Star.
London, England, 1827-10-18 00:00:00

SHOCKING OCCURHENCE IN PRISON.

Monday evening last, an Inquest was held at al?
County Gaol, in this town, before CHARLES MEREDITH,
Esq. Coroner, on the body of John Bishop Allen, a pri-
soner in the gaol, who was so dreadfully burnt on the
preceding night as to cause his death in a few limns
afterwards. The Jury, after being sworn, proceeded
to view the body, which appeared a most dreadful lye:-
tacle, the chest, arm, back, and face, being literally
scorched up. The Jury returning, the following evi-
dence was taken :

--George Musson. nephew of the gaoler, stated, that the
deceased had a private room in his uncle's hose e; that
about six o'clock on Sunday might he went up stairs to
him, being in the babit of reading to him every Sunday
evening. The deceased asked him for a newspaper,
which be went down for and took it up to him, and
then read him two or Ogee paragraphs, which he point.
ed out in the paper. After being a short time in the
room, the deceased asked if I could sing the old hundred,
psalm ? I said yes, and we sarg the whole of it, and then
I bid him a good night ; it wanted about a quarter to 8
'o'clock. Having left my handkerchief in his room, 1
returned for it, the deceased had then left the room and
taken the candle; not being able to find it, on my re-
tain, I met the deceased coming from the water closet,
who went into his room, and I got the handkerchief,
he then shook me by the hand, and bid me good night.
Geor4e Musser examined, and said, that about-
eight o'clock last night he suddenly heard a loud
scream up stairs, and instantly ran up and found
the room of the deceased full of smoke; there was
no fire in the grate; the room was guile dark, and
could not see for the quantity of smoke; I said to
William Musson, who was with me, that I was sure the
deceased was in the room, and we felt about, and found
him in a corner of it ; I put my hands round him, and
found him naked; there was only a little of his fisnnel
shift hanging about his body, which was burning ; I
got it from him, and his neckcloth was horning at the
time; we then dragged him to the donr,and fund that
all his clothes were burnt off above the waist ; me then
put him to bed, where after being for about two or three
minutes, he said he should die, and appeared quite
sensible.

Mr. Paget, surgeon, sworn, and said he was called
last evening, about eight o'clock, to attend the deceased,
and found his cheat, arms, back, shoulders, and face,
very much but nt. He then sent for Mr. Needham, who
bad been in the habit of attending the deceased. Mr.
Needham came directly, and they then administered
extetnally such things as they thought proper, and then
left him without any hopes of recovery.
Dr. H. W. Arnold, stated that he was present while
Mr.Needbam and Mr. Paget were dressing the deceased ;
when he saw him he asked him how it happened ; he
said he could not tell exactly, but he fell asleep, and on
waking knocked down the candle. He called to see
him again about half•past four this morning, He was
then dying; after being in the roots a few minutes he
breathed his last. The Coroner having addressed the
Jury, they returned a verdict of " Accidental Death."

Wednesday evening last week, a fine little girl, the
daughter of Mr. Burslem, the stationer in Blackfriars
Road, was burnt in such a dreadful manger as to cause
its death in a short time afterwards. The child was
in the care of a female servant, who, having been called
up, left her in the kitchen, and during her absence the
child's clothes by some accident caught fire ; and before
any of the family heard the little sufferer's cries, in time
to render her assistance, she was bum and scorched all
over the body in such a manner as to cause her speedy
dissolution.

'.

LA* 11:14tilictWelk.

COURT OF ICING'S BYIaCII 'MURAL, lea. 11%
attiop before toed Tharmess and Special hurisi.

noLLAnts Ann orMalitS AGAINST *AWL
This was an action by the assignees of Matsh, Sttih
cey, and Co. as the holder.' of a bill of enhance, dated
July 1/, 1824, fur e..zsoi. al.. ta payable thrite mowtht
the, date, and accepted by the defendant, who was the
celebrated architect. It appeared thin the bill had beta
discounted by the banitrapti,who had paid it into ibeik
own banters, Martin, Stote,.and Cry. Attet the baalt-
ruptcy. Martin, Stone, mad Co. paid it hack to dal
plaintiffs, the assignees of the binitruptt, in &dun*
of a debt due by them to the bankropts. The
eb
was, that Mr. Nash had another account with its:
Stracey, and Co. ie which they were indebted to hist
in a considerable sub, and which he claimed a right to
set off.
A Verdict was taken for the plahnit, subject tea cat*
fot the opinion of the Court above.
cLtercrita V. aniarka.
This Iris an action against the defendant, as sheretaif
of the St. Putrid Irish Assurance Company, opoa A
policy on sugars shipped on board the Holly Latehash
from the Mauritius to London.

