The Sun.
London, England, 1833-01-25 00:00:00

DISCOVERY of a MURDER COMMITTED
IN TAUNTON TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO.

(From the Taunton Courier.)

In January, 1809, the body of Patrick Chastey, 22
years of age, was found in the river at Creech St. Michael,
about three miles from this town. The deceased was a
drummer in the 19th Regiment of Foot, commanded by
Captain Lockyer, and had suddenly disappeared on the
2d or 3d of December preceding. An inquest was held
on the body, before Mr. Scadding, then Coroner for this
part of the county, and after a long investigation, ren-
dered more than ordinarily difficult by the decomposed
state of the body, which had evidently remained several
weeks in the water, a verdict of " Found drowned" was
returned.

Some suspicious circumstances conneeted with the death
of the deceased transpired at the time, and four
persons—John Brooks, Charles Way, Anthony Jerrard,
and John Monk, alias Monckton—were supposed to be
implicated in the alleged murder of the deceased; bur,
after a slight investigation, the imputation was not per-
sisted in, although at various periods insinuations of their
guilt have been made by different persons.
Thursday last Jerrard, who now is, and was at the
time of Chastey's disappearance, landlord of the Black
Boy public-house, in Black Boy-lane, St. James's•street,
in this town, was drinking at the George Inn, where a
wrangle ensued between him and Mr. Ricketts, veterinary
surgeon, of this town, in the course of which a person
present, in an under tone, suggested to Ricketts that he
should ask Jerrard " what had become of the drummer's
money ?" Upon this Jerrard observed that "he neither
stole the money, nor did he kill him, but he knew who
did."

This expression was followed by a detail of particulars,
which led to further inquiry, and induced the Magistrates
to issue warrants of apprehension against the prisoners
before mentioned. A diligent and strictly secret exami-
nation of various persons likely to throw light on this
affair has been continued for two days at the Wilton gaol,
-v here the prisoners are in custody, and the investigation
is to be resumed this day.
Various well-authenticated statements are before us in
reference to this singular event, but it would be improper,
in this stage of the business, to develop the facts of the
information we have obtained. The particulars of the
discovery of the body, and the apprehension of the pri-
soners, were detailed in the Taunton Courier of the 19th
January, 1809.

Way di rd a few days ago, and was very frequently taunted
with having been concerned in the murder of the drummer.
Brooks is a pauper of this town, and Monk, or Monckton,
is a butcher.

The following account of the same affair is from theTaun-
ton correspondent of the Sherborne Journal. The
whole affair forms a strong resenblance to the c.lse of Eu-
gene Aram.

An incident has occurred at Taunton during the last week,
which has engrossed the attention of our townsfolk, as one
more added to the many proofs—that " murder will out."
In 1809, a portio❑ of the 19th Regiment was stationed
here ; a drummer in this regiment had some money left
him, and sat down to cards with three other men, inhabit-
ants of the town, namely, one Brooks, then an inn-
keeper; Monck, a butcher; and Way, who is since
dead. Instead of their pocketing the drummer's money,
as they had expected, the drummer pocketed theirs, and
they departed late at night, and somewhat flushed with
liquor; and, procuring some mutton chops, took them to
the Black Boy Inn, then, and now, kept by Anthony
Jerrard, where the drummer followed them. All that
was known at the time was, that the drummer was missed
on the following day; and three weeks afterwards the body
was found floating in the river at Creech ; but so decom-
posed and bruised (it was then supposed, by passing
through the leeks, &c.), that the surgeon could not be
positive that murder had been committed, and a Coroner's
Jury returned a verdict of " Found Drowned." The affair
was forgotten, when, on Friday evening last, Jerrard,
the landlord of the Inn to which they had retired after
their cards on the night in question, was much intoxicated,
and related, to a large party; several particulars which had
not been before disclosed. He stated that, after Brooks,
Monek, and Way, entered his house, the drummer fol-
lowed, and some violent words past between them, the un•
successful party commanding him to leave the house, which
he did. He had not been gone many minutes, before one
of thc, party said, " Lets go and make him give up the
money." They went accordingly, and were absent about
halt an hour. We have heard two accounts of the rest of
the story ; the first says, that, on their return, they ob-
served, " they had settled him," or something to that
effect; the other report relates, that they told Jerrard
all the particulars of the murder, and that they had thrown
the body into the river. Which is the correct account we
have no means of ascertaining at present. This extraor-
dinary story, thus related by Jerrard, was speedily con-
veyed to the authorities, and Jerrard, Brooks, and
Monck, were taken into custody, and were privately ex-
amined on Monday. What was elicited we do not know,
and we wait, with much anxiety, additional information on
this singular affair.

