The Sun.
London, England, 1816-08-14 00:00:00

SUSSEX ASSIZES.

toe Wes, Alio, 12.—0 n Saturday Lord ELLEN-
lsottouou and Mr. Justice 11u artouan arrived in
this town, and having opened theirCommiSF.ion
besterday, went to church, and this morning the
usiness of the county .cornmenoced.

CROWN SIDE.
Louisa • WrJoa, tt very pretty young woman of
23, wit.: indicted, under Lord Eitenhorough's Act,
for meting filld stabbing -- Daimon, with my
tent to Murder her, or tin her bodily bairn..
Mr. Couwoop 'having stated the case, it was
provA in evidence as follows v--The Prasecutrix
mated, that the Prisoner and herself lived in the
pariah of West Chiltington, in this county, 4titl
that they had had a quarrel 4,n the Friday before
Easfer ,Skutday ; that on Easter Mna,tlay site was
.
gothic to H shop near the prisonet's, w.hen.she saw
the. priSoner, as if waiting for some one tlas soon
as she approached, the prisoner came toWards her,
and Site-saw somenting in her hand, which she
took to be a penknife, as she tow the blade, hut
her hand concealed the handle , she teas tightened,
'and attempted to run away,
,but the prisoner was
before her, and the foot-path tvas on a narrow
causeway, with a deep ditch on each side, so that
she could not pass lice. The phi-over addressed
her by saying, 1 have. been waiting for you,
yon b---," and then turning upon her, she gave
her • nine Wounds on the face mind bent) cutting
her Omagh the cheeks between the, jaws, two
emits an the bead, anti one on the-Aqttider through
her clothes. At lenyth 81IC eseaped front her, and
lied,to a ntigithituting cottage, kept by a Mrs.
Skutt.

Two OFitnesses confirtned the prosecutor's state-
ment as to the bloody state of her thee when sate
escaped from the_pcisoner.
Uu etossexantination by the Cotitmow SF.R-
ZESN't, she a..hl she slid not go to a 54ageon, bit
she *Hiked nftie wiles to the lawyer, without,
washing the blood front her face.
- The jury. at tirsf-tetiirtied a verdict of guilty of
thewituAtitp but LIM with an intent tta suurtivr. Eat

the Noble Judge telling them they rnn4t fine! a
veteliet 4 t goilry gever.oly, or acquit her, they,
atter deliberation, returned a verdict of—Not

Gaillp

John Howe!, an old man of upwards of ti6years
of age.,' and who came to the bar upon emit:ilea,
.Avai indicted for an assault upon Harriet - Patter-
a child between seven and eight years of age,
with intent to commit a rape. •
Mr.,Pot.t.ocK, as Counsel fol. the prosecution,
slat ed,t hat_the prisoner was a pauper resoling in
Ironmonger-lane, Brighton, and that Harriet
l'atter,selt had been frequently sent to, h 6 hotoe au
messages by her parents. On the 9th of April
last, the.,chilli.lseiug.at ploy with other children
in the lane, the prtsouer called her in, and afici
using certain freedoms with her, which were in-
terrupted by tt young woman coming into the
house, he used means to get her up stairs, Miele
Uhe.nt tempt was matte, which was the ground of
present proceeding.

The-circumstances of the case were detailed
with considerable clearness by the child, herself
and a, young woman, named Elizabeth Martin,
stated, • that passing by Howell's house about six
o'cl(kk in the evening on the 9th of April, and
observing his window-shutters fastened, site was
induced to go ist to see the reason, when she saw
the prisoner taking improper freedoin with the
child. She went out to call her mother, who was
nut at home, upon .which she Worn:et! another
woman, named Mary Davey, who went into the
house with he/. •
Mary Davey stated, that having been told tit*
conduct of the prisoner, and finding that he and
the 'child were in a room above, she went a foy•
stairs tip, and from what she saw very materially
corroborated the account givim by the child.
Mary l'attersell stuted, that slig was the
mother
.of the dan upon being infOrmed of
what had- passed, Abe went to Are prisoner's house,
and on asking huin what he had dune to the child,
he put 'his eriaches behind the door, went npon
his knees and begged her to Forgive hint, saying,
he was not sedsible at the time. '

Mr. Battcoek, a surgeons, of Brighton, examin-
ed the child on the nth of April, und des-
cribed the marks of .iolcue'e which were upon her
person.
The prisoner denied the charge.

