The Sun.
London, England, 1834-05-19 00:00:00

IRELAND.

SHERIFF'S COURT, DUBLIN, May 15.
(Abridged from the Dublin Morning Register of Friday.)
CRIM. CON.—CONYERS V. WESTROPP.
In this ease the defendant allowed judgment to go by
default in an action brought against him by the plaintiff,
for criminal conversation with his wife. The inquiry took
place before Mr. KINAHAN, as Sheriff's assessor.
Mr. JACKSON, K. C., as leading counsel for the plain-
tiff, addressed the jury, and said he was in this case con-
cerned for Mr. Charles Conyers, a gentleman of considera-
tion and respectability, whose residence was at Castletown-
Conyers, in the county Limerick. He was a gentleman of
an ancient, respectable family, and who would inherit a
very considerable property upon the demise of his fa-
ther. That gentleman now came before the jury to
complain of a very serious injury which had been done
to him, and he had brought his action seeking for com-
pensation from a jury of his countrymen, so far as they
could give him compensation for the injury done to
him, for the debauching of his wife, which had been
committed by the defendant, Edmund- Odell Westropp.
The marriage between Sir. and Mrs. Conyers took place
on the 23d March, 1815. The lady's name was Hart, of
Carass, in the county Limerick. She was a very fine
young woman, and brought a fortune to her husband. Mr.
Conyer's father, who had a property of 2,0001. a year,
made at the time of the marriage a handsome settlement
on his son. He settled immediately upon him 600/. a
year. The estates were settled for the use of the father
during his life, subject to the 600/. a year, and after the
death of the father the whole body of the estates were to
go to young Mr. Conyers, and the issue of the marriage.
A jointure of 3001. a year was settled upon the lady. The
marriage having taken place, the issue from it was one
child—a daughter—a delicate female, now, it was under-
stood, to be about fifteen years of age. The defendant is
a member of an exceedingly respectable family in the
county of Limerick. He resided in Ballinstern, and was
a magistrate of the county of Limerick, in which he re-
sided ; he had a property of 8001. a year. Mr. Westropp
lost his wife in 1831. During the lifetime of his wife
there was an intimacy between his family and that of
Castletown-Conyers—that intimacy continued after the
death of -his wife, and he availed himself of it to ingratiate
himself with this lady, who was exceedingly young at the
time of her marriage, (not more than fifteen years old,)
and was at this time in the prime of life, and exceedingly
attractive. So far as her beauty could be an apology
for the defendant, he was entitled to the full benefit
of it. He began to be exceedingly attentive to the
young lady ; and so incessant and constant did those atten-
tions appear, that Mr. Conyers at last became somewhat
suspicious of them. He perceived the attentive addresses
of Mr. Westropp to Mrs. Conyers ; and he then did what
it became a husband to do—he forbade the defendant his
house. Mr. Westropp abstained from openly visiting at
t
without the knowledge of her husband. He (Mr. J. )
nh
ge
bh
eotuws en
e;
nb
hu
nh
see sl
fu
andccee dtehde i n
ladyh a v ns gtns übceh
aannl utnnd
visite s an h d-
e r
ihad told the jury that there was one child the issue of the
marriage. She was a delicate creature, and the mother was
naturally attached to this her only child, and watched over
her incessantly. Whether it was for the purpose of cover-
ing her designs with Westropp, he (Mr. J. ) did not know;
but she made the illness of her daughter an excuse for
Isleeping in the same room with her, and she no longer oc-
cupied the same bed with Mr. Conyers. On the 21st
August, a nee
dn get edhde
ththghi
ea
garden
htdoeu
san materials,
pca.gchConyers,h daughter
dr lB3alone
tahs
twl
oee
tedthpeh
eifene
defendant
hd a.
