The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-10 00:00:00

A LLEG zi • I'Ell.l v

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This was an action brought by n young man, formerly in
the sirs lee of Mr. Taylor, a house agent, at Nottingham,
against Mr. W. Blackwell, auctioneer, of Lung-row, in the
maw town, to recover compensation in damages for false
imprisonment on an unfounded charge of perjury.
Mr. Serjeant Wilkins stated the ease to the jury on behalf
of the plaintiff: Mr. Newell was a young man of excellent
character, who at the time of being given into custody for
perjury, at the instance of the defendant, was clerk I
to Mr. Taylor, of Nottingham, and the circumstances out
of which the present action arise were these: The •
defendant, Mr. William Blackwell, was one among many
others who hail taken shares in the projected railway from
Wolverhampton to Nottingham, which was ultimately
abandoned, after two guineas per Aare had been paid by
the shareholders. Meetings were held to consider the best
means of recovering from the promoters the amount of these
payments, on the ground that grave misrepresentations bad
been made as to the feicaibility of the projected line.
At some of these meetings, the defendant, Mr.
Blackwell, was present; and it tieing eventually resolved to
take proceedings, Mr. Taylor was empowered to employ
solicitor for that purpose, and a guarantee was drawl' up
and signed by sarions parties to bear that solicitor (Mr. C.
('ooper, of Manchester), harmless in the matter of hit
costa. Mr. Taylor basing wand on the defen-
dant, and stated to him that Mr. Cooper required 101.
ends from the parties roncemod, who were also to sign the
guarantee. Mr. Blackwell agreed to do so; accordingly the
plaintiff in this action was sent by his employer to Mr.
Blackwell with the gunboat e, with which he returned
signed, and stating that the defendant would send the 10/.
in the course of that day. The money was sent ; and, upon
Mr Cooper odwequently making out his bill of costs, it
was found that a quota 01 between 40/. and 501. each, from
those who had signed the guarantee, was required to make
sqo the amount. The defendant, on being applied to for ltis
share °I the contribution, denied that he had ever signed
the guarantee, and thereupon MI action was brought against
him by Mr. Cooper for the whole amount of his claim,
leaving Mr. Blackwell to his remedy against his co-guar:in-
tees. This action was tried before Mr. Basin Rolfe at the
last spring assizes in Liverpool, when, chiefly on the
cci-
,lenee of the youitg man New all, the present plaintiff, a ver-
dict was given against Mr. Blackwell, the defendant. A few
days after that trial, the defendant came to Liverpool, and
gut a warrant from the late Mr. Ito-11ton to apprehend the
plaintiff on a charge of wilful perjury. That warrant was
placed in the hands of Featherstone, who proceeded to Not-
I tingliam, and having got his authority backed by two Meal
magistrates, went to Newell's house, but band the young
man ill in heel. This was on a Saturday night, and a medi-
cal man basing been called, pronounced his removal to be
highly dangerous. The next day, however, at the instance
tithe defendant, he was taken to the Nottingham lock-up,
where he was kept all that day and night, and next day re-
moved to Liverpool, where, at the request of Mr. Black-
well, hr was remand. d to Bride well by Mr. Rushton till
tha following Thursday, when that magistrate dismissed
the case, Biting Mr. Blackwell that nu jury would believe
him, and that Mr. N well left the court without the slight-
est stain on his character. From this imprisonment in that
state of his health Os, plaintiff had never perfectly reco-
vered, and fig the injury to his character and health he
now sought compensation at the hands of tie jury.
As soon as the learned serjeant had concluded his speech,
and put in some admissions by the defendant, Mr. Roebuck,
Q.C., offered a compromise, and after some deliberation, a
verdict was taken fur the plaiutiff by cunumt—tlautaites
toot.

CENTRAL CRDHNAL COURT.
OLD COUICT.—iLSTERDAT.
Eum
William Grey Smyth'', 47. surgeon, was then placed at
the bar, to take hid trial upon several indictments, eharginc
him with felonious assaults upon girls of tender age.
Mr. Par awl Mr. Parry appeared on behalf of the