The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-05-31 00:00:00

OLb B.lttEt. MONbAV, MAY 30. At en early hour this morning the Court was tr w led with persons impatient to hear the trial of Mr. Rokrt AJtlstt, one of the Cashiers of the Bank. Precisely at ten o'clock Sir NASH Gloss: and Mr. Barone GRAHAM entered the Court, and the pri soner was ordered to the bar; he bowed very re *Molly, first to the Court and then to the Jury. lii Was dressed in a brown coat, white waistcoat, and black silk breeches. Though charged with embezzlements to such an immense amount, his manner and appearance did not seem to indicate that his imagination ever soared beyond the con templation of shillings and pence. He is a person altogether of a aspea; his physiognomy is neither interesting or expressive, and his whole ap pearance is calculated to afford an assurance that he could not possess sufficient strength of mind to me . - dime a fraud, or any thing that required the least exertion of wit to conceal. When he was pat to the bar, Mr. Shelton read over the indictment to him. It charged that the prisoner, on the e6th of Feb ruary last, at the parish of St. Christopher Le Stocks, being an officer and servant of the Gover nor and Company of the Bank of England, and as such officer and servant entrusted with a certain Exchequer Bill of the value of 10001. and also with two other Exchequer Bills of the same value, did then and there feloniously secrete and embezzle the said bill so belonging to the Covernor and Company of the Bank of England, against the form of the statute. In the second count he stood charged with secreting and embezzling the hills, describing them . as certain efreds. In the third count he was charg ed with embezzling the bills, describing them as securities. In the fourth count with feloniously secret ing and running away with one of the bills. I'he filth coma was the same as the last, calling the bill certain effects. The sixth was also the same, call ing it a security. The seventh. eighth, and ninth counts charged him with feloniously embezzling, secreting, and running away with certain Exchequer Bills, effects, and securities. There were three other counts, referring to another bill. To this indictment the prisoner pleaded ,Not Guilty. He also stood charged on another indictment, with feloniously stealing in the parish of St. Chris topher Le Stocks the Exchequer Bills enumerated in the last indictment. He was arraigned upon another indictment, for secreting other Exchequer Bills, varying the counts as before ; and lie was also again inclined for stealing them. To these he also pleaded Not Guilty. There appeared to be seven or eight other indict merits against the prisoner laying by Mr. Shelton, but it was not thought necessary for the present to arraign him upon them. Mr. G xsraow, leading Counsel for the Prosecu tion, addressing the Court, said, that circumstances had occurred, which rendered it desirable, on the "art of the Dank, to postpone the trial of the pri soner ; he understood the other side had acquiesced in the proposition. _ _ Mr. Justice Gaost--" If they acquiesce in it, there can be no objeftion, but I wish we had known of it before ; we have not been used well by the So- licitor for the Bank. The Solicitor of the Bank should have apprized the Court of the intention to postpone this uial. We received no notice of its having even been appointed for this day ; and all I knew of it, was from having read it in a newspa per a fortnight ago.'' Mr. GAtitow assured his Lordship, that every arrangement was made for the trial on Saturday last ; the prosecutors had not a hope that it would have been allowed to have stood over to this day. If any thing had been inserted in a newspaper, it was without any communication with the Prosecu tors. Solicitors, or Counsel. Mr. Justice GROSE—" If it was not your parti cular'request, founded upon reasons, which, I dare say, are perfeftly justifiable, I should have insisted upon the bill helm tried the same Sessions it was found. If the trial was fixed for this day, which, as I have said, I knew only from a newspaper within this fortnight, the Court ought to have had that respeft paid toa it, as to have been informed of the fad, through a regular channel ; there should have been a communication from the Bank Solicitor to the Lord Mayor, and from his Lordship to us." Mr. Gatutow assured the Court, that nothing was meant, in the most remote degree, disresped fuL Mr. Justice G R OSE-.