The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-03-10 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH,
CRIM . CON
4:JULIO it O. LEADER.
This was an adios% to recover damages for crimi-
nal conversation with the Plaintiff's wife.
Mr. GA ir aow said, that eases of this nature had,
unhappily, lately become so familiar to our Courts
of Justice, that it was Difficult to find any novelty of
language with which to lay them hetore Juries.
This was, however, the less to be lamented, as all
moral men 'would think alike on the subjed ; and
morality was,not yet so nearly exiind as to tender it
necessary for him to dwell at length, in order to he
impressive on this subject ; the plaice teed honour
of the Jury would be a s4cient index to their deci-
sion. The Plaintiff, whose wounded haespiness was
the subject of this seism, was a coalifador and sail-
maker, living formerly at Wappime, and subse-
quently in other residences, which would hereafter
he adverted to. In April 1788, he married the
daughter of very respedable parents in the North;
the lady was twenty, and the gentleman about
twenty-seven years of age; and their union was;
for some years, the source of great domestic com-
fort, heightened by the birth of seven children.'
Unfortunately, however, in a few years, their hap—
piness WAS corroded by some unpleasant disagree-•
ments which arose between them: and which, as the
husband was unconscious of having given occasion
to them, he attributed to the marriage of his sister
with a young gentleman of great immix and easH
peßations, whose equipage, and dazzling mode of
life. were, unfortunately, contrasted with the more
humble sphere in which, the circumstances of the
Plaintiff rendered it necessary he should move.
After some froitless efforts tower's a reconcilement,
a separate house was provided for the lady, and
she and her children went to live in Park-place The
Defendant was a gentleman of fortune, who, in
May or inns last, first became aceptainted with the
Plaintiff's wife. They met at the house of a mu-
tual friend, where they were invited with other
company. On retiring in the evening, the Defend-
ant, who was a married man, dismissed the ser-
vant, who had been desired to attend Mrs. Gillespie
home, and himself accompanied her thither. He
stopped an hour in the !Kum ; and this being com-
municated by Mr. Leader, to his friend, the neat
time they met, succeeded by a high eulog:em on
the Lady ; those who heard it, advised him of her
delicate situation, and cautioned him from becoming
a barrier to the reconciliation of Mr. and Mrs. Gil-
lespie. About July, the Defendant's wife died;
and in this seasomlto other persons, of of lidinn and
impressive melancholy, did the Defendant think
proper to destroy, ter ever, the happiness of a
family, by debauching the wife of the Plaintiff.
He visited the lady several times since their first in-
terview; and upon the occasion of her having to
take one of her little boys some distance to schools
be accompanied her, and, having left her son at the
school, ordered the chaise
in which they were, to
be drives to an Ina In Epping Forest, where they
passeilasetewastar.:=, and consummated the
crime far *nice, as far as it can
be here divested._ ght. The Defendant, and
the wife of the MAIM, are now living together #
and it rests with the Jury, gravely and deliberately
to appreciate, if they can, what compensation can
be made to the parties injured, by a man, who has
robbed a family of their mother, and a husband of
the returning confidence and affection of his wife.
After some evidence of a subordinate nature was
gone into,
William Pattman, the waiter at the inn at Epping.
place. was called. He remembered a gentleman
and lady, whom he since knew to be Mr. Leader
and Mrs. Gillespie, coming to the inn on the 24th
of July last. They stopped there until the 26th,
appearing to be, and condu*ing themselves as man
and wife. He saw them both go into one bed-
chamber.
Sarah Pearson, the chambermaid, gave nearly
the SAM testimony ; with the addition, that on the
nights of the lady and gentleman sleeping at the
Inn, no other bed vas made up for strangers.
Jane Smith. maid-servant, who had lived several
years with Mrs. Gillespie, was then called. She
want with her to a house, in Park-place, when she
left Mr. Gillespie. He used to come some-
times, and take tea at the house ; but he and her
mistress were not on good terms. A few days after
Mrs. Gillespie had returned from taking one of the
young gentlemen to school, Mr. Leader came to
sleep in the house, and their bed-rooms were
close together. He was often with Mrs. Gilles-
pie, when the Plaintiff came to the house, but al-
ways went up stairs until his (the Plaintiff's) depar-
ture. Upon one occasion Mr. Gillespie saw him
through the key hole, and turned him out of the
house.
She further deposed, that for a great length of
time, the Plaintiff and his wife had lived extremely
unhappily ; and did not continue together many
weeks whenever a reconciliation was attempted.—
The last time they slept together at Hampstead,
Mrs. Gillespie only remained in bed until two
o'clock in the morning, when the Witness came out
of her TOOIII, and found her mistress crying on the
stairs ; she said Mr. Gillespie had put her from his
bed, and went into hysterics for some time. About
a month afterwards,. she went to Park.plate, where
she was when the intimacy with the Defendant first
began. The witness said, she did not think Mr.
Gillespie an affedionate husband ; but in reply to
three questions, put by Lord ELL re ',rammer, she
sa:d, he did net use any personal violence, nor any
terms of harsh reproach, nor did she (the witness)
knew the cause of their uneasiness.
After a gentleman had been called to speak to the
property of the Defendant, which he considered
handsome, and stated to be enjoyed from his de-
ceased wife,

,TUR DA.Y, stases s.

Mr. Serjeant REST addressed the Jury, for the
Defendant ; and strongly urged, that the Plaintiff,
by his a►andonment of his wife, had lost all right to
large damages, if damages At all could be awarded
for the loss of comfort, which had no existence at
the time of the Defendant's conneaion with the lady ;
as they were represented, too, to be now living to-
gether, the Jury would charitably refle6t upon the
distress which heavy damages, dedu&ed from their
limited means of subsis ence, would involve them in.
After Lord EcLaniollol:Gli had brizfty .charged
the Jury, a Verdi& was returned for the Plaintif
—Damages 1191.

IVAY.IL INTELLIGENCE.
DEAL, IEARCII 8.
Wind S E.—Arrived the Semler sloop of wAr,
with a convoy from Ireland. Sailed ficvcrAl ve.sels
for the Nore, bound to the Baltic.
pouri,witvti, MARCH R.
Arrived the Etisand6,—, from Dieppe, bound
to St Nlartin', detained by the gun-brig.
Wind N.L.