Star.
London, England, 1807-12-19 00:00:00

.ADMIRALrr SESSIONS.

OLD BATLEY, DEC. 18.
Before Sir WILLIAM OCOTT, Chief Juftiee. the Chief Baron of
the richequer. Mr. Juice LE BLANC, and the other Judges
of the High Court of Admiralty.
MURDER.

Thema: Bennett, Captain. of the merchant Chip the
Good Intent, was indicted for the murder of Wil-
liam Rickman, the (hip's apprentice, a boy about 14
years of age, by depliving him of his clothes, expo-
ling him naked to the rain, wind, and other incle.
mencies cfthe weather, denying him fuificient firth-
nave, and beating his loins, Romach, back, belly,
and fides, whereby he became emaciated, lick, and
languifhingly died.
This caufe excited a confiderable degree of interefl,
both from the magnitnde and nature of the charge.
The Court was exceedingly. crc.wded, and the trial
tailed fr.rm ten o'cic.ck in the morning until near
eight in the evening.
The SoLicurna GINERAL, Connfel for the prole-
cution, addrelled the Jury in a very forcible fpeeck,
in which be hated that the ptifoner, who was Cap.
min of the 'hip Good Intent, had, by abridgement
of fuml. by espofure to cold, and by fevere and cor-
poral ~..../flasents, frequently inflided on the decea•
'fed William Rickman, in the e tide of a voyage
from the River Thames to the Ifland of Smyrna,
eccafinned thedeath of the Paid William Rickman,
on the day mentioned in the indiement. On the
• 28th September. the Chip, the crew of which confif-
ted of fix perfons, betides the prifoner, left London
and arrived at Malta on the 26th of November i 806,
at which place the prifoner began to treat the de-
ceafed with the greaten cruelty and feverity, which
will appear, continued the Learned Conflict, from
the evidence of Several witneffes, part of the crew of
the fai I Chip. to 1-e immediate or the remote caufe,
of Rielnuateb death. Should you, Gentlemen
of the jury., be fully fatisfied of the charges which
will be brought spina the prifontr, to be well
founded and proved, you will vitae bting in the
pritoner guilty ; but if, on the other hand, any doubt
remains in your minds as to the intention of the pri
foner to have canted the death of the laid Willi tm
- Rickman, and that his death was the effect of Come
sther caufe, not attributable to the -prifoner, of
• scurfe, you will acquit him.
William Ireland, the mate. was the fira witnefs
examined. He Rated. that.pteviout to the arrival
of the veffetat Malta. the deceafed was much Alit:
led with the feu: vt, his legs being (welled, his face
bloated, his eyes dull and heavy, and, indeed, every
.fylopt,likof an incurable diforder ; that he advifed
the prifoner to fend him to the Navy Hofpital there,
but the latter (aid it would. be too expenfive, and he
would procure fame medical peifon to come on
board. On the 17th December, the deceafed was
ordered to cook, and again on the t Bth. but he did
not get the dinner ready in time, nor clean the ref-
it:l. fur c:mking s upon which he was (tripped. and
the peitnner told the reit of the crew that he was
tired of tbrelbing him for not keeping himfelf clean,
• and that be Humid keep him from his iiauals, and
fee what that would do ; he defired the crew not to
give him any thing to eat. Previous to thi., they
had complained of his being filthy and nay; he was
then flogged, and not allowed to Deep lis hit ham
mnck,lbut flept in an old beef cane for a few nights.
in which a pig had ptevioufly flept. The Withers
then went on to Rate the various floggings which the
deceafed had, up to the time of his death—that he
was (tripped naked, and covered himfelf at night
with a rug, which the prifoner (hipped off and threw
overboard—that thefe punifhments were in confe-
quence of his want of cleanlincfs—that particularly.
on Chrinroas day, the prifoner (aid he would with
the deceafed himlelf, and about i i o'clock he was
let down into the lea, over the crofs tree of the Chip,
in order to frighten him, and tome buckets of falt
water thrown over him—that the cat-o'-nine.tails
with which he was flogged was one with fix lines,
and three knots on each tail ; that though he did not
get his regular allowance, yet he procured from-the I
tell of the crew vieuals every day ; that on the wit-
nefs temonttrating with the prifoner on his conclude
and Wet ving that perhaps more moderate treatment
might have the defiled effee, the latter defired him
to hold his tongue ; that the command of the Chip
was his, and no man that Swam with him Ihould
wteit it from him. The witnefs then enumerated
inflictions of punifhment up to the 6th r f January,
(the day on which he died); on that day he was fent
up to the fore top, to lower dawn the truck, which
he did, and in the mean time the crew, with the
exception of the deceafed, went to dinner. In about
25 minutes after, the witnefs went on deck, and
could only perceive in the main top the knees of the
deceafed ; he called to him to come down, but recei-
ving no anlwer, he went up and found him extended
on his back, with his eyes open, apparently dead,
being quite cold. He was lowered down, and taken
into the cabin in the arms date prifoner, and ever y
means ufed to rellure him, but without Idea. The
prifoner laid it was a bad job, he was (.try he had
treated him In harfh. The witnefs at fir( thought
he had been Starved to death, but upon refteeion, he'
thought impollible, as he exhibited a /Why appea-
ranzt, and was well when he went up the firrunds.
The real of the witnef.'s tettimiany related to the en-
try made in the log book, of the cattle of his death,
end farther with refpeit to his butial, which was at-
tin !ed by hinsfeif and the prifoner. He was interred
In a Small Wand near Smyrna, the prifoner reading
the burial Service.
fu hie ants examination by Mr. CARROW, of
Cuirnfei for the prifoner, he gave it as his opinion,
that the low date of his body, and bad feorbutic
habit, were the caufes of his death. He defcribed
the deceafed as not capable of being obedient, and
admitted that the punithment was inn:4ed With a
% iew to corral his bad habits ; he could net accufe
the prifoner of u jibing to cattle his death.
On witnefs being allied by the Solicitor General,
o hat, in his opinion, was the caufe of the death of
the deceafed he ar,fwered, when he &ft brought
down the &coaled, he thought it washy the Seventy
of the weather ; but afterwards, on reflection. conii-
dered the boy could not die with cold in fo fh nt a
time ; and heard that people having the (curvy often
died Suddenly.
Coue.r.,. What do you think was the caufe of
his death ?"
WITNSSS" A fit smiling from a fcorbutic habit
of body."

