The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-06-13 00:00:00

COURTS MARTIAL AT MANCHESTER.

By directions from Major-General Sir William Warre, the
investigations into the conduct of the non-commissioned offi-
cers and soldiers of the 15th Regiment, charged with having
been concerned in the recent military outrage at Manchester,
commenced on Saturday week, when a District Court Martial
was held at the Regent-road Barracks, before Lieutenant-
Colonel Campbell, of the 16th Regiment, and other officers.
Serjeant James Taylor was arraigned " for highly improper
conduct, on or about the 23d May, 1843, when aware that a
riot and disturbance, connected with an affray which had
taken place the previous night bet Ween some soldiers of the
15th Regiment and the police, was intended to be renewed by
some soldiers of the 15111 Regiment, and not communicating
the circumstance to his superior officers, although warned by
Mr. Walker, turnkey at the New Bailey, that he ought to do
so ; such conduct being greatly unbecoming the conduct of a
non-commissioned officer, and subversive of discipline and
good order." The prisoner pleaded Not guilty.
It appeared, from the testimony of Charles Walker, the
turnkey at the New Bailey, and of William Diggles, his as-
sistant, that, on the day following the disturbance, the ac-
cused went to Walker to pay the fines awarded by the ma-
gistrates against four privates of the 15th Regiment. In the
course of conversation, he stated, that another row was forth-
coming that night, as the grenadiers had turned out to a man.
Walker told him that the superior officers ought to be in-
formed.

The accused denied the charge, and said the witnesses had
worn falsely. It appeared that the prisoner bore a good
character in his regiment.
The court was cleared several times while the officers of
the court deliberated. On the last occasion it was stated,
that it would be unnecessary for the reporters to return, as
it was near four o'clock, beyond which hour the court had
no power to sit; and that the judgment of the court would
not be allowed to transpire until it had been approved by the
General.
It is known, however, that the court martial found the
prisoner guilty, and sentenced him to ten days' solitary con-
finement, and to be reduced to the ranks.
On Monday last a District Court Martial was held at the
Regent-road Barracks, to try Serjeant Lawrence Nolan, of
the 15th Regiment, on various charges of misconduct during
the recent collision between the soldiers and the police.
The evidence in support of the charge went to show, that
the prisoner had prevaricated in the account which he gave
at the barracks of certain circumstances which occurred on
the night of the 23d ; had wilfully misstated some other cir-
cumstances; had designedly neglected to report to the Co-
lour-Serjeant some of the particulars alleged against privates
Webb and Rooney, then in custody ; and had neglected to
report to the officer of the picquet that private Buson was in
confinement.

The prisoner, in his defence, called witnesses, one of whom
stated that he heard the prisoner report Webb and Rooney
to Colour-Serjeant Abbott. The court adjourned at four
o'clock.

The case was resumed on Tuesday. The prisoner bad a
good character given by the captain of his company. The
court was cleared as before, and several deliberations took
place.

Private James Rooney, of the 15th regiment, was arraigned
on the. following charges :—" Ist. For having been absent
from tattoo on the night of the 23d :May. and not returning
until brought back by an escort the same night. 2d. For
having, o❑ or about half-past twelve o'clock on the morning
of the 24th of May, when a prisoner with a❑ escort of the
regiment, struck police-inspector M`Flugh with his fists.
3d. For having, when a prisoner at the time stated in the
second charge, made his escape from the escort." The pri-
soner pleaded Not guilty.
The evidence went simply to the proof of the above
charges. The prisoner had been before convicted of insu-
bordination.

