The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-08-07 00:00:00

has been steeling the fowls and conveying them apt"
the poorhouses." He replied, Whoever tells you.
it Is ad—nodal lie.* After that she gave hint en
money, and be west away, about an hour from the time
of first going in.
Crass-examined 'by Mr. Tworoan.--1 suppers the
money she gave him was his wages, and she turned him
away.
By Mr. Rioar.—Oyles was hard-working and in-
dustrious; I never knew bins guilty of any dishonesty.
William Butcher.—l was carter to Mrs. Howell be-
fore the fire, but then I attended to Mr. Sadler's horses;
they were on the premises. The barn was in her pos-
erosion. Mr. Sadler had some carts and a waggon in
the hovel. I was in the stable at eleven o'clock the
night of the fire, when all was quite safe. My house
is a short distance from the premises. After I bad been
in bed some time toy wife gave the alarm of fire; I get
up, the night was dark but for the fire ; I went to the
stable to take the horses away ; the barn was burning ;
a shed joins to the barn and then the stable : these
were burnt, and a hovel was burnt down, but I did Neil
perceive that; it was on fire when 1 first got up. We
got Mr. Sadler's waggon and carts out safe. A bee-
ley-rick was also burnt, and the stables a little at
end.
George White (admitted King's evidence.)--I lived
servant with Mrs. Howell from Michaelmas till this
job happened. On the 14th of February she said to
me White, I want you to set the place on area 1
paid 601. for the straw when I first came here, and now
they won't give me a farthing for it. I'll do Major
Dawson and Mr. Foster as much injury as is in my
power ; I'll burn the place down for them, and if you
will do it I will give you la" 1 answered that I
would have nothing to do with it. This was in the
passage near the parlour. I then went to the wash-
house, u here I found hales, and he said, " What has
Mrs. Howell been Wilding you 10/. for?" I told
him, and lie said lie wished she would give him 111/. to
do it. Mrs. Unwell at another time said, •• White,
yon may as well do this that I want you, the 10/. will
be a serviee to you." I saisl,66 Not at all, to my life, bat
I have told Oyies what you said yesterday morning,
and he knows all about it." She asked what lie said,
and I told her. The sale was on Monday, Feb. 20 ;
in the morning of that day I went into the barn, be-
tween 7 and 8 o'clock, where I found &ivies lying in
the straw. fie said, " (to and tell the old woman to
send me some victuals and drink, for 1 have been
here all night." I did so ; and she gave me some
for him in a woollen apron, which I took him. She
said no more to me between that time ant the lire.
On the Wednesday after she sent me with IW. to
George's father's at Chorley. 1 saw his father and
sister, ;:ittl gave 2/.:r. to his sister t the rest I took
back, and told Mrs. Unwell 1 could not find George.
She said " For liosl's sake go and find him."-1 did
not say how mach I had li ft, bat she gate me 5/. more
to go to London and find him. I was to tell hi so to
keep out of the way, for there was s strong snspicion
of his setting the place on fire. I cools' not find him
in London, and 1 spent the money—part since I
have been in prison. 1 was takim on the 14th March
on Tower-hill.
This witness underwent a long and severe cross-
examination by, Mr. TaxsToN, and afterwards by the
Judge, in which he prevaricated. Sometimes stood
mute fur several minutes, and denied moat positively
several things which he had sworn to before the ma-
gistrate who committed him. Ile declared that Mrs.
Howell's proposals to him were not made in a whisper
or inwardly, but out lousily, as though Were was not
the slightest harm in setting the place on fire, or any
fear of beiag heard by any one.
Elisabeth licks, sister to the prisoner ;
Gales, the brother; and William Windcate, were then
examined. Their evidence went to shear the anxiety
of the female pi isoner to get I:yles out of the country;
she followed him to London, and advanced several'
sums of money for this purpose. In the coorse of
these proceedings she seemed to have contented her-
self with the reflection that she did " not do the
deed," though she feared the consequences of gnilul
Oyles's confession was then read, in those panel
only which criminated himself. It stated, that be
struck fire with a flint and steel, lighted a match, an d
set fire to some straw in the barn, and afterwards
walked off.
Mr. TAI:N TON. for the defence, took several legal
objections, but they were overruled.
The Joins then proceeded to charge the Jury with
great impartiality ; strongly urging every point filet
he could in favour of the prisoners.
The Jury consulted for about an hour in the box;
they then retired, and in a littie more than half an
hour they returned with a verdict. of • tiitilty. against
both the prisoners ; but recommended Mrs. Howell to
mercy, on account of the excellent character she had

