The National Register.
London, England, 1811-04-28 00:00:00

TI IF, NATIONAL REGISTErt.

RIOT AT SAM PFORD PEVERELL.

it On Monday last a disturbance of a very serious nature
4:recurred at Sampford Peverell. The annual fair, for the sale
of cattle, &c. was held there on that day. On the Saturday
preceding, a number of the workmen employed in excavating
the bed of the Grand Western Cana', assembled at Wellington
eer the purpose ofobtaining change for the payment ofth• ir wages,
which there has been lately considerable difficulty in procuring.
Many of them indulged in inordinate drink, and committed
various excesses at Tiverton, and other places, to which they
Lid gone for the purpose above stated. On Monday the fair at
Sampford seemed to afford a welcome opportunity for the gra-
tification of their tumultuary disposition. Much rioting took
place in the course of the day, and, towards evening, a body
of these men, consisting of not less than 200, had assembled in
the vi!lai2e. Mr. Chave (whose name we had occasion to men-
tion in unravelline the imposture practised at this place re-
specting the SampiUrd Ghost), was met on the road, and recog-
rtised by some of the party. Opprobrious language was applied
to hint, but whether on that subject, or not, we have not been
informed. The rioters followed him to the house, the win-
dows of which they broke; and apprehensive of further vio-
levee, Mr. Chave considaY A it necessary to his defence to dis-
charge a loaded pistol at the assailants. This unfortunately
took effect, and one man fell dead on the spot. A pistol was
also tired by a person within the house, which so severely
wounded another man, that his life is despaired of. A carter,
employed by :Mr. Chave, was most dreadfully beaten by the
mob. Additioual numbers were accumulating when our ac-
Counts were sent off, and we understand that their de termina-
ten was to pull down the hoese.(Tintaton Courier.)
On the 17th, in the morning, a seaman was found in a hollow
piece of ground, in the market-place, North Shields, with
beevy stones on several parts of his body. When taken up,
Very few slams of animation were visible; one of his legs was
brolon, met his body sadly bruited. He was carried to the
workhouse, where bang treated with attention,- hopes arc en-
tertained of his recovery. lie says, that be was robbed on the
Teesday nieht, about twelve o'clock, of six pounds and his
Watch, by three or four men, who immediately threw him over
the wall, and laid stones on him.
ROB3E:RY or Tilr: CANTERBURY BANK.—In the interval be-
tween the. evening of Saturday lest and Sunday morning, the
Union Bank, belongiee to the firm of Messrs. Baker and Co. in
Canterbury, was entered by some unknown means, and notes
and cash to a very considerable amount stolen thereout. The
cireumseince was discovered about nine on Monday morning,
When the chief clerk being about to proceed to the business of
the day, found same obstruction in imlockinn the iron door of
tine of the closets; and on farther research it appeared that this
as well as another closet, had been opened and re-locked, and
'lt an iron chest which was fixed within side of one of
them had been forced open, apparently by prizing the lid of it.
This chest, besides the notes of the firm, contained also the re-
ceipts amid teansactions of the Bank on Seturday, which it was
customary to deposit there in the bulk till the Monday morning
following; such, however, was the systematic method with
which this robbery was effected, that the checks paid in the
course of Saturday, and the bills not itegetiable, were sorted and
separated from the other notes, and sach only taken as could be
passed, consisting of Bank of Eeglend and local and provincial
notes ; in addition to these, a gold watch and (what seems ex-
traordinary the thieves should have encumbered themselves
with) the paper-moulds of the firm were taken. One hundred
one-pound notes of the firm luckily escaped attention ; and a
pearl necklace of very considerable valae, which was contained
in a sraell leathern trunk, although the lock of the some was
forced off, was also left. Haw au entrance was obtained into
the Bank is uncertain, as nu violence appeared to have been
used to the luck of the outer door; but it would seem that the
locks of the iron doors had been ricked and re-locked, one of
;he wards having been twisted off in the act, and a piece of a
small steel saw which had been broken was also le ft behind.—
Two hu; aired pounds reward is offered for the conviction of the
taleuet,
• On 'Utiesdey last, Thomas Back hung himself at Can•erbury.
The deceased had been unjustly accused of being connected
with the abeve rohbery, which so affected his mind, that he im-
mediately committed the rash act; leaNing a wife awl eine
children.
At the late Stafford Assizes, two persons, named Dominique
Lajus and R. chard Hopkins, were la fed before Mr. Justice Law-
reece, and convicted of the very hieh crime of aiding two French
prisoner; of war, named Miany and ;it. Juste, lately on parole
at Leeke, to e::capefrom thence. They were sentenced to be
imprisoned La tWt)loars iu the eeauty gaol at Saiaurtl.

