Star.
London, England, 1819-04-15 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER SEOSIOXI

~.-

Yesterday thesessions began helot e R. Bits ra, Esq.
Mr. 'themes Alaillidrd, ironmonger, in St.Martin's-
lane, stood indicted for assaiNing Moines Benbow
and Terrea, on the 9..Sth of De-ember last.
The prosecutors are a Serjeant and Private of the
Coldstream Guards, and were on duty ou the day
mentioned in the indictment at Covent-garden Thea-
tre. They were going off guard with a file of men,
consisting of sixteen, to the Barracks at Knights-
bridge; and in Coventry-street they overtook the
Defendant and another Gentleman and Lady walk-
ing arm and arm together. They gave them the side
of the wall, and begged leave to pass, when defen-
dant pushed Terrea into the kennel. The Serjeant
(Benbow), who was at the head of the file, remon-
strated, when he attempted to strike him, but only
knocked off his cap. The serjeant then secured I.lim,
and sent for a constable, who took him to St. James's
watchhouse.
Mr. Testell, tailor in South Audley-street, said, he
and his wife, who was in a state of pregnancy, dined
with the defendant on that day, and he acconapanied
them for the purpose of procuring a coach for her in
Piccadilly. The soldiers came up to them suddenly
and pushed her, after having turned towards the
wall to let them pass. Terrea, who was the second
man in front, witness believes pushed the defendant,
who instantly retaliated, and the serjeant presented
his halberd to his body, threatening to tun him
through if he attempted to escape.
Mr. WALIORD, in his address to the Jury, observ-
ed how unceremoniously the Guards push every per.'
son who comes ia their way off the pavement, al-
though the laws of England make no distinction
between red coats or coloured coats. The matter
could be coasidered only as a casual assault in the
street.—Not Guilty.
George Francis and Afery Francis, alias Conway,
ite. his wife, were indicted for keeping a house of
ill fame in Lisle-street, Leicester-square, and with
seducing girls to quit their homes. The prosecution
was carried on at the instance of an unfortunate fa-
ther, by whom, and by a variety of witnesses, the
following distressing particulars were detailed :
William Sayers is the father of eight children, his
wife died in child-bed two years ago, and his eldest
daughter, Sarah, had since acted as a mother and a
Mardian to them. In November, 1817, being then
sixteen rears of age, she suddenly disappeared, and
for several months he was kept in the most dreadful
suspense, till at last, in March, 1818, he was in-
Formed she had been seen in the house of the defen-
dants, in Lisle-street. Thither he repaired, in a state.
pf anxiety which it is impossible to describe, when
he saw the female defendant, who, in a plaintive
tone, told hint she pitied his situation, as it was truly
deplorable, but she could not give hint any informa-
tion, as his daughter had left her house, and was
gone, she knew not whither. Disappointed thus in
his fond hopes, the afflicted father again sunk into
melancholy, till finally he discovered his lost child
in Bartholomew's Hospital, in a deplorable state of
wretchedness. On her recovery he took her Morrie,
but in three months after she was again induced to
quit his house, and to go to this infamous nursery of
vice in Lisle-street. There he went, and was, as for-
merly, answered by the defendant, Mary Francis,
who in the most hypocritical manner, again condoled
with him on his loss, and said his daughter was now
in the Lock Hospital. He went there, but found the
whole a fabrication. Next morning he went to the
house with a constable aad a friend, and though the
infamous woman denied that the girl was there, he
found her concealed under a sofa, and dreadfully ill.
The unhappy girl, who is not yet 18 years of age,
,was carried home, and has since remained under her
father's roof, conducting herself, as was proved, with
that propriety of conduct which true penitence can
alone produce. She stated the story herself in the
most affecting terms, shedding tears, and shewing
the deepest sorrow for her seduction.
Mr. BARRY conducted the prosecution, and la-
mented that the punishment of the pillory was abo-
lished, as there never was two wretches more deserv-
ing of it thin the characters at the bir.
-Mr. ALLEY addressed the Court for the defendants;
but the Jury instantly found them both Guilty.
The Court then sentenced George Francis to pay a
fine of £lOO to the King, and adjudged him and the
female to 'one year's hard labour in the House of
Correction, and at the expiry of that term to find se-
curities to keep the peace, themselves in £5OO each,
and two sureties hi £250 each, for the further term
of three years'.--The verdict and sentence were re-
ceived with lond-acclamations by a crowded Court.

