The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-03-26 00:00:00

reth, the great

its result

Mr. F. Valentine Lee appeared to defend Mister.
At nine o'clock precisely the prisoner was brought up, and
placed at the bar. He is described in the calendar as 25
years old, but does not look more than 21. He is under the
middle size, -and slightly made. He was dressed in a dark-
green coat, with velvet coital', dark figured satin waistcoat.
grey trowsers, with black stripe, black satin stock, with small
embroidered sprig. His shirt collar and wristbands were
slightly exposed. He wore his hair (which is dark brown)
divided near the middle, and smoothly brushed down at each
side. His eyes, which are rather large, are very dark and
bright. His complexion is dark. He has scanty black
whiskers. On the whole, his appearance was decidedly "in-
teresting," (we believe that is the conventional epithet) and
he did not look a person likely to commit the atrocious crime
with which he stood charged. We observed that his mouth
was very firm. He appeared remarkably self-possessed, and
occasionally took notes of the evidence. He pleaded " Not

guilty" to the indictment in a very emphatic manner, and in
a loud voice. .

After the Clerk of Assize had stated the counts of the in-
dictment, Mr. Sergeant Ludlow proceeded to address the
jury for the prosecution. He said that in the statement he
should make, he would confine himself, as much as possible,
to a mere narrative cf facts. The offence with which the
prisoner stood charged was committed at the- Angel Inn, in
the town of Ludlow. on the 20th of last August. On that
morning, at the hpur of four, Mr. Mackreth awoke out of
his sleep, and found himself severely wounded. A grievous
offence had been committed by some one. Theft could be
no doubt that it had been committed with a felonious intent
—with the intent to murder or do great bodily injury. This
was an important question, for with this crime the prisoner
was charged. He had to state for the satisfaction of the jury,
and under correction by the learned judge, that the character
of the crime would be in no degree altered if another person,
and not Mr. Mackreth, was the intended' victim. So it would
he no answer to this charge that the blow had fallen upon
another person. It would be necessary that in this state-
ment he should mention circumstances which would carry
back the prisoner to a period antecedent to this affair, and
show how the parties got together. Mister was at Shrews-
bury on the 12th of August, having previously ascertained
that a gentleman named Ludlow would, on that day, be at
the Unicorn Inn, in that town. He repaired to that inn;
and ascertained in what bed-room Mr. Ludlow, who always
put up at that house, was accustomed to sleep. But an acci-
dent prevented Mr. Ludlow's having his usual bed-room,
and he slept in a double-bedded room on that night. A

