The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-23 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET,

CHA Ell E OrTday, being the day appointed
for the further examination of Wtn. Darby and Sarah Darby
(alias Clrahurn), his wife, who had been remanded under a charge
of stabbing a person of the name of Wm. Wine, this office and
the avenues leading thereto were at an early hour considerably
crowded ; and this anxiety became much increased upon the ap-
proach of Wine, who was carried into the office is the arms of an
°dicer. He appeared to be in a very weak state, and after he was
placed upon a chair Mr. Tw xi•tts 0, the Magistrate, ordered two
officers to carry him into the parlour, for the purpose of receiving
his depositions. The prism era were also ordered to follow.
Win. Wine deposed, that lie resides at No. 10, 'Turk-street,
Bethnal.green, and was by profession a gold and silver wire-
drawer. That about Fix o'clock in the evening on Tuesday, the
Ibth instant, while be, his wife, and child were lying on the bed,
they were aroused by a tap at the door, which his wife opened,
when a Mr. Green first entered, mid was followed by the prisoner,
Wm. Darby, and his brother. That Green said, in the presence
of the Other two, as there had been some old grievance between the
panics, he wished they should go out and take a little beer. That
witness refused going with their, but did not resist the introduction
of • pot of porter and half a pint of gin into the room. That Mr.
Green then said, Wm. Darby had told hint that he (witness) in-
tended to take away the life of Darby, to which witness replied,
that it was not likely any man would risk his own life to takeaway
another's. That shortly after the female prisoner entered the room,
when she (after kissing Darby) addressed the witness in low and
vulgar abuse. That he (witness) said he would send for a constable
to take her into custody, when Darby said she should not be taken.
The prisoner then endeavoured to strike witness, but was pre-
vented by his wife and Mr. Green. That they were with difficulty
got out of the house ; and he sent his wife to apprise his father of
the manner they had treated hint ; and after his departure he left ,
his lodgings for the purpose of going to a public-house opposite.
and not more than three doors from his residence. The party
being in the street, a fresh altercation then took place, when the
female prisoner new at witness and lie struck her down. After she
rose, and upon a second attempt, he knocked her down a second
time. Darbr then rushed upon him, and in a close, having one
arm round his waist, he (witness) thotight he felt the prisoner
striking him on the lower part of his belly near the groin. Wit-
ness then threw him on the ground, and live or six times suc-
cessively knocked the prisoner down, who being exhausted went
to the other side of the street. Witness, upon going home, fourld
that he had been stabbed, and was perfectly satisfied the prisoner
had repeatedly struck him on that part of his person.
Throughout the examination the witness wu so weak as almost
to render his voice inaudible.

Under 'he circumstances of this extraordinary ease, the Magis-
trate remanded tile prisoners for further examination.

UNION-HALL.
Yesterday morning, as soon as the Sitting 31agistrate (R. J.
CHAN/MRS, Esq.) had taken his seat on the Bench, two very dc.
cent looking young women entered the office, one of whom stated
her name to be Elizabeth Slide, and complained that an attempt
had been made the day before to poison her, and also her fellow-
servant.

The Magistrate desired her to state the particulars.
Slade then said, that she and the young woman by her aide were
both in the service of a Mr. %Vestal!, who keeps a board and lodg-
ing-house at No. 14, Illackfriars.rmtd. On Saturday last. in the
course of her work, she observed a bottle on the sideboard table,
which she supposed to be empty, and on that account took it dawn
stairs, and put it upon a shelf in the back kitchen ; however on the
following Monday she had occasion to go to the shelf, and having
more leisure for observation then she had on the Saturday, she per.
mired the dreg of some liquor in the bottle, which she concluded
was gin. She accordingly proceeded with the bottle in her hand into
the front kitchen, where her fellow-servant was, and poured the con-
tents (about a glass full) into a mug, and she drank one half of it,
and the other young woman drank the remainder. carcely tea
minutes had elapsed from the time they had swallowe the
d•aught before they were both taken alarmingly ill, particularly her
feHowserrant, who was writhing in agony and pain. As they were
both similarly effected, they at once attributed their tortures to the
stuff which they had just thank, and imagined that it must have

be poison, and that their latter cud was fast approaching. All the
fatally being out at the time they were unable to assist each other,
and a knock happening to come at the street door, she with dif-
eulty managed to crawl up stairs, and irt opening the door it was
her mistress, to whom she said, " Oh, :lla'am my fellow servant
and I hare been taken suddenly ill; I am afraid we are both going
to die." lice mistress did not express any astonishment at the
intelligence, but walked down stairs into the kitchen, and there
obpersed the situation in which the other girl was, upon which she
asked if they had not been drinking something, and being an-
swered in the affirmative, she said, "{'hat out of the bottle on the
indoor sideboard ?" ".Yes" was the reply. " Then you are both
poisuned, for it contained one of the strongest poisons. and it serves
you right ; what business had you to touch it." After some hours
of severe suffering, Slade added that she and her fellow servant
recovered from the effects of that which she had no doubt was
placed on the sideboard mirrosely for them (the servants) to take,
case either of them soot ld touch what was contained in the
bottles or decanters.

