The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-01 00:00:00

• policy, ne
• glass of reigned same braid and cheese for supper with me. IVe
Md terns conversation together, and he appeated :shamed in col-
Mltipt.ce of Captain Pellewl plantation being set or. roe. That
nerd on the day he came about die policy.
prisoner here naked leave to retire for a few minutes, which
was permitted, and the Jurideft the box. On their return,
Ale. 'akin GAS IL Lir adied on the prisoner for his defence.
Tne prisober put in a written paper, which was ordered to le
mad by the,Clerk of the Arraigns. and was as follows
• Illy Lord. and Oentlemen of the Jail, 1 stand More you ac-
cused of a care, the punishment of which is death. No one Las
nurtured 'to prove that I had the slightest cause of resentment
'against Ihe prosecutor, and I can truly [nit solemnly declare, in
the presarre army God and my country, that neither against the
prosecutor or any other man do I .entertain a feeling of malice.
Bad I beep in aid 1 have a kind lull good father who is able to
ass's: me, and who never denied rue any thing I have a life and
tour children, with whom 1 have lived truly hew:, yet I am
charged with deliberately committing a crime that iJoulred the
hared of my -lA, and which would lead to their and my, ruln-and
nalsery andi am supposed to plunge inuitNir guilt, &henna one
can trultishow titer' had either feelings of resentment or motives
of irterest, and the season chosen ft,r the destruction of my pre.
mists was a time when I most needed them to house 'nd protect
diy harvest. Of the crime now charged against ,we lam as inno-
cent as on the day I was born. lam now to trouble, but I humbly
rely oa a good aid just Providence to deliver me, and I look with
tohlderice-to your verdict to restore me to my family, my friends,
end &Ickes,. Reinlemen, may your hearts long be blessed with the
.
-- longue nat..
. was a loud
throughout

actively rn -aged
aid check the

, convider-
very grave
must have
ce, and al-
cogent and
1 malicious
interested
well to re-
vances is had
, prisoner stood
evidence, if the
ibject of the
in the ab-
An of such
who would
Insurance

thought
guilty of the
Guilty.
.9 the most
ent of these
nppeared to
, the verdict
en previously
being obliged
instants-
tr. , a highly . about forty
yews of age, bowed to the Couri and Jury, and r.tired. lie was
attended by a gentleman whom we suppose to have been a relative,
♦od who stood by his aide in the dock during the whole of the pro-
ceed inr.
- - - -

• OXFORD CIRCUIT.

- •
SHROPSHIRE ASSIZES, JULY 29.

