The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-01-07 00:00:00

I 4 ; • 4. • ~~ y, f Tll2. 1.4131 3 : MURDERS. In cerseorerce of flit discovery of the articles in the priev beleseieg to the house of Mr. Vermilloe, as meitl,-neti in our paper of yesterday, the Magis trCes, sytth a view to Identify some of them with the se i e i c le,limns, ordered Mrs. Vermilloe, John lta-e: en, the sailltiniker, and Margaret Jewel, the s.e•vser of el: , late Mr. Mare, to attend yesterday at the : 1110.weil-office, and give such information touch inA teem, as lay viithin their knowledge. • M Vela-Aloe stated, that she had often seen ten,v-rs 1 . 1 ti description produced before the Ma. ist rates, but; she could not pretend to say that she evi'r before seen the identical pair in question. itt e ceming from the East Indies, used to wear such t0t...5, is on board ship, and they generally had them bef when last landing ; but she thought they N% e r e leo shabby for Williams to have worn when on e' o ore. !te was always very smart in his dress, but ,particularly so when itt the house. John Harrison said, he had frequently seen the trowsers throwing about the lumber-room in the Pear tree public-house, where seamen, on landing, used to throw off their sea apparel, leposit their chests, and their lumber. Ile could not, however, undertaVb to say that he had ever seen them worn by Williams. Ile might hive worn them, but he had never seen them upon him. Margaret Jewel said, she knew nothing of the scis sars produCed. Her late mistress had always used a much larger kind ; and had she ever had those in question, she-Certainly must have observed them : and with respect to the part of the hussiff found, she profussetl equal ignorance. Mrs. Vermilloe also declared, that she had never seen the scissors before. Holbrook and Hewlett deposed as to the finding of those articles; and both of them declared, that the staff , s on the trowsers were those of blond. Hewitt predaced a calking-chissel, which he found in a drawer in the lumber-room at the Year-Tree, with the letters J. P. pricked upon it in the same man lier as those letters were marked upon the maul found in Mr. Mares house. The other tools be longing to John Peterson were not marked in that way upon the iron, but only upon the wood. This stew discovery still more strongly confirms the iden tity of that fatal instrument with the house wherein the suicide had lodged. The identification of the sciisars re,nairts doubtful, until Catharine Stillwell, the grand-datighter of the late Mr.Williemson, comes forward. St* is ordered to attend this day before the Ma o ist rates. BURGLARIES. ---.40••-. Yr , less than twelve houses, iu the parishes of St. Jamea's and Mary-le-bonne, were broken open last night, which is in the knowledge of the Felice. Lord Ilarrowby's house„ . in Grosvenor-square, was broken open on Sunday night, as it is supposed, by three fellows of suspicious appearance, who were observe& late in the evening, lurking about a mews at the ba. k of the house. At aye t two o'clock in the morning, the under butler of Lard 11. who slept below, heard footsteps in his master's dressing-room, and he immediately rpng the alarm bell, and called the watchman, and afterwards went up stairs with a brace of loaded pis tols, but the robbers had fled with a small booty of silk handkerchiefs, and other trilling articles, al though the room, contained many valuables. They had effected an 'entrance, by getting through a' wi.idow from the mews, and hming several holes in a door of the house, by which they undid the fas- I teisiags. (Ay ilarewood's house, at the corner of Sey- 1 moor-s!reet, Portman-wire, was also broken open 1 oi Sa and night, ml rcbbed of plate, jewels, &c. to *he amount of several hundred pounds ; but no thing has been traced, as in the former case, T:t.. alke of Gloucester's house, in Grosvenor sqiiPre, was attempted on Friday night, but the ti.iPves tied at the alarm of the porter. '1'...? house of Mrs. Asslop, in Russell-street, U'.,o-osbnry, was broken open, and robbed of plate 8 , 14 fir.liture to the value of 3001. The thieves got in al tie back first floor window, and one of them stood over the servant maid whilst the others robbed " the hoose. - - COURVI.I4 ASTI kL.