The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-21 00:00:00

WARBURTON'S LUNATIC ASYLUM.

SUMMER ASSIZES.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—WARWICK, Auc. 17.

The Assizes for this county commenced yester-
day, the commission having been opened the evening
before. The calendar contained the names of 80
prisoners, and in the cause list 37 causes were en-
tered for trial. one of the cases tried yesterday in
the Crown Court were of any interest, and the Nisi
Prius Court was occupied during the whole of the
day with an ejectment case, and some undefended
causes.

SATURDAY, AUG. 13.
LIBEL.-ADAMS, ESQ. V. MERRIDEW.

Mr. CLARKE, assisted by the COMMON SER-
GEANT and Mr. HILL, stated that the plain-
tiff in this case, who was a most respect-
able Magistrate of the county of Warwick, had
been grossly libelled by the defendant, who had
thought proper to circulate 2,000 handbills, casting
the grossest aspersions upon his character as a Ma-
gistrate. Every person must recollect the circum-
stances attending the last election for Coventry.—
The tumults and riots which took place on that oc-
casion were so serious, and the local Magistrates
were either so unable or so unwilling to suppress
them, that a number of the inhabitants presented a
petition to Parliament, praying that the county Ma-
gistrates might receive a concurrent jurisdiction with
the Aldermen in the city of Coventry, whereby
order would be more likely to be preserved in future.
The prayer of this petition having been acceded to
by the HouSe of Commons, a Bill was introduced
for that purpose, and while under discussion the_
libel now complained of was published. It first ap-
peared in the Coventry Herald; and lest it might
not be sufficiently circulated through that channel,
it was re-published next day in a handbill, copies of
which were industriously spread through all parts of
the county. It was in tile shape of a letter signed by
" A Churchman," and addressed " To the petitioners
for opening the jurisdiction of the city to the county
Magistrates." After describing these gentlemen as
being mostly clergymen who could not find time, con-
sistently with a due discharge of their spiritual duties
towards their flocks, particularly as some of them held
several livings, to attend to the quarrels or differences
of the people of Coventry, the handbill went on to
say, (and this was the part set out in the pleadings
as the libel upon the plaintiff)—" The other two
Magistrates having jurisdiction within our county
are H. C. Adams, Esq., and the Rev. Mr. Gregory,
the latter of whom is upon the continent. With re-
spect to Mr. Adams, he is Chairman to the Finance
Committee of the county of Warwick, and has
audited accounts containing items of 12,0001., for
the nominal purpose of furnishing lodgings,
plate, &c., for the Judges, but which expen-
diture, in reality, was to find accommodation
for the Magistrates, as the Sheriff always found
the Judges suitable lodgings, without putting
the county to any expence." The writer then
proceeded to warn the people of Coventry against
the consequences of opening the jurisdiction
of Coventry to these gentlemen; and again alluding
to Mr. Adams, said, " To be sure, we shall have the
benefit of his experience in the expenditure." No-
thing could be more false or malicious than this libel,
which imputed to this most respectable Magistrate,
and as honourable a man as any in existence, that he
had taken advantage of the situation which he filled
to saddle the county with an expence of 12,000/. to
provide himself and his brother Magistrates with
lodging and accommodation, under the pretence of
finding it for the Judges. The Learned Counsel,
after observing upon the malignity of this libel, and
the manner in which it had been circulated, added,
that it was still further aggravated by the fact of the
defendant having put a justification upon the record,
of which the plaintiff dared him to the proof.
The hand-bill was then proved and read. It was
to the effect above set forth, and was stated at the
bottom to have been " printed by Merridew and Son,
printers."
A witness was called, who swore that he was
employed by Mr. Henry Merridew, the defendant's
son, to distribute copies of the hand-bill, and that
he had done so as publicly as possible.
Mr. READER. (who was assisted by Messrs. Gout.-
BURN and CLINTON) addressed the jury for the de-
fendants. lie had never risen with more painful
feelings in his life than on the present occasion. He
had known the plaintiff, Mr. Adams, long and well,
and could take upon himself to say, that a more re-
spectable or more honourable man did not exist. He
also knew the defendant, who was one of the Alder-
men of Coventry, and was judicially connected with
him, he (the Learned Counsel) having the honour
of being the steward of their court. He did not
believe that the plaintiff had brought this action for
the purpose of vindicating his character from any
imaginary imputations contained in this publication,
but that it proceeded from disappointed ambition, in
being refused a distinguished office which he had
been desirous of obtaining. _