gentleman named Jobson (who, like Mr. Ludlow, dealt in
cattle,) was also at the Unicorn, it being Shrewsbury fair day. •
The prisoner appeared to quarter himself pretty much upon
Mr. Ludlow, and must have heard him agree with Mr. Joh-
son to attend the next LudloW fair. He should be able to
trace Mister from his leaving Shrewsbury, on the 13th of
August—his sleeping at Church Stretton the following night
to his arrival at Ludlow on the 19th. On that afternoon,
from the hour of four until that of seven, he was in the com-
pany of some persons who were fishing in the river Term,
and having quitted them, he went to Lndford Bridge, which
was adjacent, and made repeated and particular inquiries
when the Red Rover coach would arrive from Birmingham.
It would appear that he entered the town with that coach, so
as to be at the Angel Inn when it arrived. It would be
shown that on Mr. Ludlow's getting out of the coach, which
he did on the side nearest the Angel Inn, the prisoner, who
was standing on the other side, went round, joined him, and
followed him in. The result was that the people thought
the prisoner came with and belonged to Mr. Ludlow. They
thought he was of Mr. Ludlow's party. When they went in
Mr. Ludlow recognised him and said—" So you are here.
Did I not see- you at Shrewsbury fair ?" They went into the
Commercial Room. One of the persons who occupied this
room was Mr. Mackreth, who travelled for the respectable
house of Christopher, George, and Co. of Bristol, and
had arrived there about four or five o'clock that even-
ing, but was then out, and did not return until 10 o'clock.
Mr. Ludlow retired into another room with some friends,
and was absent for some time. The prisoner went to bed,
being lighted up by the chambermaid to the bed-room which
is designated No. 20. It was a curious fact in connexion
with this, that the prisoner had in some manner acquired
the knowledge that No. 17 was the room usually occupied by
Mr. Ludlow. But, on that night. it was occupied by Mr.
Mackreth. The chambermaid having lighted the prisoner to
No. 20, shut the door of that apartment. By reference to
the model which was on the table, they would perceive that
No. 20 was a room in a corner, and that No. 17 was in a
passage,—there being another passage down stairs which was
near it. The chambermaid shut the door and left it shut. In
half an hour after she conducted Mr. Mackreth to No. 17.
When she had left him, he locked his door. It would te in
evidence that when the, chambermaid so conducted Mr.
Mackreth to No. 17 she found prisoner's door not quite
closed, and a light still burning in his room. It was an old
house, and it might be alleged—and he would not wish to
deprive the prisoner of whatever benefit the suggestion might
afford—that the shutting of one door in the same passage
might open the other. This would have exactly as much
weight as it deserved.—lt was clear that whoever committed
the assault, was in Mr. Mackreth's room at the time that
gentleman went to bed, and actually must have been con-
cealed under the bed at the time. This was obvious, because
no force had been used to break open the door which Mr.
Mackreth had locked, and no entry had been made at the
'Window. The person must have kept himself hidden under
the bed, and, indeed, when an examination was made, there
was seen the mark of some person's figure under the bed,—
the mark being made in the dust. On the next morning, at
4 o'clock, Mr. Mackreth found himself suddenly awakened.
l-4e found that his throat had fallen in, from an immense
gash, and that he had also received some extensive gashes on
his mouth and cheeks. There was a great effusion of blood.
He immediately started up, and, on attempting to jump out
at the right side, found himself pulled back by some person
on the left. He shirt was torn in the struggle. The medical
attendant who would be examined would testify that the
cuts had been drawn from right to left. There was a chest
of drawers between the bed and the door. Mr. Mackreth
never lost his presence of mind. It was in favour of the
prisoner that Mr. Mackreth had not been able to recognise
him. He does not even profess to have seen the figure of
a man. On finding himself wounded, Mr. Mackreth rushed
to the window, but was unable to throw it up. He tben
pushed his hand through a pane of glass and called out
Fire !" He broke a second pane and again gave the alarm.
He succeeded in finding the door, but it was unlocked and
open. He then went out into the passage, proceeded down
the stairs, and, when he had reached the bottom, went back
again. The stairs were deluged with blood. The first im-
pression of the landlord, who first saw him, was that he had
laid violent hands upon himself. When Mr. Mackreth had
got back into his bedroom, the enquiry was made " Who is
he ?" Unable to speak, but perfectly aware of what was
passing, he took his keys, opened his drawing box, took out
some of the cards of the house for which he travelled, and
handed them to the persons around him. Very scion after be
gave the alarm some persons came in. Among them were
Mr. Peach and Mr. Cross. The former went into Mr.
Mackreth's room, but, by one of those accidents which some-
times lead to important results, Mr. Cross occupied himself
in tracing the stains of blood from Mr. Mackreth's door. The
staircase down which he had gone was quite wet with blood,
and it occurred to Mr. Cross to examine the floor of the
passage. He found drops of fresh blood along the door from
Mr..Mackreth's room to the prisoner's door—and even on the
sill of that door. Not a continuous stream of blood, but a
train of small drops of blood. This occurred immediately
after the alarm was given. The prisoner had not then been
in Mr. Mackreth's room, after the outrage, and the question •
would be, how came the track of blood to his door? Mr.
Crawford, a surgeon from Shrewsbury, slept in one of the
rooms of the inn, and immediately gave his assistance to the
prosecutor. While he was thus engaged, the prisoner was
seen four or five times. He was in his shirt, undressed, and
at one time stood with his back to the wall of the passage—
at another time he was anxiously waiting at Mr. Mackreth's
door,—and he entered the room once and asked for his
stockings. He had gone to his bedroom in his boots, and he
came into Mr. Mackreth's room to ask for his stockings.
A very important part of the evidence was the condition of
the prisoner's bed-room. When he went to bed, there was
half of a candle in 'his candlestick, and a large jug of water
was left in his washing-basin. There was also a napkin.
The next morning the candle was burnt down in the socket.
As the chambermaid had seen a light in his room, the candle
must have been left to burn out. The napkin was missing,
and has never been found to this hour. The water-jug was
empty. When the alarm was given the prisoner was found
in bed. The contents of the water-jug were found in the
chamber utensl, and it would be shewn that the liquid in
that vessel was impregnated with other materials. The pri-
soner's bed occupied all the breadth of No. 17. It was a
tent bedstead, with curtains. Part of the curtains over-hung
the window, and the window overlooked a yard belonging to
Mr. Whatmore. On the curtain were found the marks of
• blood, not casual marks, but impressed by the act of touch.
The prisoner's shirt also had marks of blood ; there was one
large spot of blood upon the sleeve, but a great part of the
blood had been extracted, apparently by suction. The water
in the chamber utensil was found to be strongly impregnated
with alum, which had the, effect of getting out stains of
_blood ; and it was worthy of notice that some alum was found
in the prisoner's possession. A silk handkerchief was also
found on him ; it was damp, as if wetted and then squeezed.
The prisoner complained that his stockings had been lost,
and the landlord gave him a pair to wear. He had his
breakfast in the commercial room. It was in his favour that
he had not made any attempt to go away, nor had he con-
cealed•his name. But, indeed, he had been recognised be-

