The Sun.
London, England, 1806-08-04 00:00:00

EDINBURGH, Juti-.2.g.

HIGH COURT or JUSTICIARY.
(n Thursday came on before the High Court
of Justiciary the trial .of Catheritle Robertson; other-
wise Catherine Stewart, from Dundee, and George
Bachelor, Surgeon, in Cupar Angus,. accused of oc-
casioning abortion in a young wOman. • From the
nature of the -investigation strangers were excluded.
he Jury delivered their verdi6t on Friday, unani-
mously ' finding C. Robertson Gtiiity, and Bachelor
Guilty,. aoor, art, or part in the crime libelled.=-The
Court pronounced Judgment yesterday. Lord DUN-,
SINNAN' and Lord MEADOWBANK delivered their ()pi-
nions in very excellent 4nd'pallietit speeches. The
L6rd Justice Clerk addressed the Prisonersin a very
energetic and pathetic speech, and' pronounced the
sentence of the Court, which was, that both the
Prisoners be transported beyond the .seas for seven

years.
On Monday came on the trial of John Hannah,
from tl•.0 ,Steartry of Kirkcudbright, accused of
the murder' of Markin Rodson,--on the 26th of
March last. - _ _

The Libel states, that the unfortuanate girl was
with child by the Prisoner, who wished- her to lay
it to some other person, which she repeatedly re-
fused to do, and urged him to marry her. That
being unable to prevail on her to deify the child
she was 'bier with being his, he invited'her to meet
him near his master's house, on the 26th of March
last, which she complied with ; and after being hid
in .some lint-house till bed-time, she went with'the
prisoner to the place where he slept, where they
retr!ained together a considerable part of the night.
That early next morning they left the prisoner's
master's bouse 'together and in a field belonging. to
JouN ,CLARK, Esq. of Nunland, near the place
where the deceased's mother resided, the Prisoner
murdered her, by strangling her with her hand-
kerchief, or something pulled strait about; her
neck, or by squeezing her throat with his
.hands,
&c. The Prisoner pleaded Not, Guilty.
,The trial
proceeded: Some Witnesses were examined, when.):
it appeared from the evidende of dne of them (the
mother of the girl), thqt there was a misnomer in
the indiament, tte. father of the young wounn
who was stated to be murdered, being denomi-
na,ted a wright, when' in fact he wasataiior. _ The
Couthtel for the ,Prisoner contended that this was
fatal to the trial. The Court immediately stopped
the trial, and dire4ed the Jury to acquit the Pri-
soner upon this, indiament. The Jury retired to
the robing room, and soon after returned with a
verdiit, unanimously finding the Prisoner Not Guil-
ty of the murder of Marion Robson, or Robertson,
daughter of John Robson,- or Robertson, wright, as
libelled in • the indiament ; on which the Prisoner
was assoilzied simpliciter.
The Counsel
.for the Crown applied. for a new
warrant to commit him again to prison for the mur-
der of Marion Robson or Robertson, daughter of
John Rob ion or Robertson, tailor; which was grant-
td, and the Prisoner will be tried 13th of .AUguSt.

O; Friday afternoon, as a young woman was
going op board a collier, lying off Hill-wall, Lime-
home, she fell over the gunnel of the boat, When
.Newfoundiand dog on the '.main deck. leaped into
the wiifer, seized her by the clothes, 'and kept her
afloat till she received assistance.—The...same.valu-,
able dog lately saved one of the crew, who fell over-
board at Gravesend. Fifty Guineas were offered for
.Inin in the evening by a West India Captain, and
refusecL

