The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-09 00:00:00

SAMPSON V. SAMPSON.

This was a suit for divorce, by reason of cruelty
and adultery, promoted by Mary Sampson against
Richard Sampson, her husband. The libel, on
which fourteen witnesses were examined, alleged
that the parties were married on the 23,1 of Sep-
tember, 1810, at Bristol, and cohabited till January,
1831, having had six children, four of whom were
living—that in 1829 a great alteration took place in
the general conduct and habits of Mr. Sampson,
who neglected his business, absented himself from
his wife and family, and treated his wife with great
violence and cruelty, herring her with his clenched
fist, swearing at her, and calling her opprobrious
names—that in January, 1831, being struck with
his clenched fists, Mrs. Sampson complained to a
magistrate, and Mr. Sampson was bound to keep
the peace towards her, and here the cohabitation
ceased. An allegation responsive to the libel,
on which seven witnesses had been examined,
denied the charges of violence, and pleaded that
Mrs. Sampson was in the habit of abusing her hus-
band, and striking him, and scratching his face—
that she avowed her only object was to oblige her
husband to provide her a separate maintenance ;
that the disagreements in 1829 arose from Mrs.
Sampson refusing to sleep with her husband, and
on one occasion she threw a cat into his room,
telling him that she should be his bedfellow. The
allegation contained other allegations against Mrs.
Sampson, of abusing, spitting at, striking, and
scratching her husband, and of threatening to mur-
der him. A further allegation on the part of the
wife set up a charge of adultery against Mr. Samp-
son, alleged to have been committed by him with
Hannah Hitchens, wife of George Hitchens, which
was denied in a counter-allegation on his part.
Dr. DODSON (for Mrs. Sampson), stated, that
these parties had lived in the utmost harmony for
nearly twenty years, till Mr. Sampson's connexion
with Hannah Hitchens. Mr. Sampson, who was
a tailor, employed Hannah Hitchens to make
waistcoats, and carried the materials to her
lodgings, generally in the absence of her hus-
band. Two young men, named Taylor and
Riley, who lived opposite, saw acts of indecent fa-
miliarity between Mr. Sampson and Mrs. Hitchens,
which they intimated to the former by a note, con-
taining the words " Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's wife." The discovery was communi
it to Mrs. Sampson, whose notice of led to a
visit from Mr. and Mrs. Hitchens, the former of
whom kicked Mrs. Sampson, in the presence of Mr.
Sampson ; which was acknowledged by Mr.
Hirchens himself. Mr. Sampson, the learned ad-
vocate observed, was a powerful man, and his wife
was a little woman. Other witnesses spoke to acts
of cruelty and to marks and bruises on Mrs. Samp-
son's person.
Dr. PursirmostE had never met with a case in
which there was so much vindictive feeling as on the
part of Mrs. Sampson. Both the charges were got
up merely to satisfy her vengeance against her hus-
band, an industrious man, who had raised himself
from low beginnings to a respectable situation in
life. Mr. and Mrs. Hitchens were persons of re-
putation. After the suit for cruelty had been nearly
brought to a hearing, Mrs. Sampson had been per-
mitted by the Court to ingraft upon it a charge of
adultery; though there was nothing in the former
plea about her jealousy of Mrs. Hitchens, into
which the whole case resolved itself.

The further hearing of the case (which occupied
six hours) was adjourned till to-morrow (this day),

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—HEREFORD, Aua. 6.

THE KING V. JOHN MATTHEWS.

The prisoner was indicted for shooting at Mar-
tha Wooding, with intent to kill and murder her.
The prisoner and the prosecutrix had been left in
charge of a house at Hom, in this county, he being
the gardener and she the housekeeper. She fancied
something improper was going on between her niece
and the prisoner, and interfered to prevent it. The
house was then let, and the prisoner had notice to
quit the service. He was angry at it, and they had
some words together. On the 2d of July she was
rebuking her niece on the subject of her conduct
with the prisoner, when she received a shot from
a pistol which she had seen in his hands a moment
before. It made a small wound in her cheek, and
was very slight. She stated, however, her firm
belief that it was a mere accident, as Matthews
always carried pistols about with him, and if he
liked might easily have done her a serious injury
The witness was exceedingly anxious to save the
prisoner, arid the Judge directed an acquittal upon
her evidence.

NORFOLK ClRCUlT.—Noinricll, AUG. 7.
Josiah Pitcher was indicted fur feloniously killing
and s uying Lawrence Girling.
This was a ca,e of death by fighting. On the
30 h of March last the prisoner, the deceased, and
his father, were at the Bird in Rind, at Ellingham,
wit h several other persons, all drinking and merry-
making. In the cou►se of the evening a dispute
arose between the deceased and one Bros n, respect-
ing a rabbit. The prisoner among others inter-
fered, in order to promote an amicable adjustment
of the difference, and the deceased objected to his