The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-15 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY SESSIONS.

• These Sessions commenced yesterday, before the LORD is
3ilr. Justice Butteounii, and Mr. Baron llectoce.
• A number of prisoners had been arraigned before the Re-
t'srituett, previous to the arrival of the Judges, who took their
!Asir* on the Bench soon after ten o'clock.
s ' The first prisoner placed at the bar was William 11. Reymolds,
seberged with maliciously shooting at General Napier Christie
Bartbn, with intent to murder him, or to do him some grievous
~llerey harm.
••"." r. Awnerws read the counts in the indictment preferred
Rgsttla the prisoner ; and Mr. ALLEY stated the case fur the
.
liNtelrell*rned Counsel observed, that he was at a loss to know
mrtraf defence could be set tip for the prisoner. If It should be
4'Mted that jealousy operated with him, he thanked God that
iglislimen were not to be exposed to assassination, even if jea-
lathy were well founded. The laws were open to men in circ ttttt -
'minces when they considered themselves injured; but they were
-int to take the law into their own hared*. If it should be attempted
io prove that the prisoner bad been subject to aberrations of yea-
in, Lie would intbnn the jury that the isle, as particularly laid 1
tra in liellingham's case, for the murder of Mr. Pare Tali was, '
even a pitmen subject to that greatest calamity of our species,
insanity, was held responsible for the olmnibution of intend acts, at
thine periods when they were flee front their heavy &Shalom
' CienetalNapier Chnstie Burton was then called and examined
by .Mr. Andrews.—He deposed that be was a General in the army,
land once eintimanded a battalion to width a Serjeant 3ledley be-
'hewed, who was afterwards prooned, through the infiuennr of t
he
skims, to an Ensigney. 'Sy eat Medley laid a dauglitor, who
be knew had ensiled ins prisoner. T'•::: wir.l/4•A had procured for
SIR Rep Ida.! when .1w was e child, a pension. "'nig September,
int 2, witness tad not seen Ensign Medley' daughter since she
Was two Yeats old. From September, BM, to last December, be
bid not seen the prisoner's wife more than belle dozen times. He
Nielsen the prisoner about three times during that period, who
Bed inked within to procure hini some infermation respecting his
swab; Who had left MW. On the Ist of January, 'between four
is_rd dye erlbas Mrs. 'tepid& called on die sasses; and
telsout live o'eloek, TVs servant are into the• Nom, and said
llr. Reynolds had called, and immediately the misdate entered the
Atom; witness desired him to take a chair, and asked him if he
Would drink a glass of wine (the bottles being on the table at the
time); the prisoner replied, '' Veit ;" when sritness was ring
EA tthi
ctne, he less uttentivdy looking at the decanter, pou
and did :
're Reynolds due nearer to the table; but he beard a'
noise, which le ores nevi convinced nas the cocking of a'
stbiaml. On witness Oui• m the glass of wine to the prisoner, the
n 1 was flied, but du nu i not the bullet that wounded Itim.
the prisoner tame into the room, witness was *Ming on one
indent the lire, and Mrs. Reynolds on the other. As loos as the
gist pistol was fired, witness supposing that Reynolds had find
(With the intention of murdering Ins win, wit close to him, and'
mid;
tar God's sake moderate your temps, se something serious
• " A secondyistol was then fired, which wounded him in 1
fbe Me ;he had then die same cant,whieb be wore on the Ist
Of daatuary ; and which wwsperkented by thalmil. Witness then
bled prisoner if the pistols were loaded with ball. He replied
s/ Yes ; Ow he had loaded sSesn himself,and he hoped they wine
to witness's bowels." He again aired prisoner if the pistols had
bullets in them ; arid he a woad time answered in the affirmative.
$a also said that he had bought lie pistols in Norton Falpte.
report of the pistols had broug'n ;Ole servants up stairs. The
nook entered the room first, and afterrards the footman. The
letter ran for a watchman, and witless; afterwards sent him for Mr.
Loth., the surgeon, who came inimedlstely, and in that geodes
Man's presence, the prisoner was again asked if the pistols were
Applied with ball, and he repented that they were. Mrs. Reyndlde,
After the second pistol had been fired, pushed be: chair bath nearer
bow
wall. Prisoner said to the witness auntie bad taken pod aim;
' edieh the latter replied that he had'had a pod • •
end he was easy--be was happy, and he the '
peed into witnese's bowels. Mr. Locke thought it advisable
that Mr. Brodie should be sent for, and be came as soon as he
midtd. The prisoner sac In the same chair until Mr. Brodie sr-
rived: The prisoner threw a letter on the table, and the witness
asked whit was written in it, when Reynolds, in a taunting
.man-
ilk; said, "'Oh ! you pretend not to know any thing about it, do
rail ? but you wrote it !" Witness had never seen the letter before.
ll.eniked Mrs. Reynolds to give it to hint, which she did. It ems
skniuth tumbled that it 111 S scarcely legible; he had great diffi-
&Win reeding it. On examining the room fur the bells, one was
Mend in the wall opposite to the fire screen, which it had perforated
be its way; and the other the witness found between his drawers
rip/ breeches, having grazed his side for about an inch and a half.
