The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-30 00:00:00

MAYO (IRELAND) ASSIZES.

THE KING V. NUGENT..

A curious occurrence took place in reference to
the trial of Nugent.
Mr. Christy (one of the Jury) came forward :--my
Lord, I have not agreed to the verdict returned, last
night, by my fellow jurors !
The JUDGE, with evident amazement, asked the
Juror for an explanation of the transaction ?
[A long dialogue, in a suppressed tone of voice,
commenced. The Learned Judge did not appear
satisfied, and desired Mr. Christy to write his senti-
ments, and give them to him. Accordingly, at an
advanced hour of the day, Mr. Christy appeared be-
fore his Lordship, with the paper, as desired.]
The JUDGE—Is this letter, Sir, your deliberate
and explicit sentiments on this subject ?
Mr. Christy—lt is, my Lord. I would not con-
cur in the verdict if there were no recommendation.
in favour of the prisoner. Under the impression
that the prisoner should be recommended to mercy,
I agreed to the verdict.
[lt appeared that the Judge gathered from the
conversation with the Juror in the morning, that he
did not conceive himself justified in agreeing to a
verdict that would deprive a man of life for the com-
mission of such a crime]
The JUDGE—I should be wholly forgetful of my
duty, and unworthy to preside here, if I suffered an
occurrence of this kind to pass unnoticed. The ex.
pressions which were made use of to me this morn-
ing were very different from what are contained in
this paper. At the time the observations were ad-
dressed to me this morning—l must say that when
I heard the expressions made use of this morning, I
was appalled--I was struck with horror; but as
they are not contained in this paper, I do not feel
myself at liberty to mention them. I should be
wanting in duty to myself if I did not express a
strong feeling of disapprobation of such conduct as
was represented to me this morning. I feel gratified,
however, to find that the sentiments in this paper do
not convey what the language of this morning did ;
for it contained expressions at which every
feeling of religion, every feeling of huma-
nity, and every feeling of duty, should re-
volt, and at which every man possessed of a,
spark of religion, or humanity, or integrity, ought
to be appalled and struck with horror; for it
amounted to this—that a Juror had assented to a
verdict convicting a man of a capital offence, when
he did not concur in that verdict. lam willing to
admit that I have been mistaken, and I feel a satis-
faction in thinking that this has been the case. It
is a circumstance which any man should blush to
acknowledge—it is an avowal at once of what would
disgrace the man and the Christian. Lest any
person should conceive an idea contrary to what my
impression on this subject is, it is my daty to express
my opinion, that any man who, on his oath, assents
to a verdict against his conviction, is guilty of a
crime against Christianity, against truth, and against
character. I feel it to be my duty thus to express
my disapprobation, lest it should be supposed that,
any thing could justify a man acting so in the face
of his God and his country. As I before observed,
I must have misconceived the meaning of Mr.
Christy, although I have reason to think that I was
not the only person who so understood him, and I
can only add, that I am happy to find that these ex-
pressions have been since retracted. Put forward
the prisoner Nugent to the bar.
The unfortunate man was put forward. His ap-
pearance denoted a state of extreme terror ; his eye
rolled wildly about the Court, and a moisture trickled
down his forehead and checks, which were so
pallid, that they resembled the effects of death. His
breathing was short and convulsed. One of his
hands clenched the fore part of the dock, and with
the other he at intervals struck his breast. _

The Judge put on his black cap, and looked at
the prisoner for a moment before he commenced
his address. An appalling; silence reigned throughout
the Court.

His LORDSHIP proceeded.—Nicholas Nugent, you
have been indicted for one of the most heinous of-
fences that can be committed against any individual
in a state of society. You have been tried, and
after a most patient and long investigation of the
case, and a minute examination of all that could be
said in your favour, you have been found guilty by
a Jury of your country. It is painful to me even to
dwell upon a subject which Must so deeply affect
you, and the consequence of which it is my duty to
say will be fatal to you.
Prisoner here ejaculated—The Lord have mercy
on us!
The Learned JUDGE resumed—l shall not utter
any thing that can tend in the slightest degree to
distract your mind from the awful subject which
should occupy all your attention. I cannot hold out
to you any hope of forgiveness, and, therefore, in
this awful moment, it is my office, and it is a pain-
ful one—it is the office of every Christian—to urge
you, to exhort you, to intreat of you, that as you are
now fast approaching the period when you are to ap-
pear in the presence of your Maker, to endeavour,
by a sincere repentance, to make your peace with
his offended Majesty; and I trust that through his
mercy and goodness, and through the merits of your
Redeemer, you may hereafter obtain that remission
of your crime which you cannot expect in this world.
I must now pass upon you the awful sentence of the
law, which is, " that you be taken to the place from
whence you came, and thence to the place of execu-
tion, and that you be hanged by the neck until your
body be dead, and may God of his compassion have
mercy upon your soul !'
The prisoner was greatly affected, and protested
frequently his innocence of the crime for which he
was about to suffer.

[The Irish Papers have omitted to mention the
nature of the crime for which this man is con-
demned.]

A MoNsTmt.—About half-past ten o'clock
last night, a young woman, named Ann Pearson, at pre-
sent residing with her sister, in Wilson-street, Finsbury-
square, and who had been parsing the afternoon at
Kentish Town, was accosted near the St. Pancras Work.
house, on her road home, by an elderly and respectable
looking man, who endeavoured to draw her into conversa-
tion, by inquiring where she lived and where she had been.
After walking by her side some distance, he put one arm
round her waist, and was proceeding to further liberties,
when she sprang from him, and threatened to call for
assistance. Instead, however, of proceeding to further
outrage, as she expected, he entreated pardon, and again
resumed his station by her side, until they arrived very near
the Fever-hospital at Battle-bridge, when he suddenly
turned on her, and she instantly felt herself wounded in
the left arm, with some sharp instrument. At the same
moment he struck her a blow ou the head with his other
hand, ;nd darted down one of the streets leading to
Sourer' Town. With the force of the last blow, she stag-
gered, but prevented herself from falling by catching hold
of some garden railings. She remained in this situation,
preserve herself from fainting, for some
scarcelyminutes, able to
until
two persons, one of them a Bow-street
patrol, came up, and by them she was taken to a house
close by, where her arm was examined. The wound,
however, was extremely slight, having little more than.
grazed the flesh, and was evidently aimed at the breast.
PUNNING.----There are few words so pregnant
with value to the punster as " fair." At the commence-
ment of the annual Donnybrookian festivities, a corres-
pondent sends us the following materials to work up to ad-
vantage, at the same time alleging that II? pays us a great
compliment, as any of the London Papers would gladly pay
him for the communication :—" Donnybrook Fair has just
commenced, and it is fair to conclude that it will be toler-
ably fairish as to general attractions. The carmen are par-
ticularly accommodating, and take parties at a very reduced
fare. Numbers of the fair have already graced the festive
scene with their presence, which has caused many excel-
lent jigs and cotillions. The visitors fared but indifferently
on Sunday. The tents being uncovered, some were sur-
prised at their humble fare of cow-beef and cabbage by
a heavy rain, which increased their gravy more than they
desired. We understand that Mr. Phare constructed one
of the large booths, which is unusually commodious; we
believe he is the same who was employed at the alterations
of the phare on the light house wall. There is a report of
a fare having been seen stalking about in a white sheet
near the river on Sunday night, but it is not generally
credited. We observed many purchasers of fairings.".....
Dublin Freeman'r Journal,