The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-08-11 00:00:00

YORKSHIRE ASSIZES.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3.
Before Mr. Justice BATAAN GAS a•Speeitot Jury.'
THE atma ii..patatorr: •
This was an action stains* Marntadulty F'riekett.
E.g. an attorney at law, at Biillialtou, tot
used corrupt perjury. . . . .
Mr. STAIIILII opened the indictment. and 14r.•
R•int. stated the case-oa the paw of-tilhjettoshe.
•

11011. .
.• •
After some general obseriations_on the eneeseitp
of the crime of perjury, he stated that the case with
• which the Defendant was charged,. arose alt of an
answer to a hill in Chancery, ;preferred by Martin
I .owish ; and said, it would therefore be fleeciest"-
teeter into is short detail of the ciecurnsteuees eon.'
enacted with the procedure. The Defendlitit Wei oil
er torney„ residing and practising .at .13rielhog ton. in..
thie county, Mad had been, for • ainwhersof yeses,
solicitor to Martin Lowish. la the year 1805, Mr.
Lowish had the •urn of 1.000/..t0 place &is and 'he
applied to the Defendant to procure flius'a proper
aecurity.for it ; this security was found by the De-
fendant, and • mortgage was given upon the estate
of a Mr. Mare. who was the borrower of the money.
In the year 1809, the further sum of 1,0001.•oi, oii-
vanced Ant security of Ilw same estate.; net
some rears, Mare got lido diffscolties, and the iis-
terest in..ney became very irregularly paid; and be.
siig, :lithe year 1815. much insurer.. Mr. Prickett
prof:eided against him—first by holdieg trim to be I.
uteri his bond—bringing an act of ejectment to ob-
tain the possession of the estate—and taSly, by a
petition to the Lord Chancellor. to foreclose the
mostwege. In consequence of these vigorous mea-
sures, the mortgagee was thrown into prison, when
the Defendsnt procured from him the execution of a
deed. which vested the legal estate in himself.
tht.ogli subject•to the Maros therein named, by tour-
ehaung the eqatty of redemption. Ile also procured
Marini tovish, the mortgagee, to execute a deed,
which he itifurined him was necesse ry, the better to re.
cure to I the money he had advanced upon the
estate. The effect of this second deed was to transfer
to Invitees the right of the mortgagee in the estate,
Our the purpose of laving it sold ; and the third
was a conveyance of the estate to the Defendant, in
w hick the mortgagor also concurred. Of the pur-
port of these deeds he was entirely ignorant; be
executed them in perfect reliance upon the good
filth or the Defendant. Mr. Lowish having re.
coved some intimation phut the pinyon of these
deed. was unfavourable" to his iaterest, became
anxious to see them, that he might be satisfied
',poi the subject ; for this purpose, he made divers
ni•plications to the Defendant, who refused either
to deliver up the deeds or suffer him to inspect
them. II was in this state of thing, that a bill was
presented to the High Court of Chancery. praying
that the Defendant might be obliged to answer the
several matters therein couteined; ausoilet others,i',
ti.e bill alleged that the auditor (Martin Lowish)
had 'reason to believe that the said deeds wereinjo.'
non. to his interest ; that the Defendant lad mid
I.e »mild proceed to sell the estate; that the aessit..
gage had been assigned to him; and that the
motley witted upon that estate was his own. It
also stated, that though repeatedly celled upon, he
hail altogether refused to permit either him or his
attorney to inspect the said deer's, of the nature of
which he was entirely ignorant. The bill concluded
with praying, that Nlr. Prickett might be obliged
to answer the matters contained in that bill ; that
the auditor might bate leave to inspect the said
deeds; and that Mr. Prickett might be restrained
t,..0r entering upon the mortgaged premises.
consequence of this pentiou, a commission
wire issued her the Great Seal, to take the oath
if the Defendant to his answer to the bill prefer.
red by Martin Lowish. In the nuswer, he de.
stied most of the averments contained in the bill;
he *toted that the deeds had been prepared at the
•ve.quest and for the better security of Martin Lowish,
who was satisfied with what he had done. end who, as
• Ile believed, had no desire or wish to inspect the
&vibe; that he believed lie was already acquaint..
. rd soh their contents ; that the Defendant has al-
%%ay* been wriling to furitielt I • with every informs-
I WI upon the subject ; that lie never refused him
vier mission to inspect the said deeds; that he had de-
li select tip to. hint the mortgage and title deeds of
. ; sod that, so far from asserting any claim to
tie mortgage money. be had Mitred to pay off
Loth the principal and the interest of the tnortgage
the rotate in question. It was upon this an.
ewer the assignments of perjury were founded, the
se hoinice of whirls was this the answer of the
Defendant. he hod stated that Martin Lowish never
applied to him to inspect the deeds referred to, and
that he • never refused him permirsion to inspect
them. The answer of Mr. Prickett also admitted
that he had refused permissuin to Mr. Dring to iii-
spect the deeds, because he conceived that he wish.
rd to see them from improper motives.
A copy of the bill filed by Mr. Lowish, and an-
other of the answer of Mr. Prickett, were produced
end read, and the principal witness called for the
jorusreution. was Mr. Daniel Porter, a draper. at
Brailt,igtoti.who deposed that he waited upon Mr.
Pr dawn ireverul times. along with the tote Mr.
Lerviils. That in the first interview, which was on
25th of August. 1817, Mr. Lowish said, " Mr.
Puckett, I have come for those writings belonging.
to Mr. Mare's estate, which I should wish to have."
To winch Mr. Prickett replied, that he would not
give them up. neither would he *hew them. At
each of the three followiug visits the Defendant
tepeatFd his refusal. At the last of three visits
Mr. Lowish was accompanied by Mr. t)ring, Iris
a!:ortree. who 'was mud deposed, thin • Mr.
Prickett positively refused either to deliver up the
deeds or-to let him see them. Mr. Dying first be-
came Mr. Lowislis attorney in 181 G. The witness
admitted that Mr. Prickett offered to pay the ino.
ey due to Mr. Lowish on the mortgage, and that
thetrilr isi Chancery was filed in February. 1818,
whirls seas subsequent to such offer. He also ad.
Muted that the• Mortgage deeds were in Low/isles
inwsessiost.. • •
Mr. Scantseenddressed the Jury on the part
of the Defendant. He said. that the object of the
but rue;hauteey. as well as the object of this pro-
secution. was to put the costs into the pocket of
Mr. Drill ; that since the arrangement took place
subsequent to Mr. Mare's bankruptcy, Mr. Lowish,
or his representation.. had received 'his iatetest with
the giant punctuality, sad the Defendant had
offered, if he requires kit. to pay bias the principal ;

