Star.
London, England, 1824-06-04 00:00:00

I.ONTON.

.. June 22
• ... June 29
• ... July 2

Thursday .. July 8 I Friday July 9
N.B. The Court will +it at Twelve o'Clock, on June 21 and 28 ;
at One o'Clock, on June 22 and 29; and at Half-past Nine pre-
cisely on each of the other drys.
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, JUNE 3.
THE KING V. THURTELL AND OTHERS.

This was an indictment against the defendant for a
conspiracy in setting fire to their premises, situate in
"Watling-street. in the year 1822, and for defrauding the
Conn:). F,re ()dice of the sum of 1,9301.
Mr. SCA RLETT opened the case, and began by calling'
upon the Jury to divest themselves of all prejudice,
and to forget, for a time, any past transactions that
might attach reproach to the name of Thurtell. The
case he would prove was a very simple, and, he be-
lieved, also a very clear one. One of the defendants
(John Thurtell) was now no more. He had formerly'
been in the navy. In 1821 he came to London, and
entered into some speculation, and, becoming bankrupt,
took the benefit of the Imolvent Debtors Act. A public
house was kept in the Haymarket in tl.e
.name of
Thomas Thurtell, but evidently for the berrefi-, and
under the direction of his brother John. A warehouse
was taken by the defendants in Watling-street, near St.
Paul's, in November, 1821. Immediately afterwards
John Thurtell commenced operations on the ware-
house, and altered it so as to answer his purposes.—
Here Mr. Scarlett exhibited a model of the ware-
house, and endeavoured to strew that these alterations
were for the purpose of concealing from persons on the
other side what was in the warehouse, and fur prevent-
ing discovery if fire should break out. But this he
would leave to be proved by the witnesses he intended
to bring forward.
Frederick Gibbons, clerk to Mr. Harmer, examined
by Mr. 1-11m..—Served notices of trial on the defendants.
Joshua Penny.—Resides its Watling-street—is a wine-
merchant—let the upper part of his premises to Thomas
'Thurtell, for 801. had not received payment.
Mr. HILL.—Had you any still on the premises, or any
thing likely to set the house on fire? Witness—No.
Witness continued—Left the house on Saturday night
at past ten o'clock—came to the house daily—saw one
parcel brought to the warehouse—no communication
between his premises and those of the defendants--
never had any complaint from John Thurtell or his
porter about smoke.
-By Mr. SCARLETT.—Saw a parcel brought on the
Saturday. There was no fire nor candle on the Satur-
day on my premises; I left my servant in my ware-
bouse, and no other person ; heard a noise like that made
by. Carpenters.
Mr. Parish, Clerk to the King's Bench Prison, ex-
amined.—Thomas Mundt was committed to the prison

for the sum of 171. on the 11th February, 1822, and
discharged 18th April, 1825. He was committed at
the suit of his brother John.
William Williams, Clerk to the Insolvent Debtors
office, produced the petition and schedule of Thomas
Thurtell: petition dated March 27, and the schedule
March 28.
Joseph Dance, Solicitor, proved the signature of
Thomas Thuttell to the schedule. His debts amounted
to 4,6661. and he had assigned all his effects, amounting
to 1,6001. for the benefit of his creditors. In the list of
creditors stood his father, ft:it 2,5781.
Davison, carpenter, employed by John Thurtell
to alter a warehouse in Watling•street, in November last.
Understood from John Thurtell the presses were for
the purpose of keeping goods. Saw the inside of one
of the presses on the 14th or 15toli December, by acci-
dent. Nothing in the inside. Knew that a woman
connected with John Thurtell resided for some time on
the premises. She left them on the day that the wit-
ness left off working. All the goods witness ever saw
in the warehouse did 11,4 amount to more than eight or
Inine rolls of bombazeen.