The Magistrate inquired whether either of the girls were in the
habit of draining the bottles placed on their mistress's sideboard ?
Both of them &elated most positively that they never had done
so before.

The 3lagistrate Ear it appears to me that a dose of j&iap or
some other strong purgative, was poured into 11. e bottle, in order
to dose those who tied no business to meddle with the coatents.

Slade said—" Bless you, Sir, although it operated on us both in
much the same manner as jalap, yet the racking pain that accom-
panied it proved that it was arsanic, or some other deadly poison."
Mr. CHAMPERS ordered one or the officers to fetch Mrs.
Wean&ll to the office, to explain the matter; but that lady being
from home, the investigation was postponed until tamorrow (this
day), and the complainants were ordered to attend.

- - --
ADVIL. TISEMIXT
EQUITABLE LOAN BILL.

TO
.T 111; EDITOR OF THE BRITISIIPRESS,

Sta.—As an old Member of the Corporation of London, I beg
leave. through the medium of your very respectable Journal, to
tall the attention of my fellow-citizens to the following circuits-
stances. Ido no, because I think they tend to involve in no alight
degree the character of the City as a Corporate Body.
Any person who visited a certain Committee-room in the Douse
of Commons in the course of last week, may have seen two lead-
ing Members of the Corporation actively engaged in fighting the
battle of tits Pawnbroker' against the Equitable Loan Hill—these
are no less personage" than the late Lord Mayor (Mr. Alderman
Ifaithman) and the Recorder. The former. as every one knows,
is not a professior.al man, acting as Counsel for the Corporation!!
and the !atter is a Countel learned in the lawthe first Law Offi-
cer of the City of London. lied a Judge of the land, acting as
agent for the.pawnbrokets !! ! These are strange times, Sir, and
we who live in them hare scieciimes to witness, and often to won-
der at strange event, ; but among the many novelties that hays
lately conic forth, this is perhaps one of the most anatesing—Al-
dcrman NVaithman acting as Counsel for the Corporation of Lon-
don ! ! ! (path, Tudor ! ) st:d the Recorder of Londort—a Judge
(a Judge, too, before whont more frequently than before any
Judge of the land CUTS in which pawnbrokers and their servants
are deeply implicated come for trial) takirg a brief ftir those same
pawnbrokers, ado,pting them as his clients, anti fighting their
battles in a Cot:mance of the House of Commons ! !
Let roe not be misunderstood. Ido not assert that the Recorder
has scantily been paid by the pawnlerokete, because I hare rot the
means of proving it ; but I beg to ask the Learned Judge a few
questions ; let any of his friends answer for him, if he will not for
himself. When and by whom was he appointed to attend the
Committee of the Mime of Commons ? V. as it to attend to the
interests of the City of London ? If at, how did it happen that he
was not instructed at the time the deputation waK named by the
Common Council, not to oppose, Gut to watch the progress of the
Equitable Loan Bit/9 How did it happen that he did not make
his appearance when Alderman Waithuian was heard before the
Committee asserting his claim to act as agent for the City ? Did
the Learned Recorder ever make any claim of the kind ? In what
character then does he appear ; as the volunteer Counsel on behalf
of the pawnbrokers, or as their paid agent ? If in the latter capa-
city, I would ask him, is it the common practice of Recorders to
take briefs except as Counsel for the city of London ? In either
ease I would demand whether it isdecent to take a fee(if he be paid)
from those whom he may have to try in their character as pawn.
brokers before the present Bill can go through all its stages? But
in any case, fee or no fee, does it look like that impattial feeling of
justice for which tile Judges of this country hate ever been dis-
tinguished (with perhaps a few exceptions hi the worst times of the
Conetitution), that a legal officer of hi. rank shall enlist himself
with all the zeal of an advocate this week in a cause In which he
may be called upon to give his solemn decision as Judge in the
next?

These are qn cations which for the character of the City of London
—for the character of the learned Recorder himself, ought to re.
ceive an answer. If they can be answered, I will only add on this
subject, that if it should appear that the Learned Rteorder has
taken* tee on this occasion, the Corporation should speedily in-
quire whether he may not have been forced to this mode of increas-
leg his income by the scantiness of his salary from the City ? If
that should be the fact, then it is high time that a more liberal al-
lowance should rescue him from the necessity of such dependence.
1 do not for an instant suppose that he could, even if that were
'beast, be swayed by any improper motive; but human nature is
the same nearly iu all men, and the bait of us are liable to be
bisesed in our moat important judgments by feelings which operate
without our knowledge. The further, therefore, a public man is
removed from situations where such feelings may be excited, the
better for himself and the community, whose interests may be af-
fitted by his decisions.
-

