Star.
London, England, 1816-04-09 00:00:00

Ur. Dorton, the letters produced br Wm Soft'
were mud
FIRST LETTER.
41 Miss lIELLT, DKURY-LANG TWIATRIL
" Feb. lobos.

. Did love aver prompt you to rebeane
The part of honour, uneptay'd in verse t
Or passion strive to guard it from decay.
Applause to gain, or self.applause to,pay
• The works of genius would its charms resigoi
And your honour's praise echo every line.
" Mistaken girl! ambition would you sway.
To assume a pats in each concerted play;
Your sex's softness endeavour to abuse,
And for defence not one poor excuse!
" I have hero Madam, defined your character and disposidoß
in a few words% and shall go so fat as to say your are not it
stranger to my name.
" Years ago I was your admirer, but away* met with dtsap-
pointment—coquetry indulged you, though often obtained at the
expense of others.
" Without vanity to myself, I think my good intestions to-
wards you have been more trifled with than any of my cocain-
poraries ; my claim to your person is therefore pester. which
determines me to • demand your band—or, in other words, to
make you my wife.
• You will either consent to this, or accept my challenge. I
will attend you any hour your please, on Wednesday, or before.
• I have witnessed your dexterity in Bring a gun—but supper'
a pistol will better suit you, as ban., much lighter.
" Had you not infringed the rights of your sex, Lebodd not
_have thus addressed you ; but as it is, no other person can better
answer this letter than yourself, It shall not brook contempt or
trifling excuses. " GEORGE BARNETT,
" To Miss Kelly."

N 22,

• SECOND LETTER.
‘g MISS [ELLIN PEUEottMER, DRURY LANE THEATRE.
" re
" MADAII-.4 received a letter yesterday everting, 14, 185 6.
veninB, which.
from its apparent rusticuy, I relieve is yours. You w 05.1.1 ac
wiser if you was to add your name, as I am not sufficiently Lc-
cluainted.With your b•sid-writing; and, as I hinted in my last
letter, not to subject others to be answerable for your forward-
ness. If the terms specified in soi letter were not so your satis-
faction, why not express yourself as one becoming your protes•
ston ? why suffer your temper to overrule your rtason
" I love the sex, and once esteemed you as an ornament ro it,
till you roused my indignation by your impertbrence.sud scanda-
Loh abuses.
" You are very partial' to a disguised male dress; but let me
not espetience any more of your hilly, for if you do, 11l secure
1 you as au impostor, and punish you Inc your temerity.
" I am, Madam, your well-wisher,
a GLORGL SAIINITT:i
Mr. DOWLING now announced his intention to call
evidence to prove the insanity of the prisoner.
The prisoner, on being asked by Mr. Baron WooD.
said, he had nothing to say in his defence.
John Crocket had married the piisoner's mother.
The prisoner, when a boy, was always reserved and
gloomy; he would not play with other boys. At
times lie was very queer, and at his meals would
burst out a laughing without reason. He was ap-
prenticed to a law-stationer; he went down to Seven
Oaks, in Kent, as clerk to an attorney ; he had not
been long there, when witness was sent for by his
master to bring him away, from the bad state of his
mind. When he went down, he found him standing
in the (rimy of a Gentleman's house, hewing; he had
great difficulty in getting him away. About a fort-
night after, the prisoner went to Yarmouth ; he re-
turned in five .weeks, and went to work with Mr.
Norcroft, a law-stationer. He went to several other
plates, but was always low and melancholy. Three
or four days before this transaction lie was particu-
larly low. He burst out into a laugh; and on being
asked what he did so for, he said he had a thought in
his head. -
On cross-examination, the witness said, he never
had put the prisoner in confinement, or had medical
advice for him. He was harmless.
Mrs. Crocket, mother of the prisoner, said he was
the son of Mr. Barnett, who was a waiter at the Piazza
Coffee-house. She remembered his return from
Seven Oaks. He seemed very ill, melancholy, and
low spirited. The last week before this affair, he
appeared very uneasy and very uncomfortable. On
Saturday, the 17th of February, the day on which be
committed the act, he was particularly uneasy. She
remembered his firing a pistol in the yard on that'
Iday. She did not see much of his mind the Jew
days before Saturday. She knew he was going to
the play on Saturday. She never knew of his having
a pistol till the day in question. He was very un-
settled in his mind.
Mr. Norcroft, a law stationer, with whom the pri-
soner had worked for a year, deposed, that in his opi.
nion his close application to business had injured his
health. Witness recommended him to Mr. Claridge
at Seven Oaks, who wrote to him soon afterwards,
complaining of the prisoner's state of mind. Witness
sent bis father for him. He was correct ininisiness
till a day or two before the offence with which he
was charged. He then appeared in a very disturbed
state of mind.
Mr. Riordan, aleo a law stationer, spoke to the dis-
turbed state of the prisoner's mind,
Mr. Claridge was at Seven Oaks when the priso-
ner was in his father's employment. He once obser-
ved the prisoner standing opposite a Gentleman's
house at Seven Oaks', gazing earnestly at the win-
dows. He was surrounded by a mob, who wete
mocking him. This was in July, 1815. He was sa.
tisfied the prisoner was not then in his right mind.—i
In talking of theatricals, he said he could play better
than Mr. Kean, and was often incoherent in his
manner.
The Lady with whom the prisoner lodged at
Seven Oaks, also spoke to the circumstance alluded
to by the last witness, He sometimes sat in church
with his hat on, and, in tact, conducted himself in as
insane manner.
Mrs. Mary Haggerty lived in Castle-street, Hol-
born ; the prisoner lodged with her. She knew the
prisoner. Once, when one of her children was dying,
she asked him what lie thought of it ? He went to
the sofa on which the child hty, and, after looking at
it earnestly, laughed in her face, and quitted the
room. He often danced all night in his room, and
was guilty of such extravagances, that it Was her
firm belief he was insane.
Mr. Want, a surgeon, thought the prisoner insane.
Mr. Baron Woos proceeded to sum up the evi-
-1 Stance. With respect to the letters which had been
mad, he aid that they bore evident symptoms of
rmsanity.—The Jury found the piisoner Not Guilty,
on the ground of insanity. He will, of course, be
isnOrsiened for life. ,
Nothing could exceed the interest which this trial
melted. The body .of the Court was crowded' to
lexcess by respectable persons, among whom we obser-
ved most of the dramatic corps.
The prisoner was plainly dressed, and stood per-
fectly quiescent during his trial, occasionally looking
'at Miss Kelly with a faint smile.
... . •
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