Serjeant \TAM-JAN.—What has brought you here this
day ?—Witness.—The King.
A. Williams was acquainted with John Thurtell in
January, 1823; he lodged at her house, Garlick-hill ;
came on the Wednesday before Christmas. A woman
came with him, called Mrs. Thurtell ; slept there; stopt
with her till after the fire. Recollects some conversa-
tion between John Thurtell and the woman: she (the
woman) said to John Thurtell, " If I were you, John, I
would sell all the goods and set fire to the warehouse."
He replied, " Don't talk so, Mary." Jahn Thurtell
came home on Sunday morning about five—the morn-
ing the fire took place ; lr.! said to witness, " what are
the rattles springing for ?" witness did not hear any;
washer-woman came about nine; said there was a great
fire ; witness knocked at John Thurtell's door, and told
him there was a large fire in Watling-street. He asked
if it was about Friday-street; witness did not know, but
sent the washer-woman to enquite. Mrs. Thurtell then
said to John Thurtell, the warehouse is on fire; :he did
not hear the answer, but he was a considerable time,
about a quarter of an hour, in getting up. Witless wa-
requested by John Thurtell to grease his boots berme
going out ; did not leave the houx hastily.
William Williams had a warehouse near to that of
the defendant. The fire broke out about five. Went
to the warehouse door, and knocked, and the door was
opened by Samuel Wilkinson. Saw no fire on the
floor when the fl.snies were issuing from Thurtell's
indow. Went to secure his own papers, and came
back twenty minutes after; saw no fire en the fluor
then. Could discern the remains of almost everything
that had been burnt ; looked at Thurtell's warehouse,
but saw no remains of goods. Never saw anything in
the conduct of Wilkinson to make him suspect he was in
the habit of
James Robertson, warehouseman in Watling-street,
observed the fire in Thurtell's house about five; saw
the shutters on lire then ; could see into the room, and
saw the opposite wall quite distinctly.
Cross-examined.—Saw no goods of any description.
—The fire must lave raged for some time before
witness saw it. _ _

Robert Johnson, warehouseman.—Lives in Watling-
street, two or three doors from noneli's ; saw the fire
about five ; remained in Penny's war chouse, the one ad-
joining, fur about 20 minutes ; did not think the fire
could have originated in Peony's warehouse.
Simon Wilkinson was porter to Mr. Penny, and dent
on the premises ; went to bed at half-past ten the night
pi evions to the fire; no fix(' in his master's premises
when he went to bed. When he got up in the morning
his room and Mr. Penny's warehouse were quite dark ;
no light but from the fire up stairs, and from the street :
saw the fire burning in Thurteli's.
Mr. Barber Beaumont, of the County Fire Office,
subscribe 4 the policy inured by Thomas Thurtell.—
After the fire Thomas Matadi made the claim for loss.
The witness, in consequence of suspicious circumstances,
examined him closely. He told him the Company
would require invoices of the goods, which Thomas
Thurtell said he could pxoduce. The claim was refused
on the ground of fraud.
Several other witnesses had been examined for the
prosecution.
Mr. Serjeant VAUGHAN' rose about six o'clock to ad-
dress the Jury on behalf of Thurtell and Anderson.—
The Learned Serjeant commenced by stating the cha-
racter of the indictment. It charged Thurtell, and three
others, one of whom (John Thurtell) could not answer
befoie any human tribunal, with conspiracy, not only to
commit hand, but arson. It was true the offence, as it
stood, was a misdemeanour, but if there was ground
for the charge at all, it would have been more manly to
have indicted capi:aily for the arson. Thomas Thurtell,
I it was said, was a beggar at the time of the Fite, and
had no property. One of the defendants, who was sup-
posed to have committed arson, had expiated his crimes
' at the shrine ofJustice, and an endeavour was made, in
the present instance, to fix on Thomas Thurtell the
crime of setting fire to the premises. The question,
however, was this : Was the house wilfully set on fire,
or was it accidental ? The house had been taken by
Thomas -Thurtell of Mr. Penny, under the intention,
that Thomas Thurtell was to become a merchant ware-
houseman, dealing in Norwich articles. He was to quit
the public-house which he kept in the Haymarket. In
January, 1822, the file took place, and the question
was still undecided, whether it occurred on the part of
the premises belonging to Thomas Thurtell, or the lower
part belongingto Mr. Penny, whose servant Was sleeping
on thepremises ? That was a doubt in favour of the defen-
dants. They had called a carpenter to prove the man-
ner in which the premises were repaired ; and a con-
clusion was drawn, that the work was done to shut out
all light from the staircase. The carpenter put up a
deal partition between the back and the front ; and it
was saki light deal was used because it would burn.—
Deal was certainly very inflammatory ; but who would
have thought of using any other wood ? It appeared
John Thurtell had a woman, with whom he was living
as his wife. The Jury might take it for granted, if they
thought fit, that he slept at tke house on Garlick-hill
with his kept mistress. The fire took place on the morn-
ing of the 25th of January, and the inference was, that
John Thurtell went to his lodgings at Garlick-hill at the'
time the fire broke out. He should prove by indispu-
table evidence, that John Thurtell was in company of
a most respectable man, and remained with him till the
fire had broken out. lie went first to the Cock, in the
Haymarket, then to Vauxhall, where he joined the com-
pany of a Clerk in the Bank, named Henser; be then
jn the
wentto the Opera, and staid in the saloon till five o'clock
morning. He parted with Henser at five o'clock,
and went to Garlick-hill. No one said Thomas Thurtell
committed the arson, but it was imputed to4lis brother.

