Star.
London, England, 1825-04-02 00:00:00

incendiary had broken into the premise's and set them subject; nevertheless, he admitted that such reports,
on fire. Eatly notice was sent to the Ipswich Company were in circulation.
of what had occurred, but they refused to make any Thomas Woods, the prosecutor, said he tan out naked
compensation, saying that a true representation had not on hearing the call of fire, and saw the figure of a man
been given of the goods and materials which had been running from the flames.
consumed, ands hat their value was greatly exaggerated. This was the case for the prosecution. In defence
It was not until the pleadings were entered on the re- Charlotte Woods, aged 18, the Jane ter of the prosecu-
cord that the plaintiff had the least idea that he would tor, appeared. She first denied that any attachment
be charged with setting fire to his own premises. For subsisted between her and the prisoner, and then gave
none of the pleas was there the slightest pretence, a.nd the following amazing account of the burning, in con-
he trusted that when the Jury heard the case they would ing forward to declare which, she said, she was actu- I
give the plaintiff damages, not only for his actual loss, aced solely by a regard for truth, and a desire to save
but also for his being obliged to come into this Court an innocent life: she related that on the evening in
to obtain that compensation which they ought freely to question, all the family, excepting herself and a servant
have given him. His whole loss exceeded 2,0001. but girl, whom she called Ellen, went to ted between nine
unfortunately he was not insured for more than 1,5001. and ten o'clock. She usually slept in a small bed-room
on that building which was consumed. The policy was on the ground floor, off the kitchen ; the servant girl,
put in and read. who slept in the same room, having some articles of
Witnesses were then called, who established Mr. SCA SLITS'S wearing-apparel to mend, sat up for that purpose, un-
statement: after which Mr. J. %w-+o was about to address the known to her master and family, and she (the witness)
Jury for the defence, when remained in the kitchen assisting her, until alma half-
Mr. Justice BATIXT suggested the expediency of haying the
ant eleven o'clock, when, bearing her father cough and
whole case referred. He added, that he hag partkular reasons fur p'
making this suggestion. make a noise as if rising, she and the servant hurried
After some discussion, it was arranged that the case should be into their bed-room° extinguished the candle and began
referred and taken upon its merits, the expenses of the arbitration to undress. SI e explained that she was afraid of her
to abide the event.
Mr. Justice BATLEY then said,he had no hesitation in f ,ther knowing that they had been sitting up, as he had
expressly prohibited any of the family from doing so,
stating why it was that he wished this cause to be re-
Miss Woods went on to state that she and the girl had
fined. He had received an anonymous letter with re-
just knelt down to their prayers, when she heatd a stool
spect to it, and he would take care that it should he laid
before the arbitrator, in order that, if either party wished tall, and her face being turned towards the kitchen,
it, the author of that letter, if discovered, might be ci i. into which a small window looked, she observed her
initially prosecuted. In all cases where he received father approach the fire, from which he took a lighted
turf; that she then beckoned the servant to watch her
anonymous letters relating to a cause pending before
him, he would be ready to do the same thing. not for father, and the two followed him to the door, where
the purpose of making the letter the ground of a civil they remained concealed, and actually saw him with
action, however, but of a criminal prosecution. his own hand set fire to the car-house, he having first
Mr. Starkie was then named arbitrator. carefully loosed the calf and pig and set them at li-
MAIDSTONE, MARCH 31. berty. She further deposed, that on witnessing such
THE KING O. CAPSELL. extraordinary conduct on the part of her father, she and
This was an information filed by his Majesty's At- the servant hastily returned to their room; they were
torney•General against the defendant, for having, on greatly frightened, and although partly undressed,
the 21st of February, 1821, at Kingsdown, offered to crept into bed, fearing that her father might come into
one Edward Oldey, a seaman in his Majesty's ship the Loom. She then heard her father deliberately close
Ramillies, employed in the Preventive Service, a bribe the kitchen door and go up stairs, where he rem lined
to allow certain uncustomed spirits to be landed and about a quarter of an hour, and then came down and
imported.—Guiltg. gave the alarm of fire. In addition, she related die
'I homes Foster and William Ilelle, were indicted for particulars of a conversation between her two elder
having, with others, feloniously assembled themselves brothers, which she overheard a night or two after the
armed with bludgeons, at the parish of Eastcherch, in burning. One of them remarked to the other, "If
order to aid in the illegal running and landing uncus- i 4
speaking of the burning) it was a good plan to get