Lord. Et.t.stiacittotto very much reprobated the
'conduct of the two young women, for nut tearing
away the girl front the prisoner upon the firt,t ap-
pei.tance of his abomintible intention y and after
stating the evidence, the Jury found hips Guilty:;
upon which his Lordship, after commenting upon
the mimic ctt the charge, and expressing his tears
that the- prisoner was at an age when repentance
`was seatrely to be exnectetl, kind that his punish-
ment could on that accuion be available only as a
warningto Others, sentenced hint to be imprison,-
ed for tao years:

In a trial for ,setioction. hef.trc Mr. 'latent
Woon, net York, Stftterthavitt,
viiktiver, aged S 7), way citat aolitotzets tor
the sednetion of SAW, REVEL, aged 23, the
eldest of nine children ot the plaint iff +teflon,
anti volieelright. approved that the slacwkni
pretended to court then girl th licosne Isis nile,
having hi the first inittaft;:e (bode her a suoihel', lic
declined the notriiage.
Ett2tthet4lVurd, 'of Bothwell, who was found
gnilly, on the 1111; of 4n tiatempt to prison
_ha
btother'a wife,,li4s been lett for .eeetition.

THE CROPS.

EXTRACTOFALBTTER PROM hiENLItY UPON THANIRS,

AtiGUST 10.

" Between this place and London, and front
Hence to Batibtiry. the crops make' a luxuriala
appearance, excepting that they are back Nerd
for the ,seasotH they want • sunthine.' All
kinds of grain grow in übuodance, patticularir
barley and wheat ; but it is nearly all green,-,-
Between Bensington and Oxford, where the soil '
is rich, the land low and warm, the wheat is just
beginning to turn yellow. Here and there ia
Buckinghamshire, afield of oats may be discover-
ed with the same disposition, but, very little of the
bailey is yet changing its hue. So bitekward tt
season is without example in this pat' of the
world ; and, unless sunny, hot weather comes, it
is supposed the grain will yield but lightly. How-
ever, it is probable there will be a tolerable bar:,
vest; should very tine weather set in, there wilt
lie kgreat one.
" Notwithstanding the otetety that low prices
would throw poor lands out of tillage, nothing of
the kind has oecurred yet, though the prices were
so very much reduced in the SN inter. Most of the
lend I have passed over is light, much of. it very
poor, but up to the very tops of the hills it is us
eagerly cultivated as ever. Vast tracts must have'
heen sown at the time prices were at the worst.
The season, a cold dropping summer, hits beets
highly favourable to these high grounds."

Cons EXCitANGT, AUG, 14.—We had no fresh
arrivals this 'morning., and lint little business
ing the few sales made in fine Wheat anti Uati
*were at Monday's prices, but there was no de►
mend for ordinary. In Pease, 78274115, and othei•
kinds of Grain, there was no alteration.
CoALL—The Enrl of Lonsdale has retittred the
price of Coals 2s, 6d, per waggon. which will be at
least, J 2,0001. per annum from,-his Lordship's isto
come. His Lordship would rednett the price stilt
lower Vibe exigency of the times required it. This
generosity will have., the most beneficial effect ors
the shipping prod commercial interests of the crow.
ty of Curitberland, ond will call down on his
Lordship the blessings and thanks of thousands I
'it has mist.' much joy at Whiteharen. Thus
every necessary of life: is tumbling down to
Pence prices. We do not see any sultstautiall
reason why other sellers of coal should not !obi'
low this noble example. A little time and pa..;,
tience may effect twontlers told should n de«
crease of lahoor, 11ffii 4 consequent diminutiott
of wages be a nevessary !preliminary to mute
prosperous visits; certainly to be ex-4,
pectetievery s,tblpstervx Most ex.
therefore, is giiett, lee* wilt most Cekt,aialy i)g rem
perienee plOpOrtiolleitti tkelittO. Where little,
tittirtd.-4—(LOeds,ltiNtiigtiictr.)

%CURIOUS TRIAL

DEVON ASSIZES.

