The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-10-21 00:00:00

-. S: ~'

t.utilit yr MAW:, DISACH, Wpwritaxagrat.
Before II:c Lord Chill Justice.
Vie KING V. JOHN YIELDER •ND JOHN ALD3IDCZ.
( l'he following statement is given by a cotemporsry
as au authentic summary of the trial.)
'Etas was an indictment against the defendants for
k ruing a common caning-non-e. The fast mart .1e-
:•116..1 the house to be signet/. in Rennet-street, in the
parish of St. James, Westminster; and the second de-
scribed it to be situate in Bennett-street, merely, with-
out adding any parish.
The Common S NT stated the case for the prose-
cation. The defendants were die keepers of a notorious
iming-Louse, in Bennet-street, St. datum's. The prose-
cutor was a young man, ti ho, shortly after he came
age, and had arrived in tide country from India, be.
came possessed of a considerable property. Wftlt the
beedleasneas anti folly of youth, lie was seduced to enter
the defendant's house, where lie soon became the victim
of those wicked practices which had for years been there
ended on with impunity. Stink in the vortex of dissi-
pation, loft every shilling he possessed in the world,
and shortly afterwards consigned toe prison, destitote of
the emulsion necessaries of life. In the hour of &stroll,
he wrote to the defendants, representing so them his de.
plural!e situation, and beseeching theta to afford him
!..111P ass nee to keep him from ahsolute starvation;
raid at the same time reminding them that he had been
ruined by the practices allowed in their house. To this
epplic.tion he received a cold answer from the defend-
ant., ili,elsiming ill 'knowledge of bins—saying that
they knew nothing of him at the period to which he
alluded, sod refusing any relief. His situation became
known to his friends, and they relieved hint from his em-
li.arassinents, upon condition that be should bring the
authors of his ruin to justice. He now, therefore, sum.
atoned conrage to confess his own folly and weakness to
Jnry. in the hope that his example would be an awful
warning to other young men in his situation. A convic-
t.on it etch a case as this, if well founded, could not fail
of benefiting society.
'rheum, Riskier Grad, the prosecutor, a young man
of dark complexion, deposed that he knew the defend-
ants. He became acquainted with them in Bennett-
street. St.Jamee's. io the month of October, 1519, where
they kept a gambling-house. Between the 25th of Oc.
Totter, 1819. and the llth of September, 18211, he was in
the habit of frequenting their Kbrtge et Noir table upon
an ge of three nights in the neck. Ile
entered the room at ten at night, and quitted it between
eleven amt twelve. He frequently lost money. Has
seen the defendants act as masters of the lonise, by or.
(tiring the waiter to bring refreshments. and lending
7,111,1” to the gentlemen frequenting the table. Ile has
seen Aldridge deal the cards. When he got into the
Marshal...a prison, he applied to the defendants twice
Vir relief. 'This was in March, 1820. He received •
note from Aldridge, stating, with his complinieuts, that
he had sot had the pleasnre of hie sequel manor dubs/
the months towhrich he alluded, as he (Aldridge) was
then from bode. s
In his ernes-examioation by Mr. A tioLenes, be maw
potitively that he had seen both the defendants acting
as linden of the house, is the way mentioned. duns;
the early part of the period comprehended by the in.
etietment. He bad preferred four other indictments fur
sinii!ar offences; none of them hail been tried. Melted
accepted MX from one of the defendants, by the mom.
exudation-of bin former attorney, to enable bins to carry
on this prosecution, as le was very much distressed fur
money. Did not know in what parish the house was A-
lusted, hat it was called Kennet-street, Si. James's.
One of the Jury here said that Bennet-street was not
in the parish of "St. James; bpt wa., in fact, is the
parish of St. George, Hanover-square..
Mr. ADOLIMUS them submitted that the indictment
must fan on both counts; for tire first described the
I•ofte to be in the parish of St. James, which was cell-
Seery In tbe fact; and the second usentioned cc parish. at
all. width It dearly engin to have done, the parish being
part of the description of the offence.
The Cater Justice said the defendants were certainly
entitled to be acquitted on the first count, hot he should
tot direct an acquittal on the second, beiiig of opinioo
that the description of the house. general;y, as beiegie
%eyrie s , was sufficient. If this count could sot
impported, the' efendants should have the benefit of
the objecting hereafter, if it was available, and the ver-
dict should authorise a motion in arrest of jnolfrutent.
M r. ADOLPHUS then went to the Jury s•sid instated that
this, so far from being an honest prosesittion, was 'mai-
med merely for the purpose of extorting money. This.
lie insisted, was evident from she manner in which the
indictment was framed, inasmuch as nothing could tiny.
'weft more easy than to state the parish correctly. is
which the house was situated. It we, still farther con-
timed by the fact that the proseentor bad received a
sum of 501. from one of the defendants. Ile proposed
to show—brat, that the house was situated in the parish
of St. George, and ant io the parish of St. James; and
second, that the defendant, Mr. Fielder, had ceased to have
sov connexion with the house before and after the month
sefOctober, 1519, to whirls period the charge is the in-
dictment was directed.
A parish officer of St. George proved that Bennet-
etreet was in that pariahs, and not in the pariah of St:
Jsnsee, as was commonly reported.
• J smes Golding, a porter, and George Tirades, a
si oiler in the gambling house, swore that in June, 1519,
the defendant, Mr. Fielder, ceased to have any thing to i
do with the controul, management, or ownership ot' the
loose. As to the other defendant, they admitted that ,
he was master during the period in questioo.
Mr. Dammam replied with his uanal ability on be.
half of the prosecution, and contended that the case
was clearly toads out upon the evidence of the pro-
se,ntor.
The Lotto Cum Jostles summed np the evidence
la the Joey, telling them that they were bound to ac-
vit the defendants of the:first count, and they would say
whether as to the secoud, the evidence would warrant a,
verdict of goal.
The Jim-, after ten ttdnntea consideration, returned a
verdict of Not Guilty upon the lirit could; but guilty
upon the second.
RAM. Or 13215T0L O. WILSMORB AND &GOTHIC'.
This was an action against the defendants, for resett-
ing sixty sheep, the property of 11 person wooed Millar,
lifter they had been taken in exerution under a wit of
here farms, directed to the Sheriff of Suffolk, by hint
transtsitted to the plaintiff, as High Steward of the
Manor and Liberty of Bitty St..Edintind's.
'fhe case was this :—One of the defendants (Page, a
farmer, of Suffolk) had sold sixty sheep, for the AM of
701., in Mar, 1821, to one Millar, who rented about an
acre of land at Nay teal, in Suffolk, as tenant to the de- •
fondant Williston.. The sheep were to be paid for in
ready money on delivery. When they were delivered,
Millar gave a check for the amount on Ilia bankers at I
Coultester.. The cheek was not presented until two or 1
threedays afterwards, and then it was discovered that
Aliar had no elf.eta in the bands of the hankers, al-1
tbongh lie had k .pt cash with them, but never to the ;
amount of 711/., and was then overdiawn 13.. 6.1. Just
prior to the delivery of the check, bliss C , si.ter-in-
low of Millar, oh•nined from the latter a warrant of at-
torney
for 4001., and the jndgment being entered upon
as soon as possible, an exo-ration was taken out and pro-
CP.'S delivered to the Sheriff to levy on Millar's effects at
Nayland ; but that place being within do local jurisdie.
Lion of the plaintiff, it was transmitted to hint to vie.
ote, and it was executed accordingly, and die sheep in !
;fln seesed, As ...no as Page, the vendor, disco-
ced the trick which had been played upon him by