The Sun.
London, England, 1837-10-28 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

John Newman, Esq., a barrister, was indicted for assault-
ing Richard Samuel White, a solicitor. The defendant,
having taken his place in the dock, was called upon to-say
" Guilty " or " Not Guilty " to the indictment.
Defendant—l plead " Not Guilty," but I admit horse-
whipping the prosecutor.
Mr. CLARKSON, for the prosecution, rose and said—Gen-
tlemen of the Jury, the assault of which my client—who is
old enough to be the defendant's fatter—complains, is one
of the grossest nature, committed in one of the public
streets of London by the defendant, who came behind the
prosecutor's back', and then struck him. (Here Mr. Clark-
son was much affected, and after a short pause, said) Even
now—aye, even at this moment, I am anxious that the de-
fendant should have an opportunity of reconsidering the
cuurse he seems bent on pursuing.—(The defendant shook
his head.) I still trust that the will spare the feelings of a
most honourable and excellent family. He ought to be the
last person to even insinuate a syllable to their prejudice,
after having sought to make the daughter of the complain-
ant his wife. Even now I say, if he will say that he is guilty,
and will enter into recognisances to keep the peace in future,
I shall recommend my client to consent, and I am sure he
will willingly do so, to that course being adopted.
The defendant—Can I address the Court now ? lam
anxious to do so.
_ .

The CHAIRMAN—UntiI within the last few minutes I
had no notion of the nature of the case. After what has
taken place between you and the prosecutor's family, you
are; as a gentleman, bound not to breathe a syllable
against any member of that family. I can only add that
if the offer just made to you is not accepted now it cannot
be accepted at all.
The defendant—l am taken by surprise. I have no
Counsel. I admit I have no defence in this Court. The
whole matter must and will be brought before another
tribunal ; but as a false account of the transaction has
already sppeared in the Joh', Bull newspaper, I wish the
case to proceed. I admit, however, that I assaulted the
prosecutor, but not, as stated, with a bludgeon, but merely
with this (holding up a thin black cane). I did not
come behind and strike him in a cowardly manner.
There was nothing whatever in my conduct either unmanly
or un-English.
The CHAIRMAN—WeII, then, Sir, the case must pro-
ceed.

Mr. CLARKSON continued—The prosecutor in this case
is a solicitor of eminence residing in Lincoln's Inn Fields,
where he carries on his business in partnership with a Mr,
Carew. His private residence is in Tavistock-street, when
his wife and daughter live with him. The defendant paid
his addresses to the prosecutor's daughter, who, after some
time, accepted them ; but not with the consent of the pro-
secutor. After this state of things had continued for a con-
siderable time the young lady of her own free will, and with
the full concurrence of every member of her family, discon-
tinued the connection then existing between her and the de-
fendant. The complainant after this felt it his duty as a
father to retain some letters which the defendant had writ-
ten to his child. Part, however, of their correspondence,
he returned to the defendant. The defendant will see by
my brief, which is a very long one (it appeared to consist
of about three quires of paper), that the whole of the cor-
respondence is set forth in it, that I am fully acquainted
with all the fact; of the case, and I hope that on conside-
ration and reflection he will not do as I understand he in
tends, namely, drag this young lady into the witness-box ;
that he will not so far wound the feelings of her whom he once
intended to make his wife as to bring her into this Court
to give evidence. I regret to hear that he has subpoenaed
her here for that purpose.
Defendant (in a violent tone)—That is false.
The CHAIRMAN—Sir, as a banister and a gentleman,
you ought to know better.
Mr. CLARKSON—His own attorney has served the young
lady with a subpoena to attend here.
Defendant—l say again that it is false ; but this is all
of a piece with the system of hypocrisy and lying that has
been pursued towards me.
The CHAIRMAN—DO pray, Sir, observe that decency
and respect towards the Court which is always shown Ly
persons in a humbler station in life than your's.
Defendant—l shall pursue my own course. You may
commit me if you choose. The affair is now one of cha-
racter, and I am determined it shall be fully investigated.
The CHAIRMAN—As to committing you, I should be
sorry to have recourse to such a proceeding.
Mr. Richard Samuel White, the prosecutor, was a soli-
citor, and resided in Tavistock-street. An acquaintance
existed three years ago between his daughter and the de-
fendant. On the 13th of July, he was proceeding from
his private residence to his office in Lincoln's Inn-fields
when, in passing through Woburn-place, he was attacked
by some person behind him, who struck him a violent blow
on his back. He could not tell with what the blow was
struck. On turning round he saw the defendant, who began
talking in the most vehement manner. Witness fell down,
but he believed that was the effect of accident, and not
from any blow he received. He received one blow on his
head which cut completely through his hat. (He here pro-
duced the hat.) He endeavoured to reason with the de-
fendant, but he was in too violent a state of excitement to
attend to anything he said. He called witness a hypocrite,
a liar, an anonymous letter writer, a tyrant, and a coward.
He said he had sought the opportunity to insult witness,
and told him he might go and lock up his daughter and
thrash his wife.
The defendant then put several questions relative to the
manner in which he first became acquainted with the pro-
secutor's daughter, and the conduct the prosecutor pursued
towards him.
The CHAIRMAN at length interrupted him, and said—
Has this young man no friends who will point out to him
the irreparable mischief he is doing his own character by
the course he is pursuing ? He is outraging the feelings of
every man of right mind in Court. lam sure that every
honest man must not only feel annoyed but absolutely in a
state of agony.
Defendant—After that observation, Sir, I feel convinced
that you are not in a state to try the case at all. You may
go on as you please. I shall not proceed further with my
defence.
The CHAlRMAN—Whatever opinion you may have
formed from the observations I have made I can assuro you
that when it. becomes my duty to sum up the evidence and
address the Jury on this case I shall do so calmly and dis-
passionately, but in the present stage of the proceedings I
cannot help giving expression to nay feelings, which, as a
man and a gentleman, I entertain.—(Here there were loud
marks of approbation in Court.)
The CHAIRMAN rising, and evidently much agitated—l
am sorry I made the last remark, from the manner in which
it has been received. I beg there may be no repetition of
this conduct.
The defendant proceeded to cross-examine the prosecu-
tor at great length, lout the answers elicited had nothing