-011 Thursday, a Court. Ma rtial ass..mbled on board the Gladiator, and proceeded to try Jahn E4gar, seaman, of the Kite sloop, for committing an unnatural crime with a boy ; the Court was of opinion that the charge had not been sta. cieely proved, and therefore acquitted the prisoner. h s Smith, private marine, belonging to the same sloop, area afterwards tried, for repeatedly commit ti.tg the same detestable crime, which was fully proved, and he was sentenced to suffer death ; the prisoner acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and that he deserved to die. The following day, Jean Taurnay, a black seaman, belonging to the same sloop, wa tried on the same charges as the last, which was proved, and he also received sentence of death. &wage' Hvgins and John Pearson two seamen, also of the Kite, were tried for indecent and dirty practices; the charges were in part proved, and the first was sentenced to receive 10 lashes, and the other 100. A great quantity of wearing apparel, handker chiefs, lke. were lately seized by the Intendant of Police, In a house in the Peatneuck, LE•ith, under ve4 sespicioas circumstances. It is conjectured that they aro the fruits of various petty th i efts committed in the'' A gi lonia' produce, which wa laid tic in 1810, was 901 rated by auction, in atai qiielico wiug failed to pay Cotl m in T in come of that dation , A I John of del from I and tl fat her' near ' ing. :eepers, of Sheerness, has pa.troling the street, many nocturnal depre- wed, sung man of the name, of stocking-maker, in a state a violent fever, arose inperceived by his family, river D er went, near his he res ided at Draycote, drowned the next morn- Alsighbourhoocl. p.m quantity of colonh 'pier -nbargo at Berlin last nth, and sold :o of the reprieters hat venal flu . - e Habitats , honasiteep to a rasolnevn of nigh et pla.e, to inetvent the ns the+ hays lat ly occur few days sin a.you t Amt.., by trade a slot 1 elirium, ()cession by 1 his he,l at mideig , um ' nil thr: w himself into e i ?l.'s house, with wh Derby, and was fo d • THE STATESMAN. .. ~, MURDERSI!! POLICE. • MANSION-110US 1 :. Tne Cat us e a.—Yesterday Harriet Magnet, whom we formerly mentioned as having been disco vered at Gosport with the stolen child (for which a Mrs. Russell had been tried last Sessions at the Old Bailey). was put to ,the Bar. When first brought . up by William Barber, the Kuper of Gosport Bride well, he handed over 'to his Lordship ter confession and examination before the Islagistrate, which she did not deny. yesterday Mrs. Dellow .and her little hos , attended; when the LORD MAYOR addressed the Prisoner. lie told her he had taken great pains to investigate this business, and she might be indicted for stealing the clothes a the child ; but if she was, he thought, under all the circumstances, she would he acquitted, as she did not steal the clothes with a felonious intent, to makea property of them, but had directly purchased 13 changes of clothes for the boy, which had been all given to the parents, with the child. lie should, therefore, not send her to trial for the felony, but commit her for the assault upon the child, in carrying him away, and conceal ing him from his parents, for which they might indict her, and for that offence he would hold her to bail. His Lordship said he was sorry for the poor woman whn had been tried for this supposed offence, of which every person must he now convinced she was innocent, and on which account she certainly was j e n titled to some compensation, a nd he should feel I happy to give her every assistance in his power not _.. . . The Freeman's Journal, of the 3d instant, after giving the particulars of the horrid murders in Ire iand, which appeared in our_Paper yesterday, states, that " to the preceding chocking narrative., we have , to add, the blood-freezing murder of Mr. Alexander Wheatley, of Capel-street ; and likewise that of tr young woman at Santry, which have lately occurred —and both of which, can be att , sted by Mr. Pasley, the County Coroner. It is really a matter of al most unaccountable astonishment, how such a mur der as that of Me. Wheatley, should not excite the attention of our POLICE ESTABIASIIMENT. The Magistrates heloneiffg to it, whose DUTY it is to seek after MURDERERS, with Unceasing exer tions—have little, that we can see, to plead in ex cuse for their seeming indifference on this important 1 occasion ;—a Citizen, a