Star.
London, England, 1828-07-07 00:00:00

CURIOUS CASE OE RIGAIIY.

The following case excited an uncommon degree of
attention, owing to the ingenious objections raised by
the pr ironer. _

John Trott, aged 37, was indicted for unlawfully
marrying Mary Whitten, his former wife, Sarah, being
then living.
There was' a second indictment, charging him with
marrying Elizabeth Sims.
The prisoner, when brought up in the morning to
plead and make his challenges, expressed his determi•
nation to challenge every Juror who was impanelled to
try him, because he had heard thatthey were composed

of parochial officers, and it had been communicated to,
hies that the officers of.thesparish (St: .eonard,,Stiore
ditch) who prosecuted, had repassed a determination
to convict him, should the expense be 5001.
The CoMMoN SICRONANT then told him he was mis•
taken; but the prisoner actually charged the Jury en
masse. In consequence of which he was removed from
the bar.
When the COMMON SIMORANT entered the Court in
the evening, be Ordered the prisoner .to be again put
to theist...
The prisoner said, that if he was assured that the
Gentlemen "then in the box were not parish officers of
Shortditch or any of the adjoining parishes, he would
not object to either cf them.
The Foreman of the Jury told the prisoner that they
all lived in a distant part of the metropolis from that
he had named; upon which he replied, a Very well;
then I'arn ready_to take my trial."
Mr. PazanaaoasT then stated the case for the pro-
secution, and called the following witnesses:
Thomas Ousley, the parish clerk of Thorncomb, in
the county of Devon, was desired to produce the register;
of marriages in that parish, and point nut whether. on
the 21st of December, 1819, a man of the name of John
Trott married one Sarah Stevens.

The witness produced the record called for. Witness
would not swear that the prisoner was the same John
Trott, all he knew was, that John Trott married one
Sarah Stevens, and Sally and her mother were in Court
to prove it—(A laugh).
I'l6(4:el.—My Lord, why should Sarah Sevens he
called int t question ? I cannot, surely, be indicted flu
marryiqg het,..laecatse she wasiny first, and therefore
my lawful wife.
COMMON SERGEANT-..You are not indicted for mar-
rying &evens, but for having married crtner women,
.she being yet alive.
isoner—Very good, my Lord.
Sarah Prout, the mother r•f Stevens, the prisoner.
first wife, proved the hymeneal knot being tied; and,
said the matron, "every thing was very comfortable
.the next morning"—(Laughter).
Wm. Low, the parish clerk of Speen, in Berkshire,
produced the register c•f the parish, which priived that
'the prisoner, whom he knew very well, was married to
.the prosecutrix on the 26th of February. 1824.
• The prisoner then commenced his defence, the lan-
guage of which, forming so great a contrast with his
rustic garb, excited unusual attention. •
Hi said, that he was quite conscious that he had
done wrong, and that he would have pleaded guilty in
the morning, and saved the time of the Court, but he
wished to take his trial in order that his case might be
a warning to others, who through ignorance might fall
into the same error. Until he was working at Brighton
last year, and heard a Gentleman was committed to pri-
son for having two living wives, he never knew that plu-
rality was an offence. He was now well convinced that
he had broken the laws of the King, and had also greatly
offended the DIVINE MAJESTY. The Court, he trusted,
would attend to what he was about to state. In 1807,
he entered the army as a private, arid was more than
six years in Spain, Portugal, and France. (The pri-
soner enumerated the conflicts in which he had been
engaged, which amounted to near twenty). He finished
his military career at the battle of Waterloo, and re-
tired from his Majesty's service with a fractured head,
and it was to that cause he might attribute his present
misfortune: he had this consolation, however, that by
his good conduct, he was promoted from a private to a
serjeant. He was well convinced that he had done
♦ery wrong, yet he hoped the services he bad rendered
his country, and the physical injuries he bad sustained,
would be considered in a mitigatory point of view, when
the sentence should be passed upon him.—The Jury
immediately found the prisoner Guiky. •
SECOND INDIcra►IENT.—The prisoner ,was then in-
dicted lor mart ying Elizabeth Sims, at Rom ey, in the
County t Southampton, on the 26th of Febt nary, 1824.
his wife Sarah being Jet living. This indictment was
fully proved by the register and the oral testimony of
Elizabeth, Sims.

