The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-16 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF Kip:;; 77-t_ LiCH, JUNE 15.
vtCHER AND OTHERS V. COCKS AND OTHERS.

'Phis AVaS au action broughr by the assignees of a
bankrupt, named Window, an army-agent, against
Messrs. Cockg, Biddulph, and Co., the bankers of
the bankrupt, to recover the sum of 16,5241. odd.
The ground of the action was, that the bankrupt had
given the defendants a fraudulent preference over his
other creditors.

The plaintiffs were nonsuited.
SHEPHERD V. LOCKE..

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (with whom was Mr.
Campbell) said that this was an action for slander.
The plaintiff was an old gentleman 70 years of age,
who had lived without any imputation on his cha-
racter, tint d the defendant, o ho had been in partner-.
,Itip with the plaintiff, had thought proper to call
him a thief and a villain. The defendant hail re-
jected all overtures made to him for explanation and
apology., and had dsiven the plaintiff into a court of
justice. Mr. Shepherd, the plaintiff, had been for
many years the confidential clerk of the father of the
defendant ; be was subsequently taken into partner-
ship with Mr. Charles Locke, the brother of the de-
fendant, who, on his death, made Mr. Shepherd one
of the executors to his will. Mr. John Locke, the
defendant, and Mr. Shepherd then carried on the
business together, the widow of Mr. Charles Locke
being interested in one-third of the profits of the con-
cern. The business (the plaintiff and defendant were
lead-merchants) turned out to be a losing one, and
the partnership was dissolved in 1827.
After evidence had been add;-seed in justification
of the slander, the Jury, without hesitation, returned
la verdict for the plaintiff—Damages one farthing.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, JU:, E 15.
DICKSON V. PLENTY.

•
This was an action of assault and false imptiEon- '
meat. The plaintiff is an ironmonger, in business at
St. Alban's; the defendant, a manufacturer in the
same trade, residing in London. The defendant bad
been employed by the plaintiff in manufacturing articles
in his business, and had been furnished by the latter
with some models or patterns for that purpose. In
June last, the plaintiff, having resolved upon putting
an end to the dealings between them, sent a Mr.
Gilbert to the defendant's manufactory to tender
him 161. as the_ balance of his accounts, which the
defendant refused to accept, us he claimed a larger
balance. The plaintiff stibiegnently accompanied
Mr. Gilbert to the manufactory, and demanded his
patterns. The defendant was not there, and the
worktnen refused to give them up in their employer'S
absence the plaintiff, however, took 'them away
nevertheles.. As soon as the defendant heard what
had been done, he applied the same day to a police-
o(licer to accompany him to take the plaintiff into
custody for robbing him. The officer went with
him accordingly, and having tact the plaintiff at the
end of Lang-lane, Aldersgate-street, seized bin) by
the collar, and told him lie was charged with robbing
Mr. Plenty. The plaintiff resisted at first, saying
that the officer had no authority fur what he was
about to ; but afterwards offered to go with him
if he would let go his collar. The officer did so, and
took hold of his arm, and conveyed hint through
Smithfield to Giltspur-street Compter. The pre-
sent action was brought to recover compensation
for the outrage which had been offered to the feel.
inn',: and character of the plaintiff.
The Jury found for the plaintiff—Damages 1001.
BROWNE V. ALI'.
This was an action of assault and battery.—Ver-
dict for the plaintiff---Datrages, 401.

ARCHES' COURT, JUNE 15.

TIIE OFFICE OF TIIE JUDGE PROMOTED BY BUR

GOYM AGAINST FREE.

