The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-07-01 00:00:00

'CROSS ASSAULT'.

Our Piper of Wednesday contained i teoport of
an application to the Court of King's Bench on
Tuesday. for • criminal information on the part of
Mr. O'Reilly, • tong-established practitioner of
medicine, and a gentleanti of great respectability at
Al'indisor, against Mr. William Mort, his late As-
sistant, for provoking him to fight • duel.
The person against whom the above proceedings
were taken. wined resolved to execute the threat
which he hod made; in what way he accomplished
' his purpose will appear front the proceedings before
the Mayor on Monday evening at the Towo-hall,
Wisdsor.
Soon After eight o'clock the patties interested
beinglt•sembled, the Mayor proceeded to take the.
depostion of Mr. O'Reilly, which was to the fol-
lowing effect :—That about half-pest two o'clock,
sr he was parsing along Castle-street towards his
own 'house, he heard some one coming close behind
him utterint some inarticulate sounds, and name-
, diat•ly'afterwards he was struck wish a small post-
boy's whip upon the head, the lash of which clipping
round his face inflicted ■ wound under the eye. The
blow was repeated before lie could turn round upon
his assailant, whom lie Found to be Mr. Mom. He
instantly attacked him in his defence, and they fell
together, Mr. Moss being undermost, who grasped
deponent round the neck with one arm while he
struck him several blows on the face with the other.
The bystanders then interfered, and the conflict
ended. Deponent had one of the bones of his hand
broken and a fi.iger dislovated its the affray. which
he believed must have been dune in striking at his
assailant.

Mr. Blunt, saddler, witnessed the affair from the
commencement, and stated that Mr. Mos. r•russed
from the opposite aide of the street to attack Mr.
O'Reilly. He did not see the whip mini the blow
was given, which appeared to Into to be upon the
shoulder in the first place, and next upon the legs.
He interfered when the parties were struggling ou
the ground, to separate their. Mr. O'Reilly after.
swards expressed his willingness to continue the
conflict, but it *us prevented. There were a great
number of persons collected and a greet disturbance
was the consequence.
No other witnesses were examined.

Mr. Mots declared that marry of the facts stated
were untrue, but as a more proper opportunity
would arrive for contradicting them, he should say
nothing further then, having no wish to deny that
hr had assaulted Mr. O'Reilly.
Mr.Vou Lss, Solicitor, then addressed the Mayor.
He said there were scorns circumstances connected
with this outrage which alight to he taken into ac-
count in fixing the amount of bail fur the liberation
of Mr. Musa. It was well known that the brutal
attack upon his client had been meditated fur some
time, Mr. Moss having been secretly upon the watch
several dues for the purpose. He had at length
come suddenly behind Mr. O'Reilly in the public
sheet, and committed this violent assault, the
cons:quences of which had been, as already stated,
the infliction of several. severe wounds upon the
person of his client. He, therefore, hoped, that us
the ofrctice was of a very aggravated character, the
bail demanded would be much heavier thau was
accepted ou ordinary occasions.
The ;slirrols observed, that it was his duty to
look to the depoeittons alone fur. the guidance of his
conduct. In ordinary public-house quarrels, when
the parties came before him, he usually hound the
aggressor in 401. and two sureties in in/. each, to
answer the complaint at the Sessions, and he
thought that the merits of the present rase would
be satisfied by bail of double that amount.
The bonds were prepared accordingly, no ex-
ception being taken to Mr. Dash and Mr. Miller,
who offered themselves as bail for Mr. Moss.

Mr. M 039 said, that be might now take the
liberty of asking why he had been confined in the
common prison. When be was taken into custody
the constable seemed disposed to carry Nut to the
Town-hall, but some one in the crowd, who he *op-
posed had authority to do so, cried ou►, " take
him to gaol," and there he bad remained till the
evening ?"
The MAYOR replied, that he had granted the
warrant for the apprehension of Mr. Mo.s opon an
application in the usual wily, without giving any.
directions as to the mode of executing it. The
constable had a tight undoubtedly to secure his
prisoner tu the way which he thought best, but if
Mr. Moss had suffered any inconvenience he was
sorry for it.

Yesterday se'nnight the Phenomena Norwich
coach, on its way to London, met the coach from
London, near St. Peter's church; io Sudbury, the
most difficult and dangerous part of the road be-
tween Norwich and London: in endavou►ing to
make sufficient room for each other, the former
conch overret, by which accident one man hod his
thigh broken, • woman an arm broken, and a
Child touch Burt in the head, but who is in • fair
way of recovery. Not the smallest blame attaches
to either of the coachmen, who are both considered
skilful and careful men, nor was the coach over-
loaded, having four passengers less than the Act
showy, and no luggage upon the roof. Mr. CRAW.
con*, of Norwich, who recently lost his leg from an
occident in a gig, was among the passengeru.

On Tuesday evening last a saelaaeboly aid fetal accident
happened to Ur. William Davis, an opuleat sad most re.
spertable utaltater of Abiugdoiliend Ridley, in the county of
Berks. He bad just returned to the former place, from his
house at Staley, lead slighted from his gig ; while hie ser-
vant was in the ant of latter down his children from it, on
the opposite side, a double-barrelled gun, atrnprx,d in the
apron, went off, and its contacts were lodged io the left thigh
of Mr. Davis. The only words he distiwctly uttered were,
" Who could have cocked that gen ?• He attempted 10 say
something, which was thought to be, "God Mess you," but
was unable, fu► he sank into the arms of one of his men,
■ad instantly expired. This dreadful event bsppened in the
presence of Hrs. Davis, who was standing at the window of
her bed.chasbe►. Her agonised feelings may be concaved ;
they cannot be expressed. She fell senseless, arid still matt-
-1111011 iu a state of mind bordering on distraction. It H. con.
jecterrd that the discharge of the goo was occasioned by the
frock of one of the children catching the trigger. Mr. Davis
was fond of the 'posts of the field, and prided himself on the
excellence of his fowling-pieces, one of which he usually
took with him ia his excursions of pleasure. He was Shy
years of age, bore a most excellent character, was so afire.
Casale beadind and father, and his loss is se►erely lamented
by his relatives, friend., and acquaintance, more especially
by all the numerwes perames he employed at Abingdos and
Mai Day. Mr. Davis has left seven ebildree, the youngest of
whom is Calf alit weeks aid,

-

-..-.. r.,

....