(Edward Potter, the other boy alt board the Geod
Intent, remembered the day they failed from Malta,
which was the 17th of December. Next day, in con-
fequence of the deceafed not doing his duty (which
t was that of cooking for tht Chip's company), the
prifoner fent for him aft, and was flogged, when the
prifoner Paid he (the deceafed) Should have neither
clothes nor meat till they got to Smyrna. The wit-
nefs confirmed the different floggings, from a dozen
and a half to two dozen, Rated by the former witnefs,
and added that the deceafed flept, during the paffage
from Malta to Smyrna, in a calk on deck, along with
the pig. The witnefs alto well remembered the pti-
, toner taking from the deceafed the rugs, and throw
ing them overboard, and the pitiable Rate of the de-
ceafed, expo/id during the palfage in the min and
cold, and naked to all weathers. Sometimes the
deceafed had but one meal a day, and at other times
for two days had nothing to eat, but never more
than two days without fomething, though the men
frequently gave him .a bit unknown to the Captain.—
The deceafed ufed to dint in the cabin before they
artived at Malta, but after that he was ruined out,
for !citrons which the witnefs could not account for.
The day the prifoner expected the Commodore's boat
alongfide, he fent the witnefs to the cabin for tome
clothes, laying. that he did not wills a naked boy to
be Peen on board. Another time, when the witnefs
made a reefs of burgoo, the Captain found for what
purpofe he made it, and beat him about the head
with the fpoon. The witnefs defcribed, in a very
feeling manner, the way in which the deceafed
Inatched the raw pudding out of the copper, and in
an inflant devoured it, for which he was afterwards
flogged very feverely. The fart time the Captain
flogged the deceafed, he fent him as much as the
hulk of k walnut. The deceafed was two hours in
the main top the day he died, and the Captain never
ordered him down. After his death, the Captain
wanted the crew to fign that he died by the vifita-
don of GOD, which they refuted—but however, the
witnefs was of opinion t'tat his death was entirely
owing to the cruel treatm:nt experienced from the
Captain on the pagrage from Malta to Smyrna. On
eras examination, he fail, the clew complained of
the deceafed', uncleatlincfs, and was told, he would
have both food and clothing in plenty, if he kept
himfelfelean,notwithflanding he never would, but
was as obliinate as he was filthy.

