The Sun.
London, England, 1817-04-23 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY, APRIL. 22,

EXTORTION OF MONEY 11Y A CHARGE OF UNNA-
, TuRAL INTENTIONS.
The time of the Court, was occupied the greater
patt of yesterday, in the trial of John Byron, for
feloniously robbing M46';,rel, Esq. a mer-
chant, lately from Dominica, of 201. in bank notes•
undo: a threat of charging him with unnatural

prormitio.
he prosectifor stated, that on Monday, the
10th of March, he rode out,.and afterwards dined
at Slaughter's Cofice-honse, trout whence he ro-
,ceetled with a friend, a Mr. AP,CRITIMOII, to Cu. era
Garton Theatre. - Witness felt the:effects of the
wine tie had taken af,er dinner, IL left his
friend in the bOx to view' the lohbies'i •ni lie was
ttltnost a stranger in London, and On his retort)
his friend had slatted his seal', and. he lost him.
on his return to the lobby, the prisoner obtruded
his conver,ation upon him about the play, Mr.
Booth's acting, tke. The prisoner said be had
two sisters in the house, and after
.they had
walked dhow for some tittle together, Ilrepro-
secutor railed a coach to go home, and the pri-
soner asked him the intlidgeneelo set hint down;
as lie. should return the earlier to his .play
party. In this the prosecutor acquiesced, but he
had nut gone the length of a street front the The-
atre :before the continct of his new econaintance
disgtisted hint. The pt oiccetor desired the etLieh-
Man to stop;- and on his alighting the' prisoner
dipped. his hand into his waistcoat- pocket, and
tout; oat some silver, and be also endeavoured to
.get. watch. The prosecntor followtll him un-
til:near. the play-house, when the prisneer told
Him he would tell the girls in the lobby whet.,coi t
of a character he .watt, making use.at the :nete
time of some disgusting expressions. Tit. thre,it
induced the prosecutor to desist frotn!further put'
snit, and rather put op with, the pritoner's prls7,
conthiet. On the' 13th of March lite prosecutor
was Assailed again by' the prisoner in Oxfoed-.
Wee. lie did not knowdtim, until the prisoner
introdnced hiMself as the Gantlemcm who took a
seat in his coach frOtn the l'ileatre the other
evening. The prosecutor repliedethat he neither
knew him, nor wished to know blob. The, prl,!,
sours then pulled the prosecutor's card out oi.his
pocket, which he .must have got with the silver
from the WaiSlCOnt pocket' on it former eveniog:
lie vauntingly held out the, card, and said, "..lt
was fortunate that he hod met tire proseetitor, or
he Would have hearth from hint. that: night." The
'prisoner followed up I-brace-street, •withprosecti-
toy's card in his hand, foul desired him to. look
what money be had got in his pocket, and it' he Oid
not' give hint some, he 'would charge hint with
dragging hint into a cotielSwitikunnatttral designs.
He said,that ,a triend of hie, who knew of the pro-
secutor's conduct, was in sight to prove the meet-
ing which then took place, and also the one nt
the Theatre. After some disgusting ailetions, the
prisoner said be would follow Mr.-1411'1:33ml to
ow but he waniti hare money.. for be knew
him to be'ts gentleman, and his:charactee should
be mined. Witness gave the prisoner 0.101. note
to get rid of him, but aftergetting it tie insisted on
mare, and followed witness to his lodgings; he
went in and brought hitn nut another .101.. note.
The fellow then demanded 501. kind said he would
then never trouble prosecutor ally inure. This,
however, was not all ; he desired to see What do.
tiCTIPtiOII of persons they were in, the•bottse where.
prosecutor lodged. The, prosecutor here hid
sunicient strength of nerve tit resist any farther
imposition, and however horrid the imputation
which the prisoner felsely alleged against him, he
loin him be might proceed as far es lie 0104 e, us
he Idle prosettnne) teas determined
.to face his
anti the prisoner ran off,. On site l'jtb of
March the proseentor received it letter by is young
1,4„, tied the result of Abet' letter, was s con-
ference between him and his friends,
.Messrs,
uailerwriotio M'Cruennon, and Set jeant Manly
which led , infOrinetion at lioW-St reel. The
prosecutor appoia ttni u meet log in Hui street,

tor the,eienitig 20th Mat tv six o'clock:.
Here the priS:nmer and the YoUng man who brinighi
the first lettei i•eptt.red, whtii the:former %tv taken.
into. citstqdY,liy, th Bonti,Bow-street
pntrole:. The prisoner teas 'crtis,ing the street to
Mr. 54(Garel; when. he saw the Oflicii;;; iihd
at-
•• •
tea-tined,
►,escape. In cross-exatnination the
arotecutor swine thai hi did not hi ego his carte
hook in th“oath, titit• did he give, tilt prisoner,
one. The reitsOn why be,did not CBII tikinistintr
to be apprehended. !ci'r the robbery coach,
was because he was a stranger. in Londhh; died dill
ilot kno4. iv bet liri• the ()limner might not belon4
to a.‘gang Who had Watehrd hint front hotne..,
wits tollOiknig. him to Abe Theatre to ascCilant
Who he was, as he said Ilk sister's tvere there ; but
the rhreat used, by the Prisoner relative to what he
would shy to
.the girhi in trhe Ibbby, preveniell
•liim going in, 'The retiSon of his 'giving the 201.
lit Mlles.-street, Witt the dread.of losing his cha-
r:lo(er, wnich was as dear to him as lite, by ati
imputation of being addicted to pro-
pensities.
Smith, the putrale, proved that On !di
apprehending the pi *hey, lee sail. he was mis.
`taken in bis person, and was sorry he had accost-
ed as. he had never seen him before.
Mr. ‘Vood, a clerk at flow-strict, cot robot at tot
With regard to the priboneri dchyihg alt
knowledge of the proseetitot when examined at
the office.

J. M`Cannnon, Esq. therchant, or Gloucester.
place, Stated the inanner irr which the rtor
had represented the affair to hint, in the part wtticli
betook at Jlow-street • for' the prisoner's appre»-
heosioo,: Witness had.kriown the inoseentor.iii..
Ornately 13 years. Ile Wl-1g a grnticmail of fortune
of the highest respectability, of • whose Rclaaititw
mice unit frlend,hip lie was 'proud.
Henry hides Underwood, Esq. Of Gloneeiterr
pike; corroborated Mr. M.Cattimoo as to the
plan to apprehend the' prisoner, iindibe spoke in
the ,higheit. manner of the ropectability oh Alit
prosecatbr.
'Bond, the Officer, first knew the priioner on
being brought as a deseitct to bow-street
(rota the 'Power Hamlets.. .

INir..ALI.P.Y took an objection in point of In,v,
which. was replied to by Mr; Gurney.
In defence, tberisoner ugg: ►vat ell his ca;e, and
did quite HI tt)!ICII towavilr Ili* otv9 Coovictiort
the eVitieskpe uddtieed. tie loud" denied all
ledge of the prosecutor ;, but be cooradicted such
assertions hiltis defence.
The Jury, without hesitation, found the pri-
soner Guilty----Death.