Star.
London, England, 1824-04-23 00:00:00

EXEC (17' IU A' .3.

WeJnesday Edward A►nor and John Goodman were
executed at the New Drop atihe Penitentiary and House
of Con ection, Devizes, for violently assaulting and rob.
bing, on the highway, Mr. Alexander, of South Farm,
Allcannings, on December 2 1., 1823. It being fair day,and
the first execution that has ever taken place at Devizes,
may in some measure account for the ►,umber of pc,.
sons (e•timated at 30,000) assembled on this awful oc-
casion. Roth the unhappy men were sawyers,and worked
together. Amor was about 34 years of age, and resided
in the parish of Woodborough ; Goodman was about
•1•f years of age, had been in the army for some years,
and since his discharge lived at Allcannings.
On ascending the scaffold, the Rev. Chaplsin thus
addressed them ;—" John Goodman And Edward Amer,
I now require of yeri, and each of yos, as you will in a
few moments have to answer at thedreadful bar of the
ALMIGHTY, are you guilty of the crime of which you
have t een charged, or are you not guilty ?' Goodman
immediately replied in a voice that could be heard
through the immense a owd,—" Not Guilty!" Amor
faintly said, " I say so too." On which Goodman urged
him to speak out. He then said in a louder tone, "
say so too—not guilty, Gentleman, Sir," (as if con.
fused). Goodman afterwards addressed the spectator‘,
" GGod people," said he, " before I leave this world, I
wish to say a few words to you; I shall not tell a lie,
nor do I wish to smother the truth, but f,r the last time
I declare that I never beat Thomas Alexander, nor dad

I rob him on the 24th of December, nor do I know who
did." They then both joined with the Chaplain in fer-
vent prayer, after which the latter commenced reading
the burial service, and as he uttered the words—" is
the midst of life we are in death," the fatal signal was
given, and their earthly career was for ever closed.
EXECUTION OF DALE, AT CllESTER,—Wednesday
morning, about five o'clock, this unfortunate young
man, convicted at the previous Assizes of the murder of
Mr.\Vood, was delivered to the Sheriffs of the city, pre-
vious to his execution. As the fatal period approached
he became impatient for the ar rit al of the offices s, which
no sooner took place than he begged to he immediately
led to execution.. He denied to the last being the ac-
tual murderer of Mr. Wood, and said that when he saw
the two men Taylor and Platt, tthese persons are sup-
! posed to have been concerned in the murder) treat Mr.
IVood roughly he would have left them, but they
threa:ened to serve him the . same way ; he then re-
mained and participated in the booty, which lie says,
was only 4s. 6d. The execution took place earlier than
usual, but there was nevertheless a great crowd.
Wednesday the four unfortunate men who received
sentence of death at the Suffolk Assizes, viz.—Robert
Bradnurn, John Wright, and Benjamin Hewlett, for
burglary, and John Cheitell for the same offence and for
horse stealing, were executed near the jail in Bury.
Their whole demeanour, after their conviction, was:
marked with the utmost propriety. They confessed the
enormity of their crimes, and the justice of their sen-
tences, and implored their wives and former associates
to adopt a different course of life. The number of per-
sons assembled to witness the melancholy spectacle of
four human beings paying the forfeit of their lives to
the offended laws of their country was immense.

A SOMERSETSIIIIIE COIIO\ER'S lAQUEST.

