The National Register.
London, England, 1816-08-05 00:00:00

UNION HALL.

Saturday Benjamin Bartlett was brought up by Sheargold charged
on suspicion of being concerned in stealing a variety sf articles. time pro.
perty of Mr. Briant, of the Horns Tavern. Kennington. It apptaird
from the evidence, that within the last three months, Mr. Bnant has
been klunilereil of near twelve down pewter pots, twenty doe .n of knives
and mocks, and various other artichn. 'nu prisoner is one of three or
four Inca w',lo are constantly loitering about the premises of Mr.
ant, and abut the coach-stand in the front of the house; and himself
and One of his companions getting into a quarrel together, one of them
pulled out a knife, the property of Mr. Ilriant, to strike at the other.—
l'itia led to suspect they were the thieves who hail robbed Mr. liriant ;
the other man cs:apnl, but the prisoncr was secured. lie was cotamit-
ted for re-es auxin:Mott.

IV:dnertay a French Gentleman attended and stated, that on Friday
niglit last he had been at Vauxhall Gardens, and came from thence
about 12 o'clock; while emasing over the road he was assailed by five
or six men, who knocked him down, mid he became siniseless ; when
he recovered, he found himself at the Vauxhall Watch-house, and dis-
covered that his watch (a gold one and two seals were stolen. A
wetelunrt•, attended and stated, that the Gentleman was brought to the
watch-hnuie in a state of insensibility; he was lying in the road; and
in consequence of information given by a boy, who observed him in
that state. he was taken to the watch-house. The boy aka attended,
and stated, that he observed several men collected in the middle of the
rJad, and was going to the spot to see what they were about, when they
ran away, and he discovered the complainant lying insensible in the
road; whim he went to the watch-house, and gave the information
above stated. The Gentleman had I il. in Bank-notes in his pocket.
which escaped the villains. The Magistrates directed the Officers to
u:e every excrtitm to apprehend them ; and, front the description which
the gentleman and the boy, whit saw them, was able to give, there is
every probability of their being successful.

