Star.
London, England, 1817-09-01 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY STATEMEIvT.

Mr. Buttons, an attorney, lately appeared before
the Sitting Magistrate (J. R. CHAMBERS, Esq.) at
Union Hall Police Office, on the part of two young
men who accompanied him, named John Good and
Thomas Thorpe. Mr. Burgess stated to the Magi
strate, that on the Bth of June last the two young
men were apprehended and taken to St. Ge. rge the
Martyr's watch-house, Southwark, on a charge of
highway robbery. On the following morning they
were brought before the Magistrate at Union Hall,
and charged by one William Penman, of Kent-street,
Borough, on his oath, with robbing him on the King's
•highway. Mr. Burgess then read a copy of his de-
position, which is as follows W. Penman, on his
oath, says, that about half past ten o'clock last night
' he was stopped by four men in Peckham fields, three
short men, and one tall man, who knocked him
down, and forcibly took his watch, chain, and seals.
They afterwards went over the hedge, and when they
were out of sight, he got up and came to town. He
was walking towards his house, and near the Bull
public house, he SAW the prisoners, and followed
them to Kent•street, in the Borough, and gave
charge of them. He 6' is acquainted with the pri.
sneer Go.id bdlaii." Mr. Burgess s,id, that upon
the above evidence, and the statement of the officer,
( Heron) the two prisoners were fully committed for
trial ; and sumo shim time after, a man, named
Wrieellr, was apprehended and committed upon the
same charge, as being one of the scut persons that com-
mitted the robbery upon Penman. The commitment
staled, that J. Good and T. Thorpe were charged on
the oaths of W. Penman and another, with feloniously
assaulting the said %V. Penman, in a field near the
Kasg's highway, at Camberwell, plating him in
bodily fear, and taking from his person, and against
his will, a silver watch, chain, and seals, his property.
They were committed to the custody of the keeper
of Hersemonger•lane jail, double ironed. They were
kept in custody from the 9th day of June, until City
were discharged by proclamation at the last Croydon
Assizes ; being ten weeks confined, double ironed,
and the bill of indictment having been returned by
the Grand Jury, " not found." Mr. Burgess further
stated, that in consequence of these two men (who
were completely in rags while in the Office) having
been in custody for so long a period, they had been
obliged to sell and pawn all their goads and clothes,
and having lost their situations and characters, they
were reduced to the utmost distress. Mr. Burgess
said, as he could fuily prove the innocence of these
two men, not only from the mouth of Penman, but
also from the testimony of other witnesses, he trusted
that the Magistrate (who was the same that commit.
tad them for the robbery) would order the Chit,
Clerk of the Office ( Mr. Reeves) to prosecute Pen.
man ; but here Mr. Burgess was interrupted by the
Magistrate, who said that he could not take cogni-
zance of the proceeding. He (Mr. Burgess) might
take the men before tl:e Grand Jury, and prefer an
indictment, or make an application to the Secretary
of State for the Home Department.
Mr. Burgess said that he would prosecute if the
Magistrate would order him to be allowed funds. He
was determined the poor fellows shoOld have redress,
and for the sake of the Public he conceived such a
dangerous character as Penman should not go unpu-
nished. The .Magistrate said he should be happy to
render him any assistance. He would not take the
oath of Penman for the value of a straw.

