Star.
London, England, 1809-07-25 00:00:00


dissizßi

,
At Winchester Assiies, nine prisoners were capi-
tally convicted, and rcceived sentence of death,
Antonio Janni, for Maliciously stabbing Anteni4
Merlo, with intent to murder or Maitn him ; William
Davies, for maliciously stabbing William Georg 4
With intent to murder or maim him ;. Robert Fergu-.
snn, for uttering a forged 101. Bank of England note;
George Nevill, also for uttering a forged 161. Bank
of England note ; John Broadway add Thomas
Crutcher, alias Kircher, for horse stealing ; Margaret
Sullivan, for stealing a gold watch, seals, &c. the pro-
perty of William Lucas ; William Wilson, for a
burglary at Portsea • and JonOun Pollard, for steal-
ing money from the box of Mary Tolfree, a servant
at the George Inn, Basingstoke. Pollard is only 16
tears of age.

, STAlblkb ASSIZES`.
The Assizes for this county commenced on 'Nuts-
day last. The highly respested THEOPIIILUS
LSVETTI Esq. Was attended to the town by a nume-
rous body of friends, who afterwards dined with him
it the Swan. There were only nine prisoners for
trial, and twenty-two causes; three bf witch were
Special Juries.
SEDUCTION.••• CL AR ICE V. RA ILSTON E.
This was one of - the most interesting trials at
these Assizes. It was ad action brought by the plain-
tiff, Mt. Thomas Clarke, of Wolverhampton, against
the defendant, Mr. Thomas .Railstone, of the same
place, to rftoverdamages for the Seduction of the
plaintiff's daughters .
:The principal cirantstabc.es, as given in evidence
by the daughter,. i'vhdiS between 19 or 19 years of
age, were, that the defendant, a near neighbour of the
plaintiff, became acquainted «ith her, in consequence
of her visits to Hannah Taylor, i'ho resided with the
defendant as a servant. It appeared that the defen-
dant's wife had eloped with Colonel Bedingfield, for
which he had received from the Colonel. 10001. da.
ma es ; and the defendant, in order to insinuate him-
self-into the good graces of th s young lady, represen-
ted hi/itself as willing to marry her at the death of his
wife, which he stated as likely to happen very shortly.
By these promises he seduced her. After the seduc-
tion had taken place, she was desirous of giving up
the connection, but was induced torenew it in cbdse-
quenee of the defendant threatening to make her sis-
ter and a person of the name of Ellis, who paid his
addresses to her, acquainted with her conduct, unless
she repeated her visits. The consequence was, that
she did, and proved with child. She afterwards went
to her friends at Birmingham, who applied to the de,
fendant to give his bond, engaging to marry her at
his wife's death, which he refused to do. Other cir-
cumstances were given in evidence, which would be
improper in us to state.
The Plaintiff's daughter was cross-examined at
considerable length by Mr. JEavis, who attempted
to prove that the religious education of the plaintiff's
daughter had not been properly attended to—and
that she had permitted Ellis to sit up with her, after
her father had gone to bed ; but in this he failed.
Beside the plaintiff's daughter, one witless only was
called in,rippott of his case, to prove the refusal -of
the defendant to enter into any engagement to Marry
her after his vices death ; and that upon the girl's
friends expostulating with him as to his conduct, he
admitted, that he was much to be blamed.
Mr. JERVIS addressed the Jury on behalf of the de-
fendant, particularly adverting to Ow improper ac-
quaintance of the plaintiff's daughter with Hannah
Taylbr, whom he stated to be an unfit person for her
to associate With •to the neglect of the plaintiff in
giving his daugliter a religious education t and his
suffering her to visit the defendant, whom he knew to
be a Married man, living separated from his wife;
and, in support of the latter part of his argument, he
Cited the case of Iteddie and Scoolt; Peake's Niri Prim;
2to.
The Junot, iii summing up, in the first place took
notice of the case referred to by Mr. Jervis, Which he
said did not apply to the present questiOn, as there
was no evidence to she* that the. Plaintiff was ac-
quainted with the Difendant's attentions to his daugh-
ter. He then took a most perspicuous review of the
case, giving it as his opinion, that theiirrt mind ve-As
not debauched previonsli to her seduction by the de-
fendant ; that it by no Means appeared that her fa-
ther had neglected her religious education, but had,
on the contrary, attended to it; reminded the Jury,
that the defendant had adiiiiited that blame was im-