--" I mentioned this in conse quence of a complaint from the Bench. My Bro thers complain that the Bank prosecutions always come on late in the Sessions. • I know nothing would hare kept me in town, but the rumour I heard of this trial coming on to day." • 'The Solicitor for the Bank said, he was just as ready to have tried the indietment on Saturday last, as he was to-day.,; Mr. Justice Geosr—ig A communication should have been made to the Court as a matter of courtesy and respeCl, as well as of duty on the part of the Bank Solicitor, because he should know the Judges have other business to mind, besides that of the Bank. Mr. Garrow came to me only yesterday, and informed me it was intended to put off the trial. However inclined I am to acquiesce in his sugges tion, I must say, the Court has not been respeCtfully treated." Mr. GA aaow said, he was very grateful for the iAtlelgence of the Court. Lie could assure their Lordships, that if there had been any want of pro per reriett and attention towards them, it had been cr ,lte unintentional on the part of the very honour r.bie Gentlemen who were Solicitors fur the sank, and he was persuaded nothing of the kind would ever occur again. The Coutt seemed perfealy satisfied with this apology. The Prisoner was then remanded to next Ses s:ons. Fosses Rudd was indieted for feloniously stealing a quant:tv of grains, the property of John Clements. Robert Willis, was also indieted for receiving the s.une, knowing them to be stolen. It appeared that the iprosecutor, who is a small beer brewer, sent the prisoner Rudd, and another man named Bailey, with a waggon on the 10th of this Month, to fetch thirty quarters of grains from a brewhouse. When the waggon came back, Cle ments the owner observed, that some of the pro perty had bean removed, and immediately made . inquiry of the prisoner Rutld what had becona . e ot it The latter dethed the least knowledge of as as ~• - • 6 Bailei. The po , setuv . r W:l3, however, con vinced in his mind, that he htid been rubbed, sad on the morning following, he prnceeded to dis cover the fat. On going up the lane through which the waggon had passed, he saw the grains lying on the ground close by the gate of the pri soner Willis's house, near the Hackney-road, on which he procured an officer from the Police Office in Worship -street, searched the premises, and found the property stolen in Mr. Willis's stable, the whole of which appeared to be his by the colour. Bailey, the man who drove the waggon with Rudd, on finding a discovery likely to take place, immediately communicated to the prosecutor that 'Willis had • bought the grains of the prisoner Rudd for twn shillings. Willis was not at home when the officer searched his house, but on hearing what had hap pened, he went to Clements the prosecutor, and ex pressed his sorrow for having bought the property, and begged of him not to prosecute, as he had been ignorant of having done an illegal :talon. He also Wevt to tile Magistrate, by whom the search-war rant was granted, and stated, if he had done wrong, he was rc4dy to give an account of his conduft. The Magistrate told him there was no charge against him ; but very soon after he was taken into cus tody. The prisoner Willis being called upon for his de fence said, that the aukward situation in which he was placed rendered it necessary for him to beg the Court to hear his defence read. It stated, thaf he was a Clerk in the Bank, and lived in the Hackney.. road, where lie bad been for some time past in the habit of bnying grains to feed his rabbits. He had always dealt for that article with a person named Lee, who had lately not been able to supply him with any more, in consequence of which he had loft orders for a distillers man, or any other person, to call at his house with some. The prisoner Rudd came, and the property was purchased, under an idea that he had power to dispose of the same. A fair price was given, and no intention orgrand was entertained. After his house had been searched, he went to the Magistrate, who told him, there had been no charge made out against him, he, there fore went home, persuaded that he should hear no more of the affair, but