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. Old.—l was brought up a member of the Church
of England.
His LORDSHIP.—And are you so still ?
Mrs. Old.—No.
His LORDSHIP.—What are you now ?
Mrs. Old.—l am trying to be an Israelite. (A. laugh.)
His LORDSHIP.—Trying to be! What do you mean ?
Airs. 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.
Ilis LORDSHIP.—Then you must go to prison. Can
she be done without as a witness ?
Crier.—They say not, my lord.
Mr. WzmoNs.—There was one of the same sect here
at the last assizes, and he did not refuse to be sworn.
Mrs. Old.—That may be. Every one of our religion 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 LoßnsHlP.7Take her 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 her.
I have, said she, taken an oath to God to take no more
oaths on earth, but to do right and justice to every man,
and lie knows I cannot take it.

His LORDSHIP.—The purposes of justice require of all
persons to he sworn, except certain persons who are pri-
vileged. You say you are learning to be an Israelite?

Ncrs. Old.—So'farn.
ifiS LORDSHIP.-But Jews take oaths.

Mrs. Old.—That maybe. I have taken one that no one
hut myself has taken. We stand before an earthly tri-
bunal now, and we'll stand before another court here.
after. My oath was never to take another, but to serve
God and my country. I will adhere to truth, whether
with me or against me.
Ilis LORDSHIP.—The Grand Jury have found the bill
in your case. You may, therefore, be discharged now,
but you will have to be sworn to give evidence wnen it
comes before the court.
She was then discharged from custody.

Joseph Hide, aged 3G, (remanded from last assizes,)
on a charge of horse-stealing, was found guilty, but
not sentenced.

James Flinn, 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 the person of James Gibson, at
Bolton. The prisoner was acquitted of the robbery, but
found guilty of the assault, and was sentenced to one
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 Cresswell took his seat in the. N si 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. Martin and
Mr. Greene were for the plaintiff; and Mr. Knowles,
Mr. Crompton, and Mr. Atherton, for the defendant.
The plaintiff, Mr. Robt. Dobson, manufacturer, sought
io recover from the defendant, Mr. Wm. Lambert, wor-
sted spinner and woolstapler, the sum of £463, as com-
pensation for alleged breach of contract. The decla-
ration stated; that the plaintiff contracted to buy 800 gross
of worsted yarn, at a certain price, and that the defendant
engaged that it should be of one " top," and of good ma-
nufacture. The defendant pleaded first, that he made no
such contract ; and, secondly, that the yarn was of one
top, and of good manufacture. The main contest was
upon the second issue, and several witnesses were called
in support of the plaintiff's case, who proved that the
yarn would not receive the dye properly. On behalf of
the defendant, witnesses were called who were engaged 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 JUDGE, in summing up the evidence, ob-
served that the jury would have to decide between one
class of witnesses and the other.
The jury consulted for a few minutes, and found a ver-
dict for the plaintiff—damages, £440.
The court rose at a quarter before seven.