The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-03-13 00:00:00

ThE STATESMAN

Woodbridge, a clerk, now deceased. Witness had ha 11
many codversations with the prisoner respecting the bill
The first was about May, 1820, after he became bankrupt,
when he asked the witness to get the bill produced ex-
changed for a promissory note of hiinself,•his sun Wit
liam, and Mr. Green ; which promissory note, be said,
should include the interest and expenses of the former
bill, up to that time. Witness said hebelieved that Green
was a very poor man, and he thought that they might
quite as well keep the security they had, for Green's se-
curity was unworthy of their notice. Nevertheless, he
(witness) would inform the firm. The prisoner called
repeatedly to know the result of ibis application, and he
was informed that they absolutely refused to comply.
He came again and again, but the firm refused to comply.
Once the witness produced the bill in the prisoner's pre-
sence. The prisoner in August went to Marlborough to
ask for the bill. Witness told hint if he came to Hun-
gerford the determination of the firm should be made
known to him. He did come, and some officers who
were in waiting took him into custody.—The book con-
taining the entry of the bill made by the deceased clerk
Woodbridge, was here produced and read. The entry
was—" Tuesday, 11th January, Int); William An-
sell, Green, 14th March, 871. 14s. 6d." There
were some other entries in the prisoner's name, but
the witness was asked to explain the meaning of this
entry.
Mr. Justice BURROUGLI asked whether it was intended
to adduce this entry as evidence of the prisoner's having
uttered the forged hill?
Mr. ADAM replied in the affirmative.
Mr. Justice BURROUGH then said he considered it
would be inadmissible as evidence against the prisoner. I
Mr. ADAM contended, that it would be admissible, and
argued that it would be seriously to injure the criminal
justice of the country, to reject such evidence as this,
when in mercantile eases, where every thing depended
on the entries in the books, Oe persons who made them
were removed either by death or otherwise beyond the
reach of a subpoena, when no other evidence could be
adduced. He offered this evidence as a link in the chain
of other evidence which he should submit to the Jury.
Mr. Justice BURROUGII said he would allow this entry
to go to the Jury with the other evidence, but he should
tell theta that as evidence of uttering of the bill, alleged
to be forged, they must dismiss it from their minds, fur
it was inadmissible.
Mr. ADAM said then it would be useless for him to go
On further with the case, for he had no testimony which
could stren2then the proof of the entry which be pros
posed to submit as the evidence of the fact of uttering
the bill.
The Jury then, under the direction of the Learned
Judge, acquitted the prisoner. His Lordship, at the
same time, expressed his opinion that the words of
Green wcre sufficient to warrant the prisoner in a belief
that lie had Green's assent to use his acceptance.
It appears that juvenile depredation is increasing even
in the country. Amongst a number of boyi on the ca-
lendar, charged with felonies, four (IV. Beaumont, aged
15 ; Moses Ball, aged 13 ; William Crabh, 15; and Jo-
seph Crabb, aged 13) were charged with having commit-
ted a highway robbery, in having forcibly taken the
watch chain and seals, and a purse with some money,
from a man named George Singler.
It appeared from the evidence, that, on the night of the
robbery, Singlet, wit() is an old man, but strong for his
years, had been drinking at a public house, at Bradford,
where the prisoners also had been drinking. They saw
him pull out a purse, and immediately concerted a plan
for robbing the old man as he returned home at night.
*'he prisoner Balt; as was concerted, accompanied the
prosecutor home. The other tliree prisoners went on be-
fore, and lay in ambush in a lonely lane, through which
they were to pass. When Singlet- and Ball arrived at
the spot, Ball gave a whistle, v. ben the three young rob-
bers rushed out upon the prosecutor, seized him by the
legs, from behind, and threw him down, as if it were by
one man. The prosecutor had an unfortunate fall upon
a stone, which stunned him. They kicked him upon the
head unmercifully, but he nevertheless felt them pull at
his watch, which lie seized as it was escaping ; but the
prisoners forced him to let it go by stamping upon his
hand with their heavy hob-nailed shoes. They rifled his
pocket of ail the money he had about him, and took his
knife front him, and the whole ran away. The prosecu-
tor heard sufficiently of their voices, and saw enough of
them to identify them. A woman with whom Ball lodg-
ed some time, afterwards found Singler's watch under
Ball's bed in one of his stockings. When they were
taken up, conceiving that they should save themselves
by giving evidence, they ran a race as to who should
confess first, and they all confessed ; but seeing that they
could no(prolit by their confessions they now on their
trial all stoutly denied any knowledge whatever of the
miller or the robbery.
The Jury found the prisoners all Guilty.
Mr. Justice BURIM:011 said be bad never witnessed so
toss a case of juvenile delinquency. Robberies of this
kind, attended by personal violence, he should ever feel it
his duty to punish with the utmost severity; and un-
doubtedly lie should have left Ball, the leader, and, per-
haps, the others for execution, but front their extreme
youth. As it was, the law obliged him to pass the sen-
tence of death upon them, but that sentence would not
be carried into execution. He should reprieve them be-
fore he left town, bntsbuuld, nevertheless, inflict a severe
punishment upon them.
The Frisoners, in appearance, were simple country lads
from the plough tail.