he was shortly after appri.s liended as a felon, and committed to take his trial for the offmce. Before this unfortunate affair, he never had the least imputation of a dishonest nature on his character; his situation in life, as Clerk in the 13ank, placed him tar above the commis sion of so low and contemptib'e an offence as the present. A number of persons of the high est respeClability in the Bank gave him an ex ceeding good chara.fter ; many of them had known him upwards of six years. The other prisoner, Rudd, was spoken of by several witnesses as having always borne the charaaer of an honest man prior to the present charge brought against him. Mr. Justice GaOSE, after deliberating some time with the Court, observed, that the prisoner Willis was present when the robbery was committed, con sequently aiding and abetting. The indiciment charged him with receiving- stow-. r,operty, anti the Jury were bound to acquit him, .1 , ; he could not be convicted according to the law. With respe6l to the guilt of the other prisoner, Rudd, they had to consi der if the evidence which had been adduced was strong enough to convince them of his having com mitted the robbery ; if they thought it was, they would find him guilty ; if they thought otherwise they must acquit him. The Jury found Rudd Guitty, and acquitted Willis. The Judge remarked to the latter, how necessat y it was fur him in future to he canlious in his de: 1- ings, and hoped the present trial would not depre ciate him in the eves of those under whose imme diate observation he was in his official capacity. John .11‘.11u.lin was indiCted for feloniously em bezzelling and stealing a draft, for 41. Bs. 2d. the property of James Ellis. Mr. KNAPP, as counsel for the prosecution, stated to the. Jury, that the prisoner at the bar could not be convicted of embezzelling the draft in ques tion, but he should be able to prove, beyond dis pute, his having stolen it. The circumstances were as follow : Mr. Clements, the prosecutor, was a so licitor in Abingdon-street, Westminster • the pri soner became his clerk on the 26th of April last ; not long after he had been in his service, he was ob served to absent himself from his office under pre tence that his father was ill, and that he went to af ford him that help and assistance which he required. The prisoner was however &tele(' in this imposi tion, by being found intoxicated in the street ; a circumstance which led Mr. Clements to insped into his concerns, when he found that several drafts were gone from a drawer; and, on making further in quiry concerning them, at his bankers, he discovered that one of them, for the payment of 41. Bs. 2d. had been paid into the hands of one Jacobs by the pri soner, for certain articles of hosiery which he had purchased ; it was signed by him on the back, and dated with his hand writing. These fads, the Learned Counsel observed, would be proved by evi and the Jury would have no difficulty in finding the prisonef guilty.' Mr. Clements evidence went to prove, that he had been a • solicitor under a commission of bank ruptcy, whereby he had several dividends to pay, which he paid with drafts upon his banker. He di rated one of his clerks to fill up those drafts in order for him to sign them, which he did, and they were put in a drawer in the office ; there were four that Were not dated. The Counsel for the prisoner urged to the Court, that no robbery had been committed, as the draft was not dated when taken away, in which state it was of no value. The banker's clerk was called and questioned, whether the draft would have been payable without having been dated. He expressed that it would not. The Judge, therefore, observed, that by law the pri soner must be acquitted, as the property stated in the inditment was not of value when stolen.