Shopkeeper in Dellliii,Weied to pieces, apparently with SA BRE. cuts, lend-trtrodriad into the Canal ! They cannot say, limit it Cgc.ap4' their recollection—for The Freeman's Journal, more than once called their attention to the subject. Vet nothing effectual was done; no reward olfered, nor any active measure .set on foot for bringing to light the perpetrators of the horrid deed. When the Pub lic talk of this transaction, they are lost in amaze ment that it should pass, as it were, unnoticed, by that BODY to whom the protection of the City and Suburbs is confided. Many and various are the opinions and conjectures on the subject ; and we take this opportunity of mentioning it, in orderthat the PO LI CE MAG ST RAT F.S may see the necessity _ - that he found any fault with the evidence which ap- art corres ponain , g peered against her, as they could have no m e tleiees ; of exertions, nn their p, with the intent against her. The Prisoner retired from the awfulness of tee occasion. We have said enough bar without speaking a word, seemingly over- to shoe, that tae supineness manifested, is a great re whelmed with grief, and never held up her head. fiection on our Constituted Authorities,our Civil Laws, The curiosity of the public was so great to see her, our virtue, our humanity, eur City—nn our country. that to avoid the immense crowds, the Officers were While the exertions of the Loudon Police on the re obliged to shut the gates, and convey her privately . cent murders oine p that the ci colu ty amns re the ta e me eme o paper in f •every through the House. tongue ; and cy of y Four men, of the names of Priestley, Robinson, ; the empire, our Pelee EITABI.I3IIMENT anpears Golly, and Price, were charged before the Loan silent, amidst THREE, occurrences of a similar na- Ma volt, by Mr. Lucas, with breaking open the tore—that at Belly more Eustace, Mr. Wheatle), vaults of Mr. .Mann, in Vine-court, bottom of and the woman at rangy; all perpetrated in the queen -street, Cheepside, and stealing a quantity of space of a few monlisi !it is with seine reluctance wine. Mr. Lucas gave his Lo rdshi p a lon g account-, that we tires furnish the sister -kingdom with this of him and several. Gentlemen of the Corporation of melancholy contrast of Irish and Easlish exertion, on the Tower and Thames-street, with others, who such a serious oceke;ion as MURDER. But, how were sworn in before his Lordship, having gone ut ,ever unpleasant, it is rendered imperative upon us. tin duty during that night, secretly settled ' a rendez. If others still net do their duty, that is only an 4d vous near London-bridge, separated themselves in diti 'eta, call upon as to do ours—and, in conformity le two parties, and watched such houses as they sus- to t his , our onitien duty, we pledge ourselves, petted harboured bad characters, one of which Was never to quit this subject, until a suitable investiga- No. 15, liles's-lane, Thames-street ; when, about tion takes piece ; and the necessary exertions are six o'clock, they heard the voices of several men, made, to trace the authors of these aggravated mur whom they saw, and by a soft knock at slid house, det s. We ere determined that it shall not be record the door was opened directly. The morning being .ed in our history, that eveav newspaper in Ireland, very dark, they could not discern faces, but each car-, was silent and inactive, when, within a few months, ried something ; three of them entered the door, but , and in, or near the metropolis, a family was cut off; a the fourth seeing them, put in something, and turn- Citizen liewei to pieces, and thrown into the water; ed round to get away. He was taken into custody, • and a woman abused, robbed, murdered, and cast and admittance demanded at the door, which was re.. into a ditch." fused for nearly a quarter of an hour ; in the mean time, they heard great bustle in the inside, and , breaking of bottles ; at length, having gained admit tance, some went in, and others gained the door and cellar windows; that they found in the honse a horse . pistol, two small iron crows a dark lantern, &c. • That in going up stairs, they discovered the Prisoner,' Priestley, in a bed where there was a man and his wife ; upon finding oho they were, gave him up.