Mrs. Williams, who kept the hose, said be came home
and asked what the rattles were going for? The same
witness spoke to a conversation between John Thurtell
and Mary Dobson. The words were—" I would advise
you, Thurtell, to sell all the goods and set the house on
fire." Was it likely an artful incendiary would have
said that in a common brothel ? Was it credible this
woman could have concealed this? Would she not
have turned such persons out of her house? It was then
stated that Thurtell was so cool and deliberate, that
when he heard the report of his warehouse being but nt,
lie waited to have his boots greased. There was no proof
of guilt in that circumstance, if it were true. There was
nothing to point out the deliberate incendiary ; and if the
parties had been indicted for the capital offence, no
Jury could have found them guilty on such evidence.
—Mr. Penny's servant saw the fire on the premises,
and there was nothing to make any man believe the fire
was not accidental. There was a complaint that a chim-
ney had once before been on fire, and that circumstances
made it equivocal where the fire happened. It was then
said that Thomas Thurtell was a beggar. He was in
jail at the time of the fire. His debts amounted to
4,6601. The fact was, he was in this state : He had
occupied a farm in Norfolk, and was ruined by agricul-
tural distresses. He was unable to set up in business
upon his own knowledge, but his brother knew some-
thing of 'the Norwich trade, and Thomas was to assist
him. Where was the proof of conspiracy ? Thomas
Thut tell was charged, with Anderson and others, with
fraud and conspiracy, in burning the house. There was
no foundation for the charge. Neither Anderson nor
Thomas Thurtell had committed any act which could
be called conspiracy, and this indictmeht appealed
nothing more than an attempt, on the part of Mr.
Bather Beaumont, to revise the judgment of another
Com t. The question had been decided in another place.
Mr. Beaumont had &dared he :could never pay the
claim until compelled by law, and that he would have
every assistance the law could afford.—The Learned
Serjeant captioned the Jury to dismiss, if possible, from
their minds the prejudice excited by frequent reports of
this case. hope was, that they would look only to
iacts proved in evidence, and acquit the defendants. •
Mr.Gutmr.v also addressed the Jury for defendants.

The JuDrw summed up the evidence, and the Jury
found Thu:tell and Snowden Guilty. Andes son, Not
The trial continued till 12 o'clock, and the
Judge and Jury appeared much exhausted.
The defendant Thomas Thertell sat in Court with great compo-
sure till the Lord Chief Justice be, his charge, when he retired.