DREADFUL. ACCIDENT.
-+-
Frill an !lotus:Ain:l was held at the Crown Tavern, Clerkenwell
Green, on the hotly of William Ruby, whose death was occasioned by
the earth falling in on him, and burying him, whilst in the act of sink-
ing a deep grave.
Miss ratty Baena, b its; sworn and examined. slid, she lives at No.
te, Hed Lion-street. Clerkenwell; that about teu minute,: past one
o'elock. last. Woduaday afternoon. she was standing beside a new made
grave in the west part of the buryine-ground of St James's, Clerk:n.
well; the %rave wee very deep, and she saw the deceased, William
Ruby. at tit • bottom of it, and another mum, named Stephen Butcher.
emu half way down ; she shortly after heard a crash, oaneioned by
the noise of the boards used in shoring it, and the falling in of the earth,
which tilled it up and closed completely over them ; she sew there was
no time lost, as several nien were immediately entities-al in shovelling
away the earth : she remained fir a con iiderable time looking on, but
the crowd increasing, she retired into the church, ihere she remained
until ten minutes past three o'cloc"c; when Stephen Butcher, who was
released from his perilous situatio t, was brought into the vestry-room,
white he was attended by al r.Chatilberlain, thesurgeon, and he shortly
afterwards partially recovered : but she understool that the body of
the deceased was not found until half-past ten o'clock the same night,
and then he was dead.
Miss Hannah Bacon, organist to the church, and sister to the last
witness, deposed, that she was standing with her sister at the time, and
saw the accident, and that the account her sister gave is perfectly cur.
rect.
William Clayton, being sworn, said, he lives at No. 4, French-yard,
Bowling-green-lane, and is grave-digger to St. Jamey church. Clerk-
enwell, in which situation he has been employed for nine rare ; that
Stephen Butcher had been employed by him to mske graves inure than
three years, and the deceased, William Ruby, only about two months ;
that it is a common thing in that burying-ground to sink deep graves ;
he hail made same as deep as twenty-six feet ; it was the order of the
families, for the sake of keeping that ground for themselves, and by
sinking deep, the more root:: would remain to receive fresh corpses,
without disturbing iglus already interred. He had plenty of boanls
and timber for shoring to prevent accidents ; he never hat an accident
oetear benne : he always superintended the digging of deep graves, and
fixed the shores himself ; he never entrusted any of his men to fix the
Ishmael, for fear of accident. Stephen Butcher, who had been upwards
of throe years in his employ, never attempted to fix the shores in a deep
grave. The grave in question. intended for Miss Bumeves, of Red
Lion-st. was la feet deep, and within three feet of the brick-wall. About
six months before there was a Miss Griffin buried, about ten feet
deep close to the wall, on which account he was the more careful
to have the present grave well shored up—knowing fiat the earth
between it and the wall was fresh and very loose, and was therefore more
particular in his directions to the deceased and Stephen Butcher, at
their perils, not to fix any of the shores,, but to call him for that pure
piss:: and that always when they sunk two feet to call him to fix them,
which he did until it was beyond ten feet. lie then went home, being
up the preceding night, to have half an hour's sleep, giving them
orders, when they sunk two feet more, to call him up, in order to fix
the shore, but by no means to attempt it themselves. Instead of nest-
plying with his orders, the deceased, without calling him, fixed that
shore himself', and then dug two feet more. When witness returned
and found what had been done, they assured him it was perfectly se.
cured ; at all events, it could not be remedied, and witness himself
fixed the remaining shores to the bottom. About one o'clock on Wed-
nesday afternoon, as he was standing at the grave, when the deceased
was at the bottom of it. and Stephen Butcher about midway doe:n, he
ordered them to do no inure, but come up immediately. Witness,
hearing the approach of the funeral of Miss Burrowa, went to bring
boards and ropes, and was not five minutes away, when he found the
ground had fallen in and buried them: they were completely covered:
there were several men instantly employed in clearing away the CM Ci,
and it was about 33 minutes before they emended in untewering the
head of Stephen Butcher, whom they found alive ; but being closely
jammed by die timbers, some of which were across his shoulders, and
rased en various parts of his body, they did not succeed in extriteating
him until 10 initeues past four o'elotik, during which interval they
were frequently obliged to give hint some refreslummt to prevent his
fainting, lie is now comined to his bcl very ill friers the bruises lie
received; it was half-past ten the same night before they found the
body of the deceased,, who was at the bottom of the grave, and who, he
simpoees, war killed in the first instance from the timber, his head being
tiauttl turned on one side and closely finseal between the wood, and
several minks on various paint of his body. The °erasion of the hnestli
of time in diving for hint was, that, after extricating Butcher, they hail
to shore again as they dug, or another similar accident might happen
from the weinht of the loose earth and collins on each side.
The Coroner and Jury expreseed their entire sati,Cat nom at the pre-
caution used by the grave-dig der, and it:unravel the aceident solely to
the deeeaetal in fixing that shore which is soppoeed to have given way,
aid returned a venlict of—Aceidental Death.

A servant of John Atkinson, F.:;1. of Ara2le Hays, nrir I.ichfi4d,
by the lightning on Thursday cse.tin,.r, near Lanonsley.
Monday. Captain T. G. Aittrray. of th:! bait India ::!..vice, cut his
and at:.•rw,tnls diseliarged a dituhle•ba:r. kl through his
he:id, winch cauied his death in a few iiiiiitizes.—Tbe unfortunat.!
tleuizs.i's Lady ktt town the iirxe.bni; ...ming on a *Lolly

