The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-08-09 00:00:00

VIOLENT ASSAULT ON THE PROPRIETOR OF
FRASER'S MAGAZINE.

Just as the business at Marlborough-street police-office wa
about to conclude on Wednesday, Mr. James Fraser, bookseller
215, Regent-street, whose appearance indicated that very great
perosnal violence had recently been used towards him, presented
himself before Mr. Dyer and Mr. Chambers, to charge the Hon.
Grantley Fitzhardinge Berkeley with an assault. The defendant
a tall, powerful man, and far beyond the complainant in size and
strength, was armed with a heavy whip, which, when he was
placed at the bar, Mr- Chambers insisted on his relinquishing.

Mr. Fraser.—l have to complain of one of the most brutal as-
saults which has ever been committed on a tradesman. I was
alone in my shop, a short time ago, my assistants having gone to
dinner, when two persons came in, and one of them, thedefend-
ant at the bar. asked me if my name was Fraser, I replied it was.
and he said I. wish to know the author of the article in your
magazine called " Mr. Grantley Berkeley and his Novel." I
naked, who have I the honour of speaking to? and he replied, I
am Grantley Berkeley, and I wish to know who is the author of
that review. I said f must consider before I can give up the
author's name, and I was about to add that I could not give up
the name, although I had full permission so to do from the writer,
when I was instantly knocked down by the defendant. The
blow was so violent that I fell like a brute behind a small desk.
The defendant theft dealt upwards of 20 blows on my body while
I was lying on the mound. 1 was nearly insensible, but I had
sufficient recollection left me to be aware that he had gut hold
of a whip and was lashing me with it—cutting me over the face
and hands with all his strength. [Here Mr. Fraser pointed to
the wounds. on his face, evidently produced by the whip.' I
called out for assistance as loudly as I could. Three or four
persons came to the door, but the other gentleman who is now in
the office deterred them from corning in, and (lid all he could to
prevent any one from rendering use assistance.
Mr. Chambers asked the individual pointed out by Mr. Fraser
what his name uas ; the individual replied, it was Craven Fitz-
hardinge Berkeley, and he was quite ready to admit that he did
keep the people out.
Mr. Grautley Berkeley : If it will save the time of the magis-
trate lam ready to say I don't deny the charge. I came out
on purpose to horsewhip the writer of the article, according to
his own suggestion. In the magazine there is an article grossly
reflecting on me and my faintly, and in it the writer recommends
an acquaintance of mine to horsewhip use; so I availed myself
of the suggestion.
Mr. Chambers: This is much too serious a case to deal with
in a summary way. If we convicted the deleuclant in the penalty
of £5, it would vitiate any. future proceeding. The best way
will he to call on both parties, Mr. Grantley Berkeley and Mr.
Craven Berkeley, to find bail.
Mr. Chambers to Mr. Craven Berkeley: Why, your brother
might have killgd the complainant
Mr. Craven rerkeley : Oh ! I would not let him kill Mr.
Fraser, who only got what he deserved. We came out on pur-
pose to lick him. Had he been a better man than my brother
then my brother would have suffered.
Mr. Grantley Berkeley : We served him just as he deserved.
Mr. Chambers : You must both put in hail, that Mr. Fraser
may have an opportunity of appealing to the laws of his country
against this outrage.—The parties then left the office.
The article referred to by Mr. Grantley Berkeley appears in
Fraser's Magazine for this month, and is headed " Mr. Grantley
Berkeley and his Novel." The passages which appear to have
excited the ire of the defendants to the greatest extent are as
follows. Speaking of " Berkeley Castle," the reviewer says :
" But in the present case how absolutelyAso"usting is the con-
duct of Mr. Grantley Berkeley. He should have been among
lir last people in the world to call public attention to the history
41- his house. Why, may we ask him, is his eldest brother
pitehforked into the House of Lords by the title of Lord Segrave ?
Why does he not sit there as Earl of Berkeley ? We are far
from being desirous to insult, as the paltry author of this book
does, the character of woman ; but when matters are recorded in
solemn judgment, there can be no indelicacy in stating that Mr.
Grantley Berkeley's mother lived with his father as his mistress,
and that she had at least one chit,' before she could induce the
old and very stupidlord to marry her."
"The horribly vulgar and ungrammatical writing of the dedi-
cation (to the Countess of Euston) is of no consequence—it is
just as good as the rest of the work. But duet.; the roan, in writ-
ing to the Countess of Euston that she is one ' whom he bath
ever regarded with affection,' mean to insinuate that he was ever
placed in a position to be able to use, without the most absurb
impertinence, the following quotations from his work—' Chat
his undisguised friendship trembled on the brink of love'—and
that 'taking advantage of certain situations is not its human
nature to forego !' It is a downright affront! They call Lord
Euston the thin piece of parliament!! Could he, not borrow a
horsewhip ? We assure him he might exercise it with perfect
security."
S

DUEL BETWEEN THE HONOURABLE GRANTLEY
BERKELEY AND DR. MAGINN.

In consequence of the assault on the person of Mr. J. Fraser,
the eminent bookseller of Regent-street, on Thursday last, Dr.
Maginn, one of the editors of the Standard newspaper, and well
known to the literary world as one of the most able writers in
Blackwood's and Fraser's Magazines, wrote a note to the Hon.
Grantley Berkeley, stating that he was the author of the article
in the last number of Fraser's Magazine, headed " Mr. Grantley
Berkely and his Novel." He shortly afterwards received a
card from Major Fancourt, M.P., on the part of the Hon. G.
Berkeley, who stated that he was anxious to see Dr. Maginn
on particular business. Dr. Maginn waited upon Major Fan-
court, and it was agreed between them--the doctor in the mean-
time procuring a second—that a meeting should take place that
evening, at seven o'clock. The place appointed was a field on
the New Barnet-road, near St. John's-wood. Mr. Hugh
Fraser (no relation of the bookseller, Mr. J. Fraser) acted as
the second of Dr. Maginn, and Major Fancourt as the second
of the Hon. Grantley Berkeley. The parties were placed on
the ground at a little before seven; and, in the first exchange
of shots, Dr. Maginn fired rather high, which induced Major
Fancourt to ask whether the doctor had done it purposely, not
to fire at his antagonist. Mr. Hugh Fraser answered that he
did not know. The pistols were again loaded, handed to the
end the second fire passed without taking any effect.
The seconds here interfered. but in vain. A third exchange of
'shots took lace the Hon. Grantlev Berkeley's bullet grazing
the° "et of Deter Maginn boot, a• nd. t he Doctor's bullet grazing
the collar.edand, without
his adversarl's coat. The seconds again interfer-
ed,
other,:lettthtewnhe-gradu(n)
anc"ltit p gy the parties, merely bowing to
behaved with S.- 'lt was observed that both parties
not a word, with utmostt coolness and determination, and that
the question Of M40%1,696011 of the word of command and
are sorry to hear that marocourt, passed nn the occasion. We
effects of the savage assault
Fraser is stilt labouring under the
is obliged to keep his hedt.committed upOn him,- and that he
most dreadfully cnt from the tilt ,facte, hands, and arms are
the whip, and some time
is exrcted to 'elapse before , °
u againthrough
attend to business.
ppears to have been
moment he heard of the as-
most fair and honourable„„„
sault. Although there were considerations .I*h-would have
deterred most men, he at once avowed hitnielf the author of the
article in question.—Observer.