fore, so that concealment would not have, been of any use.
The wound which the prosecutor had received had been made
by a sharp cutting instrument capable of inflicting a long and
severe cut. Iu the passage leading from the prisoner's room
to the room of Mr. Mackreth there was a window of moderate
height, to which the prisoner had access. • Situated as this
window is anything thrown from it could not be cast very
much to the right. About six in the morning a razor was
found in the yard; it was partially wet with blood, and was
found exactly opposite the prisoner's window ; it was a black-
handled razor—there were probably many thousands such—
hut it was not set. He would be able to shew that the pri-
soner had had two black-handled razors in his lodgings at
Birmingham, previous to this affair, only one of these razors
was found. No razor was found in his possession at Ludlow.
Indeed, he had no baggage, no portmanteau, and only one
penny in his pocket. His circumstances, evidently, were
not in a condition to allow him to go to such an inn as the
Angel, at Ludlow. He left Shrewsbury without paying his
bill at the Uniconi. He passed the intermediate time in
sleeping in hay-lofts and begging for food. Another circum-
stance required their attention. Underneath the prosecutor's
bed were found some lucifer matches and sand paper. The
use of these was to strike instantaneous light. Mr. Mackreth
had no lucifer matches, nor were any found upon the pri-
soner. But, a day or two before he went to Ludlow, some
boys were taking wasps' nest, and the prisoner produced a
Lucifer match from his waistcoat pocket, and enquired if that
would not be of use to them in what they were doing. He
had also to state that in the month of October two pair of
stockings had been found on the premises at the Angel Inn ;
it would be shown that the prisoner wore cotton stockings
when at Shrewsbury, and when he arrived at the Angel. Mr.
Serjeant Ludlovy said, in conclusion, that it would not suffice
for the jury to believe that the circumstantialevidence which
they would hear was quite consistent with the prisoner's
guilt. It must appear to them not only consistent with his
guilt, but reasonably consistent with his innocence. If they
had any reasonable doubt of this they must give him the
benefit of the doubt. But if they thought that the facts which
would appear in evidence cannot exist with his innocence,
they were bound to convict him.
A number of witnesses were then examined who very
clearly corroborated the various facts as detailed by the
learned counsel, but nothing new or of importance was
elicited during their examination.
Mr. Lee then rose to address the jury on behalf of the
prisoner, commenting upon every portion of the evidence
which bore at all in his client's favour. His address occu-
pied an hour and a half.
His lordship then proceeded to sum up the evidence, which
he did in an extraordinary clear manner, recapitulating what
may be called the history of the case, as detailed in evidence.
He then commented upon different points of' it, and remarked
that Mr. Ludlow was evidently the object of prisoner's pur-
suit,—that blood had been continuously traced from Mr.
Mackreth's room to within an inch or two of the door of No.
20,—and that there was a smear of blood on the curtain in
that room, on a line with the window. Mr. Cooke had ad-
mitted that, as the prisoner stood near the wounded man,

