Star.
London, England, 1803-02-10 00:00:00

1.1111-•••
eitorrinries before illy- etiTe.r.e.Tfinc—Tiris alrociation.
I thail not hefitate to cot fel., that it is not unlike
I y fuck an attempt ntight. in Mme n'eafurc, fttc-
cezd. This crime is not to he reached without a
pr tgrefs in wickednds. Eta 1 Ilinuld rather tliiiru
my Learned Ft iends would he cautions before they
undertock to prove there men t-• be of fcandalous
char:,fler. How !hall they account for Colonel
11:t.p.ird alrociating with them! Will they not
free themfelees from one pm plexiiy only, to get
into a greater ? Let me illufirate my ideas upon
this point by one example : Witidliir might have
cfcaped, yet he gives .himfelf up as a volontary
witnefo—criminality had not been alma& fixed
Gpon hint—lie did not m eke an attempt to get rid
of the charge by fixing it upon another ; Prized
with compunflion, or, for the &it tune, Coding a
favourable opportunity to make a difclitfure, lie
does every thing in his power to repair his error;
his teitimony will be confirmed by thrice who raw
that there were meetings at the Oakley Arms, at
the Flying Horfe, and at the Coach and Honks.
You will wait with impatience to hear how Col.
Defpard, a man of birth, of education. of genteel
manners, of rank in the army. thould alfociate
• with the lowa of mankind. There cannot be a
doubt that lime of them are guilty. If there was
no confpiracy there are no accomplices. and that
reproach is wiped off from their evidence. The
- papers are fufficient to prove the eonfpiracy. inde-
pendent of oral teflimony. It may not be imma.
•
terial to ohferve, that the offence of adminiflering
unlawful oaths, without any regard to the inten-
tion or coufequences, is fubltanuvely a capital fe-
lony. A criminal purpofe is not to be doubted.—
s On Colonel Defpard none of the papers were
found." True ! But does it therefore follow that
no inference can be drawn againft him ? By no
means ! His advocates mull be puzzled to ex-
plain the circomflance of a man in his condition
of life, and of his habits, mixing in fociety where
*very thing mull (hock and dirgua him. Accord-
i —ing to my hypothefis Oohing is more plain. Me-
. ditating a dcfperate treafon to be executed the
fallowing week, he mixed with there by whore in-
frruneentality he was to raife hintrelf to greener'.
Where elk could he find agents in filch a fcheme ?
No where hot in fociety of this mean and profligate
• kind. Suppofe the cafe of burglary. If two rag- 1
ged blackguard looking fellows were taken up ,
? with Come of the Bolen property about their per-
ions. in company with a goldfinith. a rerpottable
lookihg man, who. on being fearched. had none—
would yon on this account conclude him to be
guilders ? But if witneffeo thould come in, and fay
we were reduced by him, we were ptifent along
with him at various meetings, where the whole
p
an for breaking Into this houfe was debated and
arranged, would you not believe that he was the
tnfligator of the crime, and that he deferved to
fitter not left than thofe who had not been *rite
co cautious? Out of his own mouth you would
condemn him. There can be no ftronget confir-
motion than when the circumflance of two narra-
cves coincide. Evidence in treafon is to be tried
by the fame rules as evidence in any crime of an
inferior denomination. I do not fee, Gentlemen,
• that in this cafe you mould have any extraordi-
nary, anxious feeling, to extricate the prifoner.=
The crime imputed to him is one of the blackeft
and molt mifchievous in the catalogue of guilt ;
and fociety cannot exift if it go unpunithed. To
the laft he is entitled to juftices and he will
bare juftice. He is ttied by the Engli(h Law—
before Englifli Judges—and an Englith Jury.—
but if you permit your inclination to mercy to ex-
ceed the limits of reafon. you will do what the
prifoner has no right to expel, and what I molt
• folemnly proteft againft on the part of the public.
- Gentlemen, I have detained you longer than I in-
tended ; but I (hall now proceed to call the wit-
idles, in the confident hope that, if they fubftan-
tiate the cafe I have (hewn to you, you will do
your duty, however painful its difcharge may be
to your feelings.
The firft witnefs called on the part of the profecu•
Coss. was
Mr. J ihn Stafford. He raid he was clerk to the
Magifhates of Union H.II ; that in coofequence of
t .
an order received from them, and a warrant, fired
by Carpenter Solids. EC+ and another Magtftrate, he
went, with a number of Police Officers, on the even-
ing of Tuerchiy the ifids of Noveniber, to a public
hit& called the Oakley Arms. in Oakley:flew, Lam-
:beth. They went up flair,. and meted a room in
which were about thirty perry's', among whom was
Colonel Defpard, and nsoft of the other prifosers
named in ,he indiftmenr. They appeared to be all,
except Colonel Defpard, of the lower orders of peo-
ple, and very meanly drefred. None of them wore
regimentals; butt one or two bad red jackets on. The
eontlables who went along will hint, plated them.
relses in fuck a lituation as to prevent any of the
people fr:m getting away. One of the patrole came
and old the witneli, that there was a man who re-
futed to be fearcLcd ; upon which Rivett, the Bow.
firm Officer, came up and !aid. " that is Colonel
Derpaed." There was do other perfon, having the
appearance of a Gentleman at the time, but him.—
' Colonel I..):lpaid &tired to know by what authority
the Offieeis came there ? The witncfi told him, he
came under the au•hority of a warrant, figned by two
Maziltrates ; he metaled on fcring it, but the witnek
would only (hew him the rgna: el o. The vacate:
was then remised, sad appeased very indignant that
that theuld be done. No:hing was found upon him.
lie had in his had a green Elk u-nbrella, with a
crooked top, like a walking (lick, sad no body elle
bad an umsrella there but hitullf. Three rutted
• papers were found, one on the Bum, and others in
refugee of perfons in the roam. The thirty perfons
were all taken into cullody, and fent of under proper
ponds. in coaches provided tor the purple. The
...keels continued at the !mule till all the people were
Int t..:f to a place of Wry. While he was below in
r..e tap room, a man came in duffed hke a brick-
layer, whole name he has (ince undcrftaod to be
'n.onias Wandfor ; this perfun called for beer and
tobacco. The witaefs had frame ceitverfatton with
hi-t, in cookout= of which he (hilted him to at.
1-:r. I next day at Union HA. He attended accord•
i itty. and produced another paper on which be wrote
his n•oac. When Windfor was examined, he laid
/.; Lacy Coiecel Defpard, IVrattaa. John Itancis
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