Mr. GUMMY stated the ease of the plaintiff, Who
claimed for a total loss. It appealed from the edam**
of Captain Raymond, that the vessel, which was of
' tons burden, sailed from Madras in 1826, and
to Colombo, and theeci to the Mauritius, which ifek
left for England in the July followinie, with a cargod
•
sugar and cotton. Captain Raymond wai in avert
bad state of health% and he had not sailed mote than
60 miles from the Mauritius when be gre* mach wOron
so much m, that he sent fOr the first mate, John Ildenatn
and asked him if he was competent to take chaise Crt
the vessel to Unglind, if any thing were to happen tit
him ? The mate said he did -not feel Competent, and in
consequence captain Raymond put back for the Mad--
skins. During the night the weather became *Mint.
and at abort half past ten in the morning of the 6th of
Jay, the vessel sprung a lest; the crew had remorse
to the pumps; the chain•cables and put of the cart h
were thrown overboard: They came in sight of
Isle of Bourbon at seven o'clock in the morning ortbe
7th July, and made signals of distress. A pilot case
on board, but refused to take charge of the vessel, atd
Captain Raymond was obliged to rub her ashore, and
she becaltte a total wreck.
Upon his cross•exarnination by the Arronen
NERAL, the Captain stated that histrew consisfed of iS
persons, live English and the rest Porttignese. In bits
judgment, there ought to be on board of every vessel $
person) besides the Captain, capable of taking the coMs
mend incase any thing happened to the Captain. When
the vessel was surveyed, she was sound. It frequently
happened, that in a sound ship a plank would start
without any assignable causes
The ATTORSIT GRIMAL submitte4 that the plait.
tiff should be nonsuited, because the vessel sailed in all
unfit condition. The policy was from the Mauritius
England. The return to the Mauritius was a deviation
from her course, occasioneJ, not by the perils of the
sea. but by the vessel not being properly manned, and
therefore the underwriters were not liabk
Lord Teuraanni said, that the question for
was, whether the vessel was in a competent
hailing, there being only one person on board
of taking the command? In his opinion, ship
not be considered to. be sea-worthy. links' she sailed
with a competent crew; and if the Jury thought that
she ought to hare been better manned, they would Sod
for the defendant—. Verdict for the defendant.

VICE 9. LADY APPION.
This was an action brought against the Viscountess
Dowager Lady Anson by the plaintiff, an ironmonger
at Truro, for goods furnished to the Weal Concord and
the Prudence Mining Companies. Th. plaintiff's vase
was conducted by Mr. F. Pocionw, who stated the de.
Pendant to be a principal shareholder in the Company,
and as such liable to the plaintiff's demand, there being
no plea in abatement.
It appeared from the evidence that the defendant,
through the intervention of a Mr. Thomas John Al•
derson, had been induced to purchase several shares in
the Company, for which she paid a premium, and from
which she had not derived any benefit. It was stated,
that a Mr. Thomas was the lessee of the mines, but
there was no evidence that any lease had ever been
granted to him, nor did it appear that he or any person
claiming under him had ever executed any assignment
army share in the leased premises to the defendant,
who had merely received for her purchase-money, cer-
tificates in the following form:—" Weald Concord
Company. These are to certify, that the Viscountess
Dowager Anson is the proprietor of one share in this
Company, and that hey name is registered in the b' sky
of the said Company, and that she is entitled to the
profits of the said share in the said brine► By order of
the Directors' These certificates were signed by C.
Van:, the Secretary to the Company. There was no
evidence to chew who this Mr. Vaus was. Lady An-
son had, through Mr. Alderson, endeavoured in 1823
to part with 1 er shares, but could not dispose of them.
A letter from her, blaming Mr. Alderson, was read.
The goods furnished were ordered by John Stevens,
the Captain of the %cal Concord Mine, who stated that
tl e orders were not given in the name of Mr. Thomas,
but in the name of the Weal Concord Company, al-
though Mr. Thomas used to sign the order book when
he was at tl.e mines, which was very seldom.
The ATTORNIII•GENERAL said, he could not help
feeling some anxiety for the most amiable and intelli-
gent defendant, whom he was proud to call his friend,
but trusted that the verdict would relieve her from all the
trouble and claims into which her unfortunate cone•
deuce in Mr. Alderson had led her. She bad so inte-
rest wh in the mining adventure; it had not even
been proved that Thomas had any interest, still less that
he conveyed any interest to her. She was the mere holder
of a piece of parchment. Every person who bought
scrip was not therefore a partner; the ; emit who eat-
cuted the deed was a partner, but the possession of a
piece of paper did not constitute a shareholder. The
certificate of the payment of a sum of money fee a share
in a ship, without having any assignment of that share,
or having any voice in :he management of the ship,
would not make a person a part owner ; and, although
the paying for the scrips might possibly give the de-
fendant a right to call for a conveyance. until there was
such a conveyance she was not a partner.
Lord TENTER/3SW said, it did not appear that at the
time the plaintiff supplied the articles for the Company,
he knew or had any reason to know, that the defendant
bad any interest in the Campany, and therefore he
could not have supplied the goods upon the personal
credit of the defendant. She bad not held herself forth
to him as a proprietor, nor was there any eviden►-
show that her Ladyship had any interest in
She conceived that she bad an interest, but .
mistaken in so conceiving, her mistake would
her liable. if she really had an interest, ti
would lie. The history of the mine was left
durable obscurity. In 180 a man of the

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evklesee to
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