-
On *Monday evening, August 5,' Ur.-lustiee
'Wattle, and Mr. Justice HoLaovo, arrived at
Txet, r, and immediately itroceeded to the Castle,
Ni•here they opened the -commission fur the Lam-,
spas Assize fur this county. On tire following
morning they otteraded divine service at the cathe-
'drat, and then went to their respective Court's.
11,1 r• Justice l'ask presided at Nisi Prius, and Mr,
Justice licdroyil at the Crown side.' The latter
Learned Judge addresSed the Grand Jury, of
whom Lord Ebrington was the Foreman. lie
'obsersed, that he wa3 happy to congratulate
the in (MI he great diminution of offences which ap-
raied in the calendar; it was much less, indeed,
'Shan could be expected, considering the late
...changes in the .country. Lk was- sorry to observe,
itowever, that the county had not been entirely,
*net, owing to 'tin immediate pres,ure on the
lower classes ; but the disturbances had been
sireerilly fltippressi-d,„and great praise was (Inc to
the Magistrates for their prompt and sliirited exer-
tions. It aas always to he lamented when the
Fits ei classes were deluded to break the public
Terree : such measures only increased the evils
under whirl' they laboured, and sometimes. pre-
Vented tie hig:lter classes front administeringje-
liet. It was excellent to see the active steps

Litt: higher classes were now taking to re-
lit to the tlitore.se* ot the lithottring poor : no-
thing coldd .mota geatifyilig to the heitrts of
Ed4liththen—nothing could tend more etiectoblly
to di.•play the. rood .soperiority of this happy
Country over every other. tuition in the world. -

FRIDAY,- AUGUST 10. •
THREATENING LErrEas.
Charlotte Ashford, late of Citlinstock, near
Co-
luuthton, in the -county of Devon, the wife of
Aaron .Ashford, was indicted for having, on the
4th thy of July last, feloniously sent a letter in
writing, without any name subscrihtql thereto, di-
"rected to Miss Ann Hewett, Peter's-street,
too, -Devon, demanding the sum of 301. in the
4ollowing words, contrary to the statute in such
-cage matte and provided:— --
" Nimmsh—whea your auto, the late Mrs. Hill, was in 1
Holland, and obliged to keep a tavern to maintain herself,
My, father was then an English merchant there. Ile fre!
.quentily lent. Mrs. Bill money, winch she always honestly res.
fait]. tie reeoutmended her in her btisiness-to-all his friends,
Ind she altvaya coofessed how much she was .obliged to. Lu au.
He has been dead many years, and 1 ARV reduced by I:4ijar--
tunes to poverty ; and' having a largo. family Oka. I ountilit
"Inaintain, I am 'become quite desperate:- I most rake flinty
lounds,immediately,ur my .children. twist starer:. If. ou will
Pend me thirty pouodt' the Lord wilt bless you, both for your
oofl attires sake, and for your own, for saving a family
from ruin. If you will not send me the
:thirty ,
loti must abide by the • consequeoceS, whiCh .ynis will have
?cause to repent ;for, as I said before, I am, featly for any
,desperate act to save my poor starving children; and I hare
been arTivethin and exannned your house.' If you consult
any attorney or doctor, or show this letter to anybo ty living,
except your old fiervant, I Shall sure to know it, and then
tworse!will Vefall•yint titan what I have threatened You With. •
jf you send me the money, yO2I need never fear eity front
xxle. Bat. 1 kitow..ytio have enpligh of this World's goirti
,
give to suco a sufferer as I am;-therefore, it Yon refuse,l
.41.616e.y0u to beware of the copseqnences,for 1 ato positively
resolved to do what I have threatened; sad if vou were-to
`bare Mel) to watch sour hi-4M every night, I sliould flint An
tb,Pport Unity some time or other. 'Ask your faithfutand xen-
isibk old servaot, whether it is not better to part with 301.,
;sod thatt,eo for a good purpose, and. to sleep in quiet and
than to keep your money, end never go to bed bout
the Tiread of thieves mid fire, and of being destroyed before
ithe.nrovniag. Ilesides, if you hired a betlo turn to watch
:your ti,), !",v7righit for loontlk togetimr, how touch less than
801. wi.ulA it rest you ? I sail say no more, excepttte inform
you, ih^t I Diu tli not wait more than four or five days for your
answer. Vim will encase three 101. Bank of England notes
in a letter firmly soiled, and !lirect your letter to Mr. John
Calvert, Post-office, Bristol, till called for. This is not toy
Mete, hot it will hi: sure to reach no: with this directioo,"—
onvviopo was bitten, " Before you open this lettry, •
I beg to inform ydit.,3llat if you value yoar own life and sakty,
you will Gut comoomicate the contents today living er, mune.
`birCet Mr. John Calvert, Postottice,
,111MCIIIIellt the pi isoner pleaded Not
TONXIN then rose, and nfLiressed the Jtiry.
s..7flie law has made it capital for any person Akt send
.'st letter signed with any name, or signed with 'a'
-tactit ions mom-, requiring money of the party to
whom it is addressed ; and it is also a crime for
ttily person to send a letter, though not vetpiiring
,
Money, it it threatens petit violence to the parry.
:On the present 'or eusion, the teller whir has just
+yeti read to pitt Ilium the indictment will be the
inincipda subject nt )our ; anti it 1 sun
Crl,4oit un toy iittt rpretatian 01 that let er, it cow,:
pot 'only a demand of money but also a
ttuteat write isoikidual to nbillti it is adilteised.

