Star.
London, England, 1819-08-17 00:00:00

SURREY ASSIZES.

Saturday Robert {Wyman, an aged man of 68, was
indicted for feloniously assaulting Sarah Turner, a
child under ten years of age. The little girl resided
in the neighbourhood of Walworth, and on the even-
ing stated in the indictment, she was going towards
Newington, about eight o'clock, when she met the
prisoner, who was a respectable man, and whom she
had known. Upon her cross-examination now by
the prisoner's Counsel and the Learned Judge him-
self, she prevaricated considerably; and by reference
to her examination before the Magistrate, it was dis-
covered that on that occasion she omitted to state a
most material fact in the case, while on the present
she not only swore to this fact, but described it with
the utmost minutia. The variance, however, upon
the point in question, as affecting the prisoner's life,
was of too great and serious an import to the case;
and Mr. Baron GARROW, in consequence, stopped
the proceedings, explaining very fully to the Jury his
reasons for so doing, and why he thought they were
bound to acquit the prisoner. The Jury proncunced
the prisoner Not Guilty ; but his Lordship, in dis-
charging him, begged that he would reflect on the
injury he had done to the' unhappy child who had
just been in Court, and called upon him, at his ad-
otanced period of life, to repent of his wickedness be-
fore it was too late.

Sarah Osman:, an interesting young woman, was
indicted for assaulting her infant child, with intent to
murder it, by means of strangulation. There were
three other counts, charging that she deserted the
child, and intended to do it great bodily harm. The
proz.ecution was conducted at the instance of the pa-
rish of Lambeth.
Mary Anne Osborne said, the prisoner came to
lodge at her house in Carlisle Place, and in a month
After was delivered of a male child. On the 24th of
July, she said she was going to leave the infant at
nurse, packed up her th►ngs, and went off in the af-
ternoon. She returned about ten o'clock, without
the child. Witness frequently dressed the child; the
clothes and cap which she had put on it the day its
mother took it away, were those fcund upon it when
it was discovered in a heap of filth, and with a piece
of tape round its neck.
Cross-examined.--The prisoner seemed to possess
a humane disposition, and was exceedingly fond of
,children. She had been deceived by a man, far her
superior in life, who promised her marriage; but
having succeeded in her seduction, then abandoned
, her: she had discovered that he was married: when

witness had seen the child again, she interrogated the

prisoner respecting its he as/.;e4 saw* ItAsea.k..l4
prisoner replied, 44 why, with the tromp, sure.
She rejoined, wh:tt woman? tale., rite' *hat 7pa
say." The prisoner became greatly agitated,
Wit-
ness said to her, ho.v could you have acted as you
have done? I have seen your child."-" Seen it!"
said the prisoner, with anxiety, 4. where?" Witness
repeated that she had seen it, and it was well. The
prisoner instantly fell upon her knees, and with ago.
nized juy exclaimed, "'!'hank Goo! thank Con!"
Mr. Cartier and Mrs, Knell, residing in Winter's
Place, Lambeth Walk, deposed to the finding of the
child. They heard the cry of an infant, soon after
ten at night, and going to the rear of the house, in a
field, discovered, dose to the ditch, a child, sunk
nearly up to its neck in a quantity of filth. The filth
did not appear to be heaped upon it. A piece of
tape was found tried round its neck, but Mrs. Knell,
who took it home and washed it, stated, that the knot
was not of a nature to produce strangulation.
The unhappy prisoner made no defence, but re-
mained during the whole of the trial in a state of
agony and tears, never once holding up her head..
Several witnesses gave her a most excellent character
for humanity.
Mr. ,Baron GARROW (with feelings which evidently,
affected himself and the whole Court most deeply)
left it to then to determine, whether the unfortunate
prisoner hvi not, in the abandonment of her infants
however wicked, rather placed it where she did, with
a view that it might be discovered, than with the in.
tendon of completely destroying it ?
The Jury, without hesitation, acquitted the priso-
ner of the capital charge, but found her Guilty of
deserting the child.
Mr. Baron GARROW recalled Mrs. Osborne, and
asked her, whether, in case he passed upon the priso-
ner a mild sentence, she would undertake to assist het
in some way of life ?

Mrs. Osborne replied, (scarcely able to speak, and
her tears flowing) Most willingly ! Nothing would
make me more happy !"

