The National Register.
London, England, 1821-06-17 00:00:00

THE DEFENCE.

West, on being called upon, declared he was innocent.
Ikere wade a similar declaration,and they both explained
some circumstances stated in evidence.—The two Itt-
chattlsons and Williams contented themselves with a
general declaration of innocence. Webster said he was
at home, sitting up with his father in law, who died on
the night of the atlair at Herne Bay.
A number of respectable persons positively contra-
dicted the evidence of the approvers, and the prisoners
received very good characters.
Mr. Justice Bayley commenced summing up the evi-
(knee at a quarter before seven o'clock, and fininished
at hall•past nine o'clock. The learned judge, in con-
clusion, said, with great feeling—" Gentlemen, we have
now arrived nearly at the conclusion of this most mo-
mentous case. and I have endeavoured to the best of my
ability to lay the facts before you in the clearest manner.
It has seldom been my task to preside upon a trial of
higher importance than the present ; important, both as
it regards to the interests of the public and the welfare
of the prisoners at the bar. In your consideration of the
case you will remember, that according to the testimony
of unimpeachable witnesses, a very wicked outrage has
been committed, and a gentleman who was in the exor-
cise of u duty which he was bound to perform, has come
to Iris death by a lawless band; hut, on the other hand,
you will also recollect, that the lives of the six men at
the bar are at stake upon your verdict, and unless you
shall be of °pillion that the evidence is so clear as to
produce in your minds a certain conviction of their guilt,
you will give them the full benefits of your doubts, and
return a verdict of acquittal. With reference to this
part of the case, I cannot too strongly call to your recol-
lection the extraordinary good character the prisoners
have received. Character, however, gentlemen, ought
not to weigh against lacts ; if you are satisfied with the
evidence that has been adduced, you are bound injustice
to the public, and by your own oaths, to pronounce a
verdict of (witty if you are not perfectly satisfied, then
you will take character into your consideration, and let
it operate powerfully hi favour of the prisoners. Gen.

