Star.
London, England, 1825-10-08 00:00:00

MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

The recent case in which the corpse of a drowned
•ynuth was mistaken for that of another person, was
paralleled by one which occurred some time ago, in the
family of a respectable jeweller in the Strand :4—The
tradesman we allude to had a nephew, a fine youth,
15 years of age, an apprentice, who was in the habit of
going out ,early every Sunday morning, in summer,
'without leave, to bathe in the Thames, and of taking
with him, as his companion, a large Newfoundland dog
belonging to the family. His uncle frequently remon-
strated with him against this practice, particularly as
it led him to neglect his Sabbath duties, as he never
returned till after Church time, and at length lie pro-
mised not to offend in this manner again. On the
following Sunday after the promise, he got ready his
Sunday dress, to proceed with the whole of the family
to Church ; but when they were about to depart he was
missing, as usual, and his Sunday clothes found in his
room, laid out ready to be put on, and he had, as he
always did before, gone to bathe, as they supposed, in
his wot king dress; the Newfoundland dog, his constant
companion on those occasions, was also missing. The
youth, however, did not return home at the usual hour
that he was accustomed to do, and the day passed away
without any tidings of him. At night, however, the
Newfoundland dog returned, seemingly in a very rest-
less and uneasy mood, but there was no account of the
youth himself. The family now became very uneasy,
dreading that some accident had befallen him, and
they made inquiry at all his friends and acquaintances,
but they could learn no tidings of him whatever. In
this state of suspense two days passed away ; and on the
third day they published handbills all along the banks
of the Thames, and had the river dragged from Batter.
sea to London-bridge, in hopes of finding the body,
which they now had little doubt had been drowned,
but all to no purpose ; there was still no account of it.
At about the expiration of a fortnight, the uncle re-
ceived information that a body, answering in every
respect the description in the handbills, had been picked
up at Charlton, between Greenwich and Woolwich,
and lay there to be owned. Tie uncle, and other
relatives of the lost youth, immediately repaired to
Charlton, and on examining the body picked up there,
they all agreed that it was that of their relation, parti-
cularly as this body had a deformity of one finger,
exactly the same as the lost youth was known to have
had, and the working dress he had on precisely corre-
sponded with the dress on the body found ; and, more.
over, a fellow-apprentice of the youth's said, that on
the day weeding his disappearance, the youth had cut
the nail to the quick on one of the toes of his right foot,
which made it bleed, and this was also found to be the
case with the body found in the river. No doubt re-
maining as to the identity, the uncle ordered a funeral,
and had the remains Of his nephew, as he supposed,
intetred in the church-yard at Charlton, and wrote an
account of the whole melancholy affair to the patents
of the youth, who resided at Aberdeen, in Scotland,
and the whole of the family lost no time in going into
mourning for their supposed deceased relative. On the
very first day, however, that his relatives at Aberdeen
put on their sable garments for the occasion, what was
their astonishment and delight, while sitting at tea in
the evening, to see the supposed drowned youth walk
in amongst them, in good health and spirits. An
eclaircissement," of course, immediately wok place,
by which it appeared that the youth, having violated
his promise to his uncle, not to go to bathe on the Sun-
day morning, was afraid to return, and having, with
difficulty stole.away from the Newfoundland dog, lie
set out on foot for Aberdeen, without a shilling in his
pocket; and having arrived as far as Sunderland, al-
most starved, and his shoes and stockings worn through
to his feet, he was fortunate enough to meet there with
the Captain of an Aberdeen smack, who knew his pa-
rents, and seeing his distressed situation, gave him a
passage home to his parents. His recut n, was, of
course, commuuicated without delay to his uncle in
town, who was no less pleased and astonished at the
intelligence than his parents, and from that time to the
present the uncle is in ignorance whose funeral expenses
it was he had paid. The youth himself returned to his
apprenticeship in London, and completed it, and is now
in business for himself in a country town.

Letters from Batavia to the 10th of April, state
that our markets for Batavian produce were so much
depressed, as to induce the traders there to suspend
shipments to England, and to prefer remitting their
lands to Bengal. The crop of Coffee this season is re.
presented as rather abundant, and the weather has
beer. favourable for maturing the bean. The Batavians
complain that many of their customers, the Chinese,
Lave become insolvent, or are in'such a state as to
sender transactions exceedingly precarious. To the
eastward of Java matters are a little better, the trans-
actions being principally with natives, who were obliged
to pay cash, or give good security. Yet the demand
for all kinds of cloth manufacture has decreased, and
prices fallen accordingly. The natives are now
poor, hardly capable of paying the ground rent,
from the great decline in
_Coffee, and the in-
creased taxation of Government. The receipts
at the Customs, in February, were only 40.000
rupees, and it was calculated that the month of
March would be little better. Ir. former dines the re•
were always florin I:, to 3 Lacs of rupees per
. At the date of these letters there was not a
in Batavia loading fot Lump-, a thin-, which
never before happened.

