Star.
London, England, 1806-04-17 00:00:00

OLD BriILET.

Y'flerday Thomas' Smith was capitally indifted for
Peaßog a hay snare, bridre, and fiddle, the property
of James Vaughan, Efq.
. • It aapeated, that at the time Rated in th 4 indi'l
merit. Wnoclhotife. the Profectitoe's bailiff wide the
mare in queßion to a farm called Enfield Chafe, near
Edmonton. When he alighted, he tied her to the
paling Infide the gate, leaving his Rick in a feed-
leucite near, and proceeded to put Come bullies in a
nart of the fence, which was broken, but on his re
turn, loon after, he miffed the horfe. On getting into s
the road. he obferved a man riding her off in full
c allap, and beating her with a thick as hard as he
could. He immediately procured anather bode, and
went in putfuit of the fugitive. Having followed
him for between four and five miles, he came up with
him at the King's Arms, Palmer's Green. where he
f and him in the ad of felling the mare to a perfon
named Baker, for 61. cos. He had told Baker that
he mull part with the mare; he had been on a cruife
to St. Alban's, with his brother, tpent all I is money,
and could not return to his wife and (amity without
Come. .He offered her, in the firil inllance for feven
guineas. When accufed of the felony, he anfwered,
that he found the mare in the road; but he conid
give no account how he came by the Rick alfo. See-
ing Woodlaotife determined, he offered to g.ve him
and Baker a guinea each if they would let him go;
or, if they would bring him to town, and let him
enlill. he would give them a guinea a piece out
of his bounty money. This being declined, they
were bringing him before a Magiftrate, when they
. met with a Sergeant of Marines, and a recruiting
parry. The Prifoner then fwore that he was a de-
fetter from the s7th Regiment of Font, and wanted
the Serje.snt to fake him ; but the Witnefs would not
give him up. -
The only defence attempted to be fee up, was that
of intoxication at the time.
Lord E LLLLL comma a obferved, that fueh was too
often the cafe of perfons of the prifoner's condition in
life, which was no excufe before a Jury upon trial
'for a crime, whatever operation it might fometimes
have in the apportionment of the punifhment of the
offender. The Jury, without hefitation, pronounced
• him Guilty—Death.
John M‘Gee was capitally indicted for affaulting on
the King's highway, Godried Henry Panzen Bieter,
Tutting him in dread and fear of his life, and taking
from his perfon a metal watch and gold feal. The
Prifiner requefted that all the Witnefes, except the
Profecutor, thould withdraw, which was complied
with.
On- the rill of February lA, between five and
fix o'clock in the evening, the Profecutor Paid he was
croffing the Strand, going towards Bedford-greet,
when the prifoner ran againft him with great 'do.
lenee, and gave him a pith, at the fame moment, he
felt his watch going, and immediately miffed it.—
The painter ran off. Mr. William Taylor and one
William Witten, purfued and came up with him, but
he declated his innocence fo Itrongl?, and feemed to
sit with fo much candour, they retailed him. How
ever, the chain of the watch being perceived in his
hand, he again ran, and was again purfued, when
Mr. Taylor overtook and knocked him down. Some
time etapfed before he could weft the watch from
him, and not until the chryftal was broken, and his
hand cut.
The psifoner perfonally croft-examined the Wit-
neffes, with intent to thew that they prevaricated,
but did not fuccced.
- , When called upon for his defence, he Rated that
he was quite a granger in town; was a native of
Hull. in Yorkfhire ; had a wife and five children t
had dived his Ma)elly for feven years in the laft war;
and was wholly innocent of the offence he Rood
charged with.
Mr. Janice Rooxa obferved to the jury, that this
was a capital offence, that of an highway robbery ;
and to conftitute that offence, it was neceffary either
that the party robbed, fhould be pas in fear, or (owe
eioknce .-e lired to hi! Prfill. In the prefent cafe, the
robbery was Co/arks, that. the perfon robbed could
not be laid to be put in fear, but there was filch via.
knee ?ferret to hit prime at the moment the watch war tales,
that it et-maimed the offence of highway robbery.—
This could not be confidered as privately (leafing
from the perfon, for the profeentor felt the watch
go ; and there could be no doubt that it was a tak-
ing by violence from the perfon without the confent
of the owner, and ( any thing was Wen from the per.
fin, without the eon ent of the owner, arid with violence,
the what !ffinee of ighway robbery war eon.mittd—One
thing more (find the Learned Judge), I with to ob
fer re—lt is early in the Seflion, and may be a guide
to thnfe ptifoners who may in future with to have %va-
rieties examined a-part, to confider of the prudence
of that cringe. It is ufual with the Court to grant
the reqneß whe ever made. I have never refuted it,
and the other Judges grant it in like manner; but I
never have differed it to take place, without after.
wards directing the jury to confider whether, if all
the witneffes happened to agree together in their tic-
count of the tranfaflinns they related, they did not
make the cafe fironger for the piofecation than it
would have been had they been examined in each
other's hearing. I fay this, becaufe lam aware that
prifonert often make the requeft to have witneffes
examined apart, with a with of flandering them, or
for the purpofe of walling time. The cafe is fo here;
the witneffes have been examined apart at the pri.
toner's requell, and they have made the cafe ltronger
againll him by it, bit they agree entirely in their se-
earint of h. although they did nut .tear each other's
evidence.—Guilty—Death.
Ten were convicted of felony, viz.
g ((ward Jose was indicted foi Reeling a great
colt, the property of his Grace the Duke of Montrofe.
William Curtis, a fervant of the Duke of Metro
trofe, depofed, that about two o'clock in the after.
noun, on the ph March Ira, be few the prifnner come
up the area Iteps of his Grace's bottle, in Grofvenor.
lquare, from the fervant's hall, with a bundle under
his arm ; be differed him to go to a little diflance,
then followed and applebended him ; when the pri-
timer declared he had found it on the Reps.
The Learned Judge at &It had tome donht whe-
titer the coat were his Graces property, or that of
the fervent ; but being informed that thefe coats did
net become the propeety of the fervant till the expir- i
soino of two years, and this was only in ufe from la. 1
Mary twelve months, his Lordfhip was (edified.

