Star.
London, England, 1819-08-02 00:00:00

DURHAM.

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At the above Sessions a curious bastardy case was
tried. It was an action brotsght by the Township of
South Shields, against -- Maine, a publican, in the
City of Durham, to compel him to maintain a child,,
born on the 6th of last December, of Mary Sewell, a
seaman's wife, whose husband left her on the 13th of
August, 1817, and is now in the American navy.—
The woman went to live with the defendant as a ser-
vant, and became regnant by ,hitv. lie contended he
was not bound to maintain the child, as the mother,
was a married woman c and the parish not being able',
to prove the impossibility of the husband's access, a
verdict was given for the defendant. By this decision,
it appears, that the testimony of a married woman is
of no weight, in a case wherein that of a single one is
absolutely conclusiv6.

An Inquisition was taken on Friday evening, at
the Cock and Hoop, %Vest-end, on the body of James
Ellis, a youth 17 years of age, who met his death
by a blow which he received on the bead from a
swinging-machine, and which deprived him of life
instantly, at West-end Fair, on Tuesday last. It ap-
i penred in evidence, that the swinging-machine was
going on with the greatest velocity. The deceased,
in order to avoid the pressure of a crowd of pick-
pockets, attempted to run across before the machine,
.when he receiwild the blow which unfortunately de-
rived him of life. Ver,fict—AcciJental Death, with
a deodand of £5 on the proprietor of the machine.

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Bow-seeeze.—Saturday being the day for the re-
examination of the pc:sons apprehended at \Vest End
Fair, on suspicion of lacing concerned in theatroci•
ous outrages committed there on Monday and Tue.-
dav, the Office was crowded with persons who had
been plundered and ill-treated. The prisoners, 29 in
number, were brought up handcuffed and chained
together, and were followed by a large concourse of
people.—T. So:ith, keeper of a chinking-booth at the
Fair, which was stated by the officers to have been
the grand rendezvous of the thieves, and the place of
der.e,it for their booty, appeared on a summons by
order of the Magistrate. A box, containing silk
handkerchiefs, two black leather pocket-books, and a
quantity of women's appatel, was found in his booth.
The Magistrate (Mr. Iltceel 'told this man, that,
from the evidence already given, there was reason to
believe he was a receiver o: stolen goods, and if proof
coeld be obtained, he should assuredly he committed
to Newgate. Smith denied the imputation, and said
that he was not aware that his booth was resorted to
by thieves.. The handkerchiefs had been left with
him as a sectni,y for liquor, and the remainder of
the property belonged to him and his female servant.
Most of the prisoners being apprehended in or near
Smith's booth, and those who were pursued having,
it was said, taken refuge there, Mr. HICKS declared,
with much warmth, that he was determined to strike
at the root of the evil, and remanded Smith. Smith
acknowledged that he had no license to sell liquor,
and Mr. HICKS expressed a hope that he would be
proceeded against by the Excise. One of the prisp-
ners, named Cassidy, who had been before identified,
was fully committed. J. Lovell was recognized by
Mr. Eddington, law-stationer, who stated, that as he,
was leaving the Fair, on Tuesday night, he was at-
tacked by a gang of about fifty, with the prisoner at
their head. He was the first to knock his hat off, aad
he was then knocked down, and beat about the head
until he was senseless, and robbed of his watch, silver
snuff-box, and his money. At the first onset, the
witness knocked down Lovell, and a cry of—" Stall'
him up, cut hisib—y throat;" was immediately raised.
Lovell was fully committed for trial on the capital
charge. His father, who happened to be present,
was also recognized as being in Smith's Booth at the
time of the robbery, and was examined and reman-
ded. Another prisoner, named Fletcher, was exami-
ned and remanded, having been identified by a young
Gentleman as the leader of a gang by whom he was
assaulted and robbed. The following were also re-
manded, viz. Brrke, Brookes, Whitaker, and Hansen.
hinds, Talbot, Goldsmith, Staines, and Cocmbes, were
fully committed, charged with atrocious assaults, with
intent to commit felony. The remainder, with the
exception of two boys, were ordered to be detained
for the purpose of being identified.—Mr. Mess, in
the course of the examination, repeatedly expressed
his determination to do all in his power to adopt
means for putting down the Fair altogether. Should
he be assisted by all the other Magistrates of the
-County, he would prevent any drinking-booths from
being erected ; and the public might depend on it,
,that every means should be taken to avoid a repeti-
tion of the disgraceful and outrageous proceedings
which had been so much the subject of attention dur-
ing the last week.
CHARGE or RAPE.—An investigation, respecting a
charge of rape, took place at this Office, against a
Gentleman of respectability, of the name of M—,
from Leicestershire, preferred by Mary Haselwood,
a girl only 18 year; of age ; who stated that she had
been living with her grandfather at Goadby Har-
wood, Leicestershire. On the 22d of May last Mr.
M. called at her grandfather's, and asked him to ac-
cept of some shot crows, which her grandfather
agreed to accept, and she was sent to fetch them from
a barn, *here the crows were said to be. On her a--
rival there she found Mr. M. who let her in, and then
fastened the door, and detained her in the barn about
half an hour, during which time he committed the
offence with which she charged him. In answer to
a question by the Magistrate, whether she gave an
alarm, screamed, or called for assistance? she replied,
that Mr. M. prevented her, by putting the frill of his
shirt into her mouth.—Mr. M. was attended by his
attorney, who stated, that Mr. M. voluntarily attended
the Office on his receiving a notice that Mary Hasel-
wood had lodged a complaint against him. On his
interrogating the girl, she admitted that she had
neither told her father nor her grandfather. ller mo-
ther is dead. She told Mrs. Dickman the following
day what had happened. The further investigation
was postponed. The girl remains in the care of Bishop,
, the officer, by order of the Magistrates.