The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-07-14 00:00:00

STATF.SMAN

sorry that Counsel did not attend on behalf of the de-
fendant on the present occasion. because it might have
convinced all such libellers, that no address nor no
eloquence in the mouth of an advocate, could alter the
opinion of the Jury respecting each calumnies. As it
was, be had only to prove the case stated on the re-
cord, and call upon the Jury to judge for his client as
they would expect to be judged in their own case, if
they were similarly slandered, and to show their sense of
the evil which bad been done, by the damages they
should award.
The plaintiffs operating brewer proved the words set
oat in the declaration to have been repeatedly uttered
by the defendant. He declared most solemnly, that
having been in the plaintiff's employment for 20 years,
he could safely state that nothing was made use of iu
his brewery but malt, hops, and yeast.
Several alehouse-keepers also proved the words stet-
ted in the declaration. It was stated that persons who
lived at a distance ham Baldoek had ceased to take
beer of the plaintiff, in consequence of these reports.—
One witness, a publican at Hertford, who dealt with the
plaintiff, said be was frequently addressed by his ens.
towers with theseexpressions: ' Come let us have some
of your real Shag beer." This witness stated, that
before this slander he used to deal with the plaintiff for
beer to the amount of 3or 41.101. a-year ; but for the last
three months he had had no beer of him. This was the
plaintiff's case.
The Under-Sheriff summed up the evidence for the
Jury, who retired, and brought in a verdict for the
Plaintiff—Damages, Four Hundred Pounds.

POLICE.
--..e.--

UNION-FIALL.-00 Saturday morning the neighbour-
hood of Bermondsey was tbrosn into consternation by
the report that Mrs. Elisabeth Chamberlain, en elderly
woman, who resided in Memolil-street, Bermondsey,
had been murdered. It was at a very early hour that the
alarm was given, and the street-door was soon crowded
with people.
At six o'clock, Painter, the constable, who resides near
the spot whet, the murder was said to he committed,
proceeded to the house without delay. Upon entering
the front room on the ground-floor he observed the un-
fortunate woman, who appeared to be about GO years of
age, sitting in a chair nearly opposite to the door. She
was leaning with her right arm on a table, and her head
was in a reclining position upon her lianil,and she appear-
ed to be asleep. He felt the body, anti found that it was
warm, and, e believed, until be closely examined it, that
the life was not extinguished. On nearer view, however,
he saw a deep wound over the left temporal artery; that
the arms were covered with dry crusted blood. and that
the breath was gone. In one corner of the room he ob-
served a great quantity of blood, and behind the door he
found a shawl and apron, which were steeped in blood,
and seemed as if they had been used for the purpose of
preventing the blood from dowing under the door.
On the spot where the deceased sat no vestige of blood
was to be seen. neither were there any marks of blood on
the table on which her bead reclined. Painter, on mak-
ing inquiry of some of the lodgers in the house, and
others, ascertained that a man, %vim occupied a room
nest to that in which the body was found, had been
beard quarrelling, or " holding high words" with the
deceased on ON previous night about eleven o'clock.—
Painter thought it his duty to question this wan, alto
was amongst those present, upon the subject of :he dis-
pute, and the desperate violence that had been done to the
deceased, and having received an unsatisfactory and con-
fused account took him into custody.
The prisoner was in the course of the thy brought be-
fore the Magistrates at Union-liall, when a statement to
the above effect was made by Mr. Holland. the overseer
of Bermondsey parish.
Mr. Holland also stated, that from the appearance of
the body, and the condition of the things in the room
when he entered he could not conclude that the deceased
had committed self-destruction.

The prison,' r betrayed no fear or concern ; he appears
to be about 50 years of age, and is blind of one eye.
The Magistrate, upon looking at Wm at the bar, de-
sired that his hands and clothes should be examine I.—

The officer turned up both his hands (a motion to which
no objection was made by the prisoner) and found that
the right hand was stained with fresh blood.
Magistrate—" Prisoner, how do you account for the
marks of blood on your band ?"
Prisoner—" Why, I killed two fowls the day before at
two o'clock for my master, and their blood is still
upon my band."
Magistrate-0 How did you kill the foWls ?"
Prisoner—" I wrung their necks, and killed 'em that
war."
Magistrate—" That method of dispatching fowls sure-
ly could not have stained your hands in the way iu which
they now appear, after so long an interval ?"
Prisoner—" That's the way I got the stains however."
He was then asked whether he had not done some work
since he had killed the fowls? He replied that he had
done some hoeing in his master's garden, where he was
iu the habit of working.
Magistrate—" The work with the hoe would surely
wear out the marks of the blood ?"

Prisoner—" Oh. no The fowls bled very mach.—
The blood was so great that it even scattered over my
breeches."

