The National Register.
London, England, 1812-09-20 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

559

that he was intoxicated; and added, that on searching him, he bad
money about him, and alsn a certificate, giving him leave of absence
from the ship till the Bth of October next.
1 he evidence being summed up, the Jury gave a verdict of guilty of
stealing to tho value of -Is. 10d. anA recointnended hint to mcrcy,which
the Court signified should be attended to.
CHARGES OF MURDER.
Friday, Benjamin Clitliod was indicted for murdering Patrick
Doyle, in the parish of Poplar. on the 25th August last. Front
the evidence it appeired, that Poplar and the neighbourhood were
kept the w lode day in a s:iite of continud riot, and it became neces-
sary to call out even tile military to restore order. The deceased and
the prisoner had several baffles in the ocurie of the day, and they were
seen to renew them at diKrent times in the course of the evening, and
were separated by the watchmen. One of ti:c watchmen, in partio
cular, remonstratetl with the prisoner upon the impropriety of his
conduct, and told him it was useless to pretend to be drunk when he
was not, adding, '' 1. have seen enough of your dioikenness."
Mr. Peele, t Surgeon, stated, that lie was called to examine the
deceased, and he found le entirely gone, which he supposed to have
been occasioned by a wound which the deceased received upon the
left breast, and extended to his heart. The knife now produced
would have inflicted such a wound, as the •ize of the 'wife and wound
exactly corresponded.
Another watchman deposed, that the prisoner came to the watch-
house in the evening, and said he had got out of a row by jumping
over hedges and ditches, and he left his hat and jacket with a Mrs.
Ford. The witness was then inducetito walk over the ground which
the deceased would take on his way home, and he found hint dead.
Henry Ilamstead, a Nvatchman, searched the prisoner's lodgings,
as well as his person, and found a large clasp knife, (that produced in
Court,) w !...ad every appearance at being newly scoured, either ia
said or in earth.
The evidence having here finished, the Learned Judge observed,
that the verdict could only amount to manslaughter, and he did not
think the evidence sufficient even to warrant that, because there was
no proof of the prisoner having caused the ueath of the deceased.
Verdict—Not Guilty.
Sarah Bennett was indicted for having murdered her bastard child
on the 29th of August last. Two Surgeons, who examined the corpse
of the child, having deposed, that its (loath might have occurred in
the birth, the Jury, under the direction of Mr. Justice Bailey, ac-
quitted the prisoner.
Thomas Heath was indicted 1:r the murder of his wife, by cruelly
beating and kicking her in different parts of the body.
Sarah Cox deposed, that on a Monday morning she conversed with
the deceased, and was shewn the mark ola violent blow en the breas'.
and a wound in her arm ; there was no mark of violence on her head,
Witnes saw her etn Tuesday, when she pointed to her breast, and
told her she had got the fatal bane there; on the Wednesday she died.
Two respectable Surgeons were then sworn, and they deposed that
the blows were not the cause of the deceased's death, but that it was
occasioned by a considerable quanfity of blood and serum which had
coll,'eted in the ventricles at the brain. Thy Jury then returned a
verdict of Not Guilty.