The National Register.
London, England, 1821-08-12 00:00:00

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THE NATIONAL REGISTER

send It by the post, which way you may deem moat con-
veuiest and proper.
" I ant, my dearest Hamill, your's very sincerely.
faithfully, and affectionately,
" R. COLLINS."
s' P.S.—The Cordial is not of an unpleasant, but rather
Of a pleasant taste."
" Addressed Hannah Stammers, Witham, Essex."
Upon the receipt of this letter, with its accompaniment,
she took the pennyroyal, as prescribed, but it had not
the effect desired. When she saw the prisoner after-
wards, he told her that he would bring her something that
would do her good. He then brought her a box of steel
pills, which he desired her to take every morning fasting.
The box contained IS pills, which she took; but they
produced another effect than to heat her system violently.
He had seen her frequently at this time, and desired her
to keep on taking the pills. lie afterwards brought her
a gsllipot, containing some electuary, but what it was she
did nut know, desinng her to take a piece about the size
of a walnut three' times every day. The pot was to last her
one day. This not having the desired effect, be brought
her 3 twigs of some sort of tree, the name of which she did
not knew, with directions to boil half of them iu two quarts
of water, until it was reduced to one quart, and take a tea
cup full three times every day. This she did for about two
days. Upon this failing he told her to get some steel filings,
and make them into pills, and take them three times a day.
This she did ; bat the same evening, he told her not to take
the aillags la the shape of pills, but in some liquid, and Witte
particles hung about tier mouth, to ritice them down with tea
or water. He mentioned that a lady w hum lie knew had
been three months gone with child, rind steel filings had dome
away the situation she was in. Having taken the steel
fillings for a day, without effect, he !lien brought her a phial
..e her to
of medicine, of a pale red colour, of which h d
take two tea spoons full, in a cup of warm watee, three timesa
day. She took this medicine wice, but it would not stay on
her stomach, wid made her retch violently. lie then ad-
vised her to take it in cold water, which she did, but it bud
the same effect. she was iluW so ill that she was to
leave her place, and go home to her mother's house at Bore-
ham, where she Wits desired by the prisoner to renruie quiet,
nod perhaps the medicine would remain on her stomach.—
She took the medicine uinin, when site got home, and her
mother, a decent a °Mall, who gets her living by at-
tending ladies in childbirth, detected licr in the fact,
and neon discovering that she had been seduced, and the ob-
ject of taking such remedies, she immediately switched the
honk from her, and in her fright threw it Whitby lire, where
its contetas buret like spirits. The mother took the earliest
fipportuaity that her avocations would permit of calling on
the prisoner, at his lodgiug: in Witham, and in an interview
with him she said, " Good God ! how Coupe you to give
Hannah that stall a hich she brought home in a bottle?"—
He said .' Mrs. Stammers, I will state the truth. Wheu 1
first stated to Hannah that I could nit make her my wife,
she hung about me ; she said she would rather die than live;
she was sure that she dare not come to Hotelmen; her friends
would take nn notice of her. " Good Good," said the
mother, " whet could you thiuk in giving her that stuff? 1
verity believe, had she taken the remaining part that Was is
that bottle, she would have been a corpse." The prisoner
simmered," I know that." The mother then said, But
she has not taken it." The prisoner replied, " I sin glad of
it. The unhappy parent then said," What answer am Ito
take to lioreliam f The prisoner replied, " At this moment
1 cannot give you nit answer that you a ill be satisfied with,"
and bid her good afternoon. For four mouths the prosecu-
triz remained in anxious expectation that the primmer would
fulfil h4engagement to marry her. I ter pregnancy was advanc-
ing, and although her constitution had overcome the attempts
nsaile to destroy it, her health was in a precarious state.—
Repeated applications were made to the prisoner to marry
her, hut he as often declined. upon the plea of inability, and
that he was afraid of losing his situation without is character.
At Itugth the unhappy girl came to Chelmsford, and placed
the prisoner's letter in the hands of Mr. Archer, clerk to the
magistrates of the district, and asked his advice how she
ought to proceed. Mr. Archer immediately wrote a very
sensible letter to the prisoner, miming him to make her the
only compensation he cater', namely, by making her his wife,
and at the same time warning him that the helpless and dis-
tensed Hannah was not without fiiends, who would see her
righted, if lie perai.ted in injustice. The letter was answered
in a iiiii er which gave offiwce to Mr. Atelier, and a further
correspondence ensued, which ended in lay lug the case
before Sir John Tyrrell, Bait. and the rest of the Bench of
magistrates,a ho immediately recommended that the p isoner
hsould he prosecuted, and bound user the poor gill to appear
at the Assizes for Met purpose. She now appeared to give
evidence reluctantly against her faithless seducer, and told
her story in an artless and prepossessing manner. Her evi-
dence was corroborated by her mother, and by a fellow ser-
vant, mimed Muss, who had pie clonse:l the steel filings fur
her, in consequence of the suggestion of the prisoner.
The prisoner, in his demeanour, seemed little affected
by his situation. To the very last, an typo' Inuit)? was
afforded him of making his pence, by mat fy mg the gill,
lint he refused, alleging matters were *me toe far. lie
had been admitted to bail. Repeated overtures had been
made to him to marry the girl piece his commitment; but
lie declined for the reason stated,
In his defence lie insisted that the girl hail seduced him,
and that at her earliest request lie had procured and Achill -
Ilistereil to her the drugs an question, in consequence of
her having become pregnant.
acacia' respectable inhabitants of Witham, and amongst
others Mr. Pattisuer, halt master, gave him au catremely
good character for morality and general correctness of
deportment.
Mr. Mackay, jun. a young man about the prisoner's
age, now a surgeon at Bury St. Edmund's, and then an
assistant to a surgeon at Within', gave it as his opinion,
that pennyroyal or steel filings administered in any quan-
tity could not prostate a miscarriage. A large dose of
steel filings might produce death, but nut miscarriage.
Gross-examined.—The prisoner was intimate wiqi him.
Ile had lievel purchased any medicines of him, but lie
had given the pi imam. what be wanted. 'flue prisoner
asked him a hat medicine would be good tu produce myn-
ah cation, for that hue had had an intercourse with a young
iseivaiii gill, who was in Bic family way ; and witness re-
commended pennyroyal. Witness never gas e the pi isuner
any thing that could pi °dace miscaritage.
ilehafd, a physician of Chelmsford, was also of
opinion Ilia( neither penny royal nor steel filings could
produce miscarriage, it taken in any quantity. Heath
might be produced by steel filings, hitt sufficient h uantity
could be taken into the stomach, but before that quantity
timid be taken, the stomach would nauseate and reject it.
Mr. limos' Wood told the July, in point of law, that if
they were antiztied the ptisuifer had adurraisteted the