-s-

An Inquest was held last week at Clatworthy,
near Wiveliscombe, on the body of Williams Ridler,
aged 22. The deceased was a labourer in Taunton, and
lodged in the house of Samuel Dummett, a miller at
Wilton, near this town. The deceased proving a trou-
blesome inmate, and being considerably in arrear for
his lodgings, was requested to quit, and a few days be-
fore his departure it was discovered that he had titz•
small-pox. Dummett, his landlord, never having had
that disorder, and having a child in the house, and his
wife in daily expectation of being put to bed (an event
whiCh has since happened), became naturally apprehen-
sive for his own safety, and mildly but anxiously urged
his guest to leave him. The deceased consented ac-
cordingly, and without saying anything to Dummett's
family, rose on Friday morning, the 9th instant, went
to his employers, from whom lie received 6s. and ad-
journed to several public-houses in Taunton, where he
drank brandy and water, beer; and other equally im-
proper beverage fur a man in his state of incipient dis-
ease. He then proceeded to his Lathes's house at
Clatworthy, a distance of 15 miles, and arrived there at
ten o'clock the same night, having walked the whole
distance, and expended nearly all his money_ in ()fink
on the toad. He remained in a lodging whiCh his father
procured for him, from that time until 'lliursday,b.eing
the seventh day after his arrival,.-and then died of a
confluent small-pox, The Coroner's Jury, imagining,
as we presume, that the death of the deceased was occa-
sioned by his having-been inhumanly turned out of his
lodging, tetuined a verdict---,‘ That there did not ap-
pear to them any malice had been pioveA against Dm--
mett, but that he was guilty of Manslaughter," and l.e
was committed accordingly under the Colonel's' A arrint
to Wilton gaol, to take his trial at tl.e next As • ire-- !
James Stacey, a fellow-lodger in Dummet(s liettse,
testifies that there never was the slightest insult or u:i'
kindness exhibited by Dummett or his wife towards the
deceased ; and the character of Dummett being that OF
au indudrious inoffensive man, his case has excited
very genet al commiseration. Several respectable pt.:-
sons of this town have volunteered their services in his
behalf, and have Offered bail to any amount; but as
the offence is not bailable, the poor fellow mist remaa
in gaol until the next Summer Assizes, unless the
11onie Secretary of State should think fit, from 1!:e
peculiar hardship of his case, to sanction Ins liberatida
under proper surcties for his forthcoming at the aim
pointed time for Dial.
It is almost superfluous to add, that there was no-
thing in the Coroner's summing up to the Juty 01;0
could have influenced them in their extraor !inary
sion.—lawiloa Courier.

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. • COVRT OF KING'S BENCH, GUILDHALL.
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mum. CON.—BAIN V. MASON.
':hit was an action brought by the plaintiff, an opulent merchant,
to recover from the defendant a compensation in damages for the
injury be sustained in the happiness and affections of his wife, by a
criminal conversation.—lt appeared that the plaintiff had been mar-
ried to his wife about twenty-two years ; she was now 43, the de-
fendant was under 30. Since their marriage he had several times
been on the Continent. They lived very happily together until
Ludy, when it was ascertained that the defendant, who resided for
some time in the plaintiff's house, broke their union by a criminal
connection.
Witnesses were called on the part of the plaintiff, who deposed
that Mrs. Bain was a very fine woman ; the servants had frequently
2r. opportunity of observing her general conduct, and have met her
repeatedly coming out of Mr. Mason's bcd.room in her night-
clothes, when she seemed very much confu-ed ; and in Mrs. Main's
dressing-room, although there was a bed, no person slept in it; but
Mrs. Bain has several times told the servant to put it smooth.—
On one occasion the plaintiff's wife, accompanied by a Mr.:. Wil-
liams, went to Gravesend to see the steam-boats; there they were
met by the defendant, who staid with them from Friday to
Monday, and slept in the same lodgings; and on one occasion
these, Alm. Williams missed the plaintiff's wire in the morning,
and on her searching, found she had gone to the defendant's room, as
she distinctly beard two persons talking, and on mentioning the cir-
esseastance to Ildra. Bain, she became alarmed and greatly confused;
On that snowing they left Gravesend fur town. Mr. Nlason accom-
panied
them, although she (Mrs. Williams) seemed displeased with
it, and told the plaintiff's wife she slipuld mention the circumstance
to Mr. Bain. Mrs. Williams had gone by that name twelve months
before she was married to Mr. Williams; and on the ATTOKNEY-
011111111AL asking her at what Church she was married, she declined
answering that question ; but admitted that she and her husband
Lad separated.
The Arroaxer-GeNzaar. addressed the Jury on the part of the
defendant, who_te stated was a man of no property whatever, but
heed with his step-father.
The Loan Cisme Jessica ,unused up, and the Jury found for the
plaintiff—Damages £lOO.