The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-05-28 00:00:00

Tilt RIM V. WILLIAM SMITU.
This was an indienneat fee arilfal and corrupt perjutyl
assigned upon certain alleles of the peace exhibited ti
the defendant against a Teeing man, named William
the prsecuter, for fear of his life. The articles stated.,
arnorpt other circumstances. !het a young woman
named Eliza Pelle, whalmffmarried the prosecutor, was.
his edefendant's) ow n wore' daughter -end that sbel
mpresented to him, which be *relay li:lieverl lii dsel
true, that she had been (obliged totearre her husband in;
consequence of !slain usage and violenie I whereas,
truth 'and in ltd. 1.6 the indictment alleged. thtsaid Eliza
Poile was not Alm defendant's nature' driaghter, and
whereas in truth and in fact, she bad not left the prose-
cutor in consequence of his ill usage and violence towards;
her. 71111 defendant pleaded not guilty. The articles•
in question had been exhibited by the defendant against,
tte prosecutor, in consequence of-the latter mapping a
pistol at him.
The proseention was conducted by the Solieitor4Elene:.
tsi. Mr. Platt, and Mr. C. Phillips ; and the defence by
Mr. Scailett and Mr. Adolphus.
This case excited some interest, and occupied a consi-
derable portion of time. The defendant, now upwards
of 73 years of age, was a man of considerable substsme,,
residing at Boardman-place, Edgware-road. Some years
since he had been intimate with a married woman, and
it was supposed that the fruit of the intercourse was a fe-
male uhild whom betook ender his protection, brought
her wp, suffered tier to go by his name, and tasted her
in every respect as his own daughter. Seine arrived at
the age of 18, and being about himself to marry, he was
anxious to provide for the Orlin some ether way, and he
accordingly apprenticed her to the business of* milliner.
She was placed under the care of a Mr. and Mrs. Gur-
ney. and whilst undertlieir roof she formed a clandestine
acquaintance with an officer is the army by whom she
was seduced, and was afterwards delivered of a boy; she
kept her situation a perfect secret natil the birdied the
child ilisclined her misfortene. The defeadasitthen took
her again under his owe roof, determining that she
should remain with him notil the cad of his life. Whilst
in this situation, the prosecutor, Mr. %V. Lou., feud
sear ; of getting introduced to her ; he made a formal
declar4 tints of love, and offered her his band in mirtiage.
She acquainted him fully with her situation, and the un-
fortunate lapse into which she bad fallen. This intelli•
genre. however. did not abate the ardour of Isis passion ;
he emtinued his addresses, and they were ultimately mar-
red. The prosecutor went into partnership with Mr.
Stoneetreet, in the business of a pawnbroker. The de-
fendant advanced him money from time to time, to the
amount of 5001. He made further demand* upon the
defendant, on the plea that money was wanted fur his
business. He offered to deposit with the defendant plate
and jewels by way of seenrity, and also the joint war-
rant of attorney of himself and partner. In all, the de-
fendant advanced him 1,0001. It was slated. that the de-
fmdanc treated the pr is .tutor with great kindness and
indulgence. The prom atm addressed him constantly
by the name of father, stud always treated and spokir of
him as the father of his wife. In process of time, how-
ever, the prosecutor began to treat liis wife with great
cruelty and unkindness, and it became necessary to insti-
tute proceedings in Doctor; -commons for a divorce. They
were ultimately separated. occasion Which led to
the exhibition of the articles of the peace ebove-mentioa-
ed, was the prosecutor's going one day to the defendant's
house, presenting a pistol, snapping it at bins and be-
having with great violence. In consequence Of his de-
meanour on that -occasion, the defendant filed the arti-
cles, ill which be male the statements upon which the
present indictment for perjury was founded.
Mr. Poile, the prosecutor, deposed, that soon after his
wife came so live with him, she became extravagant, and
he was unable to support her. She left him on two or
three occasions, and lie always found her afterwards in
lodgings, provided by the defendant, her father. The
defendant bad induced his wife to leave him, and live
with him (the defendant). He afterwards discovered
that his wife lived with the defendant as his mistress.
Shocked at such disgraceful conduct, be withdrew the
jewelsaud plate which lie bad deposited with the defend-
ant, by way of security for the money he had advanced,
thinking, after such conduct. the property would not be
safe. It was in consequence of this horrible conduct
thet he had gone to the defendant's home. with the pis.
en the °erasion in question. He had always under-
att o 4 that a Captain Godfrey was the father of his (wit-
ness's) wife. He positive:), denied that he but ever used
Lis wife ill. She had thrown a flat iron iron at him,
.and he bad on that occasion seized her by the arms to
preeeet tier doing him any mischief. This was the only
occasion t.n which he had used violence.
On the pert of the defendant, the improbability of the
tale told of the defendant vas urged, and a great num-
ber of the prosecutor's letters acre put in, addressed
to the defen&ut, in which, throughout, he described
Lis wife as being the defendant's daughter,—spoke of
Lim as the kindest and most indulgent of fathers, and
z.;*noulesiged the obligations he was under for pecuni-
ary assistance,
Two witnesses werecalled, who proved distinctly that
the pres.-cutor had frequently beaten his wife, and abu-
sed her in t..rms the most offensive.
The SoLictroa-GxnanaL declined proceeding farther.
The Lone Curse Juane& told the Jury, that there
was certainly no proof direct that Mrs. Pelle was the
defendant's natural daughter, bat he bad always treated
Lee as his child—she had passed as such in the world,
aid that was sufficient to justify the statement which the
defendant had made in the articles of the peace. The
other assignment of perjury seemed ro have been clearly
answered by the proof that the prosecutor had in fact
his tide.
The Jury immediately found the defendant Not

The LORD Cnier JVSTICC directed that all the special
jury causes in the paper for Wednesday shoul.l.be post.
poned. as the cases remaining in the list of this day
wolld probably occupy the time of the Court. Wens
arrangement, the trial of the publisher of the Liberal,
which stood in the paper for IVednesilay, will go off till
the sittings after term.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, MAT

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LONDON ADJOURNED SITTINGS.
WATSON V. DAILIS.
This waa an action to. recover compensation in de-
motes for the seduction. of the plaintiff's servant. The
cirrunsit a :es stat.4l in evidence were these:—Mrs. Eli-
sabeth Watson, a widow lady of moderate income, resided.
in aeons:, near tiloucester, where she kept one female
servant to attend h.r. In the month of May. lid!, she
went op a visit for some weeks'to• Iter friem::lW.Lincoln-
slire. giving up her house during her abserice to a Mr.
• Muff, who wok p ',session of it the day.after she had
lea it, and col.tisitwil to reside. in it until wiltin a few
days of Mrs. ►Ma'son's return. In the mean tibe Baylis,.
a yppng man who lived with his father, a neighbouring
WM" And who had b,ien in the habit of occasionally
assisting Mrs. Watson to make her market porchases,.
and do -other things of tt at n dare, availed himsvlf of;
her absence to visit her servant, ohms sho left behind
her. Aftr making her- some promisee, which were
pot described, the intercourse which led to the action
alodk place between them. he being about' 27;.and she
Alight forty year's of age. Having become preg•
she.-au delivered of a child ia the- following
Ncryft the expenses of- her delivery,. however, were
441 paid• by fits. Wilma;. bat; id coastiaeace of