Star.
London, England, 1824-05-11 00:00:00

LAW REPORT

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, WAY 10.
The COMMON SEHJEANT moved to file a Criminal In-
formation against Mr. Henry Grattan,: for a libel on a
Mi. Davis, which appeared in a Morning Newspaper in
the form of a letter to the Editor. In the course of last
Term application was made to file an information
against the Pt inter and Publisher of the Paper, but in
consequence of a discovery that the letter was in the
hand-writing of Mr. Henry Grattan, the Court was
moved in the Present instance against him.
The COIMON &rims NT stated that he had an affida-
vit proving the hand-writing; also that of Mr. Davis,
eenying every part of the libel.—The Court granted a
rule to chew cause.

COURT Or CONDION PLEAS,.MAY 10.
ELLwORTHY V. BIRD.

Mr. Serjeant l'Emte moved for a rule to shew cause
why a new trial should not be granted in this case,
which was tried in Somerset, before Mr. Serjeant BoSAN-
QUET. The ground of action was for an assault by the
defendant on his wife, and the question turned upon the
discontinuance of several indictments pending against
the defendant, who, it appeared, had been already in
the three Courts in Westminster.
The Lotto CHIEF Jus=E.—Take a rule to shew
cause; hut I hope the husband will come to his senses
before the day of trial, and let the matter rest.

ARCHES COURT, MAY 10.
BRUCE V. BRUCE.
This was a suit instituted for a nullity of marriage
by reason of a former marriage. The husband has
been convicted of bigamy, and is now on board the
hulks, where he has been served with a citation, but no
appearance has been yet made to it. The Proctor there-
fore prayed that the husband might be pronounced in
contempt.—Agreed to.

WILKINSON, LATE LAWES V. GORDON.
This was an application on the part of Mrs. Wilkin-
son, late Miss Lawes, for letters of administration of the
property of her deceased sister, Elizabeth Lames, who
she alleges died intestate, and a spinster.
The allegations set forth, that Thomas Gordon, to
whom the deceased was married in September, 1818,
was previously married to Harriet Cole, and that the
said Harriet Cole being alive at the period of the second
marriage, it became no legal marriage. It goes on to
state that Thomas Gordon had offered bribes to diffe•
rent parties who were acquainted with the former mar-1
tinge, to hind them to sect ecy, and that a titre bill had
been found ,at the Easter Sessions, 1820, at the Old
Bailey, against Thomas Gordon, for bigamy, who was.
thereon tried and convicted, and sentenced to seven
years' transportation.
In reply to these allegations it is averred, that the
first. wife, Harriet Cole, turned out a most profligate
,woman, t'eserted her husband, and was soqie time aim-
. admitted into St. Thomas's Hospital, under the name of
Mary. White, where she died on the Bth of July, 1815.
That 'prior to the indictment being preferred against
him for bigamy, placards had been issued °tithing a
reward of 301: for evidence of the existence of the first
wife, at the time of the second marriage, and that sub-
sequent to h's conviction, a memorial had been trans-
mitted to hi.: Majesty, who had thereon graciously
granted hin• his fiee pardon. It is Wither averred that
the property of his second wife had been bequeathed to
him by well.
An exceoinn Was al,o put in to the evi2ence of
Emma Baker, who on the trial swore positively to
hav:og seen the first wife after the second marriage, On
board a vesel off nytnouth, a: which time she was
pa•sing by the name of Lady Rodney aluong the sea-
men on hoard. The exception is groluideJ on an affi-
davit, which stated that the female alluded to had beet
Ei!;ce confronted with Emma Baler, who then acknow-
ledged herself to be nii•attken, and that the real n::me
of the fernabe who had acquired the appellajtio of Lady
Rodney was Charlotte Lindsell.
Counsel were heard at kneth nn both sides, and
judgment deferred till next Thur,day.

S-3turd:ty Fen:ligl;Can alatin u?, and fatal accident
happened at Patticroft, in Lottolhe, by the but szing
of a steam-engine boiler, at the facto y of Messrs.
Rooth and Comi.anv, cotton-spinners. The boiler was
one of about tinily-horse power, which had been con-
demned as .unfit for u•e; a new one was put up, and
would have been at work a week before the accident
occurred, had not the plan 41-setting up the flues faired.
The immediate cause of the accident was the fastening
down the junction valve, which connected the boiler
with the main pipe. Six men were blown up with the
boiler, one killed, and auother dangerously scalded.
At the Manchester Theatre, on Monday se'nnight, a
large beef bone was thrown with great force from the
front of the gallery of the Theatre, into the pit, where
it fell upon the head of a female who sat near the or-
cliestra, and glancing off, struck wiLli great violence
against the partition which divides the otchestra from
the pit. Search war made in the gallery for the perpe-
trator of this outrage, and a man named Wm.Jowett, a
butcher, was pointed out by several persons as the in-
dividual who had thrown the bone. Ile was taken
into custody, and, with another butcher, named John
Smith, who was in his company, was conveyed to the
New Bailey. They underwent an examination on Tues-
day, before the Magistrates, when Juwett was held to •
bail for the assault.
The following is a literal and genuine copy of a
humorous Petition, which came last L under the
Consideration of the Lot ds of the Trea4m y, by whom it
was remitted to the Commissioners of Stamps, with a
favourable recommendation:
•• To the Noble Lords and Gentlemen of his Majesty's (Goo
bless him) Treasury. A bit of a petition from C— P—,
(Seamati), a pris,mer in the County GJOI. Devon, commanded
by :14. Cole, EA.
4, Mow No LE ULM-MEN, -
• • - -

" You will please to excuse your poor petitioner in taking the
librrty of sending you this petition; but he is informed by the Gel,.
tirman-tuagi4trate, Lockyere,E4q. who committed him, that
it is to your Lordships he must apply to be.l3t out of prison, and
let your Lordships know for what h 2 was put in thute. My most
noble Gentlemen, your petitioner is by trade a Sailor, and has
served his Majesty in a man of war 16 yeas, and lost his larboard
awn in fighting for him, on board his Majesty's ship Victory.—
Your petitioner has.been very ill of a fever, and is as thin as a
rope-yarn, and cannot work as a sailor, for want of his larboard-
in, and not being willing to heave to, commenced to sell
little books in Plymouth, where your petitioner lives, but not
about my master, the King. or pny of your Lordships. Your
petitioner had not been long at Ibis work, when he was boarded
by eland shark (a Jew), who is a constable of Plymouth, and lugged
before Mr. Lock yere, Esq. who inquired into the business ; and told
your petitioner he must either pay a fine, or go to jail for three
asonths; pay I could slot, and to jail I was brought; where I am laid
.op a lavender, like Paddy Ward's pig, for three months; unless
your Lordships will please to gibe orders to the contrary, which,
geese too, I hope you will, and I will praise your Lordships all
the days of any life. As signed
Exeter, High Gaol, April 3, lB24l."—Kan car Laicrs.