be had, therefore. no mar for remplrot, aad
before he chose Mr. Dries for his solicitor, le
made none. Mr. Prieliett,hod -.buoys been reedy
to 'uphill. eveyr Woo to Mr. Loofah, whom in.
term 'hod beep Moteeiolly Krum,' by the steps
which bid bees mime by Or. Priekett•
After it lumina.' charge from tie Judge. the
dory returned treerdici of—Net Guilty of any if
the•chorge4 .

.JDESTRUCTIV FIRE •
AT TILE SEAT OF silt 301111•NNICTSTIll, IN
• • I sossompos
We sincerely regret to state the unfortunate .04
greatly to be deplored occumnce of pad of the
suognificent scot of that truly worthy' and yr...
Venially respected • character Sir John Leicester,
at' Tabley, iii Cheshire, having in the course of
'Friday night last been consumed by fire, with the
*hole of the extensive offices of every description.—
Au express auuouucing this lainesstable fact resclwd
Liverpool on Saturday lan, near which place Sir
John 'and his amiable Lady have for seine weeks re-
sided, in consequence of t he sea air being ptescribed
for the beuefit of her Ladyship'. health. Oar Cm.
respondent informs us, thus such was the destructive
force of the flames, that nothing hut the eximurdi-
miry and unprecedented exertions of the neighbour.
irib tensotry, made at the imminent risk of their
lives, could hella saved the whok of the splendid
mansion from falling a prey to the fury of the dr-
souring element. From what cause the fire origi-
nated is at present unknown; hut from the great
and well merited popularity sf Sir John among all
ranks, thereis not cress the slightest ground for sur-
mise that an event which is so deeply deplored by
the whole neighbourhood could have arisen ;rims
soy thing else than mere occident.