The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-04-02 00:00:00

LENT ASSIZES.

SURREY ASSIZES.--TKINOSTON, APRIL 1.
[Before LORD CHIEF BARON OLHAM.J
Cl V i I. SIDE.--Special Jury.
HARMAN v. THOMPSON. .
.. _

Mr. ADOLPHUS (with whom were Mr. Platt and Mr. Claridge)
stated this was an action for slanderous words, conveying charges
of the most heinous and revolting nature, against the plaintiff; who
was the son of a most respectable brewer at Croydon. The father
of the plaintiff had, in a great measure, retired from the active ma-
nagement of the brewery, confiding it to the care of his son. The
defendant had for upwards of twenty years been in the employ of
31r. Harman, sen. ; he first came into the brewery as a clerk in the
counting-house, since which he rose from one situation to another
till he filled the most confidential. In the early part of last year
Mr. Thompson had been discharged; he had, however, during the
long period of his servitude, acquired a sufficiency to establish him-
self as a private brewer in the same town with his old employer.
Fur tome short period preceding the defendant's discharge, it
had been observed that the walls of Croydon and its neigh-
bourhood had been chalked with inscriptions of the most dia-
bolical description, imputing to the plaintiff conduct the most
abhorrent to manly feelings. This had been observed for some
time without its being known how the foul charge had originated,
or who was the concealed assassin • at length the defendant thought
proper to repeat, in the most public manner, to several persons, ,
that the plaintiff, Mr. Charles Harman, had been guilty of a most I
atrocious offence. It appeared that the plaintiff's father had for
some years occupied Hale Park, near Croydon. The defendant, in
the same conversations, had added, that ' three females had gone
into Hale Park, two of whom were found, but the third was lour-
dered ; that she was never found ;" insinuating that the plaintiff
was concerned in such murder. When these charges were publicly '
made, there was but one course for the plaintiff to adopt. if 112 meant
to hold up his head in society. Ile had, immediately the author of
these slanders were known, appealed to a Jury of his country. The
damages had been laid at s,ofittl., which he thought the pleader had
not over-rated, if the charges were made without any foundation, of
which the Jury would be convinced, for the defendant, had there
been the shadow of a pretence for them, would have put a justifi-
cation on the record ; he had, however, contented himself with
pleading that he had not uttered the words.
The Learned Counsel concluded a most eloquent appeal to the
reason and feelings of the Jury ; and called several witnesses, who I
proved the expressions imputed to the defendant in the record.
Mr. Martarat (with whom were Mr. Gurney and Mr. Ser-
geant TaLdp-addressed the Jury for the defendant, endeavour.
mg to shew that the words uttered were wholly without malice,
and had merely been a repetition of what had been written on the
walls. The time the father of the plaintiff had continued the de,
fendant in his employ was sufficieut to prove he could not be the
character now sought to be affixed to him. A verdict, however,
must pus against him, because he was not in a situation us dia.
prove
the uttering the language. The circumstances of the de. '
fondant vat very narrow, and he had a wife and children depend.
in on him fur support ; he hoped, therefore, the Jury would not I
indict en friar, by their verdict, what must be his ruin.
The LORD CHIEF B•RON summed up the evidence, stating
that it was very slight indeed as to chalking the walls; with respect
to the other part of the case, no doubt could remain. i
The Jury retired for a quarter of an hour, and returned a rev-
diet for the plaintiff—Damages 5001 ; the Foreman adding, that I
the atrocity of the conduct of the defendant would have induced
them to have given a much larger sum, but from a feeling for his
family, and their ignorance of his circumstances.

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS,

THURSDAY, APRIL 1.

This morning these Sessions commenced before Francis Conat,
Esq. Chairman, L. Williams, Robt. I4evill, W. A. A. White,
and Wm. Forssteen, Esqrs.
There are six cases on the traverse paper, and 136 prisoners
for trial.

Thomas Williams was indicted for assaulting Win. Alexander,
on the 27th of February.
Mr. BRODERICK opened the case for the prosecution (as it was
detailed in evidence), and said, this was an indictment preferred
against the defendant for an assault of a very grievous nature.
The parties are shoemakers ; the complainant, Alexander, lodged
In 111r.Williames house three or four years ago, but in consequence
of some suspicions entertained by the latter of Alexander's
intimacy with his wife, he left the house, and went to Ireland ;
but since then he had returned, and lodged in another part of the
town. On the 26th of December, the complainant received an ano.
nyrnous communication, to which he paid no attention ; and on the
following evening he received another, and was induced to go into
the street, when the defendant came up to him and struck him
very violently and frequently with a bludgeon. He, Mr. Bro-
derick, declared that he believed no grounds whatever existed for
the defendant's suspicions.
The complainant said, on the evening of the 26th of December,
a boy rang at his bell and said he was wanted in the street, but he
paid no attention to it. About nine o'clock the following evening
the same lad came to him with a similar request, and on going into
the street he saw the defendant's wife, who said her life was in
danger from reports that were circulated of her intimacy with him;
that she was constantly receiving letters, and was watched wherever
she went. He had scarcely time to speak when the defendant came
up and struck him several times with a bludgeon ; a man named
Gibbons held him while the defendant struck him; he pursued him
to his own door and knocked him down. He was attended by Mr.
Russell, a surcarn, and was not able to attend to his business for
eleven days.
Cross-examined by Mr. ADOL Tont- s.—lie lived ikom July 1818
to July, 1821, in the defendant's house. He had occasionallyread
some parts of the Scripture in prisons, and given the prisoners good
advice. He had also preached to an assembled congregation ; but
he had left off preaching. Ile had not seen the defendant's wife
for three months before this transaction. He had never, to his
knoukdgc, had her in his lodging. He married on the 18th of
January.
By Mr. Bnotinniox.—Defendant's wife was ten years older
than complainant; never had any improper connexion with her.
John liockland stated that he saw the assault, but could not
swear that the defendant was the man.