— In the garret they found Golly and Price in bed, but finding their shoes and hats wet, convinced them they were the, men. Several of the other gentlemen confirmed this statement, and produced bludgeons they found upon the Prisoners. Mr. and Mrs. Hill, who lodged in the house, proved that none of the Prisoners lodged in the house, that the Prisoner, Priestley, came into the room, and begged for God's sake to let him lay down in their bet!, or it would cost him his life ,• that hs was a friend of Thomson's, the lamllord. Mr. Mann proved that his vaalts had been broke open that morning, and that the wine found was sealed with his seal. The Prisuaers were committed for further examination. M AALB(}ROUGH-ST It LET. Mr. Thomas, a student-at-law, was held to bail, for an assault on Colonel Wemyss. It app nred in evidence, that the Defendant had, by mistake, in an amorous mood, knocked at the door of a house in Russell-square, after twelve o'clock, on Sunday night, and, on its being opened, he walked into a parlour where the Colonel was spending the evening with a party. An altercation ensued, and the Defendant was conveyed to the watch-house, at which place he struck the Colonel in the mouth. Messrs. Hunt and Sons, card-makers, in Mortimer street, charged several workmen in their employ with conspiring together, to prevent their work being done. The ringleaders were committed, and this re stored order. Monday se'nnight, two men broke into a house in the neighbourhood of Dunfermline, and stole a watch and pair of pantaloons. Oae of them was soon after a pprehendA, and after examination was com mitted to Dunfermline jail. The watch was found in his possession. Next morning, on the jailor ! onening hii room where he was confined, he was' quite dead, having hanged himself by means of his • handkerchief. . Some nights ago, a bcolisel's shop in Dundee, was entered into, -and about 70 volumes carried off; and on Monclny night se'nnight, a sunk shop in the Fish-market was broke open, and about 41. in cop per and silver carried, otf. The books have been since foin.tl in a gentleman's garden, into which the thieves had thrown them, to prevent detection ; but no word is yet got of the specie. On Wednesday morning, about two o'clock, the hoAse of Dvvid Coming, Esq. at Chrisleton, was attempted to be broken into by two men and a woman, hut were providentially prevented by the courage of a lady (we are told 9.2 years of age !) who snatched up a sabre, and immediately attacked the villain who was entering the window, by cutting his hand, in Inch a determined manner, as to cause him to let go his hold and fall to the ground, leaving se veral marks of blood behind him. It is supposed the wounds may lead to a discovery of these uffen- UNION-HALL. John Fitact was yesterday charged with an as. sault on Sarah Clark, an infant under ten years of age, with an intent to ♦iolate her person. What adds to the enormity of the offence is, that the child is the daughter of the Prisoner's wife by a former husband ; the mother, however, has been dead almost a year. lie was committed for want of bail, to take his trial at the Sessions, for a misdemeanor. HATTON 7 GARDEN. Yesterday two well-known characters, apprehend ed on Saturday evening, by Cook , the ()Aker, werel brought up and underwent examination. It appeared, that on their being searche d, a g reat quantity of Edinburgh Bank-notes were found upon theft persons, suspected to have been stolen. Further evidence being necessary, the Prisoners were com mitted, to be brought up again on Saturday. dcrs. On Tuesday last, a man named 'Wilcock!: who is considered to be possessed of property to, the amount of some hundred pounds, was observed taking away a piece of handkerchiefs which hung at the door of Mr. Earl James's shop, Truro. Ile was followed and searched, when the property being found on him, Ibe was committed to prison hut afterwards liberated on bail to take his trial at thel ensuing quarter ses sions. DUELLING.—A brace of young Baronets last week, near Colic, Ireland, exchanged a b race of pistols, happily without effect :—The cause was, one bad trod upon the tail of a puppy belonging to the other. From Baronets it is easy to descend to Butchers.