The Key of the gates of Valenciennes, lately
presented to the KING on entering the town, is gilt, and
bears the Lion and Swans, which form the arms of the
town, with inscriptions recording that it was presented to
the First Consul in 1802, to the EMPEROR in 1810, to
CHAar.Es X. in 1829, and to Louts PHILIP in 1833.

CORINNE.—'Phis celebrated Romance will
form the next volume of the " Standard Novels and Ro-
mances." " The narrative of Madame de Stael is as lively
and affecting as her descriptions are picturesque and beau-
tiful. The conception of the story is also in a high degree
original ; the difference of the national character is the
force that sets all in motion, and it is Great Britain and
Italy, the extremes of civilized Europe, that are personified
and contrasted in the hero and heroine of this romantic
tale. To the question, who is Corinne? Lord NELVIL
received for answer that she was the most celebrated per-
sonage in all Italy—an excellent poet—an improvisatrice,
and one of the most beautiful women in Rome. That she,
was a woman of fortune—but that respecting her birth'
and family, nothing certain was known. The account of
the first visit to Corinne—the description of her house—
her person—.her conversation—are striking and beautiful
in the highest degree,"— Edinburg. h Review.

It may be considered by many that we are too
severe upon the present system of Church pa-
tronage, but we can solemnly declare that such
is not the 'conviction of our hearts, for when
closelyinterrogated, the answer from thence was,
we are discharging a duty to ourselves, to the
clerical profession, to the Church of God."
We know no distinction between an Archbishop
and Anti-Christ, save as developed in deeds.
At these only we shall look, and not at elevated
station : that may be filled by the mean-minded,
the worldly-interested, and the party-devoted.
By this criterion we lately tried the present
Archbishop in three instances, in each of which
that prelate was proved to have bestowed fresh
preferment on those already preferred. We
shall now note three fresh existing instances of
archiepiscopal and episcopal patronage. The
names are, Dr. Morris, of Brentford, Mr. T.
Horne, of Chiswick, and Dr. Russell, late of
the Charter-house. Now we contend, that
though there was no pluralism done in these
instances, there was a gross violation of episco-
pal duty in all, and a shameless disregard evinced
to a starving profession. We know what the
profession is in its subordinate members: so do
the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop
of London ; but with them the knowledge of
the evil brings no remedy of the same ; with us,
the only means in our power are applied to the
malady, the correction of the public press. We
are guiltless of the origin of the disease, and
seeing it in fatal power, we do not neglect that
duty, incumbent on every member of the
Church, to exterminate evil Ity even the humble
means we can command. An hour may come
when the humble writers of the present attacks
on the bloated pluralists, who already crouch be-
neath us in our infant strength—an hour may
come, we say, when, with the adult power of the
rising writer, and the highly circulated journal
that supports itself in independent strength,
each blow will be fatal to this iniquitous system,
and the victory which the voices of thousands
of Englishmen will unite in hailing with our
own, be complete, final, and determined. We
have but begun : we have mightier power stored;
and the increase of light in our mind, which is
growing with the growth of time, we trust will
ultimately reach an earthly stature, glorious as
that chained Titan, who suffered only for his
benefits to man. We can feel, like him, a fire
celestial is in our hands for man—a spirit, like
that child's of heaven and earth, is in us, and
and we regard not the puny present and its petty
evils : our eyes rest on the undimmed glories,