The Learned Judge then called Sarah Trout, who
stated that her dauehter had t!iiee children by the pri-
soner, but shP thanked GOD they were all dead.
Elizabeth Sims said, that the prisoner tarried with
her but a •et y little time atter lie 'untried her—she had
no child by him.

Mary Whitten, a handaome intelligent Komar, absut
thirty years of age, st,ted, that when she married the
prisoner at Speen, she t a shop there, and was in
good citcumAances, although left a widow with two
child:en. The prisoner wined out idle and dissolute,
and lived upon her property; and, in fact, she sea,
completely ruined, and driven horn the place, and
obliged to lake refuge in a Lady's family, where she
lived as a servant. One Sunday the prisoner requested
her to lend him the watch, which was hequeathed to her
f int (had by tits late fatl.er, for the purpose of going
clicently to Church. Site foolishly let him have it, and
hr went olf.

The Common SERGEANT having remarked that his
object ss as to acertain the amount of injury sustained,
the Jury, under his direction, again returned a verdict
of Guilty.

The l> ink of Svairrl;-::lsgriiiied a pension to Lady
Downie, widow of the late Gcneral Sir JOHN Downie, in cnnsidera-
don of !di gallant conduct and services.
Wednesday afternoon. as several boys were bathing
in a place called the Marsh-pond, at Rorherhithe, one
of them, a fi.re lad, named Michael Cockrell, was
seized with the cramp. and before assistance arrived he
sunk, and was drowned. Another boy, named White,
was drowned the same day in the Surrey-canal, while
bathing. He went into the water by himself unper-
ceived ; and his mother, surprised at his long absence
from home. proceeded to the canal. on the banks of
which she found his clothes. Soon afterwards the body
of her son was taken out cf the water. Life was extinct.

In early life the Rev. ROWLAND HILL, travelling in
his carriage over Hounslow Heath, was stopped by a
highwayman, who demanded his money. The Rev.
Gentleman immediately assented ; but with his usual
self possession and good humour, entreated a few
moment: previous parley, which the highwayman
granted. Mr. HILL then requested to be informed if
he was driven to this pursuit by necessity, or if he fol-
lowed it as a regular profession? The trembling culprit
answered, " dire necessity." " Then," replied the Rev.
Gentleman\ " perhaps you would rather follow a more
honourable pursuit ?" " Yes, most cheerfully," said the
man. " Give me your entire confidence," said Mr. H.
telling the man his name," and I will keep your secret."
He did this—the man was taken into Mr.l-11•Les service
as a domestic, where, from a very humble station, he
was gradually advanced to the highest post in the Rev.
Gentleman's establishment. This man remained it!'
Mr. HILL'S house upwards of forty years. When he
died, Mr. HILL preached his funeral sermon, and then,
for the first time, divulged all the particulars of his'
servant's lite, who had become a vety sincere Christian.
As there are no highwaymen now, we can repeat the
anecdote without tear of tempting any of our readers
to choose their servants from the clerks of St. Nicholas.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUIT.DITALL

Francis Screwy was charged upon suspicion of stvaling a pocket-
book.

