Star.
London, England, 1820-09-21 00:00:00

CRIM. CON.

SUPRRME COURT AT HALIFAX, JULY so.

WILLIAM HENRY HALL V. MAJOR GEORGE BARROW.
This day having been appointed for the trial of
the above very important action, the Court was un-
commonly crowded at an early hour. After the
Jury were sworn, Mr. CHAPMAN opened the case,
and then proceeded to call
Dr. Inglis, who proved the register of the marriage
of the plaintiff with Miss Martha Ann Phalan, on
the 12th of March; 1814.
Francis Anson, a private in the 60th Regiment,
stated, that he had lived servant to the plaintiff about
two years and a half ; the plaintiff and his wife lived
agreeably together during that time ; he was in that
capacity when Mr. Hall went to gaol ; the defend-
ant used to come to the house before that event, but
more frequently afterwards ; sometimes in the day-
time, but oftener in the evening about six or seven
o'clock, and stopped there occasionally till after
eleven at night ; the plaintiff had business to attend
in the Barrack Department, .and usually went out
after breakfast, and did not return till dinner-time;
he observed that the defendant always came after'the
plaintiff was gone out, and went away, before he re-
turned ; he recollected once taking into: the parlour
some hot and cold water, and that evening the de-
fendant remained them till about half4past ten; on
one occasion. he was requested by Mrs. Hall to at-
tend her to Mrs. Cleary's, where she said • she Was
going to tea ; he went part of the way with her
when she told him be might go back; this was in the
winter season, about half-past six o'clock, and it
was a dark night ; instead of going home, he went
to buy some segars, and chanced to see Mrs. Hall go
into the defendant's house; he' could not say who
opened the door to her ; she wore that evening a
blue cloak and a fur cap belonging to his master ;
he never saw her wear that dress before; Mrs. Hall
came borne about half-past ten, and brought some
one with her, but who did not come in ; on another
occasion be discovered that a ladder, which belonged
to the stable, had been taken away, and placed under
Mrs. Hall's bed-room window; there haj;pened to be
snow on the ground, and the marks of footsteps were
visible, as if they came through the garden and up
the back part of the house ; he observed there was
no snow on the sill of the bed-room window, al-
though there was snow on the others; and it ap-
peared as if some one had made an entrance there;
he sheaved the tracks to the maid-servant ; Mrs. Hall
got up earlier that morning than usual, and scolded
llinf for being so curious as to look at the step-marks,
and said to him, " Do you think I have let any one
intn my bed-room? It was only Major M'Colla, who
had brought a note to inform me the constables were
coming to break into the house." On another occa-
sion he was the bealer of a letter from the defendant
to Mrs. Hall ; and the defendant came to the house
the same day, about two hours afterwards, but could
not say how long he remained ; lie was also the bearer
of a note from Mrs. Hall to the defendant, who told
him not to say anything to the plaintiff about it; and
to deliver it to no one bet Major .13arrow ; the de-,
fendant visited that day (on a Sunday); the plaintiff,
was then over at Dartmouth ; and the defendant
• continued there almost till the plaintiff returned ;be
observed Mrs. flall looking from her window through
a spy-glass to see if the plaintiff was coming home;
the plaintiff rode a grey horse, and was known at a
distance on that account ; the Major then went away.
On his cross-examination, he could not say whether
the plaintiff and his wife lived unhappily together
before Major Barrow became intimate wish the fa-
mily ; he knew only of their having had words but
once ; and also knew that Mrs. Hall left her husband's
house before the defendant used to pay his visits,
but could not state the reason. The evening he at-
tended Mrs. Hall, when she went as she said to drink
t:a with Mrs. Cleary, he accompanied her as far as
the Round Church; it was rather a dark and misty
evening; he did not think he could be mistaken in
the person he saw go into the defendant's house ; he
knew her from the dress she wore, and was positive
as to this fact, not being more than a dozen yards
from her. He had, previous to the trial, undergone
an examination before a Magistrate, at the request of
Mr. Hall, and answered to such questions as Mr.
Hall put to him, who afterwards wrote them down;
he did not recollect Mr. Liddell, the Magistrate, or
Mr. Hall, asking him if he had stated all he knewi
tie reason he did not state things so fully as he did,
at present was, because he hoped the.plaintiff and his,
wife would live together again, and he did not wish.
to say what might interrupt their happiness ; he never
heard the defendant or Mrs. Hall say he came there
for the purpose of endeavouring to get the plaintiff
out of gaol, nor ever observed any improper liberties
between them ; the ladder that he had before men-
tioned was generally kept outside Of the stable. He
communicated to the maid-servant that some one had
taken the ladder away, and placed it near the bed-
room, the window of which he did not think could
be entered without the aid of a ladder. He was cer-
tain he had, stated the truth as to what Mrs. Hall
told him about Major M'Colla bringing a note ac-
quainting her the constables were coming. He was
married to the maid-servant yesterday : no one had
advised him to marry her; be had a regard for her,
and had long been desirous of making her his wife;
his wife lately lived at Mr. Haverstock's, part of
whose house was also occupied by Mrs. Strew,; he
never knew of Mr. Hall calling thereto speak to Mrs.
Anson; he was standing outside of the house when
he saw Mrs. Hall spying with the glass from the win-
dow, looking over towards Dartmouth, and heard
Mrs. Hall say " she saw the white horse;" he had
once taken a pie to Major Barrow's children, but did
not take a note with it.
Ann Harrison lived servant to the plaintiff about
seven weeks, in the beginning of 1819 ; the defend-
ant frequently came to the plaintiff's house in his ab-
sence : she had a strong recollection of the plaintiff
going to partmouth ; it was on a Sunday : the de-
fendant came there soon after his departure, and re-
mained there most part of the day : did not hear Mrs.
Hall say anything about the grey horse: she remem-
bered on one occasion, when the plaintiff had been
out riding, and returned unexpectedly, that Major
Barrow was there at the time, and he was, as she
supposed, let out at the back door: Mrs. Mall after-
;wards inquired of her if the plaintiff had asked her
if spy one hid been there? she also told ha coce or