Star.
London, England, 1818-01-26 00:00:00

IN THE MATTER OF THE RAVENSWORTEI HOSPITAL.

This was a Petition complaining of the misapplica-
tion of certain funds belonging to the Hospital, and
praying for the interposition of the Court. The Hos-
pital was founded in an obscure village, in Yorkshire,
for the support of twenty- four old persons, and es-
tates to a considerable amount were /rested in certain
trustees for the purpose of maintaining these persons.'
The complaint la the petition against the Wardens of
the Hospital was, their having engaged an unneces-
sary number of nurses, from the corrupt' motive
relieving the respective parishes to which these
belonged, from the burden they would have other-
wise necessarily been on the poor's rates.
On the other side it was argued, that this petition
was unfounded and vexatious, and that on inquiry it
would be found there was not the slightest ground
for complaint. The Hospital, proverbially known
for its filth before, lately assumed a creditable ap-
pearance, and was in every respect admirably adapted
to promote the benevolent views of the founder.
The VICE-CHANCELLOR considered the case of some
importance to the public. The Court certainly could
not declare what number of nurses was sufficient for
this Hospital, as that depended on the state of the
inmates; but it was clear that if nurses were procu-
red at all, they must be found among the aged mem-
bers of society. The late Act of Parliament had,
without doubt, been productive of benefit in the fa-
cility it afforded for the detection and exposure of
abuses in public institutions ; but it was matter of
deep regret that the Legislature in their wisdom had
not made some provision for the protection of the
funds of charitable institutions, in so far as regarded
costs. The present was a melancholy instance of most
vexatious litigation, and the conduct, certainly, of
the Wardens, deserved great credit, in the reforma-
tion they had very properly introduced into the Hos-
pital. That nurses were necessary none could doubt,
and that such nurses must be selected from the aged
was equally clear, because few in the younger and
healthier walks of life would be induced to under-
take the charge or weak and infirm persons. In look-
ing into the answer, he found that it was customary
with the Wardens, when a nurse was wanted, to give
public intimation in church, and then to select who-
ever appeared to them the best qualified candidate.
Now, when such was the case (and that it was so
was proved by many affidavits), it was monstrous to
charge the Wardens with corruption. He therefore
dismissed the petition, but without costs, at the same
time again expressing his wish that ere long some-
thing would be done by the Legislature for the pro-
tection of charitable funds.—Petition dismissed.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, JANUARY 24.
APPEAL OF MURDER.
TILE KING r. THORNTON.
FURTHER PAR'nociAlli.

The crowd was not so early this morning as when
the case was before the Court the last Term • but it
was equally numerous. Notwithstanding the wet-
ness of the morning, by half-past nine o'clock, every
avenue to the Court was immensely crowded. At
half-past eight the Defendant left the apartments
that are provided for him at the King's Bench Prison
in a hackney coach, under the escort of two tip-staffs,
and having arrived at Westminster by nine, he was
conducted up into the Court by the passage under
the House of Lords, and was placed in his old posi-
tion at the Bar of the Court.

It is said that during his confinement he has been
in most excellent spirits, and entertains the firmest
conviction of his uitimate acquittal. He was dressed
in a new black coat, drab-coloured kerseymere
breeches, and gaiters ; had on a pair of new yellow
gloves, and maintains his former appearance of a re-
spectable looking farmer. He does not appear to
like publicity, and manifested that dislike a good

heal in part of his ionciatt white in Court this wain;
ing A person was in Court taking his likeness,
but as soon as he observed him, he immediately
turned his back to the• Gendeman, and placing his
hand on that side of his face, remained in such a po-
sition as to preclude the possibility of his accomplish=
ing his puTose for upwards of an hour, arid did not
alter it until the Court commenced its•proeeediugs,
when, from being obliged to stand up part of the
time, he necessarily altered it.
At a quartet before ten o'clock the Appellant en-
tered the Court, with his Attorney, and a friend
who had come from the country with him.
At ten, Mr. READER and Mr. REYNOLDS entered
the Court, and seated themselves on the right hand
of the Defendant.

• At a cinarter after ten, Mr. CLAIIU, Mr. Gunmen
Mr. RICHARDSON, and Mr. CHITTY, the Counsel for
the Appellant, entered the Court.
Mr. Justice BAYIAY, who entered the Court before
the other Judges, disposed of several motions of
course, and other routine business ; after which ha
joined the other Judges in their Chamber behind
the Court.

