The Sun.
London, England, 1824-09-06 00:00:00

perceptible, whieh led me to suspect that great injury had beo
inflicted on the cranium; -I opened the skull, making an incl.

.
sion a
the scalp, and took circular piece of the skull off; I
should have said I first perceived a depressed fracture, aid
wat certain of it after I had divided the scalp ; there' was a very

great extravasation of blood under the skull, which, with tLe
general injury done to the head, did, as I conceive, cause the
man's death. That is my opinion d'ecidedly. From► the circu-
lar form, and confinement of that form, I think it must have

been effected by a round weapon ; it must have been a particu-
lar round stone, and highly polished, if it were a stone, and
then I think there wouht have been a wound of the integuments ,;4
I mean a wound showing 'Keg externally ; there was no such,
appearances. The brain did ridt appear to be injured ; it might
have occasioned a sufficient concussion of, the brain to cause
death. _ _ _ _

Cross-examined.--A blow given on that part of the skull
might have occasioned death without an intention to cause
death. If he had fallen on the ground. the wound would not
have been so circular and circumscribed ; the wound on the

, .
nose appeared to be the effect of a blow.'
Re-examined.—The two wounds could not have been occa-
sioned by one blow, and I think not by one lab.
The prisoner being called on for his defence, said, I bought
the watch of Edward Lacey, a traveller, and thoeight I had as
much right to buy it as to sell it, and to sell it as to buy it. '
am innocent of the crime laid to my charge.
The prisoner called no witnesses. -
The Loan CHIEF Jr TILE summed up the evidence with
great perspicuity, and left it to the Jury to pronounce whether
the chain of circumstances against the prisoner was IlJt SufEcl-
ently strong to satisfy their minds of his guilt.
The Jury, after consulting about 16 minutes, returned a ver-
dict of Guilty.
. .
The LORD CHIEF* JUSTICE immediately pronounced sm.
tence of death upon the prisoner.
The prisoner is a young man of short stature, florid con-
plexion, with black hair; his countenance is not unpreposses-
sing. He heard his sentence without emotion ; appeated to be
wholly unmoved by the solemn exhortations of the Judge ; and
throughout the proceedings maintained an air of inflexible firm-
ness, or insensibility.

CONFESSION Or THE ralsosrEn.
Immediately after the prisoner was removed hack to his cell,
he made the following confession to Mr. Hardy (the Governor
of Ilchester-gaol) :—" All that about the stick, which was
product:din Court, and with which it was Said I murdered
Jacob Wilkins, is wholly false. I was welking on the road
along with him, and whatever possessed me I do not know .;
hut I thought I would murder him : I took up a stone, and
with all my force threw it, and struck him on the side of the
head. He fell directly on his face; but I turned him on his
• back and robbed him, and then left him on the road where ha
was found." The prisoner also told Mr. Hardy that the scar
on his nose, and the blood on the side of his mouth, was
occasioned by his falling on his face. The prisoner's behaviour
since his condemnation is quite changed, and he appears
another man, and acknowledges the justness of his sentence,
and hat become quite penitent, calm, and resigned to his fate.
The wretched man is very young and good-looking, being only
111 years or age. This day (Saturday) he was removed from
hence to Ilehester, to await his execution.
LIBEL.
HARDY V. 911ACKEI. AND OTHERS.

This was an actiou against the defendants, who are editors
of the John Bull newspaper, to recover compensation in da-
mages for a malicious libel, published in that
_paper, charging
the plaintiff, who is the Governor of Ilehester jail, with entelty
towards a person of the name of Smith, who was confined in
that jail.
Mr. ADAM stated to the Jury, that in this case they would
have no trouble. The action had been brought by M r.'llardv,
the Governor of Ilchester-gaol, for the purpose of compelling
the defendants to Substantiate, if it was in their power, cert4in
imputations against his character of a very serious nature,
which they published in their newspaper; or, on the other
hand, of satisfying the country and the world, that there was
not the slightest foundation for these imputations. The de-
fendants having, as was their duty, made inquiries into the
justice_ of the representations which they had promulgated,.
cameo the conclusion that there was no truth in the statement.
They therefore resolved to take an early opportunity of stating
their conviction,. that there was not the slightest ground for
making any charge of the nature which they had published
aganist Mr. Hardy, and consented that a verdict should be re-
corded against them.
Mr. Sergeant PELL.—Gentlemen of the Jury, I appear here
to represent the editor of the John Bull newspaper. The defend-
ants wish to lose no time in freeing the character of Mr. Hardy
from the aspersions which, through the medium of their jour.
nal, they have cast upon it. As soon as it was found that Mr.
Hardy had reason to complain of the publication, and that he
was taking steps to vindicate his character, the editor offered to
give up the name of the author. This concession was not
deemed by Mr. Hardy to be sufficient, as his object was to yin•
dicate his character front a public animadversion, and he there.
fore thought it necessary to demand a public acknowledgment
of the injustice that had been done to him. Under these cir.
cumstances, the editor of the John Bun has no objection
to declare that he is concerned for having been instrumental
in the circulation of charges which he is now convinced are
without any foundation ; and he hopes that this statement will
have the effect of operating as a complete vindication of Mr.
Hardy's character. We therefore consent to have a verdict re-
corded against us, with 40 shilling damages, which will be suf.
ficient to carry the casts.
Mr. Baron G AUK° w.—Gentlemen, it is scarcely necessary for
me to say any thing to you on this occasion. The parties hare
been very well advised, and have acted very properly. There is
of late years a growing attention pain to those who are under con.
finement in our public gaols, and to the character and conduct of
those who have the controul of those abodes ; and it is extremely
gratifying to see that the class of persons who are called to the
exercise of the duty of regulating our gaols is considerablw
improved, beyond what we ourselves have known them to lig
within our own time. Under these circumstances, the governor
of a gaol, whose discharge of his duty has heen arraigned in
public upon erroneous grounds, could not fail to have recourse
to an action to assert his character. Gentlemen, undoubtedly
proprietors of newspapers are, from the causes mentioned, es •
milady liable to be imposed upon by the statements,' the truth
of which they have no present means of discovering. They
may, therefore, give publicity to a variety of representations,
highly calculated to wound the feelings and destroy the reputa-
tion of individuals, very innocently supposing that they are
promulgating the truth ; but they publish, at their peril, and
are liable to pay for the injury which they thus inflict. The
parties having come to an arrangement between tfitinselves, it
only remains for you to find a verdict for the plaintitil—Da.
mages 40s.—A verdict was returned accordingly.

