The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-08-17 00:00:00

SURREY ASSIZES,

MANSLAUGHTER.
A t•onng gentleman, stained Frost, the son of
Mr. Frost, of Egliam, was put to the bar, charged
by the Coro:sees Inquisition with feloniously kill-
ing and slaying a man, twined Saunders. at Echam.
by ►hooting him with a horded gun. The Grand
Jun• had thrown nut a hill for manslaughter.
Mr. Frost hail been admitted to bail, and, when
pot to the bar, seemed greatly affected by the
solemnity of his situation. Nu Counsel were re-
tained for the prosecution, and Mr. Common Ser.
jeaot appeared for the defence.
The case disclosed in evidence was in substance
this:—The house of the Prisoner's father had fre-
quently been attacked by robbers, and a few nights
before the unfortunate occurrence iu question, it
lad actually beets robbed of property to a considera-
ble amount. A man-servant in the house had fur
some time previously been in the habit of receiving
the clandeetiiir visits of the deceased unknown to
the family. These visits were generally paid after
night fall, and sometimes after the family had re.
tired In rest, and the man, upon his rvidroce, ad.

_. .
mined. that the deceased. who wrs a servant uut
of place and in distress, used sometimes to sleets
in Mr. Frost's stable. On the eight the accid•ot
happened the family were ull retiring to rest, and
the Prisoner had gone to lied, when his sister
came into his room to take away his candle.
Hearing some noise in the garden, resembling the
snood of a heavy shower of rain. and desired his
sister to ellen the window and s,e whether it was
raining ; upon looking out she saw a man at the
kitchen window, and trying to open it. She gave
the alarm to her brother, who immediately jourtictl
up and went down with Iris gun. The alarm
having disturbed the man. he was moving off
in great haste, when the Prisoner demanded his
business there. No nurser was given. The de-
mand was repeated ag-siti and again, lint 110 reply
was received ; up which the Prisoner dis-
charged Isis gun at him, and the unfortunate titan
fell wounded to the ground. The Prisoner ilfillit.
diattly returned to the house, but his pity be-
ing excited by the groans of the dying man, lie
came to his relief, and lie was brought into the
house ; it was then discovered that lie was a friend
of the footman, who had come to see him, in the
hope. of getting a lodging for the night. A sur-
geon was immediately sent fur, and every attention
and kindness shewn that Isis unhappy situation re-
quired ; but in a few hours afterwards lie expired.
The deceased when brought in was barefooted, and
his shoes were were found in a clump of laurels,
about twelve yards from the place where he fell.
Several most respectable persons gave the Pri-
soner the highest possible character, and he was
spoken of as a youth of gentle and humane dispo-
sition.
Mr. Baron GAIROW, under the circumstances
disclosed, directed the Jury to acquit the Prisoner.
charging them that the uselancholy event which had
happened, was no more than one of those misfor-
tunes to which every housekeeper was liable under
similar circumstance's.
The Jury immediately found a verdict of Not
Gai/ty, and the Prisoner, before lie was restored to
the bosom of his family, all of whom were present
and in great allliction, received the condoling
assurance of the Learned Judge, that he retired
from the Court with the sympathising feelings of
every well-disposed mind, and that there was nothing
in his case which required the indulgence of any
other sentiment than that of regret, which lie ap-
peared sincerely to feel, in being the unfortunate
cause of depriving a fellow-creature of life.
The youth, whose heart seemed full, respectfully
bowed and retired.
Three men named Shearing. Hart, and Janes,
were indicted for feloniously killing and slaying
Enoch Davis, in the parish of Southwark, oil the
sth of June last.
The case was this:—On the evening of the day
mentioned in the indictment. the prisoner Jones
sad the deceased, both ‘Velislimen, had quarrelled
at a public-house in the Kent-road, and they agreed
to terminate their disputes in a pitched battle.
They immediately retired to a neighbouring field;
a ring was formed. and, after fighting for two hours,
the deceased fell lifeless to the ground, both cum.
batants having been urged on by the encourage-
ments of the spectuturs, amongst whom the two
other Prisoners were the most active, and during
part of the light had acted us seconds.
All the Prisoners received front several persons
the characters of being HMI of humane disposition.
They were found ("salty. Jones wrs ernteucell
to one mouth's imprisonment, and the others to two
mouth's imprisonment.
Mr. Jones, the Marshal of the King's Bench
prison, prosecuted tocutiviction two of his servants.
a male and femah., the one his butler, ai d the other
Mrs. Jones's ludy's maid, fur a must extensive rob-
bery committed in his house at Putney. Both Pri-
soners had been many years in his service, and had
acquired hit complete confidence and regard. Their
plunder exceeded 4001. which it appeared they
had been amusing for a considerable time, Kepis.
runny to their marriage and 'ruing up in business
at the Regency Tea Gardens, Battersea. They
were sentenced to Wen years' trausportatiou.

Last week the people of Scilly commenced the
pilchard fishery for tile first time with drilt-nets,
*lnch seeus to answer extremely well. On Moo-
day slight the boat Independence caught tour hogs-
heads, which are of good quali►}.