toured goods, in the night of the 10th February last. 'Elroy put out of the way"—on which he replied,
Mr. Serjeant Ons Low and Mr. Knox conducted the " Yes, but I doubt my father will go too far—be must
prosecution, which was instituted by the Admiralty ; perjure himself." She also said, that some days previous
and Mr. CLARKSON the defence. to the burning, her father had accused her of being in-
After the examination of Lieut. Hamilton, the officer timate with M'Elroy, and told her that he would not
commanding the Preventive men on the night in clues- suffer any person of such condition to come near his
tion, who had been most cruelly beaten by the body of house, or have any acquaintance with his daughter.—
persons of whom the prisoners formed a party, and Being cross.esamined on this point, she declared that
whose conduct on that occasion was most warmly she had no particular regard fur the prisoner; that there
applauded by the Learned Judge for his coolness and had been no intimacy between them, nor had he ever
humanity in not using his pistols, which were loaded, taken improper liberties with her—that ,the always ad-
at the time, dressed him as a servant, and only looked on him as her
Mr. CLARKSON, on the part of the prisoner, with the father's servant. She admitted that she now lived un-
Counsel of the Crown, applied to the Learned Judge der the protection of the prisoner's relations, having left
that his clients might be permitted to plead Guilty (it her father's house about a fortnight previously, at which
having been stated by Lieutenant Hamilton that they time she and the maid-servant, who accompanied her,
had in no respect joined in the assault), and that judg. gave information of the foregoing facts to a neighbour.
went might be respited to enable the Crown to avail ing Magistrate.
itself of the testimony the prisoners were willing to give The servant girl, who was next examined, corro-
to further the conviction of the men (when apprehended) borated in every particular, the above statement.
who actually used so much violence. This was assented A tailor swore, that on the night on which the burn-
to on the part of the Learned Judge, and the confession ing was said to have taken place, M'Elroy sat with
was, with the judgment, recorded, the Learned Judge him from sun-set to sun-rise, as he was engaged all
declaring that a proper representation of the case should night mending a pair of his small-clothes.
be made in the highest quarter. After the examination of these witnesses, Counsel
ANTRIM ASSIZES, MARCH 26. for the prosecution requested and obtained leave to pro..
duce further testimony on behalf of the Crown. He
HUNTER 16 WWII). then called
This was an action brought to recover damages for George Woods, son to prosecutor, who said he had
the seduction of the plaintiff's daughter by the defen- heard what was stated by his sister, relative to a con-
dant. The defendant, it was stated by Counsel, had versation between him and his brother Thomas ;be
gained the affections of the plaintiff's daughter, and swore positively that no such conversation, nor any such
under the mask of honourable attentions, had robbed words, ever passed between them. He added, that after
her of her virtue, in consequence of which she became the burning his brother and be sat up for several nights
pregnant, and was delivered of a female child, and in a watching the premises, and that on a particular night,
fortnight after, died of a broken heart. The damages whilst passing the byre, where his sister and Ellen (the
were laid at 3001. servant) were milking the cows, he overheard the girl
It appeared by the evidence of several witnesses, that remark to his sister, " Couldn't we put the burning on
the plaintiff was a respectable farmer, who had eight feeding the calf?" (this the witness explained by saying
children, of whom the deceased, Mary Ann, was the that the calf had bees usually fed by candle light—the
only daughter. His family was well regulated, and inference be drew from the observation was, that they
Mrs. Hunter a very prudent woman. had intended to ascribe the burning to the lighted candle
The Reverend Robert Orr knew the plaintiff thirty communicating accidentally with the building)—to
years ; he was a member of his congregation, and the which his sister replied, 4( we might have done so, had
defendant had lately become so. Witness was sent for Ned (meaning the prisoner) taken the turf out of the
by Mrs. Hunter about four years ago, to celebrate a thatch." The witness further stated, that he found the
marriage between the defendant and her daughter-- turf with which the house had been set on fire, and
The defendant did not seem ready for marriage :ill lie that it was of a peculiar quality, different from his
should consult two particular friends. The plaintiff father's turf. He also stated that an intimacy had
was anxious the marriage should take place that day ; subsisted between his sister and the prisoner, whom he
the defendant put it off. discovered together one day, in a back room of a house
John M'Coy had a conversation with the defendant, in Carrickmacross, in such a situation as left no doubt
who said there was not a more proper girl than Miss on his mind of their improper intimacy.
