Star.
London, England, 1825-02-21 00:00:00

GENERAL COURT-MARTIAL,

Held at the Cape of Good Hope, on the 15th of June, 1824, for
the trial of Lieutenant WILLIAM Ocravius Aratuson, of the
49th Regiment.
HORSII GUARDS, JANUARY 18, 1825.
At a General Court-Marti.d. held at the Cape of Good Hope, on
the 15th of June, 1824, and continued by adjournments to the
27th of July following, Lieutenant Wituax Ocravtus *minion,
of the 49th Regiment, was arraigned upon the under-mentioned
chkrges, viz.
'• lit. For infamous, base, and dishanourable conduct, in insti-
gating, aiding, and assisting an inhabitant then of Cape Town.
named Nathaniel Joseph Smith, in writing two scandalous and
false statements, dated the Ist and 2d of September, ins, with a
view of conspiring against the honour and character of Major Gregg,
at that period commanding the 49th Regiment, in prejudice of
good order and military discipline, and in breach of the Articles
of War.

" 2d. For having in his possession two written papers, containing
scandalous and false statrtnents, highly reflecting upon the honour
and character ef Major Glegg, at that period commanding the 49th
Regiment, shewing such statements to several individuals, and not
communicating the contents thereof to MajorGlegg for some days;
'such conduct being highly subversive of good order and military
discipline, arid in breach of the Articles of War.

" 3d. For hesitating to relinqui►h possession of the two written
papers_ mentioned in the preceding charges, on the morning of
Thursday,t he 4th of September, l 823,when producing them a second
time by desire of Major Glegg; and in his (Major Glegg's) quarters,
declaring In a violent arid insubordinate manner, that be (Major
Glegg) should not have the said papers, nor would he allow them
to remain in Major Glegg's hands, until an Officer of the Regiment
was sent for to witness their detention, when he (Lieutenant At-
kinson) exultingly declared he had another copy in his possession,
thereby attempting to overawe his Commanding Officer, the same
bring subversive of good order and military discipline, and in
breach of the Articles of War.

" 4th. For living publicly, for several weeks, in the Castle
Barracks, about the month of August, 1823, with a female of the
name of Smith, the wife, or reputed w►fe, of Nathaniel Joseph
Smith, at that time an inhabitant of Cape Town, in apartments
adjacent to rooms occupied by a married Officer, notwithstanding
be had been frequently advised and admonished upon the subject
by his Commanding Officer, Major Glegg; the same being highly
di.graceful and indecorous, and obnoxious to the families of the
married Officers stationed in the Barracks, and in breach of the
Articles of War.

" sth. Fur uttering a base and deliberate falsehood to Colonel
Napier, the Commandant of Cape Town, on or about 27th August,
1523, stating that he had dined the preceding day with Lieu-
tenant Blythe, 49th Regiment, at Wynberg, when, in fact, he had
dined that day at a public-house called the Half-Way-House, in
company with Mrs. Smith, the wife or reputed wife of Nathaniel,
Joseph Smith, then an inhabitant of Cape Town • at which dinner
Lieutenant Blythe was not present; the same being degrading to
the character of an (Meer and a Gentleman, and ha breach of the
Articles of War."

Upon which Charges the Court came to the following decision :
" The Court having maturely and deliberately weighed and con-
sidered the evidence against the prisoner as to its bearing and nature,
and the exculpatory statements and defence of the priioner,with the
arguments he has used 'to disqualify the principal evidence against
him, and the claim he has made that the Court reject the document
containing the admission of his guilt, are of *pinion, on the first, se-
cond, and third Charges, that the prisoner is Guilty.
" With regard to the fourth Charge, the Court are of op nion,
that the prisoner is guilty of that part of it which accuses him of
living publicly in his quarters with Mrs. Smith; but there is a want
of proof as to the length of time she lived with him ; nor is it proved
that this was obnoxious to the family of more than one married
06cer.

" And with regard to the fifth Charge, the Court are of opinion,
that the prisoner is guilty of telling a falsehood to Colonel Napier."
" The Court, therefore having found the prisoner Guilty of the
lade of the first, second, and third Charges, and part of the fourth
and fifth Charges, do sentence him, the said Lieutenant William
Octavius Atkinson,49th Regiment, to be dismissed the Service, and
to be declared unworthy to serve his Majesty in any military capa-
city whatever."

a The Court feel themselves called upon to observe on the
apparent implication of Ensign Brown in the conspiracy, and, as
far as they are able, are desirous to extenuate his conduct. It
appears to Chem, that he has unwarily been involved, by Lieutenant
Atkinson, with the view of attaching greater credibility to the
statement of the witness Smith ; and that he was kept ignorant of
the principle wich actuated the conspiracy." •
In consideration of all the circumstances attending this ease,
his Ma.nsTrhas been pleased to approve and confirm the finding of
guilty, pronounced by the Court upon the first three Charges pre-
ferred against Lieutenant Atkinson, and to command that he shall
be dismissed his Majesty's service.
His Royal Highness the COMMAIIIMM-IWCUIZT directs that the
foregoing Charges, together with the finding and sentence of the I
Court, and his hLtarsves commands thereon, shall be entered in
the General Order Book, and read at the head of every Regiment
in his NIA/Lille, service%
By command of his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief,
(Signed) HENRY TORRENS, Adjt.-GcnetaL