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in the prisoner's possession, ~ongest
sumption that the deed had been committed with the blood:,
razor found in Whatmore's yard. This razor might have been
thrown out of either window, for it was found 28 feet from
the prisoner's window and 35 feet from the passage window.
His lordship did not attach much importance to the finding
of the. stockings ; but thought it extraordinary how the pri-

soner- could have lost his-. The question .was who but the
prisoner could have committed the deed? Every person in
the house except Mr. Cooke, who was unable to appear, had
been examined. It was almost impossible it could have been
done by any person but one an inmate of the house at the
time. The person must have been concealed under Mr.
Maekreth's bed, and got out by unbolting the door. His
lordship observed that the prisoner's tracking Mr. Ludlow
gave ground for strong suspicion. The able counsel who
pleaded for the prisoner had not been able to trace any inno-
cent motive by which the prisoner could be actuated. He
concluded by saying that he agreed with Lord Hale, that the
first and most sacred duty of Justice was to perfect innocence,
but its next obligation was to detect and punish guilt. The
question for their consideration was—had the prisoner com-
mitted the outrage upon Mr. Nlackreth ? They had a solemn
and sacred duty to perform, and he now would leave them
to discharge it.

At a quarter-past seven o'clock the jury retired to delibe-
rate on their verdict. The foreman requested that the shirt,
curtain, and razor, should be given them to examine. The
learned judge directed them to be handed up, saying that
they were not of much importance, and that the linen would
not exhibit the same appearance now as it did in August.
After an absence of thirty-five minutes, the jury returned.
While their names were being called over, the prisoner, who
had
preserved a remarkably fine demeanour up to this period,
cast his eyes very anxiously around the court, and at them.
When the foreman pronounced " guilty," he suddenly
swerved back as if from, a blow. He then shaded his face
for a minute with his hand, and, for the first time during the
day, appeared unnerved. He partially recovered his firmness,
and when the Clerk of the Assize demanded what he had to
say why judgment should not be given, that he should die ac-
cording to law, he replied, in a subdued tone, " 1 am not
guilty of it."
Proclamation was then made; .when the judge put on the
black cap, and, in a very feeling manner, passed the sentence
of DEATH.

The prisoner was then. removed, after a very exciting in-
vestigation, which lasted nearly twelve hours.

HUNTINGDON ASSIZES—MAncu 18

' James Niglett,,a man who had reached the patriarchal age
of 94, was indicted for feloniously killing and slaying Eliza
Harlot, by administering to her in a rash and careless man-

ner, a poisonous drug

Mr. Gunning conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Byl
Le defence.

The prisoner, it appeared, is what is vulgarly called a
" cow-leech," or cattle-doctor, at St. Ives, and the deceased
was a young woman who, having failed to obtain any relief
for some distemper from the prescriptions of the regular fa-
culty, applied to the aged cow-doctor of the neighbourhood,
to fake her case in hand, auguring well of his skill in treating
the human subject, from his reputation for curing the ail-
ments of oxen, sheep, and hogs. She at first appeared to
get better under his treatment, and it was the opinion of one
of the sagacious folk of St. Ives, that she would have " got
quite well if she had not died,'! an observation which may be
sometimes applied to the patients of other practitioners than
"cow-leeches.". One day he gave her a mixture which was
supposed to contain arsenic, after which she suffered, as
people do who take more than a medicinal dose of that drug,
with vomiting and purging during two days, at the end of
which she died. At first there was no suspicion that she
died of any other cause than the distemper for which she
had taken the prescription of the " cow-leech," and the
body was interred. Soon afterwards rumours were spread
abroad that she died of poison ; whereupon the coroner had
the body exhumed, and an inquest having been held, a ver-
dict was returned implicating the ancient cow-leech in the
charge of homicide, by want of skill and gross negligence. He
had used sonic expression after her death which seemed to
admit that he had given her arsenic, or some poison, as me-
dicine, such, for instance, assaying to a sister of the deceased,
who told him that " his stuff had killed her," he " had only
given her half a grain, though he had given his own son a
whole grain, and it had cured him." The usual tests of
arsenic were applied by medical witnesses to the contents of
the stomach. After having in vain sought for corrosive sub-
limate, which they at first suspected to be the cause of death,
a very minute quantity of metallic arsenic was reproduced
and exhibited in coda, and three medical witnesses gave it
as their opinion that, from the appearances presented on a
post mortem examination, the arsenic Was the cause of death.