Hunter, and he would marry her if her father would A girl named Collins was next examined: she was
give him over his property. Henry Christie had a con- in the kitchen on the night in question, in company
versation with the defendant, after the death of the with Miss Woods and Ellen, and swore that they did
plaintiff's daughter; defendant said it was a terrible not sit there to work ; and she denied what the other
thing that had befallen Mary Ann Hunter, but he two had stated respecting the conduct of her master.
would do for the child, as he believed it to be his. The Learned Judge remarked upon the contradictory
Other witnesses proved the birth of the child, and testimony, and the Jury, after being closeted several
the death of the plaintiff's daughter, and one of them hours, and not having agreed on any verdict, were
stated, that during her confinement, the defendant said, conveyed to the verge of the county and discharged.
that so long as he had a penny, she should have a half-
penny of it, and he hoped she would soon be his
own. It was also proved that the defendant visited
the deceased constantly, and had been seen on his knees
at her window.—The Jury returned a verdict for the
plaintiff—Damages, £3OO.
MONAGHAN ASSIZES.
At these Assizes the following curious case was tried:
Edward M'Elroy, a coarse country lad, aged about 20,
was capitally indicted for setting fire to a car-house, be-
longing to Mr. Thomas Woods, of Cardaffkelly, near
Cart ockmacruss, in February last. Mr. Woods, the first
witness. stated, that about twelve o'clock at night, when
the family were all in bed, he heard a noise as of some
person stumbling, and on going down stairs he het.eld
his car•house OR fire, and *Elroy urging the flames to-
wards his dwelling-house. Having alarmed his family,
the fire, with some difficulty, was -übdued. M'Elroy.
had been discharged from his service; he admitted that
a calf and a pig which were shut up in the car-house,
escaped uahurt.
On his cross-examination, Counsel endeavouted to
draw from him an acknowledgment of an intimacy al.
leged to have subsisted between-his eldest daughter
and the prisoner, but he denied all knowledge of the
intimacy; he never suspected his daughter to he attached
1 to the prisoner, nor bad be ever questioned het en the

Mr. HUSICISSON'S commercial policy has given such
satisfaction to his constituents at Liverpool, that a sub-
scription is already on foot for a piece of plate to be
presented to him. Subscriptions are restricted to £5
each : one hundred persons have already subscribed.

The Committee of the Foreign Stock Exchange, it is
said, have under consideration some plan for preventing,
within that house, transactions in undertakings and
associations of a worthless or frivolous description—a
species of protection, by the way, of which the public
at large stand •ery much in need. In consequence of
the Poyais imposture, it had been required by the COM'
mittee in the case of foreign loans, that some sort of
scrutiny should be exercised before transactions in them
should be permitted; but the mania for speculation in
shares, in itself far more dangerous, has been le t with-
out guide or contt oul ; and the market has consequently
been inundated with new undertakings to a degree that
has almost superseded its regular transactions in Go-
vernment securities. Sums interfetence on the part of
the Committee seems indispensable, but it ought to ex-
tend to those which now exist equally with those which
seek an introduction i.ito the FoieLn Stock Exchange.
Saturiay, a M. V. horse whipped Mr. R. in the
Court of the College of Surgeons, Dublin. Both Gentlemen are
students in the proleuitin of surgery.