Star.
London, England, 1825-03-10 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STRERT.

Daniel Maluntia alias Wiliafris, were charged
with attempting to pick the pocket of Lord blentford of a silk
handkerchief.— His Lordship stated, that between one and two in
the afternoon he was passing along Duke-street, Manchester-square,
with a Lady leaning on his arm, and saw the prisoners together on
the opposite side of the Street. In a few minutes he felt a sudden
pull at his coat pocket, and, putting back his hand, he caught the
pocket before the handkerchief was extracted, and turning round,
he saw Mahony running. • His Lordship left the Lady and pur-
sued the prisoner into Brown-street, where he entered a house, and
was taken by his Lordship, in a room on the third floor, who gave
him into the custody of a constable, who shortly after took Mea-
gan. His Lordship said, he bad seen the same two, a few day.
before, in Regent-street, watching him, but finding he observed
them, they sheered off.—They were committed.

The Deputation' of West India Merchants and
Planters waited on Tuesday on the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, with their memorial, praying a reduction
of duty on Rum, proportionably with that on British
spirits. They were favourably received.
Yesterday evening. Mrs. Jameson, an elderly widow
Lady, residing in Adam's-place, Edgewate-load, while
in the act of placing same coals on the fire, had bee
apron drawn into the fl Imes, which communicating to
,the rest of her dress, she was soon enveloped in the
blaze. Her screams brought the other inmates of the
house to her assistance, who, with some difficulty suc-
ceeded in extinguishing the fire, but, not before the
'upper part of her body was burnt in so shocking a
*manner, that notwithstanding every medical assistance
was rendered her, she expired this morning, alter .en=
&lin,. the most acute agony of body.

LENT ASSIZES.

-•••...illIM-•-

AYLESBURY, MARCH 9.
TUB MURDER AT ASTON CLINTON.

John Allen, aged 30, Thomas Reeves, aged 22, and,
Thomas Copier, aged 34. weie put on their trials, for
the wilful murder of a man named William Morris, at
the pariah of Aston Clinton, an the 19th ult.
Mr. Itorstmsou stated the case for the prosecution,
Which was atterwaids proved by the testimony of the
following witnesses.
William. Reeve:, is a labourer, and lives at Buck-
land ; knew William Morris the deceased, and all the
prisoners at the bar. Recollects being in company
with the deceased and his brother Thomas, on the
evenn g of the 19th February, at the Duke's Head
public-house, at Iluckland, and we all three left there
about half.pa,t ten o'clock at night, and when we'
reached the church-yard, Thomas Morris left and
went home, prior to which he gave his deceased bro.
ther a shovel and a draining spade, to carry for him.
The deceased and I went on towards Aston Clinton.
Somebody called out, an-I on my return back to see
who it was, I found it Wai my brother, Collier, and
Allen. I asked my brother what he• had got in. his
bag? but he. gave me no answer, we then all five
walked On together, till we reached my brother's
_house, when he left us and went in doors. The other
',two prisoners, Collier and Allen, went on, and the de-
ceased and 1 followed them. Before we got to Aston
Clinton, my brother joined the two prisoners again,
and asked why I and the deceased followed Allen and
.Collier? I t.rld him we were following them for no-
thing. The three prisoners went to the Old Bell pub-
hot' e, and I and the deceased went alter them ; find-
ing they could get nothing to drink at the public-house,
Allen invited the other two prisoners hoirie W his
house to have some wine. They then went down
Greenencl-streer, and I and the deceased went after
them. On the way my brother said to me, " you de-
serve a good hiding, and if you were not my
brother I would give you one, and if the deceased
said anything he would give him one." When
we were about fourteen yards from Allen's house,
Allen gave Collier a bag with something in it, and
a little dog, and he went towards Allen's house.—
Presently after, Allen ran after him, and in a minute
or two returned to me and the deceased ; he then had
a wooden rail in his hand, about two yards in length,
anal very thick ; he punched the rail at me, but 1
glanced it off with a draining spade that I had in my
hand. Allen said he would now end it ;he then lifted
up the rail, and struck the deceased on the head with it;
it was a downright blow ; I heard it ; it knocked the
deceased down. Just as the blow was struck, my bro-
ther attempted to take the spade out of my hand, but
I resisted and prevented him. Whilst we were strug-
gling Allen hit me a blow with his fist, which knocked
me down; and whilst on the ground, Collier and Allen
kicked me in such a manner that my knee-bone was
injured. On my appealing to them to let me get up,
they did, and all three went up Allen's yard, to Allen's
house, to have some wine. I got U?, and as well as I
could followed them. I saw the prisoners going into
Allen's cottage. I asked Collier where William Morris
was? He said, " Go, and find him." I then went back
tothe spot, and there found the deceased, lying rather
on his side by the side of the road, his face was lying
downwards, with his chin dented into the ground.
felt all the way up him from his breeches to his head,
when my fingers went into a large hole at the back of
his skull. I then went back to Allen's house, and gem
Collier. I said to him, " He's dead, and John Allen