The Pry Immediately Teemed a ierdiet of
Gnilty.
D. Griffith% for healing a trimkccontaining a vel
vet pelilfe, &c. the property of J. Bufwell ; Ann G.
Murray, for healing a coat, the property of B. Petty;
I'. Eady, for healing a quantity .if nears foot oil, the
property of J. Emblin ; C. Crofsley, for healing z t
gallons of throb, the goods of J. Straccy and Co ;
J. Douglas, fur healing a metal pan. and other ar-
ticles, the goods of John Warner ; Either Murray,
for healing eight filk handkerchiefs, the goods of A.
Alford; and Catherine Chandler, fur healing a fibawl,
the property of T. Hall.
And fevers were acquitted.
The Old Bailey Calendar exhibits, this Seffion, a
ling lift of offences. The London commitments
amount to thirteen in number, viz, fix for grand and
fix for petty larcenies, and one for obtaining money
under talk pretences. Among the former is James
Hawkins, the conftable, charged on fuipicion of heal-
ing the Duchefs of Gordon's diamond ear ring. The
Middlefex commitments amount to 113, including
57 for petty, and i 6 for capital felonies. One flit
cutting and maiming, with intent to murder, fi• e for
burglary, four for highway robbery, one for murder,
three for embezzling money, one for forgery, three
for returning from traniportation and two for kn-w-
-ingly harbouring and airlifting felons. In London,
fifty-nine pritmercremain under orders, and r 37 in

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
• •

HICKS'S HALL, APRIL 26.
Till KING V. ROAM.
William Boar, a refpetable elderly gentleman re-
fiding near the Commercial Road, was indifterf for a
riot in affembling about the houfe of Mr. William
Longford, in the fame neighbourhood, with divers
other perfons, and making a great noife and diflur-
bance on the night of the 9th December laft. The
fags as Rated in evidence appeased to. be theft :
The Defendant, Mr. Bally' was verging near to
wards fixty years of age. About ten years ago, he
conceived it was high time for him to get a wife,
and fettle himfelf. He fixed his attention upon a
lady whole age correfponded with his own, and he
endeavoured, by the molt s.fficluous courtfhip, to win
her to his arms. The lady was balisful and timorous,
and declined venturing upon matrimony, at lean till
the had proved his conftancy. He wooed her for a
period exelly the duration of the liege of Troy, and
at the moment he expelled the accomplifhment of
his hopes, (he married, after a few days courtfhip, a
Mr. William Longford, who had the advantage of
her by four or five years. The dilcortied Inver, that
is to fay the Defendant, became almog diftrafted at
the lots of his miltrefs. The marriage had taken
place on the morning of the 9th December. During
the remainder of the day, the Defendant kept ho.
vering about the houfe of the bridegroom, " and
ever and anon be vowed ;swage." He warted before he
adopted any adive meafure, till it was night, and he
was purpofely, as it was proved, particular in the
choice of the hour. He raw from a place where he
lay perdue the bridemaids, the guells, and the fidler,
depart from the houfe. He Hill waited till he per-
ecived a light in the fervant's room, and then he
thought it his time to tally forth. He accordingly
advanced up to the houfe, and began thundering at
the door, and vociferating for admittance. The new
married couple were dreadfully terrified ; the wife
(creamed, and the hufbanti trembled. He, however,
jumped out of bed, threw open the window, and
called as loud as he could for the watch. The neigh-
bourhood were inflantly in a (late of alarm, and con-
cluded at lead that the bride and bridegroom were
in danger of being confumed by different fires from
thofe of love. It was loon found that the Detest-
dant was•the author of all the •confufion. He conti-
nued at his port, employing the knocker of the door
as a battering tam, and (wearing that nothing lhould
prevent his effefting a breach. By this time a part
of thofe vigilant guardians of the night, the watch.
men, came op, and loon forced him to difcontinue
the attack. A mob colleted, late as it was, a ge-
neral fcuflie enfued, but the enraged lover was at lag
completely overpowered, vanquithed, and ignomi-
niottily carried captive to the watch houle. There
the bridegroom &only made his appearance, and
gave a lot mal charge ; in confequence of which the
Defendant was doomed for the night to vile incarce.
ration. He was delivered to bail in the morning,
and bound to appear to an indidtment for the riot.—
The above fags were diftinttly proved, when
The CHAlealhil laid, he did not think it neceffary
to call upon the Defendant for any defence. Intern.
perate and improper as his condo& had been, it did
not amount to what the law called a riot. To eon-
flitute a riot, there muff be three perfons at 'call
concerned. Nnw the Defendant was the only perfon
who had cleated de diflutbance. Though the tu-
mult had been increafed by the perfons attraited by
curiofity to the fpot, it could not be Paid that they
were concerned with him. The Defeadant was the
Pule elor ; and therefore, as a riot could not be
committed by one perfon, the offence, in its legal
point of view, had not been committed. He howe-
ver advifed the Defendant to moderate the elects of
hi* paffion, and tJ confide hindelf for his difappoint.
ment, by lummoning philorophy to his aid.
The Jury acquitted the Defendant, who retired
with Cullen and indignant ftep.