TRIAL AT JAMAICA.

SURREY ASSIZE COURT, AUGUST 6.

Captain Altit &dwell, of the Colombian schooner
Isabella, was- placed at. the bar, indicted for acts of
piracy on the sloop Greyhound, Spiller master, on her
passage from Manzinella de Cuba to Montego Bay.
Tne ATTORNEY-GE/1611AL opened the case, and stated
the particulars of the alleged ; *racy ; but, as the state-
ment was not borne out by the evidence adduced, we
do not think it necessary to detail his address, conceiv-
ing it but just to the accused to confine ourselves to
what the witnesses actually stated.
Thomas Spiller commanded the Greyhound ; she
sailed from Manzinella about the latter end of May
last. Has seen the prisoner at the bar. He commanded
the Isabella, which fell in with the Greyhound two days
after leaving the above port, bound to Montego Bay.
Witness had a cargo of horses on board. Prisoner
told him it was bad weather, and that it would be
better for him to return back. Witness did so, and we
lay three days together, when ore Hooper came on
board, and said they had information of our having
money on board. One of our passengers was taken
out of the Greyhound, and carried on board the Isa
bella, where a rope was placed round his neck, and he
was hung op by it. Prisoner was not on bond; he
was then on board a vessel called the Cordelia, belong-
ing to Montego Bay. Hooper came and took another
person from the Greyhound. Bedwell went on board
at night, and the two persons were on board. The, two
persons were hung up by tl.e neck ; believes to make
them confess where property was concealed.; did not
see one tied to a tree, but saw the wound upon the man
afterwards ; had horses on board ; prisoner threatened
to throw them overboard, as they were Spanish pro-
perty, but he would pay witness his freight for them.
Witness gave his note on Mr. Mendelson for 70 dol-
lars as alansom for the horses; his Officers took a
passenger's trunk away. Prisoner did not take charge
of the Greyhound, nor of the Cordelia, but took away
two persons. Did not threaten, but said they would
throw the horses overboard, paying freight, they being
Spanish property. The boat sometimes had four,
sometimes two, on botrd, when they came on board
the Greyhound. Witness had six men besides himself.
Cross-examined.—Knew prisoner before; had dined
with him on previous c.cccasions. At this time came
alongside,.and advised witness to return, as it was foul
weather, ho (witness) would be liable to lose his stock ;
did so ; he took no charge of the vessel ; anchored inside
of Cape Cruz; witness bad Spanish passengers on
board; the Spaniards themselves had confessed the
horses were Spanish property, and prisoner never at-
tempted to touch them till he obtained this informa-
tion. The Isabella stood further in shore, on account
of the severe weather, and witness followed of his own
accord. In overhauling the cabin, dtc. no violence was
committed. The Spaniards were first taken on board
the Isabella, and were then taken back for their trunks,
having an officer with them. It did not appe..r that
the crew were to take the trunks for their own Use.
Captain Bedwell was on board the Cordelia, about halt
a mile distant, when the first Spaniard was taken out ofi
the Greyhound. Saw the people on board the. Isabella'
put a rope about the Spaniard's neck, and he was lifted
off the deck ; just lifted him up and let him down again;
conjectured at the time that this was done to (omen
confession. When witness went on board nerd Mdrn-.
ing he complained; he was sitting among the Officers
on deck, breakfasting with them. No division of the
contents of the trunks were made among the crew; they
were delivered up when the ransom took place. The
crew of the Greyhound might have seen the passenger
lifted by the neck, had they been looking at the time;
had conversation with Bedwell on board the Cordelia
before he had gone on board the Isabella, where he re-
monstrated with him as to the violence offered to the
Spaniard, who replied, that he would not have allowed
it if he had been on board, and immediately went on
board the Isabella, and witness went with him, and
remained with him on board in a friendly manner;
ia short, as two friends. The Spaniards messed with
Captain Bedwell and the Officers of the Isabella...-
When the horses were discovered to be Spanish pro-
perty, the Spaniards agreed to give ten dollars a-pitce
for them, but they were never taken possession of, nor
was any guard put on board the Greyhound. Did say
that the horses were English property, in order to cover
them s • had no manifest of the hones; took them on
board on the coast without any bill of parcels ; one horse
belonged to the mate of the vessel, which the crew of
the Isabella did not take, saying they had nothing to
do with that, they respected that as English property.
—Witness damned the Spaniard for making him out a
liar, in saying that tie horses were English property;
but if they were such fools to tell they were their pro-
perty, he had nothing to do with it. Witness had been
one voyage to this island since the above circumstances
took place ; before he brought the present charge was'
at Montego Bay; Captain edwell arrived there; wit-
ness made no charge against him there; he received the
ransom; saw Ca ptain Bedwell in Kingston afterwards;
he went about publicly, he did not at all avoid an in-
vestigation into this charge, and he was aware witness
had made the charge. Witness must certainly say that
Captain Bedwell always behaved in a gentlemanly
manner ; and in two other vessels he behaved very
kindly to him, and he has convoyed British vessels along
the coast, where a forced trade is carried on. Had
said Captain Bedwell never plundered British property.
To the ATTORNEY-GENERAL.—DOeS not know whe-
ther they could have got the trunks without paying the
ransom ; heard the officers say that they would take
them to Rio de la Hache; did not consider the
Greyhound in possession of the Isabella; could have
gone to sea if the weather would have permitted; sup-
poses that the Spaniards could not have refused going
on board ; no force used; they could not have resisted ;
cannot say that the officers took the Spaniards by order
of Captain Bedwell ; did not think that Captain Bed-
well came on board for the purpose of taking the Grey-
hound; but, when he said he discovered the horses to
be Spanish property, witness consideted he was then
in his power.
Here the Jury said, if there was not other evidence, and Colom-
bian vessels had a right to take Spanish property, they could not
find him guilty, and that their minds were made up.
The Asroaustsr-Gmnesas. said he should certainly call his other
witnesses.

