Star.
London, England, 1824-08-25 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Commissions in the Surrey leorninry Cavalry, signed by the Lord
Lieutenant of the county of Surrey.
George Matthew Hoare, Req. to be Major, vice Marmaduke
Langdale,-resigned; George Taylor, Esq. to be Captain, vice
George Matthew Hoare, promoted.
Commission in the South.Hapts Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry,
signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the county of Southampton.
John Mills, 'Esq. to`be Captain, vice Rose, resigned.

:TRIAL FOR- PRACTTSING OREM. •

.

ST. CATHARINE'S (JAMAICA), JULY 9.
SLAVE COURT..
_ Yesterday a Slaxe Court was formed, and their Wor-
ships, 'F. SMITH (Custos), J. BICHNELL, and G. H.
TOWNSEND, presided.
Andrew Marble, slave to J. Dawkins, Esq. for practis-
ing Obeah, and for having in his possession various ar-
ticles notoriously used in such practice, was placed at
the Bar.
Edward Graham, a black slave, examined as to his
idea of the nature of an Oath.
CMAIRMAIL—Are ybu christened ?—Yes.
Cuatassax.—lf you takke the book and kiss it, and answer false,
what will happen to you?—l will dead.
CkIAIRMAL—And where will you then go to?—To Heaven.
Cnarassarr.—Suppose you sweat false, what will happen to you ?
—Me will purge, and my belly will swell. (This he retreated
several dme.l).
Custawas.—He does not understand the nature of an oath.—
Yes, Massa ; knovivreU; belly will swell.
The Cnasassaa desired thit he should be examined without ad-
ministering the oath.
The witness. was then admonished, and told, that if
he swore false, he would suffer the same punishment as
the prisoner would be subjected to.e
Witness deposed, that his mother was sick. She and
prisoner were conversing together. but he did not know
what they were talking about. Witness asked prisoner,
as he was sent to his mother by the overseer, why be
would net go?. -Prisoner told him he was not a doctor.
Witness told him that he did his mother so (made his
mother sick). He (prisoner) said he was going to see
what he could do, whether he could get her better or
not. Prisoner told him the iron in his mother's back
stapd cross, and if it came out she would be better.
Witness explained, that the prisoner meant that there
was an iron bar across his mother's back bone, under
her skin. Prisoner said, " she had too many things
in her skin, besides the iron bar, for there was tools,
and glass, and nough tunic." Witness carried him
up to the overseer, who asked prisoner if what witness
told him was true ? and witness said, " you can't
deny it ;" prisoner only answered, " I hear you."—
Heard prisoner say he took teeth from his mother's back.
When prisoner first began, he stripped his mother
naked, called for water, then rum, and put his mouth
to his mother's skin, sucked it, spit out teeth, then glass,
and was going on. Witness asked why he bit his mo.
ther ? He said 44 to get out the sunk." Witness then
made him believe he was asleep, (and it appears did go
to sleep). When awake, he said to prisoner, that be-
fore he made his mother cry, he'd rather kill her, as he
could not bear to see it. Prisoner told witness there
was something in the ground which did his.mother so,
and which he might take out, who refusing, prisoner
took out himself teeth, some pieces of glass.bottle,
other things,.all tied up together. Witness asked how
these things could catch his mother? Prisoner teplied. io •
you take a hair out of a person's head, and put it int*
the ground with them :Ante, it will catch the somebod
the hair come from." Witness saw the articles. Pr'.
soner told him to open the bag, but he would not. Noii,
for the first time, (the bag being pioduced), opens, it
(by order of the Court). On the prisoner's opening it,
witness found teeth and other things in it. ,Saw
articles himself taken out of hit mother':
He does not now see aoy fire coal, which he pike, saw
s:A
'before his mother died. These things were gives
by witness, to be thrown away. Witness's rnoteei died
two days after these things were taken out of rier skin
Witness now explained himself, by stating that these ar-
ticles are like those given him, but without the fire coal.
Has at home what were given him. Does not know
how the prisoner came to know he had not throwndiebt
away; but when witness told him he had done so, OA
soner said he lied, for he had hid them. " Prisener,t4o
kno win and trickily, and very clever in obea businesse
He said, if witness gave him breakfast he would c
his mother, or would prisoner be satisfied, if he could*
cure her quite, if she was made strong enough to mire
fire for him? witness said he would. Prisoner asked if
witness would pay him then? Witness said, yes, if he
Was forced',to borrow to give him. Witness s.mothee
was ill fora very, long time, and was thrown rip
as an invalid. Prisoner only took the cure about twin
or three months before she died ; thinks his mother would
have died whether prisoner had been with het or no..
Prisoner said that he was set on by persons to hurt her.
She was ill for a year and a half of the same sickness.
Anthony James, a Christian, sworn:—Was directed
by the overseer to take prisoner to the old woman named
Pamila. He went with him to the old woman. Prisoner
asked for salt, which was given him. He went out And
(cot some lime, called for rum, which he got, threw it
into rum and salt, and took out a bag from his pocket
(which was produced). Prisoner opened it, and :hewed
the witness some soap berries, chalk, and shell ; took
sir, threw them in water, when four swam and two sunk ;
he ,said there was something in the old woman's skin ;
,he took chalk and marked the old woman's skin; put
his-mouth to the old woman's skin, held it hard, and
shook it like a dog biting, and spit out some glass and
teeth, which he said came out of the old woman's skip;
witness searched prisoner's mouth, saying, " No, Mar-
ble, you have it in your mouth and make me fool;"
found nothing in prisoner's mouth, who again sucked
out teeth and glass bottle ; swears he saw it with his
eyes—would not believe it else; after that he took lime
and rubbed all over her, then mixed the chalk and
lime, and bid her drink, which she refused, saying, if
it was good be must drink too, but priioner would not.
Prisoner left the old woman; she complained of hit
hurting her, and he was sent again by the overseer to
take charge of her.
Mr. Edmund Whittaker sworn—ls overseer of the
property; some time in January last, the old woman
Pamila, who is now dead, made a complaint to him that
this man, the prisoner, had obeahed her. He sent for
him and asked him how he bad done such,a thing, and
whether he could cure her ? He told witness he was not
a doctor, but would try what he could do; witness then
told him to go and attend the old woman, as she had
requested it. Prisoner is considered an obeah Man,
though no guilt could be attached to him preiiously.
The Doctor is not in attendance.