received.
His Lordship said he should have great pleasure in
carrying their recommendation to the foot of the
throne.
Major Dawson rose to intercede with the iionet oft
behalf of (Lyles. Ile begged most earnestly to mom-
mend the unfortunate young 111111 to mercy. He seemed
to be a poor ignorant wretch,who had probably been led
into the crime by the artifizes of others, without being
fully aware of the dreadful punishment which it possi-
bly might bring upon him. Ile implored hie Lord.
ship to make such representations of Isis case as might
call forth the Royal clemency in Isis favour. He
urged this more especially in consideration of his very
tespectahle relatives who had appeared in Court on this
unhappy occasion, whose feelings he trusted would be,
I spared the aggravation of beholding their brother sof-
fer the death of a malefactor.
Mr. Baron thelow could hardly expressbow macb
he was gratified by the eloquent address to which they
had just listened, from a gentleman who was known to
him in very early life, but who had since been almost
out of his recollection. At the age of eight years they
wereschool-fellows torether ; and to find that at this'
time of life they should meet ai they then met, could
set fall to make a strong impression on his feelings.—
The motives am ! the recommendation had his fall con•
marrow. sad he would not disappoint gie hopes of his
valeed friend.

IttiCKINCIIIANIBIIIRE ASSIZES.
?NI ICING V. 1111011 AN WESTWOOD. ESQ., •. avactss

us cirirrl'G•WYCOlta.
At these assizes the above, one of the most it/Tur-
nstiles! Interesting causes which has fora long pviivtl
.•oasr Coiurt, was West be im Mr. J twice

stotaatmostond a special jury. The cense took to!
oearly seven boars. The subject to he decided wa-
the title of the defendant to be a burgess of Chipping
Wycomb, and to try which au information in the na-
ture of a 1110 icarriugto was filed *taint the defendant,
at'the instance of James Kingston, a burgess, and Jo• 1
seph Bates, an inhabitant of the borough, to show by
what right he exercised that office. The prosecutor
eoneended that the right of election of burgesses wan
in the burgesses at large, by virtue of the chartma
granted to that borough. The defendant, who had
bean chosen by the Mayor and Common Council only.
set up four several pleas in support of his title; the
one founding his right upon an iunnetnorial custom in
the borough, of electing burgesses by the M iyor and
Common Council ; and the three other pleas, substan-
tially the same, supported his title upon a presumed
bye-law made hr the corporation at large, delegating
the right of waking burgesses to the Mayor and Com-
mon Council. To these pleas issue was taken by the
prosecutor, and Mr. Dover having been beard against
the defendant's title, and Mr. Sergeant Blosset in its
support, Mr. Justice Richardson summed np, and the
jury, after taking sonic time to consider, found a ver-
dict for the defendant on all the points.

POLICE.
Mateston-lloese.—Two men, named Benton and
Parker, were brought before the Lord Mayor, charged,
by a salesman of Billingsgate-market, with having
obtained goods under false pretences.
The Salesman stated, that the prisoner Benson
came on board his boa! on Satnrtlay, and obtained
three bushels of oysters, by saying that he would pay
for them at the conclusion of the market. The wit-
mess knowing that Benson was one of those persons
called '• bohbers" at Billingsgate, and believing he
still contir•.ned so, did not hesitate to let hint have the
oysters; but he had some difficulty in finding► him
after the market Ma, over; and on applying to him
for payment, Benson told hint lie had no money, and
would not pay for them. The witness. on inquiry
found out cha' Benson was no longer a bobber, having
been excluded from the 6.11(7011p for misconduct;
he therefore thought himself justified in giving lam
in custody, and on searching him tner: was found in
his possession more money than sniiident to •pay for
the oystets. The other prisoner, Par!fer, it was
stated, was concerned with Benson in disposing of
the oysters, awl was in consequence given in charge
with him.

