Star.
London, England, 1816-04-11 00:00:00

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CAM M. TIMITOPRIETOII OF Tin {T&OODWAT[R COACT.
This was 'an action brought by the plaintiff to ?l-
evier the expense of having hired a post-chaise, in
becernber,lBl4, to take himself and another passen-
ger by the same coach from London to Cirencester,
the coach at the time of starting being loaded in a
very dangerous manner.
Mi.:CM/MU. having opened the cause,
Mr. DANCI shortly addressed the Jury : he stated
it to be t,he constant practice of coach proprietors to
carry on any action brought against them to the full
extent, it not happening once in an hundred times
but that the contending party is induced to relinquish
his praise-tvortby plan, it being attended both with
considerable trouble and expense. He concluded by
stating to the Jury. that he should bring a few wit-
nesses to prove the great overloading of the coach,
and indeed that it resembled more a waggon than a
safe conveyance of passengers, which he did not doubt
would satisfy the Jury as to his right to a verdict and
costs.
John Gardiner being called, proved the places being
taken and a deposit made ; that the coach was loaded
in a tremendous manner; that the coachman was in-
toxicated ; that two people were with him on the box;
and that the coach was twenty-four hours performing
ninety miles, computing the travelling at not four
miles an hour.
Thomas Haigh being called, confirmed the evidence
of the first witness, and that he (Haigh) on the coach
starting, measured the luggage on the roof, which
was Potty-two inches high.
Joshua Thomas agreed in the statements of the
two fruitier witnesses, and proved that the coach was
weighed at one of the gates on the road, and that it
weighed three tons, eleven hundred weight.
Mr. Justice DALLAS here expressed himself satis-
fied with the proof; when the defendant's Counsel,
being quite unable to make a defence, allowed a ver-
dict for the plaintiff, with costs, to the great satisfac-
tion of a very crowded Court.

At the Shropshire Assizes, Samuel Fran', aged
45, was tried, charged by the Coroner's verdict, on
suspicion of the wilful murder of his father, Richard
Franks, aged 77, farmer, at Cardington. 'rhe prin-
cipal witness was an apprentice boy, aged 15, who
stated that in February last, the old man went to the
cupboard, and having cut some bread, his wife took
it from him, and locked the cupboard : the deceased
then struck her in the face, whereupon the prisoner
took up a thatching-stick and beat his father, who,
retreating from the blows, fell down, and shortly
after expired. The surgeon who examined the skull
of the deceased stated, that the wound might have
been occasioned by the fall. Verdict—Manslaughter.
Imprisoned one year.
Owe of the prisoners on trial at the last Assizes at
Exeter, got acquitted by a singular effort of impu-
dence. A servant girl in a public house was called
to prove that the prisoner was out of his lodgings on
the night the robbery charged against him was com-
mitted. The house was so full on that night, she
said, that she herself was compelled to sleep in the
bed the prisoner usually occupied—" Aye, (rejoined
the fellow) and don't you remember I slept that
night with you N.-in proof of it, I can tell you, that
you have a mole on your breast—l saw it !" The
poor girl was so confused by this unexpected slander,
uttered in the face of a very crowded Court, that she
could not hold up her head, or connect any thing she
said afterwards. No one doubted the fellow's false-
hood on the main point ; but, it seems, he had been
pretending, one evening, at his lodgings, to foretell
the fortunes of persons, from the moles on their bo-
dies, and it then came out, that the silly girl had one,
where he now, so luckily for himself, described it.
UNION HALL. Daniel Phillips, a native of Wales,
was yesterday brought up by Goff, apprehended as
a vagrant begging in the streets of St. Saviour's
parish. He wnre a long beard, and his apparel was
a complese bundle of rags, and his whole appearance
presented a picture of extreme misery and penury ;
as bag was•slung across his shoulder by a piece of list,
and on examining jts contents, they were found to
consist of pieces of soap, cheese, meat, bread, nuts,
&c. and about twenty small parcels made up in brown
paper. On opening these, they were found to contain
13 dollars, 9 three shilling pieces, 15 eighteen penny
pieces, guineas, 2 half ditto, and 16s. in silver and
copper money. The prisoner admitted he had ob-
tained this money by begging. He was committed
to the House of Correction for seven days, and or-
dered to be passed to his parish at the expiration of
that time.