Star.
London, England, 1815-01-05 00:00:00

L.lll INT'ALLIGENCR.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS COURT, JANUARY 4.
BEFORE ARTHUR PALMER, ESQ.
CHARGE OF /NIACIN
A Military Officer was finally examined under a
charge of complex trends, iii negotiating or passing
bills of exchange, assuming die title of Esquire, while
he was only Lieutenant in the army, and for pre-
tending to possess a fortune of S or ie9oo a-year,
when by sale of his houses lie was worth only such a
sum lit tote.
The Prisoner baffled all the charges in a clear and
satisfactory manner, admitting his extravagance and
misconduct, but denying all ideas of fraud.
Mr. Serjeant PALMER agreed with the Prisoner, in
his impropriety of conduct and fol:y, but decided that
it was not the fraud intended by the Act of Parlia-
ment. The Learned Serjeant added, that by law
none under the rank of C.iptain in the Army had a
right to the title of Esquire; but as Lieutenants were
twquently
.so sated in addresses, it did not amount
to a fraud in this cause.
The Prisoner was discharged.
DRoWNI NO, AND Al MPSON, SMA LLWOOD.
Mr. PItINCE SMITH 'tateJ, that he opposed the dis-
charge of William Smallwood, on behalf of Mr. RI.
chardson of Covent-garden, who had been injured by
his fraudulent conduct to the amount of £865. For
this sum Mr. Richardson had recently obtained a
jodgiment in die Coort of Common Pleas, and yet,
strange to tell, Mr. Smallwood had inserted in his
Schedule Mr. Richardson's debt as amounting only
to £lOO. Such a mistake or misrepresentati..n, as
he 'was unable to take measure of the Defendant's
conscience, he could not account for. The Defendant,
Smallwood, had formerly • been an auc-
tioneer in Blocmsbury-square, and had it been his
pleasure to have conducted himself with honour, in-
stead of pursuing the course he had, he might now
have been in as high a situation as a tradesman as
any man in the kingdom, and had had a great deaf
of property, the major part of which he had dis-
honestly kept back Irons Ins creditors. The Defen-
dant was to have been brought up on Wednesday
last, but, alarmed at the array against him, he had
feigned illness. His indispositim was merely a pre-
tence, for he had been seen on the same day in a state
of perfect health. The present case would depend
upon the evidence of two witnesses. He should not
go into the facts that constituted 'the general opposi-
tion to the Defendant's discharge, because, indepen-
dent of them, there was an effectual objection to his
obtaining his release ; it was, that on the 6th Decem-
ber' last, he was seen at. the Grand Hotel, Covent-
garden. He should prove the fact, by the evidence
of a very worthy woman who kept the liot:I.
He
was persuaded, however impleasant it "might be to
her, she would speak• the truth, and if she fixed the
day of the Defendant's transgressing the bounds of
his prison, *there would be no necessity at present to
catry the matter farther. As to the manifold fraudu-
lent transactions he had to.alledge and trove against
die Defendant, he should refer them tol fdt3re day.
Mn. Morgan WAS examined by 'Mr. Salmi and by
Mr. ANDUEIVA on behalf-of other creditors she dis-
tinctly admitted, that on Tuesday the 6th December
last, Mr.,Smallwoo& came to the Grand Hotel to
meet a Mr. Serves. Ott the 'Tuesday following the
Plaintiff's solicitor called. there, and. she acknow-
ledged to him that she bad seta Mr. Smallwood al
the hotel.

lination, to

An endeavour was made, by•
invalidate her testimony, but it failed.
The Learned Serjeant said, he had never in his life
seen a witness more deserving of credit.
Mr. Serjeant PALMER said, there was no occasion
for inquiring into the -facts Of tht case. The circum.
stance of the Defendant's having been seen at large
was decisive.
Mt Defendant was accordingly remanded to prison.

Saturday afternoon, between the hours of four and
five, Mary MgMahon, alias Armstrong, who was con-
fined in Chester House of Correction, under a charge
of robbing the shop of Mr. Johnson, linen.draper, of
that city, contrived to make her escape over the
prison *ail, in which she was aided, as it since up-
pears, by a female prisoner. She had procured
a Mop and b• • and having strongly spliced them
together, con •to raise herself to the top of the
wall, next the I rfnary, and let herself down by the
same means. As soon as she Was missed, search was
made in every dirreoon, and she was taken the
same night, in a lodging Haute at Netherton, where
she had concealed herself under the bed.
It is a curious fact, that so late as the year 1283
the'slavn trade existed in England, as may be seen
by the Annals of Dunstable, Wherein is the following
passage:—"''his year we sold our :fait by" birth, Wu,
LIAM PICA and all its family, and received Wle mark
from the buyer.".