• ,
On Monday, a young woman of, genteel appear-
ance threw herself into the Tweed, from the se-
cond arch, of Kels Bridge, through which she float-
ed towards the deep pool; -called iNlaxwheel. Two
yo'sng -pentlethen, who saw the event, darted in,
and by great enitions.torought, her. h'sbore. • tier
friends are. respeaable people in England; and the
cause of her'rashnesS proved to.be the desertien of
'bet: lover, whom she had folloWed iMo.Scotland.
t 1.1) inquisition was taken on Saturday before the
Coroner for London; on the body of a womap:of
the name of Robinson, who ,threw herself into the
Thame:t, peal:Swan-stairs, Queenbithe, on the' pre-
ceding day. The deceased kept a cork- cutter's she
it' Mark-lane, and it was supposed, from the..evi-.
deuce adduced, that embarrassments in trade led. to
the commission of this rash adi. The body was but
a short time in-the water.---Verdia, Lunacy. ,
On Friday last an inquisition ,Nl/2S taken before
GEOttGE HODGSON,F.Eq. Coroner,. on. the body of
William Mirrison, Esq. of the Land Revenue-Office,.
Whitehall, who expired suddenly on Saturday even-
ing-, the 26th of July; at his house at Chelsea It
appeared that the deceased had of late been subjea
to a spasmodic affeaion of the' heart, of whichle
had expeOnced repeated attacks, particularly- one
on the morning before his death, which had 'nearly
terminated his existence, as he was transaaing buSi-
ness at the Bank. In the;, afternoon he had been
visited by Dr. nLA6KBURNE, Wh(.attended'him, and
be afterwards employed hirnSelf for seine tire in his
garden ; whether he exerted himselfue much is un-,
certain, but, on his return to his house,' he rang his
bell, and, desiring the servant to go for assistance,
expired in a 'few Minutes. The Any consisted of
some of the most respeaable inhabitants of chthea.
Verdict—Diedhy the-Visitatian. of 66d.
Singular Attempt at Suicide.---,A man of very
genteel appearance, apparently between !3,0 and 60
years of age, engaged with the post-boy belonging
to a'return chaise, on his way through HounsloW,
On Friday evening, to convey him tdtendone • Soon
after he was taken up, the driver overtook a woman,
'genteelly: dressed, who was going to town.; but the
stranger r.efused to have any. company, with him,
and put a guinea into the hand of the post7boy, to
--remunerate him: On his way the stranger fre-

'quently ordered the drier to stop, when-hewalked,
'alongside the chaise, gave Money to every needy
person he met, and behaved in 'the most inCO:-
liererit manner. Soon after the- post-boy had got
through Hammersmith-gave, .thC stranger, whom
he supposed to haVe been asleep, threw 'himself out
-of the chaise, ha‘:tig- cut his throat with a , pen—
knife. He was cmveyed by his desire to an Hotel
in Charing-cross, where hopes are entertained of
bis recovery. He reflused to assign any other rea-'
son for his condaa than that life was a burthen
to him. .

1.401!K ASSIZES.

George lloug (late of Mancl;ester, calico-dyer)
was indiaed: fore forging a bill of exchange, value
.981: purpdrting,to be drawn by 'James Hastings, of
'iLiverpool, on •Sir James Esdaile and Co. bankers,:
London. There was a second,connt in the indid-
tnent, charging him with uttering the
.satire bill '6l:
exchange, knowiog it to be forged, with intent to
defraud John Green, copperas Inrinfadurer, at
Hipperholme, near Halifax. •
After the •Counsel had opened the case for , the
Prosecutor, .

John Green .was called ; he stated, that he was a
matrufaaurer of .copi)eras, and that on the 14th of
February the Prisoner came to his thanufaetory, and
wished to purchase. eight tons of icopperas, to. be
paid for "on_ delivtry at Mapchester the Prisoner
represented himself as .a calico-printer, and said'
that the copperas was for his own use. The wit-
ness declined selling it upon any other terms than
that of ready money. The Prisoner'said it would
be inconvenient for him just then to spare the mo-
ney, but he was _going to Bradtbrd to buy aqua-
fOrtis, .andf on his return, if ire found it convenient,
he would call the following day and complete the
purchase on the terms proposed by .the WitneSs.
The next day the Prisoner called again, aud. the
Witness sold him about four tons of copperas, at