PIIO3IOTION OF CHRISTIAN KNOIVLEDGE.

The Anniversary Meetiog of this laudable Institu-
tion was held on Tuesday, at the Freemasons' Tavern.
The Bishop of LONDON was called to the Chair, on
which the Report of the Society was read by the Se-
cretary, Dr. PARKER, which stated, that the Society
have issued, on the Society's terms, 4038 packets of
books to their Members, between the audit of 1823 and
1824, consisting of 43,867 Bibles, 59,455 New Testa-
menti and Psalters, 121,895 Common-Prayer Books,
94,429 other bound books, and 805,230 small tracts;
723 Bibles, 820 Testaments, 1,536 Common-Prayer.
Books, 713 bound books, and 6:369 small tracts have
been delivered gratuitously ;and a considerable number
of religious paper s for Sunday schools—" SlOnehouse
on drunkenness," " invitations to Church," and other
works of a religious tendency, have been circulated
by the Society. The total number of Bibles, &c.
is-
_tied to Members on the terms of the Society, granted
gratuitously on special applications, and delivered to
Members for their gratuitous distribution, amounts to
1,454,818, including Bibles, New Testaments and
Psalters, Common-Prayer Books, other bOund
small tracts, &c. and books And papers of a religi-
ous nature.

The dinner, which was sumptuous, contained every
delicacy of the season.—Among the company were
Lords Kr.svog and BOLTON; the Bishops of OxFonD,
ExErcu, G LOUCESTER, and LIMERICK ; Mr. Justice
PARK, Dr. GA SK of CIIESTER and ELY;
Archdeacons Pori's, JONES, and CA NI BR ; JOSHUA
WATSON, Esq. and a great number of Clergymen and
persons of distinction.

• POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

QUF.EN-SQUARE.
Yesterday Patrick Borne, a newly imported Emeralder, was
brought before D. W. Gneoonte, Esq. charged with endeavouring
to secrete himself in St. JaMes's Palace.
The Deputy Marshal of the Household at St. James's Palace
stated, that about half-past seven in the evening the prisoner
was observed by one of the sentinals attempting to get into the
Palace; be was taken into custody, and handed off to the guard.
house ; but upon promising the Colonel that he would not be seen
there again, he was ....Bowed to go at large. However,in two hours
afterwards he was detected iu endeavouring to obtain an entrance
into the Duke of York's Louse, and was therefore delivered over
to the civil power. The Marshal added, that he hoped some ex•
ample would be made of the prisoner; for it was hardly credible the
number of interruptions the members of the Royal Family and their
household experience from the multitude of infatuated Irish who
loiter in the vicinity from morning till night, and whenever a car-
riage drives up they boldly place themselves at the carriage;door and
demand situations or relief ; indeed they are deluded to this country
by false representations of the plenitude of work and enormous
wages ; and if they find any difficulty, they conceive the Royal Pa-
roily bound to assist them with either a situation or money. A few
days since her Royal Highness the Duchess of Clarence with great
difficulty got into her carriage from being beset by them. The pri-
soner's defence will at once exhibit a true picture of the above facts.
Mr. Gnecoutt —Well, Burne, what have you to say to this?
Prisoner—Plase your Honour's Worship I was toad by some
of my countrymen in the County Mayo, that if I came over to
England and could see the Duke of York I could get a place, your
Honour, and plenty of money ; well, your Honour, when I came
here, I made tumid to see and spoke to his Royal Highness. I said
to him. says I, " Your Majesty, if your Highness pluses, I wants
wadi;" so with that, says he, " Pat, London is a large place, and
you can get plenty of work," says he. "'Bank your Majesty," says
I," I will make use of your Majesty's name, and get work di-
rectly ;" so with that I went to Piccadilly, and saw some of my
countrymen repairing the streets ; I luck off my coat and worked
hard from Monday till Saturday night, and when I went to Mr.
Johnson, the paviour, for my money, be tould me he knew nothing
about me, and by the power% would not pay me, and so I wanted
to spoke to the Duke of York to tell hint how I was cheated, that's
all, your Worship."
Mr. Johnson was sent for, and a person front him informed the
Magistrate that he had certainly-seen the prisoner with his men,
and he was frequently desired to
.go about his business, but he re-
fused ; saying he had his Majesty's command to work there ! Mr.
Johnson did not, however, employ hint at all.
Prisoner—lf your Honour won't order me to be paid twelve
shillings for my week's wages, it will be a great big fraud.
Mr. Gazoonts offered to let the prisootr go, if he would promise
not to go near the Palace again, otherwise he must be sent to pri-
son as a vagabond. '
Prisoner—Pait, your Worship, you may do that, for if I can
neither get money nor victuals I would rather keep whOre I am.—
The prisoner was therr locked up.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Yesterday. Daniel Fil&in, coachman to Sir Thomas Hanmer, was
summoned to this Office by Mr. Martin.
Mr. Martin stated, that on Saturday last, about one o'clock, as
he was coming along Brook-street, he observed a coach, which he
learned was Sir Thomas Hagmees, and saw the defendant cutting
and lashing one of the horns that was to it in the most cruel man-
ner; he whipped the animal over the eyes, ears, nose, and every
part of his head ; and what made his brutality the more ss anton