potable to him alone; and Concluded by reCommedd-
log theM, in fixing the cldtnagei; to attend to the
triatim of doh* unto Osbert as they would others,
should do unto them,
The Jury consulted Ablite few mititiiesi and, returned
a verdict for 0300.
There were Many caiotis circuiiistanceS which
were brought forward at this trial. The Counsel for
the Defendant attempted to shew that it was a cus-
tom in Wolverhampton for women to be taken on
leages, and that the plaintiff had offered his daughter
to the defendant on these terms. This, however, was
-not proved.
Miss Clarke appeared' an Interesting and well-
dreseed girl, and gave her depositions in tears.
MANCHESTER, JULY es.
COMBINATION.—At our Quarter Sessions, in April
lest, a case of considerable importance to Hat Manu-
facturers and others, who employ a number of work-
men, came before the Court. It was a prosecution at
the instance of Messrs. Thos. Philips and Co. against
a hat-finisher, of the name of i3uchley, for assaulting
one of their workmen, for having engaged to instruct
their apprentices to finish hats, and for having refused
to unite with Buckley and others, in a combination,
under the denomination of Flints, to prevent Messrs.
Thomai Philips and Co. from taking apprentices.
. The case being made out to the satisfaction of a
crowded Court, the Defendant was sentenced to three
months imprisonment in Lancaster Castle.
In the course of the cause, Mr. ScantErT made a
most eloquent and impressive speech, spewing the evil
tendency of combinations of all descriptions.
The COURT much approved the conduct of the
Prosecutors, and declared they would, at all times,
protect the honest and industrious workmen from in-
jury and insult, and strongly condemned the combina-
tion of servants in general against their masters.
On Wednesday last, at our Quarter Sessions, an
appeal was heard upon a conviction against JohnDal-
too and Joseph Midgliy, journeymen hatters, at Old-
ham, for having entered into a combination to prevent