THE NATIO.,

SUMMER ASSIZES.
.
EssE.X.CHETAISFORD,FIIIIMIi, AWL t.
CRIM. CON.
• I
V3VII.AND C. Wheal.
Mr. Sergeant Onslow stated, that this was an action for
Conversation, by a respectable tradesman of this town.
against Major Dacre, of the Militia. The Plaintiff was mar-
ried to his witi tit war IEIO I: She was the daughter of a
farmer, but of great rjptprl beam). Tucy lived happily to-
gether until the year 1811, when I,er affect' were seduced
by the defendant; and froin that period she became altered in
her conduct inamils her bitsband, until the vear Isl I, when
she filially eloped from him. Ile desired the jury to consider,
that if any attempt was by the other side to attack her
character after that period, whatever her state of profligacy
might be, it was to be attributed to the conduct of the defen-
dant, who first led her front virtue into the devious path of
vice—he was answerable for all her subsequent misennduer.—
With respect to the fiat, they by in a narrow compass. Mr.
Cowland had opened 11 silversmith and jeweller's shop in
ChelmstOrd ; the Major was his lodger, and had been so at se-
veral times ; but, in addition to his husiaess as a ieweller, Mr.
Cowhand was also a surveyor, awl in that elisracter hid fre-
quently occasion to be absent 11.4)111 home. In Sept. 1811, he
went into Sasses about some business, and while he was absent
Major D. suddenly appeared sit the house. and took possession
of his old lodgings. In the morning, the maid going up stairs,
found his bed-room door open, and the bed empty ; going
thence to her mistress's bed-room, bite t'ound the Major in bed
with Mrs. C.; the girl, however, never told her master un:il
after the year 1811, when Mrs. C. eloped. \Vila was the mo-
tive of her secrecy he should leave his Learned Friends to in-
quire. This was the ease, and for this he demanded of the
Jury sober damages, such as the plaiutitf was entitled to re-.
ceive, and the Major ought to pay.
Mrs. Elisabeth Cowhand was present at the marriage of the
plaintiff and his wife at Icleilon, in Cambritlgeshire. She was
acquainted with them up to 1811. They lived comfortably to-
gether ; they visited at her house about twelve months after
their marriage. Mr. Cowhand told her, that he hail rotund let-
ters in her bus, but not that he had found the picture of a (km-
tleman. She had hearth something of a sketch, but could not
say what. The letters came front more than one person.
Ruth Cook lived servant with Mrs. Cowland in 1811. Major
nacre lodged in the house two or three different times, while
his regiment was in the barracks : lived with Mrs. C. in Sep-
tember 1811 ; her master was gone a journey to Sussex ; Major
I). was not in the house when her master went away, but he
came unexpectedly and slept one night. In the morning she
went up stairs and saw Major I).'s bed-room door open., and
Mrs. Cowland's door open; they both opened into the passage ;
as she passed the door she saw 7ilajor I).'s bed turned down
and 110 one in it. She went forward to her mistress's bed•room
she knocked at the door, and, as the door stood open, she saw
Major I). in bed with her mistress. She took no notice to her
mistress until she came up a second time. As soon as she got
down' her mistress rang the bell. She met Major U. going
into his own room —411., went to her mistress's room, who ap-
peared inutfa 601:rued. It was Suuday, the 2tl of September,
1811.

John hurronalics, servant to Major 1). in I till, proved the
hand-writing of 31ajor 1). Sontrtintes, when the Major was
out late. Mrs. C. sat up with the servant.
rite letter, proved to be the Major's writing, was then read,
in substance KS follows:

" The, writer, -, gives many thanks fora kind letter
which he had received, and - should have found please re
iu answering it sooner; but the busines was still unsettled
which carried him to Bristol Pardon his neglect of the letter,
but he trusted soon to see her -. Her gay turn of'lilc
would be lunch gratified in London, and he begged her
address to inert her there. He envied his little musical friend,
and he believed that he was the wily one favoured with a tete-
a-tete since his absence."

The letter then went on to some further compliments, and ex-
pressed a desire fur some more rural walks near Chelmsford,
and was signed " R. M. T."
This tieing the whole.case on the part of the plaintiff, Mr.
Gurney, for the deti•ndant, addressed the Jury in mitigation of
damages, and urged that the plaintiff had negleeted his wife
by receiving ()dicers to board in his house, aml had exposed
her to temptation, and contended it was a rise fir nominal
damages. The Joey found for the plaintiff, damages—One
Farthing.
CROWN SIDE.

RoAsTitsa .t Cuttm.—Elizaheth Hunter, aged U, and Re-
becca Jarvis, aged ti, were indicted for feloniously assaultini
all infant Child about 5 years of age, named Adam Davis, and
%%Brolly and maliciously scorching, burning, and otherwise
treating the said infant, with intro to do it some grief tills
bodily harm. There were other counts in the indictment, one
of which charged the prisoner wills col ttttt itting a CWIIIIIOII
assault.

