The National Register.
London, England, 1821-08-19 00:00:00

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and had been called in to look over some property at Churl
leigh, in this county; and the cause of complaint was a libel
contained in a letter written by the defendant, a landed pro-
prietor in that parish, reflecting upon the plaintiff's character.
The letter was as follows :

" Sta,—l understand that • person, by name Brewer,
has been to apply to you so show him something that you
rent ; I am informed be wishes a turnkey's situation, but it
requires security. which I fear he will nut be able to obtain,
unless Mr. Turner will be bound for his good behaviou►.—
" Your humble servant, " J. H. MOORL."
"(Turn over.)
" The vagabond says he shall receive a guinea a day ; he
des. ryes a b—ter ; do give the fellow a glass of grog, amid
he will do what pm wish, if it is a fair thingonit other n ise."
It appeared that the defendant had shown this letter about
to s I people as a piece of fun, and boasted that the
law could not touch him, as he had pill the n•sae Newer and
not eraser, and had omitted vowels In the words vagabond
and halter. _ _ _ _ _ . _ _

Mr. Casberd, for the defendant, admitted the hand. writing,
but contended that It was a case in which the smallest do.
images would suffice, as the whole appeared to be a joke,
nod us no proof had been given that the plaintiff's character
hail been in the slightest degree injured—Verdict fur the
plaintitl—Duutages 405., COSI! 401.

BOON V. BOON.

This was a complete " brotherly" quarrel. The plaintiff
and defendant are brothers, as well as Ibe principll %Barbs.
The parties reside at •Lyme, near Axminster, and the
cause of complaint was all assault committed by
the drfeu-
dant, under the following eh cumstanees ; —The plaintiff
had placed his cart in the halter or bridle way of the de.
fendant ; and upon his bring desired to 11.111.1 cc it a quarrel
arose, mid the cttrt,to prevent a dispiite,u as tentnvrd by Ibe
third brother. This interference, however, hail not the
desired effect, for soon after the defeadmit's tiw paid a visit
to the plaintiff's breech, the effect of a hich a as, iveurding
to one of the witnesses, to deprive the plaiittiff of hie" hear-
ing," lie haying subsequently become deaf. In addition to
that, the defendant pulled (ruin the hedge a blackthorn stick,
with which lie threatened to belabour the sides of the plain-
tiff, which rote latter dared him In do by saying'' 0--n
you, wallop away as long as you lake, you shall pay for it."
Ihr defendant complied with this brotherly advice, and in
the opera • broke the crab stick. At the rime' the plain-
tiff said," You have endeavoured to do me all the injury in
your power, and I will bed—d if you shall nut pay for :ill."
The *Assault being too clearly proved, Mr. Sergeant L'ell liar
the defendant, idilressed himself only in the reduction of
damages and to the license which the halt 'ff had given 10
the defendant to " wallop" him. But as it seemed to be
the opinion of the learned Judge, that the licence was bad in
law, but that Ille " walloping" was giiiid in law, the ques-
tion aas left to the jury, upon the simple point of damages,
and they returned a verdict for live shillings.

LINCOLNSHIRE.
MURDER OF A WlFE.—James Cawthorn, aced 26, late
of laiploile, labourer, wits indicted for the wilful murder
of Mary his wife, at IVhaplude, on the 23il of March last.
and the indictment charged that he, wilfully, te;oniously,
and of malice afore.thought did secretly mix and mingle
with milk, Ilaur, and sugar, la certain deadly poison, sir. -
osie drachm of arsenic, is hich he, knowing it to be poison,
did give to his wife on the 19th of March, intruding that she
should take, drink, and swilluw it, a hereof she died on the
23d, and that he thereby wilfully and of wither aforethought
did murder her. .I. second count charged that he, at the
place aforesaid, on the 23d of March, did violently make an
iisratili on the said Mary Cawthorn, and a ith his hands did
aierge, nod cr:pe the neck and throat of his mid a ife,
whereby lie, feloniously and of malice aforethought, did
choke mil still owe her.
Mr. Franklin, for the prisoner, took an objection to the
indictment, and maintained that the counsel' for the proses
cutout aas bound to make his select ttttt of the count oil
which he would proceed, and to call evidence to tliut count
_ . .

After some discussion of the p t between Mr. Reader
(for the prosecution), Mr. Franklin, and the Judge, his
Lordship decided that it wns competent to the prosecutor to
call evidence to both charges, and that after the evidence bad
been gone into, he should make his selection of the aunt ou
which he would hove to go the jury. Mr. Reader ahan-
dune(' the second count, and proceeded un the charge of•
pan-ening only.
Witnesses having been examined, the fact of poisoning his
wife was brought home to the prisoner.
Mr. Justice Park, in his charge to the Jury, observed that
this ease, like rill other eases of murder. and poisoning in
particular, was supported by circumstantial evidence only.
.a Lordship then recnpitulated that evidence, and impres-
sed on the Jury the awful unpin tante of the duty they had
to perform. He called upou them, if they had the least
doubt, in (rod's mime to acquit the prisoner; bat if, upon
deliberate and serious consideratiun ut the evidence, they
should perceive the tinge, of Guu pointing at the prisoner as •
the murderer of his wife, as ;shindy as if they had seen
the clime committed wills their mortal e) es, then they
a mild discharge their duty and their Oct IN ilattl convict the
prisoner.
. . . .

Ariel retiring for a few minutes, the jury returned a
verdict Of guilty.
Mr. Justice Park then, in a moat impressive and af-
fecting manner, pei.se,l sentence of &nth oil the prisoner.
He had Leen convicted, aft. r a rullund isfamory trial,

of wilful murder, and that of a most agigtavitteil nature.—
the monies of Isis wile, of the moot err of his child, of her

. ,
who ought to be most dear to him, whose lie.: should have
been his peculiar care, and whom at the altar of his God
lie bad sworn to love and cherish. tie had been drawn
into the commission of this dreadful crime by a w icked
passion for another woman, and had pronounced judgment
against I • self in lime letters which by had mitt( mm to her.
. .

lle had ako been guilty of a wicked inockety, iu regn•
larly attending at t.hisrch, in dating to nitprar at the altar
of God, with the +e widsc.l actions in hit. Cite and pas-ions
in Dii heart. •l•he s.•iiptnre deciated that " the earn►

•
could only be demist d the Wood that had been shed,
by the blood of the ' Von have noiswrred fur
your crime," said his Lordship, " at au 51rtkly teibutial,
and you ninst shot tly answer for it at tile tribunal of your
mule throe UIINVIrS a WU, that the pi nuttier
might out apply any "flattering hoetion to hi.
made them with a Christian reeling, to induce hint to
an tttttt editVe and deep repentance, to apply u•lii it
earnest contrition to Hitt with u11..111 is .6 pil:111111/1IS re.
drUlptiOn ;" null that lie iniot at yr lye it his Lot dslilp
must siheriely played. He einichnl.,l by ordering the
pi ninny' for exestution on Thursday; his budy lu be after-
%%arils ElLlncitAl fur dmvutiuu.