..,~

tlemen, 1 will now leave the case in your hands, con-
vinced that you will come to a dispassionate conclusion,
and that you will do your duty both to the prisoners and
to your country."
A pause of some ntinutea ensued after the learned
judge had concluded his admirable charge, and the_ jury
then retired, and were absent about 'lO minutes. When
they returned into court the most breathless, anxiety was
manifested by the audience, and when the verdict of
not guilty was pronounced, a murmur of applause ran
through the court, but was instantly checked. West
exclaimed, with tears in his eyes, " idly lord, and gen-
tlemen, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! '—
The other prisoners bowed gratefully, hut did not speak.
Mr. Justice Ilayley.—" Prisoners, listen to me for one
moment. You have had a most considerate and humane
jury, and do not, I entreat you, let your acquittal be
retarded as a matter of triumph by you, or your connec-
tions. I hope you will carry back to your own county
this suggestion, that the traffic in which persons there
are engaged, is a most dangerous and wicked one, anal
that justice must overtake them if they 'persist its it.—
In the case of to-day it has been proved, that one
man has unfortunately been deprived of life, in conse-
(pence of it, and I hope what has occurred will make a
proper impression on your minds, and on the minds of
others. You have this day hail a striking proof of the
powerful advantage of good character in the hour of dan-
ger. Go house to your wives and families, and endeavour
by future conduct still to maintain the character that has
beets given you here this day.
The address of the learned judge seemed to make a
strong impression on the prisetsers.
On Wednesday, Eliza Gillatn, a voting woman or
very interesting appearance, was capitally indicted for
stealing a shawl, value 31. and a seta, value 11. the pro-
perty of T. Reece and partner, in their dwelling-house.
Mr. Reece stated, that he is a linen draper in Shore-
ditch, and on the It). It of April la t the prisoner came to
his shop, and reqeested first to look at some shawls,
which were handed to her, and she afterwards begged to
look at souse scarfs. After agreeing for the price of one
of them, she desired him to shew her some muslin, and
while he was getting this article for her, he saw her
place her pocket handkerchief over one of the shawls
and a @earl, so as to cover them both, and then pull them
off the counter into her lap. She afterwards desired him
to let his young man accompany her home to Fleet-street
with the things she hat! purchased, and her aunt, with
whom she lived, would pay for them. He thought she
might have taken the shawl and scarf Man the counter
by accident, and he therefore permitted her to leave the
shop, and watched her, but when she had gone a few
yards, he saw her open her handkerchief and look at the
contents. Ile was then convinced of her intention to
steal them, and he billowed and secured her. She con-
fessed her guilt without any hesitation, and implored for
mercy,
:qrs. Farebrother, a respectable looking woman, re-
siding at Chelsea, stated, that she had known the pri-
soner several years, and up to a few weeket since, when
she had left her mother, she had home the most irre-
proachable character. Her mother was hit years of age,
and very Mimi', arid the prisoner had supported her (by
her own industry) for a long time past.
The prisoner was in tears during the whole of the
trial, and did not attempt to make any defence.
The jury found her Guilty—Death ; but strongly re-
commended her to mercy, in which recommendation
they were earnestly joined by the prosecutor.
Richard Luck and John c,?uittenden were capitally
indicted for stealing a gelding and a mare, the property
of James Taylor, a farmer, at Hightham, in Kent.
On the evening of the 18th ult. ThoniasCroucher, one
of his servants, turned four horses into a field. 'That
same afternoon Croucher had seen two strangers loitering
near the field. The following morning two of the four
horses were missed, and a part of the fence destroyed.
He learned they were only a few miles before him.—
About four o'clock the prisoners were seer in Norton
Falgate, with the animals, by a man, who suspected that
they had stolen them, and gate Information to the Wor-
ship-street officers. Tile latter traced them io the Basing-
house, in Kingsland.road, where they met Quittentlios
coining out of the parlour ; and one& them said to him,
"you brought two horses to onvn this morning." He
replied, "No; it was the man tit the parlour who
brought then)." They went in and saw Luck, whom
they taxed with stealing the horses, and lie did not deny
it. One of the officers then ran out after Quittcliden,
tv ho was running off: a cry of " stop thief " being raised,
several persons attempted to stop hitn, but he knocked
two or three of them down wilts a stick before he was
secured. They were committed to Clerkeii well prison,
where Croucher, the next clay. identified them as the
men he had seen near his master.:, house tit the afternoon
of the 18th of Jlay. The horses were found in the sta-
bles of the Basitig-fiouse.
They made no defence,and the jury found them Guilty
—Death—Aged 32 and 21.
Isabella Wylie was indicted for stealing a quantity of
silk, value 51. in the dwelling-horse of James Barton. a
silk weaver at Bethnal Green; and Samuel heatley,
alias Keatly, was charged with receiving the same.—
Previous to the 18th of April, the female prisoner was
employed in his (Mr. warehouse. lit consequeuce
of suspicion falling upon her, she was taken unto cus-
tody; whets .she confessed the rohbery,and said she had
taken it to the male prisoner's lodgings m Spicer-smet•
The jury found Wylie guilty of stealing to the value
of 395. only, alai Wheatley of receiving the goods, k now-
intt them to have been stolen.
Ihe Common Sergeant ittnnedistely sentenced Wheat-
ley to fourteen years transportation.
Fhoitias Morgan was convicted of stealing a quantity
of linen and wearing apparel, the property of a poor
woman, named Smith, into whose apartment he got
admission by means of a false key.
When asked if he had any thing to say its his defence,
he said he had not, and that he would be ls ()bilged
to the court to send hint out of the country, for he could
get no honest employment here.

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

Mr. Arabin.—The court will not accommodate you
by a sentence of transportation Some other mode of
punishment will be found for you.
CHARGE OP MURDER —Ou Friday, John Sumner,
who stands charged upon the coroner's inquisition with
the wilful murder of his wife, was put to the bar, when
Mr. Andrews applied to the court to postpone the trial
till next sessions.
The Common Sergeant said, he had read the deposi-
tion, and was convinced that justice was not likely to he
done either to the prisoner or the public by so hasty an
investigation. He would therefore must willingly accede
to the application for postponement.
Henry James was indicted for nurglariously breaking
and entering the dwelling house of George Byng, Eq.
M.P. at South Mimins, and stealing therein a silver
watch, the property of Edward Lloyd. The jury found
the prisoner Guilty, but strongly recommended him to
mercy, on account of his having a confederate, not in
custody, and of his having abstained from personal vio-
knee towards the prosecutor, which was recomnieuded
by his companion.
The Common Sergeant said, that the recommendation
should certainly reach the royal car, hot advised the pri-
soner by all means to prepare himself (or the worst.
Cornelia Knight and Ann Williams were indicted for
stealing 20 yards of silk, the property of Thomas Craig
arid James Graham.
The prosecutors are linen drapers in Oxford-street, and
on the 1 i th ult. the prisoners went to the shop, purchased
some trifling article, and went away. The next clay they
came again, and, from their manlier, the shopmen sus-
pected their intentions were dishonest, and watched
them. They- did not see them take any thing; but hav-
ing observed IV ill.a ins hold up a shawl, so as to hide the
person of Knight, they suspected the latter had concealed
something, and, when they got into the street, one of tire
shopii,,:n followed, and told Knight he believed she had
some article that did not belong to her. She denied it,
arid returned it, and returned willingly to the shop; but,
as she was going along, he saw a roll of silk drop from
under her cloak. Williams, on being told of what had
had happened, expressed her surprise, and said she knew
nothing of the matter.
Several witnesses gave Williams a good character.
'the jury found Knight Guilty, Death; and Williams
Not Guilty.