Francifco Ferdinand and Jofeph Francifco, both
Italians, confirmed the cruel wage the deceafed
had exrerienced urceafingly, from the time they
failed horn Plymouth till their arrival at Smyrna,
and when the crew were at dinner, the prifoner c• n•
Randy ordered the deceafed to his /lath n in the top,
to prevent him from getting his vktuals. The wea-
ther, on the day they made the land, was as cold as
it is here at this time of the year, when the poor de-
ceafed buy was totally naked. Before their arrival
at Malta, the deceafed was regularly called to his
meals..-after that, the whole crew had particular
orders not to give him a morfel, otherwife they would
themfelves be put on then allowance. The witnefFes
Rated pofitively, that the deceafed was a very tine
likely buy when they failed from England—but from
the ufage he met with from the Captain, he grade
ally walled away ; though his legs were (welled, he
had no (curvy ; but his illnefs was occalioned by
cold and hard ufage. The day he died, they faw
him befote he was ordered aloft, famed hardly able
to crawl, eat nothing trace the day before at noon,
and cried bitterly at his bard fate. They both de•
feribed the poor creature like the piftwe of our SA-
vtoua on the Crufs, in the hit Mtge of human mi-
fel y ! It was alto their opinion that his death
occafioned by the cruel treatment of the
Dr. Powell and Mr. Randall, a furgeon behnging
to St. Bartholomew's Hofpital, were examined,
with refpeB to the opinion they had formed, fr,m ,
the evidence which they had heard. There Gentle
men were of opinion, that the deceafed mull have
died in confequence of great exertion, which canled
an internal mtfehief near the heart, by fume of the
•.(rels giving way. Scurvy, they laid, in certain
cafes, would produce fuddcn dea h.
The CHILI BARON here defired the Jury to We!
whether the evidence ut the Medical Gentlemen fa I
tiefied their minds that the deceafed met with his
death in confequence cf great b 'Lilly exertions—be-1
caufe it was obvious to every one, that fwarming up
the thronds was one of the greatell exertions which
man could well make. If ta, the prifoner mutt be I
acquitted. 1
The Jury expreffed themfclves nut fatiefied, and ;
then the witneffes for the pi if,,ner were called.
Mr. Richard Cookron and Mr. George Jackfon,
Gunners of the (hip Good Intent, never knew any
thing injuri"us to the p: itoner's charaCter. Mr.
Robert Cosby, Pilot. fprke to the Portugueze lea-1
men having grumbled all the way up the River I
again( the Captain, for font:thing he had done to I
them.
The tea of the witnefles in his favour gave him a
moll excellent char-after. Among them was Mr.
Morrie :rajas, Mr. Robert Clatklon, Mr. Matthew.l
Foy, bit. Francis C.lumbine, Mr. John Pybus, Mr.
'Davies ; Captains Graham, Norman, Harrifon, Mr.
E. B. orbyn, fee. &c.
The CHIEr BARON directed the Pry's attention to
three quettions with which they mutt befatistied be-
fore they could find the prifoner guilty. First, that
the abridgment of food was the caufe of the unfortu-
nate boy's death ; fecondly, that the expofing to cold
in revere weather ; an r thirdly, that inordinate pu.
nilhment, foperadded to bodily difeafe, contributed
to accelerate it. Either of thefe calve would warrant
their finding loch a verdid. His Lord/hip then
recapitulated the evidence, commenting upon the
I contrariety in the tellimony of the witneffes, and very
humanely pointing nut the material parts which were
! in favour of the prifoner.
The Jury, after a short confultatien, pronounced
I the prifoner Not Guilty.
He was a flout man, shout thirty years old.

The Earl of FIFE arrived in town on Monday lall
from Scotland. _ _ . _

...
There ate now living in the town of Kendal, being
all of °Fie family, as f.,ll"Gsv :—Six grandfons, four
granddaughters, three great grandfons, three great
grand daughters, (even fens, five daughters, three
nephews, three nieces, three mothers, two grand
mothers,- a great grand mother, a grand father, two
fathers, two uncles, two wives, and a widow.—Their
united ages amt.= to 380 years.

LAND3N MIIRKErS.

BORN EXCHANGE, MARK-LANE, DECEMBER iB.

