The Sun.
London, England, 1804-07-30 00:00:00

ME,LANCHOLY CI KCUALSTANCE.

A Gestlernirs- who arrived from Sierra Leone,
in the Pe rigoin Sloop of War, gives the, following
particulars of a melancholy circumstance which oc.
cured on the Coast of Africa,, a few days previous
to his departure on the Ist of June
" A boat from the—lnconstant Frigate, which was
cruizing off .the Coast, was sent on shore with
hands on W.ard ; their objea *as to seize some
French property of which they had got information.
On their landing the natives attacked and massacred
the collie party,. except one, a young Midshipman
of the'name,of Kelly, who fortunately escaped by
Concealing himself among souse bushes, where he
remained for two clays. On the morning of the
third he perceived another boat coming towards the
shoe, which had beets sent to learn what had he.
come of the pairk. endeavouriog to gain the
beach, he was iittCreepted, and seized. by the mot..
deters of his companions ; who, on, seeing the boat
advance in an hostile tninner,_ and fire un them,
stripped and bound the boy, lighted a fire, and made
a signal to' those in the boat, that if they did.not
desist firing ‘they would instantly sacrifice him; on
this, the boat returned to the Frigate, finding that
any interference would only h:isteo his destrudion.
"PheeiTctnnstanees being made known to the Governor
of Sierra Leone, the boy was ransomed fur +oh some
days after. It is supposed chat his extreme youth
operated on the feelings of these inhuman savages."

SUMMER ASSIZES.

MAIDsToNet JULY 16.
IiRLACII O.F PROMISE OF MARRAGE.

ANN HUNT v. SMITH.

0-Aititow stated, that -in this case he certain.'
ly had not lo present -persons/of high rank or exalted
situations in life, nor yet the case of a very' yoting
Lady, who had been rornani ically enamotited of her
lover, and considered the. loss of himsas the greatest
Of all possible evils.which could happen in this mortal
state ; but he had to present to the Jury the case of a
decent woman keeping.a small shop, who complained
of a B .reach of Proriiiie Of-Marriage against the -De.,
fendant, whri was a man of het own tank and station
in life. Although the, parties were -neither of thein.
very young, et he knew that the Learned Seijeant
on the Other sine would riot contend, that a woman at
• the age of 35 might not fairly look forward to many
years of c,:mtOrt.in the matrimonial state. -He should
prove that the Defendant courted her, and soliCited
her hand in marriage ; to -which she gave her
consent. He should also p.rove, .that in conse-
quence of this', the Defendant himself signed the
authority
.for publishitt the banns, as a necessary
preliminary' to the (let hoWever, •
front some cause or other, best known to he ,Defen..
dant:himself, he thought proper to alter his opinion,
and sent a person (Ipt better than his own errand-
holy) to. f 'Ord the banns publicly in the Church,
having by this disgraced' the Plaintiff pubdcly be-
fore all her neighbours, and for which by the pre.
sent adi-in she sought to. recover compeosation trout
• the hands of the Jury.. •
The first Witness called to prove the Plaintiff's
case was one John .Paterson ;he begged-he might
not be interrupted by questions from the Cuunscl,
and-he would state the whole affair. He knew tie
Defendant very well, he was a stone-cut ter-, and kept
two shops, one at Riverhead, the other at Sunbridge.
The Plaintiff, the widow Hunt, also lived at Sun-
bridge, where she kept a grocer's and chandler's shop.
In the month of February last Smith told him that
heshould marry again, and that he had:found ewo.
man-that would suit. him, The WitneSi told him
' that if he was not quite pro,v;iletir, he also knew a
woman, whom hp cameeived would be the very thing
for him. They then proposed io have a pint or two
of beer together at Sunbridge, which they had. The
Witness then observed that he would- take hint to a
shop where he would buy a pennyworth of tvgar-raib.
6, and there lie might see. the lady herself, of tvhotn
he had been 'speaking. The Defendant:accCrdingly
went to the shop, but bought a pennyworth. of shag
nbacio instead of sugar..candy. He returned shortly
to the Witness, isnd told him he had engaged to go
back and drink tea with the Lady.--••-• The Witness,
from his ludicrous manner of telling, the story, mad
the ease quite ridiculous; and a parley having ensued
between the Counsel on the ditietent sicks it was
agreed to take a veraid for 101. which was accord:
ingly

BURFORD I.I..MILLINCHAM.

This Was an Aaiun against the Defendant, the
Cinsrable of Gterowidi, by' the Plaintiff, a Baker,
Of the same place, for 8: malicious prosc,r. io.n for an
assault' ;Wedged to have been committed by the.
Plaintiff upon the Defendant in the'ex,,:eutiOn of his
office. _ _ .

The record of the acquittal, of the Plaintiff at the
Quarter Setsions was put in and read. The assault
charged wag gtated by the Defendant to have been as
fullows:—that the son Of the Plaintiff bad been drawn
to serve in the Militia; and that the Def-o*tilant, as
Constable, served the regular notices at the house of
the Plaintiff ; and when he, served the last notice,
the Plaintiff's sun being 111, the Plaintiff told him the
Justices were a set of asses, and as big.fuols as him_
.
self: these .words were accompanied by throwing
summons at the D.:fontiant.'s head.. The Dfon-
dant gave this eVidente on the trial for the assault;
but the Jury acquitted the Plaintiff.

In order to shew that the in-lidment was pre.
dented' without probable cause, and fro4n maliee,
.Mary Atkinson was called t who sta'ei herself to
have been servant to the present „Plaintiff in March
i 303, when tbe notice in question was served : she
Was in a sthall room adj 'ining to the shop when
Millingham brought the notice : be said to her am:
ter, " Here, have .brought you some' more waste
paper." Her 'master replied, "It was no
worrying him, so, and that the Justices must be'
foolish." At that dine her raster's son, to whom
the notice was diteded, was confined to his bed by
'She was 'quite' sore her master never threw
the summons in the C instable's face, or she must
have seen it. 'Die Constable went out, and re-
turning again soon afterwards,. he told' her Master
that he would punish hifu at last.
Edward Fricker, a javelin-man, said he attended
at theQoarter Sessions when the Plaintiif yva,, tried
for the assault. When they came nut of the Court,
he asked Millingham how his cause had gone on ?
to which he replied, " Just as he expeded ; he knew
the Plaintiff "woad be acquitted, but he ha;l stk.
eeetledin putting hint to a. gieat deal of expellee,
which was all he •wanted.":

It was suggested, but not proved in. evidence,
that the cause of the Miendant's aniMosit y to the
Plaintiffwae, because thelatterl,when Overseer of the
Parish., had cut down the Defendant's bill as Comm-
tor of Grocery to the Workhonce.
Mr. Serjeant Bv sr addressed the ,jtiry at length,
and contended that there was probable ground for
the Bill, and that he was compelled to present it,
being bound. over by the Magistrates to attend .the
Session for that purpose. -
The Jury went our and deliberated for some time,
and at length found a Verditt for the Plaintiff—Da-
mages I 501.