Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1817-08-05
r ON London Paper
MELANCHOLY CASE.
~ he London ADJOURNED srsFf7hs OF FF'11
~ o. n Afssg

The ID Of My,
Mary Brown, allss Ryan, me uhlor'u'
nate wife of the man who had been execu
ted the same morning) was put 10 the oar,
charged with endeavouring 10 procure, ana
10 lid and abet the escape OF her husband
and two other persons, named Haila'd aho
Handley, from his Msjesty's gaol OF New
gate. on the 9Th Of April last. he prs
oner, as might well be supposed, exhibited
a most wrctched appearance she was con
yulsed Ia agony, and had an infant IT her
breast.
Ann Somers deposed, that she was EN-
ployed to search The females who were 10
the habit Of visiting the prisoners, and OF
Sunday, the Is of April last, The wife OF
Brown, then confined under sentence OF
death i'm Newgate, was searched upon her
ariiv i at the prison. Witness found Moth
ing in her pockets; but imagining there
was proluberance OF person, she insisted
upon searching beneath her clothes, and dis
covered that her body was braced round
with quantity of rope. Witness being
convinced that this must have aeen wound
about her while in an addressed state, taxed
her 10 this effect. The prisoner, however,
denied it, stating that she had picked Up
the rope on her way to the prison, and
meant no harm by it.
4 Several Witnesses corroboraed this state
ment
Mr.. Barray, who with his feelings Of
the greatest humanity, volunteered 10 plead
the cause OF this wretched prisoner, address
sed the court. The subject he said, OF the
offence imputed 10 the prisoner, and wheth-
er shat offence was brought sufficiently
home to her, was question: for the deci
sion of the jury In considering this they
would take, he had no doubt, the circhm
stances under which size was placed al the
time the cff4nce was commiued-a weak
but affectionate woman, endeavoriDg, by
desperate means, (of the improptiely or
consequence of which she was perhaps Ut
terly ignorant) to rescue her husband from
his perilous situation. He submitted This,
not with view Of turning aside the minds
OF the jury from the law and the fact, Lu
to shew how small proportion OF The guilt
OF the unfortunate woman mis- hi be attr bot
I'd TO criminal intention. The learned
council concluded an affecting appeal, by
stating, that If, In the minds of Blush lu
ry, whom he then had the honour to address
conviction should be established against the
prisoner, he would then turn 10 the court,
and appealing to its mercy, say, that the
pangs, the contition, the grief, and sorrow,
that at present inundated The soul ofthis I'M
fortunate widow and mother, were TO her
a far greater punishment than all the pains
and penalties ofthe most sanguinaTy law.
The recorder having summoned up the
evidence with great humanity, the jury, af-
ter some minutes consultation, pronounced
a verdict Of Gully but through their fore
man, thus addressed the Court 49,
My Lord and Gentlemen, We most ear
nestly recommend this almost helpless and
wIetched woman 10 your mercy. The
whole Court We feel, has, with ourselye S,
been agonized Al the circumstance, that she,
who this morning, but few hours since,
was a wilc is now widow, cast upon socie-
~ under circumstances Of the most heart
rendlng nature, TO seek protection for her
self and orphans. We beg that in mercy
YOU will visit her with the most lenitnt pun
ishment possible"
The Court having consulted few mo-
ments together, the reco, der proceeded to
pass sentence upon the prisoner, and having
highly complimented the jury for their ve-
ry humane recommendation, in which, ne
| said, the Bench heartily concurred, order
ed her to be confined in Newgate for one
calender month
The prisoner, in food Of tears, begged
| the Court would suffer her so go 10 the
wake Of her husband he being an Irishman
and Roman Catholic and see the last of
him"
The court said it was not in their power
10 grant such a request.
/ She was then conveyed in custody from
the court the jury, however. and almost ev-
cry individual in court, previously bestow-
ing upon her sums of money. II is stated
that the collection amounted to upwards of
2oE
intelligence reached London on the 9Th.
oithe discovery of an important conspiracy
u Lisbon, having for lis object the dissolu
ion ofthe government, the transfer of the
crown 70 the young Duke Of Cardoval. d
near relative ofthe King, and the murder
Of Marshal Beresford and the other Rri,ish
officers in the Portuguese service. The
chief Of the plot was Gen. Andraidr. ard
Baron Erin was implicated. The nlsn was
said to DC we'll organized, and 10 have been