The Sun.
London, England, 1819-08-06 00:00:00

AT ri:,;NIPTED ASSASSINA'CION;

Vestal clay evening, about six o'clock, the neigh-
bourhood of Snow-hill was lissom' i,ito the
greatest consternation, front the .eircno static -E
a man having mirk a most atrocious , teatot to
assassinate his wife in the parlour of the

/lead Inn, The particulars of t►lt, dreadful cdse,
us tar as we have been able to collect thew, are

as tollow

About six months ago, the wife of Mr. Henry
Stent, boot and shoe-maker, at Pimlico, absrond-
ed from her borne with ano!ber Indo leaving a
fatuity of small children on her hushatol's hands ;
she was traced with her paramour to Liverpool,.
where they took their passage tor America, and
nothing was heard of thentl6l. some time. Mr.
Stm's neighbours observed, that the circum-
:stance seemed to prey very heavily on his mind ;
but still he paid the greatest attention to the chil-
dren. His faithless wife embarked with her se-
ducer on- board the William about the month of
March ; but before they had been many dap at
sea, the vessel met with an accident, ',lid after vainly
endeavouring tosteer for America, they were driven
to the necessity of making the best of their way to
Liverpool, which they gained with much difficulty
and in great distress, atter being tossed about a
long time upon the ocean. At Liverpool a quar-
rel arose between Mrs. Stent and her paramour,
and he quitted her. She was then lett desti'five,
a prey to the keenest remorse ; but, after many
struggles with cooscieoce, she determined o:r
seeking her wronged husband, throwing herself
on her knees before him, and imploring his mercy.
For this purpose she obtained a conveyance,
and arrived in London yesterday morning at
the Saracen's Head lon, Snow-1011. About one
o'clock she wrote a note to her husband, ex-
pressing great contrition for her errors, and im-
ploring 111111 to call on her at the ion at six
o'clock. Accordingly, about that hour, Mr.
Stent came; the moment be entered the room be
drew out a large shoemaker's knife, and, spriug.
nig on his wire with the greatest fury, pitiat,ged
it several times in her 1(11 side, and stabbed her
in the neck. Several men who were in the par-
. lour, and beheld the dreadful act, seized the as-
sazein, and with difficulty wrested the murderous

weapon trout his hand, whilst the untottuoate
object of his vengeance ft•ll senseless on the floor.
The constetnation that followed is intlesc;ibihle;
hundreds of persons flocked in on the first alirtn,
and it would have been easy for the ciiminal to

have -escaped, if he chose, but he seetutd careless
and fearless of consequences. At length the officers
from Gilispiir•street Compter were sent for, who
handentfedStent, and took posse%si •n of the knife.
It had been seemingly sharpened fur the purpose,
and the point seems to have come its viokut con-
tact with tt►e breast •hone, for it h hens. The
woman was covered with a table cloth, and car-
ried on a shutter to St. Bartholomew's
%, here she was immediately k.r teg.ded by the House
Surgeon, who staunched the wound-', and pin her
to bed ; but give no hopes of her reco'•ety. She
was alive at nhie o'clock last night. Si ent is in
dose confinement, and is to be examined ibis

day before the sitting Alderman at Guildhall. He
maintains a strict sdence, and doe's nut seem to
bettay the leait regret for what he has done.—
(Moi-ning Paper) .

M ELANCEiOLY EVENT.--An American Paper call-
ed The Potsdam Gazette, contains the following
Mr. Lyman Sperry, of Malone, Franklin, having
been absent from his house on Friday after-
noon last, returned home in the evening, and'
found his- wife and four children in a most de-
plorable condition—some of them just able to
be about the house, while others were lying on

the bed, &c. in a sonib►ous, sickly, mud wretched
state. He endeavoure►l to arouse them, hop.

ing to administer relief, but in a short time
one child expired in his artns. Shortly after
his wife (Heft, and in a little while another
chill breathed its last. Ile procured medical aid
as soon as possible, cud by their active exertions
the other two children were saved from imme-