o nu ts
leht
;a vs
hoi
fornwn heedprecpoarnnedersa,ladwdhere ofwasropeisn, andth frome
eemployment
ymg arednetn he
clambered
l<lr
carried into effect his plan for seeing this lady. He ap-
proached
into the apartment of the lady, where her
ewm;allhani
n:
approachinghsaarealp pr
saw him apply the ladder of ropes, and afterwards traced
him into the window of the lady's apartment. This was
quite unequivocal • he had no doubt but that something
wrong was intended, and, as became him, he went and
apprised his master that the defendant had gone in through
a window into Mrs. Conyers' apartment. Three or four
persons were brought by Mr. Conyers to the room, in the
expectation that the defendant would be plainly shown to
have been guilty of the crime of adultery. Mr. Conyers
went to the door of his wife's chamber, and gave her to
understand he was there. The wife, who was inside, asked
who was there ? He told her that there were robbers in
the garden, and that he wanted a light ; he said that he
wanted a candle to search about the premises, and she then
handed a candle out to him. She thought by this he had
no suspicion of what was passing in her apartment. It is
supposed that the candle went out, as Mr. Conyers waited
until the other person came up, whom he wanted to secure
the defendant. In a second, he entered the room with
these persons. The door was forced open by them, and
they entered the chamber, when they saw the defendant
rush out in his shirt from one side of the bed. He was
discovered in the actof his guilty intercourse with the unfor-
tunate young woman. He endeavoured to conceal himself
behind another bed ; and not content with the offence he
had already committed, when an attempt was made to ar-
rest him, he actually used the deadly weapons with which
he had armed himself. He snapped at one man a loaded
pistol, and he presented another which burnt prime !

' However, they at length succeeded in securing him, and,
taking him out of the room. He (Mr. J.) believed that
in the course of that operation, he was beaten pretty
smartly. He believed that the men who had thus disco'
vered him in their master's room did give him a beating' t,
Mr. Westropp withdrew from Castletown and went to the
house of a brother of his at Ballingarry ; ;here--would the
jury believe it, he had sufficient influence upon this woman„
to make her forget her duty to herself, her husband, ana, f,
her child, to abandon the mansion where she hsa
lived, and repair to the house of her seducer. She
went to the house of his brother ; she attended hint
there, and she lived with him afterwards in open adultery. .
Patrick Connors--I know the plaintiff in this action.
I know him for some time, about thirteen or fourteen t
iNggliv ‘iy,il,o'enaar3aiiasssnn.rtig
.iser'Nn'i.r.‘at,nrla,gei),
jus:3dst callediratrir
towards
It
psosemC noocit;nk,i:losann,e—hnososyeyieiosenr,rrsehasshti. fromias regiment.
aaCrAa sgman
l .ef oNrVtCeuefons ntfere;:ePtruPhs fortune.
et
ihiler edls
heardefae tn
rememberdaPßBlbt: iii :
untome et i tnhge N garden.it..NVestrolptp one evening at Ballinscaslan, that t
is a mile from Conyers; he was in a tax-cart and v 155 f
this, i
‘os
r.
ought
selNagev
apartments.
ssratbaar‘otts
hty-mgoseol:ri
ininabmtgneds
d.e.
sgis
into
esoilishnrfi.cte
d‘ohtvhlnehi backrseeuwenhls
titr toehdhus
eoop, h 3
tpwa
ow:I:it;
::;i:
we then went;
h(
Lea nanduagsshveatiekgreh.nt)eodr unpinAeirc.h Conyers,ildren liv inangd. told hit
allowance.
Examination continued—Mr. Westropp, when we weur
in, had a case of pistols. I made at him ; I had a pitch,
!
fork. When I saw that he had snapped a pistol, I thong"
I should be justified in myself to arrest him, and I gs,:j 1.
him a blow on the head with a pitchfork. I did not J t
him, but I made another, and then we all laid on bite'
He was dragged down stairs, and flung out in the garcl.el
Not a word passed between Conyers and Westropp he' "—g ;
I laid on him with a pitchfork. Conyers held a candl, t
the door while we were beating Westropp; all Combo
did was to order the pistols to be taken from hint.
_, "it
young girl was not in the room at the time ; she live' " il
Coorah.
arrs
Mr. Delmedge—l am agent to Mr. Conyers ; ,--ii
Conyers, the wife of the plaintiff, was a lady of very WI", 1'
personal attraction; Alin Westropp is a magistrate of 10
county, and he has The Ballinstern estate, and has, I an'
told, 8001. a year. ~,g i
Cross-examined—He has a large family ; Mrs. ConY`—,4
I thought a refined lady; Mr. Conyers might at mom. Jen—
not be as very refined as at others ; the conduct of the Isq
and gentleman towards each other, when married, was
affectionate. ~
Mr. WA LLER, for the defendant, said, the defendant
ddthhieavefdiednnucoael.d plaintiff,esire tob aggravateyany v vexatious
xtahtei 0 injury u rany
dh e
litigating had
i n He
society wasie t y
of his crime—which was as great, he admitted, as one in- i.