--. Acquitted. In consequence of a requisition made to the Lord . Mayor by the following respectable Members of the Corporation to call a Court of Common Council, to take into consideration the propriety of addressing his Majesty on the present important crisis; his Lordship has appointed Wednesday next for that purpose. The requisition was signed by Deputies itawlett, Raw, • - Birch, Ord, Walsh, J. Dixon, • Fenton Buns, Alldrid;e, Sturte, S. Diriou, Nub. • rot'. ~~ ~~ '%'"lrlf ' i tIVIELLGENCE. ri.vmouru, MAY 28: Came in the French.brig frodain, Capt. C. Dtli froln Havre de Grace, bound to Martinique, laika with jewellery and plantation stores, taken by the Darr: frigate. Soon afler the Dori: left her, fttir Frenchmen, who Were concealed, joined the !Alert that were left on board, and rose on the Eng rah sailers ; they discharged two pistols, and wounded two of the seamen, but the British tars were not to be easily frightened out of their prize, and though inferior in numbers, they soon thrashed the Frenchmen into a sense of their inferiority. Arrived the Dutch ship Planter: Wansch, Captain Casper Tolle, from Africa and Demerara, bound to Amsterdam, laden with sugar, coffee, cotton, ivory, gold dust, and specie, detaint'd by the Eagle excise cutter, of this port, Captain Adams : she is a very large copper-bottonit.d English built ship, and is vere valuable. Arrived the French brig La Batinc, Captain La Maitre, of and from Havre de Grace, bouad to L'Oi.ient, laden x% ith large oak timber, for ship. building. She was captured the 20th inst. by the of 38 guns, Capt. Wallis. The Naiad': boats same day cut out from under a battery near the Pen marks, a French brig in ballast, and a chaise marry, laden with salt. The former they brought off, but the latter was sunk ; the crew all saved. Arrived the Danish ship Kirin 13,7:zetta, Captain H. Zimmerman, from Rotterdam, bound to Bour &aux, laden with sundrks, detained by the Naiad frigate, on the 24th inst. Arrived also a very large French brig, of about 230 tons burthen; called Lfs Trois Consuls, Capt. W. Moreau, from Port-au-Prince, buund to Nantz, laden with a very valuable cargo of tea, sugar, and cotton. She was taken the 25th inst. by the Hazard, of 18 guns, in sight of his Majesty's ship Victory, of 110 guus. Lord Nelson had previously shifted his flag to the Aznpbion, of Se guus, and parted corn pay. The Planter/ ilianrch, detained by the Bask, WIS, three days previous thereto, boarded by Sir Roger Curtis, on his voyage from Lisbon ; but nut knowing of the rupture, she was suffered to depart. Came in the Dutch brig Vrenit, late Frederick, master, from Africa and Surinam, bound to Am sterdam, laden with sugar, coffee, and cotton, de tained by the Renown excise cut►er, of Dartmouth. Capt. Frederick died three days alter he left Suri nam, supposed to have been poisoned by the Blacks. Came in also the Revolutionaire, of 44 guns, Capt. Lock, from a cruize. Theßambler, of 14 guns, Capt. limes, is appointed to convoy the trade to the west ward, and has her signal now displayed for that purpose. Arrived the Trois Consuls, Moreau, from Port-aay. Prince fur Naritz, taken by the Hazard sloop on the 25th inst. and the Yreede, Schuldt, from Suri nam, for Amsterdam, sent in by the Renown reve nue cutter. PORTSMOUTH, MAY 28. Arrived his Majesty's ship Amazon, of 38 guns { Capt. Parker, from Lisbon, and remains at Spithead with the following of his Majesty's ships :—Prince of Wales, of 98 guns, Admiral Lord Gardner, and Capt. Girard ; Puissant, of 74 guns, Capt. Bowen ; Isis, of 50 F ans, Capt. Lobb ; Endymion, of 44 guns, the Hon. Capt. Paget ; Orpheus, of 32 guns, Capt. Hill ; and Arrow, of 30 guns, Capt. Vincent; with several revenue vessels, two transports, No. 22 and Q 3, and an ordnance store-ship, with powder, icc. front the Cape of Good Hope. Wind W. and blows fresh. At St. Helen's, his Majesty's ship Diomde, of 50 guns, Vice Admiral Sir Roger Curtis, Hart. and Captain Larcom ( with her prize, La Union, a French Indianian, captured within a few hours sail of this port, and bound to Havre de Grace, computed to be worth upwards of 60,(i001.) ; the gapiter, of 50 guns, Captain Losack ; Hindman, of 54 guns, Cap tain Le Gros; Braave, of 40 guns, Captain Gifford; and another store-ship, which also accompanied the squadron from the Cape of Good Hope. At half past six o'clock this evening came up from St. Helens, Vice Admiral Sir Roger Curtis and his squadron, and anchored at Spithead. At sun-set arrived also a large ship, a French prize: her maintopmast had been reefed, and her jib-boom carried away. An English frigate, to appearance La Minerva, accompanied her as far in as St. Helen's, and having seen her safe into port, hauled her wind and stood out to sea again. The Falcon revenue cutter, of 14 guns, and 32 men, C. Newland, master has sailed on a fourteen days cruize, with