Star.
London, England, 1820-04-10 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS.

MISDEMEANOUR AT THE INSTIGATION OF A
FORTUNE-TELLER.
Saturday, Sarah East, a very interesting girl, 17
years cf age, was indicted for maliciously intending
to set fire to and consume the curtains and house of
Mr. George Walsh, in Charles-street, St. James's-
:quare, on the 17th March last.
A capital indictment had been preferred against
the prisoner for this offence ; but it was subsequently
abandoned, owing to the humanity of the prosectf-
tor, and the prisoner was brought by Flabeas Corpus
before these Sessions, to be tried for a misdemeanour
'alone. She pleaded Not Guilty to the indictment
Mr. BOLLAND stated the case for the prosecution.
He commenced by observing, that this was the most
singular and extraordinary case he had ever met in
the course of his professional practice. The young
woman at the bas stood charged with an attempt to
set fire to the house of her master, who, -as well as
his family, had uniforMly treated her with kindness,
without receiving, in any way, theslightest provoca-
tion, or without having, apparently, the smallest ob-
ject in view for the commission of so dreadful an
act. Such appealing to be the fact, the prosecutor,
actuated by feelings cf humanity, had withdrawn
the capital charge ; but was impelled, by a proper
sense of public duty, to put her upon her trial for the
misdemeanour. The Learned Counsel, after these
prefatory, observations, stated his case as follows :
The prisoner was taken in as servant in the house of
Mr. Walsh, the King's Messenger, in Charles-street,
St. James's, where she had been kindly provided for
during several months. It was due to her to state,
that she was brought from the country with an ex-
cellent character, which'she maintained in the house
up to the period when the unfortunate occurrence
took place that formed the ground-work of the pre-
sent prosecution. At half-past three o'clock in the
afternoon of the 17th March last, Mt and Mrs. Walsh
were sitting in their parlour, when Mr. Walsh heard a
piece of glass fall above stairs ; this was immediately
followed by a cry of " fire" from out of doors, as
well as from the prisoner, who was above. The
drawing-room was occupied by General Vincent,
who was not at home at the time, and to it Mr.
Walsh immediately ran. On entering he found the
window-curtains iu flames, but he succeeded, with

