Star.
London, England, 1817-07-26 00:00:00

JIFFitIE3 in lIOUSR.

Action of assault. Dimages laid at £lOO.
The plaintiff was a Hying fishmonger, carrying
on an extensive trade in shrimps, green crabs, sea
snails (commonly called perriwinkles), and other
marine delicacies, between St. Alban's and Billings.
gate, and the defendant was a tradesman in the tor-
mer. town.

On the 25th of March the plaintiff was exhibiting
his wares at the King's Arms public-house, in St.
Alban's, and happened. to recognize the defendant,
who, it was said, owed him a large score fur half-
penny-worths of shrimps, and demanded a balance
.of Is. for s sold and delivered.
The defendantd pleaded a tender, and gave notice
of set-off, but was estopped by the plaintiff, who
pinned him by the button, and demanded an impar-
Thc defendant not liking the confinenient4
wanted to non pros the plaintiff by a plea in bar, and
offered t 4 mu the auttcr to the illblUCltitalt of the

' . • • ";•.$
Landlady, who;bprever detlined adjudicitiop.
defendant conceiving that the,plaintiff was in .etror:
resorteJ to a sham plea of former :e tment tecoverq:
but the plaintitr determined to h.ive accordand,satir:p
faction, declined entering a neli firore:ui, and putting
on ajferilatce, resolved upi.n a ca. cc. Th.: &fen.
dint then put in a plea for time; bet en? Plaintiffnot
choosing to he ruled in that war, retorted to less le-
gal forms, and insisted, in plain English, that the de.
tendant was no ge.qtlernar., and was a shabby Celle*.
The latter then conceiving himself entitled to his
wager of battle, delivered a manual declaration bn
the plaintiff's head, who lindirit b;rnself unskilled in
the code of Chivalry, suffered judgment to iko by de-
fault., and lay sprawling on the fl ,or.
Two medical mt.n, one eminently skilled in 'vaccine
patholOgy (vulgarly denominated a now doctor) and
the other equally celebrated in equine anatomy (the
village farrier), were called. to swell the damages,
by giving a most feeling pictute of ac plaintiff's
damage.
The Jury;
.nfider Lord ELLENROROUGH'S direCtions;
.
found a ieralict tor the plaintiff. bantiges Is.
watt, JULY 21.
_•

Nora
Theresot alias staring Ihrrry. /An hrdars alias
Wood, and John If were ineicted for a burglary,
in breaking erect entering the stamp Office at York,
the dwelling-house of NV illiam GrAy) in the night of
Thursday, the lith of April last, .and stealing there-
from a Tomtit), el stamps, to the amount of £5960,
and about F 6 iu s'leey, the property of Wm. Gray,
the distributor of sump for the City of Yeric ; And
Wiiiian: was indicted at the same time, as an
accessary before the tact:
William Williams, as accOmplice, stated, that ott
Sunday, the 13th of April last; he met the prisoners,
Thomson, Wood, and Webb, at Selby; and that
they proceedeJ by the gleam pack• t to Hull ; that
they went to the Hunoser public-110,hr, at Hull,
and took relreshnent there, rind also slept there;
that he and Webb slist together, and that he belie-
' ved the other two eiept together; that they on the
next day went to atwitter public-hi,use in Hull, and
had refreshntetes, when Thomson obsel red, that he
knew where a good job could be done; anJ the wit-
ness having asked what that was i l'homson replied,
that it was to rob the •tamp Office at York; that
only a .woman servant slept in that p trt of the house,
and that her bed was at the top of it. It WAS then
agreed to make the attempt, and Webb was elis-
'patched to York immediately; that was •on Tues.
day,,April 16, to Ipprise another pinion of the name
of Jones (not yet apprehended) of the project, and
to procure his assistance. After Webb had left Hull,
Thorns •n introdeced the prisoner Wilson to witnees.
Thomson,. Wilson, and the witness afterwards pro-
ceeded to York by the stage Coach, and on their ar-
rival there they went to a public-hoarse, where Webb
And Jones joined them. They talked before the land-
lady of going to Leeds, and asked her whet time the
Leeds Coach set off ? The landlady having made
inquiry as to the time, informed them, that it left
York at twelve o'cleck at night. It struck twelve
As the landlady was speaing, and they left the Louse.
It was agreed among them that Webb and Jones
should sleep at their lodgings at York that night;
that they might, the more safely alter wards receive
the stolen property. The witness then proceeded tte
state the commitment of the act of burglary by him.
self. Thomson, Wood, and Wilson. The witness
stood upon Wood's shoulders, and put out the lamps
at the Stamp Office ; then bered some holes in the
window shutter with :or augur; I'honason also bored
some holes. The witness hAperned to cut his finger
with the augur, and so severely that the end of it wet
almost off, and it Lied very profusely. Having thus
broken the shutter sufficiently for the purpose, the
witness put in his hand and pulled the bar. so as to
unfasten the shutter, and then lie broke part of the
window, and unscrewed ir, so as than he and Thome
son got in. Wilson during this time was on the
watch. There WAS an interruption for some mo-
ments, just before the witness and Thomson first en-
tered, a stranger having appeAleJ in the street. The
alarm being over, one of them, the witne3s did not
recollect which, "ruck a light, 1111 d then they pro-
ceeded to break over the deski and presses, and took.
out the stamps arid die rtionil, which dry Afterwards
handed to Wool. The priselier had sloe the shut-
ters, to prevent the lieu being seen on the outside)
and they came out by ths •itior. four then went
to a churcloyar,l, and hid the stamps under a tombs
stone. They shared the no•ney among them, and
the witness had, as poe, of his share, two dollars.—.
They then went to Webb and Jones's lodgings. The
witness threw stones at the window; IVebh came to
the window, and they toad him that the job was done,
and desired him to stay tv.o or three days at York;
in order to secure the property, they being abut •.o
leave it immediately. Jones was very much intoxi-
cated that night, and did not afford them any assist-
ance. The witness% and the others went to Selby
and then the witness and Woad went to Hell by the
steam packet, while Themson and Wilson went ano-
ther way. Webb, though desired to remain at York
for two or three days from the time of committing
the robbery, had left it on the Friday morning. The
witness had on the way ps.id away one of the dollars
which he had received. Immediately on his landing
from the steam pacttet, he was apprehended and
searched, and the other dollar, wh4ch had a particu-
lar mark, war found upon him. He was taken to
York, and examined by the Lord Mayor, to whom
lie gave information of the place where the stamps'
were laid. On his ctoss-examinAtion, lie said he was
a watch-maker, but hid for three years past given
up that trade, and betaken himself to the trade cf
readily agreed eed
evidence o bea
was
r
s
tinned
robbery and pocket-picking.. When Toomson men.
tiht. His re jtbto im
motive
part in h
in e
giving
to save himself, if he could, at the expense rat his
h teals
companions : he afterwards said, that has only ma
tire was a love of justice.
The prisoners were then called open
.for their des
fe':ce, but said itothing, and no witnesses appeared
for sey of them, except one, who said he had known
Webb for four months before the burglary was com-
mitted,.wid had thought him an holiest man.
Chief Baron RICIIARDI sec ipitniateti the evidence,
observing, that there was no evidel.ce that Webb
was concerned in the actualbreaking ; hut If he gave
counsel And advice 11% support of it, he was guilty
as accessary. •
The Jury retired, and Are consulting together for
about 15 minutes, they returned and gave their vv..
diet, Coding all the prisoners Cr,ulty