At half-past ten their Lordships entered the Court.
when Mr. CLARK E addressed them as follows :

Mr. CtAaag.—My Lord, the Appellant is here
according to the Order of the Court.
Mr. Rctuast.—My Lord, the Defendant has Ole-
plication here, which he wishes to verify by Affidavit.
The Replication was then handed in, and read by
Mr. Le BLANC, the Clerk of the Court, to the effect
following:

REPLICATION.-THY KING V. ABRAHAM THORNTON.
On Saturday next, after eight days of St. Hilary,
in the 58th,of George lll.—And the said Abraham
Thornton with, that, notwithstanding the said mat-
ters alleged in the said counterplea, he ought to be
admitted to wage battle, because protesting that he is
innocent; and though he is not under any necessity
nor in any way bound to answer the same, neverthe-
less in replication he saith, that before and at the
time of the writ of appeal issued against him, there
were and now are strong. presumptions that he was
not, and is not guilty of the felony aforesaid, in the
said writ of appeal *so charged against him a; atoms
said. That is to say, at the time when the said Mary
Ashford went to the house of Mary Butler, at Erd-
lington aforesaid, as in the counter-plea above set
forth, she the said Mary Ashford went there alone,
and unaccompanied by the said Abraham Thornton;
and he further saith, that the said Mary Ashford left
the house of the said. Mary J3utler about a quarter
of an hour, past four of the clock in the morning,
alone and unaccompanied by the said Abraham
Thornton, and proceeded towards Langley aforesaid;
and the said Abraham Thornton further saith, that a
short time after the said Mary Ashford kad so left
the house of the said Mary Butler, she was met at a
short distance from the same, walking in a lane called
Bell-lane, leading from Erdlington to Langley, by
one Joseph Davison, he the said Abraham Thornton
not being in company with Tier, nor in any way in
sight. And the said Abraham Thornton further saith,
that within a short space afterwards,-that is to say,
within the space of a quarter of an hour from the
time she so left the house of Mary Butler, she was
seen by one Thomas. Broadhurst, crossing a certain
turnpike-road, leading from London to Chester, at
lhap part of the road where- a certain lane, calledßelt-larse ironies the said turnplke-road, and she
pt are iaialand, then Aielig.o6n-e:i'a
unaccompaniedby the said Abraham Thornton. And
the said Abraham Thornton further saithr that at the
several places where the said Mary Ashford was so
seen by the said Davison and Broadhurst, the road
was broad and•straight for a considerable distance,
and that he the said Abraham Thornton must have
been seen at a considerable distance, if he had been
proceeding with her. And the said Abraham Thorn-
ton saith, that on the morning of the said Tuesday,
at a quarter after four of the clock, -or not later than
five and twenty minutes, he the said Abraham Thorn-
ton was seen by divers credible witnesses, a consider-
able distance from the said Bell-lane,- to wit, by one
Thomas Jennings, one -John Holden, junior, and
others, being all persons with whom the said Abra-
ham Thornton had-no previotis connection or acquaitst
tance, walking along a lane leading to Castle Brom-
wich, aforesaid, close to the farm-house of • John
Holden, the elder, which was the way leading to the
said Abraham Thornten's father's house, where the
said Abraham Thornton at that time resided, and
that he was walking slowly and leisurely, and not in
any way in confusion or disorder. And when he had
continued his-course about a mile from the said farm
house of John Holden, the elder, as aforesaid, he
was seen.by- one John Haydon, and then and there
stopped and conversed with the said John Haydon
for the space of a quarter of an hour, after which he
parted from him and continued walking on towards
the house of the said Abraham Thornton's father;
and the said Abraham Thornton saith, that one John
Woodcock saw him so stopping and conversing as
aforesaid, to wit, &c. And the said* Abraham Thorn-
ton further saith, that he was also seen by one James
White, at about twenty-five minutes after five of the
clock, when he was still walking slowly and leisurely
towards his father's house, and he was then about
half a mile distant from his father's house. And he
further saith, that the distance from the house *of
Mary Butler, over and across the said harrowed field
in the said counterplea mentioned, is one mile, two
furlongs, and thirty yards, and the distance from the
workhouse, which is the nearest point of the village
of Erdlington to John Holden's farm-house, is one
mile, three furlongs, and sixty-two yards ; and the
distance from the said pit of water round by Erdling-
ton aforesaid, to the said farm-house of John Holden
aforesaid, is two miles, four furlongs, &c. and he
saith, that the most ready and accessible way from
the said pit of water to the said farm-house, and also
the shortest way, except as hereunder mentioned, is
the following, viz, across a certain close into a certain
turnpike-road, called the Chester-road, at the part
thereof near to the garden wall of one Mr. Hipkis,
and also leading to the farm-house of the said John
Holden, the elder, and the distance of the said way
is one mile, seven furlongs, and one hundred and se..
verity yards. And the said Abraham Thornton fur-
ther saith, that the distance til:n the ~aid pit of wa-
ter to the said tatm-house is one mile, four furlongs,
and sixty yards; but he saith that there is no foot-
path in that direction, except for a distance of one
hundred yards leading to the Canal Bridge, and that
by the intersection of the hedges and fences, by and