are P. HARDWICK.
Mr. CAstrlaßt.e. opened the pleadieg+.
glf. Tatanron said, that he appeared as Counsel for William
Lionel Letterset; Esq. a gentleman reeitling at Bridgenorth, to ask a
*edict against the defendant, for a libel oo Mr. limpet. The de.
iendant was very young; he was only eighteen of nineteen, hut he
wee old enough not only to know better, but to write better, for
the libel not only contained a direct accusation of subornation of
perjury egaioit the prosecutor, but the terms of it. in other respects,
were of a disgusting deveription, and he did think, that the friends
rd the young mite bed a great deal better have prevented the read-
ing of such miserable &egret in a public Court, in the Assize town
at his county. If the defendant was not the author of the lines, lie
would be found to have coeied and circulated them all over Bridge.
north, which, in his opinion, was just as had. (The Learned Gen.
:Innen then read the libel.) They saw that it went directly to im-
pute the crime of subornation of perjury to Mr. Lampe. Ile
snould prove that the defendant published the libel, by giving co-
pies of it to all who asked him for them. If there were any circum-
eructs of mitigation, such al the youth of the defendant, those
would be fully considered and appreciated in another quarter.
Benjamin Lloyd proved that the verses were circulated in the
band-writing of the defendant.
- John Francis, a boy, paid, I know the defendant's hand.
writing.
Cross-examined by Mr. CuRWOoD.—I am a schoolfellow of the
defendant's ; many other boys copied lines from die walls.
The libel was read ; it was in verse, not quite worthy of the pen
of a. Scott or a Byron. It was very long, and commenced—" Ve-
rily to friends, poets," Ike.
" Come, come my muse and lend a hand,
I pnithee come at my command,
Assist my pen, few lines to write,
Concerning rogues and hypocrites
The Whitmore 's (MP. s for Bridgenortb)
Are two Members rare,
As you'll find in the country,
And if to them you a ill stick true,
'You're sure to share their bounty."
After Iles complimenting the ;M.P.'s, it went on to abuse a Dr.
Jones, and then relating a poaching squabble and sn assault conse-
quent upon it, It charged that tie prosecutor incited witnesses to
swear falsely on the trial of an indictment for that assault.
William Smith proved that the defendant showed the libel to
hint.
M. CuttwooD addressed the Jury for the defendant, and Paid
that he appeared as Counsel for Master Thomas Hardwick, •
erning person who goes to school at Bridgenorth. lie did think the
Captain would, even if belied thought Master Hardwick too young
to go direct from the school forms to the field of honour, have been
butalght if 'he had given this young gentleman a caning in a
military way. It would have been better than preferring an In.
dictmera ; but if the Captain had gone to the schoolmaster, and
Puked him to have given the caning, that would have answezel ail
the purpose, and haveelved the breach of the peace. (Loud
laughter.) The Learned Counsel then argued that this was not a
malicious publication. but that the lad had seen the verses originally
Foetal en a wall, and in the mere wantonness of a school boy had.l
copied them, and given those copies to others.
Mr. Baron ()ARROW said, if the paper went to show that a party
wad ar unworthy man, or tended to make him uneasy in his family,
it was a libel. They had heard of election quiet. It was said
that the only true season when Englishmen enjoyed themselves was
ones in seven years, unless the period of joy was accelerated by an
hection coming round a little sooner: but even at an election he
didnot think such libels ought to to be allowed. His Lordship then
'commented on the tenor of the libel.
The Jury, after a short deliberation, found the defendant
CROWN SIDE.
Before Mr. Justice Beanotions.
MANSLAUGHTER IN A PRIZE FIGHT.
John Rivet, Wrn. Rivet, John Morris, and Writ Clerason, all
bilbeurers, and Mr. Thomas Harris, veterinary surgeon, were
charged with manslaughter, itt killing Wm. Richards.
Mr. LUDLOW said that the substance of the charge was, that
the prisoner, John Morris had killed the deceased ; and that
the others were aiding and abetting him in so doing. This was
one of those enfortunate cases which arose from • puclied battle,
tied they world be told by his Lordship whether the persons aiding
in such cases were not themselves liable to be tried as prin-
cipals in the offence. On the 16th of May, Morris and the de-
ceased met at a public-house at Shlfnal, and the deceased depo.
sited one pound. and Morris deposited two pounds, to abide the
event of the fight. one of the Revets and Clemson acting at
second+, and Air. Harris lending them a field of his to fight in,
and handing round a glove to gather money for the combatant..
Silty rounds were fought without any decisive result, it being
put an end to by the bystanders, and the deposit returned, each
Man taking hes own share. The deceased received some severe
blows in the tight, and after that he went home very ill, and be-
came convulsed, and died the next morning. The great question
would be the cause of the death of the deceased, and he should, for
that purpose, show that he had received blows, and that he had re-
turned home sober. It would also appear that both externally and
internally there were marks of the blows. lie understood that it
iris to he conter.ded that the deceased died from natural causes ;
if they thought so, they would acquit the tun:toren. The prosecu-
tion ass directed by the Magistrates, but was net, lie believed, in
axordenee with the feelings teethe town of Seitnal.
'Several witnesses proved the participation of the prisoners in the
-fight. It appeared by the evidence of medical men by whom he
`was esamibed after death, that the decsased died in consequence of
a rupture of an artery in the had, which caused au effusion of blood
upon the brain. 'There was evidence to prove that the deceased
bad drank a small quantity of gin and a quart of beer after the ,
fight. Several medical men gave it as their opinion that the blows
received at the fight were not the cause of the rupture of the artery.
Other medical men gave a different opinion.
blr. Justice Iluntrotton said, that the question was, whether
thedeceased died of the blows received in the fight ? ilia Lord-
alio recapitulated the evidence.
After a deliberation, the foreman of the Jury stated, that they
,were of opinion that the deceased did not die of the blows.
lir. Justice Bunn none —Then, Gentlemen, you must say the
prisoners are not guilty.
The Jury then acquitted the prisoners.
There was another indictment against the prisonees, charging the
abate as an affray, but this was traversed by the prisoners tc the
Rost Assists. Qn this charge they were admitted to bail.

•
,tam v
it at ealre time Of the breaking ont.of the and se-
so ad fire; he stated that be bad neterbeen in the orchard at all.
That Was the chief of the convention fie had with Mr. Otton.
Jobn Lloyd SYmes.--1 am sub-agent to the Norwich Union In.
seance Company. I kilter Mr. Otton ; he came to me about his
porky of Instance about a /reek or fortnight before the fire, to see
rt ail was tight. There bad been a mistake in the vaitnent, and
he came to rectify it. The first insurance he effected in our office
war in Ina In October last he increased the amount insored
hem 54101. to 7501. When Mr. Otton came for the policy, he had
" "

tecollctio .of having saved one, who, but for you, nag
uniottly perished.
Wnen ihtneai ng of this s'atement had finished there ws
and gent eel ex predawn of approbation and sympathy din
she Court.
Seetehlylisseeses proved that the prisoner was actively
Sten: amp end cad gto save the property, and cl
ugtest thatuuss.
Mr. Ando" eASILIE observed that this was a ease of c
able imperil** NM delicacy, and one which required a ye
and sesiousood.dorition. It was a case, as the Jury nit
p vceired, en merely by circumstantial evidence,
%Dough that ifeitHption of proof was frequently very cog
convincing, yet, as in the present Instance, where a rr
Motive did Dot appear to be imputed, and the proof of an in
*Mose was not clearly made out, the Jury would do we
eel',
with caution and circumspection such circumstance,
been addecild in proof of the offence with which the prison
charged. .He *as quite ready to recapitulate the evidence
Jury thoisglii that necessary, or felt any doubt on the subjei
nature of the'verffitit they wonid have to give. However, in
stoics (tithe two motives that stimulated the commission
offences is this—motive against a particular person, who
erstlittallY log* by the act; or a desire to defraud an In
orate, aiffortrthe matter into a.prolitable speculation—he
tire Juts &mkt hsraly'be disposed to find the prisoner guilt;
capital offer.ci with a hich he stood charged.
The Jury, wrthdut hesitation, returned a verdict of Not
The tittdkt appeared to give the greatest satisfaction to tt
crowded Court we have witnessed since the commencement
Thelrial lotted five hours and a half, and imp
excite intense Interest in and out of doors. As soon as the
was annoitmerhy the officer, the Court. which had been cart
crowded to Suffocation (many of the barristers present being
to remain standing during the proceedings), was almost ti
teeusly deserted.
Mr. Otton, who is a highly respectable-looking man. ftbn