The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-05 00:00:00

CHINESE CRIMINAL LAW.

The following is a cot" of a paper, printed in English
type, on Chinese paper, at Canton, raid delivered on board
vessels arriving there, for the gutilance of all concerned.
The law!, therein mentioned, it appears, are rigorously exe-
cuted. It will he recollected, that the whole commerce of
England with China came near being interrupted not long
ago, in consequence of a Chinese being killed, accidentally,
it was said, by something being thrown into a Chinese boat
from nn English :
COI'Y OF TRANSLATION OF EXTRACTS FROM TILE
CHINESE. CRIMINAL CODE OF LAWS.
" Transmitted to the President of the Select Committee, by the

Viceroy of Canton, in April, 1800.
4' 1. A man who kills another on the suspicion of theft shall be
stffrangled according to the law against homicide committed in an
"
ara 1.
A man who fires at another with a maker, and kill* him,
thereby, shall be beheaded, as in cases of wilful murder ; if the
sufferer is wounded, but not mortally, the offender shall be seal
into exile.
" 3. A man who puts to death a eriminal, who had been opera
!tended and made no resistance. shall be strangled, according to the
law against homicide committed in an affray.
" 4. A man who falsely accuses an innocent person of theft, le
cases of greatest criminality, is guilty of a capital offence ; in ail
other Casts, the offenders, whether principals or accessariex, shall be
sent into exile.
" h. A nv.n who wounds another unintentionally shall be tried
according to the law respecting blows given in an affray, and the
punishment rendered more or las severe, according to the degree of
injury sustained.
" If. A moo who. intoxicated with liquor. commits outgoes
against the laws, shall be exiled to a desert country, there to remain
in a state of servitude.
" The foregoing are articles of the laws of the empire of China.
according to which judgment is passed on persons offending, against
them, without allowing of acy compromise or extenuation.',

CHESTER CIRCUIT.

CHESHIRE ASSIZES, CU ESTER, Ssrz. L

This mitt-fling the Court sat precisely at eight o'clock, when
IVnt. Br•oks, who had been found guilty of cutting and maim-
ing alargare: Rhodes, was ordered to be put to the bar.
The Clerk of the Amigos said, " William Brooks, what have
you to say why judgment of death should not be passed upon you
according to Low ?"
Prisoner—l have served a long time In his Majesty's service, and
I hope your Lordship will be merciful to me.
The CHIEF JUSTICE then proceeded to pass sentence of death
on the prisoner, in the moat solemn manner, as follows:—" Wm.
Brooks, you hare been tried on an indictment charging you with
wilfully and maliciously cutting and webbing Margaret Rhodes.
with an intent to murder her. The Jury acquitted you of the tirst
part of the indictment, a^d found you guilty upon the second, of
the cutting and maiming the said Margaret Rhodes, with the view
of dole!? her some bodily harm ; and there is no doubt that ii her.
death had followed. that you would have been tried for wilful mur-
der. The Court delayed passing judgment in hopes that some-
thing might trammre Nvourahle to your character. This has been
the ease, and we have thought nnxiously whether we could come to
the conclusion of recommending you to his Majesty's gracious
mercy, which we shall do, but whether you will be considered a fit
object of the prerogative of the Crown, I cannot take upon me to
say ; let me, therefore, beseech you to employ the short time you
may have to live in this world in prayer and repentance, and not
to indulge in the hope of mercy on this aide of the grave. My,
painful duty is now to pronounce the awful sentence of the law
upon you, which is. that you, ‘Vm. Brooks, for the crime you have
been found guilty of, be taken to the place from whence you came,
and from thence to the place of execution, and there be banged by
the neck until you are dead ; and may the Lord have mercy on
your soul."
The prisoner looked dreadfully pale, and kneeled down the whole',
time: lie trembled exceedingly. His execution (if not respired) is
expected to take place on the Illth.

lIELSLY AST) ANOTIMR V. 3IFAIIS AND OTHEDS.
This was an anion against the Liverpool and II olyheAd
coach proprietors. Verdict for plaintiff; subject to a special case
to the Court above.
MADDO'I V. SADIE. '

Verdict for plaintiff in a similar action, for the loss of two parcels
of gold and ►ilver watch-cases. Total damages, &4U.

WANTON MISCHIEF.