The Magistrates then asked the prisoner whether be
wished to add any thing to the denial which he ha,l al-
ready made, but told him he was by no means obliged to
say a word ?
The prisoner said lie certainly had to deny every thing
that had been said likely to implicate him in the death of
the poor woman. " God knows," said lie " every thing
that passes in my heart; cud lie knows, that I would no
mere injure her than my own mother. Why, wh.tt would
make me murder her? A man at any time of life, and
nearly three years living in one house with her as her
lodger! No, Gentlemen, lam quite innocent of the
el

rinse.
The prisoner spoke those words in the most solemn tone,
and appeared to he greatly agitated upon hearing that he
was to go to prisms until the Coroner's verdict should be
given.
He persevered In denying the possibility of his being
concerned in so atrocious a transaction, although the Ma-
gistrate represented to him that there was no necessity in
repeating the assurances of his innocence, and that they
were acting merely from a sense of duty to the public in de-
taining him.
The deceased, he said, he had seen the night before he
had found her dead, and sae appeared at that interview to be
in liquor. lie advised her to go into bed, but she refused
to do so, and was very obstinate. He then retired from her
room into his own, and immediately went to bed. After
some time he heard her " floundering " about her room, and
he called out to her, supposing that she was stripping her-
self, to know whether site was getting into bed. lie heard,
or he thought he heard her say, she was, and he went to
sleep. In the morn ng, however, upon entering her room,
he Wand tier sitting in the position described. He called to
her, bet she made no reply, and then he saw the room co-
vered with blood like a slaughterhouse, and concluding that
she was dead, he ran late the street to alarm the people. It
was then tire o'clock, and he had to run about for some time
before he could get assistance.

The prisoner earnestly begged that the Magistrates
would not have him locked up, as he ,was convinced that
his master would hail him to any amount, from the convic-
tion that he would never commit such an act as he was
charged with.
Thebed-room of the prisoner is Immediately within that of
the deceased, and he was obliged to pass through her room
to reach his own.—Remanded until the verdict of the Coro-
ner's Jury shall be male known.

Mamas Po um—Saturday.Ma Calcites, a seams. et the
ship Mrorge the Fourth, was brought op, charged by his eem.

minding officer with having on the high seas wilfully and
maliciously stabbed hint with a carting knife with intent to
murder him. Captain John Clarke, of the King George the
Fourth, deposed, that in the month of February last the ship
was at Bombay; on the oth or 10th of February last the
prisoner requested leave tcLgo on shore, which •witness ac-
ceded to, and supplied hint with two sovereigns at the
aspiration of the leave, granted he did not return. Witness
consequently appliedte the police to apprehend him as a de-
serter, which was done, and on the foliowinT day he was
brought on board, and sentenced to receive two dozen
lashes ; be was fastened to the main-rigging for that pur-
pose, received his lashes, and retnrned to ditty. About three
weeks afterwar.ls a complaint was lodged by one of the
troop belonging to the 24th Detachment, then on board.
I charging the prisoner with stewing rum out of a chest. The
I offence being proved, witness ordered him to he put in irons,
which the prisoner resisted. lu the art of bring forced to
that punishment, he exclaimed, " o—n you, (meaning wit-
ness,) I'll now be hung for murder!" and drawing a cart-
ing-kulfe which he had secreted about his person, he plunged
it under witness's ear, who fell instantly on the deck. The
witness's life was iu consequence for some time despaired
of. The case was remanded for further evidence.
A gentlemanly-looking man, Captain of a ship, was
brought in I Beach;•, an officer, for having possession of
a chest of Hyson tea.
Deadly stated he met the prisoner in Ratcliff, on Ft i.lay
evening, carrying the chest in question, which contained
fine Slyson tea. He asked how 1 e came by it? And the
defendant answered he brought it trout theship. He asked
what ship ? The defendant rejoined the ship. He brought
him to the office.
Magistrate—How raffle you by this tea ?—Honestly.
Magistrate—ls that your account ?—Yes.
Magistrate—l shall convict you in 51. penalty; in de-
fault to be imprisoned six sr eeks, the tea and chest for-
feited. _ _ .

Defendant—l shall pay you the 51.; which he Ihl, aad
left the office.

MART-La-BONNZ-OPtICZ.—On Saturday two well known
characters of the nent-s of Francis Austin and IV. Bray.
were brought up by Willans, ao active officer, charged
with committing a burglary in the house of Henry Max-
well, rem. Union-place, New-road. Some of the pro-
perty stolen from she house, and•a complete burgling
apparatus having been found in the apartments of the pri-
soners, and evidence being produced of their having been
seen near the premises, they were both filly com-
mitted to Navigate. They are supposed to be part of
a gang of burgla-;, who have latterly accomplished many
extensive robberies in this end of the town.