INTERESTING CASE.—Court of King's Bench, Dalin,
June B.—A case which excited a considerable degree of
public interest was tried before Mr. Justice Burton and
a special jury. The circumstances were these :—Richard
Davis, a young gentleman of most respectable connec-
tions in Ireland, enlisted as a coin non soldier some
years ago, in consequence of disputes with his family.
He married, and whilst he was doing duty in London as
a private in the Guards, his wife was delivered of a
daughter, who was christened Theresa Davis. Some
time after the birth of this child, the father was killed at
the battle of NVaterloo, and in consequence of the decease
of some relations, the little Theresa, though born under
such adverse circumstances, became heir at law to an
estate of two thougund pounds a year. Her claim, how-
ever, was impeached by the husbands of her two aunts
(the sisters of her father), who alleged that she was a
suppositious child, and it was upon this issue that the
trial took place. Several witnesses, who came over from
England, were examined on behalf of the child, and the
testimony established tier legitimacy in so full and satis-
facory a manner, that the Counsel on both sides agreed
it was unnecessary to prolong the investigation ; and the
Jury returned a verdict, That Theresa Davis is the le-
gitimate (laughter of Richard and Bridget Davis."
On Nlonday night last, ten prisoners, confined in the
New Borough Gaol of Tzwkesbiny for burglary, made
their escape, and have nut since bee„ heard of. Ibis is
the second titne the same men have got out of the same
prison : every precaution was taken by keeping them
heavily ironed, but by some ingenious means they pro-
vided instruments, and the day preceding their escape
contrived to file their irons nearly through. The gaoler
kited the prisoners at nine &clack in the evening, saw
them in bed, and locked up the cell for the night; im-
mediately alter they must have released themselves front
their fetters, and with a file and a knife made a hole in
the door, through which they got into the inner yard,
anti over the high pallisading, thickly studded with
tenter-hooks. They then formed a step-ladder with their
bed-clothes, tying to them a towel full of earth, and
threw it over the outer wall, which they then scaled, and
let themselves down MI the outside by the same means.

A MONSTER TAKEN.—A few minutes before nine
o'clock, as NI rs. Harden, of No. 40, Cluchester-street,
Bartholomew's Hospital, in company with another lady,
was going down Holborn, a wretch, unperceived, came
helund her, and site received a stab in the thigh with a
sharp histrittnent, which cut through all her clothes, and
inflicted a deep wound; the pato made her scream
aloud, and the individual turned back, and r to oil ; hat
a young man, who happened at the tune to be coin rt.t
out of a public house, hearing the lady scream, and see-
ing a person run off, pursued him, with the cry of " stop
tile!;' others joined in the chace, and he was secured
at the oomer of Red Lion-street, basing dropped the
instrument with which he cuintuitod the act, which
was picked up by a man who said le• saw hint drop it.
It had a wooden handle, and the bade was ationt fife
itches long, like the prong of a lurk. Ile was taken to
Eagle-street watch-house, where the charge was taken,
and he was secured. lie said he was a cabinet maker
by trade ; that the instrument was a mai king awl, which
Ile-11.E1 us his hand, and that he ran accidentally against
the lady; ou hearing her bCrealli he ran assay, and find-
ing he was pursued he dropped it. We are happy to say
that the wound, thought deep, is not considered danger-
ous.

as Wednesday sennittlit, a youna man named Dary,
in the employ of Mr. U. Bly th, of Waltham, was re-
turning from Dorking with a wagon and team be
down, and the wheel passit%uver him, he was killed vu
the spot,

r

191

BOXING.

