Star.
London, England, 1814-04-18 00:00:00

SANDWICH' StSSIONS, APRIL 14.

THE KING V. MAJOR WILLIAM CORDON.
Major Uri/tiara Gordon, of the 24 Dragoon Guards,
or Queen's Bays, was indicted for the murder of a
man named Gregory, a private in the same regiment.
The facts were Shortly these :—On . the 25th March
the regiment received a route for Portsmouth to em-
bark, and on parade, before it left Ramsgate Bar-
racks, the deceased was drunk, and behaved with
great, ipsolence to the non-commissioned officers.—
This was reported to Major Gordon, who desired
that no notice should be taken of it, and that the man
should be marched in custody of the rear guard.,
When the troop was leaving the Barrack-yard,
jor Gordon was standing near, when he saw that the
corporal of the rear guard had not drawn his sword,
and being asked the reason, he said it was left at
Deal to be ground. At the same time the deceased,
Gregory, rode up to Major Gordon, and insisted upon
knowing why he was confiued ? to which the Major
replied—" Go on, you are drunk, Sir." The roan
denied it, became extremely insolent, and the Major
drew the man's sword with some diffictilty, with the
intenti:in of giving it to the corporal. The deceased,
during this time, curled in his horse, and the Major,
to compel the animal to go forward, struck it two or
three times with the flat side of the sword, but with-
out eflect, at the same time ordering the wisher to
march on. Compliance was refused, and the de-
ceased, as appeared from the testimony of most of
the witnesses, turned the head of the horse sharply
towards the Major, who lifted tip his hand at the same
;astern, either to protect himself from the 1 arse, or to
wave the sword, the more strenuously to express ha
command to the man to march. The motion of the
man and horse unfortunately brought 121 e body 4 the
former upon the point of the weapon, which had been
newly ground for foreign service. Tire blade pene-
trated the body of the deceased 14 inches. So instan-
taneous was the accident, that Major Gordon and
Captain Bush, wh r was with him., did not know that
the roan was wounded,. until they saw him change
col .ur and the blond flow from his side. He was
immedi rtefy conveyed to the hospital, where he died;
and N1...j0r Gordon surrendered himself to the civil
power, ',dein.; desired that a Magistrate sh.ad be
.sent for. The principal testimony against the Major
was the bugle.m in of tl:e Rutland Militia, who,
swore, that when the man was wounded, the Major
thrust out his arms with considerable violence. to give
the hl..w ; but this statement was unconfirmed, re.
cepting in a very slight degree. Major Gordon re-
ceived a most excellent character from General Craw-
ford, Lord George Beresford, the Honamrahle Mr.
Cocks, and many other Gentlemen, for humanky,
temperance, aod forbearance, which had been, most
particularly displayed at the time the Major was at
FltiVersfield, dutin„,r, the riots in thArneighbouthood.
The Jury acquitted-him of murder, but brought In a
verdict of" Manslaughter," they being of opinion that
the Major had used the sword incautiously. The
Court fined him £5O, which was inameiiately paid,
and the prisoner was liberated. The case occupied
from nil::: in the morning till nine at right.

At t%e late Derby Assizes, an action was brought
by Miss SOARI4nf Derby, against GUANT, Esq.
now resisting in Lincolnshire, for a breach of promise
of marriage. After the evidence had been gone
thrpugh, the Lady obtained a verdict, subject to an
ward, by which the damages have been assessed at
£13501

The Westminster Sessions concluded on Saturday,
when a great number of persons, committed as rogues
and vagabonds, and for divers other offences, weie-
dischargerl by fsioclamation. Among 'others who
were restored to liberty was Waihr Howard, the self-
created Doke of Norfolk, whose eccentricitieS have
attracted general notice. He had been in confine,-
ment for an assault on one of the officers of the Court
of Chancery, who had endtavoured to push him out
of Court, so as to free the Lord Chancellor from his
.importunities. A genteel young woman was also
disclw ged, named Miss Alergan, who had been come
!nutted from Bow-street in consequence of a charge
Fprcferred against het for constantly obiroding herself
into the presence of a Gentleman, for whom, as she
said, she had formed an unconquerable attachment.
The Mapistrate by wha‘rn she was committed %t as on
the Bench, and expressed his sorrow that she should
so far forget the dignity of her sex and entreated
her, for her own sake, to endeavour to forget the ob-
ject of her passion.
Wednesday evening, as Mr. Banwm, a respectable
tradesman, residing in the neighbourhood of New-
ington, was going along Illackfriars'-Midge, he was
attacked by a set of villains, who knocked him down,
and robbed him of his pocket-book, containing sun.
dry hank-notes, with which th y got off