The National Register. — London, England, 1813-01-17 00:00:00

i 1 1 r I 17 'lle witness left the house immediately after with his wife and chi/.lren, and in !v.'s than an hour the premises were entirely consumed. Ile thought that 'Mrs. Smith was rather in liquor. The wite of the last witness gave evidence, which confirmed that of tier husband, and stated, that the prisoner was not in the house at the time of the fire. She had seen the prisoner's wife frequently in- tox icated. John Wool saw the house on fire, and stated, on his cross-examina tion, that the prisoner in the morning, burst into tears in his presence, at a 'while -house in the neighbourhood. This witness said, that two or three days before the fire, he sew, between the hours of eleven and twelve o'clock at night, the prisoner sending oil a large quantity of goods from his Lowe. IVitness lived near the prisoner's house, and had seen Mrs. Smith drunk more than six times. The prisoner appeared much concerned at the consequences of the fire. It was stated by Elizabeth London, who had been a — servant in the house, that she had never used any shavings in lighting the tires, tur pentine wood was the article she used for that purpose. Mrs. Smith was, she said, accustomed to drink, but not to such an excess as to be incapable of knowing what she was about. Upon the day pre ceding the fire Mrs. Smith did not chew any symptoms of intoxica- tion. The evidence most material was that of lames Pelham, a carpen ter, who deposed, that he brought, by wafer of the prisoner, a sack of shavings, on the morning before the fire took place, to his house, and placed it in the cellar. He had also conveyed a sack of shavings on the night before this to the same cellar, by the direction of the prisoner, any sight of which, upon his second visit to the cellar, he did not see. The servant girl here stated, that she never saw any trace of a shaving about the house ; and Pelham said. that the prisoner told him he wanted the shavings to light the fires of the hoose. The next evidence was Matthew Bull, which was also most im portant. This witness said, that the prisoner had called at his shop in I. feet-market, and purchased a gallon of turpentine. The wit ness observed to him that turpentine was very high, but the prisoner mentioned that he had known it higher, and having ordered a large bottle to be tillsd with it, said he would take it home himself. Wit ness offered to send it, but the prisoner objected, as he said he was in the habit of being his own porter. The prisoner also desired the wit- ness to make up some pitch for Kim, in seven pound bundles, an. ' seeing links hanging in the shop bought two of them. It appeared in the course of the evidence, that the person with whom the pri soner usually dealt for turpentine, oil, &c. lived almost opposite to his house, and no application had been made by the prisoner to him for any of those articles. It also came out that the prisoner had, three weeks before the fire, sent his son to his grandmother, and his bed and bedding along with !fin. Upon the night before the morn ing on svhich the fire tool: place, the prisoner, %alio was in the habit of us:aline his young Men, desired them to go down to East Smith field to a public-house, and prepare a auger there, and tohi them he should be with them in due time ; accordinely he arrived at East Smithfield at twelve o'clock, and supped, aid appeared in great spi rits. They continued to drink till four o'elot k in the moroing, and the prisoner was so drunk at that hour, that the loallord thought it necessary to call a coach. The prisoner wished to sleet) in the holve, and when he was toid that he could not he accemea: dated, he said that he would go to a house \\ hich Is:lunged to han at Ilouudsditeh, and rest there. He accordingly went to Houndsditch. The Secretary to the Assurance Crinpatiy upon being informed of the circumstances of the fire, nisde the necessary inquiries, ant; ob tained suali information as roused his susoicion4. When he re ceived a notice hem the ioasouer, mentioned his Surprise at the quicknes; with which the flame:; made their way, tspecially aa wool len articles were calculated to check fire. Upon which the prisoner told him that he would let him knc,w what he leo! con( ealed from every human being. He then made hie' acquainted with. every cis soloist:owe relative to the pin in ahsviees, !wino - oats . , &c. and said that the foe havieo, commileieated to ill cr,:nbustibies, must have burnt with greet vapidity from :.tech provceat•on. It was stated by a Surveyor, taiat the cot Laos at fl• w, for Ole purpose of pochiag the spoon:, for whic'a it wss mentioned in the clef - epee that the pit; h was intanded, did uot, in his opinion, want any repairs of that kii,ri, ie; the spouts secre leeden. A person, who hid formes iy psi: ted 0.43r . :`; in the prsoner's hoose, sail, that all the turpentiee he had ttsel with the paint, feted no More th tit three piots, so that a gallon ceold not have been intended tin - immediate we in that way. Here the evidense for the prerecutien dosed, and that for the pia._ souer was oroeeeded by a written statement of the prisonei, expresaed lie, horror at the ides el a crime so diabolical es that oath . v. Jodi be was charged, and his coefiaeru c in the efficacy of the evidence he had to °plasse to all the circurnstaiases that had ()coupled the. Court up to that moment. A titlllibCf of witnes.,es v, re then lerouslit forware, ..!l of w bore, concurred in the ilescrip- Con given of Mrs. Smut h's I ,;,;a egs, and