Mr. ADot. PH vs, for the defendant, said that he had a mass of
evidence to prove the foundation of this affair, and the Court would
perceive the injury which the defendant bad received from this
preacher of the gospel. lie would decline producing any evidence,
because he thought he could not do better than rest his case in the
hands of the Court.

The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
The CH AIRMAN said, that although the circumstances were such
as tended to inflame the defendant's mind, yet he had not taken the
right course by indicting punishment himself ; therefore the Court
were hound to take cognizance of it. The judgment of the Court
was, that the defendant be ordered to pay to the King it fine of

POLICE.

BOW-STR E F.T.

Yesterday George Dudficdd, the proprietor of a notorious b►othel,
called the Anti-gallican, in Shire-lane, Temple-bar, was brought
before Mr. 'bills, charged on suspicion of having uttered a forged
N. note, knowing it to be

it was a curious feature in the cave that the prisoner passed the
note in furtherance of the commission of another offence, namely,
compounding a felony.
About twelve months since a Mr. John Young, a stonemason,
in Swim-yard, Thames-atreet, was robbed by a girl in the street,
near Temple-bar, of 61. ne 71. The girl was apprehended, but Mr.
Young agreed, upon being reimbursed his loss, to forego prosecu-
tion. He therefore gave such evidence before the I:rand Jury as
inducer: them to throw out the Bill, and the girl was discharged.
The prisoner, as per agreement, left a 51. note at the house of a
Mrs. Periley, in Hill-street, Blackfriars, a friend of Mr. Young,
which proved to be a forgery. Mr. Young, in consequence, caused
the brothel-keeper to be arrested.
After a very long examination, Mr. HALLS observed, that highly
illegal as the transaction was altogether, and suspicious as were the
circumstances as regarded the note, he thought there was not suffi-
cient proof of the guilty knowledge to warrant him in detaining
the prisoner. He mast therefore be discharged.

MARY-LA-BONNE OFFICE.
Yesterday a prepossessing young female, about sixteen years old, I,
named Ass Joists's, and who appeared to he in an advanced state
of pregnancy, was brought up on the following charge of felony c !
It appeared in evidence that the parents of the prisoner are re.
spectable tradespeople, residing in the neighbourhood of liuroe-
square,whohad placed their daughter at a fashionable dress-maker a, i
in Tits:Meld-street, to learn the business. She boarded and lodged ,
with her family, and one day she came home, during the absence
of her parents, and contrived to steal property to a considerable
amount. She was given into custody and carried before a Magis-
trate at this office; but upon her disclosing where the property was
to be found, and promising to reform her conduct, she was deli-
vered over to her mother, who from some circumstances suspected
that she had been seduced by a young gentleman, whose name she
did not know, and on the girl bein+, questioned strictly upon the
subject, she admitted the fact, and stated that her seducer made
a point of meeting her every night when she left work. She
was taken !lame and treated with the greatest kindness, but re.
strained front going out, to prevent any further intercourse between
ber and her betrayer. The primmer conducted herself very well for
a short time, and then again resumed her bad career, frequently
stopping out at nights, and pilfering from her parents. On Friday
she went up stairs into a room occupied by a man named Dec,
front whence she stole several articles of wearing apparel, and left
the house. The robbery was soon discovered, and she was traced
and apprehended, but sfic had disposed of the stolen articles. When
placed at the bar, she seemed very large in the waist, and tram_
plainest of being very unwell: she was questioned by the
officer, to whom she declared that her accouchernent was near at
hand. Staples the constable instantly led her out, and placed
her by the tire, and she appeared to be enduring the pains in-
cident to females in that state. Staples told her she should
be kindly treated, and that he would pro,ure the immediate
attention of a midwife. At this information, she appeared
confounded, and said, " Oh. never mind, if you will let me
go into the lock-up room I can assist myself.". The officer began
to suspect something, and consented to her request, and after she
had been in but only a few minutes, she said he might come in,
and on Ma entrance, to his astonishment., he found three pair of
stockings, a pair of sheets, some toads, &c., which she had stolen
from her parents, and had ingeniously fastened round her body
for concealment, and fearing they would be discovered, if she
had been strictly searched, she had feigned to be in labour, in order
that she might divest herself of them.
The puma was remanded for further examination.