.. e
.. - Meters Frenshavr, Barker, and Co. frois employing
one Elizabeth Johnson. .
It appeared that many of the Worktnen- hid con-
spired.tosether, to. prevent the Manufacturers from
employing women in their works, and that they had
entered into rules to carry their wishes into execution. ,
The Court confirmed the convictions, and the pri-
soners were committed to hard labour in the-New
Bailey Prison fol• two months ; and also until they
paid 211. the costs iniairicd, as authorized by the Acti
of Parliament.
There was also another proseittOn against Alex-
ander Stochtlak, for having with several other journey.
men entered itto a similar combinationngainst Messrs.
Mellor, Gee, and Kershaw, of Oldham:
The Counsel for the prosecution stated that it vas
hot the wish of the master manufacturers to preSii foe
the conviction of more journeymen, as they hoped a
sufficient example would be made by the punishment
of the former two (example being their only object);
and:* .prosecutors trusted that their lenity would
hive t . paver effect upon all other journeymen
hatters, who min have formed such a combination,
particularly against aiscuatefi being employed ; but
should it hereafter appear tisat_ the journeymen at-
tended their illegal meetings, or othrawise conducted
themselves as they had lately done, therivenritall be
prosecuted with the utmost severity. •
The Couer remarked strongly against the illegal
proceedings of the men, and hoped the great mildness
which the hat manufacturers had shewn to the jour-
' ncymen, in not pressing further prosecutions, would
indul.-C them to be subordinate to their employers,. and
dissolveAteir Meetings, which would certainly be
, ratttonk to themselves ; andOn future, the Journeymen
I found g!tihy of these combinations, would meet with
a More sarac j)iftilshment.
I ••
• I e .
. • . YORKSHIRE. . .. ,
Chi Satnrday Wight, the Assizes for this county
ilit4e. opened at the Castle, before the. Hon. Sir ALAN
Ciiis4sitC. Knt. one of the Justices of the Bench, and
the Hon. Sir GannonWoon, lEnt, one of the Barons
df the Cott of Exchequer.. : . .•
. . ... .
Friftlai_ 4,st the bubineis on
.the, Crown side .was
finialied. . •
. .if.l Pinion, jun. of Be‘ley,. butcher,was
'elated With the wilful murder of Rabat Gardener,
of • Aillike place, on the IC* of April lust, by stab-
lal him in the side with'a knife.
this was f. trial which excited much interest ; the
prisoner was much respected, and th particular cir
curristancaS tinder which the deceased came by his
death, poWerfully interested the feelings of the Court
in the prisoaer's favour. It appeared that the de-
ceased was suspected by the prisoner, and,. as ap-
peared from the evidence, not without sufficient rea-
son, of a criminal intercourse with his wife. A few
minutes before this unfortunate event took place; he
found his wife, at a very unseasonable hour, in com-
pany N, it'l the deceased, in the street, which so irri-
tated 11;r/1; that he declared he would-stab him, if ever
he came into his house or premises. The deceased
unfortunately persisted in accompanying the woman
into the house, and the prisoner immediately said to
the deceased, ‘I D—n you, Gardner, I will stab
you ; You have huddled my w!fe in the street," and
immediately made a thrust at him with a knife he
had snatched from the table, and wounded him mor-.
tally. The unfortunate Man languished until the
16th of April, and then expired. Previous to his
death he admitted that the suspicions of the prisoner
were well;f9unded, and which was, indeed, sufficient-
ly apparent from other circumstances laid before the
Court. .
The JUDGI4 in explainitg the law to the Jury, said,
that if a man should kill another in the act of a cri-
minal intercourse with his wifesii,,Would not be murder,
but Manslaughter ; but if a person wlio had received
such injury should deliberately contrive the (lath of
the person who bad so injured him, it would donbt.
leii• be murder ; his Lordship; however, 'thought;
that any circumstances which tell short of the actual
crime, and yet should clearly indicate such an inten-
tion, might come within the meaning of the Law.
The lury; without a moment's deliberation, acquit-,
ted the prisoner of the murder, and found him guilty
of manslaughter only, to the satisfaction of a very
crowded Court.
;John Wilkinson was charged with having, on Tues.
dar, the 23d of May last, violated the person of Eli-
zaiwth Svkes, a female child, about eleven years of
-age, in l'arnley Wood, in the parish of Leeds.
Mr. Halsoy stated the case on the part of the pro-
secution, with his natal ability and perspicuity.
The first witness examined was Elizabeth Sykes.
She stated, that, on the 23d of May last, as she was,
retaining. from her work in the evening, she was ac-
cc;sted by a man, who asked her to shew him the way
to. Qildersome, through the wood ; the witness point-
ed it out to him ; but he said he could not find it, un-
less she went with him, and he would give her half-
a-crown. The witness accordingly accompanied him ;
they had only gone a little way when they met a per-
son of the name of John Bromlf y, who asked her why
she was going back ? She said she was only going a
little way, And would return immediately.. Witness
sad, they went on the foot-path, through the wood,
and she frequently wished to return, but he always
wished her to go a little further, which she did. When
they had got into the middle of the wood, he threw
her upon the ground ; she cried; and he taking a
knife from his pocket, said, if she made a noise he
Would cut her throat ; this frightened her so much
that she made no further noise. The man then com-
pleted his abominable design, and left her, giving her
two-pence, The witness, on her return home, met
with her father, who asked her what she had been
doing ? She replied she durst not tell him, an beg-
ged him not to beat her. Her mother soon discover-
ed the cause of her distress, and next day she came
to Leeds, and saw a man at the Chief Constable's
and the Rotation Office, whom she knew to be, the
matt that had used her ill. She knew him bath by
his dress and his look. Witness was asked if she
should know hint at pi esent. She replied she could
not tell. On being desired to look round on the per-
sons in Court, and see if shy could point him out, she
could not fix upon the person of the prisoner ; and
though the Judge ordered her to be brought up again
at the conclusion of the case on the part of the prose-
cution, and had her attention fixed upon the prisoner,
she could not identify him as the person who bad.
•committed the outrage.
William Sykes, the father of the last witness, stated
her age to be rather u.tder II years ; remembers go-