The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-11 00:00:00

EXTRAORDI NA RY CASE.

B ty-S TREET.—Yesterd ay John Foster, the landlord of the
Prince of Wales public-house, at Brompton, and Miami.:
Horne and John Bradley, two officers of the County Court of
Requests, of Middlesex in Kingsgate-street, were brought be-
fore Sir R. BIRNIE, by Wootton, one of the patrol, charged
with committing a most extraordinary outrage upon the person
of Miss Sidney Cowell, a lady residing also at Brompton.
Miss Cowell, who appeared in very delicate health, and gave
her evidence under the influence of strong agitation, was or-
dered by the Magistrate to have a chair, and having been sworn,
she stated, that she resides with her mother, who is a widow,
and keeps the house No. 20, York-place, Queen's Elms,
Brompton. She stated that the officers had behaved with great
outrage and indecency, but as the case will be subject to legal
investigation, we do not think it proper to detail the particu-
lars. After this outrageous conduct, Miss Cowell was finally
driven to Whitecross-street Prison, where she was found on Sa-
turday by her mother in a deplorable state.
Mary Kelly, the servant, corroborated the foregoing state-
ment, and detailed the particulars of the language used by the
defendants. She ran to call in the assistance of some of the
neighbours, but was too late.
Mrs. Mary Cowell, the mother, was also heard in corrobora-
tion as far as her knowledge went.
A Solicitor, who attended for Foster, stated, in behalf of his
client, that he had served the complainants with beer, &c. for a
long time; and that Miss Sidney Cowell always paid the bills,
and appeared to be the mistress of the house ; and that Fos-
ter therefore considered himself right in serving her with the
process.
Sir R. Brawir —But do you call the throwing a summons
down the area a service ? •
Solicitor—The complainants have admitted receiving the
summons, and whether it was Mrs. Cowell's debt or not, she
ought to have appeared and defended it.
Horne, in his defence, denied that he had used the violence
imputed to him, and produced his warrant, alleging that lie
had only acted in the performance of his duty in taking Miss
Cowell's person.
Sir R. Brit.= asked for the warrant ; and on being shewn
a copy, said, " This is directed against Mary Cowell, and you
apprehend Sidney Cowell." It is clearly a false arrest upon
your own shewing, and you may rely upon it I shall look very
closely to this case. I will not allow the liberty of the subject
thus to be, trifled with, and especially when it is done under the
colour of authority.
Bradley said he went merely to assist Horne, and denied the
violence. He and Horne said the witnesses would swear any
thing.
Miss Cowell and her mother said they had lived for years in
respectability in the neighbourhood, and could adduce ample
proof of their integrity.
Sir It. BIRNIE—I think this is the grossest instance of viola-
tion of the liberty of the subject that ever came under my cog-
nizance. Bind over the parties to prosecute, Mr. Richmond
(the Clerk), and I shall write to Mr. Heath, the Judge of the
County Court, to 'acquaint him with the conduct of his officers.
The witnesses were bound over, and the three defendants
were held to bail in 50/. and two sureties in 251. each.

FOOTPADS.--A Gentleman, residing in Isling-
ton, yesterday evening, about ten o'clock was
passing along the new road, between that place
and Kingsland, and had reached about half the
distance homeward, when he was stopped by
three footpads, who robbed him of his watch, a
sovereign and some silver. They then precipi-
tately retreated accross the fields.
1

FRANCIS MASF.RES,
CURSITOR BARON OF THE EXCHEQUER.

We have to announce the death of this distill-
guished individual, whe yesterday morning closed.
his long and valuable life, at the advanced age of
ninety.-three. Baron MASERES was of a refugee
family ; his grandfather came over with King
William ; and his mind, as might naturally be
expected, was early embued with a hatred of
every thing in the shape of religious persecution.
He was a Fellow of Glare Hall, Cambridge, and
very early displayed that profound knowledge of
Mathematics, to the peculiar study of which' he
had devoted himself, and to which he was
_no
doubt excited by the many celebrated names
which, in this department of science, have done
honour to that celebrated University. He pub-
lished, as early as 1759, a work on the negative
sign, in which he argued against the received
doctrine of negative quantities; and sometime
afterwards published his valuable collection of
the Scriptores Logarithmici, in six vols. 4to. ;. a
work on Life Annuities, and several historical
works, among which were Noy's History, of the
Parliament, and Ludlow's Letters. It was to the
liberal and enlightened patronage of Baron Mase-
res that the public are indebted for the Rev. John
Hellins's valuable translation of Donna Agnesi's
hzstituzioniAnalytichedt had been translated many
years before by the then late Professor Colson, the
ingenious commentator on the Fluxions of New-
ton. Baron Maseres, who in his early life had
known Colson, and had reason to. infer, from his
a conversation, that he had written treatise on the
higher geometry, which he had never published,
was desirous of discovering this manuscript, and
of giving it to the world. In his search he found,
not the work lie looked for, bat the translation
just mentioned ; and after removing some pecu-
niary difficulties, which, without such generous
assistance,would probably have been forever with-
held from the world, he obtained a copy of it, and.
put it into the hands of Mr.llollins, who undertook
to become its editor, and under w hose inspection it
was printed in 1804. In private life, the dispo-
sition of Baron Maseres was kindness itself,
and his integrity was the result of a mind dis-
ciplined from early life in all its feelings, and
disinterested in all its habits. In politics he
was a Whig of the 01(1 School ; averse from
all wild innovation, but loving liberty for the
sake of humankind, and despising all compromise
with despotism. His religious tenets were those of
a strict and staunch Unitarian, but with perfect
good feeling towards every one of different senti-
ments, and deeming it the height of injustice to
chastise any man's conscience, or to silence ally
man's opinion. His memory--as will often hap-
pen with those whose lives have been devoted
to abstract studies—had failed him almost totally
for many months before his death. lie was ne-
ver married, and has left no very near relatives
behind !jai. He died at his house at Reigate, in
Surrey, to which place be had been removed
some time before his (loath. - Whoever is ap—
pointed to the vacant situation of Cursitor Baron
of the Exchequer, will probably have duties to
perform beyond those which ' have been hitherto,
annexed to it, as the expediency of making some
arrangement in this respect has been, we know,
for some time under the consideration of Go-
vernment. -