The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-06-13 00:00:00

17

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LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S RF,NCIT, /wig N.
GILISF.RY V. SYKES, BART.
This was an action, by which the Plaintiff, who
is a Clergyman, sought to recover from the Defend-
cit, Sir Mark Sykes, Bart. 26001. odds, being the.
ledance of the sum doe to him by the Defendant, on.
a wager on the life of Boneparte, by which, in con-
ederation of the sum of 1051. the Defendant engaged
to pay to the Plait'lid' one guinea per day, daring
the fife time of Napoleon Bonaparte. The wager.
was entered into at the table. of the Defendant, after
dinner, when the conversation turning upon the WI:
certain tenure of 13onnparte's life, shortly after the
Peace of Amiens, the Defendant offered to give one
guinea per day during the life of that-person to any
one who would give him 100 guineas down. The
Plaintiff immediately called out 64 done ;" when the
DJendant, by his looks, which expressed displea-;
&ore at being so suddenly caught, and the reit of the i
eat-norms-, by their cries of 66 no, no! no wager!"
eliewed their disapprobation of the conduct of the
Plaintiff. The Plaietitf, however, on the next law-
ful day sent the Defendant 1051. which he accepted,
end went on for nearly three years . making the
noddy payments. The action was tried before Mr.
Baron Thompson, at the last Assizes for the County
of York, and the Jury- found for the Defendant, !
thereby declaring the m age!. void.
PARE having obtained a rule to shew cause,'
Ni:o. a new trial Should not be granted,
Mr. TOPPING, Mr. SCARLETT, and Mr. flunLocK,
argeNl in support of the Verdict.
M r. PA RK, Mr. RIeIiARDSON, and Mr. BROUGITAM,
Poninst it.
The Court this day gave their Judgment, finding
the wager in question to be contrary to law, con-
trary to morality, and contrary to Christianity, con-
templating as it did, assassination. The Vet-clic:ref
course, was affirmed, and the rule for a new trial!
was discharged. • 1

The improvements in the vicinity of the metropolis
are going on with a rapidity that is really astonish-
ing. In every direction London is extending its2lf
for two or three miles round; but no situation
nn-
peared so desirable for a noble and enlarged plan of
building as the desirable spot opposite Lord Rol-
land's Park, where, in a few months, •an estate has
been created, that in'point of superior building,
leaves all others at an immeasurable distance. The •
views before and behind are so extensive and unin-
terrupted, and the easy access to town so consta t.
that already it has become the object of sojurnm-nt.
not only to the wealthy Citizens, but includes the
?pore fashionable Gentry of the west end of the town.
An extensive and elegant square is nearly complete,
and it is said to possess the singular advantage of a
building that will last at least a century, and yet the
rents are not so high as in other situations, which
bear no comparison wilh the present. Lord Kensing-
ton is said to have contributed largely to the plan.
Ifottato Nlurturn.—Extract of a letter, dated
Resolis, 4th June, 1812. :—" On Tuesday last, the
2d current, Captain Charles Munro, late of the PM
regiment, and Robert Ferguson, ship carpenter,
both residi.tg nt Itiverbreaky Ferry, parish of Revs-
having met at a neighbouring work-shop, a trilling
dispute arose between them. After a little alterca-
tion, Ferguson pulled a large knife out of his
ro •het, and pl.nged it into Captain Munro's side.
Dr. M.l) inald, at Cromarty, who. was immediately
called, dressed the wound ,%ith the greatest skill and
tenderness, and afforded every possible assistance,
but all to no purpose, the wound was mortal, and
nest evening, abaut 28 hours after receiving the
cruel stab, tile Captain died ! Upon perpetrating
the atrocious deed, the base assassin attempted to
elude the siolated laws of his country, by abscond-
ing. In consapiene,., however, of the exertions of
Captain M Kenzie, or...Newhall, whose activity on
this utcasion morits the highest praise, the miscreant
was taken on the same evening, and lodged early
Next morning in the gaol of Tait*. Captain Munro
I:as left an indigent widow and a numerous helpless
family to deplore his premature and cruel death."
I,7pwartls of a twelvementh since the Lr.dy of the
Rev. T. G. Ct: sr, of Ipswich, among; other things
gave her maid-servant a crayon pencil case. The
servant, who has for some time since been in the ser-
vice of Maws' I) tWSON, Esq. of Kentwell-hall,
has teciaitly called at her former place and returned
a I'2o rank-note, which she said she had found in
the pencil case, and for which example of honesty
she was, as she certainly deserved to be, liberally re-
vs• a rded.

A singularly fatal and unaccountable accident hap-!
pened in Grimsby Roads on Thursday se'ntsight,
about noon.—Whilst the Revenue cutter Repulse,l
Captain Mason, wad ixing at anchor in the above •
texts, the Captain being on the after-part of the I
th and six men sitting on the fore-part at work,
Captain Mason suddenly became missing: an en-
tiairy was made whether he had gone below : the
cabin was looked into, and every place examined
where he was likely to be, but he could not be
found. On looking out, however, one of the men
saw something floating upon the surface of the water,
at the distance of about 150 yards from the cutter—
a boat was immediately put oif,, and it was found to
be the Captain's bat. The unfortunate gentleman,
it was clear, therefore, had, gone overboard (and
must have sunk immediately); but bow or in what'
manner is. unknown. His body. 'was dragged for
very carefully, bat bad not been found on Sunday.
Mr. W. Lighten, a farmer at Wyberton, Lincoln-
shire, last week Jost a valuable cow, in consequence
of the following extraordinary circiunstance: Two
cows belonging to him, which were feeding in a pas-
tare near West Skirbeck Hall, so
•entangled them-
selves in each other's horns, that their mutual efforts
to get free- priming ineffectual, no. help being at
hand, one of them. in its efforts to tides effect, drove
its horq into the eye of the other, piercing the skull
to the, depth of several incites.. In this shocking si-
tuation of extreme torture to tile ore, and entangle-
ment to the other, it is conjectured they must have
remained a considerable time. ..They were at length
observeii, from the singularity of their situation, aiid
relief afforded; but this could only hadone by saw-
ing asunder the, horn of the cow which had pierced
the other. The wounded animal had suffered so
';,A% from. ciss accidental conjunction, that it was
(algad necessary to kill her the same day.

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