the excellent ehatnetar of the prisoner. It was proved tint the prisoner was in the habit of bringitve hone article; whki i he purchased, wirie his owl haodo lta[isiad ' ustey, vet the stare of his CirCUIDS!7»C:;S; THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 47 represented to be very great . , one the natural consequences of the other. It was deposed, that he had immediately before the tire, stock in his house to the amount of near four thousand pounds ; that his credit with the most respectable people was unlimited ; anti that all ins payments had been regular. It also was stated in evidence, that he had served the landlord of the house he rented in Houndsditch with notice, stating that it was his intention to confine h s industry to Newgate-street, where he was flourishing beyond his expecta tions, and wou'd of course give up all businese at Houndsditch. '1 his was the substance of the evidence upon which, and that upon the part of the prosecution, Baron Macdonald commented with his wtnil talent. The jury retired about two hours and a quarter, and upon their re turn, declared the prisoner Not Guilty. As soon as the verdict was known, a very loud murmur of gladness was heard in the Court. The prisoner appeared completely composed during the trial. He occasionally wrote a few lines upon a piece of paper, and sent it to his Solicitor. When his wife's name was men tioned,' be shed tears. In his written statement he had mentioned that she died about a fortnight after, the fire, probably in consequence of the terror which it occasioned, and that with all her failings he loved her most tenderly. During the absence of the Jury, he appeared to be quite unshaken, and when they appeared, he rose from his chair to meet their decision without any emotion. IMPORTANT TRIAL FOR FORGERY- Yesterday John Langhorne, a respectable looking young man, stood indicted at the Old Bailey, before Sir ARCHIBALD MACDONALD, tor having counterfeited a Bill of Exchange for 7701. with intent to defraud Wiiliam George Daniels. It appeared, that Mr. Langhorne was a clerk in the employment of Mr. Daniels, the Agent for the recruiting service at Maidstone, and was likewise on the statiof the army. During the month of September, last year, Mr. Daniels received some infortnatian which caused him to take a joutney to London, for the purpose of calling mat, Mr. Ridge, Army Agent, No. It , Charing-cross. When he arrived there, various letters accompanied with a bill of exchange, all purport ing to he his hand writing, were submitted to his inspection, and he immediately declared them to be manifest forgeries. After examining the hand writing, he presently discovered it to be thesfabrication of the prisoner, it ho had b seven years in his office and was intimately acquainted with the whole extent of his husinesc. After an ample ex atnination of several other witaesces, the case was clearly made out against the prisoner, and he was found guilty by the Jury. The pro secutor dcelared that Mr. Langhorne was a person of considerable intelligence and genius. Maly Ann Lloyd, a young woman of elegant and modest demeanor, tool indicted for having abstracted a r e m nant of black lace and other little articles, the property or Mr. and Mrs. During. It appeared, that Miss Lloyd had acted in the capacity of lady's maid and honi• keeper in the prosecutor's hcuse near Portland.bquare, and had vat ions articles ot their household establishment entrusted to her chaige. Conceiving that • she had articles in her trunk which appertained to them, the proseeutors caused it to searched, and actually tound the Mark lace remnant, and a chrystal bottle, and a pencil case and table cloth. They had at that time forgiven her for - the whole, and c.:"tsed her to pay '2l. ICs. with a nromtssary note for more fur goes that were nil sing, of which site had received the charge, The young woman said, that the property was entrusted to lice management ; many respectable witnesses had known her many her conduct and character were unexampled, and they had e.nrusteck her with the management of their families, conceiving that used:: such example and counsel they would prosper in virtue. The Jury itmnediately without lICSiNIIIOII a..q tittei :i:s Laud, and the spectators clipped their hands in t: ken of joy: "I he Lord Chief Baron addressed himself to ailisealsl : -. 44 ye sustr . women, 1 hole your appearance here wi!l wit be itur.on: to yew: reputation, I know it, ought not, and it will t: itijusti;.:: any person to impute it to you." . BIRTH. At Thangroye, near Worcester, Madame I.m.f.en Buonaparte, of a soil. DIED. Ar - . 1 (;9, Hin t Viconnt Tort ingtott ; he is sttceeeded in his tide by his eld- st Gcbrv,e, Captain of Ms Majests's alt.p Warior. The'Countess Of A vloshnry, eldest sister o the I. tr •or Nlntr.4. At 'Arundel, Nlr: thirtt whilst attendiog tri the infernal tiiits of Iti; 'mill, the digs of c,ne oF the schec!s cani .- ,h.t his clothe , :, a nti c ites , : him into the woad, by svhich be W 35 "LlSllek.t t..) atoms, 1,, tare any one could to his assistance. on Sunday last, very stiddaly, , j the-pradigy lons, known ..e I .s by the hatne of Crutch This singularly di.Linutive thottlh net more than thittv- , is; inclie.s W4S the lather of &gilt fine riihttst children. Dete , :tive as was the co nfut.nation his person, he siirs•iycil to the are. of 02; and hi 4 hiff A ovidsorr and (*nor c.hildren. of At Wcstininter, .1. FI Ttenlayrie, Esq. M. P. fir the Connty Corr/v:1; 1 , to Catulca N«Tii.; :!:li:ii;itCr.:lsl.!: Lt:117.:,r4 134-•• 1 I