Star.
London, England, 1815-03-24 00:00:00

STAFFORD ASSIZES, MARCH 20.

THE KING V. E 1.17.. BURROWS.
The prisoner was indicted for the wilful murder of
her own child, Hannah Burrows, aged four years,
and also of her child, George Burrows, aged three
years. She was tried on only the first indictment.—
The case on the part of the prosecution was supported
by very strong circumstantial evidence.
On the part of the prisoner,•the following wit-
nesseAs were examined :
nn Sherard lived next door to the prisoner, and
had known her seven years : she was a very good
mother to her childien ; she was diseased in her
mind ; worse at some times than others ; when she
was in this state she rambled abroad ; she ran off one
rooming and left her favourite child George, then
one year old, naked on the hearth ; she has come
into my house many a time, and said, 46 Oh, my
head's going again, what shall Ido r' She came
into my house once stith a pin, with which she would
have pricked her arm if I had let her ; she asked my
husband to kill her or cut her head off; she left her
home in the August before for a fortnight ; her fits
returned oftener than once in six wecks or two months.
Jane Ryles lives about two stones' throw from the
prisoner, and had known her seven years: she had
been in a melancholy way all that time; she con-
fumed the last witness ; she rhea to say, 44 What
would I giveit I could do better for my family ?"
Martha Hancucks testified to the sanie effect. The
prisoner would wring his hands, and say she must
leave her family.
Rev. Mr. Whitby knew nothing of the prisoner till
).is attendance as a Magistrate in a gaol brought him
to her. He could never make any impression upon
her ; she denied any knowledge of the cause of the
cl.ildren's death ; he read to her and prayed with her
without effect; last Sunday he thought lie saw a
glimpse of uason, but was not able to say whether
she could distinguish right films wrong; in his opi-
mien she was afiltctrd with that specks of insanity
called melancholy.
Mr. Hughes, surgeon of the gaol, confirmed Mr.
'Whitby's evidence, but could not take upon him to
asiy, whether she was capable of distinguishing be-
tween right and wrong.
Mr. Baron RICHARDS charged the Jury, that there
was no evidence of the state uf her mind immediately
before the murder, and it was for them to say whe-
ther at the time of committing it, the prisoner was in
such a state of mind as to distinguish right from
wrong.
Tire- Jury, after a short consultation, found the
prisoner—Not Guilty.

RECORDER'S COURT, CORK.
JAMES FITZPATRICK v. WILLIAM JAMERRN.
This action was lately tried before the RECORDER,
in Cork. The principle upon which it was determined
is highly interesting to ship-owners and ship-masters.
The plaintiff is a resident ship-chandler at the Cove
of Cork ; the defendant master and part-owner of the
ship Argus, which was in the Transport service. The.
transport arrived in the harbour of Cork, from Kinsale,
on the evening of the 15:11D cernber last. She had a
pilot on board, and, on her arrival, he moored her in
a e'uation suited to her, and with all the usual precau-
tions. It appeared that, on the morning of the 16th
December, the wind came on to blow so violent a
storm as to exceed any that had been remembered by
the inhabitants of Cove, and caused numbers of ves-
sels to be forced from their moorings, and some to be
driven on shore. The Argus's anchors ceased to hold
her ; she was driven along, and in her progress came
in contact with a lighter, the property of Fitzpatrick.
The Master of the Argus hailed, but there were no
persons on beard the lighter. Anxious to prevent
her destruction, the defendant put his second Mate
on ;,o her, with the hope of disengaging her from
the Argus ; but the storm increased at the moment,
and the lighter went down. Fortunately the anchors
or the Argus were got to act iiFon her, and she was
prevented from going on shore. It appeared that the
Argus had Len instrumental afterwards in raising
the lighter and getting her into shoal water ; but not
content with receiving such service, the plaintiff
claimed to be entitled to Je WU against the Master of
the Argus, that being, as he alleged, the sum which
be had expended in repaiiiiig the lighter.
• Upon this occasion the Learned Recorder in.
formed the Jury, that if they conceived the Argus
had been unskilfully or negligently moored, bad been
placed in an improper situation, and that in conse.
tpience thereof the lighter had been run down and
sunk, in such case the plaintiff would be entitled tol
a vereict ; but if, on the contrary, they were satis-
fied the pilot had placed the vessel in a sale birth, and
that all proper and reasonable precautions had been
used, that then the plaiatiff post hear his own loss.
The Jury immediately returned a verdict for the
defendant, with 6J. costs.

The following cause, which excited conliderable
interest, was tied before Mr. Justice DAMPIER and a
special Jury at Salisbury :--
i.ll:eaJEtiON V. RAYLEY AND OTHER;.—This was
tin action brought against the defendants, as Direc-
tors of the Albion Insurance Company, for £7OO,
insured on the life of the late Mrs. Elizabeth Swaine.
The defence was, that Mrs. Swaim was addicted te►
habits of excessive chinking ; that, at the time of her
insurance she was, and had been for two years, a
primmer in Visherton gaol, where she afterwards died ;
and that the certificates on which the insurance had
been obtained, had not stated the situation in which
she was placed, nor the habits to which she was ac.
custhied. It appeared, on the evidence given for
the plaintiff, that the real circumstances had not
been disclosed, and that the medical gentlemen who
bad certified, and who were of the most respectable
character, had bees misled by the conduct of the
agent of the plaintiff. The Court, without the pro-
duction of any evidence by the defendants, held that
this was sufficient to set aside the policy, and declar-
ed that the plaintiff must be non-suited. '

Monday last, three buys playing in Kensington
Gardens, discovered in a bole at the bottom of the
Ha, Ha, a considerable number of Spanish and Por-
tuguese gold coin, which they divided and pitched
with. Some they gave away on their way hone
and one they sold fof a halfpenny. The mother of
sii4 of the boys bold twenty pieces for 438.

.16 • 'loll lb