Star.
London, England, 1807-02-24 00:00:00

LAIV AATELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, DUBLIN, FP.B.tst.
CRIM. CON.
RIGHT HON. VALENTINE LORD CLONCURRY V. SIR
JOHN BEIENLT PIER', BART.
The Court was uncommonly crowded this morn-
ing, at an 'early' hour. About eleven o'clock the
Chief Jullice took his place nn the Bench, and the
Earls of Mears', MOUNT CASHEL, and CHAR LE Mon I*,
and Mr. HENRY; S:raffotn, took their feats betide
him. The Jury being fworn.
Mr. Curter's', jun. opened the pleadings, by Rating
that this was an aeti-n, brought by the Noble Plain-
tiff, Lot d Cloncurry, to recover a compenfatinn from
the Defendant, Sir John Piers, for criminal cOnver-
cation with his Lordfhip's wife; and that the damages I
were laid at 00,0001.
The Souctroe Gs Num. Rated the cafe in a clear
enetgetic. and intpreffive fpeech, which laded one
[Pour and forty minutes.
He defcribcd the Plaintiff, Lord Cloncurry, as a
riling Nobleman of confiderable wealth, great fenfi-
bility t f nature, and a cultivated mind ; the Defen-
dant as an ancient Bironet, a widower, not re, y
young, and not very old. Very early in life, he raid,
the Plaintiff and Defendant became acquainted—
they were fchool fellows. At a more advanced pe-
r iod, they met on the Continent, when their inti-
macy and friendiltip were renewed. Sir John Piers
was then labouring under fome pecuniary embarraff-
ments ; horn this fitua•icon he was raffled by the li
bet ality of the Plaintiff, ho took' his fecurity, it is
true, but who afterwards, when he was (obliged to ale.
company a beloved filler to the South of France, on
account if her declining health, depollted that fecu-
rity in the hands of his Law Agent, with a Itrift pro
hibition not to call for payment until it was pet feftly
convenient to Sir John Piers. In autumn, iftoa,
Lord Cloncurry, accompanied by two of his • fillers,
left Ireland ; lame time in the enfuing December
they arrived at Nice, where General Morgan, his
wife, and daughter, were already fettled, having ar-
rived only a few days befute them. General Morgan
was a man of dillinguifted connalion, and had
ferved with honour in India; his daughter was lovely
in her perfon, farcinatitig in her manners, and pure
in her principles and conduct. Lord Cloncurry be-
came attached to her; his prnpofals were approved
of both by the lady and her father,but their union was
deferred until the fettlements could be drawn, and
the papers ncceffat y for that purpofe procured from
England. Towards the end of January 1803, his
Lordfltip prnceeded to Rome, where the General and
his family alto arrived early in March. The long
expected fettlethents not having ci,me so hand, the
young couple became impatient, and the General,
having contented no longer to poflpone their happi-
refs, very readily accepted his Lordfhip's affitrances,
that be would make an atiequare fettlement as loin
as he arrived in England ; whillt he pledged his own
honour as to the amount of his daughter's fortune.
Lord Cloncurry and Mifs Morgan were fhortly after
united by Mr. Burns, the Chaplain of the Duchefs of
Cumbet land, in the pretence of their mutual rela-
tions, and of all the Englifh of dillindlinn then at
Rome. In Rome they continued to refide until au-
tumn, ;Rog, and during that period Lady Cluncurry
became the mother of two children. In the month
of Oftober his Lorelfhip returned to Ireland, and
immediately after honourably and liberally fulfilled
his engagement with General Morgan, by fettling on
her Ladyfhip a fortune of moo!. a year, in confider-
ation of scool. which the. General paid him as her
fortune. Lord Cloncurry then recited to Lyons, his
family feat near the city of Dublin, where, happy in
the fociety of his beloved wife and infant family, his
leifnie moments were devoted to the molt rational of
all pitiful's, the improviment of his magnificent
manfion and demellie: Sir John Piers was then in
the neighbourhood ; Lord Cloncurry and he met at
dinner, at Sir John Brown's, of Cattle Brown ; an
• iiiv itation Lyons %%as the confequence, where Sit
John dined, for the full time. on the 4,h of April.—
Scarcely had he mired the threfhold of his uld friend
when the fed.tetion of his wife teemed to become his
favourite objeB, and many citcumtlacces were re-
marked by his Lnreilhip's dontellics, indicative of,
that inteminn. On. the 15th of April, Lord a..el
Lady (Uncut, y can't to Dublin, that her Ladylbip
might be prefented at' the Cattle. 1 hey had left one
of their children in an ill Rate of health in the country
—to visit this chit 1, and to inked his improvements,
Lord Cloncurry from time to time vilited Lyon:,
where he corned:nes dept for a night or two ; and it
teems to have beets during his uccafional abfence that
Sir J. hit perpetrated his guilty purpofe, as detailed
in the evidence. On the 14th of May, Lord and
Lady Cluncurt y returned to Lyons. Sir John Piers
again became their guelt, as did Colonel Burton and
Mrs. Burton, his Lcrdlhip's Slier. Still Lord Clon-
curry was ci.,Efident in the virtue of his wife, and un-
rapacious r;fbis fiend; until the evening of the a4th,
nothing occurred to alarm him. Oa that evening he
d a walk; Lady Clonenn
_pretended
ion. HisLordflslp,Col.and Mrs. burtothwent into the
front lawn,but by changing the direaionof their walk,
they came round to the rear of the houfe: and here,
to his aflonifhment. his Lordflrip found Lady Clan.