(hate death, though it remains doubtful whether
they will recover. The oldest child that died
was about five years of age. Those who survived
were from seven to ten. From what the surviving
children. say, it is supposed that Mrs. Sperry,
who has been for two or three years, by turns,
a little deranged, gathered Cicota, or as some
call it, wood-chuck-root, steeped it in warm water,
and fed her children, and drank plentifully of
it herself.; with a view of saving them and her-
self (in the embraces of death) tram penury and
wart, which she had frequently insisted was com-
ing upon them, although it is understood that Mr.
Sperry is in good circumstances.
SGLI.ING A CnteD.—The following case lately
created a considerable sensation in Leith Wyod,
Edinburgh, and indeed cireolated widely, as one of
great aggravation. As theaffairoriginated in a mere
joke, it is unnecessary to mention names. The seller
:was an aged barber, and the buyer a gamekeeper,
front the west country. The parties were stran-
gers to each other. They were both sitting in a
public-house ; the former having the child on his
knee, ocularly offered it to the latter for a shilling,
who having a pound note in his hand, ready to few-
der for his reckoning, said it was worth more than
a shilling, and he would give a note fsq it, witieh
was accordingly done. The woman «t,.) had
the care of the child returned (after a short
absence) and to her astonionent, heard of
the seemingly 'strange transfer. Whether the
lerrber had not his joke out, or had takes
a liking to the note, he would not re urn it
when desired, and, therefore., the holds r of
the child kept possession in the meantime ; the
consequence was, a hue and cry was set up, and
the police took theta into etis.ody ; this it ang
affair at one time was so set ions, that, use he
words of the serjeant who' gave evidence, tue
people would have torn them in pieces hail he
not reasoned with them, and assured them
justice would be done." Even wider inves!igat
iutt
the case bore
,a tkubtful appearan,-e, till the
buyer ,stated the circumstance; wnicit he did
with touch good 11:m1,Ni'. Thc a.; is' rate hoped
that the trouble •his tooli,h boric e-s had occa•
sioned wOutd he a lesson to him in futi:re. The
gamekeeper said it cerkainly nunld, and ,feknow-
ledger! it had like to
.have proved a very serious
) joke to !Liar.

. _rv¢sen 'ltYJiin2a~~

LAW TNIF,LLIGENCE,

tOLTRT OF CHANCERY, Atm 5.
ELY HOUSE.
Tti c LORD BISMOP rite ELY V. 'LORD KING.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, on behalf of the
RiOtt Reverend Prelate, moved for an injunction
to restrain the defendant from building on a cer-
tain of land near the Bishop's house in
D..%tr•atreet, by which the-windows of that house
vvt.i.old be quite darken, el• The house was occtt•
pied by the Bishop in consequence of its being, the
eviscupd residence in town, and he, in thus cotu•
int,: forward, acted fu out a due regard to the lute-
rests of. the See.—[Liere a model was produced in
Court, descriptive of the telative situation of the
mansion and the intended erectionl—There was

Are alThlavit by Mr. Pickering, stating, that that
part -of the mansion would be deprived of the be-
• nefit of the rays of the sun, and would be render-
-ed useless and uncomfortable. Mr. Twig:; had
ids() sworn, that the value would be much depte-
ria:ed were Oils the case. -The Learned Counsel
then f•everlil allidavitsof a similar nature,
and concluded by hoping the injunction would bu
gialited, stating, at the same time, that when no-
tice was served ofip Lord King, his Lordship said
that h.. woithi oppose it ill the fit st instance, be-
fotethe building wits at all begun,

Mr. (riAitRETT followed 4)0 the 8;41,0e side, and
described the m ,utet• in which the tap of the sun
lvoold be excluded by this erection.
, Hoc NR, on the other band, argued at very
great length, that the injury Wal) more in appre-
lient.itm than reality, as there would be a distance
of nineteen Irat between the two. The windows
t:f this episcopal mansion were said to be ancient,
hut this they could not he, the mansion itself nut
having been 40 years built, • lie cited a great va-
t let y c,t cases, particularly that of the Fishnion-
get's Company and the East hvdia Company where
17 feet was allowed, while I feet were al-
lowed here.