At the commencement of the Learned Gentle-
man's address, Lord Tenterden yawned loud enough
to be heard by Mr. Reader, who was immediately
below him. The latter instantly stopped, and looked
up at his Lordship, who said, " I beg your pardon."
—" 0, my Lord," said Mr. Reader, " I beg yours ;
I hope I have not disturbed your repose."—" I
assure you, Mr. Reader," observed his Lordship,
"it was perfectly accidental." Mr. Reader, who
seemed very much agitated, immediately said, that
" one word from the Noble and Learned Lord on
the bench was enough to satisfy him. He had re-
ceived numerous marks of kindness from the Noble
and Learned Lord, and be entertained the most un-
bounded respect and veneration for that eminent
person; but his (Mr. Reader's) feelings were easily
excited, and were easily wounded." The Learned
Counsel then resumed his address.

HIS LORDSHIP summed up the case to the Jury,
who after about half an hour's deliberation, returned
a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 251.

HOME CIRCUIT.--MAIDSTONE, Au°. 18.
ADAMS V. MABERIX, ESQ., M.P.

This was an action of trespass, for cutting down
and carrying away the plaintiff's trees. Plea,
not guilty.'
The case, as proved on the part of the plaintiff,
was this :—The plaintiff was an accountant, gene-
rally residing in London ; but having a small estate
at Beckenham, in this county. The defendant was
a gentleman of large fortune, a Member of Parlia-
ment, and possessed of very extensive estates con-
tiguous to that of the plaintiff, where he had great
quantities of game, which he preserved most rigidly.
The plaintiff had granted a lease of his estate to a
Mrs. Wildman, reserving to himself all timber of
every description, and the reservation expressly
named, among other trees, alders, of which there
were several clumps upon the land, of particularly
fine growth, and highly valuable and ornamental.
Mrs. Wildman underlet the estate to the defendant,
and her rent becoming in arrear, and applications
having been in vain made to both parties for pay-
ment, the plaintiff distrained upon the defendant for
the amount. This produced some angry feelings
between the parties, and a correspondence took place,
in which the defendant was made acquainted with
the reservation, in Mrs. Wildmait's lease, of the alder
trees. The defendant then gave the plaintiff notice
that he should quit at the next Michaelmas; and four
days before Michaelmas-day, he sent between 50 and
60 men upon the estate, who, under his direction,
cut down every one of the plaintiff's favourite alder-
trees, cut them -up into bavins, and removed them in
the defendant's waggons, to his own adjoining land;
cutting gaps in the plaintiff's hedges for the purpose
of taking the waggons through, though they might
have gone round by the road without having recourse
to that expedient. When the men first began to
cut down the trees, the plaintiff sent to the de-
fendant, and warned him to desist, but the warning
was not attended to. The trees, which were of 30
years' growth, and tif considerable size, varying from
three to twelve inches diameter, were valued at 451.
to sell ; but as an ornament to the estate, they were
described as being invaluable.
The Jury, after a short deliberation, found a
verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 804

On Saturday afternoon an Inquest was held
at the Elephant and Castle, Pancras-road, before
Mr. Stirling, on the body of a poor woman,
named Ann Goldstock alias Coldstoek, about
fifty years of age, who had for some time been a
patient in Warburton's Lunatic Asylum.
The Inquest was promoted by several gentle-
men, who were dissatisfied with the treatment
the deceased had received in the Asylum. After
the Jury had been sworn, Mr. Dillon, the parish
surgeon, addressed the Coroner and Jury. He
said, that as the medical attendant to the parish,
he considered it his duty to visit the lunatics in
the White House, at Bethnal Green. On the
14th July he went there, accompanied by Dr.
Siamond, and then the deceased was brought to
them for examination ; she appeared in such a
state of disease, and there appeared such a want
of proper medical attendance and care of her
health and constitution, that, when her death
took place, he deemed it proper to submit the
case to the Coroner and Jury.
Dr. Sigmond, of Dover-street, Piccadilly,
said, on the 14th of July, I accompanied Mr.
Dillon, by his request, to visit the patient, in the
lunatic establishment called the White House,
in Bethnal Green ; I had previously visited the
Asylum, for the purpose of more particularly in-
quiring into the case of a man, and who, in con-
sequence of that visit, was liberated ; I found
the deceased in a state of great emaciation and
debility ; she was not able to walk without the
support of the table ; in fact, it was mere crawl-
ing ; the complaint that she made was, that her
bowels had been acted upon twenty or thirty
times in the course of the day, and she was pre-
vented sleeping at night by the noise made by
the other lunatics. The question was put to
her whether she had any medical treatment ?
She said that she had nothing done for her.
Mr. Dillon, in answer to some questions put
by the Jury, said, when a pauper is sent into the
Asylum, notice is not given to him, as the parish
medical attendant, but the establishment repre-
sent that they provide for the pauper lunatics,
and they send in the amount of their charges for
their maintenance. In the last bill there was a
charge made for medicine, as well as for support.
Mr. Henry Beeston, of 12, Old Broad-street,
City, Medical Student, had attended at the
White House since May last, on behalf of Mr.
Dunstan, who had been prevented attending, in
consequence of the illness and decease of his wife.
About the 15th June the deceased was intro-
duced to him as a patient, and about a week after
she was attacked with diarrhoea. She died on
Monday last of, I think, simple diarrhoea. She
was so severely attacked with the complaint, and
bec_une in such an emaciated state, that we found
it impossible to rally her. The deceased made
no complaint of ill-treatment, or want of atten-
tion. ii never discovered any inflammation.