—A gentleman of the cleaver fought a duel on Tuesday last near Manchester Barracks, with another, whOse name and occupation we know not: we hope, how ever, he is a gentleman, or he would disgrace the practice : one shot was discharged ; and, from the effects, it appeared one or both were wounded, but, fortunately, the seconds, instead of ball, had charged the pistols with a species of ammunition less hostile, namely—curry:W*lly. Along with the rest of the towns in the neighbour hood, Wakefield appears to be at present visited by an active gang of depredators. Though little da mage has yet been done, many attempts have been made to break open houses. The bank of Messrs. Townend and Rishworth, we hear, has been twice attacked; and on Wednesday evening, the Cross Chambers were broken open, but the villains found nothing to carry away but a few old books of no vs. lue to them. Scan', DEC. 2.B.—The house of Mr. Aunnington, near the barracks, at Chichester, has been broken into, and besides plundering it of rum, brandy, &c. the villains made great havoc in breaking and tearing various articles. Three women have been stopt and robbed on their return from market, and a man was wounded with a bayonet and robbed within the city malls ! A CARD TABLE COMPARED TO A FIELD OF Iltrrt.E.—The.contending parties at a card table are as eager there for victory, and the spoils, as soldiers in a battle. In the mimic game of war, Kings are the Commanders in Chief, Queens are Generals in petticoats, and Knaves the army contractors. Then follow the undisciplined recruits, armed with spades and dubs. Stationed round the table, the hostile armies face each other, and begin the fight, resolved to conquer or to fall ; the bravest hearts are taken in the conflict, Kings and Queens lie prostrate, or are led away captive to the enemy's camp, and such a ransom is demanded for their freedom, as drains the ' coffers of the vanquished partys ANOT Ilia MUTINY ANTI NTUItnElt.-OCI the sth of • November last, his M i :j. u ts i t id y' t s h s:l n i c p e, A w rie• it .n h ci a r, c C a t r p g: fain Sir M. Seymour, Bart. cap:ured, just as she we i • entering Bourdeaex, the Ni A ogi t , n ww e . r oy i r, c o a ti ; kp sc i;, l .t io roc o : n s e ,b r t: P 3 e rrtdo e tiloee: Captainswohfheilsclu,: sugar, wrnS,(aaistnbp c o f f e e, uaue: t l . tkrlla,oe cof farm er, trt()oin, in. ns N ab l mo r e . a r E tdi . m l et l h . tae C kist . i S aunders,,ligemnr part o leafingf the id s c l r i m ew an, as co a us s col t h )rize master, and [0 men, to contlect her to schooner the Captain, Second Mate, two boys, a gentleman ex.. ex.. senger, and his wife, in her, who took the advantage, when the crew had incautiously got too much Ileum; of knocking the unfortunate Mr. Saunders over board (who was drowned), retaking the ye et and immediately shaping her course for Yran.a., int.; ezt of whose ports (it. (Q simper) we are sorry to say she gra t e enebserved by any of our cruisers, whit' for the present, - preventtthe reuelerine villeins from ' -beinT ; ,; . bedifght to juatice. The, above account is heotight by the American schooeer Fig, taken on the 18th by his Majesty's ship Scylla, on her voea t e from Cherburgh to Bristol, Rhode Islaud, America, which vessel left - that place the 45th ult. where wee lying two line of battle ships, one frigate, two gun. brigs, and five privateers, all ready for sea. MELANCHOLY A CCIDENT.—WiIIiam Knight, horse and cattle-dealer, in St. John's Clauchen, Dairy, was lost in the Ken on Saturday se'nnight. He had left New Galloway to ride home, about. nine o'clock P. M. considerably inebriated; and his horse com ing to his house in St. John's, wet anti shivering, and without either saddle or bridle, gave the alarm to his wife, who caused every search to be made for him that night, without effect. The river was also dragged for his body, the whole of Sunday and Mon. day, which was not found, however, till the etretting of Tuesday, near the farm-house of Waterside, where he bed attempted to cross through a deep gully is the river. The fate of this unfortune.te man, who has left a wife and five small children, one of whom is smite blind, to !mu! his loss, adds one ins t ance to the many, of the ft - tat effects of intemperance. — The poor woman is pregnant, and has been in fits ever since the accident happened. This is the third unfortunate person who has perished in the Kea within the last two years, and since the fall of the Bridge opposite New Calloway. • • Yesterday Lavender apprehended another mat charged with