The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-01-11 00:00:00

LIBEL

Mr. George Hubborrwaunadieted for composing
and publishing a malicious libel against Christo-
pher Lewis.
Mr. ADOLPIIV*, as Counsel for the prosecution,
stated, that his client was a baker, living in Chet-
see ; the Defendant was an officer on halt-pay, and
lived hi the same place. It wee, he said, with re-
hictai.ce that he was about to state the carom-
simmer of the prosecution, because it in some de-
gree might be and to have originated out of a tram-
action in which the traverser acted with the utmost
honour, benevolence, and humanity ; but the libel
now before the Court was Hot only false and scan.
ddloos, but calculated to degrade and injure the.
character of his client. The Jury might possibly
recollect, for it was stated in the public papers, that
some time since an unfortunate young woman, of
the name of Sarah Benson, was run over by a horse
and cart on the Chelsea-road, which caulked her lin-
mediate death. None of the surviving friends of
this young woman were able•to go to the expense of
interring the body, and the Defendant, who lived on
the Mott. with great humanity weut round the neigh-
bourhood to collect a sum of motley fur that pur-
pose. That money he (Mr. Adolpliud) had every
reason to believe wed by the Defendant strictly and
conscientiously applied to the purposes fur which it'
wad intended ; so hid client thought, and he never i
maid, or even insinuated any thing to tne.coutrory.
He was therefore somewhat astonished to dad tbe
Defendant charging him with having given out that
he dealt unfairly in the tat this money.
This, however, on an exploitation taking place, the
Prosecutor altogether dotard ; he dewed having •
ever uttered a diugle,word spans% the ehonscter of
the Defendant—ots tb4ettistrary..he always-goer him
full credit for hie good and`chatitable
Notwithstanding this explicit the Defendant
plYirlirtl the libel in question. It eosin the shape
of a and was ponied iii serious parts.of
the town of Chelsea. It commenced with these
word., titteo in large letters The. wages of
Blood !" It then set forth what purported to be
u certificate, from the mother of the cleceaded, seri.
Bing the fact that the money collected by the
Delestdant was applied by him to the porpoies•for
which it wee collected. The hand-bill then went

on to state, that the Prosecutor (Christopher
Lewis). being instigated by the devil, dirt basely
insiouate that the Defeudant embezzled part of the
subscription received for the burial of Sarah Bra-
wn; that he found it necessary to rep.•l dies ion.-
moos calumny, which was as great a falsehood as
could be uttered by any wretch. however debased
his heart sod mind might In.. The Darned Lworis
set then went on so state, that the Mint:ff pro-
duced a copy of the hand-bill to the Defends'
who not only avowed that he was the •nilior, but
that he printed it himself, and thin he wi.nlil roes
tinue to print and to post it as lung us there w.et
a place about Chelsea where a copy of it conli! h.
stuck up. The Learned Counsel, in
said, that he was sure big client %v.v.:wits i,..41
vindictive motives, aid if he would wltininow his
plea of not guilty, sod Hooke some apology for
what he had done, the ii gunty would not be
pressed further.

The Defendant said, he felt extremely grateful ro
Mr. Adolphus. for the pruitoral he It ttl
he would attend or fall by the laws of lilt. rioiiiitry.
He stood forward in defence of character, and he
would not shrink limn inquiry.
Mr. Lewis was then examined. He said, that
on the 26th of October last, he produced the Itat,t'.
to the Defeinlant, and asked was :te the au:l.:r
of it The Defendant avowed that he na.. WI -
new asked him why he should write such thing• ?
He said he had every ►ight to do so, and would
continue printing those bills, and posting them as
Icng as he was able.

ou his c►osrraanrination by the Defendant, be -
sai4 that he did not recollect having told the De-
fendant's wife that a Mr. Wisdom had given out
that he (Defendant) bad embezzled the money ;.
he did recollect, that on Defendant's wife bringing .
Mr. Wisdom face to face with him, that Mr. Wis..
dom said she insight to have remained at home. On
that occasion he had declared to Mr. Wisdom, that
what he had previttinly said was a mere joke.
The Defendant presented himself to the Court.
He said, that lie would bring evidence to establish
this fact ; that the Prosecutor had traduced hint ;
sod he would also ►hew, that what he had written'
was perfectly true, and was written in the clods. •
cation of ins character, which bad beets falsely
aspersed.

