The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-08-22 00:00:00

COMMITTAL OF A JOHANNA. SOUTHCOTONIAN.

The Crier informed the court that there was a female of
the name of Margaret Old present, who refused to take
the oath in a bigamy case, in order that she might be sent
as a witness before the Grand Jury.
His LORDSHIP directed her to be placed in the witness.
box.

Mrs. Old, an elderly lady, accordingly mader her ap-
pearance. She was dressed in a light brown dress and
black bonnet.

His LORDSHIP said to her—Why do you refuse to be
sworn ? Are you a Quaker ?
Mrs. Old.—No.
His LORDSHIP.—What are you then ?
Mrs. was brought up a member of the Church
of Hugl•lnd.

His LORDSHIP.—And are you so still?
119 rs. Old.—No.
His LORDSHIP.—What are you now ?
Mrs. Old.-1 am trying to be an Israelite. (A laugh.)
Ills LORDSHIP.—Trying to be! What do you mean ?
Mrs. Old.—lt's vulgarly called a Johanna.
Mr. WILKINS.—Oh! a Johanna Southcote, my lord.
(Laughter.)
His LORDSHIP.—It will be my duty to commit you,
unless you take the oath.
Mrs. Old.—You may commit me; I took one oath ; I
cannot take any other.
His LORDSHIP.—Then you must go to prison. Can
site be done without as a witness ?
Crier.—They say not, my lord.
Mr. WILKINS.—There was one of the same sect here
at the last assizes, and he did not refuse to be sworn.
MN. Old.—That may be. Every one of our re,igion is
not of the same mind. The man who swore last year
won't have to answer for me, nor I for him.

His LORDSHIP.—You have certainly assigned no reason
for not taking the oath as yet.' 1 recommend you to con-
sider.
Mrs. Old.—Life and death stands before me: I refuse.
His LORDSHIP.—Take ber into custody.
She was accordingly removed by the officers; but,
shortly before the rising of the court, she made her way
into the witness-box a second time, and in a firm tone of
voice asked his Lordship what he meant to do with htr.
1 have, said she, taken an oath to God to take no more
oaths on earth, hut to do right and justice to every man.
and He knows I cannot take it.

Hi'. LORDSHIP.—The purposes of justice require of all
persons to he sworn, except cer►ain persons who are pri-
vileged. You say you are learning to be an Israelite?
Mrs. Old.—So I am.
I lis LORDSHIP.—But Jews take oaths.

Mrs. 01,1.—That may be. I have taken one that no one
but myself has taken. We stand before an earthly tri-
bunal now, and we'll stand before another court here.
atter. My oath was never to take another, but to serve
God and niy country. I will adhere to truth, whether
with me or against me. •
ills LORDSHIP.—The Grand Jury have found the bill
in your c.-e. You may, therefore. be discharged now.
but you will have to be sworn to give evidence when it
conies befort the court.

She was then discharged from custody.
Joxeph Hide, aged 36, (remanded from last assizes,)
on a charge of horse-stealing, was found guilty, but
not sentenced.

... .
James Ftinn, 23, indicted for having, at Bickerstaffe,
stolen one calf, the property of William Stockley, was
found guilty, and sentenced to ten years' transportation.
Thomas Phillips, charged with burglary, at Bolton,
was acquitted.
John Jones, 18, was charged with stealing, with violence.
three Half crowns from tire person of James Gibson, at
Bolton. The prisoner was acquitted of the robbery, but
found guilty of the assault, and was sentenced to our
month's imptisonment._ _

Three or four of the bigamy cases were also tried, and
the court rose at five o'clock.

NISI PRIUS COURT.—FRIDAY.
Mr. Justice Creswell took his seat in the WM Prius
Court at twelve o'clock.
DOBSON V. LAMBERT.
In this action, which was the only one tried during the
day, and a remanet from the last assizes, Mr. Mart'n and
Mr. Greene were for the plaintiff; and Mr. Knowles.
Mr. Crompton, and Mr. Atherton. for the defendant.
The plaintiff. Mr. Rohl. Dobson, manufacturer, sought
io recover from the defendant, Mr. Win. Lambert, wor-
sted spinner arid woolstapler, the sum of £463. as com-
pensation for an alleged hreach of contract. The decla•
ration stated, that the plaintiff coot raced to huy 800 gross
of worsted yarn, at a certain price. a d that the defendant
er,gaged that it should be of one " top," and of good ma-
nufacture. Ti e defendant pleaded first. that he made no
such contract ; and, stenndly, that the yam was of oae
top. and of good manufacture. The main contest was
upon the second issue, and several witnesses were called
in support of the pl.rintiff's case, who proved that the
yarn would not receive the dye properly. On behalf of
the defendant, witnesses were called Who were enraged in
the manufacture of the yarn in question, and who stated
that they could not account for the defect in the dyeing;
which, whatever it was to be attributed to, was not caused
by any defect in the spinning.
The learned Junce, in summing up the evidence, ob-
served that the jury would have to decide between one
class of witnesses and the other. _ _

Tile jury consulted for a few minutes, and found a ver-
dict for the plaintiff—damages, £440.
The court rose at a quarter before seven.

CROWN COUR.T.-SATURDAY.

Mr. Justice Wishtman took his seat at nine o'clock,
and immediately after proceeded with the mint cases. of
which there were seven in the calendar. Mr. Armstrong
and Mr. Pollock appeared in each case for the prosecution.
The prisoners were, for the most part. undefended.
Abel Jones, 18, pleaded guilty to a charge of having
bad in his possession, at Salford, five pieces of false and
counterfeit coin, intended to resemble shillings, and a
mould for casting the same.
Chrisliana Guam, 38, was convicted, and her daugh-
ter, Sarah Giltins, 14. was acquitted, on a charge of hav-
ing had in their pus,ession, at Liverpool, a mould for
counterfeiting sixpences.
Michael Ennis, 50, was convicted of having, at Man-
che-ter, uttered to one Edward Whitelead a counterfeit
sixpence.
_ _

James Ogden, 62, was given in charge for having, at
Rochdale, sold to one Joseph Hooch. a publican, a coun-
terfe.t sovereign for 10s. lie was convicted.
Peter Fay, 34. was convicted on a charge of having, at
Salford, uttered several counterfeit sixpences.
John Jackson, 42. Anthony Doran, 30, and John Fitz-
simmons. 33. were convicted of having had in their pos-
session, at Newton, twenty pieces of counterfeit coin made
to resemble shillings. The prisoner Duran was further
convicted of having had a mould for casting shillings in
his possession, without lawful excuse.
Jam 8 Smith, 28, and John Holden, 40, were convicted
on a charge of having, at Ashton-under• Lyne, uttered,
and had in their possession, several counterfeit shillings.
John Lynch, 30, was convicted of having, at Ashton,
uttered two counterfeit shillings. This, at half past two
o'clock, terminated the mint cases.