Air. Ai RIVALS followed on the same side, in
a most humorous speech, in which he- quoted
several" eases- in Latin, which excited, from their
Dature, mulch laughter in Court.
At this moment the sun happened to shine very
strongly on that part of the 11 if II where the Model
stood. The Lord Chancellor pointing to it, said,
here is a case in point. Yost see the lower
rssoms of this mansion are in the shade, therufore
the model is very well placed."--(Laughter.)
The ATTORNEY•GBNERAL replied.
The LORD CIIANCELLOR said he should give
judgment to-morrow at nine o'clock. •

THE MARLBOROUGH CASE.

DAVIS V. TW DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.

_
Sir ARTHUR PR-...GoTT said he would now, with
It is Lordship's permission, mention the above case.
Ile had to ask of his Lordship to give his judg
ment in respect to the di4cltarge of the Receiver.
lt would he needless now to enter into the merits
of the case, as they were already so fully before
the Cowl t, and had occupiGd so much of his
Lordship's attention'. e Solicitor of his Grace
ontlerstandioz, that his Lordship had express-
ed some .diiiiculty with resrct. to, the an-
rtuity, had accordingly , by direction of his
Grace, tendered to Mr:, Withing, the Agent
end Solicitor of Mr. Davis, the sum of
6001. by his clerk, in order to cover the demand
of Mr. Davis, which ite had stated in his affidavit
to amount to about 5671. which bad Veen accepted.
This, the Learned Counsel submitted, would do
w_vay with every difficulty-, and he trusted the Re-
ceiver would be now d'sehatged. •
Mr. HART said that he would follow the example
of Sir Arthur Piggott by not going into the merits
of the case apio. lie expressed his satisfaction,
and at the same .tirne, his surprise, at the handsome
manner in which the dispute bad been settled.

The LORD CHANt!PLI.OR said, when the case
was last argued, a question had arisen as to whu-
cher the annuity was or tva not good; it had then
bet,' cy,tenficd bat Mr. D rvis had been de..:ling
swi!li the Duke for his expectancy, and col je:-
n!q.ntly that the Cour! had no right to interfere.
The opiniOn filen entertained by his Lordship was,
tha't his Giace ought to return the Sum he bad re-
ceivel ; and as that had been done, his opinio,u
now :vas, that the. Receiver ought to be dis-
charged. His Lordship did not think he could
pitt an end to the annuity, but under all the cir-
cum-s'tanccs felt himself %warranted in discharging
theT.eceiver, which he accordingly ordered.

A numerous concourse of persons again as-
setnbled vestelthy morning at the end of Down-
ing-stret!, applicants to lt,ari HATuttasT, as Se--
retary of State for Colonial AfLis, to go out
at Government expence, as settlers, to the Cape
of Good Hope.
A YORTUNATTZ EScAPC.—On Sunday last 'A great
.r.tuubcr its- persons were brvhing in the New W.
ver, at the back of Newington.- Thomas Gas-
coyn, a boy, whose prents reside in Type-court,
Type-street, got out of his depth, anti disappeared
for a length of time, and a number of persons-in
the water went to his assistance without effect.
At last a boy, only fifteen years of age, with the
snost undaunted courage, dived'atter him several
t itnes,.and at last succeeded iu brilwing him above
the.. surface of rite water, and carried hint on
shore. The spark of life appeared to have fled,
and no surgical, aid could be,obtained. Several
gentlemen. who were on the banks of the river
tried-crery thing in their power to restore anima-
tion, and at the expiration of three, quarters of
an hour the little.sufferer opened his eyes, which
encouraged the gentlemen to renew their efforts,
pod before medical assistance atriled, the object
of their. care was perfectly restored to life. We
ere sorry to say, that one of the gentlemen who
was most forward in this act of humanity, had a
valuable snuff-box stolen from him during the

I.irr.e.