war. that there could be no pestetilrhatetit for ctrl idos the animal
at 0. as dialed& liras tiviatromebtoals
The defendant roundly dented treated the hone to ti e
manner described.
Several witnesses said that they were by all the time, and that
the coachman did not whip the hone more than was necessary, and
did not whip him over the head, eyes, &c. as stated by Mr. Martin,
The S• 11 of Sir Thomas, who attended on the occasion, stated
the coachman to be a very well conducted man, who bad lived in
the family a number of years, and that no complaint had before beets
made of him; that after Mr. -Martin had complained to his father,
the next morning the horse was examined, and no marks of Co.
lence discovered on him. He then, in defence of the coAchmar,
appealed to a great number of coachmen that were present, uh,:.
flier, if any such violence had taken place, it would not have slim,
itself?—When be was interrupted by Mr. Martin, who, tappiry.
him on the back, jocosely said—" Well done, my buck! I re:;?;
wish you joy of such a coachman ; but between you and
would have been much better for you to have used your irflit
with your faths to have him disunited, than come here to malt
fool of yourself!"
Mr. Hamner made no reply, and a long altercation ensued ie..
tween Mr. Martin and the coachman, as to the propriety,
any circumstances, of whipping a horse about the head, &c,
an elderly coachman, in a Welch wig, asked him " What are W-Ctej
do with a kicking horse?" and insisted that some horses shoal t,
whipped on the ears, &c.
Mr. Martin very humorously replied, that the best way w0a:..1
be to whisper in the horse's ear—" You are a good horse, but 1 ari
a very bad man ;" and added," Oh, my old friend, you are, I E.e,
a devil of a coachman !" To which the coachman replied—"the better suited to drive you, for you are the very devil himself. •
Here Mr. Draft, the sitting Magistrate, interposed, and reltuktd
the coachman for his rudeness, and said that, under all cireuntstao,...
he would only fine hint in the mitigated penalty of los. with costs.'
BOW-STREET.
The tailors are really becoming the most ruots:tsrico/ part of
kind. Out of every ten disorderlies brought to this office lat!trle,
you shall have at least seven tailors; and, as Sir 11. lima: oh.
served the other day, the tailors give more trouble than all the ottter
trades put together. Tine rogues no longer " creep about to had
thernielves dishonourt,ble graves ;" but they will now 0 smite,
drink, dance, revel the night," and break a watchman's head as
lantly as the best Gentletnan in St. James's street. And, morrow,
many of them will intrigue, carry on amours, forsooth ! with as
much confidence as though the bolt of Cupid were turned into a
Wititeeltapel needle, and a love suit were nothing more than A
suit t,f supet fine Saxony.
One of these cross-legged Gievartnis—a slender, thread-lea-0,
parchment-cheek'd biped, was brought before Sir IL Blame yerte—
Jay morning, from one of the watch-houses, charged with having ea-
lawfully insinuated himself into the front area of a portly phlegi.tt.s
personage, who calls himself a neon-toesielir and ita;ioner.
" And what do you suppose he wanted in your area said the
Magistrate.
" Heaven above knows I" replied the stationer—" nothiuz,
I'll he bound."
The tailor smiled all the time the stationer was malting his st7.te•
mein, and treated the matter very lightly.—" I didn't go to hit
house withsut an inwhy-tation," said he, "and he knows it;though
he seems so strange about it now. But he's made his charge again 4
me, and here I am. There's his daughter Mary at (II:: door,
her speak ; I day say she's no objection."
The Magistrate cut the matter short, by observing that even/
man had a right to choose his own visitors; and as the tailor p.-r-
-iisted in visiting the stationer's house against the stationer's will, ti.e
tailor must hod sureties for his not repeating these visits.
" Very good, your Worship," said the tailor—stretching hit Eat
upon his fingers so as to give it a knowing cnek, and gaily foiluw.
log the gaoler to the door, at which doer he was received hr a
young woman, who " looked unatterab:e things" at hint ; hut wi:
ther it was the identical Miss Mary above-mentioned, or not, t.ve
had no means of ascertaining.