John Holland, a street-keeper of St. Andrew's. Maoris stated,
that on Friday evening, he heard a cry of " Stop thief—he has Thy
pocketbook !" on Holborn-bridge, and at the same Instant he saw
the prisoner and two companions run down Fleet:m.orket. Witness
seized the prisoner, hut his accomplice. escaped. There were hats
silk handkerchiefs In the prisoner's bat, but he had nut any pocktt-
' book about him. Witness called Fairclii!d. at watchman. to his as.
sistance, and when they had led the prisoner back to Holhorn•bridgi,
in attempt at rescue was made by a gang of at least thirty thieves.
Witness's and prisoner's hats were knocked off, and both carried
away. The watchman was beaten, knocked down, and kicked while
on the ground; but witness maintained his hold of the prisoner until
further assistance arrived. the Gentleman who gave the alarm
went away before he returned with the prisoner, but he had two
witnesses to prove that be had picked a Gentleman's pocket of a
handkerchief, on Thursday evening. 7he Gentleman in this in-
stance had also walked away to avoid prosecuting. The prisoner
was the bead of a daring gang, which had infested the spot for some
time. picking pockets in noon day, in the most impucent manner.
The last time he had the prisoner in custody, his mother attempted
to stab witness in the back as he was conveying him to the watch.
house.
Fairchild, the watchman, magnified the number of their assailants
into 100. After he was thrown down he seized the prisoner's leg,
and keeping a firm hold, in the attempt to pull the prisoner away,
witness was dragged along the ground, half across the carriage way.
Mr. Alderman Thompson said, in order that the prisoner might
meek his deserts, he would remand him until Wednesday, for the
purpose of obtaining- the evidence of the Gentleman who had
been robbed.

Tw• lads were committed to Bridewell for attempting to pick
pockets In ass crowd at the execution on Friday morning.
MABLBOBOUGH-STREET.

• Abet Stroll/a, with an infant at her breast, was charged with
committing a robbery at Mr. Hobday's, in Pall-malL It appearel
that about silt 'mks ago a Mr. Benyon and his sister took apart-
ments at' Mr. Hobday's, and engaged the prisoner as conk. Let
Week Mi. and bliss Benyon left town for their seat in Yorkshire.
On arriving at home Miss Benyon missed several valuable tr riktits
and a quantity of ber brother's wearing appar:l, &c. Mr. Bairn
initantly wrote ko a Gentleman, who made those inquiries which
occasioned the apprehension of the prisoner by an officer, who 0.4
entering her spat tments observed a young woman with a bundle in
her hand, which had been given to her by the priwner, and which
was found to contain a gold brooch, a Veltet waistcoat, and tuber
articles. The prisoner's bonnet was decorated with home fashiuna.
Dle ribands which had been stolen from Miss lietiyun.—She was
remanded.

Friday a,young fellow, named Green, was charged with obt.h.
Ing money by false pretences from the Marquis of Worcester. oe
Wednesday evening the Noble Marquis was accosted by the pri:.
toner, as he was coming out of his house, in Park.place. He said
he bad served his time at sea, and bad just arrived from the Duke
of Beaufort's seat, near Bristol, where Lady Frasier. Somerset itsd
desired him to apply to his Lordship for pecuniary assistance. The
prisoner added, that when he was a boy, the Marquis hail' recum.
mended him to the Blue Coat School. Ile gave the prisoner half
a crown, but he was not satished with that sun), and wished to
have sufficient money given him to enable him to join the Superb,
at Plymouth. The Marquis, however, refused to give him more,
and as he was entering the house of the Dowager Duchess of Rei-
land be met the prisoner, who said he bad been desired by him
(the Marquis) to ask for 7s. 6d. The prisoner was then given
into custody, but not until he had made a great resistance. Be
was sent for three months to the House of Correction.

Thursday Howe, a masori employed on the new
London Bridge, fell from a scaffold, fourteen feet high,
upon an iron bar, by ss hich his spine was broken, and
he was conveyed to the hospital in a hopeless state.
Sunday se`noight, the shop of Mr. Abrahams, silver.
smith, of Leeds, was broken into and robbed of plate,
'watches, and jeweller yito the amount of several hundred
pounds.
Tuesday night a fire broke out in the premises of
Messrs. bard, was and tallow chandlers, in the market-
place, Bromley, Kr' t. The file broke out on the ground
floor of the melting house, in consequence, as was sup-
posed, of the furnace having been too highly heated,
which caused the fat in the copper to boil over. 'lr.
Isard, jun. made an effort to phi tier the fire, by heaping
mould upon it, but his exertions proved ineffecteal.—.
Front the nature -of the building itself, and the con►-
bu:tible matter which it contained, it may be imagined
that the flames raged with great fury. Unfortunately
there was but one engine in the village, and that was
out of repair, such a calamity not having occurred in
Bromley within the recollection of the oldest inhabi ant.
Engines soon afterwards arrived from London, bu, a
very scanty supply of water could he obtained for ti em,
and the flames communicated to five houses, occur e
by poor working people, which were destroyed. The
fire was so far got under at twelve o'clock as to do arv.,y
any apprehension of future danger. Yesterday morning
the fire again broke out; but water having been ot-
tained from the Bishop of Rochester %, at a considerable
distance, the conflagration was stopped.