An Inquisition was taken yesterday before J.
ITNiw IN, EC(;. Coroner, in the Board Room
of. the London Hospital, on the body of James
Rockwell, aged 36, a waggoner, whose death was
catlsed !)y his being run over by his ownwa;:gon.
Jury returned their verdict—" Accidental
Death, with a deodand of ss. on the wheel of the

v., ag:,;oll.'

ASSIZE INTELT,TrTECE.

EXETER; DEVONSHIRE, - AuGusf 3;

Yesterday evening, about nine o'clock, Mr.
Baron GRAHAM and Mr. Justice BesT arrived
here, and immediately opened the Commissi,,n,—
This morning the Judges attended Divine service
at the Cathedral.

On the Crown .Side there are 43 mit oners, a
much less number than there has been for some
years, and with the exception of the case of a
wotnan for the murder of her bastard child, by
administering vitriol, which has stood over fn;
two Assizes; in consequence of defective indict-
ments, and those of a rape and petjury, the of-
fences are of a n►inor description.
On the Civil Side 54 causes have been entered ;
but the business, in point of consequence, is not
by any means so great as. was expected. There
are no less than 14 undefended causes out of the
number, and with the exception of the case of Sir
M Lopez, the reminder do not promise much
public interest. The only 'cati/se tried to-day
which is worth notice is the following
STAPP V. SCAMMELL.

The plaintiff' was a female in the service of tie
defendant, a surgeon, at Plymouth ; she observ-
ing some gross impropriety of conduct in the de-
fendant in the absence of his 11 aMrs.
Wright, who was a 'resident in his house, she
gave warning, and though forbid to (pit the
house, actually left it, as did at the some time,
and for the same reason, a Fryer,
a relation of the defendant, wi4C;•all'lten upon a
visit ro him. The ddentlaar, enraged at the
plaintiff's going, said, in the hrar;og of Miss
Fryer, that as the plaintiff had' etoeavoured to
ruin hint and Mrs. Wiight, he would take care
she should not get a uiace iu Plyawutli, for he
would give her a character ! did so ; for on
the following morning' a hand bdi posted its
follows: •

" FIVE Otl !SEAS

.6 Whereas, Sophia Stapp, nay servant, absconded !ester-
day evening, and is supposed to have ,:lo!en a Tiaritit► Of
plate; tiAis is to give notice, that whottsry avvrebetuf the
said Sophia Stapp shall, on conviction, receiy,.. the ahove re-
ward. The said Sophia Stapp is alßiot 2 s years. of age, s'out
'and fresh coloured ; and whoever hinho;trs the said S(iphia
Stappthall he prosecuted to the utiwo.itVlS;a: of the Law,
" 110I3ERT SCAMMELL."

The poor girl was driven to ; site ap-
plied for a situation to a Miss Cron le, at Plv-
month, and was told that the bawl buil was a bar
to her admission. She also ohtairied" lodging for
two or three nights; with a Mr. Stith% dam!, who
drove her away for three reasons • first, that he
was liable to a prosecution for harbouring her,
seeing the bills; next, that be not choose to
have a thief in the *noose ; and th.lrdly, th.t by
suffetin4 her to remain tic should offend the plain-
tiff, who was his employer.
This case was ably opened by Mr Setjenut
Pau., and it afforikd him toll scope for inveigh-
big against the cooduct•ot the defendant. The
poor girl, the moment she ssw s,,,iendered
herself, and pot her master to Ow proof. Mr.
Scarnmel attended, but took 11 ei to sub-
stantiate his charge, not eveo to his be-
lief, that he had been r0bb,....d, r e
then, immediately sought for r tlrtzs'iu a Court
of _justice.

The defendant pleaded a jostificaliGo ; but,
though ingeniously supported by. Mr. AnAm, his
Conu.sel, it was no way made nor by roof. The
course of defence taken drew a. most animated
reply from Mr. Serjennt Pell, and after the
LeArneil Jtulgt. '(Graben,) hnd mummed itp ltrot;giy
in favour Of tte plaintiff, thi., Jury returned their
verdict for. h.er—Damages 2001.