Crus-examined by. slr. ADOLPHUS, for the prisoner.—Witness
imagined that the prisoner's mind was operated upon. by jealousy.
and that: bevies strongly under its influence at the time he fired;
lllrt he had no reason to be jealous of hint, for he soleinnly de-
diped that he hail never given him a cause. Witness resided in
Pfew-street, Hornet-square, and the prisoner in Peter-street, Sun-
dreet, Bisiumsgate. Ile was once at the prisoner's house. He had
Sli4er been in the habit of visiting 51rs. Reynolds, at her hut-
bind's; for he had never been at the hoose but once, and then the
Killer was at home. Ile believed Mrs. Reynolds had left her
d twice. Reynolds could have no malice against the wh-
ims, except on account of his being jealous of hint.
V r. James Locke, a surgeon, stated that he was sent for to Gen.
liwiton's, on the Ist January, about Sr o'clock, in consequence of
IllieGenend being_ wounded. On his getting to the house he found
dleprosecutor, Mrs. •Reyeolds, and the prisoner, in the dining-
siddour; the General said that he had been shot at; but upon the
ilmeas wishing to examine the wound, he said that he first desired
n whether the pistols were loaded with ball, and ethyl
Ars soner then, if they had had bullets in them ? lie said
s"Pwi," and he hoped they were in his bowels. The pistols had
ban previously given up to the watchman, but witness took from
tril.per seven or eight bullets. lie found, on examining Uen.
ibrem's side, a wound which was not dangerous ; but had it been
likker or lower, it would hive proved fatal.
"filidrew Hankies, &watchmen of Mary.la-Bsnne, proved having
*ailed in to General Burton's on the night in question, anti
received s Pair of pistols from the prisoner.
ris, a constable of the same district, produced a pair of pis. !
mkt *at he had 'Arrived from the last witness, on his being scot for ;
'Vheed the prisoner.
iten Hewitt, another constable, produced a powder-horn,
sibi• he found on the person of the prisoner when he searched
Wt' • • •
Winifred Hoare, the cook to Genetal Burton, deposed, that she
thole& the dining-room on hearing the noise of pistols; when she
tgli, the General said " Cook, lam shot. Witness then
the prisoner say, " I am easy, I am happy."
lam Burp, thefootutan, eorroboratedr he statement of the
lese erfnmas. •
Slise litter OM had been referred to by General Burton, was
cal the contents of which have been given in our Police re-
ports if this Me.)
'lrtit prisoner declined saying anything in his defence; but seve-
ral_ witnesses were satin' to character, who all spoke in high terms
oreettumanity of Reynolds, and his general good conduct to.
wards his wife:
ifir: Justice Bun nounn, in charging the Jury, observed, that 1
this was an indieunent under an Act of Parliament, commonly
eldest " Lord Efintborotigh's Act," which made it a capital o(.'''
le to name. with a malicious intent, any of his 31ajesty's sub.'
Idol. • if the Jury believed the evidence against the prisoner, they
mein find hint guilty of the crime imputed .o hint' but if they
*Mild reasonably doubt, they were bound to give tern the belie.
eilpf it.
"TO Jury retired for about twenty minutes, when they came
apin testa Court and returned a verdict of—Guilty. Deaali, against
tie prisoner. but strongly recommended him to mercy on account
s,( bra previous good character.
wAlliry Strikes, Arch Collis, and Eliza liftllfatiis, were in-
dieled the farmer for ethalling in the dwelling-house of Henry
lidilstisi Esq., 'situated inWlmpole-street, a gold seal, three shells,
end venous other articles, "sine Si., his property, and the latter
',sooners for receiving the sante, knowing them to be stolen.
iilused r. AN 'MEWS adshessed the Jury fur the prosecution, and Mr.
t sis iewrii, who was With Mr. Andrews, celled Mr. Susumu, who
that in hopternber last he had a house in Wimpule-street,
and that in that month he left town with his family, giving the
,
rare of the hour to the prisoner, *hikes ; he returned to Loudon
:in December.
*lorries a constable, stated, that on the 13th December he was
sew for to II r. Sensom's, who opened the door for him himself ;
banes sheen to the prisoner's box, in which he found a prayer-
book.
