The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-07 00:00:00

LONDON SESSIONS.

These Sessions commenced yesterday before the
RECORDER, Alderman WAITIIMAN, Alderman
SMITH, &c.

THE GRAVE-DIGGERS.

A man named Bampton, who keeps a coal-shed,
was indicted for having assaulted two grave-diggers,
named Harrell and Warner. There was a great
deal of laughter excited by the detail.
The defendant, it appeared, had lest two children
within a short time, and had applied to Harrell and
Warner, " the diggers of the Cripplegate ground,"
to bury the last that died in the grave of the first,
which lay nine feet under the surface. He, how-
ever, would pay no more money than would go four
feet down, and, of course, the diggers stopped when
they got so far. The defendant, upon going to the
place of sepulture, and finding that the grave was
not as deep as he wished it to be, obtained the as-
sistance of a friend, who leaped into it, for the pur-
pose of throwing up the mould. A contest imme-
diately arose, and the defendant beat the grave-
diggers in the grave itself. It appeared that the
diggers had shown every wish to compromise the
matter, and had drank ruin with the defendant, pre-
paratory to the expected arrangement, and Mr.
Clarkson, their Counsel, very ingeniously endea-
voured to show that the rum was quite an adequate
recom pence.
Alderman WAITIIMAN—One of you says that his
coat was torn. I thought that you usually wore no
coat but that you wore half-a-dozen waistcoats ?
Grave-digger—" We do wear as many waistcoats
sometimes, my Lord; but we sometimes wear a
coat. You see, my Lord, if he'd said as he'd
wanted nine feet, why we'd a digged it ; but he
said four would do, and so we (Jigged four. So yo►►
see, my Lord, down he comes with a rope and a
bucket, and an Irishman—(Loud laughter)—and
they gets down below, and I foilows arter, because
it wa'nt proper that none but grave-diggers should
dig in sich a spot of ground. So you see, my Lord,
he draws me a wipe across the face, and then he
draws me another, and he gives it me again and
again, and he tears my coat, and so, you see, I was
obligated for to come forrad against him."
The RECORDER—Had you any thing to drink at
the expense of the defendant after this business ?
Grave-digger—We had a drop of rum; and the man
talked about getting us to sign a paper, and he
wanted to stand a supper.
Well, that did'nt look very like malice ?—Why,
you see, my Lord, he tried it on with us; he tried to
make us intossicated, but we would'nt have it, on
no account whatsomdever.—(Laughs► r.)
I did'nt know that it would be an unpardonable
offence to a grave-digger to make him drunk—
(A laugh) 2—lt w•ould'nt do, please your Lordship,
for I had only two•pennyworth.—(Laughter.)

Mr. CLARKsON .submitted that the rum' was a
sufficient recompense, and declared that allowance
ought to made for the feelings of a father on an oc-
casion when a pair of grave-diggers refuFed to do
their duty properly. Verdict—Guilty, but recom-
mended to mercy.
The COURT sentenced the defendant to a fine of
s. for striking the one grave-digger, and a fine of
40s. for striking the other.

BIRMINGHAM, APRIL 4.—Public opinion
has rather increased hers than diminished in favour of the
Reform Bill. More than a thousand persons have left
Birmingham to-day to attend the great county meeting at
Warwick. Mr. PIUNT, M.P. for Preston, is here. He
was invited to attend the Warwick meeting, but having
no property in the county, he with proper feeling declined.
He is on his way to Preston to visit his constituents. The
late hours of the House of Commons do not appear to
have agreed with him, for he is very thin, and complains
of ill health.. Mr. HUNT'S condact in the House, so con
trary to what was expected, has made him a favourite in
this neighbourhood.