The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-10-03 00:00:00

LONDON SESSIONS.-WSON ISDAY.
Charles Symonds. a boy apparently net more than
12 years of age, the son of a regrettable watchman
in lielkore, was indicted for aesaulting Lewis Hart, o
boy about the came age, and with having set a deg
an him, which tore and it lured hint.
Mr. At.Ler stated the case for the prosecution, and
in the course of his speech vehemently censored the
prisoner's father, who had refused to allow the dog to
be examined by the surgeon for the purpose of aster
tainiag whether he was mad ; the consequence of
which was, that besides keeping theprosireutor and his
family in the most frightful state of ansiety and alarm,
the prosecutor was obliged to undergo the torture of
Laving his weasels cauterised, the surgeon being ap-
prehensive. from the refusal to submit t►e dog to ex
amination, that be was mad.
Lewis Hart, the prosecutor, stated. that he is a
quil and pencil seller, and that as be was going along
Holborn on the day charged in the indictment, the
priseasr steads him, and at th► same time addressed
him in a►usive lineage. A strange boy, named
Samuels, who was passing st the time and saw the as-
sault, said. he would strike the defendant if he struck
the witness again. The defendant replied, " I will
show him and you toe that I can serve you worse s"
and immediately called oat a large dog and set him at
the witness. The dog seized the witness as he would
a rat, pulled him dews, and lacerated his belly in a
dreadful manner, tearing a large piece of flesh out of
his groin. The people from Fleet-market ran to the
witness's essistancs on hearing his 'creams. and saved
his life. After the dog had bees taken off the wit-
ness, the defendant set him un the boy Samuels, bat
the multitude who had assembled prevented his sluing
him any injury.
The witness, in his cross•examinatios, positively de-
sled baying given any provocation.
Samuel Samuels, the boy who had interfered, eor-
trborated the prosecutor's statement in every particu-
lar : he was positive the prosecutor bad not given the
prisoner any provocation.
William Naokerville, who keeps a stall in Fleet-
market, also corroborated the protecutor's evidence.
Mr. Consist, a surgeon, whir was called to the plus*.
cuter, described his wounds, and them manner in which
they had been treated; the prosecutor's belly was
dreadfully lacerated, and a piece of flesh, more than
an inch in leogth, had been tors from his groin. It
was the practice when wounds were inflicted by the
bite of a dog, to cauterise, unless there was aaaaaa nee
that the dog was not mad ; the absorption of the
poison would otherwise he inevitable. The witness
therefore sent for the dog, to examine it. but it was
refused ; he then sent his card, 'equating the animal
should be sent with all possible dispatch, but a refusal
was again given; and after waiting two hears, he was
obliged to cauterise the wound ; the operation was ex-
creciaiiag, and the prosecutor was held down by fear
men while the fire was applied.
The prosecutor's father stated, that he went with
the surgeon's card to Symonds for the slog. but be
refused to let the dog be taken out et his home, but
bald the surgeon might go and eternise it there. He
treated with contempt the opinion that the dog was
mad, but admitted that he was a furious fellow that
he kept for the protection of his children, for the
times he said, were so depraved, that they could set
go oat without some protection.
Mr. remotes, for the defence, said be was instructed
to say be bad witnesses Se roadie* that "'maid peeve
the whole ease to be undeserving the attention of a
Court of Judea.
Several witnesses were then exansieed for the pur-
pose of mamas:deg the evidence for the prosecation,
in which they wholly failed
The prisoner's father was eternised, and said his
Inn was a boy of great humanity, and never could
Lave acted in the m hat had been stated. He
said, when the prosecutor's father came fee the dog,
be refused to tell his name, which was the reason the
doe was not given to him.
The Jury, witheat any hesitation, fogad the pri
scare Guilty.
The Recoanan, after the verdict was returned. ad-
dressed the prisoner's father, sad said he had shown
great want of feeling towards the poor hey who had
been so greatly injured; be westkl new have an op-
portunity
of showing whether be bad say feeling for
Lis own son, whom the Court were determined to
punish with severity proportioned to his offence, if
some compensitioe were not made to the prosecutor
fur his sufferings.
The Court, the RU0111)111 added, would allow the
payment of 301 as coaspenaatien.
The sum of 301. was paid by the prisoner's fathei
to the father et the prosecutor, and the prisoner was
fined Is. and discharged.