killed him, and no one el,e." Collier said in reply,
" He a'n't dead, is he though ?" I said, " Yes, he is.
Collier then got a candle and lantern, and returned with
me to the body ; it was dead and cold. When his head
was lifted up, I saw the dent caused by his forehead or
chin in the earth. At this moment a man named George
Thorn came up, and Allen just came outside his garden
gate, but no farther; he had on then different clothes
to those he wore when he struck the deceased. I re•
mained with the body for an hour and a half, when it
was fetched away to the Old Bell public-house. I and
the deceased were not drunk; we bad drank ten quarts
of beer amongst seven of us.
By the Junos.—The prisoner.did not partake of ten pots of porter.
This witness, who gave hisevidence very distinctly. un-
derwent a my rigid cross-examination by Mr. STORKS,
for the prisoners, but his examination in chief could not
be shaken. _ _

George Thorn.—On the night of the murder I heard
a screaming in Greenend.street, where I live. I went
to my do.sr directly, and heard a blow struck; the
sound was very heavy, and it appeared to have been
given with a heavy weapon. I also heard the prisoner
- Allen's wife say, " GOD bless you, John, don't strike him
any more, if you do, you will kill him." I was about
thirty yards off; the voice of the woman and the sound
c the blow appeared to come from the same place.—
After Allen's wife had spoken I heard other blows, and
heard Allen say, " I have settled him, and if you don't
be off, I'll settle you." I heard William Reeves, the
last witness, say, ." Gorr bless you, don't kick me any
more." I have known the prisoner, Allen, and the
others, for many yews, and heard their voices. 1 went
to, the Tot, and met the last witness hobbling along ;
the prisoners were there also. W. Reeves, said, " Poor
William Morris is killed, and you (John Allen) have
killed him; and my brother is guilty too." After some
conversation, Collier and Reeves passed me, and went
forward; on seeing me, they told me of the death of
Morris. I saw the dead body ; the ground was Tay
soft, and the head was indented into the earth, ai *if
by a blow.
Several other witnesses were examined io precisely
the same facts ; they all heard the blows and sculling,
but none were present, nor could they, from the darkness
of the night, uistinguish any *of the party, but by
their voices.
Mr. Hayward, Surgeon of Aylesbury, examined the
deceased's body; found a lacerated wound two inches
in length, one inch broad, and half an inch deep, on the
back of the head; the principal bone was also frac-
tured, and the instrun.ent produced might have caused
the injury ; I know the prisoner Allen, and always con-
sidered him a humane honest man.
By the Juni:sc.—There was apparently only one blow.
This closed the case tor the prosecution, and the pri-
soners being called on fur their defence, they severally
addressed the Court, declaring that the deceased and
William Reeves followed, and not only pulled them
about, but attacked and belt them. It was a kind of
running sght for some distance, when, as they termed
it, •" the unfortunate accident took place."
Several witnesses were called, who proved that the
and William Iteeses had been the first ag.
and not only challenged the prisoner Allen to

fight, but grossly insulted him. Some of them gave,
all the prisoners a most excellent character. -
Mr. Justice GAUL= summed up the evidence, and the Jury
found Allen and Reeves Guilty e Man-610W, antLicirmitiedi Cull
Her.—Allen was sentenced to heiransponed for life, and Reeve,'
for seven years.
THZ MELANCHOLY AFFAIR AT ETON.
At about half-past four o'clock, Lord Nugent, Colon
Browne, and Sir John Dashwood King, Magistrates for
the County, Mr. Rickford, M.P. Colonel Wood, and
several Gentlemen of distinction, entered the dock with
Master George Alexander Wood, son of Colonel Wood,
and Master Alexander Wellesley Leith, who- stood
charged on the Coronet's Inquisition, with killing and
slaying the Honourable F. Ashley Cooper, on the 28th
of February last, at Eton, in a pugilistic contest. The
young Gentlemen having surrendered, were placed at
the bar to take their trials.