Mr. Byles addressed the jury in an ingenious speech for
the prisoner, dwelling much upon the circumstance of arsenic
being used medicinally in many distempers of the human
frame, atd that any medical might have acted as the prisoner
had done, and in neither could the death be considered other
than one of mischance.

Chief Justice Tindal told the jury that if any person, whe-
ther a regularly educated medical man or not, administered
a dangerous drug medicinally, under circumstances which
betrayed rashness and gross negligence and want of skill, he
would be liable to the penalties of manslaughter. But whe-
ther arsenic, or any other deleterious drug had been admi-
nistered in this case it was for them to say, whose duty it
was to determine on the evidence.

The jury, after a short deliberation found the prisoner
guilty of having administered a deleterious drug with gross
negligence, which subsequently they turued into the general
verdict of Guilty, and the Court, taking the advanced age of
the prisoner into consideration, sentenced him to be impri-
soned for one fortnight.

DREADFUL SHIPWRECK AND LOSS OF LIFE

(From the Times ofyesterday.)

Yesterday afternoon the following painful intelligence
reached the underwriters at Lloyd's, relative to the loss of
the Mary Stuart, of Cardiff, and the death of 'Lieutenant
Smith, R.N., and five of the coast guard, which happened on
the morning of Tuesday last, near Penzance, in Cornwall. At
about half-past 7 o'clock on Tuesday morning the inhabitants
of Portleven, a small village situate on the sea coast, ten
miles from Penzance, observed a vessel lying off Prad Sand
Bay in distress. They immediately hastened to the spot to
render assistance, but the sea being rough, and the wind
blowing a gale from the south-east, it was impossible to
launch a boat in safety. The Vessel proved to be the Mary
Stuart, a schooner, laden with iron ore from Cardiff, in Gla-
maganshire, and bound to Constantinople. It appeared
to those on shore that her rudder had unshipped, and the
crew were unable to perceive the precise spot where they
brought up, and at daybreak the 'gale had commenced, and to
alter the position would occasion her immediate destruction.
Towards nine o'clock the gale increased in severity; and
by ten it blew a hurricane. The crew expected the vessel
would every moment part from her anchors, and in the hopes
of saving their lives, cut away her masts, which in falling
overboard nearly capsised the ship ; however she righted,
and the anchors kept fast until about 12 o'clock, when a
heavy sea broke her cables, and she went ashore. By that
period several hundred people had assembled on the beach,
and there was also a strong detachment of the coast guard
service, under the direction of Lieutenant Smith, of the royal
navy.

The spot where the ill-fated vessel grounded was within
half a mile of the shore, and Lieutenant Smith determined
to make an attempt to reach the vessel, and accordingly one
of the boats belonging to the service was got in readiness,
but owing to the heavy swell it was found impossible to carry
this intention into effect. In the course of an hour the sea
becoming somewhat abated, Lieutenant Smith and five of
the men jumped in and pushed off, amidst the loud huzzas
of the assembled multitude, but scarcely had the cheers died
away before a tremendous wave broke over the boat, and
swamped it. For a few seconds the gallant fellows were ob-
served buffetting the waves; their struggles were, however,
of short duration, and they one by one disappeared. What
renders this unfortunate occurrence still more melancholy is,
that the whole of the persons who had been drawn to the
spot beheld them perish without being able to afford the
slightest assistance to the brave fellows, and among them
were the wives and children of four of them. About seven
o'clock in the forenoon her Majesty's revenue cutter the
Sylva arrived from 'Penzance, and succeeded in rescuing the
crew, who were in an exhausted condition. The vessel, it is
feared, will become a total wreck. She was a new ship, and
this was her first voyage. We regret to state, that none of
the bodies, at the time our information came away, had been
found. A general gloom pervades the place, the unfortunate
men leaving 26 children to lament their loss.

