Star.
London, England, 1814-08-27 00:00:00

•

DUF.iMM ASSIZES.

Y

Way Ciampers, of Barnardcastle, was tried for cut--;
.
ling and maiming Robert Jordan. [The prisoner is
a little ill looking woman, about forty years of ago,
and of a very sallow coniplesioni When arraigned
she appeared much affected, and was in tears during
the whole trial.]
Mr. HULLOCK would not detain the Jury with de.
;tailing the circumstances of this extraordinary case
lt any length, but shodld call the man himself before
them. The prisoner was indicted on the Coventry
ACt, which made it necessary to prove the lying in ;
Wait or malicious intent; and also on Lord Ellenbeal
"rough's Act, for cutting and maiming, which does
not make it necessary to prove previous malice or in-,
lerrtion.
Robert Jordan said, he lives at Barnardcasde ;
left the army about two years ago ; has known the
prisoner, who lives in Bridge-gate ; went there with
James Alderson on the night of the 4th of March.—
When Alderson went away, Ann Crampton was sit-
ting on Jordan's knee. He was very much intoxi-
cated and stupified, and laid himself down on the
bed-foot, and was between sleeping and waking.—
The deed was committed in a second. He got up
immediately, the pain being very great, and left the
house ; did riot recollect any conversation with the
prisoner that night ; had slept there the night before,
and left the house about eleven o'clock. in the morn-
ing, on good terms.' On crosi-examination, he said
be had received an injury frion a baggage waggon
in the army, which caused' him, when he laid his
bead down, to lose his memory.
James Alderson confirmed this testimony, and
.Mated that he was quite sober, but Jordan se drunk
'that he had to assist him up stairs into Ann Cramp.
ton's room. When Jordan was seated, she placed
herself on his knee, and a conversation ensued. Jor-
dan told her she was the first ; and she said, there eras
hi: Nelly. Nothing more took place, and no quarrel
had arisen between Jordan and the prisOpet when he
left the house, which was about a quarstr eleven
o'clock.
Henry Benning, surgeon, -said, he was sett for oh
the night of the 4th of March to. Robert Jordan,
whom he saw bleeding on the bed side. Witness
early in the morning went to the 'prisoner's house, and
asked her what induced her to do such a thing ? sky
said she did not know, and cried immoderately ;
many persons were in the room ; be asked her for
, the knife which she had used ; this was handed him
by some person in the min, and he enquired of the
prisoner if the one given him was it? she replied,
she thought so, loutcould not tell what she had done,
and hoped the witness would be as favourable to her,
as he could.
An attempt was made to prove her insane; and two
women were called, who swore to her 4, being at
times very/maker:me ;" but, on cross-examination,
the whole appeared to he fabricated for the purpose.
His Lordship summed up the eviaeuce, and ex..
plained the law on the subject. There could be little
doubt that jealousy was rankling in the breast of the
prisoner, from 'her reply to Jordah, when he said
" thou art the first ;" which could only mean that she
was the first in his affections ; and she replied
" There is your Nelly." This was sufficient to prove
the lying in wait. The evidence adduced to ;stove.
her insanity, the Jury must take into their consider.
tian ; and if they believed she sat in that; state, it
was their duty to acquit her—but if not, to find her
guilty. The Jury retired twcntyl minutes, and re-
turned a verdict of—Guilty.
His Lordship, on passing sentence, said, she had
been convicted on the most satisfactory evidence.
An attempt had been made to prove insanity, but it'
hail failed. She had acteil from thalio-nancy, and
prompted by a passion arising from jealousy, which
ought not to have been in the breast at her time of
life, being the mother of five fatherless children. Her,
crime was wicked ; her connection with Jordan had
begun in lust, continued in profligacy, and ended in
felony.—Sentence of Death was passed on her in the
usual form.

By a decision of Sir VICARY Grans, at the Win-
chester Assizes, it is absolutely requisite, according
to the late Act of Parliament, that all licences to Sti-
pendiary Curates be placed in the parish register chest
in the church, where they may be open to the inspec-
tion of the Churchwardens and others ; and unless
the said licences bear date on or about the sth of Ja-
nuary, 1814, the Incumbent is liable to an action
and the specific penalties would be readily recovered
for anyintervalfrom that time to thedateof the licence.
To the honour of Merionethshire the Grand Jury
were discharged on Saturday se'nnight, at Bala, with.
out having any business brotight before them ; there
was neither a criminal nor debtor cor:fined in the
county gaol, which was consequently thrown open.
At the Down Assizes, on the 10th inst. the rioters
at the fair at Seaford were all found guilty, and sen-
tenced to 18 months' imprisonment. The rioters on
the Down race-course, in July last, were also found
guilty, and received a similar sentence. There were
several other trials for affrays on the Ist July, in the
same county, being on the occas;oa of eelebtatiug'
the Orange Anniversary ; all of which bad similar.
results.

How well insanity may be counterfeited, was dis-
played some little time since in the jail of Ely. A
man was apprehended for horse.stealing ; he shortly
after appeared to become a perfect lunatic in all his
demeanour; he made a figure with the straw on which
he lay, Ad which he called his sou Tommy. To this
figure he constantly addressed his conversation, played
at cards, shared his food? and fought and quarrelled,
with, and, in spite of tvery exertion, he strippedlini-
' self naked, and dressed the figure in his clothes, and
he continued naked during the'whole of a severe win-
ter. However, no measures were omitted for secur-
ing him, though no person doubted of ;,is being an
incurable lunatic. At length, one morning, both
Tommy and his father were missed ; and it turned
out that the supposed lunatic had sawed off his irons
and the bars from bis window, and let himself down
from a high wall with the . assistance i.t Tommy,
whom he had converted into a rope for that purpose:
he got across tbis country into Cheshire, where he
stole some sheep, was apprehended, convicted, .tint
executed at the next assizes; and he declared that the
whole of the apparent insanity had been feigned.
Yesterday as an elderly. man was proceed:ng i 1,411
Battle-bridge, he was seized with a cough, nrek's
blood vessel, and shortly afterwards expteedt