11, los. per ton. The Prisoner tendered him a
bill of exchange for 981. This bill the Wi;pess ob-
je&ed to, both on account of the largeneS.,', of the
sum, and his ignorance of the drawer and endorser.'
The Prisoner assured him it was a very 'good bill :
that the drawer, James Hastings, was a merchant
of Liverpool, and that he did not know much of
him ; but that the endorser, Peter I.liggins, NAjas, a
cotton merchant and manufiteturer at Manchester ;
that he ,kept a large warehouse, :and that he had-
received the bill for printing goods for him. On
this' representation, the Witness, after Consultin„o-
- persons in company with them, consented
to take the bill; and he gave the Prisoner the ba-
', ianee in small bills and notes. On the day follow,.
ing but one, (Monday) he
.gave the bill to his
bankers, at Halifax, desiring them to get it immedi-,
ately presented for acceptance'; and on the follow-
ing Monday it was' returned to him dishonoured,
being refitSed acceptance; ,the drawer having no ef-
feas. The Witnessimmediatery Went to Manches-•
ter, but could not find either the Prisoner or the
person to whom the bill was made payable, (Peter-
fliggins) though he used his utmost endeavour for
thax purpose. The Witness concluded by stating,-
64 he delivered,the warrant he had obtained, for
the-,apprehension of the Prisoner, to Mr. Nadin,
Chief Constable of Manchester.
Mr. Nadin stated, that he was Chiefeonstable of
Manchester (which off... he had filled for 17 years);
upon receiving the warrant from the last Witness,
he used his utmost-exertions to apprehend the
soner, but w.ithout success, until the 7th of June;
be was sure, both from his own'knowledge of Man-

' chester, and.the diligent Itiquiry he bad made re-
spe&hlg 'Peter 4-liggins, that there was no such per.
son either a cotton merchant ot• manuf'a6tUrer in
IVlanChester, or even any person of that name; the
Witness added, that some ,tinie .since a Peter Rig-.
gins, a. weaver, resided there, but -that.he was now
in the gaol at Lancaster on a charge of forgery. • .
.In answer to a question from the Judge; he said,
this Peter Higgins was a poor man, and, he believed,

did not get the pieces .he mahufaCtUred printed or
dyed.. This witness also stated, that he male the
most diligent inquiry at Liverpool for a person of the
name of James Hastings; but without success.
=- :James Thompson, Attorney at Law, stated, that
he. also used-every means 'which could be. suagested
toibicn of discovering the drawer of th6.bill:Janies
castings, but withoht success.
Mr..Nadin, Police Officer, then produced a poc-
ket-book, and three. Bills Of Exchange, found on the
person of the Prisoner. It was argued by
soner's Counsel, that no use , ought to be made of
these bills to the prejudice of the Prisoner, because
it could not be supposed that be was prepared to
rebut any charge but that set forth in the indid-
ment. The' Learned Judge adMitted that there wa
considerable weight in 'the objection, and that he
would take a note of it.

