Star.
London, England, 1817-07-08 00:00:00

OLD B.IIIF. Y, Jay,.

This morning the Court was crowded to excess, to
hear vie following trial, which has tacked much
interest :
Harriet Mt:4mm Hamilton was indicted for feloni-
ously and maliciously taking, stealing, and carrying
away a certain male child of the age of six months,
the son of Henry Porter, with intent to deprive the
mid Henry Porter of, the custody of the said child.
In other counts the prisoner was charged with steal.
ing certain wearing apparel of the said child, the
property of the said Henry Porter.
The prisoner was brought into Court at about ten
o'clock, extremely well dressed. At her desire the
witnesses were ordered out ot Court. The following
were the witnesses examined :

Louisa Wood, a child of 14. yews of age, lived
with the prosecutor, a butcher, residing in Quiehec-
street, Portman-square, as servant gill- On Enda'',
the 6th ut June last, she had the care of a little boy
ut six months old, and at about hall-past five in the
evening of that'slay went out to take a walk with it.
While opposite Lady Montague's house in Portman-
square, itt company with two other girls, who also
had children under their care, the prisoner came up,
and said to witness, " What a pretty child you have
there." The prisoner gave the two girls in company
with witness a penny each, telling them at the same
time to go and tate a walk. They did go, and as
soon as they were gone the prisoner said to witness,
" I want to speak to you," and added.“ will you go
an errand for me?" Witness asked flow far she
wanted her to go, and she replied, “ I want yoU to
go to No. 21, Lower Berkeley-street, and I will hold
the child for you in the mean time." Witness said,
" No, no, Twill take the child with me ;" but, how.
I ever, was afterwards induced to Live the child to the
priviner- As directed, witness then went to Lower
Berkeley-street, but finding only nineteen houses in
the street, she immediately returned. Previous to
going to Berkeley-street, the prisoner gave her 6d.
and had given her 6d. before that. She told witness
to go to a young woman in Berkeley-street, to tell
her to Corns directly. On returning to Portman-
square, she found the prisoner and child were gone.
John Armrod, a waterman at the stand of hack-
ney-coaches in Paddington-street, deposed. that a
little before seven o'clock the prisoner came to the
stand with a child in her arms, and took a chariot,
driven by a person of the name of Woolhead.
Thomas Woolhead was the owner and driver of a
chariot ; and on the 6th of June last %Is on the Pad-
dington-street stand. About seven o'clock the pri-
'taint came with a child in her arms, and got into his
coach. After having told him to drive to Piccadilly
she ordered him to go to Charing-cross, and to chive
fast. Witness beard the child cry while on the way
to Charing-cross, and upon looking back into the
coach saw distinctly the prisoner changing the child's
clothes; she put a clean frock and cap upon it. When
be got to Charing-cross, and having opened the roach
door, the prisoner said, " Coachman, I won't stop
here ; go on along Westminster-bridge." Witness
followed her directions, and when he arrived at Vaux-
hall, where the roads part, said, 44 Madam, which
way am I to go ?" she told him to drive to the Ele-
phant and Castle, and at the same time told him to
drive gently, as she said the shaking of the coach
frightened the child. Witness went past the Elephant
and Castle, expecting farther orders. Presently them
prisoner looked out of the window, and asked.
" Where is this Elephant and Castle. coachman ?"--
Witness said that he had come past it; and upon the
prisoner asking what place she was at then he said
that it WAS the Bricklayers' Arms. The prisoner im-
rrediately cried out, " 0 that is right, I believe, fur
•
it is from uiis place the Brighton coaches go." Wit-
ness said that it was nor, and that the Brighton
coaches went from the Elephant and Castle. At
this time the child was very le eoas:kwass." The
prisoner asked for something to drink, and witness
brought it to her. While she was drinking, seeing
her in trouble, he said " Dear me, why do you flurry
yourself so much ? the child is only a little wrangle.
some and cross." Witness then went back as desired
to the Elephant and Castle; and when be arrived,
by her reqfiest, asked whether there was any stage or
return chaise going to Brighton ? • There, however,
WV no conveyance of any kind going that' road.
After paving gut a little milk for the child, and some
more driiik for the prisoner, she asked him what he,
would charge to take her to Croydon ? Witness re-
plied that he would take her for 255. She said it
was too much, but finding she could get no other
conveyance, she said, 44 I find you art very civil,
and I wish you would go with me." The agreement
was made, and witness was to stop at a house or two
on the road, to give something to the child. He I
then proceeded on the road, and when he arrived at
Streatham, the child again began to be " wrangle-
row." He stopped at the Horse and Groom, where
the child was nursed and fed, for about twenty mi-
nutes. He arrived at Croydon about half-past ten
o'clock at night, and the prisoner, after paying for
the coach, took a retafrn chaise, and told the post-boy
to drivel', Brighton. At about hall-past two in the
morning witness got back to London, and upon going
into his room iW nasal, his wife said to him, w Why
Woolhead, there bas been a hue and cry after you;
there is a child stelen." In consequence of the in-
formation of his wife, the witness went to bin Por-
ter's house, and after some conversation, put a pair
of horses to his coach, and set off with the prosecu-
tor and his father in search of the prisoner. He first
went to Croydon, then to Reigate, to Crawley, to
Brighton, and from thence to Chichester, where he
Arrived about nine o'clock in the evening of the next
day, and there saw the prisoner and the child nt the
Golden Fleece inn. •