Catharine Evans deposed, that she resided at Barking-side,
and was emplosed by the prisoner to wash and iron clothes.
rite prisoner, Homer, was in the habit of receiving the parish
children to nurse, and Adam Davis was one of those under her
care. Rebecca Jars is was her servant. On the morning of the
2 ith of May last, she went at an early hour to look for work,
when she saw the two prisoners. Homer was in the art of
chastising the child, whom she told to strip. The child did so,
and the former took two pieces of riband and tied them to-
gether. With this she then b I the hands of the child to its
own body, and was proceeding to bind its feet also, when wit-
ness was about to ItI1V.: the place. She asked the prisoner
Hunter what she was going to do with the child? To which
she replied, "I am going to roast it! Jarvis being asked a simi-
lar question, answered, " I sun going to help her." Witness
then left the place, mad went to inform Mrs. Wright, a neigh-
bour, of the transaction. In imswer to a question from the
Court, she said there was a tire iii the room in which the pri-
s,mers were, but it had not burnt op.
Martha Wright stated, that she went in company with the
last witness to Mrs. Hunter, when she entered the apartment
she saw the child before the tire, and it was then stripped na-
ked down to the waistband. The prisoners, she thought, were
holding the bottom part of child to the lire, but as they stood
before her, She rout Id MA well distinguish. The child was very
close, and cried out very mud'. Witness was much alarmed,
:int, inquired " for God's sake what are you doing ?" 'l'lu• pri-
soner limiter replied, •' I am roasting the child :" and the ex-
pressions aiel sight so shocked her, Ora she was obliged to quit
place. !laving recovered in some time afterwards, she returned
to the house, asked to see the child, when Mrs. Hunter said, it
was out playing. Witness would not beliese this, and insisted
upon seeing it. Soon after it passed through Ike house, bit
was horned up stairs, to prevent its being I'Vlfiiined. Witeri,s
Ihell determined noon lurking the muter 1010%111, and the pa-
rish °dicers were informed of the eircumstanee.
J. Wilson, an officer of liaising wnit on the 27:h of

May to the house of the pri,,in r, and insisted upon t',e
child. At first much reltietaace was manifested, but the wit-
ness persevering, the child was urought. He had it taken Mtn
e p trlnur, stripped and exam;:ted. There vs ~• Own a large
burn on the right shoulder, which came a great di.,tenee down
du hack.

Daniel Moore is a surgeon and apothecary at Ilford ; on t' e
21th of May last, Wilson called 111)401 him In examine the (del.%
He Grand a large burn on the upper part of tie arm, which
es-
teudcd across the whole shoulder, and came liall‘s ay down the
back. It was taken to the work-house, awl suliNequently be-
fore a bench of magistrates, when, being again examined, tan
large burns were discovered on the lower part
.of the trics,
one on each side. Witness thought the child was then in a
dangerous state. In six days there were symptoms of fever,
and he was of opinion they proceeded from the ion 'mi.:.
Never heard a complaint before fin• or against the prisoner
Hunter.

Mr. E. Brown, another medical gentleman, continued the
testimony of the last witness. He thought the wounds on the
lower part were occasioned by the child strugJing and rubbing
anainst the bars. The Jury found both the prisoneis guilty
upon the tirst count.
Lord Elleuborough, in passing sentence upon them, animal.
verted in strong terms upon the horrid offence of w hick they
had been Clitivieted; an offence, he said, abtch, had it be, it
attended with the fatal consequences it threatem d, a milli as.
suredly have cost them their lives. In measuring the punish-
ment, however, he would now award against them, he auuld
make sonic distinction as to Jarvis, who might possibly have
acted soling% hat under the influence of her mistress's orders
anti example. No servant, however, added his lordship, should
become subservient to the nets or views of a guilty master or
mistress. The prisoner, Rebecca Jarvis, was then sentenced
to six, and Elizabeth Hunter to eighteen months' imprison-
ment in the county gaol.
Mills mornig Peter Beard was put to the liar, to take his
trial on an indictment, charging him with hat ing violated the
pea son of Mary Peartree, at Tolleshunt-llarey, against her w
in the mouth of March last.