THE MARKETS.

CORN-EXCHANGE, SEPT. th

There were moderate quantities of all sorts of Grain at mar.
ket last week, but a tolerable large supply of 'Flour. This
morning the fresh supplies of Wheat from Essex, Kent, and
Suffolk are middling ; of Barley, Beans, and Peas there are
small quantities ; and a short supply of English Oath, but *
good arrival of this article from abroad. Several samples of
new Wheat made their appearance this morning, which are not
so fine in quality as persons in general had expected; they sold
slowly at from 06s. to ii2s. per quarter.. The trade for Wheat
of the preceding year is still very heatv,y, anti damp samPletc; T
reported 3s. to 4s. per quarter lower than last Monday. f,c3i.
ley is unaltered, having but little at market. Ile.ihntget.
Si'
remain as last quoted, 4 few new pareds havei Cli'llo3t „of in
445. per quarter ; Grey Peas are scarce, t t
this article has declined Is. per quarter Mince
0at28:21613418-
Flour is expected to be reduced ss, sack.per,
ARRIVALS OF LAST WEEK— s N heat 4 043; Bar.
Englt h V , , .
price. There arc wod uan tide sof Foreignalthoiastsdafyorses,a,ll4n,,igabutd.
Oats, _,_ . • ,
.. _Pats,r ,
1B qe IC; t e3t01,7, ; ilo9u.r ,
Wheat, Red (old)
---- White (old) ~ —s —s
Irish Oats, 630; Foreign
Bed (new) 'ifiat 421+
1673'06 100 sacks.
Melt,
1,224
;
Fine 44s MOs
Superfine .... !As MN
I - , White (new)...4Os 44'4
Fine ....... ~. 4Hs 553
Superfine ....:tits 63s
11 y e ........................30 .
Barley .................... ri s
Fs
Fine ....... ..85 zits
........
Superfine 30s 324
1 Malt 5O. slis
Fine .. . Ms 603
Pease, Grey 33s 35e
30s 311,
. 3
..6 s
—.Maple
---White 15s 37s
mien, . 3Bs 428

Beans, Small (new) ....Us Os
-- (old) ~„.__H

Tick (new) ...... 30s Mt
(old) ...... —s —*
Ilarrow(nov)...34s 36*
(old) ...—s —a
Brank °4* 214
Oats, Feed l6s 18*
20* 223
Poland 103 20*
213 23s
Potittoe 025 231
—Fine 2 Is 25s
Scotch .............. 2tis 27*
Flour (per :sack) ......... 50s Um
oll=
BNeocNls C0untry...4405:
Bran - 53 Os

SMITHFIELD MARKET, Sa'. 6.
The following is an accurate Report of the :lumbers and
prices at Smithfield hlarket this morning :.....
CATTLE AT MARKET.
Beasts 2,600 I Sheep and Lambs 24,240
Calves 2OO 1 Pigs . 2OO
To sink the Offal, per stone of lifip.
Beef 3s -Id to 4s 2d I Veal .... ..... its fat to 5s 44
Mutton 3s lid to 4s 6d 1 Pork 4s Od co 55 0(1
Lamb 43 6d to Sc 4d.
RAE AND STRAW, pER LOAD.
Hay £o Os to £0 Os Clover 1:0 Oq to £0 Os
- I
New... 3 Os to 5 Os --New 4 Os to 6 Os
Straw 12 108 to C 3 Os.