drugs with intent to procure miscarriage, thogit they
were incapable of producing that effect, and ifigegh the
young woman had willingly consented to takelllbie, the
case was within the statute, and they were Wand to find
the prisoner guilty.
The Jury immediately found the prisoner guilty.
The Learned Judge expressed himself perfectly satis-
fied with the verdict, and animadverted in strung terms
upon the enormity and cruelty of the prisoners crime.—
Public example required the severest visitation of punish-
ment that the law authorized, in order to warn others
against committing a similar crime, which unhappily was
but too prevalent. The sentence of the court therefore
was, that the prisoner should be transported for the term
of 141 years.
OXFORD.
MARLING e. TARPLET.
This cause excited a very considerable degree of inte-
rest. It was an action fur defamation, brought by the
plaintiff against the defendant, a clergyman, at Floore,
near Daventry, Northamptonshire, and well known in the
University and city of Oxford, having formerly been a
tutor of Christ Church College, and proctor of the Uni-
versity in Int 3. The plaintiff had lived five years in the
service of a Mr. Gunner, a respectable tradesman of the
city of Oxford, where she conducted herself to the entire
satisfaction of Mr. and Mrs. Gunner. The plaintii went
from Mrs. Gunner's to the defendant's, where she re-
mained three year's and a halt; as nursery-maid ; during
three years of which time the defendant and his wife fre-
quently called upon Mr. Gunner when they visited Ox-
ford, and spoke in the highest terms of the plaintiff, and
thanked Mr. Gunner fur having recommended so valuable
4 servant. About three months after the plaintiff had
quitted the defendant's service (piirsuant to warning given
by her to the defendant's wife), the plaintiff was hired by
a Mrs. Turner' the wife of William Turner, Esq. as a
cook, and the day was appointed for the plaintiff to go
to arts. 'runlet's. Upon Mrs. Turner applying is the
defendant for the plaintiff's character, the defendant
wrote the following leiter:—
" MRS. TUUNER, SHIPTON-ONXIIORWELL, NEAR WOOD-
STOOL, RIFORLISIII4 E.
" Madam,—Mrs. Tarpley being unwell, has requested
me to answer your letter of the 4341, received this morn-
ing. Susan Swadliug lived with us as nurse maid for more
than three years, and we have reason to believe was for
sense mime attentive to her duty ; but now she is neither
Irma, sober, nor steady, and would have been turned
away if she had not given warnog. Under the semblance
of modesty and good conduct, she is, in fact, a must vi-
cious and profligate woman. it is impossible for me to
describe the gross insolence she is capauie of, and has fre-
quently slievin to Airs. Tarpley. We have undoubted
proof of her going to the man servant's tied-room most
nights, for mouths before she left. Nu servant would or
could live with her, and numbers left us on her account ;
as a proof of this, we have two retureing to us at Mi-
chaelmas, whom she drove out. I ant glad of an opportu-
nity of exposing her character. for a mare We wretch does
not exist. I know her to be a bare liar, a great thief, an
ins Went hurry, stud to have lost her cba.acter. The man-
it's name is David Scaly, and you may have many
opportunities of inquiring about them in Oxford. I wish
you to read this letter to her, should you see her again,
but I warn you on no account to take her into your ser-
vice. " Your bumble servant.
" K ' R. T • —-"