'To a question by a Juror-*--Witness replied, that the old woman
• By one of the clauses of the Slave Law, it It provided, that a
false witness shall suffer the leant punishment as the prisoner Would
be subject to, if found guilty. It is under this clause, we believe,
that slaves, not aware of the nature of a Christian oath, are ad.
witted to give existence without sworn. . -

•
said, in the presence of prisoner, that no other but prisoner could
etire her, when prisoner said he would try.
To a question from a Juror he replied, that the deceased was
sick fifteen months before the prisoner attended her; the deceased
bad said in witness's and the prisoner's presence, that the prisoner
did her so because she would not let hiss hove connection • with her.
The bogs' teeth, broken glass, chalk, fire-coal, dogs' teeth, goats'
born, shark bones, soap berries, and three or four alligator scales,
with sundry outer Obeah tools in the bag, were produced in evi-
dence, and identified as the prisoner's.
The prisoner, in his defence, commenced by stating, that he was
not an Obeah man- to kill, but an Obeah man to cure (that is, we,
suppose, art they used to say in England, he was nut a black wizaard,
nor a whitney white* nor grey wizzard, but a white one).
The Cana: advised him to be silent, and not convict himself.
The CHAIRMAN charged the Jury. After adverting
at some length-to the 'clauses (the 49th and 53d) of the
Consolidated Slave Law,„uncler.which the prisoner was
indicted, he said, that though the law stated, that if
the subject matter of an indictment were set out so as
to meet the evidence,, that no exception should be al-
lowed as to form, yet he considered-the words of the
dictment too vague to sustain the count under which the
prisoner, being charged " with practising Obeah, with
interim) kill and injure certain negro and other slaves,"
would be subject to lose his life. The law, in requiring
that no objection should be taken as to form, was most
salutary ; but it •could not be construed so as to stlP-
port the present case. The Jury would consider what
the Court stated to be their impression, that the words
" certain negro and other slaves" did not set out the of-
fence so precisely, as might have been done, and as the
Court considered necessary. With regard to the charge
against the prisoner, of having materials in his posses-
sion, notoriously used in the practice of Obeah, there
can, we submit (said the Chairman), be no doubt of the
prisoner's guilt. This hist offence subjects him to
transportation.—His Honour then read the clause of the
law under which the prisoner was indicted, and com•
mented on the evidence.