MANSION-Rousz.—Yesterday, William Crotrther, a
well-known character, was brought up and under-
went an examination charged-on suspicion of stealing
front the Bull and Mouth Tap, Bull and Mouth-street,
a basket; in which were two parcels, containing eleven
thousand pounds, ifi Bills, Bank of England notes,
and Local Bank notes, which had been left in the bar
fur a few minutes by the Guard to the Old Fly Wor-
cester Coach, while he went to time 'his bill at the
office. He received the parcels for the house of Sir
William Curtis, and Co.—Edward Viles, who keeps
the Bull and Mouth Tap, deposed, that on the 50th
March, about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, the
morning of the robbery, after the parcel had been left
there, that the prisoner Crowther, as he thought, came
into the tap, and called for a glass orale ; there was
another man close by. Witness went to the fire-place,
and, taking out the hot poker, ran with it up staits to
set light to another fire, he was away from the bar
about a.minute and a half, and upon his return found
the two men gone, leaving a part of their bees (little
as they had) undrank.—The contents of the parcels
were about £7OOO in Bills and Drafts, and the re-
maining £4OOO in Bank-notes, of which #.900 were
Bank of England. The negotiable Bills and Drafts
were, since the robbery, found in an area or yard
Sherborne-lane.----The ptisober was reenanxi_pd for fut.
ther examination.

. Charles IVl‘classox was committed for further era•
mination, charged with
the company coming out or
at the close of the perforviance ,
Il AT TON-GA aps,s.—Yesterday,
li'illialx Clarke, Joie) Clarkeso'well-dressed young men, were
con mon utterrrs of forged J
Crake and ?homes Cc riwell
The others a ere ordered*); •

• • LENT A SOUS.
LAXC ASTI7II.—.-aiNSP! YOF WOPSILEIC
T/1E1(1NC iERCONON AND ANOTHER.
SCARLETT stated, that this was an indictment
against the two defendants, charging them with con-
spiring, in conjunction with divers others of their
fellow-workmen, to prevent their mastertrom receiv-
ing apprentices into his service, by combining with
each other to quit his employment, unless he desisted
from keeping such apprentices.
Mr. Samuel Davenport is a calico engraver at
Manchester. In the month of August last, he had
in his service about fifteen or sixteen journeymen
and eight apprentices, besides other persons, em-
ployed in that part of the business that was worked
by machinery, making a total of about thirty-six
persons. He had received into his service a boy of
the name of Green, as a turn-over apprentice, but
who had not been in the shop more than a few hours
when the defendant, Edge, came into the counting-
house, and said—" be d—d if I stand it."—Wit-
ness said, he had previously seen all the men together
in close conversation.—Edge added, that if I (the
witness) did not turn that man away (meaning Green)
they would all leave me. Witness told the defendant
Edge, that if he was dissatisfied he might leave his
service, and he delivered him up a written agree-
ment, and he quitted his employment and never re-
turned to it again. Witness stated, that the men left
their work, and that theteitness and his partner, con-
ceiving that the cessation of business occasioned by
the loss of so many hands would be attended with
pgreat inconvenience, acceded to their demands, and
dismissed Green from their service. In about a month
they engaged another turn-over apprentice, when the
same general revolt took place, in which the ether
defendant. Ferguson, took the lead. But in this case
the masters refused to comply with the requisitions
of the men, who all of diem, except two, entirely
quitted the service of the prosecutors, to their great
inconvenience and loss.

