The Sun.
London, England, 1802-09-03 00:00:00

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THE KING (v. WIN,TEZI.

Tins was a prosecution against the Defendant,
a Carpenter and Builder-at Chatham; for having in
his possession certain Naval Stores masked with the
broad arrow, . - '

The Counsel for the Creiwn stated, that the D/-.
fendant was, engaged in building three h 'uses in
the neighbourhood of the Dock-yard. A person.
belonging 'to the Yard had remarked part of a
rnast lying near the Defendant's premises,'
and he suspected the Defendant was
.ereetit4g his
bouses -at the expence .of the public._ A :search
warrant Was issued, when it-was cikover-&.l:4.hat
most of the trails used in thestruan. re of the lintsts-
had
_the"King's mark upon them.' A bOk of nai,ls
was found under a beer lsdrrel in tire cellar.. -It
appeared that the Defendant- shewed no unwil*
lingnest ,to have his premises searched; and upon
the t-tails beirrg found, he—acknowledged- that,he
had' bought them of the children who. frequently,
came abour to sell such articles. A',very satisfac.
tory reason was given for his n.on-resi4rance, for the
,son who went to search,, aCtuated more by his
prudence than his valour, had adopted.the precau-
tion at taking eleven labourers with him.. It turned
out upon cros-examination, that the nails were not
altogether worth abdwe 4i•

Mr. Gira NE Y addressed 'the Jury for the Defend-
ant. He inferred that this was a prosecution
which might very well have been spared,, consider-
wing the minuteness of the objeCts found in the De-
fendant's • possession. He observed, that it was a
very common thing for the childteri Of, persons
who worked in the Dock.yard, to %ell the 'hails
which were found among the chips the men were
allowed as perquisites: The Defendant, he. said,
had innocently purchased them, and as no other
stores had been found, and as he. had been pc to
great inconvenience and expellee by the prosecu-
tion, he trusted the jury woulti not think it *a vio-
lation.of their duty to acquit him.

A. Witness was called to prove that nails ;:•ere;`
usually found among the, chips ; but when cross_ex-
atnined, he said it was always customary to sill,
them carefUlly, and that if the persons whose dull.
it was to do so omitted it, or performed it caracss-
ly, they were sure, to be discharged. '

Several Witnesies who had khown-the Defendant
many years, gave him• the charafier of an honest.:
and industrious man. ,

The LORD CHIEF BARON .observed,', that' the
offence of carrying King's stores from-the Dock.:
yards, was a very serious one, .and attended with
great: public injury. It was •ttue, the artitles
tburi.l in the Defendant's. possess of very
trifling value, but that circumstance could make
no difference with regard 'to the verdio.. of ire
Jury. It washy small quantities taken atilifferent
times, these sort of depredations were swelled, to ski
enormous 'a Magnitude.-- The facility ..of, finding
purchasers tempted .:the men employed in the
King's Yards'to betray the -trust reposed in. them.
. certainly wait, not a ‘.case which deltwided any
very serious punishment; but as the fat bird been
proved, the Jury had •no alternative as to. their
verdkt. Ir would be for -the Court hereafter to
consider what ought to be the consequence of it.
The Jury pronounced the Defendant Gui/ty..
As the affair was of. so trifling a nature, the De-
fendant was not .cOmmitted td prison, but- was al-
lowed to go at large, upon giving toool. bail to
appear next Term in the Court of .King's i3eraeh.to
receive judgment.

Last Monday, . as a Gentleman was going alOng
the Kent road, he was attacked by a ferocious mas-
tiff dog; Fortunately he had a heavy stick in his
hand, with which 'he conquered the creature, by
breaking 'both his,:fore.legs, and striking him
the loins. The owners of such fierce animals are
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censurable for no securing them.

A few days since a lad who had exercised several
alts of cruelty to some sheep, was con.vided before
the Sitting Aldermen at Guildhall, and committed
for one month io hard labour. This proceeded-upon
the Prosecution of the aociety for the-Suppresiun of
Vice..- .
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