Mr: Burgess said, that although he would not take
the oath of Penman, yet a July had believed him on
his oath. Wheeler, who was committed on the same
charge as Good and Thorpe for being an accomplice
with them, had been capitally convicted last Croy-
don' As:lies, and then lay under sentence of death.
He had witnesses to prove that Penman bad said in
the company of several persons, " that he should not
have sworn before the Magistrate that the prisoners
Good and Thorpe vi ere the mem that rubbed him,
had he not been instigated to do it by an Officer."
He could also skew that Penman went to Horse-
monger lane gaol a short time before the prisoners
Were removed to Croydon fur trial, and told them be
was sorry for what he had done, but he should 'not
appear against them at Croydon. The prisoners de.
dared they were innocent of the crime with which
they were charged. Penman replied that he knew
they were, but he uas induced to swear what he had
done by an Officer. He then gave them a few shillings,
:old again said that be should not ,appear against
them. They (the prisoners) said to Penman, that
they were afraid the Officer would persuade him to
swear again what he had dote before ; to which he
replied, that the Officer had brought him into diffi-'
culties enough,, but he was determined to cut with
him, and he should not lead him into any others.
He (Mr. Burgess) wag satisfied that Penman had
been induced ti. swear against the prisoners for the
conviction money. He conceived that this was a case
which ought to be sifted to the bottom, for bad not
Penman frail great fear of detection, or felt some
compunction, the lives of two innocent men might
have been sacrificed.
The Magistrate said that be had no funds under
his controul, and therefore he could not order him
any money to. carry on a prosecution against the of-
fenders. He could do no more than repeat his for-
mer recommendation of applying to the Secretary of
State for the Home Department. Mr. Burgess said,
Vat the Secretary of State was always willing to in-
terfere in cases of this description ; for in the instance
of Brock, Pellnim, and Power, whom he (Mr. Bur-
gess) was an instrument in bringing to trial, as soon
as the Noble Secretary was made acquainted with
their case he caused not only an immediate inv'esti-
4ation, but also ultimately a committal. He (Mr.
Burgess) pledged himself to bring the present case
before the Secretary of State ; and if he, upon being
acquainted with the infamous transaction, did not
-order a prosecution, he, Mr. Burgess, was determi-
ned to institute a prosecution himself: Penman had
admitted, that when lie was before the Grain" Jury
at Croydon, he said that Good and Thorpe were not
the persons that stopped him in the Peckham-fields..
He :Wore positively to Wheeler, and on his testi-
mony was he committid ; on the testimony of a man
whom the Magistrate at Union Hall (who knew him)
said, he should not take his oath for.the value of a
litrA w.

The Court of Chancery, on Saturday, rose for the
long vacation until the Ist of Nowernbei. The Vscw
CIiANCELLCS also mac uucil the 2.91,11 of October.

ASSIZES.

DARING BUKILARY. —Benjamin Carr, well 60%17
as the leader of a banditti who issue every night from
the coal mines in the Forest of Dean, and comma:
depredations on the surroundingcoUntry, was put tt
the bar, to take his trial on an indictment charging
him with having, in company with three others; un-
der circumstances of great aggravation, burglariously
broken and entered the dwelling-house of Sarah.
Prigg, in the perish of Bitton, single woman, in the,
night time, and stolen from thence a quantity of
wearing apparel, money, silver, tea-spoons, and other
property, of the value of se39.
Sarah Prigg, the yrosecutrix, an elderly woman,
deposed, that on the night of the Ist February last
she retired to beJ, leaving her nephew, James Evans,
up. After she had been in bed some time, she was
awoke by three men entering her room. She cried
64 murder," and jumped out of bed, when one of
them knocked her down, and grasping her throat as
she lay on the floor, demanded where washer money?
threatening, it she did not direct him to it, he would
murder her. She said she had tone; upon which he
left her with dreadlul imprecations, and went to the
bed, where her pockets were lying. These he picked
tip and emptied, putting the contents in his pocket.
He then went away. This man, as well as his cum.
panions, had masks on their faces, and brought a
light into the room. In about half an hour she went
down stairs, and found that the house had been rifled.

lames Evans, the nephew of the ptosecutrix, coil
funie.d this evidence.

Henry Wilmot, an accomplice in the robbery, said
that lie was called up on the night in question by toe
prisoner and two other men, about twelve o'clock.
When they got to Redfield-brook, they told hint they
,vere going so rob Yrigg's house. 'Vliey took twr.
horses oith the m. Witness was left outside of the
house to snatch, while they went in to commit the
roh.hery, The prisoner and his companions broke a
bole in the oven, and thus gained admission. The
had a loaded pistol in his hand, and Saco e
he would shot the first that oppqed Trim. Ia
a quarter of an hour they came OH, and loaded one
of the horses with their spoil.. They then all went
away together, and oncoming to witness's house they
patted. Witness was to have men them in the retn-
ing to divide the spoil, but he was apprAiended in the
interim, and never got his share.
This was the case for the prosecution.
The prisoner, on jbeing called on for his defence,
s +id he bad two witnesses to call, who would prove
that Henry Wilmot was out all night, on the nigh;
of the robbery, at some other place than that in which
he stated he was his companion.
James Briant, a felllw of the most forbidding as-
pect, who deposed in the most unbhishing manner,
that on the night in question he supped in company
with Wilmot and others at their club. Wilmot wen..
home about half•past ten. About twelve witness and
a man of the name of Monk went to his house, and
stopped with him till between two and three in the
morning. They all went out together to steal tur-
nips, to: want of fond. They tete famishing.
Cross rx4mined by Mr. Tots.—l-lad sopped at
the club before. he went out turnip.stealing. It was
his children mostly that were scat ving. He took a
goodish lot of turnips, and Was not very long in get-
ting them.
Edward Monk, the man alluded to by the last
witness, and who had been ordered out of Court du-
ring the examination of his companion, was then
called in.

