The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-02-25 00:00:00

LIILL.~-11TOY V. THE SCOTSMAN.

The present action arose out of a circusetance which
orcurrsd at the great Partlie.sn meeting, in ISA). It
will be recollecieJ that a momentary tumult and discord
was occasioned in that assembly hy souse eccentric ex-
pressions that were uttered by a person of the name of
Aitun, who aftereards avowed himself to be an M. D.
and E. M. R. M. S. E. The editor of the Scotsman
journal not only described this conduct in his report of
the meeting, bin wade it a collateral subject of his ani-
madversions, when commenting generally upon the
character of the party to which his journal IR politically
opposed. The continents contained certain aliusiuns to
the pursuer, and other expressions which were supposed
to apply to him; and for three he now sought to recover
dam les from Mr. J. R. M'Culloch, a proprietor, and
Mows. Abernethy and Walker, the printers of the jour-
nal in question. Damages laid at 5,0001.
After a trial of considerable length, the jury retired
for about 20 minutes, and then returned into Court with
a verdict for the pursuer—.Dowmps 11 1. •

OW BAILEY.

OPINION or vita "ODOM—Yesterday Joseph Froons and
Joke Darla, two boys, were put to the bar.
Mr. Justice PARK stated that the priso ers had been con-
victed of burglary at the last Sessions, before the Loan
Cuter BASON, bat a point was reserved for the opinion of
the Judges. tee of whom hid considered the case, and war..
uoanimonsly of opinlast that the conviction was proper. toe-
Acipeatly the itseesimerte weld" pass sentence of death on
the prisoners at the end of the sessions.
RonnERY OP TIC EXITS, COACU —William Thomas (a
respectable-looking man dressed in black), and Jake Baker
were indicted for stealing a parcel, containing 200 promis-
sory notes of IL each, forty f 4 notes, and 3:28 11. notes,
the property of Messrs. Sparites and Co. bankers at Exeter.
—The evidence for the prosecbtion has already apperd in
the police reports. The prisoners; when called on for their
defence, both declared their innocence. Baker, the guard,
put in a written defence. in which he alluded to the fact, that
he was the first to give information to the London bankers
of the robbery, and adverted to the anxiety whioh he had
from the first evinced for the detection of the offenders. lie
admitted that he was culpable in taking the parcel from his
coat, in which it was sewn, and putting it in the seat of the
Coach. Ills defence also represented that he (Baker) had
bad so many opportunities to escape, and yet had not at-
tempted it. lie had made a second journey to Exeter be-
fore he was apprehended on this charge.
A great variety of witnesses for Baker were called to
character and to fact, It was proved that Baker expressed
great anxiety when it was known that the parcel was lost.
That same night he went to liankey's, and acquainted them
of the robbery : the next morning he went again, and was
not apprehended until long subsequently. The witnesses
.to elieracter spoke extremely favourably of him. .i:The mus-
ter of the coach had travelled twice from Exeter to give the
prisoner a character.
The prisoner Thomas called no witnesses either to cha-
racter or fact.—The JOry acquitted Baker, and found
Thomas Guilty:

SHOCKING ATTEMPT TO NICRDER.—Ont readers will
recollect, that in December last, Wm. Mead, of Burnis-
tun, a village about four miles north of Scarhro', was
convicted, in the Court of King's liettek, through the ex-
ertions of Alr. Js. Law, of wilful and corrupt perjury in
the evidence he gave against several persons in the late
smuggling cause. This circumstance appears to haw
induced Mead to form the diabolical intention of taking
the life of Mr. Law, through whom. as we have stated,
his perjuries were bronght to G alit. Accordingly, the
night of Thursday last was fixed upon by tide revengeful j
asossio to perpetrate his. atrocious resolve. Mr. Law
would have to pass by the house of his enemy on his re-
turn home front the market, and. this was to be the op-
portunity for satiating his horrid thirst for blood. Ho,•
ever, by some weans or other, Mr. L. had received intiuta•
tion ofthe threatened danger, and acoirdingly delayed
his return until between three and four o'clock on Friday
morning; judging doubtless, that by that time the eye
of malice woe! t be closed, and the agitation of a revenge-
ful spirit allayed. He accordingly set out, accompanied
by a few friends, at that early hour, and when he passed
3leatt'shonse he happened to be a little in advance of his
party. Whatever hopes Mr. Law might have formed,
the hour was come which was to prove them fallacious.—
Mead,

" Dice a srannch murderer, etc:tilt' to his purpose",
and waited for his victim through the lonesome stillness
of the night—and now, with too snre an aim, diieharged
the murderous ball, which entered his shoulder above the
bone, and it is much to he feared will be fa.al in its con•
sequences. Mr. Law did not immediately feel the injury
he had sustained, hut as loon as it was discovered i hat
a wound had been indicted, the party rode forward with
os much haste its their circumstinees would admit,. and
without giving any alarm, to the house of Mr. Mils-
worth, who formed one of the company. As the retiring
' clamp of the horses died away, and no sounds of alarm
were heard, Mesd concluded he had missed his man and
proceeded unconcernedly to his rest. After Mr. Law
had been escorted to Mr. Dodsworth's, the party home.
diately returned to secure the assassin, and procuring as-
sislance, they halt little diffi i culty n making him their

risoner. Mead hat since undergone an etaluina inn,
in the coursed which it appeared, that there nas kiln-
thew visa in the house, of the name of belt, who has also
' been apprehends:!; bat the final result of th-ir examina-
tions we bare not yet been able to ascertain. There
were found in Mead's house two large pistol-, both load-
ed, but one of them bore evident mares of haring been
recently tired.—lt was with the greatest difficulty 'hit
the polies mere enabled to preserve hlead and Belt from
the summary vengeance of the exasperated populace.—
(l ork Cuss-ma)

PapcsitlaNtam.—Mr. WEST, thu celebrate) pe
trias, matte( frorn Hyde Park, yesterday, to go on font
to Newbury and back, 112 miles in 28 lours. lie pa—
sta through Slough (20 wiles), at three o'clock, per•
forming his work liisurely. The ranch is for a hum•r,it
sovereigns, and the pedestrian was there hours and 40
minutes doing the said 20 wiles. 11‘.. is backed at odds
to win. •