Star.
London, England, 1828-07-21 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE..

COURT OF KINGS BENCH, int 19.

RIRECLARK V. BRENT AND OTHERS.
This was an action brought against the defendants,
as Directors of the East Kent and Canterbury Econo-
mic Fire Assurance Association, to recover the value of
the plaintiff's stock and furniture, which were insured
in ;his Association, and were consumed by fire. The
defence was, that the plaintiff had not given in so par-
ticular an account of his loss as he might.have done.
The plaintiff's premises were situated at Sheerness,
and were, together with the stock and many other
houses, destroyed in July, 1822, when a fire broke out
in the town.

The conditions of the policy were then read, and se-
veral witnesses were called, who stated, that from what
they had seen of the stock and household furniture in
the plaintiff's house, immediately before the fire, they
,hnuld conceive that it could not be worth less than
3.0001. His household furniture was valued at 4001.
fir 5001.

On the part of the defendants, witnesses were called,
who stated, that from what the plaintiff had said in his
examination before the Commissioners, and from what
appeared on his book, it was impossible that the value
of his stock at the time of the fire could have amounted
to more than 1,2321. 13s.

The Jury, however, returned a verdict for the plain-
tiff—D4rnages Two Thousand Two Hundred Pounds.
The Court, on its rising, adjourned till Monday, October 27.
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, JULY 19.
CRIM. CON.—MARSH V. HARRIS.

This was an action for Crim. Coo. and Mr. Sergeant
WII.DIS stated the plaintiff's case to the Jury. The
Learned Sergeant said, that in this case his client was a
Lieutenant• in h& Majesty's Navy, and the defendant
wits a clerk in an attorney's office. The plaintiff, in the
year 1826, had gone out in the Asia,. and subsequently
transferred his services to the. Ariadne, during which
time his wife, with her four children, resided in Mar-
te. Soon after the plaintiff went to sea, it was ob-
served that the defendant was very frequent in his visits
to Mrs. Marsh, and both he and the Lady were warned
on the subject by those who felt interested in her beha-
viour. The defendant, however, had persisted in his
attentions, and did not even suffer the children of the
plaintiff to be any restraint to him, he having, in their
presence, taken Mrs. Marsh on his knee, and kissed and
fondled her in a way that told too plainly the nature of
the intercourse between them; and after this they re-
tired together into the Lady's bed room, returning from
it with her dress disordered. He thought that all this
was quite sufficient to prove that the last familiarities
had passed between the defendant and the plaintiff's
wife; and the plaintiff had therefore come into Court to
receive a verdict at the hands of the Jury, which now
was the only compensation that could be afforded him
for the irreparable damage inflicted upon him.
The defendant appealed in person,and cross-examined
all the witnesses himself. The following witnesses were
called:

Martha Young—l was present at the marriage of the
plaintiff, which took place about nine years ago; Mrs.
Marsh's maiden name was Mary Ann Young. They
have four children, and they were married at Margate.
The witness was then cross-examined by the defen-
dant, and said, I never saw Mrs. Marsh in your cum.
pany ; I never saw any thing in her conduct improper;
Mrs. Marsh has
,been living about twelve or fourteen
months in her present house ; Mr. Marsh went away
some time before that ; she was then living somewhere
on Dane-hill, in another part of the town ; before
that, they had been living in the barracks at Deal ;
plaintiff then was a Captain's clerk in the Admiralty
Office ; he held that situation before he was married ;
they lived at Deal about six years; he left Deal in con-
sequence of the ill-treatment of his wife ; never saw.him
ill-treat her, but I know that she has received bruises
from him of a •ery serious nature; I have heard her
complain from the very first of her marriage that he
had treated her ill ; she was obliged to threaten to leave
him,but I do not know t*at she did so; I received an inti•
mation from old Mrs. Marsh respecting the impropriety
of your visits ; that was just before her husband came
home ; I understood that you had frequently gone there,
but I paid very little attention to.what she said, know-
ing that she was an enemy to my sister-in-law.
James Allen—l am twelve years old ; I lived in the
house with Mrs. Marsh ; I went there in July last year,
and lived there about six months; Mr. Marsh was at
sea then ; 1 know defendant, and used to see him at the
house; he sometimes came twice a day; I have seen
Mrs. Marsh and Mr. Harris sometimes sit in the same
chair together; once saw him kiss her, and put his
hands on her neck ; sometimes I was sent away when
they were together; I have seen the defendant in Mrs.
Marsh's bedroom ; she was then with him; before they
went into the bed room they were in the drawing-room,
sitting close together ; they stayed in the bed-room about
half an hour; I did not mark how Mrs. Marsh's dress
was when she came out; I never saw the defendant in
the bed-room but once.

Cross-examined—l left Mrs. Marsh's before Christ-
mas, but I do not remember when it was that I saw
you in the bed room; it was some time before I went
away from the house, perhaps two or three months; I
saw your hands on the back part of Mrs. Marsh's neck
twice, I think ; you had been in the drawing room about
an hour before you went into the bed room ; she went
in first, and you went in afterwards, and remained there
about half an hour ; I do not know whether you went
there to wash your hands or not; I do not remember
hearing any conversation that passed between you at
that time; about a month after this I saw you kiss her.
Thomas Foster—l am fourteen years old ;in Septem-
ber last I lived at Mrs. Marsh's house; I used to see de-
fendant there frequently; Thomas Marsh's birth-day
occurred in October, and there was a little party on the
occasion ; defendant was there; 1 first saw him in the
parlour with Mrs. Marsh ; after that they went into the
drawing-room, which was up stairs; we were all in the
drawing-room together; about half an hour after that,
defendant and Mrs. Marsh went into the bed-room;
before that, defendant took her on his knee, and put his
arms round her neck; there were six of us, playmates
of the thildren, present at the time; Mrs. Marsh's four
children were among the number, the eldest of whom
is about seven or eight years old ; when they went into
the bed-room, the door was shit; they remained there
for about a quarter of an hour • on coming out, Mrs.
Marsh said, •' You have spoiled my band;" he said,
4, never mind, I'll buy you a new ofte"—(A laugh).
Cross-examined—My mother has four children besides
myself ; Mrs. Marsh went into the bed room first, and
I saw you go in afterwards; I could see through the
crack of the door that you went into that room ; when
you returned you had your cuffs turned up, as if you
had been washing your hands, but you were not wiping
them; my mother and Mrs. arsh have lately been at
variance.
Mrs. Foster—l am the mother of the last witness; I

went to lodge, in September last, at Mrs. Marsh's house ;
defendant came there eery frequently ; I bus seen him
there at aloe at night; the children used to be in the
room wigt them ; I have seed Mrs. Marsh's dress open