This suit, ►:•hirh I,as been pending for nearly fou
years, was brought to a close (at least in this C.:oirt,

to-day.
Dr. LUSHINGTON stated ti at this was a proceed- •
ing against Dr. Edward Drax Free, rector of Sutton,
in the diocess of Lincoln, promoted by Montagu
Burgoyne, Esq. The suit commenced in the
Archis' Court oil the llth of Octob7r, 1821, from
whence it was appealed by the defendant into the
Court of Delegates, where it was detained by a
writ of error. In July, 182 S, the Court pronounced
against the appeal, and remitted the cause, which
now came on for hearing on the evidence produced
in support of the articles. The Learned Advocate
then detailed the substance of the articles, which
alleged that Dr. Free was inducted into the rectory
of Sutton in 1808; that towards the end of 1810
be took a female, named Maria Crook, into his ser-
vice, with whom he formed a criminal connection,
and who became pregnant by him ; that in 1811 she
taus delivered of a child in the parish of St. George,
Hanover-square, and Dr. Free was sworn by her to
be the father of the child, which died soon after
its birth, and was buried at his expellee. The
subsequent articles went on to charge similar
illicit connexions with other servants—namely,
Catherine Sicking's, who was delivered of
a child in 1 krtiordshire, which she swore
to J.L.. Free; Mai 2,, Johnson, who was delivered of
three children (from 1811 to 1817), of all whom
,Dr. Free was alleged to have been the father; Atm
Maria Mackenzie, who was delivered of a child
which she had by Dr. Free, in 1823. The articles
further alleged solicitations of the chastity of other
servants,—namely, Ann Taylor in 1818, and Eliza
Pearson in 1823. They also alleged that the de
fendent kept in the rectory house indecent books
Mid -priuts, which he .showed to divers persons; that
he spoke obscenely, and exposed his person to
le:pales, and lvas addicted to drunkenness and the
ufe of profane. Jangle* and swearing ;—that he was
seen iatoxierited in the church-yard bi 182:3, and at
the rectory house; that be omitted the performance.'
of divine service at the church, particularly from the
'25111 Gf November, 1823, till the 21th of December;
—that he was in the habit of turning cattle and
swine into the elatrelt-tarn, whieli damaged the
graves, 1:11,1 • rooted them up nearly as low as the
coffins. • The :wicks further charged that Dr. Free
excluded the 'churchwardens from the chancel, of
which be kept the key; and that in 1820 heordered
the roof of the chancel to be stripped of the lead,
which he told for his own profit ; and that in the
satin year be refuSed to baptize, and read the burial
service, without the payment of fees.
After. the Rev. Dr. had been heard at some
length in his defence,
Sir JOHN Ntenoi.t. gave sentence. The defendant
bad offered no evidence; and he now expected that
the Court would receive his own statenient of facts,
and his attacks upon the conduct of the promoter in
the cause, as defensive matter. • The Learned Judge

expressed his opinion that the charge of fornication
was fully established, and that being the case, the
Other charges required less examination. Thee,
however, he considered to be proved, especially the
desecration of the chinch-yard, and the stripping of
the roof of the chance-1, of which no explanation had
been given. Slight irregularities and casual mis-
conduct might be corrected by admonition or
suspension ; but here Was a eijing grievance in a
parish--a disgusting nuisance—a case in which there
the parishionws and the was no hope of bringing
de-
fendant to mutual respect and confidence. It was
therefore the duty of the Court, and a painful duty
it was, to pronounce that the articles of the charge
were fully proved, and to direct that Dr. Free be de-
prived of the rectory of Sutton, and to condemn him
in the costs incurred.
Dr.- Free intimated his intention to appeal from
the sentence.

Yesterday, being Trinity Monday, the Cor-
poration of the Trinity-house held their Anniversary
Meeting, and proceeded in barges to their ball at Dept-
ford, where his Royal Highness the Duke of CLATLENCE
was unanimously eh.cted Master for the ensuing year. The
corporation then attended divine service at the church of
St. Nichols., where an excellent sermon was preached, by
the Rev. J. 7tIKILEIVETHER, A.M., Chaplain to het Royal
Highness the Duchess of.CLARENcE. The Elder Brethren
afterwards dined together at their house on Tower- hill,
and were honoured by the presence of several of his Ma-
jesty's Ministers,-and other biegaber;'Of the Goverbtnent