entry and Sit John Piers walking together, the fami-
liarly hanging on his a'm. Lord C. had no opport u•
'lily for remonflrance that evening: Lady C. railed
before him, and was asleep when he went to bed;
but, upon her waking about four o'clock the next
)nnning, he reproached her with the impropriety of
what he had been a witntfs to. Lady Cloncurry built
into a flood f tears, and fobbed out, in words hardly
articulate, ' Sir John Peers is an infamous wretch, he
is determined on my ruin—for Gon's fake let me
never fee him again. boil Cloncurry not conceits,
ing the whole extent of Lis mist: nurse, not fuppofing
it exceeded tome improper familiarity offered to his
wife, wilted out of her apartment in fearch of Sir
; he found him fko?ting in a dittant part of the
demelne. His fiat care was to get poiretton of his
gun, under pretence of Mooting a rabbit ; he then
laid to him, .y Piers, don't be angry wklA mei for
G.,a's Coke don't Owe Lady ClooeurrY to Wiwi.;
quit ttlis.place—gn, Gc.D bllG.yoil" Sir I.ligh. after
.tone crud ufed attempt at expLutati..n, departed.—
Lout Cloneurry
.returned to the houfwanct to,.his
wife's apart:sank; he endeavorued to food* net i be
%Sure t her tlint the man. whOm Ike deteitca was
spec, and that the Oiould never fee him mot e ; lie
aitataLq &Ili. own andiaainiatad aLaitos. Shuck

with his generofitv, fire threw herrelf at his feet, and
made a full cursfeili mof her guilt. The Sotic trout
Gt•N seat. concluded, by informing the Jury, that, in
addition to the lo is of the affections of his wife, Lord
Cl,incorry had to lament another circtimaance of a
moll afiliBing nature. This adulterous intercourfe
had proved fruittul,-and a rptrrious off-pring was
impaled on Lord Cloncurry, to bear his name, and
to partitipare largely in that fortune which had been
fettled nn his younger children. Three letters were
read from Sir John Piers to Lord Cloncurry : in the
two firil be aliens his own innocence, and calls on
Lordfhip for explanation. The third is written
with a manitefl intention to provoke a breach of the
peace, and is already the fubjea of a criminal prote-
cution. A letter was alto read from Sir John to
Lady C. written after the difcovery, and which had
been intercepted by Lord Cloncurry. It is written
in the moll impailionate and romantic flyle; he Ryles
her his own beloved Eliza ; calls hw L•,rdlhip a poor
tame wretch, alluding to his condua in the demefne,
on the morning of the zgth, and propofes marriage
to her finally : he begs to know, is it only furpicion
with L-rd Cli►ncnrry, or if he has difcovered all?

Puff Witnefs—Earl of Mountcafhell—Knows the
plaitaiff and Lady Cloncurry ; was in Italy in 1803
—plaintiff and Lady Cloncurry were there alto ; re- ,
collects the month of April ; he was prefent at their
marriage at Rome ; they were married by Mr. Burns,
who was in the mite of the Duchefs of Cumbtrl,nd,
in Rome ; General and Mrs. Morgan, and Mr.Jack-
fon (Miniller to the King of Sardinia) were prefent.