The Jury having been impanelled, the Clerk of the
Arraigns called on the prisoners by their names, who
answered by holding up their right bands. They
pleaded Net Guilty.
Mr. Wood is a youth of elegant appearance, appa-
rently not mote than fourteen. „Both his eyes were very
much contused, and the right sleeve of his coat was un-
ripped, in con,equence of the injury he received in the
fight. Mr. Leith, we should suppose, is about nineteen.
Oa the arraignment of the prisoners,
Mr. Justice GAsELEE asked who conducted the pro-
secution ? and being informed no Gentleman of the Bar
appeared, directed the witnesses to be called.
The first, a person named Tearable, was called, but he did not
answer.

Mr. Justice GASELE directed Mr. Charsler, the
Coroner, to come forward, and in answer to a question
from the Learned Judge said, he had given the,wit-
nesses notice to attend.

Mr. O'Reilly, surgeon, and Dorothy Large, were then
called on their recognizances, arid not answering, were
ordered to be estreated.

Mr. Justice GABEL= said, there being no prosecu-
tion, the prisoners must be acquitted. A verdict of
Not Guilty was accordingly returned, and the young
Gentlemen and their friends quitted the Bar. The pro•
ceeding excited a great deal of interest.
The following is the statement of Mr. Leith, which he
intended to offer in his defence, had the trial proceeded :

" My Loan—l am anxious to state a few words, which must not
be taken as an attempt to justify the part I took in the late unhappy
event, but arising solely from the very great desire I feel to remove
some impressions which have been circulated to my disadvantage in
the published reports of this most lamentable transaction, which I
feel I did not merit, and which are calculated to increase very ma-
terially the calamity of my present situation. I never can enjoy
happiness again till theft impressions are removed; and I hope,
therefore, that your Lordship will allow me to make a short state-
ment of a fact which has been so cruelly misrepresented. That I did
administer brandy to the unfortunate deceased is true, but the ex-
aggeration of the quantity in the public prints has been a source of
great disquietude to my mind, and I feel myself called upon to make
the following statement, in justice to my family and myself :—The
quantity of brandy brought into the field did not originally exceed
two small wine-glasses, of which my lamented school-fellow sipped at
intervals, but in all not more than one small wine-glass. In proof of
this I must mention that I wetted my handkerchief to nth the face
and hands, and none was given by me without the appVoval of the
other friends. I beg leave also to observe, that in former fights at
Eton I have seen, (and which can be proved by witnesses) spirits
given to both parties: this will prove that the giving it in this instance
was not a novel practice. I have, my Lord, further to remark, that
I was not the only second to the unfortunate and much-lamented de-
ceased, that in point of fact I only gave him a knee in the first two
rounds, and that for the last ten minutes of this unhappy fight I was
employed entirely in keeping the ring. I acknowledge I was very
much interested that my brave little companion should obtain the
victory, and it is probable that this anxiety might have led to the
expression used at the Coroner's Inquest, that I was the avowed
second. Having expressed my anxiety that my brave llttlecom-
panion should obtain the victory, I cannot omit bearing testimony
to the generous conduct of the adverse party in this fight. I
shall conclude my observations on this point by declaring most so-
lemnly that I was never second to any boy at Eton, except once,',
for a couple of rounds, and those the two last, when I gave in for'
him seeing he had no chance ; and I appeal with confidence to the
whole school, when I say that under the peculiar circumstances',
in which I was applied to, to attend as second, by and
with another, who, for obvious reasons, I do not name, I
could not refuse being so in this case; and I beg leave to idd,
that during the four years I have been at Eton, I have never
fought with one of my school-fellows, though, on one occasion,
when I thought a little boy had been ill-used by a man. I naturally
took his part and fought the man. As if misrepresentation had not
been already sufficiently used, it has been stated (though indeed
justice has been done me since on this head) that I was party to a
conflict between two boys of marked disparity of age. This was
not the case, and I only advert to it new lest there should be some
here who have seen the imputation and not its refutation. In con-
clusion, I have only to say, that I by no means intend to assert that
no blame attaches to me, I admit there does, and most deeply do I
lament that a shadow of blame should do so, but, my Lord, let me
not bear the whole blame, and, to whomsoever it may attach, let it
be attributed to the real cause—inexperience."

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