DREADFUL FlRE.—Yesterday morning, at half-past
three, a dreadful fire broke out in the premies of Mr.
Blackburn, pawnbroker, on Saffron-hill. It was first
discovered issuing with violence, from the back part of
the ware-room, (the second floor) by a labourer, named
Kelly,living in Hatton-court, in the rear of the premises,
who immediately gave the alarm. The fire soon burst
forth through the front pact of the ware-room, in spite
of all exertions, and in a short time the back part of the
first floor was in flames. At this period, four men
belonging to the Hand-in-hand Office, by means of a
ladder, got through the first floor window, at the immi-
nent risk of their lives, to ascertain the "state of the pre-
mises, when suddenly the :Pa and second floor gave
way, and the entire were precipitated into the cellar.
Miraculously no lives were lost, but the men were all
dreadfully injured, two in particular, Levan and Har-
rion, who were immediately conveyed to St. Bartholo-
mew's Hospital.
Tuesday se'nnight, a melancholy occurrence hap-
pened in the neighbourhood of Bray, to Mr. James
Fox, who, while out on a shooting party, and in the
act of passing through a hedge, applied the butt-end of
his gun to put back the bushes, when the piece went off,
killed

MARSH. AND ,IX4TBANXIIVPTCT.

We have received a Report to the Assignees cirthe
late Banking-house, drawa,up by Mr. Robert Wilkiwt
;
son, the accountant. • .., , '
Mr..Wilkinsou begins hie Report by stating diet he,
had directed the commessidnent of his inquiries to the;
period when the partnership *as formed in 1814; but
be refers b.4ck to, May 18OV, when Mr. Fauntleroy be►
came a partner, with the view of ascertaibing whether
the allegation that at that time the hou%e was insol-
rept, was—well or ill founded. He affirms that at
that period
113 d April, 1807, the house had a capital of 5e33,3110 I 9
Cash in their drawers - 53,609 13 5
Excheluer Bills their own property 8,622 16 6
Bills of Exchange, discounted for customers 133,762 15 •
Bonds and notes .; - - ' 42,655 0 0
and was consequently neither insolvent nor necessitous.
This state of things appears to have continued until
July, 11110, when they were induced by the temptation
of a commission to accept the drafts of a commercial
firm (we suppose Brickwood and Co.), engaged in ex-
tensive speculations, and by this imprudent measure a
pressure upon the house followed.
Mr. Wilkinson, in an Appendix, No. 3, exhibits the
c9ndition of the house •in 1814. He goes on to argue,
that it is an erroneous notion to suppose that a dis-
covery of Mr. Fnuntleroys forgeries was to be expected
from the books of Marsh and Co. and that these felo-
nious transactions will never be found to have been un-
dertaken for, or applied to, the service of the house. He
thus describes the manner in which the transfers of
stock were made-4. The practice, it appears, was, that
if either Mr. Stracey or Mr. Graham was going into the
City, they asked M. Fauntleroy if anything was to be
done there by them respectively? and he gave them
their instructions ; hich related sometimes to the re-
ceiving of dividends or pensions, but more commonly
Were to the effect that there wete some orders which he
(Mr. Fauntlefoy) had sent to Mr. Spoiling, and which
they were to attend him (Mr. Spurling) to the Bank to
complete. Mr. Su acey then, or Mr. Graham, proceed.
ing to the City, waited upon, Mr. Spurling, who ac-
companied them to the Bank of England, he having
previously made the necessary dispositions there in pur-
suance of the (lit ections he had received from Mr. Faunt-
leroy, and they respectively signed, entirely as a mat-
ter of course, without scruple or inquiry, the-papers laid
before them, in the fulle.t confidence that Mr. Spurling
had received proper instructions from Mr. Fauntleroy,
whoof necessity knew whatorders he had given, and who
would take care that a proper account was rendered
to him, by Mr. Spurling, of the due execution of tho.e
orders. Neither Mr.Stracey, nor Mr. Graham, therefore,
thought it incumbent on them to take any particular
account of the Stock they were transferring, much
less did they consider that they had anything to do
with the actual receipt of the amount for which they
had signed receipts; the money was invariably received
by Mr. Spurling, who they knew, or believed, had re-
ceived his instructions for the disposal of it from Mr.
Fauntleroy, before their arrival at the banking•house
in the morning."

Mr. Wilkinson's Report concludes with the following
STATEMENT OF THE CONCERNS OP MESSRS. MARSH, STRA-
CET, FAUNTLEROY, AND GRAHAM, 11TH SEPT. 1824.
Dr.
(A) To nominal Capital 30th April,

1814, per Balance-sheet of that
date, subject to reduction by losses
and bad debts, •iz.
Wm. Marsh, balance at his crrdit on

that day • J • 19,051 6 6
Sir James Sibbald, ditto . . 2%489 5 4
J. H. Stramy, ditto . . 2,671 14 10
Henry Fauntleroy, ditto . . 5,045 11 3
Profits 1813 and 1814, net then ap-
portioned . . . . 7,529 5 3

£63,780 3 2
(B) Sundry Creditors on agreed Ac.
counts in the Ledger, per Sched.
(C) Do. on Accounts specially stated
dace Sept. 11,1824, per Sched. C•