Star.
London, England, 1809-04-06 00:00:00

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A SOPLOQU Y.

• •
I fought not for laurels or bays, , •
,I.f-yon think so, you're wide of the mark; •
Ali ray slossy—.-a whisper of praise
Prom tits tips of my sweat Mistress Cleric;
Now keit praises' daie net to seek,
Poe size has not of pity ohe snrk ;
But milks on the wretch wise. will sprat
- Against him, who dice lov'lliMistress Clarke,
I wander each day ?rt the grove,...
At 0-4—ds, the H—se G—ds &nth Park ;
Whilst Vf—o—et. Coral:sops dotb move
At the lints:ice Of false Mistre.• Clarke.

When I visit my fam'd G-4.3w--4 tree
Where she cared her dread name on its bark.;
say %myself," vac is m.
That r ever should keep MIStreSS Clarke.
Oh ! now the delusion is getke,
All around me is ; loomy sad dark ;
• lam scnß"d it, and left nuke alone,
For the:world all believe Mistress Clarke.
The sun- never shone on such lies,
Sine. Noah came out of the ark,*
As' the tens, Velidst she rolls her bright eyes
On the Members—Oh! fie Mistress Clarke
Once soft were the notes of her song,
Sweeter far than the linnet or lark;
glut that which now flow from here tongue
Pioits Vie rancour of base Mistress Clarke.
To view bet *as transport
To hear still more blissful—but hark !!
" What's that voice ? (sunk misery's Mine)-w
sTis the .Nat:on's...-' Go *Ai Alutrut Clarke."
Mat ch.l 2, 1809.

ASSIZES.

YORK.

•

A. t.

Jo:ej% Brown was indicted far the wilful minder of
Elizabeth Fletcher, of Hentd, tear Ferrybridge, by
administering poison to her, on Sunday, 0ct.21, 1804.
Robert Challenger was a iiear neighbour to Eliza-
beth Fletcher at the time of her death ; saw her the
night before she died, when she appeared in health.
itnesa was in her house about eight or nine in the
evening, 'and sail the prisoner, Joseph Brown and
Joseph Hazzlegrove there at supper ; at that period
they lodged there. Hazzlegrove fetched a quart of
ale, which he.mixed with a quantity of sugar, and
then gave it to *.lie deceased, desiring her to drink
heartilyof it.,- havhig previously put the mug to his
own inoudito drink, 'but witiess could not say whe-
ther be actually drank 'of it or not. The deceased
drank of it freely, and gave it to her sister, who also
partook' of it. Brown poured some ale unsweetened
into a mug,' saying he did not like it sweetened ;.and
the whole oldie sweetened ale was taken by the de.,
teased and her sister. Prisoner and Hazzlegrove
went to bed about a quarter of an hour after the ale
was drank, and The witness returned home about
nine c'clock in the evening. About eleven o'clock in
the morning of the next day, saw Elizabeth Fletcher,
she was then dead, and her sister was in a deep sleep,
in which she coistinued until six o'clock in the even-
ing, when she awoke and wok a little refreshment.
Sarah Fletcher.being in a state- approaching idiotcy,
4s: per week. was paid by •the parish towatds her
maintenance. The deceased was a very industrious
woman.
Several witnesses corroborated the evidence of Ro-
bert Challenger as to the state of the deceaSed and
her sister the morning after the murder.
Rebecca Fletcher, sister to the deceased, went to
her house on the 22d of October, found her sister,
Elizabeth, dead, and her sister Sarah asleep. Said,.
that about three weeks before, her sister sheaved her
box to her ; she had then in her box three guinea
notes and two pieces of gold, but on examining the
box after her decease, found her box had been broken
open, and the money taken away ; the other contents
of the box appeared much rumbled. The box was
kept in the room where the prisoner and his compa:
• Ilion slept.
Mr. W. Perkins, surgeon and druggist, of Snaith,
stated that' the prisoner came to his shop on the 18th
or 19th of October, for some laudanum ' • he said his
name was Joseph Fletcher ; that he lived at Hensal •
-that the laudanum was for the use of his father, who
:
lived at Cawood, and who was troubled with pain
and could obtain no rest at night. On this represen-
tation, the witness let him have six-penny worth,
which was rather more than an ounce. Witness never
saw the prisoner again, until he was examined before
the Magistrate, on suspicion of having poisoned the
deceased, which was about ten days after ; but he
-was perfectly sure as to the identity of the prisoner,
and that the prisoner had represented his name as
being Joseph Fletcher. The quantity of laudanum
bought by the prisoner was sufficient to produce the
effect described by the preceding witnesses, in a per-
son who had -not been iirthe habit of using laudanum,
and to produce death ; and from the symptoms des-
cribed by the witnesses, he had no doubt but the de-
-ceased died of the poison of laudanum.
Mr. Sewell stated, 'that he was a solicitor at the
Ide of Wight ; that the prisoner was brought by a
sergeant of the depot to the office of the Magistrates,
at nis own desire • that no threat, promise,or induce-
mem of any kind, was held out to him to make con-
• fession that he took it down in writing at the time,
and when fairly written out, it :was read oeer to him
distinctly-; be said he understood it all, and it was all
true. The reason assigned by.the prisoner fur mak,
ing this confession, was the extreme anguish of mind
he suffered frombis reflections, which absolutely ren-
dered life insie2pErtable. It was dated Isle of Wight,
3d August, 1808. This confession stated, ".that he
had been acquainted With' Joseph Haz we up-
wards of' six years;, that in the month2.l2r°oetober,
1804, himself and Joseph Haailegpsve lodged with
Mrs. Fletcher, of Hensal, Feyryhridge, and there
formed the design of poisoning her in order to possess
themselves of some property they snpposed her to
,possebs ; that for this purpose be procured. six-penny.
'worth of laudanum of a Mr. Perkins, of Smith, which'
he gave to Hazzlegrove, who mixed it in some beer
along with some sugar, and gave it ta Elizabeth
fetcher mailer sister, and the fernier died in conse
quence of it, and early the ,following morning they
broke open her boy, and took out one guinea and a
half; that they we afterwards apprehended, and

lIIIIIIMIM