Benson represented the matter as one of acconnt
The fact was, that he wanted Parker to have paid his
share of the purchase.
The Lotto Mayne was of *pinion that the case was
one in which he could not interfere. His Lordship
dismissed it, advising the prisoner. imtnediatelv to
pay the money, and to be more circumspect in their
future conduct.
In the course of the complaint, several observations
were made upon the general conduct of the men called
" bohbers." It appears that fellowship porters have
the exclusive right of the porterage of all the fish
brought to Hillings,,eate fur sale, and have for some
time past formed a body in the tssarket under the de-
nomination of .‘ bobber'," who have engrossed nearly
the whole business of the market, preventing all per-
sons from going on board the boat; to make pur-
chases, and obliging the dealers to entrust their money
to buy whatever they wanted. This system arrived
at a height that became a most intoleraile grievance,
as the dealers and the poor were by it subjected to an
impost, and were at the entire mercy of these men as
to the quality of the fish they were served with, and
were also without any safeguard against any other
fraud that might be practised. In consequence of the
general complaints against this system and the prac-
tises of the Whiter% endeavours were to:tile to repress
them by souse of the city magistrates, but nitlsout
any considerable eject. An officer of the market yes-
terday informed the Lord Mayor that measures had
been taken by the deputy of the ward which would
secure a free access to the boats, and, it was expected,
clear the bobbin from the market, and to do away
with a constant source of trouble to the chief magistrate.
A fellow,. who failed himself siatthew Matthews,
was examined on several charges of having iudecently
exposed his person to young female* in the neighbour-
hood of the alinnries. It was stated that he had lung
infested that neighbourhood. 'rise bort! Mayor held
him to bail to answer the charges at the sessions, and
ordered the city solicitor to prosecute him.
OCILPHALL.—Abaca Bennett King, a lad, about I G
years old, was brought up yesterday, before Mr. Ald.
Vrwatmes, the Sitting Magistrate, charged with an
attempt to pass cunnterfeit coins.
Mr. Denntford, chemist, of 155, Cheapsite, stated,
that the prisoner cause into his shop to perebsse an
ounce of salts, the price of which would have been
sbree-halfpence, and tendered an apparently new shil-
ling. Ne, however, suspected it to be a bad one, and
on trying it by the test of nitrous acid, discovered it
to he topper, with a very thin plated covering over it.
The boy, when questioned where he got it, gaveoso
confused and unsatisfactory an account, that' be
thought it proper to detain him; and seat fur an officer.
Shephartl, the officer, of' Cheapside, searched tb

. .
prisoner when given iiipsiais custody, and found con-
cealed in his stockit4 a small black bag, containing
nine shillings and sixpence, all counterfeits, together
with tenpence in copper.
The story the boy told was, that he had received
110 money from a countryman of his mother's, to
Aotn he had lent some money some time before, and
tkat he was wholly ignorant that the silver was had.
The mother of the prisoner, a very decent and re.
vertu/ le looking woman, gave her ens" a most excel-
lent iiatraeter, said, be resided wilds beet *PI that she
had never known hint out from !bort after right
o'clock at night ; hi aesisted her in her business in
the morning, anti in thegterseen sold fruit at a little
utesee(
stall in the ovighintit 1; she, of course, knew no-
thing of of the truth is story, but from her reliance
on the galform g 4tl behaviour of her son, she he-
ir ,t 1 it. as there was ' countryman of her's who
4od sail -

floret, _ . a
exam' iteitseesatonally, _ who was of course
limonite the prisoner; and had the shillings been ever
,so bad to their appearance, the boy could not hare dis•
coveted It, as he was nearly blind.
Two neighbours, apparently of respectability, rave
the mother a must excellent character, having know,
her and resided near her for above 14 years. They
confirmed het statement of the industry and general
t;oottchar.itter and voodort of the pr,isoantr.

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