THE WRECK OF THE THAMES STEAMER

[This narrative has been communicated by a gentleman
who gathered it from the lips of one who witnessed the last
dreadful scene of despair on board this ill-fated vessel.]
The Thames steamer was an old vessel; the captain, or
commander, had been several voyages in her, and, therefore,
knew the coast. In passing St. George's Channel, early in
January, Mil, she shipped a heavy sea, that is, was struck
with great force with a wave, which, breaking over the deck,
extinguished the fire engines, and thereby impeded her pro-
gress. About 4 o'clock a.m., the revolving light to the
west of the Scilly Isles was seen, and is said to have been
taken for the fixed light at the Land's End. At this time
the weather was stormy, without rain or snow. A conside-
rable quantity of water had entered the ship, and was making
its way into the ladies' cabin. To gain the nearest land was
the best chance of safety, and the captain made towards the
Scilly light. Suddenly the vessel struck against a rock, but
not violently, and as three boats were seen approaching to
afford assistance no immediate danger was apprehended.
As soon as the first boat came alongside of the steamer,
the captain ordered that the females should first descend ;
but owing to the agitation of the sea this was not effected
without difficulty, and a woman, who was unwilling to part
with her infant, lost the opportunity, and perished with the
rest on board. Fearing that a general rush would be made
at the boat, or alarmed at the appearance of an approaching
squall, the men, eight in number, who manned the boat, sud-
denly raised a cry that they would wait no longer, and im-
mediately bore of, and with some risk landed safely on shore
with Miss Morris and two female stewards. " That young
lady is my daughter," exclaimed Mr. Morris, as the boat
broke away. " Then, sir," replied the captain, " you shall
go in the next boat."

- The situation of those on board became at this moment
most perilous; an awful dark cloud was rising from the sea,
with every indication of an approaching storm. The two
boats that were seen coining to their assistance suddenly
turned, and with difficulty gained the shore, whilst women
were seen •descending in haste the hills, and screaming for
the safety of their hrsbands who manned the boats. About
20 Irish recruits now seized the steamer's boat, which was
soon sunk, and all perished. A raft was then made, on which
some committed themselves to the waves, but this separated,
and all on it met with a similar fate. In the meanwhile the
mast gave way, and inflicted serious injury on some who had
collected round it for protection. The storm continued, and
at seven o'clock all was silent—

" Save the wild wind and the remorseless dash
Of billows, but at intervals there rose on high
Accompanied with a convulsive splash,
A solitary shriek, the bubbling cry,
Of some strong swimmer in his agony."

Fourteen bodies were taken up and buried ; as no more
have been washed on shore it is supposed they were taken by
the current up. the channel. To an indifferent spectator, if
any there could be at that awful time, it must have presented
a singular but distressing scene to observe the different ways
in which the fear of death operates on a collection of indi-
viduals of various pursuits and avocations of life, united in
one common danger. If report be true, several by their
prayers showed themselves members of the Catholic church
—whilst some prayed the first time perhaps for some years.
In the cabin was a large Bible, this was opened reverently by
some, and passages were read from it, which seemed but lit-
tle applicable to the occasion ; whilst others leaning against
the side of the ship concealed their countenances in their hats,
and were supposed to be employed in prayer. There was an
individual, tall in prson, and past the meridian of life, who
seemed to invite others to pray—his attempts were loud and
persevering—he seemed well skilled in extemporaneous
prayer, elicited by the impulse of fear and danger, to use so
inappropriate a term, " he wrestled manfullywith the LORD."
If his prayers were sincere, in charity we may hope they were
not made in vain. It is calculated that about 61 persons
perished on board ; among these were seven cabin passengers.
—Western Times.