• , •
anct • -
and' • 1 ;
_i_ baling i andteft '
'brae assistance, not without ninch.eeort. usual empar to the Dory, it to then- to
trouble, in extinguishing the Barnes, and set the alarm ; say, whether they thought, from the evidence, the
at rest for that time. The General came home SOOn , prisoner was capable of distinguishing right frcra
lifter, but, finding the place in such a state, he quit- , wrong, at the time she committed the act.
ted the lodgings, and went wan hotel At half-past: One of the Jurors, after the Jury hid consulted
six o'clock on the same evening the family. were , together fora considerable time, addressed the ('':air-
again alarmed by the prisoner rushing into the room ; man, and asked, whether they could find a verdict of
in which Mr. and Mrs. Walsh were sitting-rand ex. iis Guilty, but without malice '
claiming that the bed-reom on the second floor was The CHAIRMAN replied in the negative, for malice
on fire. She appeared quite wild when she gave this was the gist of the offence, and the law al w.t) s rm.
alarm, and almost unconscious of what she was plied malice; whenever the act was maluna in se.
doing. The alarm had collected a great crowd round The Jury then, after some further col6ul:ationi
the door, the firemen came, and the flames in the se- • returned a verdict of Guilty; but unaninroutly and
cond floor were extinguished, after the bed-furniture earnestly recommended the prisoner to mercy, on
and curtains had suffered considerably from the account of her previous good character.
flames. This did not terminate the anxiety of the fa- I Mr.ANDnews,on the part of the in osecution, beg gerl
mily on this extraordinary evervin. g, for in aboutdialf. leave cordially to join in this retornmendat;on.
an hour after the second alarm.of fire was given, the TheCif Aram a N, after expatiating upon the heinout
prisoner came again into the room where the family nature of the prisoner's offence,_ 'warned her haw she
were, and said 'she smelt fire up stairs. On going suffered her mind to be deluded on anv future occaz
into the drawing-room it was found full of smoke: sion. The sentence of the Court v, as, that she be un-
but no fire 'whatever could be discovered. The un- prisoned in the I louse of Correction for one year.
easiness of the family being thus far removed, the The prisoner appeared greatly affected during the
children were put to bed at the usual hour, and the trial, and fainted more than oncei
family were themselves preparing for rest, when,
about half-past ten o'clock on the same night, the ck
prifoner ran into Mrs. Walsh's room, and again alarmed e
her by saying that the bane was on fire. Mrs. Walsh LI,.
immediately rushed up stairs to save her children, Ina
Owns she took out of bed, and had removed by the en
nursery-maid into the neat house but one in the street. -n
—After she had taken this natural precaution, she DO
with her husbadd began to explore where the fire ni
broke out ; and on entering the drawing-room they Y 2
found the sofa is flamesi. though there had been no to
tire or candle lighted in t'ha't room during the even- Lie
fig. From the general propriety of the prisoner's or
conduct whilst with the family, no suspicion what- :h
ever was attaches:lto her tiering,* previous alarms gc
of the eveseiak; but, on this last uproar, her manner
was so very erased, and she brayed such unusual Cc
perturbation, that Mr. Welsh thought it his duty to an
bring her on the following day before a Magistrate, th
still being without any proof whatever which could cr
implicate her in this foul transaction. While, how- Do
ever, before the Magistrate, the prisoner herself vo- on
luntarily furnished the necessary proof to Plank, the DO
WI
officer ; and of her own accord, without promise or O.
solicitation- cOnfessed that it was she who had caused sh
the fire; that she had done it with a red-hot poker, hi
which she found in the drawing-room tire. She ad- Lag
•
miffed the kindness of her master and mistress, who its
had always treated her well, and assigned as the s.
only reason which induced her to act as she had done, e 1
the recommendation of a fortune-teller, who had ;a1
called about a week before to sell flowers, obtained, er
admission into the passage, and for doing so incurred, RV
the displeasure of her mistress. The latter, notwith- IL'
standing, ordered a 6d. to this flower-woman, when v lic
j
she retired into the street, -and as the unfortunate ZA
prisoner gave her this charitable donation, the un- a
feeling wretch acknowledged the bounty by telling it,
in
her that she should never have an hour's happiness in nu
life unless she attempted to burn the house, which rtl
she enjoined her to take an early opportunity of
doing.. The wretched prisoner confessed, that under .1
this in she had acted, and that it'alime had, : I
caused her to commit so shocking an outrage. The LI
Learned Counsel concluded by enforcing upon the 1,1
Jury, the dreadful consequences that might have en- DI
sued from the consummation of the prisoner's plan, DI
and the necessity of making an example to prevent 01
the recurrence of such incendiary projects. •=*-
. Mr. and Mrs. Walsh proved in evidence the state-
ment made by the Learued Counsel, respecting the
L
tour several alarms of fire, and the burning in the If
first instance of the drawing-room window curtains, MI
and in the last of the back of the sofa next the wall. ,s
Mrs:Walsh, in her cross-examination by Mr. ARA- e•
BIN, said, the prisoner came into her service a few
months ago' quite a raw country girl, but with an )1
excellent character, which she had certainly sustained
by the propriety of her conduct up to the period'of ft
this unfortunate occurrence. She served the family I
faithfully, was exceedingly fond of the children and o
i
attentive to them, and was extremely honest in every le
respect. Mrs. Walsh remembered expressing her dis- A
pleasure, a few days before the fire took place, at the
admission of a flower-woman into the hall, and her K(
afterwards sending the prisoner out with 6d. to her; 111
lest she should be an object. The prisoner had lat- e
terly been much affected in her head in consequence I
of bodily indisposition, and she had sent her home
i
.for a short time to th; country in consequence of it.
On the night of the 17th of March, after the fire had --
been extinguished, there was not the least appearance a
11 of packing up, no articles were missing, nor had any-
' thing occurred to justify the idea that the prisoner k
Imeant to convey away any property.
The nursery-maid, and Perron (General Vincera's
servant), proved that they bad not been up stairs Mn
with any lighted candles, or to light any fire, in the oak
course of the evening. Joi
• Plank, the Officer, then said, that after the prisoner , of
had been brought before the Magistrates, she was dint
committed to his care; that she manifested a wish to lane
communicate something to him, but that he told her lob
first to consider, that whatever she divulged to him rfe I
he would be afterwards beund to disclose in evidence
against her. After giving her this admonition, she On
still persisted in relating to him what she called "the
whole story." Here the Officer stated her confession °lti
ae
in precisely the same terms we have already detailed I
in the opening speech of the Learned Counsel. th
The case was,here closed for the prosecution.
Mr. ARAIIN addressed the Jury. in behalf of the la
if
defendant. He set out with admitting that he must ke
concede the fact that the fire had been caused by the Si
prisoner's own hand ; and on the part of the unfor- l 1
tunate prisoner, he begged to return thanks to the
Directors of the Sun Fire-Office, for their humanity da
in abandoning the capital part Of the charge. The •
Learned Counsel then, to prove the uniform good
character of the prisoner, produced lel
The Rev. Mr. Hillyard, Rector of Cowley, in Mid. Et
dlesex, who gave the prisoner and her parents, who l,
were honest and industrious working people, the very
best character. ' rr
. 1
Dr. James Wardrobe, proved, that the prisoner P
was a patient of his for an gfection of the head, rli
rising out of a bad habit of the body, which oftett led th
to fits and mental derangement; if riot removed. -
Mrs. Walsh, on being recalled, said ' the prisoner i "--vii-, ~,,i,,,,
had had- fits while in her house; but not for' some! . 7.7.- --• . - 3
days before the fire took place.
The CHAIRMAN summed up the evidence with his