Last week, a respectable family in Rutherglen were molested
with rather a singular species of annoyance. Their dweliMg-house
is enclosed with walls. part of which form a back area or court,
containing washing-house, byre, Ace., and into which the kitchen
windows look. The door into this area, which is a little way
front the house, locks from the outside, and has an iron bolt far
occasionally fastening it inside. Tuesday night the servant, soon
after being in the court, had occasion to return, but, upon attempt-
ing to open the door. found, apparently, to her great astonishment.
that it was bolted within ; access was obtained however by the win-
dows alluded to, wilco there was nobody found in the court ; this
was repeated several times in that and the succeeding night, until
the family were puzzled, annoyed, and the younger branches and
women somewhat frightened, and the servant, a stupid looking
girl, from the neighbourhood of Glendaruch, almost in hystetics
with terror. Matters became worse, a pane of glass in the kitchen
and some articles of earthenware in the court, were aniaahed In
the same mysterious way ; milk was transferred by Invisible hands,
from the tubs used to contain it, to places where it had no right to
be, and butter, kept in a place off the byre (corn-house, ) was found
in the boiler in the washing-house. At last, on Fridny, as
some of the family were in the kitchen, about dusk, with
the lower sash of the kitchen window up, an iron four-
pounds shot, such as is sometimes used for breaking coals, was
thrown through the window, breaking two of the panes in
its passage, and striking the wall close to where a young
girl, one of the family, was standing. This was a little too serious
—the neighbourhood was in an uproar, and as they had not been
able to detect any human agency, the effects were ascribed to witch-
craft, ghosts, or the Devil in propria persona. One of the sons
having been led by circumstances to guess from whence the whole
procreded„ concealed himself amongst some hay, on the ensuing
evening, within the area, determined to seize or shoot the tormentor,
if it should appear again. The householder, cne of the borough
magistrates, had quietly drawn a cordon of the civil power round
the house, and every thing that human and magisterial sagacity
could suggest, was put i 3 practice to render the plans effectual.
Scarcely had evening begun to spread her dusky mantle over the
earth, however, when the kitchen window was slowly and eau.
tiously raised, and the servant, whose apprehensions had been
' so violent and clatnorous, crept nimbly out, and slipping softly
to the door, had inserted the bolt as the first act of the drama.
but before she had time to withdraw her hands from the latch, the
anibu•coile, pistol, and all were at her side. The usual circum-
stances followed. She was at first obstinate and sulky, but when
the Bailey and the city guard appeared, showing a view of Bride-
well in the distance, she confessed the whole. Upon being ques-
tioned as to her motive, she could give none, and had nothing to I
complain of against the family. She, however, succeeded in soft-1
ening the heart of the worthy Magistrate and his lady, who, as- 1
cribing the whole to the influence of the arch enemy, instend of
sending her to Bridewell, as she richly deserved, kept her till Mon-1
day, and paying her the balance of her fee, dismissed her, with an
advice to behave better in flume. In return for this excess cf for-
bearance, we understand, the damsel has been very active in de-
nying to every one as having had any hand in the business, and ac-
cusing her master and mistress with having extorted a confession of
guilt by the terror of Rutherglen gaol.—Glasgote Paper.

SINGULAR ESCAPE AND RECAPTION OF A PRISONER'
A daring attempt at escape was made on Saturday from the Po
lice-office, Bow-street. Mary Anne Smith, a woman about twen
ty-five years of age, was committed to the House of Correction
for an assault upon a watchman. Previous to her removal she was
locked up, to wait the convenience of the officers, in the gaol yard,
the place usually allotted to those prisoners who are not in custody
for any criminal offence. This yard is twenty or thirty feet
square, and surrounded by a brick wall of twenty feet in height,
and it was over this formidable barrier that the prisoner. Smith,
resolved to effect her liberation. Taking advantage of the tem.
perm., absence of the gaoler, Ford, she placed the wooden bench,
upon which the prisoners sit, upright, and using this as a ladder,
contrived to reach the shutter which encloses the grating midway.
in her escent, and thence to gain the top of the wall. From this
elevation she made her way over house and chimney top, until
' she had attained an open window on the back part of the
house of Mr. Day, bootmaker, in Russell street. From this
window to the landing place of the stairs, a distance of some
feet, she must have made a dangerous leap over an interval, de.
scending the whole depth of the building.' This unexpected
chasm indeed had neatly proved fatal to her pursuer, and had
the woman missed her footing in any part of her track, instant
1 death must have been the consequence. In the mesh time, no-
tice having been given of the escape, Ford commenced a pus.
snit by the game mute. When he reached the window in Mr.
Day's house, he threw himself in, and losing his balance fell,
and would have been precipitated hcad-foremost to the foot of the
building, had he not providentially arrested his desent by holding
on with one foot to the ledge of the window. In this perilous
position he remained hanging for some moments, when by a des-
perate effort he contrived to spring up, and succeeded in grasping
the balustrade of the staircase. by the help of which he soon re.
gained hie lees. It the house of Mr. Day considerable alarm was
created by this aerial invasion of the premises. The woman
I Kit to the street door unnoticed, when she was met by Mr.
Day. To him she confessed her purpose; and he told her that
the best plate for concealment wax the cellar, into which she almost
immediately distended: but the officer was already in the house,
and overhearing the dialogue, followed up and secured the pri-
soner. Mr. Ilinshull. upon being informed of the particulars,
went to visit the fugitive. The poor creature stated that she had
been driven to rick her life in the manner she had done, on sc.'
count of two infants, who depended upon her for sustenance, their '1
tether having died three weeks ago. In consideration of the
woman's distress. and the perils she had encountered for the sake
of her liberty, Mr. Alinshull, with a suitable admonition, hu-
manely ordered her to be discharged. He considered that the
terror at 'the situation which lice 'hazardous enterprise evinced
would operate to deter her from future offence. The wall will be im-
mediately made proof against further attempts of this kind. Not
one of the many desperute characters confined in this place ever
ventured upon such an undertaking, and up to the present mo-
, sum scaling the wall has always been considered impracticable.