whatever to do with the case before the Court. At his
request a series of letters between him and Miss White
were read. They were of the description that love letters
generally are. In one of them he threatened to horsewhip

the prosecutor.
The defendant, on this letter being read, said, " I deny
it ; I certainly did write a letter to Miss White, in which
I called her father a cowardly hypocrite, a tyrant, liar, scoun-
drel, and blackguard, and said he deserved to he horse-
whipped ; but I did not threaten to horsewhip him.
To the prosecutor—Did your daughter show you that
letter ?
Prosecutor—No, she did not ; but she told me it con-
tained observations of an opprobious kind.
The next letter put in and read was one from the de-
fendant to the plaintiff's daughter. The moment the
Chairman began reading it, the defendant said, " I do not
wish that letter to be read ; the greater part of it is foolish
nonsensical trash, which lovers might write to each other,
but which ought never to go forth to the public.
The CHAIRMAN (after having read a part of the letter)
said—l do not consider its contents trash and nonsense.
On the contrary, it is one of a very different description.
The letter was read : it contained an urgent request to
Miss White to call upon him (defendant) at his chambers,
and which it appeared she afterwards did.
Defendant4—Yes ; and there we both of us took our
solemn oaths on the Holy Gospel to be true to each other,
and to become man and wife ; and afterwards, to strengthen
our resolution, we took the sacrament together at a Church

at Hastings.
Other letters of defendant to Miss White were read,
which stated that prosecutor was a hypocrite, and ought to

be shot.
The prosecutor, in reply to questions put to him by the
defendant, said his daughter was very much terrified and
alarmed on the receipt of these letters.
The next letters read were some anonymous letters sent
to the defendant, which the prosecutor admitted had been
written by his clerk, and at his dictation.
The prosecutor said the reason he sent those letters
anonymously was, that he did not wish to renew any corre-
spondence with the defendant. He had previously opened
eleven letters sent by the defendant to his daughter. He
had a doubt at that time as to the defendant's intentions
towards his daughter, and as to her feelings in respect to
him. He never, in the course of his professional practice,
knew an instance of a gentleman expecting a fortune with
a lady, who was not prepared to make a settlement upon
her in return. He did not know that persons in needy cir-
cumstances were the greatest fortune-hunters.
Another letter of the defendant's to the young lady was
read. After alluding to the oath she had taken to marry
him, he warned her not to damn her soul by refusing to do
so, as she would assuredly go to hell if she did.
The whole correspondence read embraced a period from
January. 1833, to the time when the assault was committed.
The reading of it occupied upwards of six hours. It was
certainly, taken altogether, of a most extraordinary nature,
but it is impossible in the limits of a newspaper to give even
an outline of it, as it included not only letters that passed
between defendant and Miss White, but also letters be-
tween him and several of her relations and friends.
The case for the prosecution closed at ten o'clock.
The klefendant, when called on for his defence, admitted
that he had no answer to the charge of assault. The
other matters would be more fully investigated before ano-
ther tribunal. He regretted that the case had not long
ago been settled by a reference to mutual friends. He
still entertained the highest respect a?.d regard for Miss
White. He had made an ass of himself in pursuit of her,
and was sorry for it. Whether he should trouble himself
further about her he did not know. He had submitted the
whole case to his friends, and they all censured the con-
duct of the prosecutor ; but at the same time they all
re-
commended him to plead guilty, and make an apology to
the prosecutor, but which he had felt it to be his duty not
to do. He regretted some expressions in his letters to
Miss White, and still more the publication of them that
he feared was now inevitable. He was harassed by
thoughts that he could not banish from his mind_ when he
committed the assault upon the prosecutor. He then
went into a long rambling statement of all that had taken
place between himself and the prosecutor's daughter and
her family, all of which, however, was but a repetition of
the letters previously read.
The defendant did not conclude his address to the jury
until nearly midnight. He then called
Mr. Hunt, whose evidence related only to the manner in
which the defendant ultimately ascertained that the prose-
cutor was the writer of the anonymous letters of which he
complained.
Defendant's clerk was next examined, but his evidence
did not in the slightest degree relate to the case before
the jury.
Mr. CLARKSON replied briefly to the statement made,
and evidence adduced on the part of the defendant.
The CHAIRMAN summed up the evidence.
The Jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of guilty.
The Magistrates then adjourned to a private room, to
consult together before they passed judgment on the defen-
dant. After an absence of half an hour,
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to pass upon the defendant
the sentence of the Court, which was that he be imprisoned
one month in the House of Correction, that he pay a fine
to the Queen of 501., and that he do enter into recogni-
zances, himself in 2001., and two sureties in 1001. each, to
keep the peace towards Mr. White and his family for 24
calendar months.
• The trial lasted until one o'clock in the morning.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S-OFFICE, OCT. 27, 1837.