—ear_
CHELMSFORD, ESSEX, Mancu 12.
CIVIL SIDE.—BROOKS O. PICKMORE.
This was an action of assault and battery, to which
he defendant pleaded Not Guilty.
Mr. MARRYATT and Mr. PLATT conducted the plain-
tiff's case; and Mr. Beasley the defendadt's.
The parties were both pest-Masters at Braintree, in
this county.. In April last they met opposite the Horn
Inn, at Braintree, when an old grudge was revived, in
which the defendant appeared to be the aggressor. The
plaintiff was pushed with some violence, and he was re-
tiring from a contest of greater violence, which appeared
probable, when the defendant pursued him and knocked
him down. He fell senseless on the pavement in the
gateway of the inn, and in the fall his head was cut. As
soon as he recovered, the defendant said he was certain
he should have to pay for it, and as he was determined
to have his " pennyworth," he renewed the attack, and
beat the plaintiff most unmercifully. Some by-standers
rescued bun from farther violence.
It was urged in defence, that the violence complained
of by the plaintiff arose from sudden irritation, and not
trom any premeditated on the part of the defend-
ant. No nitnesses were called to answer the plaintiff's
case, and
The .Itiry found their verdict for the plaintiff.—Da-
P's 20/.
Cnowsz SIM—Ed/OW/4 ifoy, William Saunders, and
Wm. Grefuhs, were indicted fur assaulting Mary Oates,
'on the. King's highway, at Woodford, on the `2rtfi of No-
vetnber, putting her iu fear, and forcibly taking from her
an umbrella.
Mr. Citadiesissi conducted the defence. It appeared in
evidence that the prosecutrix, who was a servant girl
ea., on the day mentioned in the indictment, going trona
Routford to Woodford. In her way she was attacked by
the prisoners, near Wanstead House. They threw her
down and took away her umbrella. She had in her pos-
session a bundle, containing apparel, which they also
seized and were carrying it off, when, in consequence of
'her screams bringing a•waggorer• to the spot, they ran
off into the (Ores', leaving the bundle behind. The wag-
goner pursued the prisoners and overtook them. They

threw the onsbrelie into a ditch. Two of them were se. I
cured, and the other made his escape, but was shorty
afterwards apprehended by a man on horseback. The
prosecutrix swo-e to the identity of the prisoners,
and her testimony was confirmed by the other witnesses•
The Jun• fonud,the prisoners litnity—Death.

POLICE.

