The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-09-02 00:00:00

ASSlZEL—earehodel

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At the conclusion of these Assizes, a cause came
em, which excited a considerable degree of interest
in Chester, the I),fendant being a resident trades-
man of respeaahility, and a member of the Volun-
teer Corps. and from having. when upon permanent
duty at Warrington, in 1804, been unfortunately
introduced to one Robert Ball, late house-steward
to Colonel Patten. of Bank, near Warrington, who
was admitted King's evidence, and who, as it ap-
peared upon the trial, has keen an associate in Ow
infernal gang, will have dish aced themselves, and
human nature, by the commission of crimes (in the
emphatic language of the law) not to be named
among Christians, was, by him charged with several
indecencies, short of the capital crime.
The trial occupied but a short time ; the Defend-
ant's Counsel, Mr 7 tic Allsar, deteLted such glaring
perjury upon the part of the Witness, that after an
address_ to the Jurys his Lordship would not staffer
more than three of the Defendant's witnesses to be
examined, but stopped proceedings, to remark to
the Jury, the impossibility of the Defendant's guar,
when the ATTOSHIV GUM* AL, aanited by the
same conviaion, begged to withdraw the prosecu-
tiam It was remarkable, that at the commence-
ment of the trial, so strongly did the Defendant's
innocence appear, that contrary to the usual prac-
tice. he was not placed at the Bar, but was allowed
to take a seat with his Counsel round the green
table.
his almost needless to add, that this honourable
acquittal, almost unparalleled in the annals of cri-
minal judicature, WAS received with the greatest ex.
saltation by a crowued Court, who heartily and feel-
ingly congratulated each other upon the blessings
or an impartial.administration of justice, and re-
ioicing, that even in the moment of indignation,
mated by the preceding trials, still the modest voice

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of innocence was not disregarded. Baron GNA•
N•bi then congratulated the Defendant upon his
acquittal. and addressed him in these words :
•• Young man. you will now return to your friends
with untreated, wit, of charaaer." His Lordship
shoo °tarred, that the Witness should not be diet

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charged till he bad procured bail to the amount of
1,6001. to answer a bill of infliausent, to be pre-
ferred - Assize. It is worthy

fen. against him next general .
of remark, that so great was the indignation of the
populace against the evidence, Ball, that it was not
. thought advisable to trust him within reach of their
?seaserstment.
et the five wretches found guile] of a detestable
aflame. it is said that two are to be executed at
Warrington. sad the other three at Lancaster.
When the Court proceeded to pass sentence an Hol-
land. his agitation was beyond expres•ion horrible ;
he wrung his bands, and seemed to be thrown into
e SIM shotking paroxysm of perturbation. His
prepaysy is eery considerable, and his connexions in
Bfs astseasely respeaable.
'Mere were 120 causes entered at three Assizes
for trial, at Nisi Prier, before Sir 'I. M. SUTTON,
Bart. one of which lasted from nine o'clock on
Thursday morning till eight on Friday morning.—
It was a new trial in the cause.' Weld v. liornby
and ethers, respeaing a weir ereaed by the latter at
Beeektroles, en the Ribble. which prevented the
salmon from going up the river ; nearly 800 wit-
susses were examined. Verdia for the Plaintiff.
It is particular, that this cause has been tried three
tikes. The first time, a verdict was given for the
t Plaintiff ; the second time. for the present
present Plaintiff; the second time, for the present
Defendant, and now again for the Plaintiff.
The Defendant means to move again for. a new
trial. The costs already on the above cause are up-
wards of s,oool.

ART OCCURRENCE.

EXIRJORDIN

An inquest was held on Tuesday, by C. Cot--
tins, Esq. on the body of David George, of Swan-
-6,2
'a poor industrious fisherman, who lost his Ste
e preceding night, in the following singular
nor : Some unezpeled success in the morning,
cod him to go out to fish off the Pier-head late
es Monday evening. accompanied by his son and
two men ; they had drawn the net on shore, and
whilst George . was clearing it, observing a small
sole entangled in the mashes of the net, he put the
head of the fish between hie teethto draw it through
(a common pradice, we understand, with fishermen);
but whether in so doing, or in going to open his
mouth afterwards, cannot be ascertained, the fish
slipped into his throat, and choked him in a few
Inmates. Medical assistance was obtained with all
possible speed; but every effort to extract the sole
proved unavailing, while a chance of saving the
man's life remained ; nor was it until the operation
of opeilinig the wind-pipe had been performed that
the whole of the fish could be removed. The Jury
of cootie returned a verdid of Accidental Death.-
Ihe poor fellow has left a pregnant widow, with
five small children, to deplore his loss ; but on the
circumstances becoming public on Tuesday morn-
ing. a generans emulation prevailed to administer
to the necessities of the unfortunate family ; with a
benevolent promptitude which does honour to hu-
man nature, many hands were stretched forth with
pecuniary relief, and several pounds have since been
butnantly contributed: there is, however, much left
for charity to effeft, and we feel the pleasing assur-
ance that the widow and fatherless will not appeal
in Tails. .
The same Coroner held are inquest lately, on
1 the body of Rees Thomas, farmer, of Langitge,
Glauserganshire, who hang himself by a hair rope
fastened to a hook in the chimney of his own house,
on the 16th tilt. He had previously shewu
1
symptoms of insanity, and the Jury returned a ver-
dict of y.Lim.
smannenemenowmere
Sunday se'nnight, the following singular instance
of the 'I il*acity of the feathered tribe occurred : As
I. i party et ladies and gentlemen were walking im
' Tysemourb Banks' towards Cullercoats, they ob-
served a hawk in full pursuit of a lark, on which,
one of the gentlemen shouted, and beat a sod fence,
Inear the place, with a stick, in order to frighten the
° rapacione Witt from his objvd, but apparently with-
out avail. The lark, however, made an exertion to
escape, and Sew to the feet of the gentleman who
- ehodPed, for protection, where it stopped for some
' mimosa. till the enemy thought proper to take his
departure.

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