Mr. Baron GA ttßow—(almost overwhelmed with
feeling)--,, You are the best of women ; more ex-
emplary conduct was never displayed in that box ;
and though I can say no more, I should feel wanting
in my duty if I did not say thus much." His Lord-
ship, in the most feeling manner, sentenced the priso-
ner to six weeks imprisonment, and she was tarried
from the bar in a state of dreadful agitation.

FATAL EFFECTS OF COACH Racy:co.—There and
two mails go from the Post-office to Holyhead, one
through Cheshire, the other through Birmingham ;
on Wednesday evening they started together, when
they arrived at Highgate, they began to race, this
continued but a short time, and they took different
roads ; on arriving within a quarter of a mile of the
toll-bar at St. Alban's, they were again together, and
the Birmingham attempted to pass the Chester, this
the latter prevented, and the road being narrow, the
leaders of the Birmingham ran up the bank, the
coach was instantly overturned—the consequence
was dreadful: of three outside passengers, one was
killed on the spot, another-had his arm and leg
broken, and was conveyed to the Woolpack, at St.
Alban's, where he now lies very ill, the third was
dreadfully bruised ; two of the inside passenger s were
also much bruised and cut about their heads, and it
was supposed fractures had taken place, but they are
likely to recover.

Thursday, a boy fell into the harbour at Maryport,
on which Mr. GEORGE LITTLE, Mate of the Sally
(Which arrived from America only the evening before),
leaped into the water to save him, which object he
accomplished ; but we are sorry. to say his humane
exertions cost him his own life. His loss will be much
lamented, especially by his widowed mother.
PORTRAIT Or Mr. CANNING.-••-The public are re-
spectfully informed, that the first Number of a new
Volume of the New Monthly Magazine, and Lite-
rary Panorama, was published on the Ist of Au►
gust, embellished with a Portrait of Mr. Canning,
and comprising upwards of fifty interesting articles,
in general Literature, Art, Science, Criticism, Poli-
tics, Manners, and Amusements, and those persons
who may wish to avail thermelves of the present op-
portunity for commencing it, are requested to trans-
mit their orders, without delay, to their respective
Booksellers or Newsmen.—Published by Henry Col-
burn, Conduit-street, to whom communications for
the Editor are requested to be addressed free of
postage.

SLAVES.—We learn by the return of the Tartar,
Sir GEORGE R. COLLIER, Ban. and K.C.B. from the
coast of Africa, that Prince's Island, near to the Bight
of Biafra, on the Guinea coast, is now the principal,
and indeed the only point of rendezvous on that part
of the coast of Africa for the dealers in slaves. Spa-
nish and Portuguese vessels, the only extensive traf-
fickers in this inhuman trade now, from Cuba, 'ren-
dezvous there. On arrival, the Supercargo shifts his
cargo of bale goods and hard ware into small schoo-
ners belonging to the Authorities of that Settlement,
and proceeds to the Bight of Benin or Biafra, either
to Bova, Calabar, or Benin Rivers. Here he bargains
with the respective Chiefs or Kings for so manylun•
dred slaves, which are generally ready by anticipa-
tion. They are now purchased for goods of the va-
lue of Si. 17i. to 41. per head, for children under ten
or twelve years; and above that for 51. women of a
handsome shape and appearance are one or MO
pounds sterling higher. At Prince's Island they ale
landed, and if no English man of war is in the neigh-
bourhood, are re-embarked at 251. charge per head
to the Spanish Captain. If any man of war is there,
they are received into factories, until opportunity of-
fer for sending them off to Cuba. The vessels are
generally schooners (termed American clippers),
bought by Spaniards at St. Jago de Cuba, and pre-
tend they are bound to the coast South of the Line;
and to carry on this deception the better, the Portu-
guese on board the smaller vessels are told, they
are anchored off some port South of the Line, such
as the Congo, 'or Benguela. The most unmiti-
gated cruelties continue to be inflicted upon the poor
African race by these barbarous slave-dealers. It is
an astonishing fact, that two slaves who were res-
cued by a boat's crew of the Tartar, and brought on
board that ship, belonging to a cargo, which had
been relanded on the appearance of the Tartar, were
weighed by the officers, when it appeared that the
weight of the lad was forty-five, and Oa man sixty-
. four pounds!