POLICR.

LOVE IN TOE KITCHEN.

Bow•STREtT, SEPTEMBER 'd.—An unfortunate wietd, wyo
called himself Samuel I.eehmore, an engraver, all the way from
Ballyporeen was brought up in custody of the guardians n: taenight, charged with heing found at an tuateasonable hour, k.,d
under somewhat suspicious circumstances, in the kitchen of td,
Edward Bright; of Castle-street, Leicester-square.
The watchman, after producing his man, agreeable to esta-
blished usage, informed the Magistrate that the gentleman tills
gave him in custody on the previous night did not wish to press the
case any further, as on inquiry, there did not seem to be aay
nious intention eontemnlated.

"Then," said the MAGISTRATE, very naturally, .4 How faz,
he there ■t such an hour ?

" Why then, Sir," replied the watchman, scratching his ?e,d,
and looking, as he conceived, very archly st the culprit, s. 1 bt.
Here it was only a small bit of a courting match that he was ear.
hands, and trite
Tying on with the cook; but if your Worship likes to hear her, tee
lady" herself is waiting outside.
" Oh I by all means, let us hear the lady," returned b.,
Worship, and a messenger was straightway despatched to requite Ler
attendance. The lady came in " blushing," not like the " rose,"
but as our friend Sam says •' like a head of yeti cabbage," ard
having made one of her most greasrful dips in the pra—at the bit
we mean, she turned round and cast such a look of unutterable es.
quisite tenderness on her inantorato, that it 1/111, seemly necessary
otof i,n.qvuioreyoonu wk hi
oawt ttehranatsmtlaineyr lt,t,sodhe
c;
irbioptrdinl
iereefpalty to the question
1 impassioned energy exclaimed, " Know hint I 0 Lord preser4
us impassioned
I do. Sir,—it would be very strange indeed if a body
I did'nt know her own sweetheart." A general burst of laughter fol.
' lowed the delivery of this irgenuoua confession, which helped to
paint with a deeper tint the ample cheek of the gentle maid, and
involved the amorous swain in the most pitiable confusion, Had
' Welch, the comedian, been there, he must almost involuntarily
have burst into his admin.ble FO! g of " Fat Dolly the Cook, ad
'the Dripping-pan Lower," of whom this " fond pair" were net.
tainly the prototypes. Our Dolly gave a history of the business,
which carried conviction with it, merely from its artless simplicity,
After the ordinary avocation of boiling and baking was oier, gis
I sometimes indulged.filr. Lechmore with an hour of her society at
night. lle used to say such sweet soft things in her delighted ear,
' that she " took no note of time," and in one of those prolonged
" moments of prattle and pleasure" were they detected on Friday
night, by her mistress, who, however, was now quite satisfied aids
the explanation given. The Magistrate must needs be of thrums
opinion, as the moat determined sceptic cannot deny the sovereignty
of the Mighty Ruler of Hearts; and Dully and the Dripping,
pan Lover lett the Officet ogether, a happy pair.