prostotAltl x ia a lady of great tvsyeeta•
biLty, far advanced in lilt, :And labouring un-
Aler'rnal y inffilinities: it %vas minst
lore, that slie would he strongly affected by

'ree-eicing a letter of this descriptitin: She is by no
iiesirous, however, to ilavg it supposed that

)0114.., ‘vishes pursue the prisoner at the bar with
;,;any personal Vengeance and When I say there
z•itxisis a relationship between them, you will give
-,731e credit 'for being inclined to forbear from: any

ithing tvhich the justice of the case does not
quire. It was impossible, situated as the prose.
cutrix was, that she could have the most distant
aurtnise that the prisoner could be implicated itt
alien a transaction. it is not necessary for air to
'prove, -that the letter was written by the !Arson
who sent it ; ifirwas written by any Other person,
still, ;if, you believe that it was sent by the Ito.
Aimee .atAlie liar, sufficient will be done to convince
you of her' guilt, It contains the eNt,ential of the
crime, either as a'demand of money, or as a threat.
11-10.0 ,the Learned. Conasel. commented oa the
letter.] %Viten this letter arrived, it was accord.
.ingly opened and read, and, as might be naturally
expected, it had the effect of exciting- so mach
*darn: in the batly,.that she was induced to send
'tt reply to' this John Culvert, in the following
'Mitirds

Mr. GIFFORD, one of the prisoner's counsel,
rose end submitted, that the COlitel)l3 01 this letter
could not .he read.„. unless the Learned Gentleman
bad idenee that the original letter reached the

protiMit
• Mro thlitice HiIJ.IIIIYD said, that if the counsel
for the prosecution thought they could bring it
Lowe, he could ton prevent its being read.
To uN :COII6IIIO. t etitleinen, I will
not state the contents of this letter at present. A
Mew day 3 htterb•the prosectitrix received anather
later, signitil J4,llitt-C;lvert, in these words
have heel) detained hew home by very severe
Mile*, occasmovd Gy poverty and despair, or I should have
ifritittie Vosolkflines if you will scud we the SUM I have re.

