The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-08-11 00:00:00

,TaS MAN.

SINOUV4R DISC'OPERY..--

A most extraordinary ease was tried at the last
Marybornagh Assizes, in Ireland. It was briefly
as follows :—Robert Baldwin, in March 178.2,
made his will, in which be devised certain lands to
the children of his youngest son ; soon after which
his faculties failed him, and ho became altogether
childish, and died in April 1784, above 80 years
old. The Defendant, and eldest son, immediately
afterwards gave out' that his father had 'destroyed ,
the will ; and no will being found, he entered
into possession of the 'lands in question ; and so
matters remained for '2l years, the whole family
during all that time believing that the father had
died withoet a will. But, after 21 years, the de..
lesion vanished, and the Defendant's own chit.
dren became the immediate instruments of jus-
!lice to the children of his brother. In the year
1802, the Defendant's wife died ; and he very soon
afterwards, at the age of 78, married a very young
woman, which caused some .anxiety to his two
sons, Robert and Edward Baldwin ; .whose poig.
nant expression of this feeling so exasperated their
father, that he, inlhis resentment, executed his will
.to disinherit his eldest son Robert : and, in his fit
of anger 'hewed it to his second son, Edward, w hir
instantly determined to get at and destroy it, in
order to preserve the property to his eldest bro.
ther. With this view, he broke open his father's
desk, where he fonntl—nothislather's will, elfich
he sought after, hut the will of his grandfather,
which was then altogether forgotten in the family.
He read it, and found that the estate, of which his
father would have disinherited his livothers, really
belonged to his cousins,
.the childen of his late
uncle John. Ho instantly communicated the
important discovery to his brother, and he 1
to their uncle Jonathan; in consequence of which, i
the will was, about the beginning of thu year 1
1805, lodged in the Prerogative Court. When
the Defendant was apprised of the discovery of.l
the will, he said it was very. true, his father never
did cancel his will ; but that hc did it away by two ;
deeds,- by which he afterwards conveyed his pro.
perty to him ; and Vat those deeds were both re.
gistered. •It appeared; indeed, that one -such
deed was registefed since the discovery of die will ;
but both-deeds appearing foully suspicious, a bill
was Mediu the Court Of Exchequer; and on hearing
of. the caitse in the last Term, the Counsel desired
to hafe die" opinion of a Jury bn these alleged
deeds. After a trial of eight huurs, the Jury
found' a verdict for the Plainliffi, with Ott full
.1 approbation of the limited. Judge. By th ver.
diet the Plaintiffs, five in number, are restotud to
an estate, of about 3001. a-year ; of which, for
%bleats, they have been depr.ved by their uncle.

Tut-sday night a poor labonr.,
inn man, in a paroxysm of mental derangeitsent, at.•
tempted to drstrby himself int* pond of atigitant
water on Chelsea Common. linshad been dr tiking;
along with his companions, !ram Whom he hail no
science patted, than he stripped himielf entirely.
naked, threatening to destroy any perihn who
shunt! endeavour- to prevent 11E4 d'readfol pie pose},
regardless of his threats, some humane hy-standers,
'rushed upon him, and ,'urett him in spite of his..
strength, rendered dreads-ill by-asedoess, aided by
liquor. As he was very refractory, and seemed
bent on the dread resolve, thu people thought it
would not be amiss to let him make -the -.trial,
while a young man prepared to rescue him, if tie.
. .
cessary. lie no sooner felt himself at liberty;
than he rushed into the pond and disappeared ;
the other darted after him, bdt he had nearly
fallen a victini to his humanity, fur the poor ma.
niac grappled with him, and- tried to pull him
down with him—what. a spectable to look on !
Providentially the young man was very strong,
and he succeeded in dragging the other out. The
poor wretch still cast a wistful look on a spot
that had so nearly beeomefatal to him, and seemed
pleased in the idea that he could accoutplish it se
nicely ere the morning, when no eye would notice
him ! yet this man, with madness boiling in his
blood, was taken home to his wretched wife arid
family, which was every hour exppered to he in.
creased—and this was his seventh attempt!—
Ought this man, and others afflicted its -the same
way, to be allowed freely to. -incommode and
alarm the public, endangering the lives of others,
as well as their own ? Besides, so piteous a spec-
tacle ought to be veiled from our view as much 'as
possible.

. •
1
Itonnretv AND Mu 6 nonn.--.on Thursday last as.
Mr. Frederick Tomlinson, ateemitient grazier it
iltiddle!smore, Hants, was returning through the
Forest home, from Dow nton,. near Salishury, on.
horseback, lie was overtaken at eleven o'clock at
night, near the end of Ponderts-Latie, by twb
men also on horseback, with whom he -eetbred
into conversation, one of them beitig .very constr.
Sant in the mode of dealing in cattle, Am.-which*l
he represented as his calling. After having rode
abont two mites its conversation together, one of
thc fellows struck Mr. Tomlinson a violent blow
on the head with the but-entl of a horsewhip,
which nnhorscd him, and both began to rills his
pickets. Mr. 'I% made a stout robt%tancc, but lie
was overpowered, and the ruffians beat him ap.
parently lifeless, and rubbed him of above Mi.
in notes and cash, and rod,. away with his horse,
which was found in the Forest ten miles distant
from where the robbery was committed. Mr. T.
died on IVednesdny last, of one of the fractures
the head. Two men are in custody on suspi.
cion of the murder, Some. Country notes, indorsed
by the deceased, baring been paid away by them.
Monday evening a fire broke out in tie premises
of Mr. Shaveley, at Hamden Hall, 111•3 e Colches.
ter, occasioned by the carelessness of a servant
setting fire to some straw in a hen-roost whilst
catching poultry. A large barn and a quantity of
corn in sacks, ready for market, were consumed ;
the flames were prevented from commnnicating to
the dwelling-house by a favourable wind ; the da-
mage is estimated at upwards of seven hundred
pounds.
Yesterday morning one or •the Northamton
stages broke down, beyond Islington ; an outside
passenger was much hurt.