reply. told my brother I would take him doss n to the George-inn and give him a drop of drink to revive him. I did so. I took part of title eiut of ale tt lib him, sad my brother sent THE NATIONAL REGISTER tfor me. I left the prisoner at the George, while I went to my brother. My brother afterwards went fir the prisoner to the Gear.4e, sod ar e went in search of the boy by desire of the prisoner, nho said, " go and show you what lock I put him iii." Tne prisoner seemed very much coufte‘ed before he could tied the lock out. He went to two locks before he found t h e right ;he was very melancholy. The third lock be came to be went and looked at a particular place and said, " This is the hick I put the child This lock was in Bushbury parish, in this asked hint if he was sure; he told me it was. I stripped rriself and went in in search of the boy. I foam) the boy :Mont 12 or 14 yards below the lock gate, in the pound. After I mak the belly from the water. I laid it on the bank side: the prisoner sat beside my brother. I afteriiiirds asked leave to Pot it on the cabin of a boat goin..; towards Wolverhampton. As the bov lay on the cabin, the prisoner jumped to him, threw himself on the body, kissed it,and said " Poor Jem!" The prisoner was very melancholy, and hardly knew what to do with himself. Samuel Wright, the brother of the last witness, stated • that his brother had informed him of the drowning of the boy. The prisoner proposed to deliver himself up to justice. lie said his wile leaving him and his extreme poverty hail driven him to madness. He said, " I made for the Wednesfield Canal, and I there threw the child into the water; seeing the child struggling, I relented, — jumped in, aud took the child out of the water." (Here the witness was greatly affected.) I then said, " Where ' did you go after this?" and he said, " I made to a cottage in order to thy the child's clothes, and take it home. The woman of the house refused my request, and I. was ashamed to take it home in that condition, and resolved again to (fleet my purpose of throwing it into the water." I now said to him, " It it be tine that you have been in the water this morning, your clothes must be wet." I felt them, and they were so. I then said, " What did the child say to you after it had recovered ham its first throw ing into the water ?" and he said the child said to me— " Father, what di a you throw time ill far ? do not throw me in again, and I will not cry any more." I could say no more at that time; but at length asked him, " By what way he castle from the Wednesfield Canal to where we then were." The witness corroborated what was staled by his brother about finding the child. Wihtesses were called to prove the disordered state of mind on the part of the prisoner ; anti the evidence of a Mr. Blakewell, a medical gentleman, who was present on the trial, was admitted. He gave his opinion that the drowning of the toy was a complete art of insanity. Mi. Baron Barrow' delivered a very feeling and discri• ]] i]] ating charge ; and the jury, alter a few minutes consideration, returned a verdict "That the prisoner was Not because he had committed the act imputed to him when in a state of insanity." YORK. NV. Thompson was ind icte d for maliciously killing his wile. Several witnesses were called, to whom the prisoner had given different accounts of his wife's death. To one he had stated that she cut her throat herself.— The most remarkable was the following:— F: 111091 e, a labourer at Appleton, about 8 o'clock on Monday morning, was summoned to G. Dobsou's, where he found the prisoner on his knees on the bed, praying for God to have mercy on him, as he was a great sinner. Witness was left alone about two hours; dur ing the whole of the time, he kept praying for mercy. He asked the witness if he recollected a passage of the Scripture which said, there was no mercy for a mur derer? witness replied, No. About five o'clock the prisoner fell asleep; at eight he fell out of the bed on the floor; he would not go to bed again, but walked backward and forward in his shirt; he soon after left him with G. Dobson. Next night, at to o'clock, he was sent for to T. Field's house ; continued all the night with him, and the prisoner called him from the the other two to go up to him. He said, " 1 murdered my wife with a razor." Witness not wishing to hear more left him, and sent one of the other men to him.— The prisoner again called the witness. He repeated his assertions, and witness said some people thought he had done it when she was asleep, arid some thought when she was awake; lie immediately replied she was awake; that thete was a little difference between them about a lost parcel. She said she had something to communicate to him, which he would not be surprised at—that she was far gone with child. He turned upon her, and said it was not by him ; she declared it was.— At that time she was cleaning the house, and had oc casion to clean down a delft rack, on which was an old razor; she took it in her hand. It then struck his mind to take his new razor, which he did from a drawer, and hid it in his breeches pocket. lie took it to bed with him. When they had got to bed the diffarence kept up kaween them. 11e used her roughly with both hands, she said, " Oh William I how am I to get this night over with you ; ill get this over, how shall I get another? I have been with you all this time to bear every burden, and will bear this it you will cast it upon me.:' He then took hold of her and pulled her to him She came into his arms as loving as ever she did in her life, and threw her head kick bpon his shoulders. Having lair oppor tunity, he took the razor which he had hid, and pressed it into her throat. He said it was true; it was a pity he hail not inure governmeut river himself. It Harrison, a surgeon examined the body of die de ceased, and found a wound m the throat ‘.21 inches 10.12, and 14 deep; the windpipe was severed through; the edges of the wound were clearly cut, and diffcrent from all cases of sit:cide lie had ever heard of. After receiving this wound, he should think she could not move herself a yard. The prisoner in his defence, said it was quite a mys tery to hint; he was not his own man; he could give no account of it. After a minute consllhalioll, the .bury prommoced a verdict His Lordship to the most impress;ve manner, imme diately sentenced him to be executed on Minhlay, and ilk body given to the surgeons for desection. Miss