from our exertions, we see rising fora!l in the blue
and distant vista of heaven. Hence, in out
attacks, we are never personal. We regard not
the individual : we look at him in his state ;
and we have a right to the free comment on
that state—how he originally deserved it—and
also how he discharged its duties. To begin
with Dr. Morris, of Brentford :—This gentle-
man is a very well-approved schoolmaster, with
an immensely lucrative establishment, situated at
Brentford. Were we to put down Dr. Morris's
profits at 1,5001. per annum, it would be low,
cnmpared to what he is known to make and to
have long made. This gentleman, then, had
his time fully occupied with his immense esta-
blishment, to do justice to which was all that
could be reasonably expected from him, and for
this he was paid an income quite proportionate
to Dr. Morris's merits, who, though amiable
and moderately intelligent, was never put down
as first-rate. With this income he had attained
to all that in society, as at present constituted,
Dr. M. was entitled to claim. Some may think
to more ; but Bishop Howley was not of this
mind, and conferred on him a highly valuable
living. Well that, if in his neighbourhood,
some of our readers may say, was not objection-
able. Unfortunately, it was very distant from
Dr. Morris; it was known, at the time it was
given, that he never would reside ; and from that
day, many years since, to the present, the
wealthy schoolmaster has preferred the nearer
and more commodious, and probably more
lucrative, Brentford school, to the cure of
souls upon his distant living. This is one
instance of a Bishop giving a living to
an already rich man, and to one on whom he
never expected to be resident for the right dis-
charge of his solemn duties. Mr. Horne, of
Chiswick, furnishes us with a second instance of
a precisely similar case. Every one knows the
establishment of Mr. Horne, at Chiswick, to be
extremely lucrative—a first-rate school of large
emolument—we should think higher than we
have stated Dr. Morris's income to be, which is
much within compass. In this " high and
palmy state," wanting for no comfort that earth
could supply, Mr. Horne received from episco-
pal hands (the same Btshop Howley's) the va.
bible living of St. Catherine, Coleman-street.
Living at Chiswick, he is never in residence,
and the Bishop knew he never would be. These
are facts, broad facts, awkward facts, to use the
ci-levant Chriatian Advocate's expression, of
which the world is aware. And now we proceed
to instance the third,—Dr. Russell, late of the
Charter-house. Here Bishop Blomfield was the
clear offender—we do not say culprit; but he
merits the term for the distribution of patronige
in this instance, for Bishopsgate is in his gift.
Dr. Russell was the Head Master of the Char-
ter-house—the unsuccessful Head Master; for
he succeeded, by a cleverness peculiar to the
Dunciad genus, in diminishing the numbers of
this noble institution far below all former prece-
dent. lie held a Prepend of Canterbury, with
the Head Mastership of the Charter-house, and
also a City living. Was not this ample? The
Head Mastership amounted to many thousands
per annum, the stall was highly valuable, and
the city living he was not required to reside on.
On this poor man, episcopal patronage—Bishop
patronageconferred Bishopsgate, a
living of 2,0001. per annum. This is our third
instance. Clergy of the diocese of London, is
it thus your Bishop consults your interests ? Is
it thus that your valuable parochial exertions are"'
requited ? Is it thus the cure of souls is ad-
ministered by your Bishop ? Painfully, with a
deep acid degrading shame for such deeds in one
of our, own body, do we declare it is thus, and
it has been long thus; but the advance of in-
telleCt and light prevents it thus continuing.
Dr. Russell had his point d'appui—why take:
him from thence, when numerous other clergy-
men could have been found, in every respect the