Mr. WILLIAMS addressed the Jury on the part of
the defendant Edge. Ile contended, that in quitting
the service of his employers, he had only done that
which he had a right to do, as they had relinquished
the agreement by which he had bound himself to
their service ; and that if he did not like the introduc-
tion of another apprentice into his master's service,
contrary to the rules observed in the trade, he was
justified in quitting it. The defendants objected
not to work with any apprentices, but with a greater
number than was the custom of the trade. As an
individual, he clearly had a right to act upon this
ground ; and if it' as innocent in one man to do it,
he did not see upon what icrouud of reason or com-
mon sense criminality was imputed, when numbers
concurred in the same opinion, and joined in the same
act. The masters in different ways made arrange-
ments with each other for the regulation of their
business, and yet we never hear of any prosecutions
against them for a conspiracy. All the prosecutions
are by the masters, and all the convictions are the
convictions of the suffering journeymen. Mr. WIL-
LIAMS insisted, that unless the Jury were clearly
satisfied that the defendant Edge had conspired with
the other persons named in the indictment for the
purposes therein stated—of obliging and compelling
his employers to desist from receiving any appren-
tices into their service—it would be their duty to
acquit him..—Mr. HOLT adopted the some course of
argument for Ferguson.
Baron WOOD said, the defendant' and any other
workmen had, as individuals, a right to serve their
employers upon such conditions as they chose, and
to leave their service when they thought themselves
aggrieved, provided they did this as individuals,
without any previous concert with each other. It
was the combining together to effect their purpose
which was illegal; and if the Jury were satisfied from
the evidence that the defendants had conspired or
concerted together to quit the employment of the
prosecutors, for the purpose of removing the ob-
noxious apprentice, they must find the defendants
guilty of the charge imputed to them.
The Jury found both the prisoners Guilty.
Judgment will be pronounced upon them in the
Court of King's Bench, as the cause had been re-
moved from the jurisdiction of the Quarter Sessions.
TEE KING (ON TIM PROSECUTION OF AIR. WM. SMITH),

AGAINST NICK OLLS AND OTHERS.

This was an indictment against several cotton-spin-
ners in the employ of Mr. Smith, of Ileaton Norris,
for a conspiracy to raise their wages. The defendants
having appeared at the bar, and pleaded guilty to
the charge, Mr- Sesjeant Otos; as Counsel for the
prosecution, stated that this indictment was preferred
at the last Assizes, the state of society at that time,
and the alarm in which the whole of this commercial
district then was, making it absolutely necessary ; but
the dispositions of the defendants themselves having
since taken a favourable change, he was instructed to
throw the defendants upon his Lordship's mercy.
Mr. Baron RICIIARD* then addressed the prisoners,
observing, that he should inflict no punishment upon
them, but expected that they would hereafter con-
duct themselves with propriety ; and that they enter
into recognizances in £2O each, to attend to receive
judgment if found offlnding in future.
The prisoners expressed their thanks for the lenient
manner which they had been dealt with,.and, having
entered into the recognizances directed by the Judge,
they were discharged.

FLUNTSHIRE SRS,,SJONL—MOLD, APRIL I.
SUPERSTITION.
TUE RING, ON THE PROSECUTION OF EDWARD PIERCE,
AGAINST NEN 2DW ARDS, FOR OBTAINING
• )IONIC? UNDER sAusg PRETENCES.

Mr. Hsu. (the Attorney-General) stated the case
Yrith his usual perspicuity and ingenuity, which for
coasiderable tune 'incited the laughter of a very
*owdecl.Comet, and produced a smile even on the
'graves countenance. •
Tbe-Presecetor (Edward Pierce) was then called
Igo and gave Ms evidence as follows :--As I live at
U*Adirßog,.in the county of Denbigh. I saw John
Edw-ards,_ at•his.own house, called Berth ddu, in the
month-of April, 1819. I
into .a well, called Fyenon
had been put in. I.thought
• with me. I . saw every
informed that.Jobe.Eci.
the well' I went to him
cold NM 'sopicthing was
insuedisoky .obset red, ;has
Fsliattv-1 trearisiod

•• ,

--,s-

4.

attempting to yob several of Pal.4b of Northop, in the int
It of Covent• Garden Theatre, 'andel:4o°4i had been put Int
rviance on Tuenlay• night. ,' Ems: I mean, ray name had
'earerday, Thomas Conan& ragthins was—the matter w
40.e.and John satito4pau ttling going cow., .1 was in
c!, were cbuged wilkTheing....Onit Pllll'lll4'o* out of d
rged Bauk-nods. Wiliam 91-44itt.0-besinsacir out. -:I u
Iso
Priwnli were fully committed: PlClROUtArititime. .14* ham
for re-CAlligi1111;i011: ' .rni:l44oC4gl Ihit Arils's=