Star.
London, England, 1830-09-03 00:00:00

THACTIIER V. HEAT).

This was an action to recover compensation in damages for an
assault.

Mr. COLTMAN stated the cue on the part of the plaintiff.—He said
this was not a case of an ordinary nature, fur there was very great tea-
son to fear that the plaintiff, on whom a most violent assault had been
committed, would never again be able to follow his usual occupation ;
and he was of opinion that when the Jury had heard the whole case,
they would have no doubt or hesitation that some handsome com.
pensation ought to be meted out to him. From the time the trans..
action took place, to the present period, the plaintiff had not been
able to follow his business, and now it was very likely he would
have to subsist the remainder of his life on the reluctant allowance of
parish relief. The plaintiff is muter of a vessel called the latona,
which, at the time of the assault, was lying at St. Ives, in Corn.
wall. The defendant is muter and part owner of the Birmingham
stearn.packet. The plaintiff bad taken his passage in the Bir.
mingham, as a deck passenger, for Dublin, intending to go to
Cork, and from thence to his own vessel. When he got on board
the steamer he was desirous of becoming a cabin passenger, and
for that purpose went and tendered the difference to the Captain. lie
(the Learned Counsel) was unable to prove what conversation then took
place between them, but he should prove that the defendant seised him
by the collar in a very violent manner, pushed him with his knee from
thequarter-deck on tothe main deck, where he fellwith so much violence,
that the spectators on the pier.head called out •' Throw the murderer
overboard." After this took place the Captain put off immediately. A
short time after, however, the man was sent on shore in a boat, carried
home in a very bad state, and was unable to leave his bed for nine
weeks ; and up to the present time can only walk with the assistance of
crutches. He therefore hoped the Jury would award considerable da-
mages, as a compensation for the injury his client had suffered. The
Learned Counsel then called three witnesses, whose testimony went to
prove the above statement.
Mr. ALnzasow (with whom was Mt. HALL) addressed the Jury
for the defendant. Ile ebserved that in his opinion, the case did not
deserve the grave construction which had been put upon it by the learned
Counsel on the other side, although he was not disposed to treat it as
not deserving the consideration of the Jury. He then went on at some
length to contend, that the injury sustained was one to be attributed to
accident, and to the state of drunkenness in which the plaintiff was at
the time, than to any fault of the defendant.
Several witnesses were called for that purpose, to prove that the de-
fendant bad not kicked him, but that the plaintiff's conduct was very
turbulent, and that the defendant had led him to the edge of the quar-
ter-deck, and that he fell from it on to the main-deck.
Mr. COLTMAN replied.
The Learned JUDGE summed up, and the Jury found a verdict for
the plaintiff—Damages, 801.

NANTWICII.—A deplorable event, which has excited a
very painful sensation in this town and neighbourhood, occurred within
a few days, whereby a respectable female lost her life, and other indi-
viduals are suffering from the same cause. On Thursday last, Mrs.
Shaw, wife of a Mr. Thomas Shaw, mercer and draper, boiled a leg of
mutton for the dinner of her family, in a saucepan which had some few
days previous been used to boil arsenic for the purpose of destroying
vermin. When the dinner was prepared, Mrs. Shaw sent part of the
broth to a young man who was unwell, and partook of some herself.
The Nev. John Hughes, Wesleyan Minister, having called in, was in-
vited to dinner. He and Mr. Shaw sat down, and were in the act of
eating some of the broth, when Mrs. Shaw was taken suddenly ill; and
as the use previously made of the saucepan in which the broth was pre-
pared returned to her mind, she desired them to eat no more. 4. mes-
senger was instantly dispatched for medical assistance. The unfortu-
nate woman lingered in great pain until Saturday evening, when she
expired. The young man, to whom part of it had been sent, discovered
its poisonous quality, and threw it tium his stomach, as did also the
Rev. John Hughes. They are out of danger, but Mr. Shaw still con-
tinues very ill.--Chesier Courant.