leeti of Y•Zni (361.)14 Olt rettuls of Istsit, I will pi•ottisc you
never to molest' you, or to ap;oviovou tit thest tie way s
but tt of no usetood'er me than that:for I will matie uo
promise tor n smaller soul 'loan 301.--If you do net send it,
ran 41;1;1 ;LlUde tile Consequences. If my fath.,:r hod not he-
Iriantled you.r aunt, she would never have been ahle'tO return
from Holland. Now I advise you. far your own safety saki!,
to send- our, the 301. innuidiately. *I h. 14 yoo will get a-QOl.
Ran:: of EtOatid note, and it tot. seal the letter firtruly and'
at the end, also; and, direct as your last, Mr. John Calvert,
Post-Otlice, Brist,d, till cailal for.
• '" 1 ant, Mudaaii.your humble Servant,
" Bri4ol, July 17." J. GALVERT.•
Gentlemen, this letter was rerei .ed by Miss
Hewett, the prosecairrist, by the common convey-
ance of the post ; and as_ slie now began to be
truly alarmed, she consulted with her friends, to
-etuleavour,_ if possible, to trace it. In conse- ,
quehee, a person was dispatched to Bristol•with
the cover of a letter directed to John Calvert,
and with instructions to watch, Mid see what per-
son would call for letters so directed. Inquiries
were also matte at the Post-haiee, alid thereanotber
letter was found, directed to the chief clerk of the
Oilic4and signed John Culvert. It stated, t hat John
Calvert intended being in Bristol, Ind not know-
ing where his residence would be, had ot dered his
letters to be diteeted to the office; but being prevent-
ed from going thither, he would esteemit a favonrif
the clerk would forward them to him at the Post-
office, Columhtot.), Os•von. A. one-pound note
WWI enclosed as a fee for his troohle, and he Was
requested 'to acknowledge tie teceipt by the first
post. In couseqdence Of a communication with
the Post-master at Bristol, the lettets were re.
directed, and forwarded to the Post-office at Co-
lunthton, and a person was directed to wait there
and 3CC Who Cann: for them. During:the whole
of the following day no person come bat on the
29th, of July Mary Flay appeared at the office
with a ktter, which contained a request that any
letter fur Mr. Calvert should be forwarded in the
cover which was enelOsed to the Post-master for
that purpose. The letters were accordingly sent,
and a Constable then took Mary Flay into cus-
tody, with the letters in her possession., On be-
illy; taken before a Magistrate, she stated, that she
was Seta by her mother, and ter mother was ern-
played by Ann Berry, of Calinstock, who is a ser-
vant Of the prisoner ;.aml Ann lip rry will state that
she received this cover front her mistress's fiend.
SO far, Gentlemen, we hate traced the letter to the
lrtisc,rier at the bar. If she had no knowledge of
the first letter, it would be one of the most extra-
ordinary circumstance's ort earth that she should
scud to receive letters directed to John Calve' t.
How should she know that any letters were cow,
ing 'for John talvert, or what had she to do with
John Calvert ? It is not possible to bring evidence
of the prisoner's sending the rst letter ; but
when we find,. her so mixed up with this trans'
action—When you find the name of John, Call
veil pervading the whole of it seems to war-
rant but one inferenceand that is, that the
letter Couldonly have been sent byt he pi isoner.
It is runt to be expected that more than circum-
stantial evnience could be given. of this; but if
Ono) strong and irresistible' ciscomsfattees you
'Gad she was the only person rwho could hove
,Written .thiS letter, it will be your duty to. find
Lee guilty..GentLmen, I have now stated to
outlines of the citeuinstances we have to lay-be.
fore" you 'in evidence ; and. I can voly say, that
nothing will be utOre gratifying to the prosecutriK
if the prison9r at the bar can .give any .th.log like
a satisfactory account so as t o entitle, hex tb your
ttetplitt4i. •
Artill' Gunner, who lived with Miss Ann Hewett,
'at Tiverton, Proven the foregoing statement ftiV
lilt' prosecution.
John Dove, Post-muster of Taunton, was also
examined.

Ajr, Girpoith,......;My Lor►l, in this stsge of the
proceeding, ) beg to submit an objection; which
hpplies to all the founts that set out tie
The indictment states, that she sent a letter to
'Miss Ann Hewett of the rennin' following,,,!—Then
it se.s ►►ut the•letter.. 13ut they..go on to state in
the inthetment as part of the leiter that which is
.written on rite envtApe, sisbmit, is no
part' of the letter; as. it refers to the letter itself,
in these before you open this latter.'--
This is written not .on the inlet tnil part ot the en-
velope, but on the extern part of it. The whole
language shows that the other is the letter, and
what is written on the envelope is quite a sep►►-
rate matter. I submit to your 'Lordship that MS
fornitt no part of the contents ot the letter.: tt ►s
not considered by the writer as such.

