The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-11-19 00:00:00

CURIOUS CASE.

[From the &Wan Commercial Advertiser of Oct. 21.]
A young man was indicted and found guilty before the Recorder
Of New York, for having stabbed a lady.. Mrs. Catharine Morgan,
with a penknife. He proved to be a youth but of twenty-one years
of age, and he was sentenced to the Penitentiary for three years.
The following is his explanation of his motives for attempting so
sanguinary an art :
Hereupon the prisoner, a young man of twenty-one or twenty.
two, of slender frame, and rather below the middle stature, rose
to address the Court. His calm and mild, but Him deportment,
his regular countenance (rendered a little pale by imprisonment,
though illumined be clear and expressive eyes), his plain, )et very
decent dress, and his youthful appearance, altogether imparted
much interest to the case. His voice was clear and distinct, void
of all trembling or embarrassment ; anti, without any of the ora.
torical forms and attitudes taught any where but in Nature's school
—without any of the preparations in position, or in speech and
gestures, practised by some great orators in Courts and Congress—
be "told his tale" in a manner far superior to that of moat of the
daily speakers at the bar, both as to the matter and language, and
the Judgment displayed in the arrangement of the whole. Nor did
two or three interruptions by noise in the Court in the least discon.
cert or embarrass him, but when he could be heard he resumed his
remarks, and pursued them with a compoture which showed him
capable, in mind and manner (if in a different situation), of great
public usefulness. Still his address was but brief ; and the fol.
lowing is only a broken sketch of its outlines. He said, in sub.
mance—

44 I wish now to tell your Honours that when I first became ac-
quainted with the complainant, :Airs. Morgan, she was poor and in
distress, as it appeared to me. I found her with a young and sick
child, and hers*. in but feeble health, alone, and without a friend
or protector,. I pitied her ; I was pleased with her deportment,
and commiserated her meek and patient Barrow ; perhaps, I may
say, I loved her. I wished to assist, to relieve her—it possible,
to protect her ; and, accordingly, every thing I could possibly
spare from my own subsistence, out of my scanty earnings, I gave
to her to enittsia her to sustain herself and child, and restore their
health. It was but little; but it was given freely, and, I thought,
received with sincerity of heart. It helped to support her—it
raised her spirits ; and I continued to do every thing I could for
them till her child died; when, her own health being improved,
she could do more for herself. For a time she still continued to re.
cave my visits ; and, 'tis true, I did press upon her the subject of
marriage, which she at first discouraged. But on a repetition of
my solicitations, although she objccted that she could not then
marry me, yet she did not discourage me at all ; hut gave me, as I
then thought, and still think, every reason to expect that one day
she would consent. Thus matters stood fur a while, during which
we had frequent walks together ; till other company, or what I
know not, began to render her cool towards me.

" In this way she ensnared me ; in this way I was led on from
one feeling to another, and unfortunately was too much enamoured
with what, I find, though yet pleasant to reflect upon, may prove
my bitterest enemy. But far has it ever been from my thoughts
to injure her, ungenerously and coldly as she has treated me ;
thoogh I do not pretend to deny that I stabbed her, because I am
not conscious what I did, or whether I did any thing. It has been
proved here that I did stab bee ; and I presume it must have been
so. But I was jealous of her ; I know not but tier treatment made
me frenetic, but I here declare before your Honours, before the
Judge of all, that 1 am not conscious what I did, or that I Intend-
ed to do her any harm. I still respect her, though she has appear.
ed against me here, knowing, as she does, how much attached, and
how faithful I have been to her. I not only forgive her, but wish
her well. Nay, I here freely and openly declare, ill as she has
used me, ungrateful and cruel as she has been to me, that I am
Incapable of a thought injurious to her, or her peace or welfare ;
and that I wish not to throw the slightest shade on her cha.
ratter or conduct except towards me, careless as she has been
of my time and feelings. No I It is my sincere wish, my
warmest hope, that that woman (casting a placid and forgiving
look at Mrs. M.) may henceforth prosper, and kntl more fortunate
and ham friends and protectors—a more ardent and true one, she
never can !

" One only request I have to make of the Court. lam young,
as your Honours perceive, and just entering as it were on the stage
of life. I am poor, and have a great desire to do something tor
myself. and not to be a burden on society. Though now fallen
under the censure of the law, and (in my turn) friendless and
depressed, I yet feel, that if at liberty, 1 should be capable of
doing something to retrieve my circumstances, and to be of some
value to myself, if to no one else. I therefore hope and earnestly
beseech, that your Honours will take my youth and all the circum-
stances of my unhappy case into considetntion, and make the
period of my atonement as short as your view of the whole matter
will allow ; and that I may be no longer imprisoned than the due
administration of justice shall, in your merciful judgment, abso-
lutely require."
The Court, in sentencing him, on Saturday last, remarked, that
this was a case of a young man (front whoni much better conduct
might have been expected) throwing himself away ; and that al-
though probably there might be many circumstances of mitigation
in his case, yet as they were not proved or known to the Court, or
to the public, except by his own suggestions, they would not form
any legal or just grounds for the Court to act upon. His temper
and passions were so violent and unrestrained, and he had
been guilty of such an outrage, not only In this instance, but in
attempting to stab another woman heretofore, that there would be
no safety for the community, if such crimes were not punished in
an exemplary manner. The Court, therefore, sentenced him to be
imprisoned in the Penitentiary for three years.

It frequently happens that sixty score of cod fish are
brought to Gravesend from the shoes of Scotland alone,
in one fishing smack, for the supply of the London market.
Pi a.tcy.---The Captain of the Dutch ship the Snelheid,
who arrived in the Texel on the 6th instant, states, that
on his voyage from Surinam he met on the open sea two
Brazilian schooners, one of which sent a boat on board
with an officer and four sailors, who took from him a bale
of coffee, half a chest of sugar, a hog, some poultry, and
other things. These pirates, when they left him, wished
him a good voyage.--Brasteir Paper.