You speak of his " searching and business-
like habits." I grant that he has displayed
great and praiseworthy industry and much acute-
ness in successfully adapting portions of different
machines to the object he has had in view ; but
if by " business-like habits," you mean a general
knowledge of the operations of trade, which con-
stitutes a portion of the science of political eco-
nomy, I must deny your proposition, and con-
vict him from his own work. In his strictures
on the bookselling trade, his reasoning is based
on a fallacy from first to last. He makes a
statement of the prime cost of his own work,
and then shows that some 33 per cent. of
the retail price goes into the pocket of the
publisher. This assumes that the business
of publishing costs nothing—that no labour is
expended upon it—that the moment the book
is ready, the public will pour in and take it front
the publisher's counter for ready money. This
is not so. A portion of the per centage is di-
vided amongst the trade who help to retail the
book. In the case of the Professor's work,
Nhich became deservedly popular, a rapid sale
mente.asenwleithall
f%)voaosksp?roculrteids;anbtuttnfiasir thstisate
fate
ques-
tion really is, what is the average profit which
the pubisher realises upon the whole of the
books which he publishes within the year, some
of which " make a hit," and many of which
are a dead loss. If we look around amongst the
booksellers, we shall pronounce that their suc-
cess is not greater, that they do not make
larger or more rapid fortunes, than other
tradesmen, as compared with the capital and the
talent they employ. If one man amongst them
prove more successful than his brethren, it will
be found either that he has more skill in puffing,
or more interest with the professional puffers,
or more judgment in selecting the works he pub-
lishes. Some houses make it a rule to publish
?.very thing which offers, trusting to their puff-
power alone ; and doing, by this means, a large
amount of business for a given number of years,
secure a sufficient profit before they are found
out by the public. But the cause of this is not
the established 33 per cent. upon each book :
the publishers never realise any thing approach-
ing to it. The cause is, that they rival the
blacking men in puffing. Generally speaking,
the booksellers arc far from an intelligent
class of men. They cannot judge of the
value of a work, either in intrinsic merit,
or the improbable popularity. They suffer au
author to write himself into notice, mostly at his
own risk ; and when he has succeeded they will
publish any thing that he may offer, even with-
out examination. But Professor Babbage is
utterly wrong in setting forth the prime cost as
the whole expenditure of, capital on a book.
The labour and expense of publishing and re,
tailing is frequently greater than that of the
wrought material ; and, without this labour
and expense, the work in many cases would
not circulate at all. As well might the
cheapness of the Birmingham and Shef-
field toys be cited as a proof of the large
profits of the perambulating Jews who sell
them. They probably realise 200 per cent.
on the sale, but how much do they sell ?
The fact is, they are just paid about the
rate of their personal maintenance for their
labour in the process of distribution. Their
return is small, and if they did not get the
profit they would cease to be distributors, froth
the impossibility of their living upon the amount
of their earnings. If Professor Babbage would
wish to diminish all profits in trade to the exact
per centage which he thinks it fitting capital
should produce, what would become of the
hordes of green-grocers, chandlers, shopkeepers„
and others, who probably realise cent. per cent„
and who could not live unless they did so?
Before he legislates on the per centage, he must
increase the quantity of business for each per-
son, unless, upon second thoughts, he should
think it wiser to leave the matter to the guid-
ance of those interested in it. The fact is, that
booksellers must get a large profit on the books
which do sell, in order to compensate the loss
on those which do not sell : and if the authors
wish to remedy the evil, they must resolve
amongst themselves to write no bad books or no
unpopular books, and deal with no bookseller
who publishes any such books. Bookselling is
like most other trades : if the profits be enor-
mous, capital will soon flow into it, and com-
petition will reduce the profits. No men gain
very large profits, unless in the case of doing
desirable things which others cannot do. There
was one Walter Scott---and he had his own
price for his books; there are many publishers,
and the public can choose amongst them.

3tthseAyp,ortwraitts
in a bed-
-
ANECDOTE OF A PAINTING.—M the Sale of
(if A paintingsitcß 1
iso
An
LtID7 IDCluti
khei opos:tra, nrA:ataa at
aLlidgo,:bec;ns ttiliteuA,ng
“ffercd, and in answer to an inquiry how a small injury
o the canvass had happened, the auctioneer related the fol-
lowing anecdote :—The
to an, which wa• on one occasion occupied by a female
drotnestic; the girl fancying that the Duke of ARGYLL
ered her too closely whilst she was diesing, became ic.
..i;uant, and seizing a poker aimed a blow with the intent
of putting the Duke's eye out ; the poker missed the eye,
bur perfors•sl t';.€ canvass close to the face.