Mr. Dillon—Was this woman put into any of
the straw rooms ?—Witness. I don't know that
there arc any straw rooms. I never saw any.
Mr. Dillon—Was she put into either of the
small crib; ?

Witness—No, certainly not.—As much care
was taken of her as other patients.
Mr. Wright, one of the Surgeons of the
Parish Infirmary, said that the deceased was sent
to the White House, Bethnal-green, on the
13th June last. Upon the body being opened,
it appeared that the deceased had died from a
chronic inflammation of the bowels. In answer
to a question put by a Juror, the witness said,
that the state of the deceased's mind would have
produced debility, and inflammation might have
ensued in consequence.
Mr. Dillon, Ivho resides in Fitzroy-street, was
then examined. He corroborated Mr. Sig-
mond's statement. He complained that the de-
ceased had not received proper attention when in
the Asylum, and that she had been placed
among the noisy lunatics, and deprived of rest.
A conversation here took place between the
Jury and Mr. Dillon, and the former observed,
that it was a mere farce to sand Mr. Dillon to
inspect the state and condition of the pauper
lunatics, unless he was also authorised to make
such alterations as he might deem proper.
Mr. Scadding, one of the Directors of the
Poor, said that the Parish Officers were anxious
to do every thing that laid in their power for the
comfort of the pauper lunatics.
Dr. Roots, of Guildford-street, was then ex-
amined : he said, that on the 3d August he visit-
ed the deceased in the Lunatic Asylum, by di-
rection of the Parish Board. He found her in
a very comfortable bed, and she appeared to have
been supplied with proper medicines to stop a
diarrhoea, under which she laboured. Inflamma-
tion was the cause of her death.

A long conversation again took place between
the Jury and the medical men, the former con-
tending that the person deputed by the parish to
report to them the condition of the pauper
lunatics ought to be invested with greater power.
Ultimately a verdict was returned—,, That the
deceased died by the visitation of God."

CHOKEDAR.--The inhabitants of Bengal
usually sleep with their doors and windows open.
A chokedar (or watchman) is employed by every
respectable family. This man frequently belongs
to a gang of robbers, and is considered on that
very account as a much better protection than
an honest person. He walks round the house
and grounds, and calls the hour until he thinks
the family are asleep. He then fixes his spear
in a conspicuous situation, and goes to sleep
himself, without any further trouble or anxiety.
—The robbers recognize his weapon, and never
injure their comrade by attacking the house.—
London Weekly Review.

Robert Webster was on Tuesday last executed
in front of the county gaol at Fisherton Anger.
It will be recollected that he was convicted at the
last Wilts Assizes of stealing a quantity of plate;
and notwithstanding a most humane appeal to
the Learned Judge who tried him, by his late
master, his Lordship felt himself justified in hold-
inn- out no hopes of mercy. Ever since he re-
ceived his sentence, his conduct has been truly
penitent. While the sad preparations for death
were proceeding, he seemed the only one un-
moved. He ascended the scaffold about 10
minutes past 12 o'clock. He remained there 32
minutes, 25 of which he was engaged in most
fervent prayer. He was genteelly dressed, and
throughout behaved in a manner that marked
him above the common course of persons in his
station in life. It was supposed, from the length
of time that he was engaged in prayer, that he
was continuing his devotions in expectation of a
reprieve. After having earnestly recommended
his soul to God, he, with the utmost composure,
placed himself as directed ; he dropt his prayer-
book (which he repeatedly put to Lis lips while
in prayer), and in a moment all his bodily and
mental sufferings terminated.—Southampton
Herald.