William Watkins, a Constable of IR ichmoed, atirrehed the house
of-asnan by the name of Hawkes, at Mortlake, and found in a boa',
winch Hawker said belonged to the prisoner, a gold seal and term
hdialkevehieni, which he then produced.
Israel Emanuel produced* wine label, which, to the hest of his
hind, be bought of Strikes.
Me. Philip Assam proved that the prayer-book produced
was his
.property, as were the handkerchiefs that were la Court.
dun llewhes, the wiftant Ihe most in whose house at Mordaks
--• • '

Orolll,

the prisoneee box was kept, deposed to her having been mind
when the witness Watkins searched it, and that he found in it the
mild seal and handkerchiefs then produced.
Mr. Baron lir 1..L0t. x shortly summed up to the Jury, mho re.
turned a verdict against Strikes of guilty of stealing to the raise
If 395., and acquitted the other two prisoners. They were, hew.
ever, ordered to be detained until after the Brand Jury were dip
chargtd.
Etiawril Kern's, aged fifteen, was indicted for stealing, on the
4th of January, a 201. Bank-note, the property of (Silbert A Mule,
Tuning, Esq.„ a Barrister of Gray's Inn.
The prosecutor was called by Mr. Nnarw s, and stated, that
the prisoner had come to his service during the temporary absence
from illness of his brother, who lived with the prosecutor; and
that he hail locked up in his drawer, a day or two before, roar SOL
mites, one of which he had missed.
John Burnky, a constable, apprehended the prisoner on the Pith,
of January and found fifteen sovereigns and some siker on his
person. lie said he had given a sovereign to Thomas Cooper.
Mary Ann Cooper, the mother of Thomas Cooper, deposed that
her son came home very much intoxicated on Monday, the .Ith
January, and she put him to bed with his clothes on: the next
morning she Mand a eovemign in the bed.
Thomas Cooper, the sea of the last witness, merely proved that
he had been in company with the prisoner on the sth January,
when he saw him with a peat deal of money.
Martha Taylor was in Mr. Young's chambers on the 11th
January, when the prisoner was searched by the officer. She
asked him how be opened the drawer in which the notes wqm
placed ? lie answered, 'by using the key of the cupboard, whidi
he found in the lock." The witness tried this key, and found It
fit exactly. The witness was laundress to the prosecutor.
Gmilty—Drib. The prisoner was strongly recommended to
mercy by the Jury and prosecutor.
James Art r was placed at the bar for burglariously entering the
dwelline-house of Robert Austin, situated in the parish of St. Mar-
garet, It'estminater, and stealing, on the 22d December, a watch,
chain, and seals, his property ; and his brother, Thomas Kerr,
was charged with receiving the same, knowing them to be stolen.
The whole of this case rested on the evidence of the proateutcit's
wife, who stated that she had been married about eleven months to
Austin, who was a soldier in the Guards, and that on the day in
question the prisoners, whom she had known about three years,
called upon her, and persuaded her to accompany them to a liquor-
, shop in Strutton-ground, where they called for • Wass of rum sod
water, and James Kerr left her for about eight minutes. She had
locked the door of her room, but not taken the key out of it ; and
her husband's watch was hanging over the fire•place. When he
returned be was In a great hest, sad said he bed been walking fast.
She staid at the public-house about a quarter of an hour, and when
she gut home, she missed the watch.
In her cross.examination by hlr. PlllLT.rre, she said that doe,
never lived at Chelsea, and never went by the minseef Peary ;
that shehad known the pioneers for about three years, bat never
intimately. She bed never allowed either of them to sakes liber-
ty with her, and had never given them any property to pledge
for her.
A pawnbroker produced the watch, and positively swore that
Thomas Kerr had pledged it.
Gilmore, a Queen-square officer, proved the apprehension of the
prisoners ; and, on searching one of them, hefound the duplicate
of the watch and a seal that the prosecutor swore toss his property,
when he identified the watch and chain.
On the part of the defence, several witnesses deposed that they
had known Mrs. Austin when she lived at Chelsea, by the named'
run, ; that they hail frequently seen her drinking with the Karel
and that she often went after them when they were at work : sad
one witness proved that be saw her on the night in question give
something to James Kert, which appeared to Mini like swatch, and
Mrs. Austin told hint that she wanted a few shillings, and he mast
01 to get a pound upon it.
31 r. Baron H tots observed to the Jury, that he thought they
would probably coincide with him in believing it not quite safe to
find the prisoners guilty on such evidence as Mrs. Austin's.
The Jury instantly acquitted the prisoners.