001 Lnus LL.—Mr. ALLEY, the barrister, appeared yes-
terday before the Sitting Magistrate, Sir J. Shaw, assist-
ed by .111 r. Alderman Magnay,on the behalf of the Friend-
ly Society of Licensed Victuallers, to answer the coal-
-I;laite of Ann Jones, the executrix and legatee of a de-
ceased Member of that Society.
In this Society is vested the property of the Daily
Journal, named the Alorning Advertiser, and by one of
the articles the interest or share of a deceased member is
to be transferred or assigned over to his executor or
legatee, or, in the option of the Society, the deceased
member's hare may be valued, and the amount of that
valuation paid to the executor or legatee in lieu of trans-
ferring the share.—The subject of Mrs. Jones's com-
plaint was that* the Society had refused to transfer the
deceased member's share to her as his executrix, or pay
her the value of it.
The reason for opposing this claim did not appear,
Mr. ALLEY objecting in lintine to the jurisdiction. He
observed, that in the Articles of this Society there was no
arbitration clause to take away the jurisdiction. of the
Magistrate. and thereby make the parties Judges in their
own case, to which was to he attributed most of the con-
fusion and injustice which occurred in disputes in these
Societies ; but all questions of differences among its
Members were left open to the investigation and &colon
of an impartial tribunal—the Magistrates. Upon refer-
ence to the Statutes upon the subject, it would appear
that it was only in trestions of dispute between Members
of Benefit Societies that the Magistrates had any juris-
diction to interfere. The compl.tunant in this rare was
not a Member of the Licemed Victualler's Society ; and
altliongh she claimed as the representative of a deceased
Member, and however just or otherwise her claim might
be, still this was a question butween a third person and
the Licensed Victuallets Society, and not between a
Member of the Society, and consequently not within
the jurisdiction of the Magistrate to hear and determine.
The claims of a third person against a Benefit So iety
could only be prosecuted by ao action at law, ur a suit in
a Court of Equity.
Mr. Alleys dictum, upon an examiration of the va-
shuts Statutes on the subject was found to be correct
law, and the Magistrates, in conseqnence, declined en-
wring into the case, upon the ground that they had no
legal jurisdiction.
BOW-STREET.—Ruthven, one of the principal officers
of this establishment, arrivettin town on Monday last
from Cast lebar. in Ireland, having in his custody a man
named Richard Dolgellau, who stands charged with the
wilful murder of his wife, in the year lSlb, at Brotnp-
ton, in Kent.
In the year mentioned, the 76th regiment was quar-
tered at Chatham, and the prisoner, who was a private
soldier in that corps, occupied a small cottage at [tromp-
ton, with his wife and two children. his wife and he
lived very unhappy together, in consequence of his as-
sociating with women of abandoned character, and he
often b •at her severely, and was heard to threaten that he
would be the death of her. (In the evening of the Path
of September, ISIS. lie went home, and his wife and be
were heard by the next door neighbour quarrelling ;
a noise was also heard, as of a person teirg marl),
strangled. One of the children, too, was heard to cry
out " Oh, what are you going to do with mammy ?"--
Occurrences of this kind, however, were so common.'
that no notice was take* at the time. The next day the
wife was missed from the house, and the prisoner, when
asked where she was, said, she went out the night before
full dressed, and he did not know where she was gone.
The circumstance nettle some noise at the time, and he
was questiottel by several persons, and gave various ac-
counts. To some lie stated as above-nieotioned ; to
others, that she was gone to visit some friends in another
part of the country : and a third story was, that she was
gone to her relations in Ireland. In the beginning of
October, the company to which he belonged was dis-
banded, and on the 7th or Sib of that month he (pitted
Brompton with his children. In less than a fortnight
after his departure, the body of his wife was found quite
naked in a o ell in the garden of the house which they
had occupied; and, although it was in an aluio.t pu-
trid state, marks of violence were plainly distinguished
upon her throat. A Coroner's Inquest was assembled,
and a verdict of Wilful Murder returned against Rich.
Donellan, the prisoner.
It happened, that a girl of the town, who had been
intimate with Donellan' subsequently met with a corpo-
ral at Portsmouth, who had been his comrade, and lived
with him for some time, during which she related whim
the story about Donellau, and the supposed murder of
his wife. The corporal went to Ireland, where, in the
early part of the last year, he met accidentally with the
prisoner in the streets at Castlehar, and caused him to be
apprehended, and conveyed before Dennis Browne, Esq.,
a Magistrate, who committed him to prison on the lit of
April last. There be remained until about three weeks
ago, when Ruthven received a warrant, with orders to
bring him to this country.
He was taken on Tues'ilay last, before a Magistrate at
Brompton, and the depositions taken before the Coroner
having been read over, lie was fully committed to Maid-
stone tiaol fur trial.
MARLHOROI;OII•STREET.—A young man of fashionable
appearance, applied to the Magistrate fur w search war-
rant to search tor his wile, who he had reason to suspect
was concealed in a certain house.
Mr. Drew said, that as his wife did not come under
the denomination of goods or chattels, he could render
him no assistance, but recommended him to apply for. a
Habeas Corpus.
TuamEs-POLICE.—A female, apparently in a state of
lunacy, was yesterday brought before J. Ballantine, Esq.
the presiding Magistrate, by Wilson, an officer, baythe
been observed to make several attempts upon her life,
by plunging herself into the Thames; her wild and in-
coherent manner while in the office bespoke a loss of
reason. She was covered with mud, and without shoe
or sleeking. When asked her name, the answered
Mary Nowland," and on being interrogated where she
slept the preceding night, she said, in an entry." She
could give no further account of herself.
The worthy Magistrate ordered her to be conveyed to
Wapping workhouse, and to be taken every care of.
UNioN-as LL.—Vestertlay a respectable middle-aged
woman made application to the presiding Magistrate,
L. B. ALLEN, Esq. for assistance in the recovery of her
daughter, Mary Ann Bolton, a girl about 15 years of•
age, who had been seduced from the paths of virtue, and
was detained by a Captain ---.
The parent, who appeared to he absorbed in grief,
stated that about live weeks ago her daughter bad ab-
sconded from her parental roof, where she was living in
the moat comfortable wanner, awl her absence was the
means of throwing the whole of her family in the deep-
est gloom. Handbills were printed, describing her per•
son, and offering a reward for her recovery; but all
efforts to trace tier proved fruitless till a day or tit°
back, when it was discovered she was cohabiting with
Captain —, a man upwards of GO years of age, and
residing at Brendan-street, Waleorth. This discovery
had induced her friends to institute an inquiry in the
neighbourhood, as to .the character, of the Captain, be-
fore steps were taken to recover the fugitive, when the.
were told that he had four or five young la ties, who re-
mained in turns with him the whole of the night, an d
lately be had brought home a beautiful damsel, about L.