FROM FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE.
CERTI F ICA TES, Jut.v 25.
' William Metcalfe. Brktol, tailor. Stephen Filcher, Rarniste,
Isle of Thanes, Kent, baker. Richard Moreland, Borwick,La-•
cashire, molester. Solomon Johnson, Margate, Kern, coach mutt r.
Thomas Paddock, Chirk Batik, Shropshire, timber merchant
maltster. Martin Edward Hopkins, St. Peter's-alley, C..rnbill,
merchant. Andrew Read, Lower Grosvenor-street, hotel-keeper.

PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED.

Edward Cartwright, William Jenkinss and Charles Vaudrant,
Brewer.strerr, Gulden square, engravers and priotera. John Pint,
sen. Joseph Pim, and John Pim, sen. Bartholomew-close (so far as
regards John Pim, sen.) William Sealy and James Rouse, South-
wark Bridge Road, Surrey, licensed victuallers. Samt. Grinisb.w,
Jarvis Brady, and Thomas Robinson, Leeds, Yorkshire, flax spil-
ners (so far aa..regards Thomas Robinson). Robert Saunders and
Edmund Hodgson, Fleet-street, auctioneers. William Seymour,
'Robert Browne, and Ralph Wilson, Margaret-street, Little Port-
land-streety Sc. Mary-la-bonne, attornies (so far as regards William
Seymour). Michael Bainbridge and Chas. Bradfield, King-street,
Regent-street, boot and shoemakers. John Mitchell and Thomas
Martin, Chatham and Gravesend, Kent, tea-dealers. Thos. Henry
Vey and James Austin, Wapping, coal merchants: Ellin Harding
and Mary Ann Spinks, Turnbani Green, schoolmistresses. J. N.
Cosibam and J. T. Castilian', Brian!, accountants. John Gordon,
James Fyffe, Neill Malcolm, Charles Stirling, William Stirlirg,
C. Stirling, jun. William Leckie Ewia, and a 0. C. Malcolm,
Glasgow (so far as regards John Gordon, James Fyffe, and Neill
Malcolm). John Kirton and Thomas Kirton, Lincoln, coal nier-
' chants and corn factors. Ells. Reynolds and Mary Ann Burgin",
Dover, Kent, schoolmistresses. Jas. Hilton and 0: T. Duisburg,
Liverpool, timber merchants. Thomas Robinson and Matilda B.
Robinson, Lichfield, haberdashers. Charles Hutchinson and Wm.
Stephens, Wood-street, Cheapside, cloth factors. Win. De Cu!,
Robert Banks, and Thomas Banks, Norwicb, grocers. James
Keeling, Thomas Toft, Thomas Dimmock, Sampu. Wright, Philip
Keeling, anti John Hattori, Ilanley,Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire,
earthenware Manufacturers. John Orr, William Robinson, sod
Timothy Burton Cunninghame, Liverpool, commission merchants.
James Kuibb and Henry Charles Langbridge, Worcester, book-
sellers and stationers. Thomas R. Williams and Thomas Waller,
Higgerston-lane, Hackney-road, patent shell and bat manufacturers.
William Thomas, sen. William Thomas, jca. and Edward Neg"
Friday-street. Robert Dudgeon, Peter Dickson. Robert Dickson,
and James Dickson, London and Gothenburg, (so far as concerns
Robert Dudgeon). Thos. Coates, Jas. Fos, and John William,
Plymouth, lhvonshire, spirit dealers and rectifiers.