To-moartow Five Thothand Tick ts of the presea
Lottery will be enhanced in value £3O each, by the
preliminary drawing—ter every Ticket thus entitled
to £3O wi 1 still have the srme chance cf the Capitals
in the Scheme, as ;f it had not been dra.y n. Thus a
person who obtains a £3O Pi ize To-rnorrcw, mayorith
the same Tisket, obtain the 1:20,000 Prize that is at-
tached to the first-drawn Prize on the next Jay
drawing, or any other of the 'lO2 Capitals in the
.Scheme. WEBB, 9, Cornhill, who sold two Twenty
Thousand Pound Prizes, in Shares, in the Lottery-
contract just concluded, has now on sale Tickets and
Shares in great variety ; and purchasers at his Office
will participate in every advantage of the Scheir.c,
although he is not the Contractor.
RICHARDSON, GOODIXCK, and Co. respectfully ac-
quaint the Public, that Tickets and Shares fx the
New State Lottery are on Sale at their Offices, Bank-
buildings, Cornhill, and Charing-cross. The Scheme
contains -" Four Pri-ce, cf £30,000

Two Prizes of /.120,000
Two Prizes of £lo,oso
Thne per Cent. Consols.
And £40,000 has been addcel to tire Prize-Money heretofere 11.
hewed byy Government.— r the cxe.osive advantage of early
Pttrekas~rs, £60,000, in Two Thoqsand rrizes of £5O each, will
be distributed by a preliminary 'ice-arottnow.
RWEARDPON, COM/LUCK, and Co. sold, in the last Lowry No.
UO7, a Prize of ,C40,5;00 Money, in shay,:.. Schentes rade.
Saturday the (7oximox SnaJEAxT wade a Report
to his \Usti: TY in Council of e follot.ing convicts
under sentence of de:lth in Newgate,
John Potter; Samuel Elliott, James Sermon, John Pritchard,
Joseph Clarke, Isaac WrUbt, John Bird. Ocorge Bird, and
Abraham Bolton, for burglaries; William Allen and William
Simons, for stealing goods in a dwelling-1100st'; Turmas Morley
and Robert Sinith, for highway rob'eery ; James Iliroes, for
returning frenn transportation ; Ann Eilz tbeth Ilarvetiod, A:ary
Randall, Henry Wick:, John Str.:rh, Charles Harris, Jades
Griffiths, William Jennings, and Charles Hunt, for uttering
I;rged Bank Notes; Robert Gadsti,,tl aid John Beisrea‘l, far
house-breaking in die ; Peirce, David Wil-
liams, and Charles Elliott, for stealing i'rivitely in a shop ; and
William Smith, for stealing two cows.
' When John Bird, George Bird, Henry Wicks,Juhst
Smith, and Charles Hcuris, were ordered for execu-
tion on Wednesday next, the lath instant. The
others were respite(' during pleanire. The cases of
William Paley, convicted of uttering forged Notes,
and of Joseph Bluett, who was convicted at the hoc
Admiralty Sessions, were not reported.

CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE.

DUBLIN, APRIL S.

At an Examination lately held at our University, the Pre,
mining bestowed by the Primate for promoting the study of the
Hebrew Language,were obtained by the under-named Students,
viz. Sir O'Connor, Sir Porter, Sir Kyle, Sir Flood,' Mr. Hab-
sen. Sir Sillery, and Sir Doyle.
ECCLESIASTICAL PROMOTIONS.
The Rev. H. Berry is promoted to the Rectory of Acton
Beauchamp, Worcestershire.
The Rev. D. Williams, M.A. to the Rectozy of Bleaden.
The Rev. Samuel tilderbee, D.D. Rector ef Trimlcy St.
Mary and Easton, Norfolk, has been elected Convocation Proc-
tor of the Archdeacenries of Suffolk and Sudbury.

The King has presented the Rev. Alexandes Stewart, D.D.
Minister of Dingwall, to the vacant charge of the Palish of
Canongate, Edinburgh. .
On the 2iith ult. the Rev. Alexander Carripbell,of the Inver-
ness Academy. was ordained and admitted Minister of the Parish
of Dares, Presbytery of Inverness, by the Rev. Mr. 01.achlan,
Minister of May, who preached and presided.
The Rev. William Banue, A.M. late Scholar of Trinity Col-
lege, Dublin, has been unanimously elected by the Provost and
Board, to the Mastership of Kilkenny College, vacant by the
resVatien of the Rev. A. O'Callaghan.

BIRTHS.

On the 30th ult. the Lady of Major Godby, Royal Artillery,
of a daughter.
Sunday sennlght, at Plymouth Dock, the Lady of Captain
Couch, R.N. of a daughter.

MAD.
Wednesday, at Shepherd's Bush, Mrs. Dickson, aged M.
At Rath, Caroline Brxnet Baby, only surviving child of the
Doan of Rochester.

April 1, Grace, wife of the Rev. John Applebee, Rector d
East Thorp, Essex, and Prebendary of Lincoln.
On. the 3d instant, at Great Gidding, Huntingdonshire, in
his 44th yar, the Rev. Thomas Allinson, RA. formerly Stu-
dent of Christ's College, Cambridge. ,
Sunday sennight, the Rev. T. Cookoon. formerly Rector of
Colour and Prior's Dean, Hampshire, and late Vicar of Kirbl-
- Westmorland.
Saturday se'rtnight, the Rev. Mr. Offal, of Bfackbrook, near
Prescot.

March 31, at lie, near Exeter, aged 73, the Rev. C'i,ks
Jessce, B.D. formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, Rector
of Campton, Berks, and Curate of Hill Farrance Somerset;
the latter of which is in the'gift of the President ;usd Fellows
of Trinity College.
At Huntingdon, on his road to Leamington Spa, the Rev.
Thomas Echgards, LLD. Vicar of Histoa, Cambridgeshire.
At the Parsonage, Stockport, the Rev. C. Prescot, nearly
forty years Recur of that parish, and a Magistrate for the
Counties of Chester and Lancaster.

April 3, Mr. Edward Ellis. aged 71, one of the C,otr.mon
Councilmen of 'Maidstone.

At Skibo, Sutherlaotlahim en the 11th Yebrairy, is her
94th year, Mra. Macdonald, relict of John Macdonald, E.
Breakish.

At Edinburgh, the 29th ak. Robert Little Gilmour, Es q.
Writer to the Signet.
On the 31st ult. at his house in King's Buildings, Chester, ia
the •15d year of his age, John Lloyd, Esq. late of the Civil Se:-
vice in Bengal.
At Barnstaple, Captain Isaac Ferrieres, R.N.
March 13, at Sierra Leone, Mr. Tbpmas Dormer,, Mauler of
the ship Dowson. Ile sailed from Plymouth a few mouths ago,
and was about to return with a cargo of timber, when be fell a
victim' in the prime of life, to the unfavourable climate of
Sierra Leone. •

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