A few days since, five ewes, belonging to Mr. Button, of
Tott's Farm, in Burwash, Sussex, yenned sixteen lambs, viz.
four of them three each (one of which was dropped dead) and
one Pur ! The fifteen were all living, and likely to do well on
Saturday last.
Within these few days an information has been laid against a
most respectable Clergyman in the neighbourhood of Gloucester,
for neglecting to comply with the following provision fan Act
of Parliam pas,ed in the 19th year of ti-e reign of GEORGE 11.
44 for more efeetually to prevent profane cursing and swearing."—
(";touce.lter Paper.)
Merioneth Assizes (with the exception of one paltry cause
too insignificant to notice) was a maiden one, and the doors of.
the county gaol were thrown open, not containing a single pep:
soner of any description. It must be highly gratifying to the
country, that only one prisoner was tried upon the whole of that
circuit, and he not a native of Wales

NTURDLAt AND CONFESSION.—The Mowing are interesting
particulars of the case of Alin Griffith who was found guilty
at the late Haverfo-dwest Assizes, upon the most sausf.ctory
testimony, of th.! wilful murder of Mary Griffith, his late wife,
and who lately suffered the sentence of the law :
In a few minutes after the Learned Judge had passed sentence
upon hint, on his return to the jail, he was visited by a Root.
rend Clergyman, at his own request, to whom he dis:.losed the
shocking fact, that he was not only guilty of the crime for which
he was to suffer, but that he had also murdered his first wife,
and had destroyed both by administering arsenic to !hem. He
confessed that he had employed a fellow-servant to purchase the
arsenic tor him with which he poisoned his first wife, pretend•
ing that he wanted to destroy the rats and mice th t infested
his house. He admitted further, that he purchased a shilLngis
worth of arsenic himself, for the purpose of destroying his
second wife, and that he gave her the first dose in some b3dsoot
(oatmeal gruel), on the morning of the 9.5 th of February 17ist ;
this not taking immediate effect, and his conscience upbraiding
him,he went the next morning to Dr. I;reenvin for advice, but the
same evening he gave his uni.,rtunate wife a second dose, in
some treacle, which soon deprived her of life. He admitted
she was a good woman, and of an exceilent temper; and declar-
ed he had no object in view in thus destroying his two wives,
but that " the Devil persuaded hint to it."
After condemnation the conduct of this unfortunate man ma-
nifested the deepest contrition for the horrible crimes of which
lie confessed himself guilty. lie prayed constantly; expressed
his fears that he should not be considered worthy of Divine
Mercy, but praised God that his offences had been brought to
light, as it was fit they should be punished.
On Saturday morning, about eleven o'clock, he was conducted
from orison to meet his fate; he appeared entirely resigned, and
joined in prayer with the Clergyman. He next addressed the
numerous spectators in English and Welsh, exhorting them to
take warning by his miserable situation, and confessed thus pub-
licly that he had poisoned both his wives, to which he had been
tempted by the Devil. After bidding his numerous hearers an
eternal farewell, he was turned off the ladder, and died without
a struggle.

This wretched criminal was only 9.6 years of age, he was
born in the parish of Mote, Penibr Ateshire • his parents being
poor, he received no education, and could neither read nor
write. About two years since he married his first wife, whom
he destroyed in eight or nine weeks after ; his neighbours sus-
pected something at the time, but no inqnity took place. He
soon after married his second wife, by whom he had a fine boy.
He went to reside at Cuckow, near Haverfordwest, last Au•
tumn, where he accomplished his diabolical purpose of again
destroying the partner of his ltd; but the very means he used
to prevent suspicion and conceal his crime, produced the oppo-
site result, and led to his detection ; he endeavoured to prepare
the minds of his neighbours for hearing of his wife's decease,
by saying that he had seen her bid out on a table, and a candle
hopping upon her ; and, at other times that he had seen a wo-
man's hand and arm carrying a candle about the hou'e, which
he knew t.) be his wife's left arm by a mark thereon; that
he was sure she would not live whit him long; and that
she was swelling, and very unwell, which latter was
proved to be without foundation. The-e assertions caused
Lim to be suspected when his wife died ; she, however, was
buried on the Ist of last month, but thf... t),.dy being taken up
the following day and opened, a consi..!erable quantity of ax•
senic was found in the stomach, upon which be was instantly
apprehended and couimitted tor trial. It was impossible to
',axe that the prisoner had administered the poison ; the evi-
was only circumstantial ; but his
dence, therefore, against him,
own conduct, as before described, furnished such strong pre-
sumptive proof tiainst him, th.•t uw a doubt Of his ruilt exited
n;csdon.
in the minds of the Court and Jury, all .of which waa cabsc,
quently confirmed hi his own co

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