Mr. Cuoss, Counsel for the prisoner, however, an-
ticipating that he might not exactly agree with his
friend in his description of the club supper, thought
it prudent not to esaluine him.
The Jury, without hesitation, found the prisoner—
Guilty.
Mr. Baron GARHOW immediately proceeded to
pronounce sentence of di•atlt, observing, that the only
hesitation which lie had on his mind was, whether Le
.hould not order the prisoner to be executed at an ear-
lier period than usual, and whether he should not or-
der his body to be hung in pains, as an example to
the rest of his infamous gang.
The prisoner seemed perfectly indifferent to his fate,
and.it was known that several of his companions in
iniquity were present in Court daring his trial.
ATTEMPT At RAPE, AND HIGHWAY Rounstar.--
Mosses &ohm wis capitally indicted for assaulting
Sesah, the wife of James Bayliss, on the King's high-'
way, in the parish of Brumfield, on the 20th Apra
last, and taking from her person a handkerchief and]
six pennyworth of halfpence.
- It appeared, that on the day in question the pro-,
secutriz was proceeding from Stroud to Cheltenham, I
where she expected to meet her husband, when she'
missed her way, and meeting the prislnrr, begged of
him to set her right. He, however, directed her still
more out of her road, and on coming to a lonely spot
knocked her down, and committed an assault on her
pet son which forbids description ; after which lie r0b-
b...1 her of sir ence in halfpence, which was all the
money she ha with her, and her handkerchief.
The prisoner, who had the appearance of a soldier,
was found Guilty, and was left tor execution without
hope of reprieve.
LANCASHIRE.

These Assizes commenced on Thursday.
There are ninety-five prisoners in the Crown Ca-
lendar : of whom eleven are for wilful murder, 25
for forgery, 16 for burglary, seven for conspiring to
cause tumultuous assemblies at Manchester, siz for
highway robbery, six for manslaughter, 11 for horse
and sheep-stealing, one for arson, two for receiving
stolen property, one for bigamy, seven-for making
and uttcring counterfeit coin, one for stealing in a
dwelling. house, and one for larceny.
Theati,u Wrijlit, charged with burglary hi thi house
of janies Douglas, in Liverpool, was first put on his
trial, and acquitted.
JohnTanter was charged with bigamy at Manthes.
ter. The prisoner, in his def.mce, said that hir first
wife was a ba►tard child. and took the name cf her
:bother till she found her father, and that he did not
therefore think the marriage good.—Guilty.
Joke Illimihern, charged with stealing in a dwelling.
house; and John Deuthmrst, with !laving stolen a
mare, were both found Guilty—Death.
Jeremiah Aldred and "1 Brouhton, charged with
breaking into-the dwelling;-house of Francis Lambert
in Manesietter. with intent to steal, were acrinetted.
Widians Aulrewr, charges! with stealing 13.:nk• tu•

kens and a hat from Junes Wad, In lanctrerter, oa
'the July Lst.
The probecutor said he was knoeted down b. the
prisoner, who took the property stated in the indict•
anent from him.

The prisoner, in his defence, made the fAlroving
speech Gentlemen, I was drinking that nth'.!,
.and was intoxicate. As I went down Oldttim-gr.c.
the prosecutor.pushed me off the pavement, and said
Ire would do it again, if i said a word. Alter thsrt
there I waked away : he followed me, and prtht4
me off again. I struck him Sir," addrtasing is*
Judge, " and we sttu?gled, and I was the strr.frtz..—
Sir, I was the stronger."
CHIP? BARCSN." Have ynn any witnesses."
Pritot.tr No, Sir. 'i bete was no p 05411144.
me, and I was intoxicge."
CHI B A anN....." Yes —lid linw Tryt: c'end
to know so well what h.ppened i"
In summing up, hi, L.,rdslop said it ~#
question of credibility whether they should built:ere ti,e
prisoner or the prosecutor.—. The Jury—..
The Prisoner.-4, I am as innocent of
crime as that there wood"—(laying his hand: upcA
the seat before him.