Mr. KEA N, the Tragethan, has purchased ground for
building a villa in the island of Bute. The situation, on
the banks of Loch Fad, is truly beautiful, and the villa,
in which he intends to reside, is now in a state of peat
forwardness, to consist of two stories, with a neat front.
A quantity of waste ground, belonging to the Corpo-
ration of Appleby, was sold a few days ago, by auctics,
for building ground, and was struck Mr at the Lite ti
2,420 guineas per acre !
The expense of the St.l.:ithetine's Dock Bill to the pro-
jectors is said to have exceeded 50,000!. while the wits, f
its opponents hare amounte I, during tic agitation of Ite
question before theComit:i:r,•e, to upwards of MO. a day.
The parish of Chelsea is about to establish what its
learned projectors call a Hospilium, or, in plain English,
a temporary lodging-house tor beizgars and other casual
poor, the relief of whom, in money, has hitherto been a
very great expense, as well as a source of much abuse.
Monday morning last, about four o'clock, a slight
concussion was felt by a number of persons in this town
and neighbourhood, which they compare to the shock-
which would be occasioned by the fulling of a large
house, and which cannot be accounted for but by sup-
posing it to have been au earthquake.—Bury Post.
Wednesday sennight a soldier, belonging to the th
Royal Fusileers, at Harwich, having just undergone the
operation of bleeding, fell back and expired. The cause
of his death appears to have been a morbid affection
of the heart.

The Ninth Anniversary of the Ipswich Pitt Club was
celebrated on Thursday week by a Dinner, at the King's
Arms Inn, WILLIAM BATLEt, Esq. in the Chair. The
usual routine of loyal and constitutional toasts were
drank, and the company separated highly pleased
*i►h the pleasures of the day, and with the attent►ons of
their worthy Chairman.
So great is the Club mania at present, that there are
said to be almost as many candidates for admission into
some of them as there are members.

To light the parish of Mary-la-bonne with gas, will
require a length of pipes exceeding sixty Wiles.
Three white hares were discovered last week on a
Gentleman's grounds in the neighbourhood of Maid-
stone ; one of them was accidentally killed.
Monday, a soldier belonging to the 99th Regiment
of Foot, uow in Glasgow barracks, went into the Clyde
to bathe, a little below the Dominiis Hole, in the Green,
and was drowned.

A mechanic at Eisingwold, has invented a piece of
machinery for preventing burglary. It is a statue, which,
on a thiet entering the door or window of any house,
fires a gun or pistol, and also rings an alarm bell.