The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-05-16 00:00:00

FALSE IMPRISONMENT,

BALMIN v. MATIIER AND ANOTHER.—III this case
Thomas Balmin was the plaintiff, and John Mather and Ed-
ward Dickinson the defendants. The action was brought
to recover damages for a trespass and false imprisonment.
The defendants pleaded first not guilty, and several other
pleas, the effect of which was to allege that they had reason
to suspect the plaintiff had stolen some of their property.
Mr. Ramshay appeared for the plaintiff; Mr. James for the
defendant.

The plaintiff is a carter; the defendants are wholesale and
retail coal-merchants, in Leeds-street. For some period
the plaintiff was in the employment of the defendants, and
on the 25th of February last, having as they considered
reasonable grounds to suspect that he had taken, or caused
to be taken, from time to time, coals from the yard to his
own house, they gave him into custody on the charge of fe-
lony. He remained in bridewell from Saturday to Monday,
when he was taken before Mr. Rushton, who not only dis-
charged him but said he had good ground for an action for
defamation, and another for talse imprisonment. The de-
fendants produced several witnesses, who said they had seen
the plaintiff take coals for his own use, but it did not appear
they had any knowledge that he was taking them feloniously.
After a protracted trial, the jury returned a verdict for the
plaintiff—damages, one shilling.
The court adjourned at seven o'clock. The cause list
contains one demurrer and 44 issues, about nineteen of
which remain to be disposed of.

THE LATE MURDERS AT LALESTON, GLAMOR-

GANSHIRE

VERDICT OF THE CORONER'S JURY

The adjourned investigation by the magistrates for the
county of the charge of wilful murder against Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas, and by the coroner's jury, of the circumstances
leading to the death of Jane Hurry, the nurse, were both re-
sumed on Friday last ; the former at the union workhouse,
Bridgend, and the latter at the Crown Inn, in the same town.
The approaches to both places were crowded by spectators,
anxious to catch a view of the prisoners, and to obtain the
earliest informatien of the result of the investigation.
The servant girl, v:ho had also been taken ill, deposed to
her having taken about an egg-cup full of the beer, which
burnt in her throat, and shortly after she was seized with
spasmodic pains in the stomach and bowels, together with
excessive vomiting mixed with blood. The boy who had
been sent for the beer being further examined, stated most
positively that he saw a small paper in the prisoner, Mrs.
Thomas's hands, when he went to fetch the jar, and that she
gave it to the male prisoner, who put it is kis breeches
pocket ; he also stated that when on his road n0,,,e with the
beer the male prisoner spoke to him in the lane, and told
him to put down the jar and go and look after the colts,
which were his masters ; he did so, and was absent about five
minutes. When he returned the prisoner Edward Thomas
was standing near the jar, and taking the cork out he said,
" Let me see how much beer you have got." Witness did
not tell of this before, because the female prisoner, Mrs.
Thomas, when she came to his mother's house, told him not
to tell, nor to tell that he had been at her house at Lalleston.
She gave witness a penny not to tell.
Captain Napier, superintendent of the county police, de-
posed to having searched Mrs. Thomas's house. In the
room which the boy described he found a small white paper
with small particles of a dry powder adhering to it; he con-
veyed it Mr. Herapath, who desired him to accompany him
to his laboratory, and there, in the presence of witness,
tested it, and discovered it to be oxide of arsenic.

Mr. Herapath, whose testimony seemed to excite much
interest, confirmed Captain Napier as to his examination of
the particles on the paper, and as to the mode of examina-
tion which he had adopted with the liver of the deceased
woman, in which he had discovered the arsenic.
The coroner's jury have returned a verdict of wilful mur-
der in the case of Jane Hurry; hut the magistrates, who are
in expectation of some further disclosures being made, have
again adjourned their inquiry.

ATROCIOUS ATTEMPT AT DOUBLE ASSASSINATION AT
LEDBURY.—A most diabolical outrage was committed in
Ledbury, on Sunday and Monday last; the particulars are
as follow :—On Sunday night Mr. and Mrs. Chadd, shoe-
makers, of the Southend-street, having retired to rest, were
much alarmed, about eleven o'clock, on hearing some one
moving in the room. Mr. Chadd asked who was there, when
the villain instantly discharged a pistol at the head of the bed
the bullet from which slightly wonnded Mrs. Chadd in the
face, and lodged in the wall. In the alarm and confusion
created the miscreant escaped ; he proved to be an appren-
tice of Mr. Chadd's, named Gummery, and consequently
was well acquainted with the house, and knew that it was
Mr. Chadd's custom to leave the front door unlocked for a
post-boy who lodged with them to let himself in when out
late. lie had run away from his apprenticeship twice, and
on the last occasion his master took him before the magic.
trates to compel him to return to his service. This is sup-
posed to be the cause of the vindictive feeling he manifested
towards Mr. Chadd, both his master and mistress having
uniformly treated him with great kindness. On Monday he
was apprehended at Dymock, and was brought to Ledbury
in the evening on the Gloucester coach. He was taken to
the Talbot Inn, and on being searched by the high constable
(who had already taken a pistol loaded to the muzzle with
phoalclkfert, fro him,) lndindni,s)cdhealrigbeedraitte!tyt
Dpual„. theleda psecymek constableouodpistolfrom
apprehended him. Most providentially in this, as in the
former case, no human life was sacrificed, the ball grazing
Daw's collar bone, and wounding his face. The wretch was
instantly secured, and taken before the magistrates on Tues.
day, when he was committed to take his trial at Hereford on
both the capital charges. When apprehended it is sup-
posed he was making his way back to Ledbury to attempt
Mr. Chadd's life again, having failed before.—Worce4er
Paper.

'We observe that Mr. Evans, the eminent auctioneer, an-
nounces for Wednesday the sale of an autograph of ghak-
speare on the purchase deed of his house in Blackfriars.
The lion. and Rev. John optedth son of Earl Grey,
vicar of Wooler, has been ap by the Bishop of Dur-
ham to the vacant rectory of Wolsingharn.
THE METHODISTS AND THE AMENDED FACTORY BILL.
which or
—lt is with infinite regret that we elsewhere give a. circular
issued by leaders of the Wesleyan methodists in which their
decided opposition to the Facto
the ry Education Bill as amended
of th a announced,andpowe;ful
lty ganisation characteristic
religious commnnity is to be set in motion
to procure its rejection.—Herald.
Lord Francis Egerton, M.P., Mr. Phillips, M.P., Mr.
Gibson, ALP., Mr. Brotherton, and Mr. Tatton
Egerton, M.P., with the Mayor of Manchester, Mr. Alder-
man Hopkins, Mr. Gibb, and the Town-clerk of Manches-
ter, a deputation from Manchester on the subject of inland
bonding, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer on Saturday at his official residence in Downing-street.

MR. BRUNEL.--It is with great pleasure we announce to
our readers that all apprehensions for this gentleman's safety
are at an end. On Saturday afternoon Sir B. Brodie, as-
sisted by Mr. A. Key and Mr. C. Hawkins, with Dr.
Thompson, was enabled to dislodge and safely remove the
half-sovereig❑ that has caused so much uneasiness and alarm
both to his family and friends, as well as to the public at
large. Mr. Brunel is doing as well as can be expected.