PATENT TOOTH DRAWER.
HATTON% 0 ARDEN, SE PT. 3.—A publican, named cuff, maid.
ing in Cow.cross, was brought up by Lee, the officer, on a charge
which very seriously affects the interests of modern dentists, but
widen, if once brought iota general practice, would be conducive of
the most essential benefit to such of the human race as are fated to
feel the torturing agony and sleepless sufferings produced by "a
raging tooth." The complainant in this case was an elderly man,
named Rooth, anditis complaint was to this effect.
A few nights hack he went, it seems, to Mr. Cull's licivae, fur
the express purpose of employing his teeth (of which he flattered
himself, at that time, no man of his years could boast a more
powerful set), on a very excellent tender rump steak, to which, by
the way, he did ample justice ; after diluting it with some copious
draughts of stout, he went to the bar to settle the shot ; but, in so
doime, a dispute arose betwixt hint and his host, when the latter
struck hint a violent blow in the mouth, which sent two of his very
beat friends to the " tomb of all the Capulets ;" in a word, the front
teeth of his upper jaw went clean down his throat, and ever sires
he had been " quite chap fallen." Evidence was produced in con-
firmation of the assault, though the witness who proved it could not
speak with any thing like certainty as to the extraction of the teeth.
The defendant stria, he was prepared to admit a blow having
been given, but then Pt was of so very gentle weight, that it could
not possibly have disturbed a tooth in a much more antiquated
jaw. However, as evidence was, at all times, better than bare as-
sumption, he was ready to prove that those two identical teeth,
which the complainant now so pathetically righed after, had de.
serted their residence full twenty years before.
A professional gentleman.'well known as a surgeon-dentist in the
neighbour lucid of Cow-cross, then came forward, and placing what
the Smithfield horse-dealers call a " grin".on the nether lip of the
beast, the gentleman, after attentively examining the vacant call.
ties, gave it as his firm opinion that the former occupants had been
a long time absent from home.
31r. 'Peaks, a chimpedist. who has also a very. extensive practice
in the way of cuppine, bleeding, and tooth-drawing, stated that he
had a stunt tune since pre.lessionally operated on 31r. Rooth, the
complainant; that then the front teeth were perfectly sound and
firm as a rock ; indeed, It would have required a very great muscu-
lar effete to extract them. even with the aid of the regular Mgt.'.
ment ; but what rendered the loss of still greater moment was, that
one of those valuable articles happened to be what is learnedly
elle] the dear sapient's, or tooth of wisdom, without whicha man
is n.s better than a fool

For the Magistrate's satiaftetion, the complainant's mouth was
then Arawn to 1 s utmost expansion, and so fur as our visual per.
ception served usoire certainly agreed in the opinion of our friend
the surg2ol -dentist, that many of the cells had been long tenantlesi,
and that all tlio,t, teeth remaining had seen active service, and aut.
fered great dilapidation.
. .

The'M gistrite said that, in some respects, he saw great diffi-
culty in fairly deciding on the merits alma a case. The evidence
of the protessional gtnticmen being at variance, he should draw a
line of demarcation bttwiit surgery and justice; in the former no.
thing had been proved. but in the latter there had, bemuse an
assault was sworn to. That the teeth were even unbroken there
appeared to be some dcubt ; but that the peace was broken there
could be none whatever. The defendant was therefore ordered to
find bail,
UNION-HALT., SEPT. 3.—lnformation wan given at this °Mc:
of the following robberies :--On Thursday night between nine and
ten o'clock the apartments of Mr. Edward °lrene one of the
brethren of Dulwich College, were broken into. and the following
property carried off by the thieves, viz.—One five pound flank at'
England note, thirteen sovereigns, two half sovereigns, a silver
watch, together with half a dozen of linen shirts, and a quantity of
muslin handkerchiefs. The Corporation of Dulwich College and
the Dulwich Association have offered a rewind of NJ. for the ep.
prehension and conviction of the of or offenders.

The following morning at an early hour, as a gentleman named
Boyle was crossing the Waterlos Bridge, from the Strand to the
Surrey side, on hi. arrival at the toll gate he took from his pocket
a very elegont gold snuff-boy and presented the toll collector with
a pinch. The box being observed by two men of respectable ap•
pearance, who followed Air. Boyle over the bridge, one of them,
after lie had got a little distance down the Waterloo-road. requestel
in a polite manner to try the quality of the snuff. The request was
no sooner made than the box was produced, and the moment the
fellow beheld it he snatched it out of Mr. Boyle's hand, threw the
amain his eyes, and ran off, followed by his companion. The
surprise and pain occasional by such un audacious attack rivetted
Mr. Boyle to the spot, who was unable to proceed after the per•
petrators of the robbery, and they unfortunately escaped.

LtviNcirrow CODE.—It has been stated in several pa-
pers—and, we believe, the statement has been copied in
this Journal—that the Code of Laws prepared by Mr. Liv-
ingston for Louisana, had been adopted by that State, and
carried into operation. We have reason to believe that the
statement is Hot entirely correct. The Legislature of Loui-
siana authorized the preparation of a Civil as well as a Cri-
minal code for the State. The find, which was confided to
Mr. L. conjointly with Judges Derbigny and Moreoo, has
been adopted, and is now in force. The preparation of the
Criminal Code was intrusted to Mr. Livingston alone; and
' this it was which was destroyed by fire in New York last
year. The Legislature require the delivery of it on the
Ist of January next, and though it will, no doubt, be se-
verely laborious to Mr. Livingston, it is generally belitved
that he will be ready by the time prescribed.—Washington
Journal.

On Wednesday last, another very large pike was caught,
by a party from Aylesbury, at the Weston reservoir, near
iirendaver. The fish weighed nearly twenty-seven pounds,
and measured three feet nine inches and three quarters in
length. Thirty-eight persona partook of it.