The Jury retired for some time, and returned their verdict—
Guilty of having in his possession materials notoriously used in the
practice of Obeab.
On the suggestion of the Coroner, the Jury desired the Clerk of
the Peace to amend their verdict, by adding the Words " Not
guilty of the other charges in the indictment."
Ht. Worship, the Chairman, then passed sentence. He thus ad-
dressed the prisoner : You have been found Guilty of having in
your possession, tools notoriously used in the practice of Obeab,
for this offence you are subject to transportation ; you have most
wonderfully escaped with your life, your offence is most heinous ;
(the prisoner here said, in a low voice, Ees, my good Massa;
tanke" evidently not understanding his Worship, who thus con-
tinued), but you don't understand we, and it is as well I should be
short. He then sentenced him to transportation for life.—The
Jury valued the old Warlock at LW.
• It appears that this was a love case. The wizard lover was
an ugly, stupid, monkey-looking African, his face immensely broad
and tabby.

Mr. GREEN ascended from Shrewsbury in his balloon
on Monday, at 20 minutes before five o'clock. From
the calmness and clearness of the sky, the balloon was
visible for nearly three-quarters of an hout.. 'After as-
cending to a considerable height, it moved horizontally
for some time in the direction of Wellington, when it
became invisible. The crowd was immense.

Last week, as Lieutenant JAMES, of his Majesty's
ship Argonaut, and a party of friends, were returning
from an excursion by water to Aylesford, the boat they
were in grounded en a shoal above Rochester Bridge,
*hen one of the boat's crew, named Waddup, who was
R seaman belonging to the Argonaut, in attempting' to
(reach the shore to obtain a smaller boat, was drowned,
Itithough a good swimmer.
A .convict named Woodcock, who was under sen-
tence of tr ansportation of seven years, connived to make
his esoape from Chatham-yard, by the following daring,
though, as it proved;' successful plan :—Being employed
with about thirty other convicts, white-washing the in-
terior of the rope-house, he contrived to steal away un-
observed by the keepers, and seizing some clothes lying
near; which belonged to some rope-makers, who were
bthily employed closing a cable, he dressed himself in
diens, and walked boldly out of the Dock Gates, al-
though it was mid-day, and being taken for a seaman
belonging to some of the vessels lying at the wharfs, he
was snared to pass unquestioned.
Monday; a short stout man, in a round frock, at-
tracted considerable notice at Peckham Fair, by giving
away to-the crowd little paper pill-boxes, which, when
opened, were found to contain neither pills anti-bilious
nor analeptic, but very neatly printed watch-papers, ad.
vising them to " return home and read their Bibles,
rather than follow such evil pastimes, which would ulti-
mately consign them to the gallows."
THE CAMERA OBSCURA.—A visitor happening to be
examining with great interest the various lively and
ever-shitting figures which were pourtrayed upon the
white tablet of a Camera Obscura, at Glasgow, during
'the exhibition, he beheld with amazement the appearance
of one man picking another's pocket. Perfectly aware of
the reality of this appearance, he opened the door, and
recognizing the culprit at a short distance, rap up and
seized him in the very act of depredation. It is perhaps
unnecessary to add, that he was secured.
. A tall stranger, who was last month wandering
through the Highlands, supposed to be deranged, and
to have seen better days, was the other week found
drowned at the entrance of Loch Garry, dear the inn
of Towdoune. _ _

