The National Register.
London, England, 1811-12-15 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.

YONDAY, DEC. 9.
Charles Pitt was this day tried before the COMMON SER..
3irtor, on an indictment, charging him with sending a certain
letter to Mr. Samuel Freeman, of the Aldgate Coffee-house,
two days subsequent to a trial, in which the present defendant
was plaintiff and a gentleman named Smith was defendant;
on which trial the said Samuel Freeman gave evidence. The
letter was charged to contain a malicious and libelous imputa-
tion against the said Freeman, accusing him of having sworn
falsely in the course of his evidence, and indirectly threatening
him with a prosecution for perjury, uitess he thought proper tts
retract the assertions. he bad made.
The above case was clearly proved, and the Jury, without he-
sitation, pronounced the defendant Guilty ; and he was sen-
tenced to pay a fine of One Shilling, and to be Imprisoned Six
Calendar Months.
All the prisoners in the Calendar having been tried, sentence
was passed on those convicted during the Sessions.—Of those,
the following received judgment of death :
Sarah Colman, for stealing to the value of 151. in a dwelling-
house; Thomas Linton R.Ggers, alias Linton John Rogers, for
stealing to the amount of' 7a in a dwelling-house; John
MqVilliams Duplex, for horse-stealing ; Catherine Hart, for
stealing goods privately in a shop, to the value of 20s. ; James
111'Call, alias James 111'Cret:c:hi for horse-stealing ; John Ho-
libram, for burglary; and Johnll'7lliams, for highway robbery.

POLICE.

SHADWELL.
CHARGE oy MURDER.
Monday evening, as a person of the name of Ashburn, who,
lives in Gravel-lane, Rateliff-highway, was talking with some
others, at a public-house, over the late horrible murders, the
sensations he experienced were so strong, that he made a Con-
fession to them of a murder committed by one Thomas Font-
zick, a Portuguese, who underwent an examination before
the Bench of Magistrates, at the above Office. Ashburn,
stated, that he was at Gravesend at the time the Arniston,
Bait ladiaman, .was about proceeding on her first voyage, which
he supposed to be near Is years ago. As he was returning to
London in one of the Gravesend boats at night (the day he does
not perfectly recollect), he observed a wherry come along side
the boat with three passengers, one of whom was the prisoner,
a sergeant, and a publican, since dead; when they. came •n
board, a dispute arose respecting a young man, who was said to
be crimped by the prisoner, although the sergeant declared he
had enlisted. him. Blows ensued, and the sergeant was knocked
down into the wherry. The witness did not exactly know,
which of the party struck the blow, but that the prisoner jump-
ed on him, and he heard three crushes of his bone*. He did
not see his body thrown overboard, but only the sound of some-
thing falling into the water. On their landing, be missed the
sergeant, but saw Font zick and the publican.
Mrs. Ashburn, the wife of the witness, was on board, and
partly corroborated the testimony of her husband. She stated
that it was very dark, and being asleep below, she was awoke
by the crashes; but only knew of the murder from her husband
having frequently mentioned it when he was in a state of in-
toxication, and that she admonished him to silence on the busi-

ness.
The Magistrates asked Ashburn his reason for withholding
the statement for so long a period ? The witness replied, that
he was afraid of getting into trouble, and that he shoutd be
murdered. He was then questioned by the prisoner's Solicitor,
whether he knew the name of the master of the boat, the re—
sidence of the publican, or the place of landing ? To these in-
terrogatories he gave no satisfactory answer.
Mr. Markland questioned Mrs. Ashburn respeciing ler hus—
band's state of mind in his frequent fits of intoxication, and she
acknowledged her husband scarcely knew what he said. Its

I'9B

worthy Magistrate then. informed the prisoner that h
duty to remand hint, for further investigation.
Yesterday, Thomas Fontzick underwent another examina-
tion. Edward Collier, a master of the Gntvesend boats, 1? years
ago, den used to his knawledge of a scuffle, but never heard any
mention of the murder, and he believed the story devoid of
foundation. Charles Bowtill, the. young Min mentioned as be-
ing the cause of the quarrel, explained the circumstance of his
being enlisted by the se: jeant .putting a shilling into his hand,
which was given to him to pay for some beer. I'he serjeant in-
sisted on carrying him away, when he resisted, and Fontzick
came to his assistance. A scuffle ensued ; the serjeant was
knocked down i:tto the ferry; hut the witness stated that see-
ing the se jeant the morning following, and fearing he was in
pursuit of him, he ran away, and never saw him since. James
Uraters corroborated the testimony of the last witness. When
• this event happened it .was dark, the serjeant was knocked
down, drew hi, sword, which was broke, and thrown overboard.
and Fontzick jumped on him, but stated that he raised himself
up, went ashore to seek redress, saw him next morning, but ne-'
ver since heard what became of him, nor heard of the supposed
murder.
Aft-er the worthy Magistrate had attentively considered the
evidence of the IA ittle,ses against the charge made by Ashburn,
tie declared that the duty he owed to himself, and the faithful
discharge of his situation imperiously demanded his strict hives-
tigation into the alleged Murder. He had written to the Go-
vernment Offices to make inquiry, but having at that time re-
ceived no answer, and being satisfied tik wns no positive
I,roof of guilt, he should hold the prisoner to bail, himself in
WI. and twp sureties of ‘2:::1. each.
The Court v. as extremely crowded. Funtzick is a respectable
atm, and appeared much agitattd.

it is

BOW-STREET.
The man who was apprehend, d a few days since in the
Borough, of the name of ./0.'#.1 Ala rrell, by I .avender and A d:; in s,
On suspicion of robbing N.r. Roberts, of Ha, lar, North Wales,.
drover, of 8001. at the late ingati•stone -Fair, has undergone
several examinations, from which it appl-ars that the rubbery
kook place, It the nuke's Head Inn, where Mr. Roberts went to
• d, on lasi. Monday night seinnight, between nine and ten
' o'cleek? 0n that• evetting the prisoner was identilit dto in
the Duke's Head, by Charlotte TwOd, who v: as assistin4 at the
house, in consequence of its tieing fair time, she. having served
him with Some porter and gin and water. She noticed his mov-
ing his seat several timbat an the roopl. Isaere he was drinking,
which was on the same floor as the hi which the prose-
cutor slept.; and actually saw him come out' of the rottm Where
Itir. Roberts was in bed. Her evidence was corrobarated by
Sarah Hate, both as to his appearing unsettled in his seat,- aid
coming out lg. the ((tom where the prosecutor was in bed.
On the robbery bring discovered by the prosecutor's son, an
alarm was given, and a hue and cry raised after the prisoner,
but he was not to be found in the town. The prisoner stands
unlimited for trial.

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