Se much for the decortler•.
With respect to the situation in which we find the Er-Lord
Mayor, however much for the sake of the respectable Court of
which he is a member I may regret it, it is one which does not at
all surprise me further than as 1 have already said—that any Body
should ever think of selecting him, or that even he himself should
ever think of acting in any cane as Counsel !
There seems a great dispesition in some of our Ex-civic digni-
taries to act the " public man" in their own name, after the ex-
piration of their office has deprived them of the opportunity of act-
mg in the name of the community. Ex-Sheriff Parkins has im-
mortalized himself in this way. lie interfered in every subject : in
every cause which occupied public attention, from the Princess
Olive to Hannah M'ltite, he has shone conspicuously. But the
worthy Er-Sheriff has reaped sufficient glory, and quitted the
field, leaving behind him a name which will be read with interest
as long as any of the newspapers—the happy records of his achieve-
ments--continue to exist. Now forthcomes the Ex-Lord Mayor,
and, though a veteran in yearn, pants with all the ardour of a
juvenile aspirant after the few laurels which Ex-Sheriff Parkins
has left ungathered ! lair, to this, as a member of the Corpora..
tion, I could have no possible objection. Let the Ex-Lord endea-
vour to outshine the double Ex-Shcriff. Let him act in his
vocation as zealously as he may, I care not; neither will I
here inquire, whether his motive be the pure love of fame,
or a wish to secure a few additional pawnbrokers on his Committee,
or to catch a few additional votes from their friends at the next
gctleral election, when he is to become a candidate for the City
again. All this would be a matter of perfect indifference to me.
The Ex-Lord's exertions in the Committee would be as little in
my eyes as theLere laughable in those of the individuals before
whom he exhlna, were it not that somehow he It.a got dubbed
" Agent for the City of London" on this occasion, and his acts
will unfortunately be taken in some degree as the acts of the Cor-
poration. This is the mischief from which I would wish to see the
Corporation rescued, and from which I call upon my brother livery-
men to extricate themselves while it is vet in their power. I would
I say to them, " Call a Meeting of the Common Council, and revoke
the authority which has never been sought for, or used for the pro-
tection of your interests (for they were never in the slightest degree
affected by the Equitable Loan Bill), but which has been used by
the worthy Er-Lord for electioneering purposes, or perhaps sonic
other motives not so defensible." 1 will put the matter to issue at
once, and ask the wort h y Ex-Lord whether, from the moment his claim
to act as agent for the City was allowed by the Committee, he ever
put a single question tending to show that the interests of the Cor.
potation could be injured by this Bill ? Oa the contrary, have not
the whole drift and object of his cross-examination, and his speeches,
been to prove, as far as he could, that the Bill was not necessary,
or that it would operate injuriously to pawnbrokers ?
How can this be said to be defending the interests of the Cor-
poration ? Let that body, if it value its reputation with the public,
rescue itself from being made the tool in such an unworthy
pretence.
Sir, if the character of the Corporation were not involved, I
would never disturb my friend the Es•Chicf Magistrate in the
course which he might choose to pursue for the advancement of his
interests, or the spreading of his fame. On the contrary, I would,
in the sincerity of my heart (for I really admire the great abilities
of the man). say, go on in the path of fame, proceed in
the pursuit of that eminent glory which nature, by haling
gifted you with such transcendent talents, seems to have destined
for you—make friends by every means—get back into Parliament—
and there astonish the world even more than you did before. Study
every question—speak in every debate--silence Hume_-confound
Hobhouse—excite the admiration of Burdett, and even the envy of
Brougham—and when you have done this, you will be still far
short of that high station which I would sincerely wish to see you
occupy in the public opinion ; only let me advise that when you
hare attained this mighty eminence, if giddy with the height, or
dazzled with the splendour of the prospect before you, your head
should become delirious, cure the dangerous symptom by allowing
your anticipations of the future to be corrected by some recollec-
tions of the past. Take a glance et times gone by ; look even
!tastily over the caw of " Waithman v. Birch," and one or two
other cases, in which your name appears, and you will remember
that " we are all mortal, and that however great we may become
it is prudent sometimes to look back to what we were."
AN OLD LIVERYMAN.
London, Saturday, March 19, 11!25.
• It is a melancholy fact, that out of 222 trials at the Old Bailey
for felony during the Sessions in 1824, and inclUding that of Ja-
nuary, hells, no less than 3d4 Pawnbrokers were examined, and, I
with only 20 exceptions, the property was found on the felon or
pawnbroker, but more generally on the latter. Most of these cases
were tried by the Recorder !

We umlerstand a very unfortunate occurrence has taken
place in Mountrath. A member of persons were drinking in a
public-house, when they were fired at through the window, and
(as our Informant says) two shot dead, and another, in making
his escape, was stabbM. Sig of the peepetraton of this out.
rage hare been apprehended and identified, and their arms (which
ware those of the yeomanry) taken from them.—Drit./ht EVIn.
kg Post.