ereOti 6'unclo ropr,)
trugt•yott will allow me, through the medium of your
columns, to lay before the public my complaint regarding the
unjust and illegal treatment which my boy has experienced
from the Home-office: -My boy, who is not yet 17 years of
age, has possessed an insane idea for some time of intruding
himself into Buckingham •Palace, in order to learn the say-
ings and doings of the Court. The first visit he made to the
palace the authorities had him tried by the ordinary court,
and he was acquitted by a jury of Englishmen; hut the second
time he v.as caught in the palace they were afraid that the case
should appear before a public court, as their own conduct
was highly culpable, and they 'adopted the novel and un-
English mode of trying' him by a secret court, where he was
not allowed either access to his friends, or the assistance of
counsel

The consequence was, he was sentenced without
any trial (for hearing only one side of the question cannot be

called a ti:ial) to three months' imprisonment in the House of
Correction. When my boy was sent to prison, in December
last, he was stout and strong, but when he came out of
prison, on the 2d of this month, he was as thin as. a skeleton,
and evidently sinking.under the effects of over work and un-
der diet; yet he has again been sent to the same place with-

out trial, and without my being allowed to communicate
with him, for the same offence, namely, entering the Queen's

palace, which appears to be so very carelessly protected that
a Child, with no otherobject in view than a child's stupid curi-
osity, can enter when he pleases. It would be much more to
the purpose, and more like justice, if the officers of the house-
hold were discharged out of the house along with the boy, than
that he should be punished in prison, and they retained in the
palace. A. few days before my son came out of prison, Mr. Hall,
the magistrate of Bow-street, sent for roe, and proposed he
should be sent to sea. To this I had no objection ; and, an
order being given, his mother and myself saw him in prison ;
but he refused to consent, saying it was time enough to talk
of that after he got out of prison. On his liberation, my wife
and I were again sent for ; but Mr. Hall's proposal appear-
ing, to my wife unnecessarily harsh, he upbraided us
for changing our minds, and told us we might go away. From
the time of his liberation until Monday, the Bth instant,
Edward was anxiously looking for something to do, but found
that his having been in prison was a complete prevention. On
that day he said to me, " Father, I find here every one says,
"Mat's the boy that was in the palace,' and nobody will
employ hie : I will go to Mr. Hall, and beg of him to get me
sent to sea, or somewhere, that I may have a chance of get-
ting on." He accordingly waited on Mr. Hall, when I was
sent for, and after having been talked to in a very rough man-
ner, I was told I might go. This preying upon the bay's
mind has, I believe, been the cause of his committing the
offence again. The conduct of the authorities 'since he com-
mitted the offence the last time is what I have most, how-
ever, to complain of Edward left my house on Monday
evening last, a few minutes after eight o'elock, •
that he was going to the temperance meeting oppositt
and the next I heard of him was from an officer of
who told me he was in custody, that h^

to Bow-street at ten o'clock, and that I might go
I accordingly went there with my wife, and
we were ushered intu a room, when four gentlemen came and
said, " Where is that boy ? " On their going away, we were
told !` to go through that door," and found ourselves in a
waiting room, where, after remaining an hour ane a half, and
refused leave to see our son, we were told we might go away,
as he had been sent to the Home-office some time since ; but
that we had not been told of it lest we should make a noise
in the street. We went to the Home-office, and were denied
entrance to where he was, even to inquire if he wanted any
assistance for his defence. After waiting two hourS we came
away :,and the next news I heard of my boy was from pub-
lic report, which stated that he had been convicted. Com-
ment upon these facts is unnecseary ; and I think it will r
dound more to the credit of the executive to mak<

pollee,
to be tat

there if I chose

ments for providing for him otherwise than by killinir

by inches With uncler-diet and over-work

HENRY JON
]6, Bell-yard, York-street, Westminster.