a lieutenant, two midshipmen, and ten seamen on board, belonging to his Majesty's ship IVineltbr Castle. MAY 29. Came up to Spithead and anchored, his Majesty's ship Alligator, of 28 guns, armed en flute, Capt. Richardson, bound to the West Indies, with troops, and remains with the squadron •as above, two transports, the Favorite and S4ro/i storeships, and several revenue cutters ; she has since made signal for sailing. Wind W. S. W. and blows fresh. Came into harbour, La Union, a prize to Sir Roger Curtis and squadron, and another large French Indianian, which was seen into port last e'vehing by La Minerve frigate. DOVER, MAY 28. This morning, at eleven o'clock, the Audland packet, Captain Hammond, arrived here, from Calais, to which place she went as a flag of truce. It was found at Calais that the French had seized on the Prmces of Wales packet, Copt. Sutton ; the men were put into prison, and the Captaia and Maw were permitted to be on their parole at Du crocq's. They state that all Englishmen in France are kept as prisoners of war at present, and orders are issued that none shall leave the country, ex cept those above the age of sixty, or under eighteen years. All the English passengers that went over in the above vessel were made prisoners of war. No Englishmen arc permitted to come through the gates of Calais. The Nancy, Capt. Lattimore, which carried the mail before the last, is seized, and the men are marched up to Liaprison. An open boat privateer, commanded by Capt. Pokt, formerly captain of a French passage vessel, has taken a fishing smack, and carried her into Calais. Mr. Talbot, Secretary to Lord Whitworth, has ar rived at Calais, but it is said, he has net been per. mined to embark; however, a large brig under neutral colours, was expected yesterday at Dover, with several women passengers, children and old People, from Calais, and it was presumed Mr. Tal bot would be allowed to accompany diem. All the passengers who have arrived at Dover are extremely happy in having escaped out of the Lind of liberty. I , : . ' • tbi?k E.kcibiA;'d.t, MAY 36. • ---,-----•.- - •, Grain e 4 satinues io cenie slowly td market. Of Wheat there is a middling stipply, which lii; run; y : buyers, and is fell 24. per quarter loliZt. We have but little Barley, which has a realy S a le. In 1 5 •Lklli . there is it small filiation. Pease and Beans ( ! f both sorts sell at snroething more. Oats are in tolerable quatit.ty, and there is a trilliugadra on prime samples. Flour arrives more plentifully, and the price: are rather lower. CURRENT PRICE OF GRAIN. trinelicster Measure of Eight Bushels. o. o. d. I. S. 0. IVlleat 5O a 66 0 Beano 5.3 aSi 0 line dittu 67 a6B 0 Tick ditto :.:0 a 94 0 ~ Rye 93 a 36 0 041 a 14 a P.l; 0 13 trlev 25 a3O 0 Poland. *7 a VII 0 Malt 44 a 50 0 Rape Seed, per last ;351. a 3di. Vt'Lite Pease 45 a 51 0 PRICE 0 • FLOUR. Fine F10ur.... 50s. to 5 Is Od. I Seconds 43s. to 50 , . LAJf INTEL LI GENC.e; On Saturday !ast, at Westminster, hi the Court of King's Bench, the following cause came on to be tried : HOPWOOD t,. RICHARDiON. The Plaintiff is a retail linen-draper, in Duke street; Manchester-tanare, and has chops in other parts of the town. The Defendant'• wife came to the Duke-street shop, the Plaintiff being absent, a nd looked out several things to •he amount of near IN. and Mt. llbpwond's young man, his mistress being present, packed the things up; and as no mention was made of any credit to be given; he expelled to be paid for the goods when delivered at Mrs. Richardson's lodgings in Charles -street, Grosvenor. square. When the goods were so left, Mrs. Ri chardson told the young man to go direlly to Mr. Beckford's, across Grosvenor-square, where her hus band, the Defendant, lived as a butler to that gen tleman, and Mr. Richardson would pay the bill. The Defendant beihg then sraiting at table on hia master, could not be spoke with. The young man called the folloting day, Saw the Defendant, and • told him to try toot the goudc back from his wife, for he knew nothing about them, and would not pay the bill : this the shopman tried to do, but in vain. The Plaintiff arrested the Defendant and hit wife for this debt, who pia in bail • the wife was af terwards admitted to common ba il under a Judge's order • and shortly afterwards Defendant wept to the Fleet, being rendered in discharge of his bail in this and other adions, that his w:te's folly had plunged him into. The wife died about four months • ago in St. Georee's workhouse t and Defendant al- - terwards gut bail again, and left the Fleet prison.