;JlThe last witness examined, on the part of the pro-
sedittion, was Mr. Smith, clerk in the house of Sir
Istries Esdaiie and Co. Bankers, London. , The bill
•being shown to the witness, he said they had no-ac7_
Icount with the drawer, nor with any person of that
name; and of course, if that bill had been presented
for acceptance it would have been refused; he could
not, however, say, whether that bill had ever_beert
presented for acceptance or • not. The Learned
, Judge said, that be should take this opportunity of
ascertaining whether the three bills 'found on the
person-of • the Prisoner, and which Were drawn on
the same house, were drawn by persons who had
',accounts with the house. The question being put,
the witness said, that the drawers of those bills were
riot customers or correspondents of their's, and were
persons not entitled to draw. upon their house. The
examination of this witness closed the case- on the
part of the prosecution.
The only Witness called on the part of the Pri-
soner was Mary Buckley, who stated, that she lived
at Manchester, and was acquainted with the Pri-
soner, whom she represented to
.be a dealer in dyers'
drtygs and had formerly been a cotton-printer and
dyer 5 she always understOod him to be a very in-
dustrions man.
-During the course; of the trial, Mr. HuLLocK
"urged many objections on points of law, which he
'argued with•greatability. .
His. Lordship, in his address to The Jury, stated,
that they, had to inquire, Ist, Whether the Prisoner
pl:id,the'bill in question to John Green ?-2d, Whe-
ther the bill was. really forged ?—and, 3d, Whether
the Prisoner paid it knoWing it to be ferged ? On
the first point, he thought they could entertain little
or no doubt; it was, therefore, to the two latter
that their attention would be printipally_ directed :
and to constitute it a forgery, it was not necessary
to prove that the drawer/and endorser of the bill ex-
isted, and that their signatures were put to. the bill
without their consent. It would be equally a forgery'
if no such persons existed 5 ,or even if such-persons
did exist ; yet, if they were in totally different situa-
'tions to those represented by the Prisoner, and that
the Prisoner knew this, it would justify them in

finding the Prisoner pay" of the second cb:nit iii i
the initial-nem, which was the otily col tit on Which
there' jas any evidence. It would, therefore, be
their business to inquire, whether, in the representa,
tiOns the Prisoner gave of James Hastings and Peter
Higgins, he did not know they'were utterly false.?
The account he-gave of James Hastings, was, that
he was a merchant of Liverpool, but tbat he did not
know Much Of hiin. From the drawer, therefore,
perhaps, no strong presumption of fraud could arise ;
but of the endorser, his account is circumstantial.
He stated him to be a cotton-merchant and mann-
.thdurer; at Manchester, in a considerable line of bn-
siness, and that lie had 4eceiYed the bill on tic-
count of work done for him. Here, then (if they
.could,depend on the accuracy of the first Witness),
there could be no mistake. They would, however;
take into consideration the evidence by which this
representation was -negatived. It was by a man
who had an intimate knowledge ,of the town, and-
.vho had used great diligence in his inquiry. But it
had been suggested, that Peter Higgins ought to have.
been ,broUght into 'Court, as the most competent
Witness in the case. The Jury would, however,
-take-all the circinustances of the case into their con-
sideration, and pronounce such a verdict, as should
both satisfy the justice of ,the Country and the right's
of the rrisener..
The Jury were about to retire, when the Counsel
for the Prisoner begged leave to suggest. an
.objec-
tion, which appeared to him of, colisiderable impdtt-
ance, which was, that no evidence bad been ad-
dUced:to show that the bill was not drawn by James
Hastings ; and be contended, that should this be the.
case, it might be A gross fraud, but could not be a
forgery. He also observed, that, with -respect to
Peter Higgins; all thOt had been said of him amount-
ed to nettling; for the Prisoner was not charged with
,either forging the endersement of Peter Higgins, or
with uttering the bill knowing the endorsement to
be forged.
His Lordship' said, the objedion was- of great
`weight, and materiallyaltered the case; and that the
Jury, ought to_ lay out of their Consideration all the
evidence that related to Peter Higgins, as well as all
the observations he had made upon it. • After some
further observations of a similar tendency, the Jury
withdrew to consider of their verdid,.and.:in about
half an hour returned, into co t. The Foreman
I was about to pronounce their verdid, when the Judge
said,: he had so4le further observations to offer to
their conslderation,, and whiCh might prObably in-
duce them to retire again. Hia Lordship. said, his
,doubts- as to the sufficiency of the evidence,' resped-
ing the knowledge the Prisoner had of the drawer of
I _the bill, appeared to him in a stronger light since
they hadleft the Court than before.- There was one
circumstance which he wished partiOularly to • point
out to them—that the person who took the bill of
the Prisoner,did not take it on his representotion
of Hastings, but of Higgins, and which. part of the
case they were entirely to lay otit,of their considera-
' tier). His Lordship conclnded• with reatindiniz the
Jury, that-in all cases where a reasonable dptilit re-'
mained upon their minds it was their duty to -acquit
the Prisoner.