Henry Porter was a butcher by trade, and resided
at No. 2, Quebec-street, Portman•square. He was
married on the 14th April, 1516. In the month of
June last Louisa. Wood was employed in his service,
to attend particularly to his child. About hall-past
tire in the evening of the 6th of June she went out
with the child to take a walk, and about a quarter
before severs o'clock a person informed. him that his
child was stolen. Witness and his wife immediately
went in semen of the child, one going one way and
the other !Mother. At a little before three in the
morning, Woolhead came to hil home i •ad witness,
in company with his father, proceeded i i a coach to
Chichester. He found the prisoner at the Gulden
Fleece at Chichester. She was then leaning over the
:hill, which was lying sr,ying on the le 1. Witness

raid to his child. " MI. Henry, what have I found
you ei and the child immediately began to smile.—
The prisoner appeared much confused. He imme-
diately went for a Constable, and had her taken into
custody, carried up to London, anti placed in Mary-
la.bonne watch.house.

R.. Hewlett, of the Golden Eieece, corroborated
the above evidence as to what passed at the Inn, and',
the mother produced the child in Court.
Mr. ANottews here objected to the indictment,
upon the ground that the Act of Parliament, upon
which it was framed, espressly requires that the
stealing of the child must be accoinpanied with ma-
lice towards the parents. In this case flue prose-
cutor had never before s:en the prisoner : but this
was overruled by
The Learned fudge (Pant:), upon the grnnnd
that the very act of depriving the parents of the child
was an act of malice, committed towards them.
The Prisoner then handed in the following defence:
so Allow me to keep your attention for a time, as
I stand before you under so deep an accusation. I
request that a sound investigation May be made of
the criminal acts imputed to me. It may easily be,
supposed that I am ignorant of the nature of evi:
&nee, and the proceedings of Courts of Jitta;ce—,
whatever may have been stated as to my conduct, I
solemnly protest that it was not my intention to de-1,
prive the parents of till child for any length of time,'
nor feloniously to steal from them its clothes. I hope
in your good judgment and wisdom, that you will
infer, by my conduct and kindness towards the in-
fant, that I had no malicious intent in stealing the
child. I have been told that the Act of Parliament
requires a malicious intention towards the child or the
parents; I repeat again, from my conduct it may be
inferred I had no malicious intent. 1 request you,
Gentlemen of the Jury, to judge with impartiality,
nor suffer your minds to be influenced by the many
public reports upon the circumstances which have
been so industriously circulated. I hadno malice in
my mind against the infant; if I had, its innocence
would have successrully pleaded for it ; nor did I in-
tend to be guilty of so cruel a thing as to deprive the
parents of the infant for ever ; I could not have done
so. I put far better clothes upon it ; I have a lovely
infant of the'same age at home, who, I hope, will
never be brought to the situation of its wretched mo-
ther. I hope and trust, that you will not de.cide
hastily on a case, in which the banishment of ail in-
dividual from her country is the subject of considera-
tion. The law authorises you, when you have a rea-
sonable doubt, to acquit the person accused ; I hear-
tily that in this case you will we a reasonable
doubt, and extend to me your lenity."
The Jury, without hesitation, found the Prisoner
Guilty, which subjects her to transportation, at the
discretion of the Court.