The COURT impressed upon the Defendant,
that, in the present ease, the truth of the libel rm. .
no dehisce whstever.

The Defendant then said, he would stand opens
another ground, and he would endeavour to prove
to the Court that the piper in question was nu
libel at all. It commenced by saying, that ll•e
Prosecutor was instigated by the Devil—these were
mere words of course, borrowed from pleadings in •
Courts of Justice. It proceeded to slide that the
representatiou of the Plaintiff was as great a false-
hood as any wretch, however debased, could utter;
but this did not go to call the Defendant a wre
Notwithstanding his conduct, he did not hold hint
in that light--did not certainly represent him as
such. The publication was provoked by the con-
duct of the Plaintiff—it was called for in winches-
lion of his fame and honour. fur had he acted tie
base part imputed to him, he would be justly de-
graded from his rank as a British officer, and his
wife and children would have cause to hide dom.
heads in shame. He hoped the Court would ap-
preciate his motives, as he stood before them on the
ground of truth and integrity alone.
The Cu•tnitAN, in addressing the Jury, said
that there were but two points for their considera-
tion ; Ist, Was the Defendant guilty of publishing
the hand-bill ? 2dly, Was the paper a libel, or nut ?
The first was avowed by the Defendant, and on
the other it was for the Jury to form un °pinkie.
For his own part, he had no doubt but that it wmi
• libel ; and lie regretted that the Defendalit
should, by the heat of his feelings, have been tw-
inged into so rash an act.

The Jury found the Defendant guilty.
After • feeling address from the CHAIRMAN. t!:e
Defendant was ordered to enter into recognizance
in a sum of 100/. to appear when called ou to re.
calve the judgment of the Court—and in the menu
time to keep the peace.

Thomas Morris was indicted for assaulting --
Wakely, clerk to Messrs Price. attorneys, in the
month of June last.

It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Wok ely that
a Mr. Anderson, • client of Me. Price, made a
charge of fraud on a person of the name of Smith.
Smith was taken into custody, and was detained in
• public-house in Brick-lane, whilst Mr. Anderson
sent for the Plaintiff to consult with hint. The
Plaintiff went to the public-house, and advised Mr.
Anderson to have Smith token before a Magistrate.
Smith, however, contrived to make his escape out
of the public-house; upon which the Prosecutor
pursued him down • neighbouring street, and 11•PCm
ceeded iu seising him; the Defendant (who had
been with Smith in the public-house) immediately
slept up, and demanded to see the Prosecutor's
warrant. De then repeatedly and violently struck
the Prosecutor in the arm and hand, and obliged
hint et length to relinquish his hold, when Smith
took. • flie•opportunity of making Ins escape, and
Intd.vitice evaded the hand of justice. Th.m nr-
fendaut, not centrist with assaulting the Prue.
cutor,.and. with having succeeded in eff.-cting the
eacapeof-Smirk attacked the Prosecutor with the
most settreilotts-lenguage, and pointed him nut to
the.populace es a d---d barber's clerk, who en-
deavoured. without authurity to take a poor fellow
into custody..
Ten' individuals were called on behalf of the
Defendant:. After is speech of half an hour one of
them declared, that as to the point at issue he had
to say—nothing. The next trims's., a barber by
trade,•swore, that be was present when the Prose.
cuter acknoni.dged that• the assault was of a very
bitting maitre, but still he demanded of the D.-fen-
dant a sun of seven pounds; which demand, if not
complied with, lie, tke Prosecutor, would aggravate
tie aldosee ex trial. _

The Defendant's brother, and another respects.
ble• peewit, give hiiikit pond character. He was
formerly d nor-cornMsiosted officer in the army,
•and.was priltent it.the memorable battle of IVatet..
Cur as ',bleb .oE4:anon he obtatuefil a medal fur lus
good emstinct. •
• The Jury brought
.itr a verdict of Guilty.
The CH/IllstAN. Int* (seising sentence, solid, that
the two last witnesses for the Defendant, had pro.
duced a favourable ttfect on the mind of the

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ca,r toted On ti.t. c,f
1,0 vrriosso who wrir firot prudnectl, one of
whom talked a long time vrithnut *acing any thing
pertimut to the. rue, the oilier of who,. swnre
*list wan barely possible to filieve, it would have
bee.. otherwise. Usid..r the circuntstimers, the
Court would not be severe in the tontf...c.—llley
would fine the Defrodiut in a sum of kitty slid-
hogs, and be then dischsrged.