_After the Jury had been out of Court a considera-
ble time, . a Jury Man begged permission to ask some
questions.of his Lordship, 3.vhicti being granted, an
Oißeer of 'the Ceurt condueled -him into the jury-
box, when he,proposed this.:queStion : Stipposing.
a Jacnes Has‘ings-,drew the bill, would the uttering
of, it in . that case be uttering a forged bill ?". He.
said, " they were all convinced- that it was a case.,
of great villainy , but he wished to have this doubt
,
removed:"

His Lordship, in reply, stated, "Jhat.if a James
Hastings had really drawn the Bill, yet if he. was a
totally different person from that. represented by the
Prisoner, anu that the Prisoner lead so represented
him for the purpose of giving a fi&itious credit to the
bill,:for the purposes 0i: fraud, in this. casethe crime
laid in the indietment would be proved as for in-
stance, if this James. Hastings wasa plough-boy, and,
that the Prisoner,- knowing this, bad represented him
to be 'a. merchant." His. Lordship added; "that
when the Prisoner spoke ,of Hastings, it was in so
vague and general a manner, that it was more likely
to operate as a caution than as an inducement to the
Prosecutor to take the.bill." His. Lordship again
repeated, " that in all cases of reasonable doubt, it
vas:their duty to. find a Prisoner not guilty."
The Juryman then withdrew, and in about half an
hour the Jury returned into the Court with a:ver-,
diet: of—Guilty. .
The Judge, previous to paSsing sentence npon the
Prisoner, said he should respite the execution until
he had an opportunity-of consulting the other Judges,.
both upon a proof and :upon a point of law which
had arisen in the trial; and. though he thought grvat
credit was due to the Jury for their patient attention
:to the case, he doubted of the propriety of their yer;
diet ; and thought theevidence was too slight to justify
a verdia of guilty under all .the circnmstances of
the case, that they Ought to-itave acquitted tke
soner. His Lordship acknowledged that these ob-
servations appeared to trench upon the peculiar
province of the Jury, and therefore it was on. the
point of law, that he principall.y justified to himself
the respiting of the- execution.:: His Lordship then
passed the sentence of the law upon the Prisoner in
the usual manner.- •

A pointer bitch, belonging to Mr... RICUARD
TOYNE, 'a►nekeeper to Lady AMIcoTTs, of Har-
rington, ritely whelped 17 pups of full growth.

Still' NEWS.

CR. AVESEND, AUGUST I.

Arrived—the Huntress, Cunningham; from Cadiz ; Flight,
Matthelson, from Rotterdam ; Fortuna, Linshill, from Nor-
way ; Hope, TrOutmap,
_from Hambro' ; Robert., Popple-
lye'', from Cronstadt ; Usettai, —, from Norway ; Peter,
Morris, from Riga Ploughman, Smith, and Hermes, Corn-
forth from St. Petersburg!). ,
Sailedthe longe Catherina, —, and fong,e- Klassena,
8001, fur Hambro' ; Twee -Gesusters, Keinders, Nautilus,
Shriver, and Patriot, Erricks, for Bremen,

' PRICE OP

SAT u

I.4ak Stock,
„, I
isitivyss peiCt. 96i 9si 97ii
S per Cent. 1797,
Irish 5 per Cent. 9-.1 k
per Cent. 84
3 per Cent. ken. 65 •
rer;.:.ent. Con. 64 b 5 64
Bank L. Ann. 131 y.ioths L.
Ditto Short Anne

STOCKS , I.
ItI)AY.
llndia Stock, '
India Bomis,, Is. 2... dis.
South Sea Stock,
...
Exchcq. I3ills, par,. 2s. pr:
Oninium,' 9 i to a,* i i I IL '
Imperial 3 per Cent.
Ditto Ann. ,8 t:9-46ths
Con. for 2,6 Aug. 6.4'i 65 } 65}