The Sun.
London, England, 1833-11-21 00:00:00

COMMON PLEAS.-(THIS DAY.)

(Sittings in Banco.) re
The COURT, after disposing of motions, of course
ceeded with tl.e new trial paper. rape
Nothing of interest transpired up to the hour 0
going to press.
Sittings at Nisi Prius before Mr. Justice PARE II-
Middlesex Jury.
BELL V. DAGGETT.
fsse
Mr. HUMPHREYS opened the pleadings. In this -011
Mary Bell was the plaintiff, and Edward Dauuelljot
defendant, and the declaration stated, that the dela),
had spoken and said certain slanderous words 01
concerning the plaintiff, by which her character and retoi,
tation had been injured. The damages were laid at 10
Mr. Sergeant ADAMS stated the case to the jury.
client was a widow lady (the mother of a family cn 01,
children, many of thew grown up), residing in Deet'or
and now came before a jury of her country in e°
tpe
quence of having been made, for some cause or other/ dt,
object of the foul aspersions and malignities of the he
fondant. No individual could deprecate snore tbs°
(Mr. Sergeant Adams) did, actions of this descriptios.4
general grounds, and particularly where the off/ to
party may manifest a willingness to apologize for, s 0 re.
retract any slander he may have uttered, but in the pear
sent case no such feeling had shown itself, and it v/segsel
that the deliberate mention of the defendant Poe
been to destroy by his slanderous aspersions id/
character of the plaintiff. The slander of to
Da.
the plaintiff complained was of a most serious bet
ture, and had been repeated by the plaintiff on more t
one occasion, and in more than one company, and
accusation was no less than that the plaintiff, sine°
death of her husband, had been the mother of an illeglor
mate child, and had murdered that child. This; 101 a)
had been proclaimed by the defendant in langdege to
course, and in terms so di.igusting, as almost os
prevent his (Mr. Sergeant Adams) giving utters 10
to them, his duty alone made it imperative upon hi 13,11
do so. The words were these:—" What has Mrikeffe
done with her hilly—infamous wretch, her lonise is
than a b—y house. D—n her, she is worse rba sti
Burker, and I will have her hanged." The defendoo',,er
should show, had used those expressions over add op
again, and that too without a pretence for doing s°;.ff er
indetd, he did not even dare to justify what he bad ;to
undertake to prove that the accusation was founded 0,
truth. If true, indeed the plaintiff ought now t° be the
her trial for child murder, instead of corning heforeoro
Court and calling upon her slanderer to prove the Aitf,
he had uttered. These words manifested a deep miligrjoilli
a bad heart, were those of a man who required the slf,
ree
_r
arm of the law to repress bim in his slanderous to
and were such as called upon a Jury of the metropolis
visit with exemplary damages.
Mr. Robert Reed, examined by Mr. Huatetis'sl.
deposed that he was a schoolmaster, residing id C: "rile(
street, Deptford, and that the plaintiff, who tonce loft
husband's deceae bad carried on his business of a tald I
lived in the same neighbourhood. The defendant, whO
a dyer, resided next door to the plaintiff, whose hush"e
;,,
had been dead about two years, leaving six children. I°4`,
of whom were grown up. In the month of June, 1S °f
was present when the defendant sail to the apprentice
the plaintiff, named Burbidge, " What has Mrs. Bell afae
ro
with her belly ? Infamous wretch ! her house is Outs,.
than a b—y !muse. What bas she done with her to
dered child ? She is worse than a burker. I heee,d,
parish officers to back me ; and I will have her hang be
her ! I will do for her." Witness bad heard '
defendant use these expressions more than once. , iff
Cross examined by Mr. Sergeant TADDY—Nobody
present but witness, and the apprentice, Burbidge. 10,1 i
had been a quarrel between the plaintiff and defend()
about a pig-stye which had been _Atilt in the
garden.
Wm. Henry Burbidge examined by Mr. Seege74
ADAMS, deputed that he was apprentice to the
husbind, and had since his death been assigned °,ooi
widow. Witness was building a pig stye at the WO
of his mistress's garden in the month of June last. tye
defendant, who lived next door, came up and said there,
(witness) should not do it because it was a ndi°, 110
Witness still proceeded, and at length he repeated 00
words as detailed by the first witness. Witness der'
plaintiff what had occurred, and she desired him CO Dt'gr
from building the pig stye. Witness had a second ed°Als
sation when the witness Reid was present, and the

words were repvated at the second interview. 0
In his cross-examination by Mr. Sergeant TAPyJ
r)
witness said that be did not know any other MO'

except Li! mistress.

°

Mr. E. W. James deposed that he was oil
the parochial authorities of Greenwich, and pre
about two years ago the defendant came In
the Board, and said that be believed the ploitoef
had been in a state of pregnancy for some tb
of
that she had recently been absent from home for a °
period, and that since her return the appearancested,
pregnancy had been removed ; and that he, having e,
reason to believe the child had been improperly disP Abe
of, he wished the Board to institute some inquiry ict°oo
circumstance.. Witness expressed as his opinion
the investigation should be by indictment, and dist re
Board could not interfere. The plaintiff is nog to
ceipt of parochial relief.
Mr. Sergeant TADDY, for the defendant, called
the Jury to look upon the case with every dispositi%oir
do justice, and would give the question of damages ftVe
temperate consideration. He relied upon the fact ° roe
defendant having applied to the parochial Board, as a PO
that he believed that which he had stated to be true• rod
case, under such circumstances, was one for tele";
damages, particularly in the absence of any el 00
that she had suffered in her business in conseque° dd
the imputation which had been cast upon her by the
fendant, under the belief that these imputations were
founded.

Mr. Justice PARK briefly charged the Jury, svhk/
a short deliberation, returned a verdict for the plain"
Damages 80/.

ger tiF
CAPTAIN Ross.—The following le,
copied from one written by this gallant seaman to life:
friend and brother officer, who had forwarded his 01,',,,r,
tulations upon his safe return. Both the parties 1010
messmates) were desperately wounded together in boS
a French ship of war s
A oilo%'
" Nov. 9,2, Duchess•street, Pontius... ,ioo't,
" My Dear —, —Among the many congratulP o'gr
have received since my return none have been ronteoJolo
come than yours ; and I should hive thanked yooo°
if I could, but I have been completely occupied, an j, 0
are now snore than fifty letters before me unanssver'd ree,o
saw —, and desired him to write you that be bs
me alive—which was also a reason for my delay' of
flattering compliment you have paid me, and the r 70,0,
Lion of me by your late worthy father, are circuriVo
of which I feel deeply sensible. I can only say, by noe,;
a place for me, you have done what no other
iiirthe
thought me worthy of. You will be glad to bee fly
the present Government have taken up my ca 0,0
warmly, and have liberally paid my crew. My oe t;vc
must come before Parliament. It will be °(s9 ob
before my narrative will be published, having all 01
vations to work, as we had no N. A. for two yrs,rl.ss,
" JOHN 11'1 ,cis
SP f'
Died on Wednesday last, R. Ringhaohires
maker. He had been bell ringer for the sexton', °OO/
borough upwards of twenty years ; a muffled peal ft
Misr his fuacral....Stwfsford News.