being concerned in the late maleptec tiees at the Navy-ofticc, and took him to 13ew-street /Nice, where he underwent a hang private evtmint tion before the Magistrates, Mr. Croker, and Mr. Bicknell. The following is given as a correct account of the late discovery of frauds in the Naval Department : A min in Spitalfields being on Some, occasion exa mined by the Magistrate at Union-hail, stater cer tain circumstances which appeared to justify a sus picion that there existed ' a confederacy for d,frend ing poor seamen, under pretence of procuring 6.4 discharges, and the public, by obtaining Greenwich pensions for persons who were not entitled to them. Though the inforination was not very precise, ant was in some particulars Tether suspicious, the Weis trate thought it his duty to transmit it to the secre tary •of the Admiralty, who, on an accurate rearni. nation of the man, thought that his account was pro bably 'correct.; Measures were therefore concerted for detectine the offenders ' • and, at last, proof was obtained of Gawler, late a Clerk in the Navy Office, having given a seaman a false discharge, and of his having certain pUblic papers and doeuments in his house. An examination was then had at the Admi ralty, before Mr. Croker, the C om p troller of the Navy ' and Mr. Graham; atidaVarrants were issued !against the person of Gawler, and for the seizure of i his papers. Gawky himself absconded; but his pa. I pers were taken ; and on examination disclosed a series of extensive frauds, and implicated another Clerk in the Navy Office, of the name of Needham, who, with four or five inferior agents, is now in cus tody, and will, it is expected, be brought to justice. The investigation is, however, so extremely intri cate, and the papers so voluminous, that it is not possible to speak with certainty as to the extent of the frauds; but we hear that it is already ascertain ed, that on Greenwich Hospital alone they amount to 1,0001. a year; and we do net doubt, from what we hear of the activity and industry which are ex erted in the investigation, that the whole system of fraud will be detected, that the offences already com mitted will be exposed eel punished, and that mea sures will be taken to prevent, as far at pessil)le, occurrences of similar impesiti ons on iedi vitt...ells and the . public. It is not true, as stated, that one of the Admiralty Messengers appears to have been a etinci pal confederate. One of those persons is in L ustode; but he was, - we hear, a very ieferior agent and his offence is small compared with that of the others. PEDEITRIANISM.--.MX•Mealing, the Sornersetshire pedestrian, completed his Herculean task of going thirty miles a-day, for 18 successive days, on Satur day, at llortyChurch, Gloucestershire, and won fire hunked guineas. He is lame in the left leg, and is red . uced from 14 stone 8 pound, to 12 sense 4 pound He had much ditficultyin proceeding the tee last days. SCOTCH SM4CICS. Miusn's Wharf. /thud. Sails. Fifrshire (Miller), Leith IV 11, —II, •A. M. Defiance (Watson), Dundee 130 7, —7, P. M. HIGH WATER AT LONBON BRIDGE THIS DAY. Morning, 41 minutes a ft er 7. Everting, 10 minutes after 11. MARRISD. On the 4th inst. Mr. Francis Jasaeo l inn. of Newaste.loPitr Miss Miles, eldest daughter of W. Mlles, Esq. of Enfiela, dieser. Oa Thurschv last, at Liverpool, Richard Addison. Esq. to AspinaU; daughter of J; B. "Aspiaall, Esq. DIED. On Saturday last, John Hilton, Esq. of Ironmonger-lane. At Harleyford-Place, in the 6th veer of b7r age, Mrs. Eliza , betb Howard, late of Eton-Collcge: On Saturday last, at his hon..- in Bruce (leave, Tottenham , John Smith, Fsq. formerly of Newgate-sflret. At Ridgway House, near Sonthamoton, on Saturday se °' night, Miss Matilda %wiles, youugcst dauga.er of Wm. Surtses, Esti. gn the 4th inst. In d i ana Harriet Brisbane, younvst daughter of Mrs. S. French, from St. Vincent's. At Tenterden ' in Kent, on the 25th ult. James Black / ore, Esq. in the 66tbyear of his age. - - LONDON: .Printed and Nl)liihed by D. ',niece, at ttte BTvreaat.trt °rites, Bi, Fleetitreet. I f The 1 .61 ta. 1%). ted' , 7 A li Sa will 1 L in paul iu 1•r Th of th ri lir it HO% filler dire yeti Firm uril tie vari 11 1 Fri of trio In 1 itici Cnl at Fri in wil *l' r Pr Iry 11 • tbl 6 Pl 6 S • 4 Ir If It 4 e. A of llt at of 11- a- na lif ci- :he 1 4 , - 7 - After