The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-08-25 00:00:00

TILE SOUTHAMPTuN CRIM• CON.

When men above forty marry girls of sixteen,what
can the y Mr. C. had been for some years
dancing attendance upon every lady of fortune that
visited Southampton without success, when he was
captivated by hit. present wife, the grand daughter
of a deceased grocer, who did not leave her quite a
arm. She had all the weighty reasons contained
in ten thousand pounds. Mr. C. made his party
good with the lady, applied to ber guardian, who
was inexorable, and the lovers, accompanied by a
young and lively widow, the gentleman's sister-in-
law, took shipping for the Isle of Guernsey or Jer-
ser ; but fate was unpropitious, and a French priva-
tr.., boarded their vessel and took them prisoners;
and as Bonaparte's myrmidons have as little feeling
as any of the Algerine Corsairs so famed in his-
tory, they not only threw them into prison, hut into
separate cells. History does not relate whether 3
Moorish slave or a Sultana obtained their de-
liverance : but, after some time, they w.:te tvt
at liberty, absence and misfortowe only inctel,.cd
their bye. They were married, and returned to
Southampton, where they hate lived a pattern of
conjugal affeftion, until A Q•ii Tam brought his ac-
tion, andgot into possession of her Jealous. The
Lady was not to be of age,wit'intit the consent of her
guardian, unlil the age of '25 years ; And we have
not heard of his relenting ; that Mr. C. has not
even the money to console him fur the loss othis wife.

W at. RlllO Marc s.---Os Thursday the Wal king
Match that heifer some time been pending F. • weeis
P.ShanueN,Esq.and— Tost.ariEsq.was decided.
The former Gentleman was to walk against time for
eighty guineas—ten miles in two hours—thirteen
miles in three hours. The Harrow-road was the place
fixed for the walk, between the3d and 4th mile-stones.
About lOo'clock, Mr. METHL,II4 set off, and walked
the first 6 miles in 1 hour and 50 seconds. In the
2 hours he had allowed him for the fire 10 miles,
he with ease performed 11 ; and completed the 13
miles iu 2 hours and 25 minutes.

• •
741.:t1;510N HOUSE.

Yesterday, a melancholy instance of the want of
humanity was exhibited before the LORD MAYOR.
A poor sailor lad, about •sixteen years of age. *as
brought to the Mansion House. carried upon the
back of a soldier, in a must deplorable state. being
nearly naked and half starved.

Mr. HUDSON, a Surgeon, having told the Loan
Mayon he did not thinic the boy would live, his
Lordship orderecliiim to be brought near the fire on
a chair, and his account to be taken down, which in
substance was as follows:—That his name was
William Thomas ; that he was a native of Wales,
had shipped himself at Wapping, on board the
Venue of London, fur a voyage to -Guinea, about
ten months since, at Rl. ss. per month; that he
was sick in the homeward-bound passage; that his
illness was much increased by the cruel treatment of
the chief mate and cabin boy, who often heat him
very much, and encouraged others to do the same ;
and when he was not able to come upon deck, they
ordered the black boys to hoist him sip, with ropes
tied to his legs, and that the cabin-boy and others
had beat him within these two days; but as soon
as they got to the wharf, the black men hoisted
him out of the ship, and left him on the cold stones,
till some gentlemen took notice of him. His back
being examined, it was found all over marks and
bruises.

William Barlow said, he was at French Wharf,
near London-Bridge, on Thursday evening, when
he beard this poor lad crying very piteously, and
SAW some black men dragging him from the ship
with ropes, who said they were ordered to ck. so ;
that he aiid some others exclaimed against such
brutality to a poor cre.tture in a dying state, when
the mate abused them for interfering, and said, they
might take him to the workhouse.
William Ayles, the Mate of this ship, and Joseph
Young. the cabin-boy, heing present, they were
put to the Bar, and the young lad and the other
witnesses were sworn to the truth of their evidence.
The prisoners denied the charges, and said, the
boy had only been forced to come upon deck to
clean himself, &c.

The Loan MA volt said, he should commit them
to the Compter till the fate of this man's life or
health should be known : in the mean time lie or-
dered him to be sent to Bartholomew's Hospital,
with orders to take him in direaly, and that every
attention should be paid to him.