OZNERAL CURRENCY AS UNDER.
Wheat, 46* 6os 725 per qr. Grey Peas, 648 7osod
Floe Ditto. 743 76s od Beans, (old) 375 63s od
Rye, (new) 465 52$ od Tick Ditto‘as 38104
garlel93Bll 45504 Oats,3:s 36s 4011
Malt, (old) 6o* 7os od Poland ditto 4as 43s od
White Peas, (Boilers) L 302163 Potatoe ditto to 46s cd
Rape Sced sal act
Fine Flour 555 6os—Seconds ;08 5,511
torECTOR'S RETURN AT =BRIDGE, December 17.
Wheat per load 161 OS to 101 OS
Barley per quarter al Os to al 38
Oats per ditto tl 145 to al Os
Beans per ditto al 18s to 31 45 .
Peale per ditto 31 111 to 31 411
PRICE OF HOPS.
____ FOCIERTS.
Kent 41 as to 61 os Kent - sl as to 71 of
iuffer 41 as to sl ias Suffer - 41 as to 61 es
Eiger 41 as to 51 113 Farnham 81 os to 91 9s
PRICES OF HAY AND STRAW.
St. James's. Wbitechapel.
Hay perload 4 o oto 6 6 Cray per load 4 4to 6 o
itraw 2 19 oto a 5 o Straw t la tot t 4
I Clover 3 to to 6 16
rams OF BAY AND STRAW IN 11117111111LD.
Hay, - 51 os to 61 6*l New Clover cl ocs to of cos
Clover sl tos to 61 6. I Straw. tl t3s to al as
SMITHFIELD, Lkettnber 18.
'Phi* day's Market was amply tupplicd with prime Beans. and
the thew r f cattle, in other refpeas, was I°m:what conliderable.
Beef and Mutton are dearer than our laft report. Veal and Pork
are cheaper, and the trade in gendal was not over bra. The
butinefs done ili the Haymarket was trifling—Hay has got up in
price fince Monday's matktt—Clover has fallen in price—Straw
obtained laft price.
To fink the offal—per (tone of 81b.
Beef 4s 4.1 to 6s 41 I Veal 4* ad to 61 4d
Mutton 44 44 to ss 8d Pork 43 ad to 41 ad
HEAD OF CATTLE 'I HIS DAT.
peaßs, about lir...Sheep and Lambs, 4,500.
Calves 32..)—Pig. 450.
NEWOATE and LEDENHALL, December tB.
Per Rote of 81i. by the weak.
Beef 36 4.1 to 34 4d I Veal 3s 841 to 6* od
840""" 34 4d to ss od Pork 44 44 ro 48 8d
PRICE OF LEATHER, per lb. AT LZADENHALL.
Butts,so to 561 h each aid to 24d
Ditto, 6o to 651 b 24.1 to asd
Merchants Backs sod to aid
Drelang Hides 16d to 1744
Fine Coach Hides t7d to 194
Crop Hides for Cutting aid to 1•851
Flat Ordinary _
.:_1 to satd -•
Calf Skini, 30 to 40th per .:ores 26s to ts..
Ditto 5040 7olb 36s to 40$
Ditto. 70 to Bolb 335 ID j 55
Small Seal. (Greenland) per lb. 3,4 ad to 3s 44
Large ditto toss to 13os per doz.
Tanend Horfe Hides Its to alis each
Goat Skins ass to 633
PRICE OF TALLOW IN LONDON.
St. James's market 4.6 7d rown Tallow 78* od to ~.At
Clare Market 4s Si! Yellow Raffia 745 0.1 to —$
Whiteehapel Market White ditto 7os oil to —s
(per Rune of 81b.) 4. 61 Soap ditto 7,s to --6 od
-- Melted Stuff Sc 3 to ..5 od
33c 9d Ditto rough 36* od to 05
Average Price 4s 71 Greaves las 04
Good Dregs i as to os
Yellow Soap, 864-111ottled, 965—Curd, —s
Price of Candles per titaz,n, 125 0:6.4.1011Illi 13* 0.1
COAL MARKET, Drerniber t 8
S'alpor at Market Ships fold Price
70 NewcZtle Coal 29 514 61 to 56. 64
7 Sunderland 2 47s od to 491 :d
coußsr. OF FXCHANGF..
Amfterdant 35 7 1 Uf. Cadiz 394 effeel. Genoa 4SI
Do. at fight 34 It Madrid ar.effed I Liibon Co
P rtr crdam 111 4 2 Ur. Whoa 19; cl'edl. ( Oporto 6o
Hamburgh 34 4it W. I orgh•-•rit 49: i Dublin tc t•
Altona 34 sut II( i Naples 4a I Cork t 1 i
Paris t day's date 24 0 liv. I Venice 52 liv. Piceoll etiedirc
Ditto a Uf. 14 4 per £ fterthrg
Sourdeaux 24 4 1 Palermo, 91 pence per uz.
NewAgio on the Batik of Minatd st per Cent.
New Dollars 35 444 per Ounce.

BAGS.

As an Officer of a Militia tegiment was (hooting,
near the Shannon. on the t ll init. on his return home
to B.snagher, he fl.ithed a woodcock, which he gave
milers to a man that was with Lim input up for him,
at the fame time &firing he would not (hoot ; but,
notwithflanding the precautir n, he fired, and lodged
the c•tntents of his piece in the Officei's face, which
has deprived him of one eye, and manglei him in a
moll dreadful manner. _ _

.
Sunday fe'nnight, G. MASSY, Efq. a Magiftrate
for Clonrnel, apprehended in the vicinity of Pallls
Green, R. Bradtbaw, G. Conway, J. Barry, and
Mary Lundrigan, the principal perfons who let fire
to the haufe of L. Balk, ,ICl.tntettland. en the *tar
of Oanber hill, whereby J. Doherty was burned to
death, the honk was burned to Atm and D. Bork,
lather to the faid Laurence, killed. They were con-
veyed to jail, under an efcrirt of the ph Dragoons on
Monday le'imight. KILMER BRASIER, Elq. Mayor,
alfo committed J. Gilhoolv, E. Hayes, and T.
Sheeny, charged with being concerned in the above
murders.