•. M. .AarLatf•''
•r Floore, Uaventry, Sept. 26,1820.
In consequence of this letter, Mrs. Turner refused to
lake the plaintiff into her service; and for the injaey the
plaintiff had sustained by the defendant's having written
this letter, the present action was brought. Some of the
most respectable witnesses appeared on the part of the
plaintiff, and spoke in the highest iellll3 of tar charac-
ter.
Mr. Cross addressed the Jury on the part of the de-
fendant, after which several witnesses were called to
prove the charges contained in this letter were true.
Mr. Jervis made a most eloquent reply ; and the Jury,
alter hearing the Judge's charge, and considering their
verdict about ten minules, returned a verdict for the
plittutsti.--llantervm 501.
HIJCIONGHAMSHIRE.

THB SING N. TH oJIAS ‘IBBTIPOoD,IEsId. A 01

CIII iNf WY(u.u.

At these assizes the atiove„ one otthe most important
and interestiog causes which has for a lung period come
before this Court, was tried before Mr. Justice Richard-
son and a special jury. The cause look up nearly seven
hours. The subject to be decided was the title of the
defendant to he a burgess of Citipping Wycomb, and to
try which an Information in the Maitre of a Feu weinwilo
was tiled against the deleaulatit, at the instance of James
Kingston, a burgess, and Joseph Bates, au inhauitant of
toe borough, to show by what right he exercised that
°thee. The prosecutor contended that the right of elec-
tion of burgesses was in the burgesses at Inge, by virtue
of the charters granted to that borough. Tire defendant,
who hail been chosen by the Mayor and Common
Council only, set up lour several pleas In support of his
title ; the one founding his right upon an immemorial
custom in the borough. of electing burgesses by the
Mayor and Cmmmlou Council; and the three oilier
pleas, substantially the siAlie, supported his title upon a
presumed by-law made by the Corporition at large, dele-
gating the right of waking burgesses to the layor and
Common Council. To (liege pleas issue was taken by
the prosecutor. The illegality of the deleisilant's title, as
founded upon the first plea, was contended at much
length and with great ability by Mr. Dover; and a great
mass of documentary evidence was priseltic.d, for the pur-
pose of proving that the borough had not been immemo-
rially incorpor..ted under the name which they now bear,
of mayor, burgesses, and bailiffs. With regard to the
three other pleas, foutiding the right of election to the
select body as arising frOill a presumed by-law, several
cases were cited. Mr. Sergeant 131ussett, with equal
ahil ty, supported the defendant's title Uli all the pleas,
and produced a variety Mold corporation book,, Com own-
chug as early as the year 1475, disclosnig no conclusive
evidence against, but inticit evidence iu favour or an till-
Interrupted usage in the Mayor, and Common Council to
diet burgesses in exclusion of the burgesses at large. Tile
charter of King Philip and tjueen Mary was piudueed
as evidence tor the immemorial incorporation of Mel
borough as mayor, bailiffs, sad burgesses. The learned
counsel then proceeded to argue on the other pleas, in
support of which ht: cited 4 Colic, cast.* of corporations,

.0-

'~Y

40th Elizabeth, Rex v. Spencer, 3 Burr. 2827, Rex••
Head, 4 Burr. 2516. •
Mr. Justice Richardson summed up with great per-
spicuity, and left it to the jury, as a matter of fact, to de-
cide whether custom had from time immemorial for the
Mayor and Common Council to elect burgesses. If
that fact was not !found, his Lordship stated that thew
the defendant's title rested upon the presumed by-law,
which his Lordship was of opinion might be presumed ).
but stating that whether such by-law existed was a mat-
ter of fact • out of which two questions of law arose—
the one, whether a right of legislation was vested in the
select body of the charter; and the other, if nothing was•
said in the charter about by-laws. whether the body at
at large could make such a by-law as pleaded. by the de-
fendant, which his Lordship was incliumleho pt think
they. could. The learned Judge then conclude(' by di-
recting. the jury to say, whether so isntnetaorial lessons
had existed in the borough a( Chipping Wyseesh for,
the Mayor and Common Commit to elect burgesses; or
whether there must not have been& by-law, made by the
body at large, delegating the power of electing burgesses
to the select body.
The jury, after taking some time to consider, found a •
verdict for the defendant on all the points.