He (Mr. Waller) was instructed that the property of tn,e,
cseonusldiblheavoef hciosmemrriottred—hage was conlivinenc:eed
dineffeanedt,anatvlevrays
sgmraelaltlpyreopveertrsyt_atesde—ththatattthheey dla,.e.iefneusnitddanr :tythhosa::
cessive damages, deprive of sustenance nine children, the
eldest of whom was hardly one-and-twenty, and 11
one-and-twenty,youngest not more than four years of age. The defendan.
never was the friend of Mr. Conyers—he never was 9 .
quainted with him—he never was at his house on terms o_ ,
intimacy—he never was at his house during the lifetime of t
his wife. It was not until his wife died that he became
acquainted with Mrs. Conyers. The fact of the case via°, I'
there was an old servant, she might be called a friend, of 1
the Conyers family who was taken into the service of Mr. t
Westropp. She was the confidential friend of Mrs. Cow f
yers, and was in the habit of communicating with her; and "
it was by his means an acquaintance was formed with that (
lady which was the means of bringing all the parties there I
that, day. Mr. Jackson had adverted to the beating Of
the defendant, and it was justified by that learned gentle-
man. With all deference for Mr. Jackson, he (Mr. WO
differed in opinion with him upon that point. He thought
that in the rage and fury, the horror and excitement ofthe
moment, if a man discovers his wife in the act of adultery,
it may be a pardonable species of homicide in him to slaY
with his own hand the adulterer ; but that-was not the es-43
here—it was not the act of the man himself—he did not
ts
strike a blow ; but he had his band of hired wea 55!,
to execute the vengeance he had not the manliness to
ts:s
himself. He who did this could not have the feelings..ol i
man. Here, said the plaintiff, I will restrain myiseu,_.,a
find the adulterer in my very chamber, and yet I w'll.Tfee
by calmly ; I will not take vengeance myself, but I will
others take it, and I—will hold the candle. In 9131 ~
things they could see as perfect traits before
as if the volume of his whole life was unravelled
• as be was "
them. Here they found the plaintiff acting
......ds v.
scribed in his brief ; a man fond of low comr
anYanuable,
garding the ties of domestic duty—.married to
aXabandon-
of a man's eharau`e"
a highly accomplished, and a polished female, an
other witness of the transactions of that awful nighty
_Oll
plaintiff ventuee to bring forward. The man has Y__o
companion,ing her for stuheeh
pimp, who
ion companions
proved
et
dh et
he wretch
case, Connor—the
fo
rn t twe
that Air. Westropp had pistols, and that Mr. Conyerso I_l,
standing at the door. Will you believe what Conn. s'l"
the
—that a man, strong, one of the most powerful Could
country, a man in the prime of his strength, w
be rushed upon, as Connor says he did,jt
pitchfork, and disarmed ? I will tell you how
occurred. " I see," said Conyers to Mr. WestroPPl
~ you are here. I only want witnesses to have a divorce,
from that wretched and abandoned woman there." lie TO
bringing in his witnesses, when, seeing that the other w.i.51.
armed, he said, " I will suffer you to depart from I.";
house peaceably. I have no intention of injuring you.
The other said, " I am willing to give you the satisfactient
which one gentleman can give to another. I confess them
I have injured you, and I am ready to stand a shot fre'i
von." " Give me up the pistols, ' said Conyers, " All,
I pledge you my honour no harm shall be done
71
you.'' As soon as the pistols were given up, it wag is
.
that Connor's blood began to rise in him. The
is
_,'...'