The sums at present deposited in the Devon and
Exeter Savings Bank amount to nearly 430,00 W. the
produce of industry and economy.
Monday se'nnight, Mr. Marsh, butler to the Duke of
Roxburghe, at ileurs, shot a white swallow.
General Fawcett once asked an Irishman, at Munich,
if he would fight for a Foreign Crown? e. Aye, or f.r
half-a-crown either," said Paddy.
Such is the aversion of the Persians to the whole of
the canine race, that if a dog touch even the skirts of
their clothing, they are thereby defiled, and cannot 4e-
sume their devotions without changing everything, and
undergoing complete purification.
The rage for giving fine names to all men, things
and qualities, was never more influential than at present
All men are Gentlemen, and all women are Ladies-;-a
workman is an " operative"—a boarding school is an
" establislautent"—a common farrier is a veterinary
surgeon"—and, to crown the whole, a barber or a fid-
dler will tell-you of his " professional avocations," and
a boxer boasts of his " science." Even the lawyers have
not escaped the contagion. We rarely hear now of an
Attorney. In all cases, even at the Police-offices, there
are no persons employed but—Solicitors. We can per-
ceive no charm in this new title which renders it superior
to the old legal name. But if there is any such supe-
riority, the appellation is at all events improperly ap-
plied to Gentlemen engaged in proceedings at Common
Law. The Lord Chief Justice took occasion to allude
to this innovation the other day at the Exeter Assizes,
and refused to permit an Attorney in an action to be
styled a Solicitor, justly remarking, that there was no
reason why Gentlemen Mould be ashamed of the title
of Attorney.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDFORD, AUGUST 24.
MA NALAUGHT2II.

James Sewell, Michael Howe, and Alfred Townsend,
were indicted for feloniously, killing and slaying. John
Oxley, at Mitchain.
It appeared in evidence, that the prisoners and the
deceased had been drinking at a public-house, at
;Mitcham. The deceased became quarrelsome, struck
the prisoner Sewell, and challenged him to fight. The
latter said he would rather treat him to a pot of beer
than fight, and endeavoured to pacify him, but in vain.
He again struck Sewell, who then agreed to go into a
neighbouring field, and settle the matter by fair com-
bat. The other prisoners were the seconds respectively
on the occasion. In the first round, the de; eased received
a blow in the throat, which proved mortal. He tea
senseless on the ground. The moment Sewell heard
that the unfortunate man was insensible, he ran for
surgical aid, and did everything that kindness and hu-
manity could suggest. •He expressed great concern
for what had happened, and surrendered himself into
custody. The deceased died in consequence of the
blow he had received. On opening his head, there was
a considerable quantity of extravasated blood suf-
fused on the brain, which in the opinion of the surgeon
caused death.

The Jury acquitted the seconds, hut found Sewell
Guilty, and he was sentenced to one month's imprison-
ment in the County Jail.
James Barnett, Richard Smith, John Dillon, Thames
Smith, James Mills, and Alfred Leach, were indicted for
feloniouly stealing, at Beddington, from a bleaching
ground, forty pieces of printed muslin, the property of
Samuel Makepeace.
. The Jury Acquitted Dillon, Barnett, and Leach, and
found Mills, Smith, and Thomas Smith Guilty, but re-
commended the last to mercy, on account of his ex-
treme youth.
Mills and the elder Smith were sentenced to seven
years' transportation, and the younger Smith to one
year's confinement in the House of Correction.

TIIII KING V. RUTTaIt.

This was an indictment against the defendant far an
assault upon Samuel Linstead and Richard Bedwell,
officers in the Excise.

The evidence in this case was very contradictory.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM, in summing up the case for the
Jury, observed, that they had a very painful duty to
discharge on the present occasion, inasmuch that their
verdict, whichever way it was given, must condemn
the witnesses on the one side or the other, as persons
who had come forward to commit the most wilful and
corrupt perjury. His Lordship must leave the case to
their discrimination and good sense, in order to find
their way to a just conclusion on its merits.
The Jury., after• deliberating for some time, retired
to consider on their; verdict, and after being out for a
considerable time, returned a verdict at the Judge's
lodgings of Guilty. •

THE KING V. MR JOHN 16HILLIMORIC AND LIEUTENANT

ANDRZW DREW.

This was an indictment against the defendants for an
assault upon Mr. Richard James, author of the A'aval
History of Great' Britain. The circumstances of the
case, which have already been before the public, ex-
cited considerable interest, and its discussion was ex-
pected to afford some amusement, but as the haur of
trial approached, a negotiation took place between the
Counsel on both sides, which ended in an arrangement
that the defendants should submit to g verdict of guilty,
and pay all the costs of the prosecution.
A Jury was now sworn, and Mr. ADOLPHUS, who
was Counsel for the prOsechtion, informed the Court of
the arrangement abovementioned ; and that Mr. tiox,,-
LAND, who was Counsel for. the defendants, was in-
structed ro consent, on behalf *of his cli,ents, to a ver-
dict of guilty.
Mr. RoLLA NB rose, and informed the Learned Judge
that he was so instructed, and accordingly a verdict of
Guilty was recorded.