OPENING OF TILE EAU BRINK CUT.-Tuesday week.
having been appointed for formally opening the New
River, a very handsome steam barge (the Swinsure,
London), of 120 tons burthtn, arrived at Lynn the pre-
ceding Sunday, with several of the Eau Brink Drainage
Commissioners on board, for the purpose of going up the
Cut; she was neatly decorated with colours, and pro.
Bided with an excellent hand of music. Se early in the
morning of Tuesday as five o'clock, persons began to •
flock towards the Cut, and from that until after eight
•'clock, the numbers rapidly increased.. On the entrance
of the steam vessel into the Cut, the band struck up •
" God save the King." She passed through the gridgas. •
in the most beautiful style, and three cheers from the
populace proclaimed the gratification they felt in-witness-
mg so pleasing a spectacle. At four o'clock a pariy:.ef
240 gentlemen, baying been invited by the Eau Brink .
Committee of Management, sat down to a meet sump-
tuous dinner at the Thwn Hall, the muse of. which hail
been granted to them for that purpose by the Mayor and
Corporation, The excellent arrangement of the dinner,
and profusion of the viands and wine, .reflect infinite
credit on Mr. Falby, the landlord of the Crown Inn, by
whom they had been provided.. Lord Wm. Bentinek .
presided on the occasion.—On Wednesday morning the
steam barge was allotted for the use of die ladies, who •
went up the. Cut in her, and afterveriels took an excunion •
down the Roads. At one o'clock the bankers and work-
men (400 in number), who had been employed on the
Cut, had a good dinner provided fot them near the.
Bridge, by Mr. Banker the Contraetor.•
DREADFUL DEATH.-.-On TiltHidaV night a COHNIees -
inquest was held at the sign of the Mike of York, St.
John-street, New-road, before Thomas Stirling, Ski..
coroner, on the body of Mrs. Eleanor Alexandre, aged
44, an officer's widow, whose death was attended by the
followitvg circumstances :—lt appeared frataaheesidence -
of Ann Coombe, servant to the deceased, thatwn Tues-
day night last she was with her mistress in the kitchen •
when she was in perfect health. After convening to-
gether for some time, witness supplied the deceased with •
a candle to go to bed, and she left her phayinsp with a
kitten on the table. Witness went to bed, but abate-,
two o'clock in the morning she was alarmed by a knock...-
Mg at the street door and a cry of fire; she smelt fire...
and immediately got out of bed and knocked at the de..• •
craw-41'4 hed.roorn door; she heard the deceased panting,
for breath, and she admitted the person's wbo• gave the •
alarm into the house, on which they broke open the
door of the room in which the deceased slept. On
entering the apartment the place was all on fire, and the
bed anal window curtains, together with, the bed and .
mattress, with every other article in the room, were
burned to a cinder. The 4k-ceased was found lying in •
in the bed in a most horrid condition, some parts of her ,•
body being nearly burnt to a cinder, but not quite dead.
he persons who entered put out the remaining, .
fire, and on takinathe deceased Irons the bed, her thumb.
which was literally burnt to a cinder, fetkeet Ilea. the
door. She lived till the morning alter, when she died
in great pain. She .vas not able to speak Inns the time
she was linhid until her death. la appeared that the des -
ceased was in the habit tit horning a night-light, and oa
going to bed she laid it opposite the wbulow,which was -
open, and was close to the curtains, and it is supposed .
wind either blew a spark from it, or that the flame of
the candle communicated to the curtains, which soon •
set fire to the place during the time the was asleep. The
deceased was possessed of some property, and resided in
the house where she met WRil her death for many year*. .
The Jury returned a verdict of" Accidental Death.
Dea.-ru u BIIRNING.—On Wednesday an elderly
lady residing in Cumberland-street, New-road, whilst
sitting its her apartment, reading by the fire, a spark flew
OM OR her clothes, and before she discovered it, her
clothes fanned into a blaze, and in a moment she was
enveloped in flames. Her screams alarmed tht whole
neighbourhood, but before assistance came,. she was -
.burned in a most dreadful manner, sonic parts of her
body to a cinder, and she exhibited a horrid spectacle.—
She expired shortly alter, in the most excruciating pain.
A petition to Parliament is in progteks, from the
persons habitually serving as Jurors in the City of
London, praying revision of tlte. Criminal Code,
with a view to mitigate the severity thereof. Wts
hope that this example will be followed by the per-
sons s4:rving, as Jurors throughout the several Cir.
cuits its Engh,usd and Ireland.
The Primitive Methodists, otherwise called
Ranters, lately held a camp nweting on Cocklield.
near llitrhant. Two females, two itinerant
prcael!cr.:, spoke to the people as.sembled, whom, it
is supposed, mnounted to nearly 5,000.

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