Star.
London, England, 1821-09-13 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

Tuesday, Mr. J. Thompson, upholsterer, in Davis-
street, Berkeley-square, was indicted for perjury.
At last April Sessions, R. Burnell was convicted
and sentenced to twelve months imprisonment in the
House of Correction, for obtaining money, under
false pretences, from Martha Harrington, he having
pretended he was authorised by Mr. Thompson, to
whom she was indebted £ll, to sue her for the money.
Mr. Thompson, on his trial, swore he never gave him
any such authority.
Miss Harrington lodged at Mr. Thompson's house,
and owed him rent to the amount of et, when she
absconded, but sent him different sums subsequently
by an unknown band, which reduced the sum to about
Cll. Mr. Thompson met Burnell by appointment,'
at the house of Mr. Parkins, in Charlotte-street, Rath-
bone-place, in 1820, and agreed with Burnell to re-
cover the money upon a commission of one shilling
in the pound. Burnell discovered Miss Harrington in
Whitecross-street Prison, and communicated it to Mr.
Thompson, and ultimately sued a writ against her,
and obtained a note of hand to pay the money by in-
stalments, IS of which he received, but never paid
it to Mr. Thompson.
Mr. Parkins, Mr. Steed, a lodging-house keeper, an
Attorney's Clerk, to whom Thompson applied to know
how to act on the matter of the writ, and three other
witnesses, were called to prove that Burnell was autho-
rised to sue Miss Harrington for the money.
About eight very respectable tradesmen were called
to give Thompson a character, some of whom had
known him thirty years. and described him as a man
of veracity, integrity, honesty, and good principle.
The CHAIRMAN summed up the evidence, and in
his charge to the Jury observed, it was necessary that
two witnesses should be present to prove Thompson
gave proper authority to Burnell to sue for the reco-
very of the debt ; which, however, was not the case.
He said, that Burnell had been properly convicted,
according to the evidence then advanced, and now
must be left out of their consideration.

The Jury consulted, and found the defendant—
Getilty.—Sentence deferred.
Yesterday, J. G. Maude, a native of Germany,
was indicted for an assault on Anne Flint, with an
intent to violate her person. The defendant was tried
for the capital offence at the last Old Bailey Sessions,
and acquitted, in consequence of the facts proved by
the prosecutrix being insufficient to sustain the in-
dictment.—Anne Flint deposed, that in May last she
was servant to Mr. Barrett, at No. 18, Wenlock Cot-
tage, City-road; the defendant lodged in the house.
On a Saturday evening the prosecutrix was alone in
the house ; the defendant came home and went into
the kitchen to roast some coffee ; the prosecutrix then
went up stairs to her mistress's room to change her
dress; in a short time the defendant came into the
room, and told her the ducks were all poisoned from
eating paint, which frightened her, as she knew her
master would be angery with her. The defendant,
without saying more to her, proceeded to commit the
crime, for which he was on his trial. Her fright
prevented her crying out, and the defendant used
great violence. About a quarter of an hour after he
came into the room her master rung the gate bell,
and the defendant went down and let him in. She
went down to the kitchen, and was crying, when her
master came to her and said he knew what they had
been at, and soon after sent her out for bread, when
she went to a Mrs. Bentley in the neighbourhood,
who always acted as a mother to her, and told her
what had happened, and who promised to tell the
prosecutries cousin directly. She told her mistress
on her return home the same evening. On the next
Friday she was taken by her cousin to the Police
Office, where she gave information against the de-
fendant for the assault; but the Magistrate conceiv-
ing a capital offence had been committed, directed
her accordingly.
On her cross-examination she admitted that the
defendant had once before made a similar attempt,
on which occasion she complained to her cousin and
mistress. She also stated that, after her master's
return home in the evening, the defendant came to
her and forced ss. into her hand, which she, not know-
ing what she ought to do with it, put into a drawer
in the kitchen.
The account given by the prolecutrix of her con-
duct after the assault had been committed, was cor-
roborated by several witnesses.
Mr. and Mrs. Barrett deposed that the defendant
had lodged a considerable time in their house, and
continues so to do ; that previous to the time of the
assault complained of, they thought the prosecutrix
made too free with him. Neither witness stated any
act of familiarity, but Mrs. Barrett deposed that the
prosecutrix having been ill in Passion week, witness
hokingly said to her, " I thought we were going to
ave a young Mattcke."
A servant girl, who had lived with Mr. Barrett,
deposed that the prosecutrix had said to her, that
her master's ringing the bell had spoiled all the fun;
but that Mattcke should pay £lOO for it.
The CHAIRMAN recapitulated the evidence to the
Jury, and observed, the offence charged was one at
which it was impossible any third person could be
present, and the defendant could not speak for him-
self ; if, therefore, they could entertain a doubt of
his guilt, they would give him the benefit of it.
The Jury, after being enclosed half an hour, re-
turned a verdict of—Not Guilty.

Mum:mt.—Saturday morning a melancholy cir-
cumstance occurred at Sellinge, in Kent. A man
named Hayward lodged in the house of a small far-
mer, named Impett, and on the above morning.
after Mrs. Impett was gone out to milk her cows, he
went into a room below stairs, and, having a gun in
his hand, said to a child of Impetes, " I will go and
shoot your mother." He then went to the place
where the woman was engaged in milking, and ac-
costed her by saying, " I have loaded my gun, and
will shoot myself!" She remonstrated, and entreated
him not to do so, when he immediately replied,
" No ; I will not shoot myself, but will shoot you,"
and instantly discharged the contents of the gun into
her side—the whole charge lodging in her body.
The poor woman lingered till seven o'clock the same
evening, when she expired. Hayward tolo his bro-
ther what he had done, and also mentioned the same
to another person. He is now in custody to wait the.
decision of the Coroner's Inquest. The unfortunate
woman has left six children, the youngest only seven
months old.