Orders for the Court's going into mourning, on Sunday next, the
29th instant, for her late Majesty, the Queen of the Netherlands,
viz. :
The Ladies to wear black silk, fringed or plain linen, white
gloves, necklaces and ear-rings, black or white shoes, fans and
tippets.
The Gentlemen to wear black, full trimmed, fringed or plain
linen, black swords and buckles.
The Court to change the mourning on Sunday, the 12th of No-
vember next, viz.:—
The Ladies to wear black silk or velvet, coloured ribbons, fans
and tippets, or plain white, or white and gold, or white and silver
stuffs, with black ribbons.
The Gentlemen to wear black coats, and black or plain white, or
white and gold, or white and silver stuff waistcoats, full trimmed,
coloured swords and buckles.

And on Sunday, the 19th of November next, the Court to go out
of mourning.

WAR OFFICE, OcT. 27.

2d Regiment of Dragoon Guards—Lieut.-Colonel B. Harding,
from the half-pay Unattached, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Bre-
vet Colonel J. Hay, who exchanges, Oct. 27 ; Major C. Kearney
to be Lieutenant-Colonel, by purchase, vice Harding, who retires,
Oct. 28 ; Captain F. C. Griffiths to be Major, by purchase, vice
Kearney ; Lieut. R. D. Dunn to be Captain, by purchase, vice
Griffiths ; Lieut. W. Persse, from the 4th Regiment of Foot, to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Dunn, Oct. 28.
3d Regiment of Dragoon Guards—Cornet E. Dyson to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Bomford, who retires ; E. D. Freeman,
Gent. to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Dyson, Oct. 27.
17th Regiment of Foot—Lieutenant W. Hackett to be Captain,
by purchase, vice Church, who retires; Ensign 0. P. Bourke to
be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Hackett ; Gentleman Cadet E.
Croker, from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, by pur-
chase, vice Bourke, Oct. 27.
20th Foot—Captain B. W. Nicholson, from the hall-pay of the
30th Regiment of Foot, to be Captain, vice Brevet Major Bolton,
who exchanges, Oct. 27.
22d Foot—Lieut. A. Campbell to be Captain, by purchase, vice
Hawkins, who retires ; Ensign H. Y. Parker, to be Lieutenant by
purchase, vice Campbell ; E. Dunbar, Gent., to be Ensign, by
purchase, vice Parker, Oct. 27.
60th Foot—Lieut. M. E. Harworth, to be Captain, by pur-
chase, vice Johnson, who retires; Second Lieutenant W. G. Rose
to be First Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Haworth ' • G. A. Hicks,
Gent., to be Second Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Rose, Oct. 27.
61st Foot—Capt. J. B. Thomas, from the Ceylon Rifle Regi-
ment, to be Captain, vice Parke, who exchanges, Oct. 27.
72d Foot—Lieut. R. I. Ackland, from the half-pay of the 79th
Regiment of Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Adair, promoted, Oct.
27 ; Ensign T. F. Simmons to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice
Ackland, who retires; J. Armstrong, Gent. to be Ensign, by
purchase, vice Simmons, Oct. 28.
Ceylon Rifle Regiment—Captain G. T. Parke, from the 61st
Regiment of Foot, to be Captain, vice Thomas, who exchanges ;
Lieut. C. H. Roddy to be Captain, by purchase, vice Powell, who
retires ; Second Lieutenant W. J. Kirk to be First Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Roddy; J. B. Stevelly, Gent., to be Second Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Kirk, Oct. 27.
BREVET.

Captain C. J. Fitz Gerald, of the 76th Regiment of Foot, to be
Major in the Army, Jan. 10.

OFFICE OF ORDNANCE OCT. 27.
Corps of Royal Engineers—First Lieutenant T. Drummond to
be Second Captain ; First Lieutenant R. K. Dawson to be ditto ;
First Lieutenant H. Pooley to be ditto, vice Briscoe, deceased ;
Second Lieutenant T. Webb to be First Lieutenant, vice Pooley,
August 18.
Royal Regiment of Artillery—Second Captain F. A. Griffiths,
to be Adjutant, vice Willis, promoted, Jan. 22.

WHITEHALL, OCT. 23.
The Lord Chancellor has appointed William Pearless, of Easi
Grinstead, in the county of Sussex, Gent., to be a Master Extra-
ordinary in the High Court of Chancery.