The National Register.
London, England, 1821-04-01 00:00:00

104

KENT.
The assizes for this county did not finish until Same.
Al evening, about six o'clock. On Friday morning,
'there brie. upwards of (hi prisoners isistaining to be tried,
tlie Lord Chief Baron stopped the mogtess of the civil
bib loess, and assisted Mr. Baron ‘Vood the whole of that
day in clearing the gaol, and with the additional assist-
ance of Mr. Nolan and Mr. Sergeant Teddy, who
:respectively tried prisoners on Thursday, the pressure of
bosiness was so far relieved as to enable the Lord Chief
Baron to resume his duties on the cis if side on Saturday.
A:I the CAWS were disnitsed of in consequence of the
assistance of Mr. Baron Wool, who having finished the
crown business, tried two nisi Arius records in the lower
Sentence of death was passed upon no less than 41
c4/ilal cone iCtS, the imijorny of whom had been guilty
of house-breaking in the day and night time. The only
t.mta rk able case on the crown side was the following:—
HIGHWAY ItOnUERY.II7III. Clayton was indicted
for assaulting Thos. Brakefield on the King's highway,
• its Me isarish of Gondhurst, nu the 26th February, 1819,
putting him in fear, and taking Irom his person a silver
watch and cash to the amount of 521. in bank notes and
silver.
The prosecutor, a travelling fishmonger by trade,
stated, that about nine o'clock in the evening of the 26t
li
of February, 1819, he was returning homewards through
(flastotantry wood, when he was knocked down by a
b:ow from a bludgeon behind. On endeavouring to
rise, the prisoner Joshed upon him with a pistol, which
seas afterwards found to be loaded with powder and ball,
81111 demanded his money, threatening to blow his brains
ti,it if he refused. A struggle then ensued between
himself and the prisoner, which lusted full three quarters
of an hour, in which he received and gave several blows
whit the pistol, which lie twice wrested from the hands
of his assailant, and at length threw it away into the
wood, where it was afterwards Mund. Witness then
polled out his watch and itfr:red it to the prisoner, who
declined it, saying that he knew he had money, and mo-
ney he would have. Willlels then called out for aid, to
pr. vent which the prisoner thrust his fingers into his
mouth, which he bit very severely. He then threw his
watch away. Some (Luther struggle took place, during
which witness contrived to get a canvas purse out of his
pocket, in which were 501. in notes, and 31. worth of
silver, and threw that also from him towards the place
where he had before thrown his watch. The prismier
then released him, got up, seized the watch and purse,
and mane off. 'flue witness followed, overtook, and
seized him, and begged for a restitution of part of his
motley; but the prisoner finally Sot away with the whole.
'Witness then went home bleeding very much from the
head, procured assistance, and returned to the spot,
where he found the pistol, bludgeon, and two sixpences
lj Mg, together with his watch. He used every means
10 :apprehend the prisoner, but in vain, until October
-last, when he was apprehended as Dartford.
William Standen, the person to whom the prosecutor
immediately after the robbery went for assistance, ac-
companied him back to the wood, anti corroborated all
that pan of his account.
Thomas Ilan, a publican, of Mepham, 30 miles front
the prosecutor's residence, saw we prisoner in his house
30111 c dey early in March, 1819. There was blood on
his bands and waistcoat, when he asked him if he had
been fighting. He said no; he had been skylarking
with some friends of his, who tied a rope across the
road, over which he had fallen and hurt himself. The
prtsoner had corded breeches on. He pulled out a great
111311 V IMAM and said, " 1 don't want for money now—
here's between 301. and 401."
Tne prisoner, in his defence, said, the whole prosecu-
tion was iu spite, because he had informed against
several persons at Dartford for buying game, and that
the inhabitants had frequently riled and abused him,
declaring that he was a great rogue.
The jury without hesitation found the prisoner Guilty

CHATHAM PIRE.-•-•-COWEIr U. BAKER.
This was an action of trespass, for pulling down and
demolishing, without leave or licence, two leasehold
houses of the plaintiff, situate in the parish of Chatham.
This case excited considerable interest.
Mt. Sergeant Onslow (with whom were Mr. Sergeant
'Liddy and Mr. Comyt) stated thy plaintiff's ease. In
the month of March, last year, a dreadful fire having
brolien out inChat 'ant, which destroyed a great number
of houses, and even threatened the destruction of that
and the adjoining towns; the defendant, a respectable
budder, of Chatham, in order to prevent the progress of
the flames, directed a body of sappe a and miners, be-
longing to the Royal Artillery corps, to pull down the
two houses in question, which were built of lath and
ylaistrr, and situate close 10 a dialillery, to which, if the
flames had reached, destruction to the whole town and
City of Rochester was fined liable. The plaintiff 's
house:,
had hero insured in the E tele Fire Office s,r 4001. but
the directors of that insunition being applied to tor iii-
&notification for the plainoff's loss, refu-ed to pay,
Le cause it was tot a loss within the terms of the pu icy.
Iu consequence of this refusal the plaintiff cool 'relied
to bring his action against the delendatit, by %%hose
express order, in the hour of universal :11,01E1011e houses
were demolished. '1 he sum sought to Le recovered was
3uol. the estimate for rebuilding them, aim Inc mesne
profits of the teuements, wh ch were let to unto person,
named Wray and Lucas, thereby lost to the plaintiff, anti
(or which he was liable trier to his superior landlord.
The jury deliberated a few minutes, and found a ver-
dict for the plaintiff. pottage* 3 0I ; costs 4us.

On Monday last an inquisition was taken at the
Gripes public-hotly!, 'in the hamlet of hvfore
u). 13,11, Gent. Coroner, on tie %%, of tile buoy of John
Sporgvon, of the parish of St. Giles's, who, when at
„wink w Ins loon), was visited Ly that alarming catas-
trophe, tv Mich so few of us are prepared to meet, sodden
The July, after viewing the body and hearing
e evidence, returned a vvdict—Died by LIU V sitation
fie Ciud.