Jose Sistare—Recollects the Isabella, and knows the Grey.
hound; fell in with the former on the Mith of May; prisoner com-
manded her; took two Spaniards out of the Greyhound, and ran-
somed some horses; Captain Bedwell did not come on board; an
Officer and two men came in a boat; they were armed at one
time; beard that one Spaniard was hung up by the neck; they made
no pretensions to the Greyhound or her cargo, except what was
Spanish property, and no violence whatever was committed on
board the Greyhound.--. Case closed.
Mr. lia Try said, he was ready to enter into the defence If the
Jury required it; but they stated that their minds were made up,
and found a verdict of Not Guilty.

PORT.SMOVTII,-OCTOBER 6.-

The Numa transport, Lieuteaatst Wentworth, R.N.
agent, arrived here yesterday, sailed from Quebec on
the 6th of September, with detachments of non.com-
missioned Officers for the Depots of the 68th, 70th, and
171st Regiments, under the command of Captain Creigh-
ton, 70th Regiment. The Numa had had a boisterous
passage, with a continuance of strong gales from every
quarter of the compass. On the Bth ult. spoke his
Majesty's ship Niemen, Captain Wallace, 12 days from
Halifax, 150 miles east of Quebec. On the 10th of
September was hailed by his Majesty's yacht, Herald,
having on board his Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie,
the Countess of Dalhousie, family, and suite. A boat
was sent on board for Captain Creighton, who remained
some time on board the yacht with' his Lordship. Capt.
Leake and ship's company were all well. The Herald
was beating off Cape Chat, -a little to the westward of
the Gulph_of St. Lawrence. His Excellency Sir Fran-
cis Burton, Lieutenant-Governor of Canada, had made
arrangements for returning to England in the Herald,
and would be accompanied by Lord Arthur Lennox,
71st Regiment. His Highness the Duke of. Saxe
Weimar had visited the Falls of Niagara, Montreal, and
Quebec, and was received at each post with the honours
due to his rank. At Quebec his Highness inspected
the works, and reviewed the troops in garrison, on the
15th ult. and then returned to Montreal. The timber-
ship, Baton Renfrew, which sailed a fortnight before the
Numa, %%RS neither seen nor heard of during the passage
of th,.! Numa: Clone' Philott, and Captain King,
Royal Artillery; Lieutenant Atherly, 70th Regiment;
Doctors M'Ternan, Taine, Thompson, and Burnie,
Surgeon, R.N. came home in the transport.

POLICE I.\ i ELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE

A.nhr►se Oliver, a Clerk in the Sun Fire Office, was charged with
embezzlement. Mr. Gardner, bookseller, of Paternoster-row,
stated, that on the 17th of April he paid the prisoner £6l, on the
renewal of a policy of insurance, and for which be took his re-
ceipt, which was produced. Mr. Eden Harwood, the Account-
ant to the Office, said it was the duty of the prisoner to account to
him for all the money received by him in the course of the day,
and that he had not accounted for the above sum, nor was there
any entry of it made in the books of the office. The Solicitor for
the prosecution said, ;f the prisoner was remanded be should be
able to prove several other similar charges against him. The pri-
soner, who seemed deeply affected, declined saying anything in his
defence, and was remanded till Wednesday next.

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