PUBLIC OFFICE:, BOW-STREET.

A case of considerable importance to masters and
apprentices has been before the Magistrates of this
Office for these last two days.
On Thursday evening, Thomas O'Leary was
brought before IigNRY NASH, and READ, Esqrs.
the sitting Magistrates, charged with unlawfully
absenting himself from the service of James Boyle,
law-stationer, of Cooke's-court, Carey-street, to
whom he was an apprentice, without his consent,
and contrary to his indentures, on the 2.2 cl inst.
It appeared from the statement of Mr. Boyle,
that the Prisoner has been his apprentice for near
seven yews- During the last four years he con-
dueed himself in a very improper manner, and
it cost him near 601. for expences of prosecutions
against him during that time. About four years
since he lett his service, and was absent about six
months : he at length traced him to Sheffield, where
he had enlisted into the regiment of the Somersetshire
Light Dragoons, and followed him to Huntingdon,
to which place the regiment had marched. The
Colonel of the regiment, being informed of the
Ptisoner being an apprentice, very properly
gave him up, and Mr. Boyle brought him
to London with him, and was about to take him
before a Magistrate ; but on his making great con-
cessions fur his past condua, and promising in the
strongest terms possiole to conduit himself properly
in future, Mr. B. took him home to his family,
and treated him with the greatest kindness ; but bad
company, which is the ruin of youth, he could not
refrain from associating with, having unfortunately
formed a conneaion with a number of dissipated
young men, who tempted him to neglet his mas-
ter's bu,iness, and he has, within the last eighteen
months, absented himself three times from hi,
master's business, and has been imprisoned twice
in Tuthill-fields Bridewell, and once in the House
of Correaion ; it was only about a week since,
when he was liberated from his last confine-
ment, before he absented himself again, and
he was taken by his master on Wednesday in
Parliament-street, in consequence of a letter written
by him (but tinder a feigned hand) being intercepted.
On this statement, he was about to be committed
again to the House of Correaion, on Thursday
evening; but, on the intercession of himself and
mother-in-law, it was agreed to let it stand over till
the day following. The final determination was
postponed till yesterday morning, when it came on to
be heard before NIGHOL•S Bowe, and READ,
Esq. when the business took another turn. Mr. KRA? r
attended for the Master, and Mr. AGAR and Mr.
FITZG RR Al. cf, for the apprentice: the latter gentleman
took an objediun to the Magistrates proceeding any
farther in the business—setting up as a defence, that
the apprentice was above 21 years of age, and was
not liable to be held by an indenture, although the
time of his apprenticeship had not expired, as he
had hound himself, and no person covenanted with
him; and they grounded their objeaions on a case
which came before Lord Kenyon, in the year 17:4,
in the case of a female apprentice, who had attained
21 years of age, when it was held by the Judges to
he the common law of the land, that no minor
could be bound to any ad, by common indenture.
after he had attained 21 years of age ; and the
Magistrates agreeing to this doarine, as laid down by
the learned Gendeman, agreed, ifit could be proved that
the apprentice was 21 years of age, they mast dis-
charge him, and the Learned Gentleman proceed-
ed to call evidence to prove his age; but the wit-
nesses consisting of his mother and friends, who
could only state from rectllection the time he was
born, which was objeaed to by Mr. KNAPP, as not
the best evidence to prove his age, and that the cer-
tificate of his baptism ought to be produced, which
being agreed to by the Magistrates, and they re-
fused to liberate him on this ground, and were about
to commit him under the A& of Parliament passed
in the sixth year of his present t.ajesty, where-
by apprentices are compelled to servo the lost

time during their apprenticeshi7 after their ir,der.-
tures are expired, or make such aatisfa.ction'to their
Masters ar the Magismates shall think prnii•irr and
in case of noo.complianee, to be committed fir one
month, .w not exEeeding three; ht4on the interces-
sion of his Mother and MO-rico-di, for his master to
accept of terms, 'Which being !ittched to by Mr.
Boyle, at the recommendation of tlic • Magierates,
he agre:d ootake five guineas as a ten-Inner:Won for
the last month ; but which not b •ing reedy to be
paid by the parties, he was ordered to be detained.