The facts of the case were shortly these:—The prosectiffis,
who is an interesting looking girl, about IS years of age, was
on her way from the house of her mother to that of her waste!,
when she was met by the prisoner, who had previously spoken
to her at the church door. lle asked tier if she did not know
him; and ou her answi ring in the negative, he knocked her
down, and in despite of her resistance effected his diabolical
purpose, She acquainted a female friend that day with v. hat
had happened, and the next morning the prisoner V 144 anre-
hended in his master's stables. In his defence, the prisoner Ar
tiled that he had committed the violence imputed to
Cinilty--Desth.
Lord Elle:thorough, in passing sentence. commented with
becoming severity on the atrocity of the prisoner's crime, aod
intimated that he need entertain no hopes of mercy. lie was
left for eseention:

Thomas Herring was found guilty of stealing two ss:ei, Cie
property of John Cook, from t livid adjoining Epping-forest all
the ISrh of May last. The as:es were seers sate in the field tee
preceeding evening, and MI the 13th the Flintier sold them to a
man named William Street for a 11. note. He was sentenced to
be imprisoned for two years in the House of Carreetion. Lord
Ellenhorough expressed a hape that he would be kept to bard
labour, as under ally other circumstances imprisonment only
engendered habits ofidleuess.
Win. o:borne was indirted for receiving b 1611). of carraway
seeds, value 301. the property ofJohn kovett, well knowing them
to he Ntolro. Upon calling evidence, however, time property
could not be sworn to as belonging to the prosecutor, anti the
prisoner was acquitted.
John Calvert and Win. Lambert were indicted for stealing a
bushel and a Italia flour. Upon the indictment being read, it
proved to be erroneous, in consequence of a specification allies
value of the flour having been omitted. The prisoners were ac-
quitted, but ordered to be detained.
The whole of the Crown CaCes having been gone through, the
capital convicts on whom sentence had been passed were put
to the bar, and sentence of death was passed upon them with
the usual solemnity ; the learned Judge, however, intimated,
that in all probability they would not stiffer the full penalty of
the law. Ambrose Death was re.pited before his Lordship
quitted the town. The only prisoners left for execution, there-
fore, were William Naylor for burglary, and Peter Beard for a
rape. The Court then broke up.

WILTSHIRE ASSIZES.

These Assizes commenced on Monday last. Aster a charge
from Sir J. A. Park to the Grand .lure, Mr. Serjeant Veil ap-
plied to his lordship, to ordi r Out tile sum of 13231. 19. 2d.
taken from the person of Samuel Mewman, charged with
forgery) at the time of his apprehension, should be delivered
up to him, to enable him to employ an attorney and counsel in
his defence. His lordship retired to order.
Sumac! Flowar wag indicted for highway robbery on the per.
son of John Dutch, on the tatli of Jule last. The prosecutor,
John Dutch, stated, that lie lives at Dery izes ; that on the mil
ofj idly last, about seven in the evening, as he was walk hie from
Bishops-Cannings towards I)evizes, lie saw the prisoner
ing on the ground apparently sleeping, he had a little dug which
barked, and the prisoner rose up and walked with Hatch, tell-
ing hint he was also aoing to Devizes; when they came near
to a public-house at a place called Shepherd's =pore, the pri-
sinter proposed that they should drnrk together at that house,
and they had a pint of beer each ; they came out of the public-
house together, and went but a little way, when the prisoner
drew a stick out of the hedge, and soon after, as the prosecutor
was looking to the left, the prisoner struck him a blow on the
right aide of his head, which knocked him down ; prosecutor
rose on his knees, when the prisoner at nick him a second blow,
and fell on him, saying, " It' you do not deli er your watch, I
will stab von." hisuusr had lost his stick in the scuffle, and
rose from Dutch to pick it up; the prosecutor then got up,
seized prisoner by the collar, and cried '• murder;' they both
fe I, and prisoner beat proseentlir abont tho head tiil lie was
quite blind ; knocked him down again, arid said, If you oven
your month again, I'll stick you." Prosecutor than said, "I:or
God's sake, spare my life !" Prisoner took prosecutor's watch
out of his 'pocket, and ran oil across the fields leavilig nun
blind and neatly dead. The stick was produced,' compietely
smeared with blood. 'file landlord having received info. illa-
tion of what hail happeneil,went vi Oh se se. al tither persons to
the spot ; Dotehwas carried back to the house goire blind;
and John Weston, James Itildl.l4ll, and smite others, tionid the
prisoner concealed in a timid 11. V 1•10111.11 near the ,pot. with the
watch upon him. He was time.. appreheroltd, after mini: re-
Instance, and threatening to st•:ia the first wan r.lto cone near
him, but in which he was happily prevented.- -Guilty- -Da atli.

Jtinn Lami!ier. Robert 9hent--0(1, John IT rhert ard Join Q►y. were
cApitally convicted of divers el Wilt% ewcia amd Ltit“tent
1.1.441, cr