The National Register.
London, England, 1823-03-24 00:00:00

L.. lASSIZ hi INTELLIGENCE.

EN T.
MAIDSTONE, FRIDAY, NIA RCII 21.--Alunnett ov
ME. SMITH, OF Lan 13MA/4.-401111 C06'111311 Win ill.
Meted for the wilful murder of Mr. John Smith, at
Lewisham, on the ggil of December last, by shooting
• I with a pistol loaded st ith powder and a leaden
'flits case excited very general interest, and lasted the
greater part of the day.
It will lie recollected, that in the morning after Mr.
Smith was wounded, a carpenter's stock and centre bit
were picked sip tinder the window at which lie was
wounded. This Implement was traced to the possession
. of the prisoner, and was one of several carpenter .' tools
stolen from Mr. Bucklaiiil, a carpenter at Deptford.—
%V hen the plisoner 4V316 apprehended he made a state.
mem of facts, many of which were now contradicted.—
The prisoner w as hilly committed for trial ou the 6th ol
January. On the Bth the magistrates at Greenwich re-
ceived a letter (ruin the prisoner, requesting the presence
a,folie of them at the gaol to hear some statement lie '
Illd to make. Accordingly Colonel Forma II and Mr. .
Bicknell, the maziitrate's clerk, went down in Maid-
stone gaol tin the 9111, and saw the prisoner, when lie
proposed to make a declaration respecting the murder.—
He was distinctly told over and over again, that no
statement lie could make could avail him to defeat the
course of justice. Ile then said he hoped his statement
would entitle him to die Royal mercy, and that lie
would be adnimed as an accuser against hia accomplices.
Attain he was distinctly told, that he had been commit.
tad upon a chain of evidence which satisfied the minds
of the maeistrates, and that any statement he should
then make would be received against hint. NOLWith.
standing this warning, he made a full confession that he
wa, ;me of a party of five or Mx men that attacked Mr.
Smith's house on the night in question, for the purpose
or rubbing it, that he had used the centre-bit above.
mentioned. In the party were two nephews of the de-
ceased, and one of them was the person who actually
discharged the pistol which effected the murder. It ap-
. purred that MI. each had been offered for the apprehen-
sion and conviction of any of the offenders implicated
in this diabolical transaction, by the friends of the de-
ceased, the Blackheath Association, and the parish of
Lewisham. On the 4:11 of Jan. a proclamation W:l6
published in the Loudon Gazette, reciting the circisin.
stances of the inurder,that rewards to the aniniint of $OOl.
had been offered, and then pauulisi,u the King's pardon
to any of die parties concerned in the offence, who
should give evidence against any of his accomplices, ex-
cept the hand that actually fired the gun.
Mr. Andrews, for the prisoner, contended that the
statement made by the prisoner in gaol was not admissi-
ble in evidence against hhu, and must be considered as
protected by the King's proclamation referred to.
Mr. Adolphus answered the objection by saying, that
the statettient was made, notwithstanding the repeated
cuutimi that it would not avail bi:n, and consequently
could tint be affected by die King's proclamation.
Mr. Biwa Graham said lie should admit the evidence,
bin in a case of this description lie 'tumid hereafter deli.
berate with other authorities 011 the point, and if the
result should he favourable to die prisoner he should
have die benefit of it.
The prisoner said nothing in his defence.
The learned Judge summed up the evidence, and the
the Jury found the prisoner—Guilty—Death. The sen-
tence was respited for the present.

STAFFORD NISI PRIUS COURT.

CL•3111 TO THE B•RONY OF STAFFORD.-SIR GEORGE

JEKNINGIIAM. 1341(1., 0% BELCH..

This was an action of trover by Sir Geo. Jerningliam,
the proprietor of Stafford Castle, and of large estates in
its Vicinity, against the defendant, a timber merchant, in
the liotougli of Stafford, to iecover the value of an ash
tree and tao alders, his property, which had been wrong-
fully converted to the defendant's use.
The following are the ciamunstatices out of which this
action arose :—ln December last, a person, calling I -
self time Hon. James Stamp Sutton Cooke, arrived in
Stafford, and laid claim to the estates on which Sir George
Jerniughain and his predecessors have been in possession
for mute than a century, ou behalf of his brother, to
whom he gave the title of Lord Stafford. He soon inte-
rested a number of the populace in Isis cause by the
boldness of his measures and the liberality of his promises.
He appointed gamekeepers to the manor of Yorebridge,
An which Stafford Castle is situate. ■ud by a manretivre
obtained a few boors' possession of the castle it►elf, which
Is usually open to the inspection of the curious. Notices
were issued to the tenants of Sir Germ ge Jet uingliam, re-
grilling them to pay their rents only to hlr. Cooke, the
amino:Med •gent of his brother, and threatening them
with distresses in case they should refuse to comply, In