Private Webb, of the same regiment, was arranged on
charges similar to the above, which were proved by a recapi-
tulation of the same testimony.
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the inquiries were
continued. Private James Pollock, of the 15th Regiment.
was tried on a charge of having used threatening langnagc to-
wards the police; Private William Thorp, of the 15th, on
charge of having, while under arms as one of the escort sent
to quell an affray, attempted to assault Police Constable Mo-
ran, who had claimed the protection of that escort; and Pri-
vate Dennis Tracey, of the 15th, on charge of having
threatened the police.
The decisions of the court, except in the case of Serjeant
Taylor, had not, up to Saturday, been submitted to the Gene-
ral of the district. The Manchester Guardian expresses a
belief, however, that Webb has been acquitted, he having
been previously confined on the same charge. Some charges,
it is said, have been preferred against several privates of the
16th Regiment, for using threatening language to the police
subsequently to the riot, and a second court martial has been
sitting to investigate the matter. Major-General Sir William
Warre was at the barracks on Friday, investigating in person
some circumstances connected with the liberation of soldiers
apprehended on the 23d ult. We understand that in conse-
quence of the misconduct of the soldiers of the 16th Regi-
ment to the police they have been ordered to return to the
barrack in the evening at eight instead of nine o'clock, and,
indeed, it is said that all the troops now in the Regent-road
barrack, consisting of portions or detachments of the Bth,
15th, and 16th Regiments, have been required to conform to
this regulation.