- The detente was, that Defendant was not bound to pay this demand, as he and his wife were sepa rated, and he allowed her alimony ; that a deed of separation was drawn, but in fad, Defendant's wile had always refused to sign it, and Defendant Failed in his proof in this and other respeds. An elderly Lady proved they ate and drank toge ther, but Defendant was obligated to sleep at his master's house, to take care of the plate, &c. ; and that Defendant took a lodging for his wife at the witness's house, and paid the witness. They lodged some time here—that the Defendant's wife was a mo- • dest, cleanly, tidy person, always employed, whilst her lodger, in making and repairing her own, her husband's, and children's things, which was about the time, or very shortly after, the Plaintiff's debt was contraded. • The witness was a stranger to the Plaintiff, and to the transaCtion. Mr. G A ARO w was proceeding to describe the De fendant's wife as one of the worst of women, and that she had ruined her husband, and was the cause of his losing every place he got. The Learned Council then proceeded to state, that the Defendant • had suffered by his wife's infidelity; when the Learn ed Judge interposed, with great propriety, and ob served, that this -circumstance- might as well nut have been mentioned, as family faults were best hid, and not repeated, as it might materially affeit the Defendant's charader, and prevent his getting his, bread for the future as an upper servant, and could be of little use in this defence. The Learned Judge-, after other witnesses were • examined, summed up very ably, and with his usual correctness ; he observed, that whatever might have afterwards happened between the De fendant and his wife, as to the separation, con , . dud, &c. it did not appear they lived apart when the Plaintiff's debt was contraded, but, on the OM-. . trary, that they cohabited together at and after the - time this debt was contracted ; that Defendant brought a muff and tippet back to the Plaintiff's shop, and told Plaintiff, if he, Plaintiff, would take them back, and pay his own Attorney, he would pay . the bill. This the Plaintiff refused • but the Jury would notice the charges of this bll,. and if they, thought any cf the articles were superfluous, and could not be considered as necessary articles.for a . person in the situation of the Defendant's wife, they would not allow them. The Jury, after a few minutes consultation, gave the Plaintiff a verdict for Pal. 11s. led. taking off the difference as superfluous articles, and act pro.. per fur the Defendant's Wife. • CORONER'S INQUEST. An inquisition was taken on Saturday, by T. SKIL T 0 N, Esq. Coroner for Southwark, on the body of Mr. Harkness, a broker, near the Obelisk, St. George's Fields, who was found dead en Friday morning last. From the evidence, it appeared, that the deceased ad, for som:: time past, been engaged in a bail ding speculation, which, since the commencement of hos tilities he considered as a ruinous one, and was, iu ' consequence, in a very low and desponding sta:e: On'Thursday, he went with his attorney to a perso il whom he had some concerns with, 4nd who is a mi.- -. soner for debt in the county gaol—the result of the. . conference was such as to create a still greater d fof despondency. On the following mornin e l lse about five o'clock, supposed to look after the workmen, and, on being missed when his wife rose, she made a diligent search after him : on ascending to the upper part of the premises, s found, in the corner of the loft, her husband's coat and, looking farther, she found his body suspend o the rafter, by a sash-line, which he had twisted double. He had pulled off his neckcloth, his coat, and his shoes, and, with his waistcoat unbut.- toneds launched himself into eternity. The Jury found a verdict of Lwaary. A verdict of Limdcy was also pronounced on the body of Berridge, of St. George's Row, who hung himself on Thursday last, at his own house. ~ - . f", .~.. S :~ •••• 7 , '' t I X, 41 I ~:,,.: . - ___, .. i4 ) 41 ' • v. , 2 -...•-•,, •". l • -•. 7,e' . 4 I ~ i ~~ I