The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-11-20 00:00:00

CASE OF IMPORTANCE •
SO MASTERS A\D MISIMESSES OF FAMILIES AND SER.

YAXT3:

At the County Court of Middlesex for the hundred
of Ossulston, holden on Thursday last, a gentleman
appeared on the summons of the father of a girl who
had recently been in the service of the defendant, on
account of non-payment of the girl's wages. The de-
fendant hired the girl as anntemaid, at six guineas
a year wages; the girl entered on her place on the
29th September, and on the 28th October following,
'without giving any previous warning, or assigning
any previous cause of complaint, left her situation.—
The true reason of her quitting it was, that her father
bad procured her a situation as lady's-maid, which
she preferred to that of nursemaid. The defendant, in
consequence, refuied paying her any wages for the
month she had been in service ; first, on the ground
of her misconduct in so leaving her place, and, se-
condly, that the hiring being a yearly hiring, she was
entitled to no wages if she chose to leave her place be-
fore the expiration of 'the year ; but even if it should
be considered that she would be entitled to wages fur
the periods be might serve, that a general hiring at an-
nual wages did imply the right of a month's warning
oti- the part of the servant as well as the master, be-
fore the one could quit her place, or the other could
discharge her from it. The Court, however, made an
order fur the payment of the servant's wages.
This dpy it was urged to the same Court, for the
purpose of obtaining a revision of the case and the
judgment, that the deci4on, independently of the in-
convenience that may arise from it both to masters and
mistresses, as well as servants, did not accord with
the cases of Robinson e. Hirdam, 3 Esq. N.Y.C. and
Spain r. Arnott, 2 Stark. N.P.C. or with the opinion
of Chief Justice Abbott, in the case of Williams e,
Rice, tried before him at sittings after last Easter
Term/. But the gentleman acting in the capacity of
Jndge, was of opinion that the cases above referred to
only related to servants in husbandry, and conse-
quently, that the judgment must stand.
The consequence of the above decision will be, that
no master or mistress os a family, under a general
hiring at yearly wages, can calculate in the morning
on having a servant to dress their dinner the same day,
or a servant when he rises in the morning on not be-
ing turned out of doors before the night arrives ; un-
Ives, indeed, there has been an express contract that
the servant shall not leave the plait., or the master
discharge the servant, without a month's warning. It
therefore behoves both masters and servants in future
ro be particular upon this point.

The imprisonment to which Scent, the butcher, in
Pimlico, was sentenced fur an attempt to kill his wife.
expired yesterday morning.

APPREIIENsION OF MARK LAWSON, 7111 E HlGHWAY-
consequence of the apprehension of Currie
and the esespe of Lawson, as mentioned in our last,

police-officers were dispatched in pursuit of him. He
was traced by 'l'. Forsyth, to Morpeth, from Morpeth

to Acklington, where he had slept all night, from
thence to Widdrington and Shi!bottle, where he
changed a 11. note of Lambton's Bank, and soon near
to Alnwick, where the officer lost all further trace,
and eonitquentlY returned home. Mr. Cousins, and
other. Officers, at Alawick, exerted themselves to dis-
cover.him, but with the like want of success. He
was last seen going North of Alnwick, and must have
taken across the mountains and uninhabited parts of
the moors, as on Saturday, be entered the public
linuse,.kept by Common, in the village of Har-
bottle, and enquired for lodgings; previous to this, an
account of the robbery, and escape of Lawson, having
been sent to Mr. Clennell, of Harbottle Castle, the
Chairman of the County, he communicated the same
to his gamekeeper, who, soon after, went into the
public house, where Lawson (then unknown) was sit-
tin, and began relating to the company, in Lawson's
presence, the story of the robbery, observing that
Currie was taken, and that it would not be long before
Mark Lawson would be in custody :on Lawson hearing
this, he got up and went out of the room, leaving his
handle, and did not again return. The suspicious ap-
pearance of the man, his description, and the histy
manner of his departure, were, the next morning,
communicated to Mr. Clennell, who, suspecting him,
(from his conduct) to be Lawson, dispatched four
parties across the moors, in pursuit of Mm, and he
lees ultimately taken at Ilirm ss, up the Reed Water, hav-
ing- traversed the extensive moors betvieen Harbottle
wad•that place. He was, on Monday, brought to this
town, and lodged in the New Moot Hall Prison. The
publici particularly in the Northern part of the
county, have been very anxious for the apprehension
of this man, wholias been a long time a terror to Aln-
wick and its vicinity.—(Newcastle Coorchst.)
Tbnrstlay last, John Williams was committed to
Worcester County Uaol, for obtaining under false
pretences, two silk handkerchiefs, the property of
Slr. James Horsley, of Droitivich, tnercer. The cir-
-7.. •
ceiristances of this fraud are rather singular. On the
diy in question, the prisoner entered the shop of Mr.
Horsley, for the alleged purpose of purchasing silk
kitiseketnhiefs ; having selected two, lie requested
titew, to be put in paper for him. _ Mr. H. accordingly
mapped them in whited-brown paper, which Wil-
liams objected to, and asked if lie had no white paper
toiiiktbest le.
.Mr. H. immediately acquiesced in
and packed them up agreeable to his
wishes. it appears that Williams hod previously pro-
vided.libialtelf with a parcel coutoining wood 'hat 'logs,
`!capped Jo white paper, bearing a resemblance to a
- pack.age of silk handkerchiefs, or other light goods.
When Mr. •11. had. packed up the handkerchiefs, Wil-
liams put them in.bit pocket ; at the same moment
emitting of if he could recommend him to a
grocer., IV.. H. directel. him to a very respectable
nergilr; Willianis thanked him Or his recoustnen-
datioirr-told.. him he Wished to purchase some
articles ia:tbatrline ;.,and. at the same instant taking
the sham parcel from his pocket, told Mr. H. be
would .cal Land pay ..for- his purchase on his return.
Upwards- nf an bony elapsed before any, fraud was
suspected.. liv.ll. finding Williams did_ not retort!,
eoquired of hia.,neigbboue if a person answering
Wiltiatue's:4lfseription had been there :—en miniver I,
was given in. Abe peradre... Mr. H. then-suspected
all Ovals nist..tighttnind, on opening tlmparcel ascer-
taissid that hiempiiltions wean but too true.. H.
ileediately.. went !sin .povinit of the prisonox, whom
be • a.PerFinstonli j bouß
,sliwee miles: on, the- Worcester-
vocal, and the propertyscan fonakopon .