The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-16 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, GUILDHALL, 1aa.15.
BELL AND OTHERS D. BENNETT.
• This was an action on a policy of insurance, on
an American ship, the Imogiue, bound from Peters.
burgh, i:► Vi►ginia, to the Baltic, which was seized
off Elsineur, in Denmark, by a privateer of that na-
tion, in December, 1810, and condemned by the
Prize Court of Denmark, on the grounds of contain-
ing property belonging to English merchants, and
sailing•under simulated papers.
The principal point at issue between the parties
was to ascertain the real character of the Plaintiffs,
whether they are to be considered as merchants tract;
lug on their own account, or as factors and con-
signees of American merchants: it i. in this latter
character that they wished to appear ; but the De-
fendant's Counsel endeavoured to prove from the
entries in their own books, and from his construc-
tion of their agent's letter (Mr. Beaziy), at Atm-
burgh, addressed to another person (Mr. Maclean)
in the same character at Got tenburgit, that the Plain-
tiffs were the real owners of the ship and cargo.
The sentence of condemnation was also read, not as
evidence to the point of ownership, for the Court
would not, in absence of those proofs upon which
that judgment was formed, suffer it to be given in as
evidence of any thing more than the condemnation.
The Jury, under his Lordship's direction, found
specially for the Plaintiffs, but the point reserved
will bring the subject again before the Court, and
in the course of the trial Lord Ei.teNacatouun laid
it down as the established Law of England, that any
attempt to trade with an alieh enemy, without a
licence, under pretence of bei►►g domiciliated in an-
other country, was a very high offence, as being
contrary to that natural allegiance of which no sub-
ject of these realms can divest himself.

POLICE.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
A SINGULAR CASE.
A Gentleman who resides in thesieighboarhood of
Mary-le-Bone New Road, applied on "ruesdlyeven,
ing to tn.' Magistrates at this Office for assistance to
recover a daughter, 16 years of age, who had absent-
ed herself fi om her home. The young Lady had ab-
sented herself during the absence of the la'her and
mother on Tuesday, accompanied by the servant maid,
with her apparel, eppendages, &c. and the parents
immediate!) applied to their niece, an apprentice or
workwoman at a house in Sackville-street, accom-
panied by an Oilicer. The niece at first denied her-
self, but she was at length brought to the Office, ac-
companied by another female from the house, and on
Mr. Baoeis, the Magistrate, demanding of them to
disclose any knowledge they might have of the ab-
sentee; they confessed their knowledge of the young
Lady having gone a passenger in the Liverpool stage
with the servant maid that evening for Liverpool, to
proceed from thence lc, Ireland. The father imme-
diately took a post-chaise and four, with Warren, an
Officer belonging to the Office, and overtook the
stage, whilst the passengers were supping at Slough.
The father seized the daughter, who in tears implor-
ed her father's forgiveness, and the litter conducted
her back to London. It appears that there was no
sort of criminality whatever attached to the young
L►dy, and her absenting herself from her home, was
altogether the work of female agency.
UNION-HALL.
Pectsegood Sleight, John Cotton, and Sam. Flower,
three young students belonging to St. Thomas's
Hospital, who occupy the first floor in Mr. Pryor's
house, were examined before G. Has:, Esq. Mr.
Cotton stated, that they were all three sitting in the
dining-room on Sunday evening, when they were
alarmed by the cry of murder, apparently proceeding
from some person near the door of the room where they
were sitting ; he immediately seized the tongs, and Mr.
Sleight the poker, and they were going to the place from
whence the cries came, but were prevented proceeding
by Mr. FloWerplacing himself against the door of the
room, and preventing their opening it; they how-
ever removed him, though with great difficulty, and
this delayed them so much that Mr. Pryor was down
in the shop before them, and the villains gone. Sarah
Wilkins was lying in an insensible state, as already
described.
Mr. Flower, in excuse for having so blockaded
the door, said, he had heard so much of the mur-
ders at Ratcliffe-highway, that he was alarmed, and
not knowing how many villains there might be in
the house, he placed his back against the door to
prevent their entering.
The worthy Magistrate expressed himself highly
indignant at the pusillanimous conduct of Flower,
which, he observed, had allowed time for the assas-
sins to escape, and had probealy prevented their de-
tection. •
Mr. Cotton also stated, that an Friday everting,
as he and Mr. Sleight were coming out of Mr.
Pryor's house, they saw a man looking round the
window ; at the time they came out his hand ap-
peared near the latch of the shop door, as if he
were about to enter, but he drew back on perceiving
them. Ile had a dark coloured corderoy jacket on,
was about five feet seven inches high, and appeared
to them upwards of 30 years of age. This descrip-
tion perfectly agrees with the description given by
Wilkins of the man she saw loitering about the shop.
door on Saturday last, in the evening.
Sarah Wilkins has been attended by Mr. A. Coo-
per, and we are happy to say, she is considered as
Out of all danger.

•
A few days since, Combe Villa, the elegant resi-
dence of Sir John Hamilton, at Twickenham, was
thrown into alarm by the attempt of several depre-
dators to break into the premises. The servants be-
ing all well armed, made a sortie on the robbers ;
but the latter, unfortunately for justice, effected their
escape across the fields at the back of the villa. The
house of Baronuess Howe, in the same neighbour-
hood, was broken open, some time previous to the
attempt at Sir John Hamilton's, and robbed of pro-
perty of the value of 9.00 i.
Last week the wife of a carpenter, she resides in
Devonshire-street, Kennington, was delivered of
three children, who survived but a short time, and
t o days after of a fourth, which, with the unfortu-
ni • mother, soon after expired.