HICKMAN AND OLIVER.
This match for 100 guineas a side, was fought on
Tuesday on Blinely Heath, a few short miles from
Copthorne. The men are so well known that we
need not dwell upon their qualifications. Oliver
had fought many a gallant battle, and Hickman,
the Gaslight man, so recently known in his success-
ful combats with Cooper, has become a :tar, like
the renowned James Belcher, that nature had turned
out with gifts to operate upon the heavy weights of
the day. It was one of the most manly encounters
we have had for some time to record. Spring and
Shelton went in with Hickman, and Harry Harmer
and Joshua Hudson seconded Oliver. Average
betting was 11 to 5 on Gas.
ROUNDS.
L—Every eye was fixed with studious attention upon
the right hand of the gas-man; and the dame attention
was observed upon the superior science of Oliver, bow
he would parry or avoid it. Gas aside several feints to
get his destructive-right hand to tell, and Oliver placed a
slight left handed blow upon the chest, when Gas played
quickly iii with his right-hand, but out of distance. He
however ran his adversary upon the ropes, and placed
two hits quickly. A manly rally followed, and Oliver at-
tempted to hold him, after exchanging Irluiviewlth
but Gas got uway and made fresh fight. Oliver had the
worst of another in-go, but he placed a bit in lbw mouthy .
and had the worst of a fall. It was evident that his its.
fighting was lost upon Gas.
91 —Gas doubled himself up for nothing hut earnest
milling, and his right hand would tell. He placed two or
two or three of these finishers to a commoner in a rally,
and though Oliver stood up to him with the greatest man-
hood, and exchanged some hits, yet lie had the worst of
it, and when In, Gas slipped away from his grasp and
threw him.-3 to I on Gas.

3.—Oliver bled freely from the rallies, and was heavily
marked neon the right eye. He however met the right
hand of Gas by a flush counter-hit with the left, which
led to a tremendous let-loose fighting round. AU science
was forgotten, and Oliver, foiled in parry* the severs
hitting right hand, tried the out and out. He stood up
to his adversary's head, and made hit for hit with bite.
until Gas piped open mouthed, and the roar of the ring
for Oliver was tremendous. In the close Gas would cot
wait longer than he could have the licit of it; and both
went down.
4.—Another most tremendous round was fought, and
for such gallantry the ring was astonished. Oliver, who
hail nearly a stone weight over his odversary„ fought like
a man, but Isis goodness was stifled by activity. 04i
threw his left band out instinctive:y, and many were the
calls of disapprobation that he was clawing his adversary's
mouth and eyes, but it was nu doubt from impulse. in a
struggle upon the weaving system at the ropes, Gas was
like an eel in the hands of his executioner, and he had
the best of this bugging fighting, but in this round lie was
thrown.

s.—Another desperate rotted commenced by Oliver
hitting his adversary upon the breast. Severe hitting was
exchanged, but the finishing right hand of Gas made such •
closing impressions on the head of his adversary, that an -
exchange of hitting was beating Okver. In a close both
went down bleediug freely.
6 —Gas threw away his gifted right handed blow, but
had it told it t. ould have settled the point at issue. In
a rally the blows of -each told the amateurs who were not
near enough to see them placed, that they were earnestly
delivered. Oliver threw his adversary from him at clos-
ing as if a bad in-castumer.
7.-o!iver was bleeding from every organ, and Gas
sheweti a cut from the chin. Oliver was (Mown.

B. Oliver placed • lett handed body blow but feebly, .
and fought like • lion, but alter a hard rally, which se-
verely marked him, lie was thrown.
o.—Gas planted • good right•bauded huh hit, •od
another severe round followed, and in the siruggle Oliver
was thrown.
10th and last.—Oliver made feeble play with the left
hand, hot GAS caught hint heavily under the ear with the
right hand, and on the head, again reeling down, which
settled the nettle, and Oliver was carrisd off the ground
in a senseless state, alter having been bled.
Like the phenomenon of his day, James Belcher,
the Gass man sets all the men of the present day in
the back ground. He must revive fighting, as we
have no such articles now-a days. He is nothing less
than a slaughtermun, and he never convinced the
amateurs so much of his invincibility, as in putting
on one side the manly efforts displayed against him
by Oliver, on whose courage we could not ade-
quately convey our ideas to the reader.
Oliver was senseless for more than two hours,
but he was better when our inthrmation left him.

Another battle took place, which Cooper, the
Gypsey, won in 23 minutes, beating a novice.
Martin and Randall —Tuesday Martin appeared
in the ring, and threw up his hat. He said, "ho
wished to inform the amateurs that he had accepted
of Randall's challenge for 3001 a side; and his
friends were ready to make it 3001." Randall im-
mediately answered it with his castor, as a token of
defiance; and it is expected this match will Ix: made
immediately.

BANKIWPT LAw.—There is a clause in the draft
of the new bill, declaring that no offer of composi-
tion shall be ntertained for less than ss. in the
pound, without the consent of every creditor who
has provc,l his d.bt; the object of which is, to induce
persons in business to cease trailing as soon as their
affairs are in a desperate condition.
It is with great satisfaction we observe that the
young wheats which had been slightly injured by
the late chilling winds, have resumed a healthy
complexion, and i,rcui:it,c;-: a plentiCui harvest.