Mr, Jostice flouto*D.—That which yoirrefer
to is written %%Orin that which contains the letter,
and I think the whole,of it forms only one letter.
It is on a separate sheet, bits it is not necessary
that the a hole of a letter should be written on one
sheet of paper. II have frequently teceived long
letters trout the East Indies on svieralsheets of
paper, but they constituted Only one letter.'
Benjamin Dodd examined by Mr: Wii,Liots.
Wit nes% remembered having written something for
Mary Gunner on the 6th of Judy.
Mary thinner examined. She remembered that
paper, which she afterwards copied : it was the
copy 'of that writing which she sent in answer. to
the first letter: Mr. Dodd indicted it for her, and
she copied it and sent it by the post.
Mr. tityroan rose again,—My Lord, in exa-
mining the itAdictmant 1 perceive an error, which
na iterii.liy Micas the Case. The letter says, If
you hired a set of me.ll to wsteltyour; house by
night
but it is set out, in every one of the
counts, 41/ nights.' how, I submit to your Lord-
ship, that this variance is fatal, and I rely 06 the.
ease of Rex v. Bear, referred to in Flart's case,
East, 978, which Was tried at the Worcester Lent
Assizes in. 1776. The COlirt agreed," that ivhere
an instrument is set nett ju to tenartnt, the tetinitr
mist be in the indictment according to the !ristrii-
Meat. In this case the indictinent proles'ses to
state the rennin., bnt uses the 'words by nights'
instead of the exact words by night,' which comes
directly within the case that I have cited,
Mr.-iirtwASl4.--My Lord,. I suinnit that by
ttig-hts and by night is the 4iiine word, It does
alter the sense ; and your Lordship knows, that
Where the omission or addition of-a' letter does
not not alter the sense of ~the.,Word, the variance
is not material. This was expressly held by Lord
Mansfield, Hart's eat e, which my Learned Friend
has eited,•Wits an:lntlictment toe for'ging a bill of
exchange. The bill prot4teed in evidence cot res-
ponicti with, that set-forth in the indictment., except
that it was wri(tetti ." tailuc mew ia4tund,of

y~ :~

•
“calne received." 'lle ptlsontv was ennvictea
but judgment was re -spited upon .the question,
whether this literal variance .was material, the
wards sounding floe same :-amd on the,7th at Jane,
l 776, all the tidgcs.(lle Grey, C.'S., and Wines,
J. absent), were of ripilma, that the variance «as
not material, as it hlid nut change the. word;
,and by Gould, J, if the Ward had been writtem
reecio'd Teted, h
et in the one instance,- and
the i in 'the other, must have been neces;:arity un-
del-Stood.

Mr. Gtvroais.-1115? Lord, I still 'submit that
the variance in this case is fatal. It fs another
word ; and 1 -rely on the case of Rex ve Bear.
'l' ere is, also another vase, the Queen-:t, Drake
(Salk. 66i.) which in oceeded upon :its being a
different word--nor -for not*. and Powys., J.. shyi,
in the report of the same case in Holt,- Rep. 350,
that he did not mark this to be so small a variance
of lertet as it it happent4 its false spelling ,or abbre-
viations, %Oda possibly ;night vat hurt. Here
the instrument is in the indictment according
to the teaotir,: and the e'er' winds laid, and nut
the substance and effect of them, must be proved.
3nstkellin.HOYD', after having looked into
the several cases, delivered his opinion as follows:
—lt seems to me, that the words by night, and
by nights, are two distinct words. The sense may
be the same, thong!) certainly it is not common
parlance ; but the law ties me up by -ti.e ssofd
tenor, to have the exact words. I an) tint inclined
to go beyond what has been determined, but it
dues not appear to me that those cases have been
overruled. The Learned' Judge then told the
Jury, that an objection had bvetu taken to the in-
dictment in point of law ; and though there was
Ito alteration in the sense of the words, yet, as
they had undertake') to Set out the tenour of the
letter, the objection was fatal.
The Jury immediately returned a verdict .of
Not Guilty.
The Court %vita exceedingly crowded, partictt-
lady by Ladies; and we noticed several persons
of the first distinction in the et linty.
Charlotte .4siffurd, the prisoner, is the wifevof a
surgeon, and authoress of Ottia in Search of a
Husband, and other works. Lord arid Lady Rolle
are said to be the persons who provided the parti-
calar accommodations for her