The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-11-27 00:00:00

WIZ KING V. WW. PRIVTLY.

Mr. GARELOW moved fur a writ of Habeas Cur.
pug, to be directed to the Keeper of the jail of
Hereford, commanding him to bring tip the body
of William Priestly, for the purpose of his
being admitted to bail. He stood charged with
a violent suspicion of felony, that of picking
the pocket of a person of the name of Powell,
a butcher at Hereford, and stealing one guiuea,
half.a.guinea, and a sixpence. The Prisoner,
Priestly, was a ropeetable person, who had con.
cerns in the commercial road to the London
flocks, went down to Hereford to purchase
horses for the purposes of his business ; and this
butcher's pocket being picked in thu fair, he had
charged this. person with haviug done it. He
was apprehended and searched before the Magis.
strate, ill. iu money was found in his pocket,
but neither a guinea, nor half.a.guinea ; a six.
pence there was found, and the prosecutor swore
to it positively that it was his, it being, he said, a
Queen Anne's sixpence ; whereas, in fact, it was a
piece of coin of the United States of America.
But the Prosecutor was unable to understand that
because he could not read. A person of the name
of Cottenan, an hackney coachman, joined in the
affidavit, and gave an account of his giving to the
Prisoner some of the money which was found in
his pocket; and added, that further evidence will
be given to manifest the Prisoner's innocence on
this occasion.

The Court granted the writ, and also a certio-
rari to remove the proceedings had before the
Magistrate, and directed notice to be given to the
Prosecutor and to the committing Magistrate.

'ME KING V. JO!. lIIRSENT.
•
The Defendant, partner in the house of Ilibbert
and Sons, oflord's-court, Crutched Friars,
wus brought into Court to enter iuto recognizance
to preserve the peace towards his own brother and
partner, who has exhibited against him articles of
the peace.
Mr. MARRTATT said that this matter hrd been
twice before the Lord Mayor of London, and was
dismissed by that worthy Magistrate.
Mr. GANNON' said he did not see the regularity
of any thing being said at the bar, when a person
ordered by the Court to find bail, came in for that
purpose ; but since this had been said, he must
Answer it by saying that this Gentleman had been
twice required to give bail by the same respectable
Magistrate, •ho had found he could nut restrain
him effectaaHy, and he was therefore handed over
to the stronger arm of this Court.
Lord ELLENSGIOUGU said, the Court could
only look at that which was regularly before it,
which was that of calling on the person now in
Court, to give such hail as the Court should, in
its discretion, think requisite to preserve the
peace. Ordered, that he do enter into a recogni-
zance himself in 5001. and two sureties in 9501.
each, to be of good behaviour fur twelve months,
which were given immediately, un which he was
discharged.

nuNsitit a. TUT GO YLItNORS OF IBETIILEbt OOS.

PIT' L.

Mr. Sc.% tura. moved a writ of habeas corpus,
directed to the Governors of Bethlein Hospital,
calling on awn, to bring into Court the body 01
James Tilley Matthews, who had been put into
the Hospital as an insane person, in 1796, and
who, it was now sworn by the officers of the pa-
rish, by which he had been sent to the hospital, and
by some of his friends, had recovered his senses.
The Governors, when applied to for the liberation
of the unfortunate man, first stated, that he was
one of their worst lunatics. The persons who
made the present application then investigated the
matter further, and were still more confirmed in
their original belief of the Prisoner having re-
gained his senses. They accordingly again ap.
plied to the Governors, and were then informed
that Mr. Matthews was a State Prisoner. This
they knew not to be the case, and accordingly the
present application was made. The Learned
Counsel held in his hand an affidavit by a respect.
able Gentleman of the name of Dunbar, a mer-
chant iii the city, whose wife was a relation to
this unfortunate man, of whom Mr. Dunbar was
willing to undertake the charge. He swore in his
atiidavit•to a conversation he had had with Mr.
Haslam, the apothecary to the Hospital, who
having accidentally shewn him sonic writing, Mr,
Dunbar knew it to be Mr. Matthews's, and men-
tioned his name and situation, on which Mr.
Haslam said, "He is no more mad than you are;
it is a thousand pities his friends will not take him
out."
Lord ELLEwsononen asked, why the visiting
physician had not been applied to? -
Mr. SCA MATT said, the friends of this unfortu.
nate gentleman had employed two medical persons
to visit the Prisoner, and who were satisfied of his
p,erfe•ct recovery. They were to have seen Dr.
Munro today on the subject ; but he (Mr. Scar.
let) had been informed, since the Court met, that
the Defendant had postponed the meeting till Wed-
nesday, being the day after Term. It therefore
became necessary for him to bring the matter he-
fore the Court with the imperfect evidence he had.
Sorely, he contended, the Governors of this hos.
pital had no right to insist on keeping this norm..
tonate man, when his friends were willing to un.
durtake the charge of him.
herd ELLENBOROUGH ordered that the motion
should be renewed On Monday, with such addi.
tional evidence from medical men as could be pro.
duced. He was satisfied there must be a mistake
in supposing that any thing improper could attach
to the•Guvernors of the hospital.