ROBBERY, CREDULITY, AND BIGAMY,

Eliz. Williams, aged 17, of prepossessing appearance, fair
complexion, and profuse flaxen hair, residing in Church-
street, Chelsea, was charged on Friday, at Kensington
Police-office, on suspicion of stealing a silver table-spoon,
the property of Mr. Hitchcock, proprietor of the Gloucester
Arms Tavern, Kensington. The case gave rise to extraordi-
nary disclosures, and the substantiation of a charge of bigamy
against the prisoner. With regard to the latter point,
Arthur Williams, a young and well-dressed man, a draper,
at present residing at the tavern, and who had been in-
veigled into marrying the prisoner by her deceitful repre-
sentations, made the following depositions :
He knew the prisoner, to whom he bad been married by
licence on Tuesday, the 30th of May last, at Kensington
Church. lie first met her on a Sunda'y night in September
last at Hyde Park-corner, when, recognising her as a fre-
quent customer at a house of business he was then con-
nected with, he bowed and spoke to her. She then com-
plained of a gentleman who was annoying her behind, and
claiming his protection, he accompanied her to Sloane-
street, beyond which she would not permit him to go with
her. He, however, persuaded her to make an appointment
to meet him again, which she kept, and from the con-
versation which ensued he considered her a young female
of strict moral principle, and felt that she had com-
pletely won his affections. At their third interview.
she stated that her father was an Englishman, but that
she was an Italian by birth on her mother's side, and
that her name was Elizabeth Eleanor Burrows ; that
her mother dying when she was an infant she had been
sent to this country in the care of Captain —, whose
widow had married a person named Etheridge, with whom
she was still living. When old enough she stated she had
been placed at a boarding-school at Footscray, Kent, from
which she had been subsequently taken away by her guar-
dian, Sir Harry Daun, Bart., of Rose House, Dartford,
Kent, who had placed her with a Mrs. Cox, residing at No.
3, Old Manor-street. Chelsea, who had an allowance of £2OO
a year with her, and which she afterwards stated she had no
doubt Sir Harry Daun would give her in marriage, as also
the proceeds of the rent of a house and farm at Footscray,
which her father had left her. About four months since
the prisoner wrote to him a letter, requesting to see him
on business of importance, when, on meeting in the evening,
she told him that she been much annoyed by her
guardian, Sir Harry Datm, pressing her to leave Eng-
land with a Count Bellivante, whom she stated her guardian
said was a distant relative of her (the prisoner's) mother, and
in a moment of pretending confidence she told him that both
the count and Sir Harry Daun had made unsuccessful attempts
on her virtue. Under the circumstances headvised her to go to
her old nurse, Mrs. Etheridge, at Greenwich, for protection,
offering to accompany her; but she declined going then, and
said, that although she could not return to Mrs. Cox's in
consequence of the importunities of the count and baronet,
she could go to her laundress, a Mrs. Gardiner, residing at
17, Manor-street. lie recommended her to do so, and she
having hinted that she had left Mrs. Cox's in haste, attired
en dishabille, and without cash, he gave her 30s. Being
taken ill at Mrs. Gardner's he stopped with her for two days
and two nights, during which time he was never for one mo-
ment alone with her. It was then stated by the laundress,
that she had a sister, wife to a farmer, named Bennett, re-
siding ;tt Henley-upon-Thames, Oxon, to whom the prisoner
might, if he liked, let her go down for a week, and on the
prisoner pressing the same suit next day, lie gave her £2 to
pay her expenses. A fortnight after the prisoner apprised
him by note that she had returned, and was again under the
care of Mrs. Cox, the count having gone off to the Conti-
nent; but added, that since incurring her uncle's displea-
sure, she was unable to pay the rent of her old nurse,
Mrs. Etheridge, which she had been accustomed to do. He
met her the same evening, and gave her £4 10s. for the for-
mer purpose, £2 to pay for the physician's attendance on her,
and £2 for her own use. He ferther gave her ids. to recover
a ring, which Sir Harry Daun was very angry with her for
losing, and which Mrs. Gardner's husband had pledged with-
out hr knowledge. Mr. Williams continued to meet her
daily. On one occasion, when visiting her at Mrs. Gardi-
ner s, a young man came into the room, and demanding to
know what he wanted there said his name was Cox, and the
prisoner his wife ; she afterwards persuaded him that this was
the nephew of her guardian, but though, in compliance
with Sir Harry Daun's threats, she had been married
to him at Henley-on-Thames, the marriage was not valid,
as it had been performed in a private house. His soli-
citor, to whom he applied, certified him on this point of
law. About six weeks ago she represented that Richard-
son, a friend of her father's, had come up from the country,
who would prove the marriage illegal, but admitted that it
had been consummated, and said that, to relieve her from
her unpleasant situation, her friend had removed her from
Cox's to the house of Mr. Body, a clergyman, No. 31,
Church-street Chelsea. Notwithstanding, however, her
friend's positive orders, Mr. Body had admitted Cox into
the house as her husband ; and on Thursday, the 25th ult.,
she came to him in apparently great excitement, and said that
Mr. Body having admitted Cox to her room and bed, she had
fled the house, and could not return to it. He walked about
the street with her all that night, as he could not get her to
go to any place of shelter. They again walked about tl-e next
night; and on the third night he persuaded her to enter an inn,
where they sat up in a room all night. On Saturday (the 27th)
she, however, yeilded to his earnest entreaties that he should
take lodgings until he could procure a licence to marry her.
He had then taken the apartments at Mr. Hitchcock's tavern,
representing themselves as man and wife. Having obtained a
license at Kensington on the morning of the third day they had
been there (the 30th), he asked Mr. Hitchcock to be a wit-
ness to their marriage at Kensington Church, who refused,
being vexed at the deception lie had used. On their return,
an hour afterwards, he produced the certificate of marriage,
when Mr. Hitchcock permitted them to remain. Since their
marriage she had shown him a letter she said she had re-
ceived from Sir H. Dann, appointing to meet him at a cer-
tain hour at the Green Man Inn, Blackheath, to make an
arrangement; as also another, addressed to " Lord Sea-
grave, Uiberne della Britta, Milan, Italy," which she said
had been written by her guardian to his lordship to malign
her character, and she induced him to write a letter in vin-
dication of their marriage. They resided at the tavern till
Tuesday, when Mr. Williams, on returning home from busi-
ness to dinner, found his wife gone, and on her not coming
back, the rooms of the parties were examined, and time silver
table spoon which the prisoner had had to take medicine in,
with a tea-spoon from another room, had disappeared.
The certificate of the second marriage was produced, found
in prisoner's pocket, and Caroline Cox, of No. 21, Drury-
place, Church-street, Chelsea, produced the certificate of
the prisoner's first marriage by banns, on the 26th of Fe-
bruary last, at St. Luke's, Chelsea, to J. It. Cox, her brother,
a porter, in Charles-street, Grosvenor-square. On one
occasion of coming, her brother found Mr. Williams there
and turned him out of the house. Witness had herself told

Mr. Williams that the prisoner was a married woman, but
he would not believe it.
Mr. Williams said that the last witness bad been always
called to him by the name of Gardiner.

The prisoneisaid that all she had to say was that Mr.
Williams knew well she was a married woman, as she and
her husband had always told him so. He had taken her

away without her consent, and when she wanted to go home
again he would not let her, and therefore she ran away in his

absence.

She fainted during the evidence, and appeared in a very
weak state, and covered her face with her hands.
Mr. Clive said he had no doubt the whole parties had been
engaged in a deep conspiracy to entrap Mr. Williams, and
had great doubt whether the whole ought not to be indicted.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial.