The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-17 00:00:00

PRICE SEVEN PENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, APRIL 16.

Easter Term commenced to=day before a full Bench of
Justices.

TUE KING V. St. MARY, NEwI*OTON.
The SOLICITOR •6ENZRAL moved for a rule to show
Cause why a mandamus should not issue to the Goversorrs
and Guardians of the poor of St. Mary Newington,
the time being, commanding them in vestry to nominate
eight persons to be overseers of the poor for the present
year, in order that the Justices of the district might ap-
point four of that number to be overseers, tied also, to
elect twelve persons to be guardians of the poor of the
said parish, in the room of twelve other permos, whom
term of office expired at la.t Easter. The !ninon was
founded on the Statute passed in Ibl4, fur regulating the
affrirs of the parish, it being suggested that the Gover-
nors and Guardians for the time being had omitted
on the
,first Tuesday in It49ter•week; toproced to the
election of the officers above-mentionedou porauasue of
the Statute.
The Court granted.a rule Nisi.

OLD ILNTIL2, Pa" IV?' • 16
Tng ATTCIIPTILD Mi.:IMM AT POPLAA —Wm. Trapp
wahladieterlf or cutting and reainti nig C kintte RotAs.iv dr.
intent to murder her ; and there were other counts in
the indictments varying the mode of charging the
offence.

The evidence of the proseentrix and the oth
nesse' on the part of the Crown was precisely N.•
since as that detailed in the reports from the Latisbetb-
street Police-office.
The prisoner. who seem-d" wrap tin dismal thinkings"
daring the trial, made no remark at all when called upow
for his defence. The following witnesses were called on
his behalf by his Counsel.
Mr. John Trapp said he was the prisoner's father.—
Fir the last seven years there had been at int-tv.sls
something so peculiar in his c'tnduct and manner as t
excise fear for his personal safety. For the l twa
years he had resided with witness ; he always kept him-
self entirely secluded from the rest of the family, and d:-
voted himself to the most intense study; Mathews ice sari•
Navigation were his favourite pursuits; he also eln.lie
Latin very closely ; be halt even held situations as
an usher at schools, but he bad given op that kind of em-
ployment on account of ill health, and bad learned the
trade of a lady's shoemaker. For the last seven years
witness had observed repeated instances of insanity
site part of Lie son. On one occasion hi started off to
Bristol in the night time without any p-evious no ice.—
Witness, after describing several other t triage acts of s
prisoner, said he believed the aberrations of mind whirls
be had observed in him to have arisen from intense study.

Latterly he became more secluded time ever in his habit;,
remaining in his cham'aer sometimes for three or four
days together without being sera by any of the family, •
except when his meals were taken to his. He was 'out
addicted to drinking.
Sarah Trapp, mother to the pelstatlrt. stated, 'tat
shout seven years ago she first pert ei*ed symptoms of in-
' 'ty in her eon. He was in the habit of • absenting.
uleaself front,tbeAlnner table, and refused-when reqse.a-
rbest
od to Pio the rest of the fain Iv. .He had very bad
health, heath* once 'lepton d a bloat vessel; he had a
relapse in December last, and was under Dr. Frampton.
of the London Hospital. Dining the late Intens.t cold be
'was in the constant habit of going into the yard at night.
and remaining there for two, three, anal four hours toge-
ther without his hat, while thei snow was on the ground.
Her daughter, on the 13th of March, commtudcated some-
thing to her, which induced her to direct that a strut
watch should be kept upon the prisoner's conduct. T. e
fear she entertained was for his personal safety, and sot
that he would do any other person an injury. He was
from infancy of s mild, placid, and humane disposition.
Mary Trapp, sister to the prisoner, deposed to various
instances of wild and insane conduct on his part. Du
one occasion she found him seated on the flour behind
the door, with his bands in his mouth, and his eyes
fixed upon the ground. When he heard her be looked
up at her with an expression of countenence that filled
her with iodiscribable horror. One time when. she was
at needle-work with a female, be came in all naked but
his trowsers.
Several respectable witnesses gave the p:isoier an ex-
cellent character for humanity.
The ReCORDER summed up with strict impartiality,
and the Jury, after an absence of nearly an boor, return-
ed a verdict of Guilty—Death.
Mr. ALUM said be was desired, on the part of the pro-
secutrix, to state that she most sincerely forgave bins fur
the injuries he had inflicted upon her, and begged goon
earnestly to recommend him to merry.
In this recommendation the Jury join d, adding as the
ground upon which they gave it, the previous good cha-
racter borne by the prisoner.
The RECORDCR—fhe recommendation made by tl e
proseentrix is exactly what I should have expected from
a person who gave her evidence in the mild and humane
manner in winch she did. That recommendation, with
yours, Gentlemen of the Jury, eh ill be forwarded to his
Majesty with all the force which I can give to it ; but it
is my duty to observe, that a more argrarat-t1 case has
not come before the Court fur a very long time; and I
would most earnestly recommend to the prisoner to ovate
the best use of his time. It behoves him, as he values
his eternal welfare, to prepare for the worst that can

happen.
The prisoner was then removed. The trial lasted up
wards of six hours, and during the whole of that time the
Court was crowded to excess.
The following prisoners were also capitally convicted:
.Eleasor Ill'Kenna alias liteorinie, fur stealing in a
dwelling house.
Jam Purdy, for stealing in a dwelling-house.