Star.
London, England, 1811-08-27 00:00:00

ing eLficacy as an antidote to witchcraft. The idea
of this wicked woman's power had such an effect on
the mind of the poor little girl, that she is now redu-
ced to such a state of debility, that she is scarcely able
to take any sustknance. The Jury found the pt isoner
guilty ; and the Judge observed, that only her extreme
old age prevented him from pronouncing on her the
'severest sentence the law would allow ; -she wAs sen-
tenced to pay a fine of one shilling, and to be kept io
It.trd labour in the House of Correction for 6 ruunths.
SOMERSET.

These Assizes comnienced at Bridgwater on Satur-
day se'nnight. There were S 4 prisoners on the Ca-
lendar, many of them for offetnes of the deepest dye ;
and on the Nisi Prins aide 41 causes were entered for
trial, many of which were Special Juries. Baron
Gunn AM presided on the Crown Side ; and Mr. Jus-
tice BAILEY on that of the Nisi Prins. The Assizes
finished at the Crown Bar at one o'clock on Tina.-
day, and at the 14iai Fria: at six o'clock tin Wednes-
day, noi.withstatiding the multiplicity of business.—
The fnliowing were among the trials :
William Sprang, for picking pockets on the race-
course on Lansdown—fined one shilling, and to be
twelve months imprisoned in the House of. Correction.
Arthur Bailey, for having feloniously stolen from
out of the Pot Office of the city of Bath, a letter
containing various drafts for money, and B ink Post-
bills, the property of Messrs. S. and W. Slack, er-
ceived sentence of death.
Before the Judge lett the town, he was pleased to
reprieve six milefactors, leaving Arthur Balky only
only for execution.
Bailey's trial'excited a considerable degree of inte-
rest. There was achain of circumstances unravelled,
which, notwithstanding its numerous intricacies was
conclusive to the minds of the Jury, as well as to the
whole of a crowded Court. The shopman of a jewel-
ler in London, to whom the prisoner gave a Bank-
Post-bill of £35, for the payment of a watch, not
only identified the note but the person of Bailey. A
similar evidence was given by a shopman at Gosport,
for a similar note of £45. A young woman in. a
very clear testimony, proved her accompanying the
prisoner to the jeweller's shop, and :.:fterwards to the
General Post Office, where he deposited the letter he
had purloined from the Post Office at Bath. A short-
hand writer took the minutes of the proceedings, by
order of the Post Master General. The trial lasted
siz hours. The prisoner deported himself with great
firmness during the first part of the trial ; but as it
proceeded he was extremely affected.

•
EARL SPENCER'S GAME-KEEPER.—Yesterday, '
Liam Halt, the man who was apprehended at Farnham,
in Surrey, on a charge of wounding William Astill,
Earl Spencer's game-keeper, at Wimbledon, while in
the executiop of his duty, underwent another exami-
nation. The evidence of the landlord where he lodged
at Wandsworth was taken, who stated that the pri-
soner left his house about five o'clock on the morning
the game-keeper was wounded ; that he filled the-
bottle with beer, which was found in the field of bar-
ley where the prisoner ought to have been at work ;
also the bag of victuals, which the landlord proved
he took with him. The evidence of Mr. Starve of
Putney, and Mr. Carlisle, the surgeons, was read. A
great deal of it, we lament to say, is still conjecture,
the wounded man being still speechless. It is sup.
posed he was knocked down, and, after he was dawn,
the conclusion is, that he received two violent cuts on
the left side of his head, above his ear. They were
both given with so much violence, that the skull and
ithe thin skin which covers the brain were injured ;
the skull was so much pressed down upon the brain,
that there was no doubt entertained by the surgeon:,
but he must be suffering the most excruciating tor-
ture ; and, as a proof of it, when Mr. Shillito and
Mr. Carlisle were performing the operation ofdressing
the wound, and accomplished the arduous task of
raising the indented part of the scull from the brain,
it gave the unfortunate and venerable sufferer so much
ease, that he shook the operator most heartily by the
hand for the relief he bad afforded him, and, although
'iris tongue had not utterance, his eyes beamed thank-
' fulness.—The surgeons have some hopes of the reco:-
very of the wounded man.---The prisoner is fully
committed for trial. He proves to be a well-known
poacher, and was some time since wounded.
MA RUSOROUGII-STREk.T.—A wretch el the name of
Philpet, alias Jame: Ward, a coach-painter, was yester-
' day brought from St. Giles's watch-house, amidst the
attacks of an indignant multitude, charged with hav-
ing violated the person of a female, eight years old, on
Tuesday se'nnight. The child is the daughter of an
industrious mechanic, in St. Andrew-street, Seven
Dials, who has five- other children under twelve years
of age. In seekirig trifling employ, the child in ques-
tion had fetched errands for a woman named Antho-
ny, a flower-maker, but her mother had taken her
from thence some days. Whilst playing in the *street
with her sister, Antligny and the prisoner took her to
the lodgings of the former, who left the child with
the prisoner, while she went on an errand. During
her absence the prisoner gave the child a taifling-toy,
and carried her to a bed in .t back room, where he.
perpetrated his horrid design ; and, shocking to relate,
the monster-communicated to the infant a loathsome,
disease, with which she is at present afflicted. • The
artless testimonrof the infant went so far as to consti-
tute decisively the capital part of the charge, and the
offender was fully committed for trial.
A MONSTER.—Friday evening Miss L—+ —, of
Chelsea, while returning from a friend's house in
Mount-street, across the Park, was accosted by a vil-
lain whose appearance was that of a clergyman. He
spoke in the most insinuating manner, and from his
general demeanour, not the slightest suspicion could
be entertained of his intentions. However, on his
arrival about half way across the Park, and at a dis-
tance from any passenger, he suddenly stopped, and
seizing Miss L. round the waist, drew from his pocket
a sharp instrument, with which he stabbed her in-the
thigh, and immediately darted off, and was soon out
of sight. The screams of Miss L. drew several per•
sons to her assistance, who conveyed her to a Gentle-
man's house in Park-lane, where a surgeon was pro-
cured. On examining the wound, however, it was
found not to be dangerous, and she was conveyed
home that night in the most dreadful agitation. The
same wretch, it is supposed, attacked the female ser-
vant of a gardener in Gore-lane, a few evenings be-
fore, and cut her severely in the left arm i but as the
' utmost vigilance is now exerting for his detection, we
hope he will soon meet with his just deserts.

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