Knows defendant ; knows there wits an early ac-
quaintance between plaintiff and defendant at lchool;
remained at Rome the moll part of the time plaintiff
and Lady Cloncurry) were there; remained after the
marriage) was in clofe habits of intimacy with
plaintiff and Lady Cloncurry, as all the Englifh there
were generally together. They (plaintiff and Lady
Cloncurry) had twto children at kome ; plaintiff and
his wife were on the bell terms; neve: law a hufband
more attached, nor a wife why• appeared more to
feel his kindnefs ; the fecund very attentive, and am,
domellic ; they appeared as happy as thole who are
very happy together ; moiler% Lady C.'s lying-in ;
hut no other illnefs ; had an opportunity of obferv-
ing that particular attention that an attached hufband
would Phew to his wife ; never law any thing but
what was uniformly coned in her conduEl ; they
I were two years in Italy.
Colonel Bur tun, examined by Mr. Burton—is mar
tied to a fitter of the plaintiff ; has known Lady
Clotcurry fince November lgos. Plaintiff and wife
arrived a very fhat time before November in Ire.
land ; was very frequently at Lyons. Plaintiff and
wife very often at his houle ; their conduCt towards
each other was attentive, was very affeelionate, and
very cordial ; plaintiff appeared remarkably fond.
They were an extremely happy couple to the bell of
his judgment. Lady Cloncurry nurfed her bon ;
law her at Holyhead immediately on her feparation
from plaintiff ; law plaintiff very form afterwards,
joined him, miferable and wretched ; plaintiff and
Lady Cloncurry were in town oceaflonally, fometimes
at nirnels's houfe, and fometimes at their lodgings,
in College Green ; knows of Lord and Lady Clot:.
cuory's going to the Duchefs of Bedford's party, at
the Wit.

joreph Henry, Efq. nephew to the Earl of Moira,
examined by Mr. Sojeant BALL. Was acquainted,
and on the firielea ffible habits of intimacy, with
Lord Cloncurry ; had not much intercourfe after
Lord C.'s return from the Continent ; was very fel-
dom, fence that time, in Lord Cloncurry's hnufe ;
was acquainted with Lord Cloncurry ; as far as his
obfervati, n went, Lord and Lady Cloncurry appear.
ed to be a very happy couple ; law Lord Cloricarry
after the am•Elion betel him ; cannot fay what time
pofitively, but thinks about three weeks after. It
appeared to him to have made the deepea impreflion
upon Lord Cloncurry ; cannot fay it was diftrac-
tion, but it was great debility of intelleet. This un-
quellionably proceeded from his misfortune. Lord
Cloncurry did communicate with witnefs on this
fubjedi moll freely.
Signior Gabrielli, an Italian artia, examined by
Mr. CURRAN.-Dr. Pelligrini, Profelfor of Italian in
Trinity College, aided as an interpreter. Witnefs is
a painter.; reafun for his being at Lord Cloncurry's
was, in order to paint his Lordfhip's houfe—was en- I
gaged by Lord Cloncurry in Italy to come to Ireland
—always dined at Lord Cloncurry's table. Lord
Cloncurry and Lady Cloncurry lived in the greatelt
felicity in all its extent—does not recolleet the firft
time he faw Defendant—recalleets Defendant dining
at Lord Cloncurry's on Good Friday, 1806, faw de-
fendant at Lord Cloncurry's feveral times—recollefts
a particular circutnliance in April, he law defendant
iu the room next the billiard room, which commit.
nicates by a door with the drawing room. Witnefs
was on a fcaffold in the billiatd room when the De-
fendant came in ; Lady Cloncurry was alone in the
drawing room ;-.-Defendans opened the door an 4
looked tnquifitilely into the rocm ; he then put down
the brats drat covers the key hole ; Defendant (hut
the door and turned the key ; he heard the key of
that and another door turn ; one leads to the fervants'
hall, the other to the dining room. He remained
atter the !hutting of the doo►s ten or twelve minutes ,
on the fcaffold ; the door was fit it opened with great
precipitation by Lady Clonctory ; he came down off
the fcaffold for colours ; the fcaffold made a noife on
his coming down, and it was At the noife the opened
the door, and aficed him whether Lord Cloncurry had
been there ? Lady Cloncurry's appearance was dif-
compofed ; her face was as ted as fire ; there were
tables and a fofa near the chimney place ; Defendant
was near the chimney piece, on the edge of the fofit..
A woman who nurfed Lady C.'s child fwm e, that
on going into the drawing roatn in a hook Lord and
Lady Cliotcorry lodged in, in College Green, the faw
Lady Cloncurry in a very indelicate fituation. The
defendant tole when witnefs entered, and placed him-
(elf behind a fluffed back chair moil Lady Cloncurry
ordered her out of the raom. Witnefs conceived Sir
John took this poll to prevent her from obferving the
difcompolure of his drelit.