Radford, the young lady who accidentally received a pistol ball in the eye, as we have already mentioned, is expected to recover; the eye behind wh;ch the ball lodges is entirely to t, and the ball ca►t ucver be Cltrata• los BOXING. A very brave battle was fou4ht on Wednesday in Shep. hi,rd's marshes, harrow•road, between Isaac Haskell, a tailor, who proved himself a man, anti Aaron Wren, a gilder. It was a bit al . ..jealousy which brought tbens to• geth..r, us Wren had good reason to suppose that the tailor was fond of his wife, and wore the yellow. They had a turn up the night before, when Wren, why is the tailor', lodger, fated bin in his apartment, and the plea wt.. for rent. — They pid down 31. each for the merry fight, which followed on Wednesday morning. The first round, which lasted nine minutes, was u very gal. lam one. The tailor had benefited formerly by a few less. SOUS from Riles, and he was flash to the pink and breaking gr:.und. Ilia adversary met him heavily, and it was a Inc display of courage. Three distinct rallies smirked the round, and both fought themselves tired, and covered with blood and glory. Muskell had the best of the 2d and 3J rounds, but there was no mischief done. 4th was another most determined milling round, and Wren's heavy hitting gave him rather best.—After hitting away fur seven minutes the tailor was dropped by a doable. up in the wind, and it spoiled hint. Six other rounds were fongitt to the advantage of Wren, as staikell never recovered the blow. In the 10th round there was scarcely soy day light before them, and a harry) , hit won Wren the fidtt, in 55 minutes of nothing but real milling. Butterfield secouded the winner, and T. Abbott the. loser. Early in the mottling of Sunday last a daring attempt was made to rob the dwelling-house of Lady Peat, in Villers•street, Bishopwearmouth. An entry had been effected by displacing one of the squares in the back par lour window, and after securing the servant girl's lodging room door, and regaling themselves with some bread and wine which they found in the pantry, the robbers proceeded up stairs to the bed room of her ladyship, who was fast asleep, and had left the door open. When awaked by the noise, she observed two men picking the lock of her desk, and she vociferated " Thieves!"-- " Murder!"—with all her might. Oise of them at tempted to silence her by heating her most severely upon the face and head with his fist, and stuffing the bed clothes into her mouth, while the other was vary deli berately examining the identical drawer that contained her treasure. The sight of this stimulated her ladyship to fresh exertions, and her cries reached the mistress of the adjoining house, who called up her servants to see what was the matter. The thieves finding that the alarm was given, hastily decamped, after violently tear ing away her ladyship's ear ring, hut without securing any other of her valuables, which were lodged in a secret drawer at the end of that which had beets rifled. Her ladyship followed in her chemise, and was in the street almost as soon as her unwelcome visiters ; but before she could get her neighbours on the alert, they had es caped. As there was another desk its the room quite as likely as that which was attempted, it seems probable that they had some previous intimation where the booty was. A chissel was left on the parlour table below stairs, but it does not appear they had any offensive weapons. They were both young men ; and though her ladyship declaress that one of them is well known to her, we do not hear that any steps have beets taken to apprehend him. CORONER'S INQUEST.—On Friday an inquest was held at the Marquis of Granby, in Richmond, before 'l'. Jemmett, Esq. Coroner for the county of Surrey, on the body of Robert Knight, who was shot by a watchman, on the morning of the 28th inst. near Petersham. The deceased was house carpenter to Lord Derby,. and on • Wednesday night last was accompanying a young wo man from London to Richmond, for the purpose of visiting her friends in that quarter ; when proceeding along the road, they met a man in a cart driving in that direction, and he offered them a conveyance, which they accepted of ; he drove on at a qdck pace till their arr . val at Petersham-hill, about one mile from Richmond, When they were challenged by the watchman on that beat, and ordered to stop, which the driver refined, swearing at the same tonne, that he would be if he would. The watchman followed them, repeating his orders, and finding that no attention was paid to hint, he discharged his blunderbuss at the .can. The piece was crammed with balls and slugs, and every inilividnal in the cart was struck by one of them. '1 he deceased ' fell in the cart after the shot. The driver drove on, how ever, till their arrival in Richmond, where they inane the circumstance known to the officers, who proceeded immediately to apprehend the watchman, whose name is Wigley, and who, without hesitsition acknowledged the circumstance of his having fired at the peisons in the cart, but not with an intention to them any injury, his object being merely to alarm them. lie refused to be conveyed to the watehonse, and Mk ed some resistance to the officers, who were obliged to use force, and sake him there against his will. Tile owner of the cart was struck by a sluz in the shoulder, and the voting woman was also wounded, but no► seriously. On their arrival at Richmond surgical assistance was procured, and every edint made use of to recover deceased, but he was dead. The watchman attempted to justify his conduct, on the ground that he was obeying instructions which he had received, to stop all persons of suspicious appearance travelling at unseasonable hours. The Jury sat from tell o'clock its the morning until four in the afternoon ; and after a lung investigation, and the stunt mature de liberation, returned saverthet of" Wilful murder nisi list Richard Wittig," who st as immediately conmetted :Ur trial at the Kingston Assizes. Fiat.—An alarming fire broke out at Potter's firm, near Nettlebed. Oxon, the residence of Mr. Billinghurst, on Sunday afternooon, which con sumed the house, a barn, containing corn of much value, and the stable. It originated in the brewery, but from what cause is not known. In less than an hour the house was a pile of ruins. A poor boy. of the name of Bedminster, was so much burnt in releasing the horses in the stable, that his life is despaired of. The premises were uninsured. - .