very like that of Conyers, and it is thought there istes..r,rie
lationship. He (Mr. W. ) would show, by mcon twi
effect
evidence, that nothing was left unaccomplished to .......,_:,
the death of Mr. Westropp : his skull was fractured .t,,
was penetrated with the stabs of pitchforks. Have flesh
treated Mr. Westroop in this way, he was , ,
and weltering in his blood, into the yosu•
p Lrently dead,
the guilty partner of his offence/
The unfortunate woman,
d
lin of humanity, had a pillow place
but not lost to every fee
g b one of the wretches, and the
underhis head; it was seen with
standing her sin, had feeling a
creature never
fortunate, a more beautiful and interesting
were
seeing that they t.O
existed—this unfortunate woman,
1, -as stretched, 5",
about to murder the unhappy man w,..0.v*
her, We'
almost naked, having only her chemise up
' ' upon
the feline(
shouldplainti flw. til
sels, i rt cod seeit t oh i bme
died dragged !edi,
dfrho inches.mu 1 bn,a;,nhniiets3a,st:h.ae,nmsdaayntih,nonguetgthwhaituthhn.e.
herself across his body, and in that positio
was ~.tit
with the red head, who was on the table, heree
was
Hugh
to transpierce both with a pitchfork, when he,
was right in point of law—for that would haveh Dnrd; ip
• tifiable o ie..
der in those wretches, though jus himself. hbe Enrateindlo tt hhs eahrte,
sshaaen,d.
"t,
oht
ulal
lted
their n iottchsftoi rr k
intentt
that
av
wase n
nt i
ingthh::rodf
rue:rmh
andi
!.tihetne_
s_.
bra...
de
a :do
the;
Conyers, who had not the heart to do it
witnesss, the
After the learned counsel had called h;s...ith a verdict
jury retired for a short time, and returne:. '''
_........
for the plaintiff, with '2,500i, damages, a
. .
d sixpence costs.

anw,itazsiembleinnihsht:naesrbs beenuofsml 't
business
Friday
aPsr
1 n t e r or, I 1
foragrow ....._.-7----.---------
jellies and ices."
tionsAA
The general appearance of the hop piall.ts;
i tnigtt,iihiinsdAilkindly,
journeyman,iiconfectionerneighbourhood
u countyrsnhlewohxaokfoeidsnarges isssf
Godrieo synh Sessions on
t oaa promising,nvo dd
nn iendersgstahotreuo advertot
aprbiai
o:%.
HmtarrefyoArdahJoonueryn:
al.
wretched-looking old woman,
alof ienfkrdeet clothes,nhaewe
offender,
cat-stealingtof
fbefuehnt
atdw youngei har
no wwaa
and
known as a cat-skinner, was indicted for steel:nye!
• g $
child of three years old, with an intent to take
~,.'"
policeman. The prisoner was found guilty, when the re
chairman said that the prisoner at the bar looked 11,.,
years ; and sentenced her to be tr 1)
ve:ebanewhtti
eineterdgnn.eidbnist
0)
,t the
he spirited iursi
seizedtteo ddyi holdo
ingly. The court got throu
°hats been known these
session in one day—earlier than
"x o'clock, to the 9.9tb
Ha
et
yeast
e arteee{r. oa
cf sevenceonrdi
two years—and adjourned at st.
si‘aiyins_Tisitle,e,r
LBofieeNurilrar.inG;se p
0: o 5
or
mare
lii
i_tt
eho
...re
instant. asandlsuamdpgnyraaoen:(
the King has also accepted the re.
State Gazette of the 9th in' stall;
and nominated Baron de. Brenn to be his successp:
M. de Schukinan will, however, continue to acetate,ivn
nister of State and Member of the Council of
go,
and also in the commission for managing the °toe
theipßroovTinTcliaNlGstamtesA,
MATCH.
—On
tlf the
signation of M. Scehnuekraml
Prince Royal. M. de Rother, Councillor °of the
Finances, is charged with the administration
brides and roads."
last,:
trotting match took place between Mr•
and a gelding belonging to a Mr. Harvey cue of
London) over that celebrated three-mile Pit.e, and
ground between the Green Man, Blackheet`ivevf
Shooter's-hill, for a considerable sum of money, ;vottritO
bets were also pending, the horse being the le,„ort•
at starting. Early in the afternoon a number 01.7 the
ing gentlemen from London met at the SUP loci,
Sands, where the merits of the horses and of the a for
lord's best cheer filled up the time until the Pel3,°,locl;•
starting arrived. The match came off at six
0 -NA
in the evening. The horse, rode by M,Donald bio,
the lead at starting, the mare being well up witit,„isb:
but she broke, and was turned three times, n°".; 00
standing which she won cleverly in ten millutu-
twenty seconds ; rode by Weston.