The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-08-27 00:00:00

A WITNESS TO THE RESCUE.

From a recent number of Tom Burke is taken
,thebot,
lowing characteristic sketch—one of the author 9 bees
Tom Burke, the hero, after his return from France, friel
he had been serving under Napoleon, is seized anc.d.. tube
for a crime supposed to have been committed beic,-the
quitted the land of his birth. Darby M'Keovo' the
prisoner's old friend, who had been transported, *ras?'
only person who could exonerate him, and be wit? -,40'
posed to be far away " oPr the sea." As the trial r
ceeds however the following scene occurs:— die
A tremendous uproar in the hall without drowned ,
remainder of the sentence; and although the crier itt
proclaimed silence, and the Bench twice interPeseott'
authority to enforce it, the tumult continued, and o!, -ear
tually extended within the court itself, where all -
blance of respect seemed suddenly annihilated. the
" If this continues one moment longer," exclairae
fitgt
Chief Justice, " I will commit to Newgate the veil,
disorderly person I can discover."
The threat, however, did but partially calm the the
bance, which in a confused murmur prevailed fro?? the
benches of the counsel to the very galleries ei
of
Court.
" What means this?" said the judge in a I°ic
,e Ad-

voicesA
anger. " Who is it that dares to interfere with the
ministration of justice here ?"
w fromi tne s s
thea
pwaistsnaegses , 0my y
the L oCnio,u"rt called,
pushed violently forward, and came struggling Ow"
till the leading figures were pressed over the inner barcie $
Again the judge repeated his question, while be Iva
,'b'rsohkoeutfreodraa
tdheee pr-atgogneeddvaobl,e.eiviilngl
f o r signalD afrobryt the officer
,oKffieenewr
no,f
athe d court
nt,ot
biin approachsel
rs hi m• te,:n:
the middle of t-he crowd. " Your Lordship V°
ask
of
rpyyr ol lord,"
avenueradl
and
the name !"
cw...,
passage of the ll-
even jammed up the stairs and the entrance htt'''' crowd
And now, raised upon the shoulders 0f the
broad
an.
Darby appeared, borne aloft in triumph; his broddw_tt
daring face, bronzed with sun and weather, glowe _oeirlit
a look of reckless effrontery, which no awe of the
nor any fear for himself was able to repress.
elates
while
a seerc.nr,ll
Of my own sensations while this scene was eusb
need not speak ; and as I gazed at the weather-
rt of
features of the hardy piper, it demanded every eircight•
my reason to believe in the testimony of my, eYews'ould
Had he come back from death itself, the surprse it 1445
scarely have been greater. Meanwhile the tumult $
allayed, and the lawyers on either side—for now ta with,
glimmer of hope appeared, my advocate had entered of
spirit on his duties—were discussing the admissibili.Thig
n oA‘w":fielilsiledmofe:vamep
evidence at the present stage of the proceedings. other
point being speedily established in my favour, alLoof
and a graver question was raised—how far the testovioj
of a convicted felon—for such the lawyer at once c
le
Darby—could be received as evidence. prop
Cases were quoted, and authorities shown, t° Pore
that such could not be heard as witnesses—that thell or
among those whom the law pronounces infamous all'potiti
worthy of credit ; and while the lawyer continued tf,iplei
forth a perfect ocean of arguments, he inter'—re
was ~r
by the Court, who affirmed the opinion, and eoll'
in his view of the case. el'
all
" It only remains, then, my Lord," said my ci,,111°I
" for the crown to establish the identity 9f the inul
ff

" Nothing easier," interposed the other. the
" I beg pardon. I was about to add—and prodace
record of his conviction." 00
This last seemed a felling blow; for although the
wA-
.

4;430, wi
lawyer never evinced here, or at any other .• .00,.00
slightest appearance of discomfiture at any 0pp0514 P,
could see. by the puckering of the deep lines arotwile
mouth, that he felt vexed and annoyed by his new 5
tion. 1)0 PI:
An eager and animated discussion ensued, in w 001
advocate was assisted by the advice of some senio'd pf
sel, and again the point was ruled in my favour, all 4
"YourbyM!Keonwannalvaiss dmes,Kireedowton,msr
oiu?nt"tahaeidtatbhleelawyeerinlott
that abruptness which so often succeeds in °verse'
balance of a witness's self-possession.
" Yes, sir—Darby M'Keown. "
" Did you ever go by any other than this? " tb-
itl
" They do call me ' Darby the Blast' betimes, ti, II
, a name. bl
" Is that the only other name you have been called i ;c
" I misremember rightly, it's so long ailiceboa°
among friends and acquaintances ; but if yet,
would remind me a little, may be I could tell. , 0
dodo
" Well, were you ever called ' Larry the Flail? doe
" Faix, I was," replied he, laughing, ‘' devil II ~'
. 7
of it." Fltal.fof
" How did you come by the name of ' Larry the
" They gave me that name up at Mulhuldad, tilp Ar
beating one M'Clancy wid a flail." beilli.
" A very good reason. So you got the naive
the
u
yo beat a certain M'Clancy with a flail?" pie
" I didn't say that. I only said that they gale
name because they said I bate him."
0
Were
weraes,yoofuteenv.el called ' Fire the Haggard ? ' ''
" For no reason, of course ? "
4. lost
twbi
emo:,
always
Idlpiwda_ ieaotvdisywoie,sl
cdehaoiuvrmeya
you mean,
ei
humbugging
gnT,thhteaa
ltbk
wo
of
fsy 1
n. said
,e,
? ,
,i t in spo r - , -
they talk of yer honour out there in the hall. do
00 do
" Sure I heard them say myself, as I was IVY
that you wor o clever man and a cute lawyer. t/0
at tot
A titter ran round the benches of the barrister ' 4
speech, which was delivered with the naive sio3P L
it eow "10'
" You are a United Irishman, Mr. 31`rpterli
believe? " rejoined the counsel with a frown 0.1 (1 °
an
der, ,t t
nsir, and a White Boy, and a Defelitilves• pin 6,
Th-

. .
,rasher besides. I was in alithe fun thew ~,bo -,,,
,
" The Thrashers are the fellows, I believe,tibsts".
beat any man they are appointed to attack--id- 0 tc)
. a pe ..,;orf'
"So that if I was to be mentioned to you 3., " ,
be assaulted, although I had never done 37°' "II , ye'
you'd not hesitate to waylay me. t Otte'
" No, sir, I would'nt do that 0.- co t, /
honour." he oula°
" Come, come—what do you mean W-, w
attack me ?" e?" ft 1011
" I'd rather not tell, av it was pleazing to yfluldu '
" You must tell, sir. Speak out ? Why w" ,10
" They say, sir, " said Darby,
attack me ?" opOU'o7"
sS V-vort
and as be -rest 011
voice assumed a peculiar lisp, meant to exPre hie fo(
desty, " they say, sir, that when a man hasfbito,
there, like yer honour it's not lucky to bate elf,
that's the way the divil marks his ovvm " . entir ar
This time the decorum of the court gave s_), a P4of
and the unwashed faces which filled the avennufwasit_ool
sages were all expanded in open laughter ; . °rot. er13%.010
Ks le
to restore order again amid the many mar ~; 00
and encouragement bestowed on Darby by Pw
admirers. _

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