The prisoner was very handsomely dressed in a
silk gown and shawl, anJ a French bonnet, with a
prolusion of flowers and ribbons. She stated her age
to be twenty-fire.

Mv morn—. Wm . Ball was indicted for the murder of
Sarah, his wife, on the 21st of October, at Heligo-
land, by knocking htr down, and otherwise ill treat-
ing her.
The prisoner was tried by a Special Commission,
and the prosecution was carried on by the Sluctrou

The prisoner was a soldier, and resided with his
wifirst a lodging tot-far from the Barracks. It ap.
pearled by the evidence adduced,' that the prisoner
had been drinking all the afternoon of the day stated,
at a public house not far from bis lodging, and he
was accompanied the latter part of the time by his
wife '; they were both inebriated. After they gut
home some words ensued, and -she was fouud dead
upan the bed soon after, with marks of violence
about her head. A witness, named Lucas, heard
them quarrelling. He saw the prisoner strike the
deceased twice with his fist, but he did not knock leer
down. Other witnesses proved the striking.
William &ickwuod, the pablican, proved that the',
parties were not sober ; and Peter Schwartz, who
lived in an adjoining room to the prisoner, heard the
deceased call 0ut..." Don't strike me, Ball." He
afterwards heard.a noise as if some one had fell upon
the floor, which was followed by groaning or snoring,
as the witness deseribed it. Witness afterwards saw
the woman dead upon the bed, and the prisoner was
weeping by the side of her.
Daniel Ryan. a soldier, proved that the prisoner
said to the deceased, when she begged of him not to
strike her, that he would settle her by and by.
Another witness proved that the deceased fell
down t■ice from the effects'of drink.

Mr. Parrot, a surgeon, opened the body and head
of die deceased, who died in consequence of the rup-
ture of a vessel on the brain. There were bruises
behind the neck, and incikions behind the ears as if
done with nails. The material blow was on the
temple, which might have been occasioned by a
fall or with a Est. The vessel might have beta nip-
Lured by drink alone.—Guilty of Manslaughter. To
be imprisoned in Newgate six months.
Mcanert.—finery Hadroot, alias Ilarlroot, a fo-
reigner, was capitally indicted for the wilful murder
of W. Fitzpatrick, in the river of Canton, in China.
Swivel ittninington was chief mate of the Corn-
wall, an East India trader, on a voyage to China :
the ship arrived in August, 1615, at Whampoa-reicii.
The prisoner at the bar was Quarter-Master of the
'vessel, and the deceased a sailor in the ship.
James Steam t sailed in the ship Cernwall to China,
with the prisoner, and arrived in August, 1815. The
prisoner, the deceased, and several others, had leave
to go up the river Canton in the boat. When they
had got some way up the river, Brown, one of t!:e
seamen, remarked that Fitzpatrick had. hot pulled
at all since they left the ship. The deceased said
that he could not pull, as a chest was in his way.
The prisoner said, " D—n your eyes, if you will ncs
pull I will throw you overboard." The deceased
said, gg Thank GOD you cannot do that." The
saner immediately toek hold of the deceased's troy:-
sea and shoulder, and threw him overboard. The
river was broad but not deep at the part where the
deceased was thrown in. The tide was very strong.
As soon as Fitzpatrick was overboard, the prisoner
said, There you are now, my Ltd." Prisoner wanted
to jump overboard, to make away with himself, but
those in the boat would not let Itiau At this time it
was quite dark. They stayed for about ten minnt•?s
for the deceased, bet heard nothing of him. The
river was very muddy where Fitzpatrick was throml
in. They then mack the best s.i their. w.iy t:.) the

ship, and the prisoner Was put in eonCnentent. About
seven days afterwards,the deceased was brought by
the tide alongside the ship. and witness recognised
the body as being that of Fitzpatrick, as he always
wore hail on lii, tipper hp
George Glanvii was Also in the boat when this ac-
cident happened, and corroborated the list wittet-i's
statement. The deceased could not swim.
In his defette., the priviner said he did not mean to
frown the deceased, but only to give him a du:fting.
Guilty of hl,.or..laJpltter.
The tollowiag woe capitally convicted, viz.
G;.-p-r, for robbing Timothy Collins on
the Lig!, way, of a alvcr Vatt:ll, !Z.!. his Ffilpert7.
Davhl Barnard, Sot .e.:(1 bank note, and
,f. it; ditto, the prortty or John Iluoson, in h:s
dwelling
1;,%-r, for stelling a fclrbcr be 2, anjot!lt!r
articles, value Os. imirds, the property of
George Perkily, in '.7is house.
The wue convicted of le!env, vit. •
J. Mole, fur 'stealing a silk shawli,J. Connelly aid
J. W. Fitzgerald, for stealing a p.tir ut boots
Goldsmith, for stealing two hats ; •and B. Turner,
for stealing a wee: And W. Smith, and J. Mid-
dl..yard w:re Acqiiar.ed.

Bow sTr.r.E.T.---Rorsoty.—YesterdAy Joh heat
was committed for ..rial, charged by Mr. J. La engton,
of Stretford, with robbed him his va., hcn
Sunday night, near Nortoik-stiezt, as he w < ling
along the Strand, in c impany with another ..itle.
man, who pursued the (hit", and secured him.

Thursday. at a meeting of• Justices for :he County,
held at the Guildhall, South,imptor, a e +inptimi was
heard against W. Sminic, an Excise Odicer, fen art
indecent search on 1.111/1A ROOM, who came a pas-
senger from France, on hoard a vessel off Hythe.
Suttee was hound in .Cl 00 to appear next Thursday,
or whenever called on tor further inee.tigation.
Tuesday a French boat laden with ash, e ime to
anchor off Hythe upon which a boat was sent Irons
Folkestone, by some personi there, who invracted a
poor fisherman to purchaseit, and furnished him with
the means. Die accordingly sought the fish, paying
for it seven one pound notes, and receiving 12s. As the
difference in exchange. The Frenchmen aft,:rwards
landed at Hythe, and producing the notes, it was per-
ceived they were of the firm of S. F. WADD:NOTON and
Co. long since bankrupt. The circumstance r..aching
the ears of Mr. SIIII•Dint, of ilythe, he dirtaed the
Frenchmen to tollov: the I...clket.t,,:ie 1//..t, while he
proceeded along the silfre, and coining hp with it at
Shorucliffe, the •agent of this fraudulent transaction
was compelled to refund both the fish and tunney.
The 13111 for the further regulation of Marriages to
be solemnized alter pulTcation of banns of matrimony.
states, that many evil; hare ensued ft ona clandestine
marriages, the regulations provi.lcd having been eva-
ded, and due inquiry not haCng been made into the
truth of certain notices reqtured to be given for pub-
lishing the said banns; it is therefi:re en.tcted, that no
Parson sh ill publish banns of rr.atrincny wit .nitt suf-
ficient notice in writir.g ltaying been p 4 'e,. Parties
to 'make oath to the mit% ut the notice. Cnk to
enter notice in a bf.so. There is a chr!se directing
frauds in no..icet how to be c..r.'.4.ed. N' trees to con-
tarn place of abode of the parties. And t e Act to
be read in chorches at certain times.